3. Postscript

accompany

During this trip to the Northwest, I participated in a casual group. Fortunately, I met two travelers who were also traveling alone.

The elder Fei Lao is from Jiangxi, he is very self-cultivated, calm and kind, with a kind face and kind eyes. The old man has his own selfie stick, but occasionally we still let us take a picture or two of him. For the group photo, Mr. Fei was very interested, and he never refused our request, and his smile was as bright as ours, like the sunshine on the plateau. When having dinner at Dunhuang Night Market AA, Mr. Fei asked for a bottle of beer. Since the two of us don’t drink, the old man insisted on paying separately.

Xiao Zhou is from Anhui. He is a handsome guy in his early twenties. He is enthusiastic, polite and obedient. I helped everyone take pictures along the way, and in Yadan on the water, I trotted to help an elder sister pick up a silk scarf blown off by the wind, but she stood panting for a long time because of altitude sickness, which made everyone laugh in good faith. I took a lot of handsome photos of him, and because of him, Qingganxian has left countless marks on my mobile phone, and I have also left a traveler's footprint on the vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

After the tour of the Qingan-Gansu Great Ring Road, we all went home to rest, only Xiao Zhou, who seamlessly boarded the train to Tibet, looked at the photo of him in front of the Potala Palace in the circle of friends, and couldn't help but sigh It's nice to be young.

young tour guide

The tour guide Xiao Yang is a young man in his early twenties from Gansu. He is not tall, and he is far from the Northwest man in his impression. However, he is very capable.

It is not surprising that a student who graduated from a major in tourism has an orderly service and a gentle and friendly attitude. This is not surprising. What surprised me was his professional ability. During this trip to the Qinggan Great Ring Road, Xiao Yang's explanations focused on the customs, history and anecdotes of the Northwest, as well as Buddhist culture. Especially in the explanation of Tibetan Buddhist culture, he spoke clearly and fluently many awkward Buddhist terms, such as names of people, names of doctrines, names of sects, etc. Listening to his explanation, I kept thinking, these words, I stumbled while looking at the book, how could he speak so fluently? There are specialties in the art industry, so that's what I'm talking about, but it's really rare for a young man to be so young.

As I write this, I can't help but think of the two tour guides in Guizhou and Fenghuang. It's really hard to describe.

innkeeper

At the foot of Huashan Mountain, the owner of an inn in Huayin County, I can’t remember his last name, but I still can’t forget his help to me.

This is a young man who came to Shaanxi from Jiangxi alone to start a business. He is enthusiastic and gentle, but he never talks too much. Talking to him can't help but make people feel warm. After learning about my itinerary, he took the initiative to remind me that I can go directly from Huayin to Lanzhou without going to Xi'an. In the afternoon of the next day, I returned to the inn after visiting Huashan. The departure time for Lanzhou was not long. The boss decisively rode a small electric car and took me to the bus station. When he arrived at the bus stop, he estimated the time, resolutely stopped the taxi, explained a few words to the driver, and put my suitcase into the rear compartment. After getting on the bus, I told the driver to go to the train station, and the driver replied that he had explained everything just now.

It has been more than a year, and every time I recall my trip to the Northwest, I can't forget this innkeeper. Alone in a foreign land, someone helped me like this, it is really unforgettable.

silk road

After all, it was just a tour with a group. Although it is said to be taking the Silk Road again, it is still a quick tour. Today's Silk Road is not as full of yellow sand as it was in the past, and the prosperity is not the prosperity of yesterday. The straight and flat roads along the way, the high-rise buildings rising from the ground, and the green shelter forests that stretch into the eyes are all the appearance of modern civilization. The stories about the Han and Tang Dynasties, the legends about the Western Regions, or flying in the desert sky, or in our lingering, or quietly waiting for the next visitor in the museum.

In the four counties of Hexi in the Han Dynasty in the past, we stayed in Dunhuang for one night and passed by the edge of Zhangye. As for Wuwei in Jiuquan, together with Yangguan and Yumenguan, we had to have some fascination with them on the way of the bus. Back then on this land, Zhang Qian trekked thousands of miles and escaped death, while Huo Qubing was invincible and majestic. Later, Master Xuanzang went to the West alone after going through hardships. History has left an indelible mark on the Chinese nation here.

Compared with these predecessors, today's Chinese are so lucky. When we walk on the brand new Silk Road, the Great Northwest greets friends from all over the motherland and even all over the world with its eyes full of prosperity and a smooth road. What it brings us is not only a relaxing trip that cleanses the soul, but also hits the heart directly. Enjoy.