"As soon as the radish from Qiaotou River arrives in the street, the drugstore owner will accept it; Qiaotouhe radish does not put oil, and chopsticks pick up both ends. " This proverb was very popular in Sanxiang before liberation, which shows that Qiaotou River is famous for its vegetables and radishes. Qiaotou River is a famous town in Hunan in the middle ages, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as "outstanding people and outstanding spirits".

Qiaotou River is located in Lianyuan City, central Hunan Province, with a history of hundreds of years and a population of more than 10,000. The Mekong River flows through the center of the town. The flow of this small river is not small, and the water in this section is deep, and the right bank is full of rocks. It is a natural good dock. Before liberation, because there were no railways and highways here, we took a small wooden boat (called "rowing boat"), and the porters carried the coal wealth from Fukou, Meijiang and Qixing Street dozens of miles away to Qiaotou River. Then, traffickers collect them and transport them to Xiangtan, Changsha and other places through Lianshui to sell local products such as coal and radish, and buy some daily necessities such as cotton cloth from big cities to sell in Qiaotou River. Qiaotou River has become a small distribution center and a link between Fiona Fang and the outside world. Now, you can still see those narrow bluestone roads (stones have been worn away by years).

The two-story wooden diaojiao building can vaguely see the prosperity of that year. According to the elders, there used to be restaurants, hotels, cloth shops, iron shops, sewing shops and brothels. Most of the people who go to brothels are gangsters and porters, as well as the captain of a fat boat. Those porters and boatmen are very strong. They have been through the wind and rain for many years. Although I earn a few dollars, I can't stand loneliness. Plus being blinded by big cities, I often have fun with beautiful young prostitutes. Of course, the business of the hotel is the most prosperous, and the steamed buns in Qiaotou River are also delicious. Those old people have to buy some to take back when they go to the streets now. When I was a child (1970s and 1980s), my father often took me to the streets. I don't have a car. After walking for 30 miles, I made a knife in the iron shop (this knife is fast and cheap), ate noodles in the noodle restaurant, and then bought some groceries, carrying back more than 100 Jin of coal. At that time, Qiaotou River was the most prosperous place I had ever seen. It's hard to walk, but I still like to go.

After liberation, many dams were built on Lianshui River for power generation and irrigation, so it was impossible to take a boat. But Qiaotou River has built several new roads, starting from Anhua Yiyang in the north, east to Xiangtan Changsha, south to Loudi and west to Lianyuan. The transportation is more convenient. It is also a commodity distribution center, with a large flow of people every day. The difference is that cars transport coal and radishes to other places instead of wooden boats, and they also transport needed materials back from other places.

There is an ancient and famous stone arch bridge in Qiaotou River, which was repaired before liberation and then slightly transformed into a highway bridge. This bridge is about 80 meters long and 16 meters wide. There is a pier and two arches in the river, both of which are made of stone. This bridge is still very strong, which can be regarded as the most famous stone arch bridge in central Hunan where cars are still passing.

One kilometer from Qiaotouhe Street to the east, next to a green stream, there is a lush forest, and there is a famous school hidden in the forest, which is Lianyuan No.4 Middle School. The predecessor of No.4 Middle School was Jianguo Middle School in Hunan Province. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, it was moved from Changsha to Qiaotouhe and later renamed Lianyuan No.4 Middle School. At present, the four characters "Lianyuan No.4 Middle School" on the school gate are written by Guo Moruo, which are glittering and powerful. There are dozens of big camphor trees and big fir trees on campus, and the biggest camphor tree needs four adults to hold hands to fold. The big fir tree can only be picked up by two people, straight and towering into the sky. These big trees are all together, forming a big "green hill", which is the most famous scenic spot in No.4 Middle School and is very famous in Hunan. No.4 Middle School has also produced many talents, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and elites from all walks of life.

In the south of Qiaotouhe Street, there is a Nanyue Temple, which is a temple group and is divided into two parts. The upper part is old buildings, including Kannonji and Guan Sheng Dijun Temple, and the lower part is new buildings. The whole temple covers an area of more than 10 mu, and it is magnificent: carved dragons and painted buildings, antique, cigarettes curled up, and ancient music in the morning bell continued. There are pilgrims every day, but most of them are on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar. The crowds in the street are jostling with each other, and the pedestrians on the road are constantly, mostly women and the elderly. On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Nanyue Temple ushered in an annual grand ceremony: countless pilgrims (men, women and children) held a one-meter-long lighted incense in their hands, wore authoritarian black dresses, tied red scarves around their heads and waists, murmured, and devout pilgrims kept kneeling on the road. It is said that the more sincere the better. People gathered in the temple and held a sacrificial ceremony at a specific time. The whole activity lasts about three to five days. Pilgrims came to Fiona Fang to worship for dozens of miles, praying for Bodhisattva to bless themselves and their families with health, safety and wealth.

To the south of the temple, a big pagoda is being rebuilt. The ancient pagoda collapsed before liberation. When the new pagoda is completed, it will add a lot of color to the ancient town.

Qiaotou River is surrounded by high mountains. The ancient town is located in the center of a rectangular basin, which is about 60 to 70 Li Long and 30 miles wide. In a place called Nanfengqiao to the west of her, there is a great man, that is, General Li Jukui, the founding general of the Republic of China who participated in the 25,000-mile Long March. From Nanfeng Bridge, we arrived at the famous Meijiang Scenic Area with beautiful scenery. Meijiang and Fukou areas are rich in coal resources with good quality. Before liberation, it was exported to Xiangtan and Changsha through Shui Mei, Lianshui and Xiangjiang, and now it is transported to other places by truck.

In the north of Qiaotou River, 20 miles away from the town center, there is a high mountain, the highest of which is called Fairy Peak, with an altitude of about 400-500 meters. There is a temple on the top of the mountain, where monks live all the year round. According to legend, in ancient times, fairies lived on the top of the mountain for nine days, hence the name "Fairy Peak". Standing on the top of the mountain on a sunny day, you can overlook the whole town. Water flows down from the foot of the mountain like a white practice, passes through the ancient town, turns to the south and flows far away. Water has nurtured the ancient town for a hundred years. If it's rainy, dark clouds will roll over the top of the mountain, and sometimes there will be a cool breeze.

The radish in Qiaotou River is famous because the radish here is big and weighs more than ten kilograms, and it is very sweet and crisp. My home is 30 miles east of Qiaotou, and it also produces radishes, but when the villagers go to the streets, don't forget to bring some radishes home to taste. The cabbage in Qiaotou River is big and sweet, the pepper is very spicy, and other vegetables are also famous for their cheapness. Now a famous vegetable base in Hunan Province has been built. The delicious vegetables are probably related to the climate and soil quality here. The climate here is mild, the soil is loose and good, and the soil is rich in various minerals.

Qiaotou River belonged to Anhua before liberation, but it is close to Xiangxiang, so Qiaotou River people have the strong side of Meishan people and the simple and hospitable side. Of course, because it is a distribution center for materials, it has gathered tourists from all directions and gradually merged into a new Qiaotouhe community. Many people say Qiaotouhe dialect is the most rustic and difficult to understand. I think it has something to do with this factor.

Now, Qiaotou River is opening its arms with a brand-new look, once again welcoming tourists from all directions.