Aoluguya | The lingering twilight of the tribe in the deer's gentle calls

| The lingering twilight of the tribe in the deer's gentle calls. The Greater Khingan Range is synonymous with the secret realms of the north. People have marveled at its magnificent autumn scenery, or have been fascinated by the customs of the 'three lesser-known ethnic groups'. The Ewenki tribe of Aoluguya and their reindeer have left the deep forests to settle down; the railway connecting towns like Mangui, Yituli River, and Ke'er River has brought the dawn of industry to this primitive land. The cold climate of China's 'Cold Pole' offers a generous reprieve in the summer, with cool temperatures and moderate UV rays making the Greater Khingan Range an ideal choice for summer retreats. The towns here are just tiny islands of human activity; a few steps out of town and you are instantly surrounded by the sea of forests and the sound of pines. Genhe, formerly known as Ergun Left Banner, prospered because of its forestry industry, once giving rise to many billionaires. However, with the logging ban in the Greater Khingan Range, Genhe has become a quiet little city in the northern border. It is China's 'Cold Pole', where the historical lowest temperature was recorded; yet the relatively moderate cost of living and the vast expanse of forests make the 'Cold Pole' seem not so harsh. Aoluguya Ewenki Ethnic Township is the highlight of Genhe's tourism. The Ewenki people, who once lived in the mountains and forests, have ended their fishing and hunting lifestyle. Most have brought their reindeer here to settle down, and now they raise reindeer and sell reindeer milk bread here. The white shireng poles are also visible everywhere in the forest, but no one chooses to live here anymore, becoming a landscape in forest tourism. Those ancient traditions and mysterious shamanic rituals have gradually lost their enchantment amidst the new trends of forest development and tourism. Heading north from the entrance of the scenic area, you will find newly built log cabins and a museum, but there are not many attractions. Many tourists walk in the wrong direction because of the spacious and bright roads, unable to find the deer garden. The deer garden is at the end of the road to the west of the ticket office. Entering the forest, you will find a wooden walkway, with animals such as roe deer, squirrels, and hares on both sides. Next to the reindeer garden, there is a small tent selling moss, and for ten yuan, you can attract the forest spirits to come into close contact with people. Those who are lighter can also choose to spend a hundred yuan to experience riding a reindeer. Taking a taxi from Genhe city to Aoluguya Township costs twenty yuan, and the round trip is about forty yuan; it is necessary to keep the driver's phone number. It is not convenient to go from Genhe railway station to Jagdaqi; one needs to go to Yituli River Town to take the train, and a taxi costs about forty yuan. Genhe Wetland is another highlight of Genhe, and a chartered car tour costs two hundred yuan. The vast exploration of the Greater Khingan Range can only be described as skimming the surface; the deeper and more mysterious world of the forest remains as incomprehensible as the whispers of shamans. After the fifty-year logging ban in the forest area began, the once bustling logging towns have returned to silence. But the world of the Ewenki people and their reindeer has long been reduced to the surprise and camera shutters of tourists - the descendants of Hailancha have left their animistic homeland amid the sound of logging, and only Chi Zijian's 'The Right Bank of the Argun River' still reminds the world of them. Over the past hundred years, the Greater Khingan Range has descended from the clouds of shamanic wizards to become the backdrop for the daily meals of loggers.