In the spring of 2016, Fa Xiao, whom I had known for 16 years, told me that she was going on a graduation trip that would last more than a month.
The itinerary includes Daocheng Yading and Shangri-La.
I really want to take this trip with her, and what I want to go most is Shangri-La, a paradise on earth.
However, that year, I was a junior.
In that March, I was trapped in the real Jiangnan Suzhou.
After two and a half years, from spring to autumn, from Chengdu to Shangri-La, 1,000 kilometers, I finally came.
[Shangri-La Secret Realm, the ancient village called Bala]
Shangri-La, the name has long been known.
In the past 2 years, I have read a lot of travel notes about this place, from the ancient city of Shangri-La to Pudacuo and then to Yubeng, a hiking resort.
Only this secret realm named Bala Gezong, I know for the first time.
It only takes 50 minutes to fly to Shangri-La from Chengdu.
I saw the plateau again, and I saw the prayer flags flying all over the mountain.
Under the Shambhala Pagoda, there are countless people's dreams of turning around the mountain.
This naturally formed pagoda is the sacred mountain in the hearts of countless people, and it is a dream that can't be turned over and over again.
There used to be no roads in Bala Gezong. More than ten years ago, it used to be a deep mountain that took more than 5 days to get out of the mountain.
For us today, it takes only 2 hours from the airport to the foot of Mount Kinabalu.
Sina Dingzhu is the "light" of the whole Bala village.
Standing in front of the gate of Bala Zhuoma Lakang, looking at the Bala village facing here from a distance.
In the hinterland of this mountain, 32 families have lived here for generations, and 1300 years have passed quietly.
Sit by the window and drink a sip of buttered tea.
In the past two years, I have spent more time in Tibetan areas, and I like the taste of butter tea more and more. It can alleviate my high antipathy, and also allow me to get in touch with this nation a little closer.
Here is the most spectacular glass plank road on the plateau, and you can enjoy the scenery of the canyon at one point.
The end of August is the rainy season. Days of rainfall makes the water flow turbulent, and the mud and sand are mixed in, and the clear river water turns muddy yellow in an instant.
Under my feet and in front of me, these winding roads were all built by Sina Dingzhu with his own efforts and scattered all his wealth.
This is how much love I have for my hometown, and it took me ten years to complete this "Heavenly Road".
The clear spring flowing down the mountain, the water quality is clear, constantly scouring the stones at the bottom of the river.
I heard that this stream water is the best for washing your face. The rich minerals have the effect of calming and removing acne.
Balagezong contains different landscapes such as canyons and plateaus. In this place where the vertical altitude is more than a thousand meters, I was once again impressed by the belief and piety of the Tibetans. This kind of watch over hometown is innate.
In Tibetan areas, mani piles are extremely common. This is the way the Tibetan people pray for blessings. On the edge of this trickling stream, two buildings and three buildings are erected.
The thousand-year-old phoenix bodhi tree gave birth to a bergamot one day.
No Bodhi tree, nor stand mirror.
There is nothing, where is the dust!
【A story about road construction】
Speaking of Shangri-La, I believe many people are familiar with it.
This is always called the place closest to heaven. This is the first time I walked into this land, and the moment I got off the plane, I deeply felt that my breathing became short of breath.
The Diqing Shangri-La Airport, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level, has a completely Tibetan-style building.
After driving for nearly 2 hours, we arrived at a place called Bala Gezong.
The name of the Bala Gezong Scenic Area comes from the thousand-year-old village Bala Village and the Gezong Snow Mountain, the highest peak in Shangri-La.
This scenic spot is very young, and it has only been more than ten years.
More than ten years ago, Bala Village was a primitive village without roads or electricity. Because of the inconvenience of transportation, the beauty here is hidden deep in the mountains.
Sina Dingzhu, who walked out of the mountains, began to travel abroad at the age of 13. At the age of 35, he spent all his family wealth to build a road for cars in his hometown.
From the initial public opposition to the thriving scenic spot today.
No one knows what he has experienced, but this story, I think, will be forever remembered by the residents of Bala Village and even the people of the whole country.
