The world is safe with both dharmas, and I will not fail the Tathagata and not the Qing.
—— Tsangyang Gyatso
Legend has it that Tsangyang Gyatso spent the rest of his life in the Gobi and deserts of Alxa? I have always been curious about what kind of heavenly holy land would attract Tsangyang Gyatso. Jing Jing, a flight attendant in Hohhot, once told me: If there are a few soft and hard lands in the world, Alxa is one of them.
In May, our company launched a direct flight from Chongqing to Alxa Left Banner. Many friends jokingly said: Let me take them to see the Haloxylon tree they planted in Alxa. So, in order to live up to myself and live up to Qing. In June, with live broadcast equipment and bags on our backs, we walked into Alxa, the holy land of heaven, and this trip was connected through the Internet, and we experienced a strong Mongolian style with more than 2.6 million netizens.
Alxa Left Banner is located in the west of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It means "golden horse" in Mongolian. Walking into Alxa Left Banner, you will see colorful pictures: golden deserts, blue lakes, red canyons, blue mountains, green grasslands, and white flocks of sheep. The Tonghu Grassland located in the hinterland of the Tengger Desert is also known as the "Garden of Eden" of the vast desert.
List of itineraries
Means of transportation: China Airlines has opened direct flights from Xi'an, Hohhot, Chongqing and other cities to Alxa Left Banner. This time we took China Airlines flight G52715 from Chongqing to Alxa Left Banner.
DAY 1: Fly directly to Alxa Left Banner from Chongqing, charter a car to Tonghu Grassland, and stay at Tonghu Grassland Yurt Hotel
DAY 2: Take a small desert sightseeing train to visit Tonghu Grassland, experience ethnic costumes and take pictures; watch the bonfire party
DAY 3: Experience the desert entertainment project, enjoy the sheep feast, and chat at the Ciling Bar;
DAY 4: Watch outdoor large-scale desert live performances, taste a bowl of wine and practice back to Chongqing.
Person in the itinerary: flight attendant Xiaohan, that’s me~~
Flight attendant Chen Chen
flight attendant quietly
First sight on the prairie: warmth and tenderness
With anticipation and the unknown, we embarked on a journey. Depart from Chongqing and take China Airlines flight G52715, and fly to Alxa Left Banner. The plane took off at around 9:00 in the morning, and we ate a special meal on the plane without any hassle, and arrived at the destination airport in less than 2 hours.
After a short rest, Chenchen and Jingjing couldn't wait to take me on the small desert sightseeing train to start the desert trip. The vastness of the desert is transmitted to the south and the north through the camera. It is different from the green grassland of the general grassland, and the yellow sand of the desert. The Tonghu grassland is rough and tender.
The local people told us that the Tonghu Grassland is mainly composed of the vast Tengger Desert, the green grassland, various lakes, and the camel mountain that rises from the desert and the grassland and other unique natural resources. Under the good fortune of nature, they are both independent and harmoniously combined. They are charming and beautiful. The moment we stepped into the Tonghu Grassland, we were attracted by the ceremonial "respecting hada" and the heroic "dismounting wine". The soul-stirring Mongolian long tune on the grassland made people deeply intoxicated.
Desert Amusement: Intoxicating
There are many recreational items on the Tonghu Grassland, and there are various packages to choose from, such as horse riding, camel riding, desert surfing, desert off-road vehicles, desert motorcycles, etc. Some items pass through the sand skiing area, and you can go sand skiing for free.
The camel that I only saw on TV when I was a child sticks out its tongue in the desert one meter away from me. It’s amazing! Jingjing and Chenchen and I are eager to try. We traveled all the way south in the vast desert and went deep into the hinterland. Along the way, we saw xerophyte shrubs and artificial sand control projects, as well as the magic of Qingxi River Spring, which was very interesting for adventure. Then, I jumped into the surf truck with another mood. The driver said jokingly as soon as I got on the car, fasten the seat belt, zip up the bags and clothes pockets, fasten the ones with buttons, put away the hat and glasses, otherwise I ran away halfway, the vast desert was the same, and there was nowhere to look for it. As soon as the words were finished, our laughter followed the sand-washing vehicle through the sand hills. Slowly climb up the hill from the bottom of the sand dunes, and after reaching the highest point, suddenly rush down like weightless, not only the sky full of yellow sand, but also the screams and cheers of tourists all the way. When we drove to the hinterland of the desert, we also experienced sandboarding, dragged a sandboard, climbed to the top of the sand mountain and slid down, and the desert scenery was unobstructed.
