It is hard to forget the beautiful scenery if you have been to Qianxinan.
   Five years age, Nanning-Kunming Rail was under construction, which ran across part of this prefecture. People were stunned by this wonderland of sheer mountains with rapid steams meandering through in the deep valley. The Pearl River originates from here. It is rich in energy resources, such as waterpower and coal. But the land is poor and stony with little soil in the stone cracks. Stone mountains, karst caves and stone columns are very eye catching. Natural beauty and poverty bitterly mixed up. Owning to the rail, this isolated place is suddenly open to the outside world. What is new now? 

  Chinese prickly ash trees spread in Dingtan, well growing in this stony land and bringing a fortune to the locals. During the harvest season, trucks are crowded here to transport this specialty. The mountainsides are covered with green Chinese prickly ash trees now. Soil erosion decreased dramatically. The local farmer can earn over one million yuan by selling the spice. By planting economic trees, the stony land turned into a fertile place. 
  Apart from that, there are over 1 700 species of herbal plants, more than 100 rivers and stream, which can be used to generate electricity. It is also rich in natural resources, such as gold, coal and crude oil and gas. More trees will be planted. More electricity will be produced to send to South China and more tourist spots will be open to visitors. Zengfeng’s prickly ash, Xingyi’s wild banana roots, Anlong’s honey suckles flowers, Pu’an’s tea and Ceheng’s chestnuts …Thousands of hectares of economic plants are planted. Forest coverage has increased from 12% of the land 15 years ago to 35% today. The local Miaos and Buyis begin to live a decent life by selling those products. 
  18 key projects as mentioned above are under way invested with a sum of 600 million yuan. Eco-system restoration is the first priority. Now great changes have taken place with modern communication facilities of telephone, TV and computer. National highways are upgraded and water channels are under drainage. Tianshenqiao Hydropower Station is magnificent with a 178-m high dam and a reservoir covering an area of 176 sq kilometers. The reservoir is called Wanfeng Lake, which has become a new tourist spot. And a newly built grid connects all the power stations scattered in the area, which can send more electricity to the eastern coastal areas. 
  Tourism is boom here now with a few key scenic spots, such as Malinghe Valley, Anlong Lotus Lake and Bijie One-Hundred-Li Azalea Belt, mixed with ethnic festivals. More and more tourists rush to this prefecture to enjoy the beautiful sights as well as to do businesses with the locals. 

    到过黔西南，再不能忘怀于它的山水。 
    初次照面是在五年前，沿建设中的千里南昆（广西南宁--云南昆明）铁路采访至此。盘江环卫，滩多水急；万峰壁立，卓锥拔笋。这里是珠江上游能源宝库，水力、煤炭资源富集。这里又是典型的喀斯特地形地貌区，少土而多石。千姿百态的石峰、石林、石洞令人称奇，但大片连绵的青灰色，又生出几分单调与沉重……五年过去，南昆铁龙横空出世，昔日的"滇黔锁钥"已是大西南出海通道上的重要枢纽，那山那水如今怎样了？

一

    汽车在大山中盘旋。灰褐的石色渐渐消退，茸茸的绿意开始滋润我们的眼睛。司机颇有经验地说，黔西南的地界到了。 
    果然，这里属贵州省黔西南布依族苗族自治州贞丰县，那层从石旮旯中渗出的绿，便是著名的顶坛花椒。 
    顶坛，原是贞丰县北盘江畔一个贫困的石山村。南昆铁路建成，对外交往日兴。村民们打听到这里的地貌和气候特别适合花椒生长，便试着引种。好品种，精养护，一下子竟成了云贵川市场上的抢手货，收获季节，山外来的汽车排成长龙。一个石窝一蓬绿，座座乱石嶙峋的荒山匀匀铺上绿毯，水土流失由此减少四成。每年上百万元的总产值，也让顶坛人的腰包迅速鼓胀，原来绕着穷山走的人家，破天荒羡慕起石窝窝多的乡邻来了！ 
    生态劣势变经济优势，石窝窝生出了金娃娃。转换脑筋，重新审视，身边熟悉的山山水水拂去蒙尘，凸现出新的价值--山叠嶂，垂直性气候带来生物的多样性分布，仅中草药就有1700余种；水纵横，100多条大小河流造就了332万千瓦的水能蕴藏量；山重水复，矿藏多组合好，已探明黄金原生矿140吨、煤炭资源量75亿吨、大型油气构造总面积1300平方公里……
    南昆铁路的开通，使黔西南从地理到观念，开始告别僻闭。西部大开发号角鸣响，一股巨大的冲击波，更是迅速开阔、提升着黔西南人的山水观。建设西南腹地出海的近捷通道、建立西电东送的重要基地、造就西线旅游的闪亮明珠、构筑珠江上游的生态屏障、培植西南生物的资源宝库--细细数来，自治州在西部开发中的五大战略定位，哪一项离得开"山水"二字？！ 

