Ten years ago, I assisted Xinlong County in Gansu Province and stayed for three months. I was deeply affected by the humanities and nature of the Tibetan plateau. After I came back, I wrote a travel note (at the end of the attached article). So I always wanted to go again, but the delay lasted for ten years. On August 7, 2022, I took my wife and two children to start a five-day self-driving leisure small ring road trip. Now I will share my experience for the reference of travelers.
My place is Northern Sichuan-Guangyuan. Considering the comfort level before departure, my route choice is clockwise: Guangyuan→Dujiangyan→Wenchuan→Siguniang Mountain→Jiaju Tibetan Village→Moshi Park→Muya Temple→Xindu Bridge → Mugecuo → Kangding → Hailuogou → Tianquan → Guanghan → Guangyuan.
Facts have proved that this arrangement has three advantages. First, the altitude is from low to high and then from high to low, and the adaptability is acceptable. Second, many people choose to go counterclockwise at the first stop, Kangding, and the result is continuous traffic jams. Instead, our route is smooth all the way. ; The third journey is to relax. In the last two days, Hailuogou Hot Spring, go shopping, eat, play and go home very easily.
The first day is full of energy, so hurry up (450 kilometers): start in the morning and go directly from Guangyuan to Dujiangyan (300 kilometers) for lunch. After getting off the expressway, have lunch at the nearest characteristic Chinese restaurant. The local braised pig ears and fatty intestines are delicious. It is suitable, especially the one with water, which just removes the greasy. Then I went to the Mid-Levels Viewpoint to see the water conservancy project. Because I had been there before, I explained it to the children from a distance, so I didn't go in and take a closer look. In the afternoon, I passed Wenchuan to Mount Siguniang (150 kilometers) on my way. I didn’t go to the earthquake center Yingxiu (I didn’t want to be sad) on the way. Instead, I went to Wolong Panda Base, which was more interesting to the children. Climbing the mountain (Balang Mountain) along the way, there are different scenery along the way, parking from time to time, such as "Cat's Nose Bridge" and other shooting spots are good, but it's a pity that it's not autumn, and the photography is a little bit worse. At 8 o'clock in the evening, we hurried to the Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area. In order to be comfortable and economical, we chose a homestay near Shuangqiaogou on Ctrip, which is economical, hygienic and quiet.
The next day (110 kilometers) went to Shuangqiaogou in the morning. Because of the peak season, it is recommended that everyone arrive in advance, otherwise the traffic jam will be very miserable. Entering the scenic area, take a car directly to the highest viewing point, and then go down, looking at the mountains, water, and meadows all the way. After lunch, drive to Danba Jiaju Tibetan Village, and choose a Tibetan village in a scenic spot on Ctrip. The best one is near the No. 5 viewing spot, and it is also at the highest point. Compared with the Ganzi, Xinlong, and Shiqu Tibetan races I have seen, this place is nothing at all, but staying overnight in a cottage like this and eating Tibetan food also makes the children excited.
On the third day (150 kilometers), the scenery of the Tibetan area should be concentrated on the third and fourth days. From Danba to Xinduqiao, you will be amazed by the plateau scenery, religious purity and magical nature all the way. The shape of Yala Snow Mountain is the most beautiful on the road, and then there is Geological Moshi Park. At noon, Bamei eats Tibetan food and goes shopping. I have to say that Bamei is a place where Tibetan culture meets and is also a fortress for entering Tibet. The shops on the street are worth visiting. When you go shopping, you can see a lot of life, culture and beliefs that you can't see. In the afternoon, I went to Muya Temple, a large temple with a history of more than 600 years. Here you will feel the evening drum and morning bell, the sound of Sanskrit, and many eminent monks. You can feel the most religious piety. I especially recommend this place over the next Tagong Grassland. Tagong Grassland and Tagong Temple are now fully commercialized. Of course, Princess Wencheng became famous in one stop. She is outstanding and talented. We were lucky and saw masks with Tibetan characteristics. Performance. At dusk, I walked slowly all the way to Xinduqiao, took pictures and played all the way, and arrived at the hotel where I stayed at 8 o'clock. I didn't stay at the B&B that day and chose a hotel with better conditions. When autumn comes, the nearly 20 kilometers of Xinduqiao Scenic Area are the best sections for photography, not one of them. This time I brought my family with me, and I stayed with them from morning to night, and come back next autumn with my friends.
On the fourth day (130 kilometers), I got up in the morning and recommended the beef noodles on the street. Then check in at the top of Zheduo Mountain, turn back and go to Mugecuo. In fact, the scenery of Mugecuo is similar to that of Shuangqiaogou, but the scenery on the road is different from yesterday. The grassland here is wider, the mountains are higher, and the stream is slower. You can see Gongga Snow Mountain, passing by Kangding Airport and Yala Snow Mountain (4400 meters). After passing Yala Snow Mountain, you will go downhill for nearly 30 kilometers. Zheduo Mountain is also blocked, and I can't help but lament twice that my route planning is accurate. We ate at Mugecuo at noon. In the evening, we arrived in Kangding and went for a stroll around Paoma Mountain and Kangding City. After all, the song made us happy. In particular, Kangding is really hard to find a parking space.
The fifth day (350 kilometers) from Kangding to Guanghan. Today's main task is to eat and play. I soaked in Hailuogou Hot Spring, visited the glacier, visited the ancient town, and ate Yayu all day. I arrived in Guanghan around 9 o'clock in the evening. On the sixth day, I took the children to see Sanxingdui in the morning, and returned to Guangyuan after lunch. Except for those in the inland area, the five days in the Tibetan area were safe, relaxing and enjoyable.
