"My home is in Litang County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, and I live at the foot of Gnei Snow Mountain. In our village, every day I open the door, I can see Gnei Snow Mountain."
—— "The World of Ding Zhen"
Before Ding Zhen became popular, Litang was more known as the hometown of the famous poet Cangyang Gyatso. National Highway 318 passed through Litang County. How many people have stayed in Litang for a short time but have never been to the depths of Genie. As everyone knows, along the route of Genie Shenshan, it is called a god-level unpopular route in western Sichuan by travel friends.
Here is the Ge Nie Mountain, which is known as "the last secret place of China's snow mountain";
The Eye of Genie, known as the "eye leading to heaven";
There is Langu Temple, the oldest Baijiao temple in Zhongkang District of Shenshan Valley;
Xiazetong Village, a quiet village where you can see the sacred mountain of Genie if you push the door;
The county where Ding Zhen's hometown is located is Litang County, the "highest city in the world", a "city in the sky" at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
Here warm and real, pure and free.
There is a real, real world here.
DAY 1-2 Chengdu-Litang, go to the longing sky city
To reach Litang County, you need to drive more than 500 kilometers from Chengdu, and you need to drive for 9 hours without rest along the way.
But the scenery of western Sichuan is all on the way. We planned a two-day journey to take it easy and enjoy the scenery along the way.
After passing through Kangding, on the way, look at the Yala Snow Mountain in the Tagong Grassland, and pass by Haizi Prairie.
The scenery among the mountains relieved the fatigue of the journey, and the pressure of the city was gradually left behind.
On the first night, stay in Xinduqiao, the "photographer's paradise", so that the journey will not be too anxious. The next day, I will wake up naturally and then set off. I will pass through the Yajiang River and arrive in Litang County early in the afternoon; secondly, Litang The county is 4,000 meters above sea level, and Xindu Bridge is used as a transition to avoid discomfort caused by altitude sickness.
The weather on the plateau is changeable, and it is still raining at the pass of Jianziwan Mountain. From July to August, people wear jackets and eat kebabs to keep warm.
Next to National Highway 318, the Kangba Prairie above the clouds is also shyly covered by rain and fog.
But as we get closer to Litang County, the weather gradually clears up. There are many tourists clocking in at the east gate of Litang. If you want to clock in 318, you must drive in this life. It is recommended to go to the west gate where there are few people. There is a large expanse of grassland next to the west gate. , you can see Litang city through the city gate.
After staying in the hotel and having dinner, we really started this immersive experience "Ding Zhen's World". Before that, there is another very important thing - Tibetan clothing.
There are almost no tourists on Qulailu Pedestrian Street, and most of them are local people. Walking into the entrance, you will see adults sitting on the floor playing cards seriously.
and children. The entertainment spirit of Sichuan people has really been cultivated since childhood.
On the other side, there are several children who are playing basketball. I advise everyone not to try it lightly. After all, this is a city in the sky at an altitude of 4,000 meters. If you run two steps, you will be out of breath, and if you jump twice, you will get high.
The prices on the pedestrian street also surprised us, not because Ding Zhen was popular and driving up the prices, but because they were too low to be close to the people. The price of renting Tibetan clothing in Litang County is generally 120 yuan per day, and 200 yuan per day with makeup and accessories. What about buying a set of Tibetan clothing?
——150 yuan, the kind that takes the boss to modify the size on the spot.
After buying Tibetan clothes, you can find handmade accessories on the pedestrian street. In addition to Ding Zhen’s earrings, bracelets and necklaces, there are more jewelry with Tibetan characteristics. In fact, there are 9 ethnic groups in Litang County, but Tibetans are the majority, accounting for more than 95%.
Reminder: Because of the popularity of Ding Zhen, the tourism facilities in Litang County have gradually improved, and many hotels have added oxygen supply equipment. However, if there is no obvious high reaction or discomfort, it is not recommended to use it, because it is easy for the body to become dependent.
DAY 3 Litang County Immersive Carding Real World
- Baita Park
In Tibetan areas, every white pagoda has a story. According to legend, after King Songtsan Gampo of Tibet conquered the Mu Dynasty more than a thousand years ago, he discussed with Princess Wencheng and decided to commemorate this victory and promote Buddhism in Kham. A pagoda is built on each bridge.
The scriptures enshrined in the three white pagodas are wrapped in white cloth, black cloth and floral cloth respectively. The scriptures in Litang White Pagoda are just wrapped in white cloth. pagoda.
Baita Park is the place where the largest number of people in Litang turn to the White Pagoda to pray for blessings. In the morning, there is an endless stream of people who come here to bow their heads, turn around the White Pagoda, and turn the prayer wheel. The incense continued to flourish.
Baita Park is surrounded by 119 small pagodas, each of which represents 119 villages in the county. There are many long wooden boards beside the small pagodas for people to kowtow.
There is a circle of small prayer wheels around the tower, and there is a huge prayer wheel in the center of the prayer wheel, which requires everyone's joint efforts to turn.
