#2: [14-Jul-06]

English Narrative

03-Feb-2005 --

在成功地寻找N41E117 后，我们一直津津乐道那次寻点带来的乐趣和收获。能够再次踏上N40E114的寻点路让我们很兴奋。从地图上看这点就在阳原县城以西十多公里的公路南约四公里处。

8:15 早上八点多从北京出发，沿109国道一路西行，翻越灵山时山上飘着雪花，我们的吉普车十分小心地在被雪覆盖的盘山公路上行驶，中午到达桃花时拐进了村里的老店去吃涮羊肉，询问说小五台现在不让进山，看来进山的计划要吹。我们此行的乐趣有三，一是寻点，二是去小五台登山自虐，三是去蔚县看剪纸。小五台山是北京户外登山爱好者自虐的首选地。蔚县可以称得上是中国的剪纸之乡。

15:00 在109国道上，我们看到一所教堂，教堂院内的孩子象天使般可爱。下午近四点，我们沿109国道到达了阳原，与这条老国道并行的是新修的宣大（宣化－－大同）高速公路，我们没有走高速路，这样便于随时下道。从阳原再向西的十多公里一路上，GPS指示从距该点18公里多的正前方，转变到4.55公里正左侧方向，路标指示该点为109国道305.7公里处。

16:00 那里恰好有一条向南的土路，我们就从该处下道穿过宣大高速路，进入东大柳村和小石庄村。出了小石庄村300多米再向南的土路上，GPS指示该点就在我们左边的一片收割过的玉米地里，大约距我们300多米，于是我们下车逐渐逼近该点，直到GPS显示精度在1米之内，我们为如此容易地找到这点而感到兴奋和幸运，这点恰在地中央，如果是在玉米的收获季节，我们可能向四个方向看到的就只能是青纱帐了。拍照后，因为天阴我们没有去向南寻找从地图上看离它不远的桑干河，不然我们会拍下一张“太阳照在桑干河上”。

满是土坯房的小石庄看来还没有脱贫，让我们真正感到只有让9亿农民富足了，中国才叫富强。

English Narrative

03-Feb-2005 --

After successfully finding N41E117 we loved to talk about that time and about the pleasure we had in finding that spot. Going on the road again to find N40E114 made us very excited. From the map we saw the point was more than 10 kilometers west of the county seat of Yangyuan and 4 kilometers south of the road.

8:15We started from Beijing after 8 AM and traveled west along Highway 109. When we reached the top of Lingshan there were snowflakes blowing around and we had to be extremely careful driving our Jeep over the snow-covered road. At noon, we arrived in Taohua and entered into an old shop to eat mutton. We inquired about Xiaowutai Mountain, but were told that we could not enter so we had to give up that idea. There were three purposes to this trip: 1) to find the confluence point, 2) go mountain climbing at Xiaowutai Mountain, and 3) to go to Wei County to see the paper-cuts. Xiaowutai Mountain is the first choice for Beijing outdoor amateur mountaineers and Wei County is known throughout China for its paper-cuts.

15:00 On Highway 109 we saw a church and inside the courtyard the children look as lovely as angels. At nearly 4 PM along Highway 109 we arrive in the town of Yangyuan. Along the old road is a new parallel highway under construction called the Xuanda (Xuanhua-Datong) Expressway. We did not take the expressway since it was necessary to stay on the local road. From Yangyuan heading west more than 10 kilometers we noticed that the confluence point is 18 kilometers straight ahead which later becomes to 4.55 kilometers to the left. The highway marker is 305.7 at this point on Highway 109.

16:00From this point to the south is a dirt road passing the Xuanda Expressway and entering the villages of Dongdaliu and Xiaoshizhuan. More than 300 meters after passing through Xiaoshizhuan we gradually get closer to the confluence point until the GPS says we are within 1 meter of the point. We are very excited and lucky to have found the point so easily. The point is centrally located, if this were during the corn growing season, we would only see a wall of tall green crops in all directions. After taking the photos we do not go further south to see Sanggan River shown as on the map because it was a cloudy day, otherwise we could have taken a photo of "The sun shining on the banks of the Sanggan River."

The adobe brick room of Xiaoshizhuang looks like it has not escaped poverty. Let us feel for the 900 million farmer until they are well-off. Only then can we say that China is rich and powerful.

(Translated by: Peter Cao)