黄鹏《花山画语》

Once again, it’s March 3rd in the lunar calendar, when the Zhuang people immerse themselves in a sea of folk songs, their melodies carried by the wind to extol Buluotuo. Among the Zhuang of Bagui, no other mythological figure is as deeply intertwined with the nation’s traditions and customs.

Buluotuo, remembered annually by the Zhuang, is a revered ancestor celebrated throughout generations. He is a significant and profound emblem of the Zhuang’s rich spiritual heritage. Among the mythological figures of various Chinese ethnic groups, Buluotuo’s prominence cannot be overlooked. Some even regard him as the foremost creator, god, and moral deity in Zhuang culture, and he holds an esteemed commemorative status. He is considered the first progenitor god with an authentic bloodline, a totemic symbol of cultural significance.

As we peel away the layers of mythology and legend, a grand image of the creator god emerges from the distant past. Buluotuo represents a unique and captivating aspect of the Chinese nation’s cultural landscape. Remarkably, the murals were exposed to the elements for ages and retain their vibrant colours. The question arises: What kind of paint did the ancestors use?

“When I first saw the mural, I recognized it as a relic from the previous dynasty, and the colours remained vivid and unfaded,” someone remarked. Even after a thousand years, the colours of the Huashan rock paintings have not dimmed, which is nothing short of miraculous. The mystery of the paint has since been solved. According to reports, experts from the National Cultural Relics Protection Department have conducted scientific tests on the pigments of Huashan rock paintings over the years, finding that the primary component is hematite, a natural mineral. However, hematite powder alone cannot adhere to the complex, smooth, and vertical cliffs; it must be mixed with an adhesive. Further investigation revealed that the paint contains adhesive substances, but whether these adhesives are of plant or animal origin remains a mystery. Considering the rudimentary refining techniques of the ancient Luoyue people, how they acquired and mixed these ingredients continues to baffle researchers.

The Huashan rock paintings, adorned with rice ears, still exhibit vivid colours even after thousands of years. This remarkable preservation makes one feel as if they can still smell the ancient aroma of rice and appreciate the enduring rice culture of Guangxi. Guangxi is rich in ethnic cultural heritage and has a long history, encompassing unique cultures such as Huashan, embroidered ball, Liu Sanjie, longevity, bronze drum, and rice. As a traditional rice-growing region, the ethnic groups in Guangxi, including the Zhuang people, have developed a profound rice culture over millennia.

Whether it is the essence of heaven or the earth’s imagination that allows the colourful clouds to float and curve, freezing 2,000 years of history on the continuous rock walls remains a mystery; whether it is the work of the sun or the moon, they have imprinted the red clouds onto this land, transforming the sparkling stars into vivid and mysterious paintings along the Mingjiang River amidst the lush mountains. Over the years, I have visited Huashan multiple times, standing in awe of the grand and ancient figures of the Huashan rock paintings, feeling a deep sense of wonder and admiration.

Huashan is located on the southwest border and has historical and cultural significance. The mountain is famous for its rock paintings, which, in turn, enhance the mountain’s renown. Both domestically and internationally, Huashan is celebrated for its enigmatic rock paintings. Situated on the banks of the Mingjiang River in Ningming, Huashan has a geological history dating back to the Middle Cambrian era (500 million years ago). The region’s geological contours were formed following the Indo-Chinese Orogeny (about 220 million years ago) and the Yanshanian Movement. In the 1960s and 1970s, fossils of coral and seaweed were discovered on the rock walls of Huashan and near its pier steps. Ancient artefacts, including coarse sand-tempered pottery shards, polished stone tools, chipped stone tools, human remains, and shells, were also found at the Huashan rock cave site, indicating it was a cultural site of the early Neolithic period. This evidence suggests that even in ancient times, humans had a deep connection to this land, continuously evolving their cultures throughout history. From the early Warring States period to the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Huashan rock paintings emerged and shone brightly in the vast universe.

The Huashan rock paintings’ uniqueness lies in their immense size, challenging painting techniques, and high artistic value. During my multiple visits, I have marvelled at the vivid depictions of people, animals, and utensils painted on cliffs tens of meters high. It is unimaginable how humans managed to create these paintings, which are not only unreachable for humans but also tricky for even monkeys to access. The paintings use the towering cliff walls as their canvas, exuding a magnificent and mighty aura that leaves one in awe. They are static yet dynamic, rough yet detailed, simple yet elaborate, harmonising reality and imagination with distinct primary and secondary elements and creating realistic and lifelike images in a solemn yet lively atmosphere. These extraordinary artistic skills make the Huashan rock paintings rare treasures in the world’s artistic heritage and an actual historical marvel.