Turn the prayer wheel clockwise three times, and every time you turn the prayer wheel devoutly, it is a blessing.
- Tsangyang Gyatso Miniature Museum
"Pure white crane, please lend me your wings. Don't fly to far away places, fly to Litang and then fly back." - Tsangyang Gyatso
Tsangyang Gyatso has never been to Litang, but he wrote a poem of "flying back after going to Litang". Therefore, Litang is also known as the hometown of the famous poet Tsangyang Gyatso.
Walking in the Tsangyang Gyatso Miniature Museum and walking through the Tsangyang Gyatso Poetry Maze on the second floor, a few simple lines of poetry will take you through the nation and time and space.
This is also the place where Ding Zhen studied, and the chance of encountering Ding Zhen is also the highest. However, whether you are "Wang Youmei" or not, you can bring a pen and write a paragraph in the message book in the museum, and the state of mind at that time will be frozen on the paper and passed on to countless latecomers in the long river of time.
-Changchun Kele Temple
"There are three major temples in Lhasa on the top, Anduo Pagoda Temple on the bottom, and Changchun Keer Temple in Litang in the middle." The temple is famous far and wide, famous in Kangba.
Changchunqing Keer Temple, also known as Litang Temple, is the oldest and largest Tibetan Buddhist Yellow Sect temple in Kham. It is known as the "Kamnan Buddhist Holy Land". Measures consecrated and created.
The building of the main hall is magnificent, the hall is full of magical instruments, Buddha statues in various poses and with different expressions, and the sculptures are exquisite. Nowadays, photography is not allowed in the main hall, but it is worth going to Litang to witness the sacredness of the temple.
In the Baita Park in the city, many Litang people worship, and in the Changchun Keer Temple outside the city, most lamas practice in the temple. The temple is located on the hillside of Moraka Mountain in the north of Litang County. Standing at the gate of the temple, you can overlook Litang County and the rolling mountains on the opposite side. There is a road next to the temple extending to the top of the mountain. If you walk up the mountain, you must do what you can.
-Qianhu Tibetan Village
Walking up the small path to the left from the gate of Changchun Keer Temple, you can overlook the largest Tibetan village group in China-Qianhu Tibetan Village.
Letong Ancient Town Qianhu Tibetan Village is rebuilt from the old city of Litang. There are 13 villages and more than 4,000 Tibetan houses. On the basis of not destroying the original natural landscape, it retains the cultural precipitation of a thousand years of history.
The birthplace of the seventh Dalai Lama and the Mangkang Ancient House have witnessed the changes of history. Drinking a cup of coffee and eating an authentic Tibetan meal in Qianhu Tibetan Village is a good way to travel and relax.
- East Peak
The mountain in front of Changchunqingker Temple and the mountain behind it are the tops of the east mountain. The hillside where Ding Zhen took the video is located in front of the Changchunqingker Temple. The mountain is not high, but it is still difficult to climb up. You need to drive up the mountain.
We played all the way during the day and asked passers-by all the way, but we couldn’t find the exact way. Until around 6 pm, we met an enthusiastic Tibetan elder brother outside Changchun Keer Temple. He drew a simple map for us to go up the mountain. .
If you start from Changchun Keer Temple and go down Changqing Road, you will pass a very small white pagoda. At this time, turn right and cross the bridge, passing through dense villages along the way. Go right at the first fork, and go to the second fork. Continue to the right at the entrance, and you will enter the Y004 township road, and you will be able to drive to the top of the East Mountain after circling up the hillside. The lines are as follows:
You can also directly search for 004 Township Road on the map, passing through the intersection of Kangba Street and 004 Township Road, the route is as follows:
Finally, we unlocked the route up the mountain before sunset and came to Litang of the same style in Ding Zhen's eyes.
Salongda is a kind of blessing ceremony in Tibetan Buddhism. The Ronda is scattered to the sky. Every time the wind blows the Ronda, it is sending good blessings to oneself and relatives and friends. In addition, Lunda is made of biodegradable glutinous rice paper, which will not pollute the environment.
Buying Ronda is also a technical task. If you ask the local people, you may not be able to find a store that sells Ronda. After searching for a long time, we finally found Ronda in an ethnic goods store on Xingfu West Road. The square Ronda is relatively small (Ding Zhensa’s is Xiao Zhang’s Ronda), 15 yuan for a large box, and the rectangular Ronda is 1 yuan for a small stack.
It must be noted that there are two types of Lunda, one is printed with scriptures, and the other is printed with a horse pattern. The boss said that the printed scriptures should not be scattered casually. If others step on it, it is a bad meaning. If you want to scatter, buy Ronda with Indian and horse patterns.
There are very few tourists on the top of the east mountain. Some local Tibetan compatriots set up tents, camped on the hillside, and sang loudly while taking advantage of the sunset. We faced the sunset and ended the first day of our trip to Litang.
DAY 4 Litang-Xiazetong Village, the eyes leading to heaven
It takes 3 hours to drive the winding mountain road from Litang to Xiazetong Village, and you can navigate directly to it. Notice! Be sure to download the offline map! Because most of the distance on the way is not connected to the Internet, there are still a few forks in the middle, there are no, there are, roads, signs...
