内容提要
引 子
10年前，草地上飘落槐花的季节，在中国大丰麋鹿保护区，杨国美、丁玉华和我第一次相遇。当时杨国美尚在市长任上，因钟爱麋鹿并出版世界上第一本麋鹿摄影集，被喻为麋鹿市长；丁玉华已成知名麋鹿专家，并在黄海滩涂成功复壮了世界上最大的麋鹿种群，其时正兴致盎然地筹划着麋鹿野生放养；而我则在外边的世界游荡了二十年后，像麋鹿一样回归故乡大丰，并尽情呼吸着海边久违而迷人的气息。于是三人一拍即合，相见恨晚，在保护区多少个梦幻般的清晨和晚景中，度过了一生中难以忘怀的许多时光。那时我们相约，杨国美继续专注为麋鹿摄影，将其神美的形象奉献给世人；丁玉华继续研究与保护，对麋鹿的生存和发展负实际责任；而我，则分工解读麋鹿的历史与文化。
10年过去了，我们各自恪尽职责，践行诺言。杨国美先生《中国麋鹿》摄影集即将出版，我自觉赴任负责导读。
《中国麋鹿》为主题摄影集，其宗旨是：展示麋鹿生存状态；铨释文明人类对于麋鹿的认知。
全集内容分为六辑。
第一辑 吉祥神兽
中科院首席研究员蒋志刚先生说过：“麋鹿古称为麋，是一种为神话光环所笼罩的动物，传说姜子牙的坐骑即是麋鹿。麋鹿长相奇特，面似马非马，尾似驴非驴，蹄似牛非牛，角似鹿非鹿，而被人们称为‘四不像’。麋鹿起源于早更新世晚期（距今200多万年前），几乎与人类的起源时间相同。在动物分类学上，麋鹿独为一个属。麋鹿属现生种类只有麋鹿一种”。
从第四纪中更新世到全新世，麋鹿曾是一个繁茂的物种。据化石出土地点推测，麋鹿曾分布于东亚的中国、朝鲜和日本。麋鹿化石出土地点覆盖了我国辽宁以南，包括台湾海峡的广大地区、华南华东的平原湿地，特别是长江中下游的湿地更是麋鹿适宜的生存环境。随着气候变化和人类活动范围的扩大，麋鹿在商代已开始衰落，麋鹿分布范围逐步缩小。
19世纪末，中国最后一群麋鹿放养在北京南郊清朝皇家猎苑——南苑。1900年，北京南苑皇家猎苑圈养的麋鹿被引种到英国、德国和法国。
北京南苑皇家猎苑的麋鹿绝灭之后，中国大地上最后一头麋鹿也于上世纪初在北京万牲园死去。从那以后，中国的麋鹿灭绝了。而那时在地球的另一边，英国11世贝福特公爵赫布兰德收集了散布于欧洲各地的18头麋鹿，集中放养于位于英格兰中部的乌邦寺庄园。贝福特公爵收集的那些麋鹿中只有11头有繁殖能力，这些麋鹿奇迹般地适应了英格兰的生态环境并成功繁衍。到上世纪70年代，乌邦寺庄园麋鹿的后代被逐步引种到世界20多个国家。
目前，全世界共有麋鹿3000多头，其中最大的种群已逾千头，生活在中国江苏大丰麋鹿国家级自然保护区。
第二辑 历史参悟
中国麋鹿是这样一种神奇的物种。它自古被称为吉祥之物，而命运却乖蹇多舛。它具有近300万年悠久的生命历史，却在长达数百年的时期内几度濒临灭绝。它生性清高孤傲，自成种群，造物主却偏偏给了它似马、似牛、似驴、似鹿“四不像”的外形。它向往宁静，向来远离人类的目光，可上自周朝王圃，外至多国林园，它的形象一直在供人观瞻。就这样，它尴尬地生存了数万年，顽强地抗争了数万年，为了捍卫自身的尊严，它在整个种族处于最危险的时刻，始终没有低下高贵的头颅，拒不接受人类的驯化，与比它强大百倍的人类僵持千年。它以铮铮的硬骨，创造了生命的奇迹，硬是把无数的不可能变成了现实，从而把生物生命的价值和意义推到了灿烂的极至。最终，它赢得了人类的尊重，迫使人类在它面前进行文明的自省，迫使生物社会承认了它在这个地球上的一席之地。然而，历史始终是遗憾的，它没有留下麋鹿的明晰身影。为此，我们要感谢杨国美先生，他以哲人的思维和摄影的语言，为我们绘制了一幅幅精彩的麋鹿种群延续图。
第三辑 神州踪影
1985年和1987年11世贝福特公爵的曾孙特丽斯托克候爵将37头麋鹿分两批捐赠我国。从乌邦寺庄园回祖国的麋鹿受到了极高的礼遇，有关部门组织了专家组，从中国的南方到北方，为还家的麋鹿寻找合适新家园。最终，这群麋鹿放养于19世纪在中国的最后栖息的南苑，建立了北京麋鹿苑。1986年又有39头麋鹿回归故土，在黄海湿地中心区域——盐城，建立了江苏大丰麋鹿自然保护区。濒临灭绝的麋鹿种群在江苏大丰自然保护区得以复壮，这里建立起世界上惟一的麋鹿基因库，从而使麋鹿走出“红皮书”。1998年以后，江苏大丰麋鹿国家级自然保护区成功地进行了麋鹿野生放养，拥有了世界上惟一的麋鹿野生种群。20年前引进麋鹿的后代已经人工扩散到湖北石首、河南原阳等10多个保护区、野生动物园、城市公园，现在麋鹿在中国的分布点已经覆盖了历史上麋鹿在中国的分布区。同时，我们看到了作为东方麋鹿摄影家杨国美先生，他的足迹也踏遍了麋鹿的所有分布区，我们看到麋鹿神州踪影的同时，也看到了摄影家的神州踪影。
第四辑 故土情结
麋鹿最终落脚在中国大丰境内。这片太平洋西岸如花似锦的广阔滩涂，最终成为中国麋鹿的故乡。无论在远古麋鹿家族遭受厄难的时代，还是近代野生麋鹿种群濒临灭绝的时期，最终接纳并滋养它的总是亚洲东方这片斑斓的湿地。
这里是一片神奇的区域。东方是大海，西部是湖泊，南边是长江，北面是黄河。这片滩涂就是江河湖海中心的一颗明珠。这里花红草绿，獐跃鹿鸣，沟河纵横，光滩沉寂，似海非海，似河非河，似岛非岛，似陆非陆，这种“四不像”的地域，养育着“四不像”的物种，实在是鬼斧神工、天之巧合。