A road has been built for nearly ten years. In the past ten years, the youthful years have passed, thousands of family wealth have been wiped out, and in exchange for more than hundreds of millions of yuan in debt.
In the past two days, I watched a CCTV reader about my hometown.
Each of us has the feeling of hometown, but the hometown feeling in his heart is far beyond our cognitive imagination.
This road was built by Sina Dingzhu;
This scenic spot was developed by Sina Dingzhu;
This Kangba man, alone propped up a piece of sky in his hometown;
This story is my initial understanding of this scenic spot.
[1-12h, from Chengdu to Shangri-La's Dreamland]
After reading "The Reader" and listening to "The Child Walking Out of the Mountain", Feifei and I finally planned to visit this secret place.
From planning to travel, ten days.
On the evening of August 31, we boarded the plane from Chengdu to Diqing Shangri-La.
After 50 minutes, I landed in Shangri-La, and 2 hours later, I was lying on the bed of the Tibetan Ecological Hotel.
Escape the city for 72 hours, go back to nature, and feel the power of nature.
[13-15h, Renma Yidao experience the hardships of no way]
"There are no roads in the world, and if there are many people walking, the road will become a road."
This is a sentence from Mr. Lu Xun in "Hometown". What is hometown? It is the lingering memory no matter where you go; no matter where you drift, it will always be your root.
As for the word hometown, Sina Dingzhu made the best interpretation.
Before Sina Dingzhu built the road through Bala Village, the village was shrouded in mountains.
When the social vehicles of the outside world are speeding, the villagers living here still rely on their legs to walk out of the road;
When the outside world has entered the Internet age, the villagers living here still do not have access to electricity;
When we take hiking as an experience trip, the hiking here has become a life-saving passage.
The Renmayi Road we are experiencing now has undergone post-processing, the road has been doubled in width, and the weeds on the road have also been removed.
Iron chain fences were also added to the side of the cliff.
But it is such a road, we also feel that walking is very hard.
So it is not difficult to imagine how inconvenient it is to live here.
This is the first stop in Bala Gezong.
We have never experienced that era, but we can feel the hardships of that era.
This section of the road is not long, but we also walked for more than half an hour.
The dirt road is relatively slippery, so you need to be careful.
The main roads that used to go out of the mountains, the mountain roads that used to pass through the caravans, still exist in a meandering way.
These are stories that remain in memory and will never be forgotten no matter how long the time passes.
Prayer flags fluttering in the mountains.
Five-color prayer flags represent five different things between heaven and earth. In any Tibetan area, prayer flags and white pagodas are indispensable. The prayer flags pulled from the mountains to the valley represent too many wishes and too many blessings.
[17-17.5h, there is no bodhi tree, and the spiritual realm is not a platform]
The Bodhi tree is a large arbor plant belonging to the genus of the Banyan family. According to legend, more than 2,000 years ago, the Buddha Sakyamuni cultivated the fruit under the Bodhi tree. In India, whether it is Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism, the Bodhi tree is regarded as "Sacred Tree".
Therefore, for Tibetan areas, Bodhi is extremely sacred and should not be violated lightly.
And a bodhi tree here has a history of thousands of years, and dozens of white pagodas are waiting in front of it.
It is here, absorbing the aura of heaven and earth, and sensing the devotion of the villagers of Bala Village for thousands of years.
The White Pagoda has the same status in Tibetan Buddhism as the pagodas in our Central Plains Buddhism.
It is mainly used to worship whole grains.
This thousand-year-old bodhi plant grew in the mountains, and it grew together with the big mountain, entangled with each other.
The roots of the tree are wrapped with hada, which is the most sincere wish given by the people who come here.
Just a few years ago, under the thousand-year-old bodhi tree, a Buddha's hand suddenly stretched out, or the left hand of the Buddha, and firmly grasped the rock wall.
So it is enough to see that Balagezong is full of spirituality, and more and more Tibetan people come here.
The White Pagoda and the Turning Golden Tube have always been the two most common in Tibetan areas.
They are here, and they can be regarded as guarding this millennium Bodhi.
[17.5-19h, go to the Grand Canyon to listen to the sound of water flowing]
I remember that I have been to the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, which is also in the season of late August and early September.