Fortunately, after the swim, I ran into some handsome little brothers in the Tonghu grassland. They introduced to us that there are three "drunkness" in Tonghu Grassland. They are respectively, being intoxicated in the desert scenery, intoxicated in the prairie lake light, and intoxicated in the night bar. So, in the evening, Jingjing and Chenchen and I discussed going to the well-known Ciling Inn to experience the thick night scenery of the grassland. It is said that Jay Chou, Lin Chi-ling, Chen Daoming, Zeng Zhiwei and other stars starred in the movie "Assassin's Tomb" which was filmed in Tonghu Grassland Scenic Area. This inn is a studio built by the film crew on the edge of the desert, hence the name of the inn.
Walking into the inn, you will be greeted with a wooden retro feeling. In the inn, many scenes and props from the movie are preserved. Stepping into it, you will be greeted by a huge wall of wine bottles, with large stills of Jay Chou and Lin Chiling hanging on the surrounding walls, giving people the illusion of traveling through time and space to the screen. The first floor of the inn is a bar. After a day of fun, we relax, find wooden chairs to sit down, and order a few bottles of local Xixia beer. We looked at the stills of the movie, quietly reminiscing about the love and hatred of the hero and heroine.
Grassland Night: Passionate
After a day of play, we were already hungry and returned to the yurt, finally ushering in the long-awaited dinner time. On the big round table in the yurt, there are all kinds of delicacies. Milk tea, fried rice, pickled shallots, braised mutton, and meat noodle soup are all typical Mongolian food flavors, and the special roasted whole lamb will become the highlight of the food festival without exception. When you come to Alxa, if you don't experience the banquet here, it can be regarded as a wasted trip.
When the banquet begins, the local people will hold the ceremony of roasting the whole lamb in the most enthusiastic way. The owner of the yurt chanted praises for the whole lamb and introduced the origin of the roasted whole lamb. Just as we were listening, he came to us to offer hada and toast. Afterwards, the Mongolian singer came on stage handsomely and presented a melodious prairie song. We danced gently to the song, and the atmosphere was so exciting. Finally, the lamb roast masters cut up the lamb for everyone to taste. Drinking mellow milk tea, tasting the roasted whole sheep on the grassland that is burnt outside and inside, we are intoxicated by laughter...
As the sky gradually darkened, piles of bonfires were lit, and the flames danced with the wind. The sound of "crackling" firewood detonation attracted us to run out of the yurt. A song and dance performance with strong Mongolian characteristics was being staged, reflecting the flames, and everyone's face turned red. Regardless of men, women, young or old, the people present held hands together and danced and sang around the bonfire ecstatically.
Subsequently, the exquisite Mongolian equestrian performance and traditional Mongolian wedding ceremony were staged one after another, and the wrestling performance of the Mongolian warriors pushed the atmosphere of the audience to a climax, with cheers and applause one after another.
The bonfire gradually turned dark red, and the crowd dispersed in twos and threes. After the singing and laughter fell silent, I couldn't help thinking of the poem "Where there is shochu and mutton, we exchanged wandering directions..."
Tips:
About accommodation
It is recommended to stay in the yurt on the Tonghu Grassland. Parents traveling with children can choose the "parent-child yurt". The children's bed is carefully prepared for the child, and the price is very high. Yurt parent-child room, 680 per night. Including tickets and bonfire party, the price of Meituan is 793 yuan.
Dress Guide
The host is from Tonghu Grassland in early June. The temperature is like May in Chongqing. You can wear shorts, T-shirts, skirts, and trousers during the day. The temperature is relatively low in the morning and evening, and it is more comfortable to wear long trousers and a jacket.
Prepared Items
What to bring really depends on personal habits. The host simply recommends a few things that you think are useful and practical.
1. Big straw hat/parasol/sunscreen; if you want a bronzed complexion, you don't have to. But the concave shape of the big straw hat is a must!
2. Shampoo set, travel set of toiletries, skin care travel set, hair dryer (many hotels don’t have it), facial mask (very important, the grassland is windy).
3. Motion sickness stickers.
4. Garbage bags, mainly because I am embarrassed to dirty other people's cars, and I am also embarrassed to litter on the grassland. The grassland is too big and there are not trash cans everywhere.
5. Sand-proof shoes can be rented in the scenic area, and the big red cloth boots are very suitable for taking pictures.
6. Sunglasses, strong wind and sand, dazzling sunlight, the focus is on the concave shape, hahaha...
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