更为巧合的是杨国美与麋鹿的情缘。那年杨国美走马上任大丰分管农业农村工作的市长，接手的第一项工程就是筹建大丰麋鹿自然保护区。此后二十年中，他时时关注麋鹿的形象和品格，时时牵挂麋鹿的延续和复壮，他含辛茹苦真实记录下数万幅麋鹿生活实景，不仅在摄影界独树一帜，同时也为麋鹿研究乃至整个野生动物保护提供了珍贵的资料。
第五辑 纪实档案
人类用文字记录着我们数千年的发展历史，麋鹿也一定以不为人知的方法保存着种族的生命记忆。目前世界上超过300万年生命历史的大型物种已经所剩无几，优生劣汰的自然法则无情地调整着生物生命的生存布局。科学家说，在麋鹿种群的上空，在离地面5米的空间里，弥漫着特殊的气息，麋鹿在这种气息里相互传递生命的信息；科学家说，麋鹿在黑夜里行走时，关节会发出嘎嘎的响声，这种响声维系着种群间的交流；科学家说，麋鹿与人类共同在地球上生活了300万年，可人类对于麋鹿的认知至今微乎甚微。
于是，杨国美先生摄入了麋鹿的许许多多生活画面，用我们人类的思维模式和分析方法记录麋鹿的生存档案，我们按照人类的审美观聚焦并定格麋鹿的生活场景，并且按照我们的习惯与定式讲述麋鹿的故事。
第六辑 惟美印象
麋鹿生活在另外一个世界，那个世界是一个神秘的国度。我们已经尽可能多地为麋鹿的生存和发展做了事情，但迄今仍然与麋鹿无法沟通。我们能够见到和感觉到的则是麋鹿的惟美。这种惟美，决不仅仅在麋鹿的表象，而是在于它与大自然的一种高度默契。无论春夏秋冬、无论风和日丽和雷鸣雨注，在任何时候和任何情况下，每当见到麋鹿时，它总能和日月星辰、与树木花草衬托在一起，叠印在一起，在不经意间形成最本色的美景。它无须修饰，无须献媚，无须作任何的姿态，无须语言也无须作任何承诺，它所展示的是—种自在通畅而无牵挂的，透彻明达而无障碍的美丽。面对这样一种物种，这样一种美的象征物，我们所能做的事就是赞美和爱护，别无其它。杨国美的《中国麋鹿》摄影集提供给我们的，不仅是一种美的享受、一种对于珍稀物种的赞美，还提供了一份厚厚的人类文明的良知、责任和无尽的探求和思索。
此外，我们还应当赞美这位德艺双馨的摄影家，这样一个普通的人，一个黄海之滨的农民，一个中国东部城市的市长，他为老百姓和地方的发展做了许多的事情，他的政绩、人品有口皆碑，他为生态保护和摄影事业做了许许多多的努力，他的精神令人钦佩，当这本画册付梓的时候，我们深深地祝愿他吉祥如意。
二OO六年春天
GUIDE READING
Ma Lianyi
Opening Words
I met Mr. Yang Guomei and Mr. Ding Yuhua for the first time in China Dafeng Wapiti Reserve 10 years ago when locust trees blossomed and got their flowers blew to the meadow. As a mayor at that time, Mr. Yang, fascinated by wapitis, had the world's first wapitis photograph collection published and at that time he got the nickname as a Wapiti Mayor; Mr Ding Yuhua, a renowned wapitis expert at that time, successfully recuperated the world's largest herd of wapitis species along the beaches of Yellow Sea and planed with tails up to release all wapitis back to the wild field. I, after wandering around the outside world for 20 years, was back to my hometown Dafeng and abandoned myself to breathing the charming smell of the sea. The three of us chimed in easily and we had spent together numerous unforgettable days and tireless nights. We made a commitment that Mr. Yang continued to focus on wapitis photographing to contribute its mysterious image to the world, Mr. Ding continued his study and protection to take practical responsibility for wapiti's living and development and I was assigned the task to interpret wapiti's history and culture.