二

    挟着前所未有的气势和笔力，一篇更大更美的山水文章，在盘江两岸、万峰丛中从容破题。 
    贞丰的花椒、兴义的芭蕉芋、安龙的金银花、普安的茶叶、册亨的板栗……一个个几万亩乃至上百万亩的生态经济林基地相继崛起，全州森林覆盖率由15年前的12％逐渐恢复到35％以上，无数大石山区的布依族、苗族乡亲找到了稳定的致富源。 
    兴义市种草养畜示范项目、安龙县万亩人工茶场、晴隆县生态林工程、喀斯特地区岩溶绿毯工程……自治州今年新开工、总投资达6亿元的18个重点项目中，生态建设依然位置显赫。
    五年前，州内不少地方还使用手摇电话，而今无线通信、广播电视、电讯光缆三网合一。五年前，山阻水隔，屏障重重，而今，满负荷运营的南昆铁路带出了一条经济走廊，能起落波音飞机的兴义机场年内动工，324、320国道正加紧改造，南北盘江-红水河航运整治工程已经起步，竣工后"又是一条南昆铁路"！ 
    天生桥，喀斯特地区著名地貌，自治州首府兴义市近旁就有一处。到黔西南的第二天慕名前往，耸立眼前的，却是一座机声轰鸣的大型现代化水电枢纽。178米高的亚洲第一堆积坝，拦截出一个总面积176平方公里的高峡平湖，南盘江上的凌空飞石，已化作浩淼库区中悄然沉睡的"水中桥"了。 
    指点着四周峰峦上高耸的输电线，天生桥水力发电总厂杨书记兴奋地说，大开发带来大机遇。目前，电站南至广州、北接贵阳的4回500万伏超高压输电线路已建成投运，天生桥一、二级电站及云贵两省的强大电能，可由此上网直送两广。白水河（二级）、中山包……一个个地方电站快马加鞭、接踵投建，黔西南，正崛起为名副其实的"西电东送第一站"。
    天生桥一、二级电站先后发电以来，电站大坝上游出现了一个新的风景区--万峰湖景点。

三

    山水文章渐次铺开，一股暌违已久的豪情和灵气，跃动在奇山秀水间。
    号称"中国最大"的笃山暗河溶洞群刚被勘察发现，当地老乡自发搭建的山门牌坊已在县城大街上赫然耸立；顶效开发区恢复了布依族传统的"查白歌节"，帷幕初启便观者如云；只有5万城市人口的兴仁县，一个原汁原味的"八月八苗族风情节"竟招来15万中外宾客；依托集300年建造成就、融亭桥花树为一体的招堤十里荷塘，曾为南明之都的安龙古城推出别具情趣的"荷花节"，短短几天引资近5亿！开发开放的大胆实践中，民族风情、人文胜迹，在黔西南人眼里，也成了一种得天独厚的"水土资源"。 
    底气足了，眼界宽了，手笔也随之大了。绿化是个布依族聚居的小村，前些年在荒山上成功引种了美国良种桃，产品占据了整个兴义市场。村民们没有满足，带着绿化桃跑贵阳、南宁、昆明，当街免费请人品尝，生意做火了周围数省。听说盆栽桃树开始俏销两广，他们步步紧追，改卖果为卖枝，赢得了市场先机。走进绿化，又有新闻：村民们自发集资，把通往火车站的3公里土路变成了柏油大道，明年春暖，绿化村首届"桃花节"将从这条新路上，迎进无数山外贵客……
    马岭河峡谷，长75公里，深百余米，雄奇险秀，集于一身。一缕春风进幽谷，深锁多年的天沟地缝，一跃成为生机勃勃的国家级风景区、黔西南旅游业龙头、自治州对外开放的名片。 
    离开黔西南前夕,终于得领奇观风采。出兴义城北六公里,两岸壁立,一涧中流;峰回路转,古道通幽。由于地处亚热带,时至初冬,仍可漂流。乘风驱舟,时而轻波荡漾,时而卷浪如雪。再观夹岸,万练悬空,捣珠崩玉,飞沫成烟。一望之间,已目眩神迷。 
    穿行于这浑然天成的巨幅大写意中,听得同船的兴义市旅游局吴局长娓娓道来:今年9月,自治州首次主办的马岭峡谷旅游推展会,在宁波等地引起轰动。泰国旅游协会专门组织十余家旅行社,前来峡谷考察。“十一”假期未到,峡谷漂流的门票已售到了10月10日，兴义市内宾馆八成客房也早早预订出去……掌舵的布依族小伙亮开嗓子,一曲山歌又引来旅游局长一番憧憬:好风景更需文化包装,《蝴蝶泉边》唱红了大理,《刘三姐》唱红了阳朔,有朝一日,马岭峡也会有自己的“主题曲”！话音未落,一船人都笑了。