At that time, I had just finished my high defense, and I was bouncing around like a dragon and a tiger.
In my memory, the water of the Yarlung Zangbo River was extremely turbid, rolling and roaring and pouring down.
It is also the rainy season, and I once again came to the Shangri-La Grand Canyon in Bala Gezong.
The rainy season in August makes the river roar like turbidity. This river is a tributary of the Jinsha River, which is part of the Yangtze River. The Jinsha River converges in Yibin, and the Yangtze River can go straight down thousands of miles.
I smiled at Feifei and said, "You might as well jump down and go back to Yibin along the water." He was better, and said to me directly, "Then you might as well come together, you can float longer and travel farther , go directly back to Nanjing."
It is only a few minutes from the gate of the scenic spot to the entrance of the Shangri-La Grand Canyon.
Since there are roads, it is much more convenient here.
Canyon landform, there is a long wooden plank road with a total length of 2.5 kilometers.
Walking along the boardwalk to the end, and then floating back in a kayak, this kind of experience of floating in the valley is still very interesting.
There is a lot of water in the mountains.
In the depths of the canyon, the height difference between the upper and lower reaches is more than 1000 meters. Looking up, it towers into the clouds.
There are a lot of vegetation encountered along the way, including green leaves with floral fragrance, and century-old trees that grow backwards.
Stopping and stopping along the way, listening to the story on this section of the road, the 2.5 kilometers came to an end in a short while.
Standing on the wooden plank road and looking up, the eyes are full of mountains and mountains.
The weather in the plateau is very good, every day is blue sky and white clouds.
Escaping from the city for two days is equivalent to a breath of fresh air.
In the afternoon, there were tourists in twos and threes. We stopped and went, and met many travelers who came here to visit.
Balagezong Scenic Spot has been developed for 11 years. During these 11 years, it has been continuously improved and new routes have been released.
Today, here, you can not only see the scenery of the canyon but also appreciate the style of the plateau. Those who like to hike can also encounter the most beautiful plateau Haizi here.
The water flow by the river is still turbulent, and the yaks by the river are still leisurely.
Eating grass by the river valley or lying on the grass basking in the sun.
I heard that yaks in the plateau are very valuable, and one is worth 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
Walk along the boardwalk to the end, here is the meeting point of mountain spring water and river water.
The contrast between the turbidity of the two water qualities is obvious, one side is yellow muddy water, and the other side is clear and visible mountain spring.
There are a lot of people taking pictures here, and the wooden plank road with people coming and going has become a good place to take pictures.
The sound of water rushing down.
There are many stones on both sides of the river, many of which have been washed away and are already extremely bright.
Walked all the way, slightly sweating.
I took off my coat, and the plateau sun shone on my body, making it warm. Although it was the beginning of September, it felt like autumn was here, neither cold nor hot.
Mani piles by the river.
Layer upon layer, are endless blessings.
Regardless of age, playing with water must be one of the joys.
Reach out and touch, the river is cold.
"It is rich in mineral resources. Washing your face with it every day can reduce acne on your face."
"Wow, then I will try." Feifei was the first to respond.
"The water in the room is also a clear spring in the mountains. You can wash it several times in the past few days."
I really like it here, and I stayed for more than half an hour to take pictures.
Here, in the gap of time, you can spy on the eternal truth.
In the drop of 3500 meters, you can find the footprints of time.
Here, it used to be a secret place belonging to the villagers of Bala Village, and now it has shown the world its beauty for thousands of years.
Finally, take a kayak down the river.
All the way down along the turbulent water, there is a staff member at the front and back, responsible for steering.
The rafting here is relatively slow, you won't get wet, and you won't get too hot.
Sitting on a kayak is equivalent to being in the middle of the river valley, and the perspective here is very different from that on the plank road.
This feeling of walking and drifting back is still pretty good.
The boat sailed among them and chatted with the staff.
"The water volume is relatively large in the rainy season these days, and the kayaks that drift down can be pulled back by speedboats in reverse. After a few days, the water volume is small, and they need to be pulled back from the boardwalk."
"Isn't that hard work?"
"It's okay to let the gas out and have a cart, and we're used to it."