Ten years has passed and we have adhered to our resolutions and responsibilities and carried out our commitment. When Mr. Yang Guomei's first photograph collection, China's Wapitis, is to be published, I feel self-motivated to take the responsibility of writing the guided reading for the book.
China's Wapitis are a theme photograph collection, which consists of six chapters and is aimed at exhibiting wapitis' living experience and stories, and interpreting the civilized human's recognition of wapitis.
Chapter I. Auspicious Sacred Animals
Mr. Jiang Zhigang, chief researcher of Chinese Academy of Science, said, "Wapiti, anciently called elk, is an animal wrapped in mythical aura. Mr. Jiang Ziya, the household mythical figure in Chinese myths, was said in folk storied to ride a wapiti. Wapiti looks quite strange with a face similar to horse, tail to donkey, hoof to cattle, and antler to deer. Wapiti originated in late Pleistocene, about 2 million years ago, nearly the same as the origination of human beings. According to animal categorization, wapitis belong to an independent genus and nowadays wapitis exclude this genus."
From Pleistocene of the quaternary period to Holocene, wapitis had been a prosperous species, According to the fossil excavation site, it is predicted that wapiti once was distributed in China, North Korea and Japan. Wapiti's fossil excavation sites have covered a spacious area including areas south to Liaoning, areas across Taiwan straits and the everglade of south China and east China's plain, especially the everglade along the middle and low reaches of the Yangtze River, where the environment is extremely agreeable for wapiti to live. As the changing of the climate and the expansion of human civilization are in progress, areas of wapitis begun to suffer a downfall in Shang dynasty and their covering space gradually shrank.
At the end of the 19th century, China's last flock of wapitis were fenced and fed in Nanyuan, the royal hunting garden of Qing dynasty, located in the south outskirt of Beijing. In 1990, the wapitis fenced in Nanyuan were introduced to Great Britain, Germany and France.
After the extinction of Nanyuan's wapitis, the last wapiti herd of China died in Beijing Wansheng Garden early last century. From then on, China suffered wapiti extinction. While on the other side of the earth, Hoff Rand, the 11th Duke Belfort, gathered 18 wapitis distributing all over the Europe, and fed them in his Wubangsi manor, located in center of England. Only 11 of the wapitis gathered by the Duke had breeding ability and these wapitis got accustomed to the ecological environment of England miraculously and successfully reproduced offspring. By the 70s of last century, offspring of the wapitis in Wubangsi manor had been gradually introduced to over 20 countries of the world.
At present, there are a total of around 3,000 wapitis in the world with the largest herd exceeding 1000, living in the national wapiti natural reserve in Dafeng, China.
Chapter II. Historical Meditation
China's wapiti is a mysterious species. It was anciently called a sacred animal but it was destined to suffer a miserable life. During around 3 million years of history, it had been close to extinction for hundreds of years. It has developed an aloof and proud temper and excluded an independent genus but the demiurge educed with a strange figure with unique characteristics of horse, cattle, donkey and deer. It yearns for tranquility and tries to live beyond the reaches of human beings. Unfortunately, it has been on display for people to enjoy and appreciate. It has been living embarrassedly like this for tens of thousands of years and resisting with an undeterred spirit for tens of thousands of years. In order to safeguard its dignity, it hadn't lowered its noble head and abased itself even in the most dangerous moment of its species. It resisted human beings' domestication and fought against its more powerful rivals for thousands of years. It has created numerous miracles to make numerous impossible things possible and enhanced life value to perfection. Finally it wins human's respect and forces human beings to reflect on their civilization and recognize its position in the earth. However, history is always filled with regrets by failing to leave a clear silhouette of wapiti. So we should show gratitude to Mr. Yang Guomei for his utilization of philosophical mind and photographing techniques to record numerous splendid pictures of wapiti's continuing life.