A few friendly reminders: First, check the car and luggage before departure, make adequate preparations for nucleic acid, water, and snacks every day, book a room one day in advance, and do a good job of scenic spots; Pay special attention to drinking water and food hygiene, and do not drink unboiled water in Tibetan areas; the third is to choose attractions based on your own preferences, and choose travelers based on your travel purposes. For example, I chose freedom. The family can stop along the way if they want. Team, you have to strictly follow the plan and take care of most people's preferences.
Well, that's it, I hope it can help you. Have a nice trip!
Attachment: Sketches from ten years ago
Walking on the road of the sun tribe
——Sketch of Shi Qu's Impression
Inscription: I suddenly had the opportunity to go to Shiqu County in the Northwest Plateau of Sichuan. Unfortunately, I was on the road all the time and didn't have time to stop and take pictures. Reluctantly, I captured some shots with high sensitivity and high speed, and shared my encouragement with my friends.
According to legend, a long time ago, a god yak was imprisoned by ice and snow on the Geladandong snow mountain. A group of Khamba warriors climbed up the snow peak, attracted fire from the sun, melted the ice and snow, and the god yak woke up, a stream of clear and sweet snow water It spewed out from its nostrils, and since then, there have been trickling streams and clear rivers on the Zhaxika grassland, as well as fat cattle and sheep and melodious pastoral songs. Zhaxika also has another name - Sun Tribe. "Zhaxika" is another name in Tibetan for the beautiful stone canal, meaning "beside the Yalong River". The sun and fire are the totems of Zhaxika people.
It has the widest area, the farthest distance from the provincial capital, the coldest winter, and the vastest grassland. The altitude of more than 4,000 meters makes Shiqu the county with the highest altitude in the world. However, this place closest to the sun is always entangled with ice and snow, cold, and altitude. In fact, Shiqu is a place that has been neglected for a long time. It is still on the verge of being forgotten, it still maintains the tribal grazing life, it still has the legacy of serfdom, and it still maintains its inner dignity in loneliness. Yes, for Shiqu, a county in the northwestern part of Sichuan, more than 1,000 kilometers away from the provincial capital—in Europe, such a distance is enough to cross several countries, perhaps only loneliness can give it more dignity.
The car is speeding on the vast grassland, and occasionally you can see the empty competition field and white piles next to it. According to the introduction, this is "playing dam" by herdsmen. I can imagine that in the summer of the Zhaxika Grassland, those wildly growing grasses and bright wild flowers shake the carnival mood of the grassland people, and those sudden or long-planned loves have nourished the prosperity of the Gaogao Plateau to this day. I can't understand, why in such a difficult environment, the Tibetan compatriots still have kindness and happiness from the bottom of their hearts on their faces full of plateau red? Those cheerful idylls, those mobile tents, those true loves, are they indifference to the suffering in this life and yearning for happiness in the next life? Those black or white tents, those red or yellow exaggerated decorations, those simple scripture platforms built with grass billets, and those prayer flags tied as they please, made me suddenly realize that the prairie people may themselves be the connection. Messenger of humans and gods.
Gesar and Shiqu herdsmen all say that Zhaxika is the cradle of his king, and Gesar is an important part of their lives. He is not only a legendary hero, but also their ubiquitous, omnipresent The impossible protector, to this day, he still continues to be sung in Tibetan areas in a living posture. Those mani piles standing on the roadside, mountain pass and deep in the grassland are the carriers of Tibetan beliefs, carrying their pursuit, ideals, feelings and hopes, and Songge Mani Stone Scripture City is the most soul-stirring miracle in the world. Like an ancient castle, also like a majestic temple, the pieces of mani stone, while holding back the reality, while being dusty. Standing by the city wall, I stroked the mottled and blurred stone flakes, which seemed to show us that the power of belief and nostalgia is so great, only it can resist those spring flowers and autumn moons that disappear in smoke.
When I went there, I met a traffic policeman from Chengdu. He said with a wry smile two characteristics. One is that there is not a single tree in the entire Shiqu County, and the snow-covered grassland will be unable to move much at night due to lack of oxygen. The second is that when you wake up in the morning in winter, you will find that your chin is stuck to the quilt because it is too cold, and the low temperature of minus 20 to 30 degrees is accompanied by the whole winter and spring all year round. It was getting dark early, and there were only hordes of wild dogs on the street. Seeing the terrible environment and thinking of the terrible hydatid, dinner had to be perfunctory. It was night, and I was staying at the Zhaxika Hotel in the county with better conditions. The smell of cattle and sheep dung floated in the cold air, and the barking of wild dogs in the city kept coming and going. Feeling boundless loneliness and fear, awake all night longing for the dawn to come soon. It was just dawn, and I couldn't and didn't have the courage to stay any longer. I chose to escape. So far, I have only been walking in the Sun Tribe for one day.
When he left, the sun had not yet risen, and his colleague’s helpless farewell and lonely melancholy came from his mobile phone. He said: I will never regret it, and I will never come again. Yes, no matter how high the plateau is, someone must stick to it.
Only here will you have a deeper understanding and cherishment of happiness. When I was leaving, I remembered a blind old lady I saw yesterday. She was sitting outside the tent like a statue, slowly turning the prayer wheel with her left hand, and fiddled with the shiny rosary beads with her right hand. Her lips that had lost luster and moisture Gently open and close, the six-character mantra seems to exist or not: Om, Ma, Ne, Ba, Mi, Hum...
On the way to leave, I saw a Tibetan girl riding a horse on the side of the road singing a Tibetan song to the herds. I couldn’t understand what she was singing, but the high-pitched and somewhat melancholy singing passed across the grassland, Drift through the flowing water, drifting towards the white clouds and high snow-capped mountains.
I know that I have been with the sanctity of the snow mountain and the mystery of the grassland
——passed by.