Many of these staff members are original local villagers, because the road here has become a scenic spot, and they have stable jobs.
It feels so good to be able to make money to support myself and watch over my hometown.
[19-20, feel the natural beauty of the sky]
"In the middle of the line, the sky is divided into moats, and the two mountains and gorges are the gates."
This is the Dejinka of the Shangri-La Grand Canyon, which is the legendary Yixiantian.
It is located in the dark place at the bottom of the valley under a drop of 4,000 meters. Before the road was built, it was a place that even the villagers of Bala Village had never been to.
In the middle of the canyon, there is a naturally formed statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, like a guiding light in the chaos.
Balagezong is a very blessed place, and there are many blessings naturally formed here.
From the bergamot under the Bodhi tree, Dejinka's natural dharma body to the Shambhala stupa, every place is a collection of thousands of years of blessings.
Going to Dejinka is mainly to see the waterfall.
Because of the erosion of the waterfall all year round, the rock wall here is naturally concave, which makes the water flow into such a shape.
This is probably the so-called water falling through stone, the energy contained in water is also unimaginable.
In the canyon at an altitude of 2,200 meters, the altitude response is not strong.
It's just that the panting sound is heavier than usual, and the heartbeat is faster than usual.
After getting used to this day, I think I can spend it safely under the Shambhala stupa tomorrow.
[22-25, dance a Khamba dance]
When you come to the Tibetan area, you can't miss a performance or a bonfire party in the evening.
Tibetan men and women are very good at singing and dancing.
Maybe they are service personnel and commentators in the scenic spot during the day. But at night, they changed into costumes and became the best actors in singing and dancing.
For the opening dance, they attended the dance one by one in Tibetan style.
When watching the performance, if you think her singing and dancing are very good, you can offer hada.
This Tibetan girl's singing voice is ethereal and hits the depths of people's hearts. The number of khata dedicated to her is enough to show how popular she is.
During the day, he was our commentator, but at night he became the most active host here.
As soon as he opened his voice, he has already amazed the audience.
The most amazing thing is the last Tibetan costume show.
Dozens of costumes, holding yellow khatas, brought the deepest and best wishes to people from all over the world.
[38-39h, overlooking the ultimate secret of Shangri-La]
Going up this winding road, the previous day was at the bottom of the valley, and this day was at the top of the mountain.
With a drop of nearly 2,000 meters and an altitude of 4,200, everything seems to be in slow motion. Everything around me is slowing down, and so am I.
"Bandan Ram" is also known as "Auspicious Heavenly Mother". She is the chief Tantric female Dharma protector in the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism.
The mountain of this holy mountain is steep and steep, but its shape is very majestic and sacred, like lotus petals.
There are eight holy mountains around Bala Village, and this one is the place that best matches the landscape described in "Lost Horizon", so it is also known as the ultimate secret of Shangri-La.
The morning sun is always so soft, it scatters through the gaps in the trees and shines warmly on the body.
The scenery of the viewing platform is good, and the mountains are continuous.
[39-41h, turn mountains, waters, and pagodas]
Continue to go up along the road, passing through many secret places along the way.
The highest peak of Balagezong, which is covered by clouds and mist, is surrounded by green trees in the mountains.
The stupa made of stones is under the Shambhala stupa.
This is the highest point that can be reached by car, and if you go further up, you need to go on foot.
The legendary Shambhala stupa is just around the corner.
I heard that there are many people who come here every year to turn around the mountain. I also heard that there is a beautiful natural lake behind the Shambhala Pagoda.
There are two mountains in front of the Shambhala Pagoda, one is a sitting and lying Bodhisattva, and the other is an open scripture.
These three mountains constitute the natural Buddhist kingdom here.
Things are slow here, the wind is slow, and the frequency of the leaves fluttering is slow.
The sun is so warm, it is better to just sit anywhere, take a few photos, and take a look at the vast world.
The prayer flags pulled up in the mountains are constantly fluttering in the wind.
In this meadow, we are scattered everywhere.
Sometimes I think about it, if I live in this big mountain, I will have less troubles, and this life will be good.
Walking between the sky and the earth in a red robe, this is the most beautiful color in summer.