Chapter III. Trace in China
In 1985 and in 1987, the great-grandson of the 11th Duke Belfort Chiastoke donated 37 wapitis to China respectively. The wapitis back from Ubonch manor to our country have been treated with extremely courteous reception. The related department organized expert panels to seek for suitable habitat for the returned wapitis all over China. Finally, this herd of wapitis was fenced in Nanyuan, the last habitat of China in 19th century. In 1986, another 39 wapitis returned to China and China Dafeng Natural Wapiti Reserve was set up in Yancheng, located in center of the Yellow Sea everglade. The wapiti species group close to extinction gets restored in Jiangsu Dafeng Natural Reserve and the world's only one wapitis gene bank gets set up. Since 1998,,Jiangsu Dafeng National Natural Reserve has successfully conducted fencing and feeding wild wapitis and obtained the world's only wapiti wild species herd. Offspring of the wapitis introduced 20 years ago has been distributed artificially to Shishou in Hubei, Yuanyang in Henan, and other over 10 nature reserves, wild animal zoo and city gardens. Nowadays, the distributing areas of wapitis in China have covered all the areas they once covered in history.
Meanwhile, we have witnessed that Mr. Yang Guomei, a renowned oriental photographer, has visited all distributing areas of the wapitis. As we see the wapiti photographs, we also see the photographer's trace in China.
Chapter IV. Native Land Complex
Finally wapitis settled in Dafeng, China. This beautiful vast beach, which is located in the west bank of the Pacific Ocean, has become Chinese wapiti's homeland. Whether it is in ancient times when wapitis suffered misery or it is in contemporary times when wild wapitis were close to extinction, it was always the everglade in oriental Asia that finally accepted and nourished them.
This is a mysterious zone, to which the east is the ocean, the west is river, the south is the Yangze River, and the north is the Yellow River. The beach is a pearl in the center of waters. This is a mysterious zone with red flowers, green grass, jumping roes and singling deer, channels and rivers in vertical and horizontal line, and tranquil beaches, which is similar to the sea, river, island and continent but actually is neither the sea, river nor the island and continent .It is just on this mysterious land that nourishes the mysterious animal.
Mr. Yang's intimate contact with wapitis was really a coincidence. When Mr. Yang Guomei took the office as the major of Dafeng mainly responsible for agriculture, he received his first project to construct the Dafeng Wapiti Nature Reserve .In the following 20 years, he focused on wapiti's image and character and concentrated on wapiti's continuing living experience and rehabilitation. He exerted his utmost efforts in taking thousands of photographs depicting wapitis' real lives. On one hand, his photos have their unique characteristics. On the other hand, these photos add to the precious files for research and study the protection of wapitis.
Chapter V. On-the -spot record and archives
Human beings have recorded thousands of years of history with written materials. Wapitis must have maintained their own history by employing a method beyond our knowledge. At present, most types of animals with a history of over 3 million years have suffered extinction. The nature's principal of the survival of the fittest ruthlessly adjusted life patterns of creature. It is said by the scientists that there is a special smell suffusing the sky 50 meters above the land where wapitis live. And wapitis could spread life information through this kind of smell. According to the scientists, when wapitis walk at nights, their joints will produce quack-quack sounds by which they could maintain communication among the group. Though wapitis have lived on the earth together with human beings for 3 millions years, we know little about their habit and means of communication.
So we have taken a large number of pictures to record wapitis' life through human's point of view and analyzing method, focusing on their life scenes according to human beings' aesthetical standards and tell wapitis' stories by our habits and formulas.
Chapter VI. Aesthetic impression
Wapiti lives in another world, a mysterious territory. Though we have exerted our utmost effort in making contribution to wapitis' living and development, yet still we cannot communicate with them. We can see and feel wapitis' beauty, which is not only lying in their outside appearance, but also in its remarkable harmony with nature. Whether in any season and climate or under any situation, we can always see their harmonious existence with the sun, moon and stars, the trees, flowers and grass , which has formed the most beautiful ,free and crystal-clear scene without decoration, flattering, gesture and commitment. In face of this species and this beautiful symbol, what we can only do is to compliment and care. Mr. Yang's photo collection has offered us an appreciation of beauty, a compliment of scarce species and also the external exploration, meditation, consciousness and responsibility of human beings' civilization.
Besides, we should compliment this photographer with both good virtues and experienced skills. As an ordinary person, a farmer and a mayor, he has made his contributions to the native people and the local development. His achievement as a mayor and his character has been highly spoken and his efforts to the ecological protection and the photographing has been admired by many people. When this book is to be published, we extend our best regards and wishes.
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