All cultural phenomena throughout history often encapsulate richness in simplicity and uniqueness in purity. Despite their ancient, monochromatic images, the Huashan rock paintings succinctly reflect the artistic essence of Huashan rock art. In spring, when flowers bloom and birds sing, the rock paintings gracefully decline the invitation of the spring god, remaining silent and content in solitude, allowing nature to dance and sing freely. As flowers fade and trees grow lush, the rock paintings maintain their silent vigil, humbly watching the summer rain and sunshine beneath the foliage, letting the plants absorb more nutrients from the soil. In autumn, when fruits ripen, and rice fields turn golden, the paintings blush joyfully and shyly. In winter, they stand majestically, resisting the harsh winds. Year after year, day and night, the Huashan rock paintings uniquely embody this unique blend of chivalrous spirit and tender heart, which does not vie for attention in spring, beauty in appearance, space on earth, or height in the sky.

In spring, I visited Huashan. It was a time when flowers bloomed in full force. I witnessed a world of the purest and most brilliant mountain flowers here. Along the banks of the Mingjiang River and around the rock paintings, hundreds of flower species burst into bloom overnight as if responding to a heavenly command. The flowers, in clusters, strings, and bunches, were of various sizes, densely packed, layered, and colourful. Some grew closely together, while others stood gracefully alone. Perhaps inspired by the red of the Huashan rock paintings, the bright and subdued flowers adorned themselves in splendid attire and modest humility, adding a touch of pride or shyness to their appearance. They seemed to understand their role in enhancing the splendour of Huashan with their vibrant colours and harmonising with the paintings’ composition. Billions of flowers spread across the endless banks of the Mingjiang River, their diverse fragrances creating a boundless harmony, filling the air with intoxicating aromas. Colourful butterflies fluttered their wings, treating the sea of flowers as a paradise of forgetfulness; busy bees hummed and hovered, enchanted by the mysterious and sweet aroma of Huashan; chirping birds played and sang, immersed in the deep affection of Huashan. Wandering amidst the fragrant flowers of Huashan, where even a breath felt refreshing, my body, life, and soul became captivated by the floral fragrance as if taking a “flower bath” that invigorated my entire being. There was no suspicion, restraint, or tidiness here; the spring breeze blew away all worries, sorrows, and melancholy, drowned out by the floral fragrance and washed clean by the spring rain.

During mid-autumn, I visited the Mingjiang Gallery, which was filled with many treasures. The golden and red rock paintings glowed brilliantly. On the cliffs, rows, groups, and individual rock paintings were embedded like agates among the clouds and shone like jewels in the green sea. The paintings were mottled and resplendent in shades of red ocher, crimson, light red, and deep red. Many types of red worldwide could be found in these rock paintings. Who were these young men, standing under Huashan, capturing photos with their cameras? Who were those ladies, spreading paper and wielding brushes, focusing intently on the paintings and sketching them carefully? Across from the rock paintings, I saw farmers busy harvesting in the rice fields. They bent over and swung their sickles, and the golden rice ears transformed the fields into golden autumn clothes and carpets. Between the rock paintings and the rice fields, fishermen cast their nets, gently rowing their boats and hauling in silvery fishing nets that hung like glittering curtains and shimmering screens of water and fish. Huashan rock paintings, your images of abundance are so fragrant and lively, pleasing to the eyes and heart!

In winter, after the winds have swirled, the frost has fallen, and the cold has set in, Ningming’s Flower Mountain transforms into a realm of elegance and simplicity, a pure and serene universe. I once visited Ningming on a sunny winter day to admire the exquisite beauty of Flower Mountain. Filtered by the frost, the air was pristine, transparent, and refreshing. With the reflection of the frosty light and the shifting shadows of the trees, it felt like we had stepped into a fairytale land. The bustling city life had left me and my family feeling lethargic, but our bodies and spirits were revitalised in the wilderness. Like the delicate fingers of fairies, the fresh air invisibly brushed over us, soothing our tendons and veins, infusing us with clarity and purity. Immediately, we felt refreshed, invigorated, and full of vitality.

The rows and groups of petroglyphs were mysterious, solemn, and imbued with religious significance. On the cliff walls, the thousand-year-old petroglyphs, which had endured wind, rain, natural disasters, and human interference, displayed a reddish hue reminiscent of the essence of the sun and moon. They glowed brilliantly amidst the green mountains and clear waters, illuminated by the sunlight and alongside the petroglyphs of Zhushan, Longxia Mountain, Datyi Mountain, and Gaoshan, the petroglyphs of Flower Mountain stood calmly and orderly, forming immense arrays as if awaiting the call of spring breezes and the command of summer rains. I imagine that if a master painter came here in winter to sketch, they would undoubtedly capture the soul of the southwestern border’s history and the spirit of the Luoyue ethnic group within the petroglyphs of Flower Mountain.