I have been wondering if the scenery here will be more different if it is the golden autumn season.
There are only a few small wooden houses in the mountains, and the distance here is really close to the clouds, as if you can come down with one hand.
The Shambhala Pagoda is located in the north of Bala Gezongshen Shandong. It is one of the main landscapes of the scenic spot. The naturally formed pyramid-shaped peaks are covered with white snow and stand towering under the sky. The three high mountains of the pagoda, the scriptures and the old lama are known as the three treasures of "Buddha, Dharma and monk".
The five-color prayer flags are filled with Tibetan scriptures, fluttering in the wind, and recited thousands of times.
The shadows of the prayer flags were printed on the ground, undulating.
The prayer flags are very suitable for portrait shooting.
I have been to Tibetan areas many times, but this is the first time I have been so close to the prayer flags.
I have done many logo designs for Tibetan areas in school. I have used elements of prayer flags countless times and understood its meaning countless times.
In the mountains and forests, the world is so quiet and peaceful.
The Shambhala Pagoda is translated as "Xiangqu Qudeng" in Tibetan. It is a natural pagoda recorded in the "Tripitaka".
For thousands of years, its spirituality has attracted countless devout people to worship and pray for their long-cherished wishes.
Therefore, under the Shambhala Pagoda, many people turn around the mountain. This is people's awe of the gods and themselves.
This is a very suitable place to watch the Shambhala Pagoda, and it is also a place where you can see the eighteen bends of the mountain road here.
Although there are still many places in the country in early September that are very hot, but here, wearing two clothes, you will still feel full of coolness.
Climb up the slope, feel the dangers of the road here, and experience the danger and difficulty of Sina Dingzhu's road construction.
In the Mani pile in front of the road, there are countless blessings for everyone who has arrived in Bala Gezong.
The prayer flags on the slope are fluttering, and the Shambhala Pagoda, which is visible from the eye, is an empty and uninhabited world.
If you come to Bala Gedzong, you will love it as much as I do.
This is a spiritual place and one I will definitely return to again.
[41-42h, challenge the glass plank road with the highest verticality on the plateau]
Nowadays, many scenic spots are building glass plank roads to attract tourists' attention.
In my impression, the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area built a glass plank road at first, and I have also been there, perhaps because I am not afraid of heights, so I have never had a special feeling.
I heard that there is also a glass plank road here, and it is the highest altitude and the highest verticality.
During the walk, the guide told us
"The place where this black rope is located is where they once left the mountain and climbed over the mountain."
In my opinion, this place is extremely steep and impossible to walk at all, but it was once their main road, and even the road to save their lives.
"So in our place, fathers are not allowed to hold or carry their children when they go out of the mountain. Otherwise, if they step on the air, they will die twice."
It's hard for me to imagine that in today's society, when the city is already well-connected, there are still scenes like the one in Li Bai's "The Road to Shu" poem.
On this boardwalk, you can see Gezong Snow Mountain.
This is the highest peak in the entire Shangri-La region and is generally surrounded by clouds and fog all year round.
When I walked here, I was very lucky to see the clouds clear and the fog dispersed. Although it was only a short moment, I witnessed the appearance of Gezong Snow Mountain.
This river is the Grand Canyon we walked in yesterday. Standing on a high place now, looking at the twists and turns, the perspective from this high place is really different.
This is the glass plank road with the highest altitude and the highest vertical height in China.
The weather is good, so the glass plank road is full of blue sky, white clouds, high mountains and green trees.
This scene is so beautiful that countless people take pictures here.
With Gezong Snow Mountain as the background, here is the paradise I imagined.
Today's Bala Gezong is rich and the people are happy. The changes in the past ten years have been turned upside down.
[42-43h, looking for the thousand-year-old village of Bala Village]
Bala Village has a history of more than 1300 years since the Tang Dynasty.
In the beginning, the leader moved here because he hated war. There are the purest mountains and the purest water here, and this is the paradise in their eyes.
People who have lived here for generations, even if the transportation is inconvenient, still love a piece of land.
The scenery of Bala Village is very good, and now the villagers have moved to the mountain pass, which has become a high-end hotel.
