"Ge Niang Slope," a place where Heshun's young men bid farewell to their families. When they set their foot on the slope, it also meant that they would be "weaned from their parents" and shoulder the responsibilities for the whole family. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

"If you have a daughter, don't let her marry a Heshun man, because the bridegroom will leave his hometown soon after he gets married and be the breadwinner for the family. The poor bride will live as a widow day after day, year after year." -----A Heshun ballad

As soon as we arrived in Heshun Town, we were told that generations of people here have faced very harsh situations since ancient times. The town's large population has always had to share limited resources, and the farmlands have been far from enough to support those who live here.

Since ancient times, many young men had to leave their hometown and go to Myanmar, Thailand or India. Most of them worked in the jade trade to try to make their fortunes. Some returned with untold riches, while others were never seen again.

This story impressed me the most on the last day of our trip to Heshun. We were taken to the "Ge Niang Slope," a place where Heshun's young men bid farewell to their families. When they set their foot on the slope, it also meant that they would be "weaned from their parents" and shoulder the responsibilities for the whole family.

A perilous and punishing journey awaited them over the steep slope as they left their footprints on the mountains and forests to travel to Myanmar and engage in what they hoped would be a lucrative trade.

Old legends abound in Heshun, and almost every resident has a story to tell about jade traders, and how these brave adventurers either survived or perished on their hazardous expeditions.

Standing on the slope, I could not help thinking about a man who ventured abroad. It was hard and dangerous work, but for those brave enough to try, it was very rewarding. Traders who had made their fortunes overseas changed their lives dramatically. When they returned via the same "Ge Niang Slope," they would bring silk, jewelry and sometimes rare western commodities and build luxurious family mansions equipped with new and exotic features in their hometown.

These well-traveled merchants blended their own culture and traditions with those they had picked up in the West.

For instance, the renowned Heshun library, which was built with financial support from overseas Chinese, is an elegant building with tiled roofs and upward-turned eaves in both traditional Chinese and western styles.

Time passed, and after the founding of new China, things were totally different. Today returned overseas Chinese and their families account for 70 percent of the total population of Heshun. The town is known as the "Home of Overseas Chinese."

So far as modern times are concerned, people live here in peace and harmony. During our stay in Heshun, we saw many women living happily with their husbands and children.

"Ge Niang Slope" is no longer a sad place of departure, but only a witness to history.

(CRI August 21, 2009)