时间：2022-06-06 05:16:13
Mr. Ji Wenzheng is 75-year-old retired cadre in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. He has been honored for several miraculous achievements: i.e. being the first Han Chinese cadre and soldier to hike through the Himalayas to reach the only county inaccessible by road in China; the first person to propose that Moinpa and Lhopa people must be identified as ethnic groups in China and then providing related materials to support his proposal; the first person to cross over the Himalayas 28 times; the first Han Chinese to work in Metok for over 16 years; the most prodigious collector of materials rich in the folklore of Lhoyul culture, and the person who is most profoundly knowledgeable about this culture. Ji Wenzheng said that his efforts were not only because of the endless mystery of the plateau, but also his passionate love for ethnic Moinpa and Lhopa people. While endeavoring to compare and publish his collected materials, he is making new plans to hike over the Himalayas again in 2007.
Hiking to Metok Half Century Ago
Born in a farmer's family in Denzhou City of Henan Province, Ji Wenzheng graduated from middle school in 1947 when he was just 15 years old. Full of youth and ambition, he joined the army and became a soldier in the No.158 Corps of Zhang Guohua. In 1950, the famed highway from Sichuan to Tibet was opened to the public. He, as a cadre serving in the army's cultural activities, headed to Tibet with other soldiers by taking this highway and then served in the Pome County of Nyingchi Prefecture in the east of Tibet. He became fascinated by Tibetan traditional culture. In 1954, he was assigned to work in Metok County. Without a word, he packed his luggage and left for Metok with a local guide. He never forgot the difficulties he had encountered when he firstly entered Metok. Many times he escaped from the major of terrors. For instance, his life was almost taken away by little leeches sucking his blood from all over his body, even inside his nose (which was recognized as the most vulnerable spot). But finally, relying on his strength as a soldier, he successfully crossed over the Doshong La Mountains, which was over 5800 metres above sea level, to reach Metok.
In Tibetan, Metok means "flowers". Geographically and culturally, it is referred to as "Lhoyul Region"-the word "Lhoyul" means"the secret place". Metok has really comfortable weather and flowers are booming everywhere. Thanks to being surrounded by the Himalayas and situated in the big gorge of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, this area is completely isolated and cannot communicate with the outside world for nine months of the year.
As discovered by Ji Wenzheng, the Moinpa and Lhopa people, from generation to generation, have kept most of the characteristics of primitive tribes, such as slash-and-burn cultivation and counting numbers by tied knots on ropes. Other cultural characteristics from superstition to religious activities were also preserved amongst these people.
Having studiously studied the language of Moinpa and Lhopa for half a year, Ji Wenzheng could freely communicate with locals and indulged in the study of local folk culture and materials.
In June of 1988, Ji Wenzheng retired. People assumed that he, a person who has contributed his most of his life to Metok, would enjoy his future life in comfort. Nevertheless, his experience of over 16 years in Metok caused him to care a lot for the place. His first act after he retired was to return to Metok. He entered there in September and came out in June of the next year. In this trip, he conducted an investigation around the area of the big gorge of Yarlung Tsangpo and collected a lot of fascinating material, records, and photos... and he has written a valuable diary as well.
Yarlung Tsangpo is named as the river in the "Heaven of the third pole of the world", originating from the northern part of the Himalayas and Chemayungdrung glacier (5590 metres above sea level) of Drongpa County, with total diameter of 2057 kilometers. It is 4500 meters above sea level and covers 24.5 sq. kilometers, being recognized as the highest river above sea level in the world. The big gorge of Yarlung Tsangpo is situated at the lower reach at about 500 kilometers, and forms a big bend shaped like a horseshoe. The east part is Mt.Namjagbarwa (7787 meters) and the west part is Mt. Gyala Beile (7151 meters). In between, the river is 2000 meters above sea level, forming a splendid view by falling 5000 meters straight down the mountain cliffs. The two-sided cliffs almost fill the sky, and only a tiny shaft of sunlight can be seen. Ji Wenzheng said some parts of the gorge were practically impossible for a human being to pass through. At the head (about 10 kilometers long), the two sides of mountain cliffs fall down 3000 metres, where there is no way it could be climbed and even a monkey could not pass through. In fact, hunters and researchers could only reach the middle part of the gorge by entering it from Mt. Namjagbarwa.
After 1988, Ji Wenzheng walked across over the Himalayas, and he spent several months in the gorge area to conduct a survey. In 1996, he was employed by the Xinhua News Agency as a general consultant to guide them while working on a documentary of "Metok".
In 1998, Ji Wenzheng took his 28th journey to walk through the Himalayas. In his diary, he wrote: "Although I am already old, I still like to take my stick, strap my legs, wrap the belt around my waist, carry the basket, and put on a straw hat on my head to walk around just like a mountaineer or a geologist. I am never too tired to chase my ideal and I endlessly love my life..."
At present, Ji Wenzheng's foot steps have covered all Moinpa and Lhopa villages in Metok County. With his efforts, he has collected over 10 million words of folk stories, songs, proverbs, and recorded 131 types in a valuable diary of over 2.13 million words, published 500 papers and 21 monographs, including Love Songs of Lhoyul, Amorous Feelings on Lhopa, Amorous Feelings on Moinpa, Tibetan Folk Stories, and The big Gorge of Yarlung Tsangpo and Tourist Resource (English and Chinese). About other 15 books are ready to publish.
Wild Human Beings in Metok
There is much talk about the wild men in Metok. Working in the area, Ji Wenzheng has heard from many locals talk about this. Hunter Anbu frequently retells his experience in 1947 when he hunted and rested at the area of the big gorge. In the night he saw a wild man standing at the entrance of the cave, making a strange noise. In the early morning of the second day, he found five foot prints far apart. Ji Wenzheng also found a hut resembling a place lived in by human being and a shed, like a toilet. Obviously, no animal built this. He found a cave of about 40 sq. metres, and a salty hot spring was not far from the cave. He saw stools piled up as high as a man placed 30 metres away from the cave. The stools looked like yak dung containing some undigested nuts. Ji Wenzheng eagerly took some pictures.
Ji Wenzheng has recorded many cases of wild men who the local hunters refer to as Midre and Drepo (Local language, meaning wild people). He has collected much material on the primitives that he found during his 28 journeys in the area of the Himalayas. He truly believes there are wild human beings in the area of the Himalayas and the big gorge.Ji Wenzheng said, once when he had just come out of Metok, a package in which he had kept many photos about the wild people and other materials was accidentally dropped down a cliff. He has regretted this loss of materials for a long time because it prevented him from ever writing a book about the wild people.
As the news spread that Ji Wenzheng, during his retirement, would return to Metok, people told him to enjoy his live and not to seek challenges. But he responded: "When I walk through the mountains and the gorge, I felt I was talking with history. In my deep heart, I have a huge love for Metok. The feeling of brotherhood with Moinpa and Lhopa people always makes me sigh with regret and also cherish the future. What I want to do is to do my best without any regret! That would be enough to me."
We sincerely wish Ji Wenzheng's dream could become reality as soon as possible.