The view here is excellent, and you can see the scenery of the opposite mountain when you stand here.
Although the altitude is high, there will not be too strong high reflection, but the sun is warm.
It can be said that the children in Bala Village were very happy. They spent their childhood playing around in the mountains.
Maybe the conditions here are really not good, but it is simple enough.
Today's Bala village is well remodeled, the hotel is beautiful and comfortable. Especially in the evening of this season, when the lights are turned off, you can see the fireflies twinkling outside the window.
Every time I go to Tibetan areas, I have to drink the buttered tea here.
Butter tea can be divided into sweet and salty. Generally speaking, the salty tea is more in line with the taste of the local people, but compared with us, the sweet tea is more in line with our taste.
In the plateau, butter tea is the best medicine for altitude sickness. Although I usually don’t like it, I still have to try it here.
This is a place that specializes in making handmade butter tea. The decoration of the house is very Tibetan, and the hostess is also very enthusiastic.
We took some photos here, drank some butter tea, and tasted the highland barley noodles.
The sister here said that sitting by the window is very nice to take pictures, so I also sat by the window for a while.
Under the eaves of the window, looking at the distant scenery, the years are quiet and good.
[43-44h, go to worship Buddha, go to pray]
Facing the hill of Bala Village, there is a Bala Zhuoma Lakang.
This is a good place to pray and chant scriptures.
Standing in front of the door, the scenery in the distance is very good, especially the village of Bala, which has a complete panoramic view.
Looking out through the door, the scenery is even more beautiful.
There are more than a dozen Tara and Amitabha Buddhas enshrined on this road.
There are still some differences in customs between Tibetan Buddhism and Central Plains Buddhism, whether it is the way of worshiping Buddha or the habit of storing scriptures.
It's just that the devout heart doesn't change.
About here, accommodation full of Tibetan style
The accommodation in Balagezong is divided into two places: downhill and uphill, and the prices vary slightly depending on the facilities.
We live at the foot of the mountain, mainly due to the fact that the altitude on the mountain is too high, we cannot adapt well, and the mountain has little influence.
The style on the mountain is more traditional, so here is mainly the room pattern on the mountain.
Here is a suite, divided into a double room and a living room. The living room is equipped with a fireplace, and the temperature is low in winter, and it will not feel cold at all.
The mountains are quieter and a good place to stay away from the crowds.
Take a book, sit in the sun, and just read the book quietly, feel the sunshine, and feel the changes in the world.
The light here is excellent, soft and beautiful.
[About here, the combination of Yunnan flavor and Tibetan cuisine]
This is a Tibetan area, but it is different from Tibet, because it is located in Yunnan, so the taste is a combination of Yunnan taste.
The taste of Yunnan is similar to that of Sichuan cuisine, so it is quite to our liking.
What I ate in Bala Village was a small traditional Tibetan hot pot.
The base soup is very delicious, and the dipping sauce is also special, a little spicy, but delicious.
Although it is not as delicious as Chengdu hot pot looks, it also whets the appetite.
The meat here is mainly yak meat and pork, and people here rarely eat mutton.
The vegetables are all taken from Bala Village, which can be said to be very green and healthy, and you can really taste the sweetness of the vegetables.
We eat very well here every day, completely overturning my prejudice against Tibetan food.
I am willing to go to such a Tibetan area thousands of times.
Perhaps, this is the original attribute of a foodie.
[Finally, a little echo about Balagezong]
"I came from the mountains
Carrying the colors of the mountains on our shoulders
Looking back on the roads and mountains I have traveled
I can't forget the love Dashan gave me
I came from the mountains
Reincarnation of wind and rain Gesang flowers bloom
Grandma's warm words echoed in my ears
Every sentence makes me unforgettable
Oh, I am a child who came out of the mountains
Facing the vast journey, the past is no longer detailed
singing star on top of the mountain
It is the Big Dipper that guides me home"
After returning for a few days, this song that can be heard everywhere in Bala Gezong has been echoing in my mind.
This simple song, with simple lyrics, understands the hearts of all the wanderers.
Balagezong, because of Sina Dingzhu, is no longer a remote and unreachable secret place.
Shangri-La, glad to meet your most beautiful side.