The road conditions are good intermittently, but the scenery along the way is amazing. Every time you turn over a pass, it is a completely different and magnificent scenery. The first one is the pass of Tiejiang Mountain at an altitude of 4,700 meters. There is almost no vegetation on Tiejiang Mountain, and the desolation caused by the piled stones is reduced by the gentleness of Haizi and Huahai at the foot of the mountain.
Along the way, you will encounter a road sign and a fork in the blue stone tablet, and you have to go to the left here. There is no road sign on the left. When we went there in August, the road was still being repaired. It seemed that the road condition was not good. The blue road sign stone said another village. If you have plenty of time, you can also drive over to see the scenery of Gnei Mountain from different angles.
There are hundreds of villages in Litang County. Last year, Lamaya Township and Zhangna Township were abolished and merged into Genie Township. When entering the area of Genie Town, there is an epidemic prevention registration point. On the left is a yellow house. There is a fork in the river not far from the registration point. Two roads in this place are along the river and can lead to the next Zetong Village, the road on the left is relatively spacious, and the road on the right leads to Genie Town.
When you go to Genie Town, you will see many signs of homestays, because there are homestays in Xiazetong Village, and Genie Town is still a mountain road away from Xiazetong Village, so it is not recommended to stay here.
Pass through Genie Town and turn right up the mountain, follow the mountain road all the way up, and you can see Genie Mountain after crossing the pass, and Xiazetong Village is at the foot of Genie Mountain.
When approaching Xiazetong Village, the cabins on the mountainside make people come to Switzerland in a trance. The sun is shining on the gurgling stream, and all the magnified perceptions come from the gentleness of the wind blowing across the cheeks, and the warmth of the sun embracing the body.
Quiet is the first adjective I can think of. In the distance is Xiazetong Village with only 20 families, where Ding Zhen grew up.
To be precise, Ding Zhen’s hometown is Ranrika Village, and his uncle’s hometown is Xiazetong Village. Last year, Xiazetong Village and Ranrika Village were merged and collectively referred to as Ranrika Village, which is the original Xiazetong Village in the photo. The location of Tongcun. However, everyone still used to call Ding Zhen's hometown Xiazetong Village.
Follow the road in the center of the village, all the way up the mountain, to the Eye of Gnei. There are dirt roads along the way, and there are many potholes.
After driving for more than half an hour, you can reach the legendary "eye leading to heaven" - the Eye of Genie. When navigating to the Eye of Genie, there are fences on both sides of the road, and there is a puddle on the right, which is quite confusing. It is easy to misunderstand that it is the Eye of Genie, but the real "eye" is on the left.
When we traveled more than 500 kilometers from Chengdu to Litang, and then bumped all the way from Litang to Xiazetong Village, and approached the Eye of Genie, the physical fatigue was wiped out by the shock in front of us.
It only took us a few days to come here, and it has quietly reflected the melting of ice and snow for thousands of years, accompanied by the change of seasons.
There are not many villagers from Xiazetong Village to the Eye of Genie, but this was not the case more than a hundred years ago. Once, the road from Genie to Mangkang was a post road with a history of thousands of years, and the valley under Genie Mountain used to be the only way from southern Kham to Lhasa.
It wasn't until around 1960 when the Sichuan-Tibet line opened to traffic that Genie gradually became deserted, and few people came here. The Eye of Genie also became a "unpopular" tourist attraction in western Sichuan in the eyes of travel friends. Until Ding Zhen became popular, Ge Nie Nie once again entered the public's field of vision.
In order to better protect the Eye of Genie, the local villagers actively participated in the restoration and protection of the meadow. Today, two villagers take turns guarding the Eye of Genie every day. Motor vehicles and other motor vehicles are strictly prohibited from entering the Eye of Genie. area.
Villagers and horses, snow-capped mountains and grasslands, in a trance, seem to have traveled to the barren, desolate and passionate western world. It makes people imagine the past where there are endless caravans and riders roaring past.
With the sunset, time also quieted down.
After waiting for a sunset, the villagers waved goodbye to us.
Just when we were about to leave too, a rainbow appeared!
At this time, we did not expect that the rainbow is only a small part of the surprise of Xiazetong Village.
DAY 5 Lenggu Temple Towards the solemn history, immersed in gentle comfort
In 1690, Lengu Temple was established in the valley between Genie Shenshan and adjacent mountains. The Three Treasures of Zhensi Temple are preserved in Lengu Temple: doe antlers, inverted conch, and the heart of Genie. Five years ago, the old Lenggu Temple moved to the foot of the mountain. However, there are still many people who are as famous as us and want to get close to Gnei Mountain and see the old Lenggu Temple.
Starting from Xiazetong Village, after passing the Eye of Genie, the road goes downhill all the way. The road is narrow, with many curves and potholes everywhere, which is a test of driving skills.
On the way, I met the boss of the cow who was calling his "little brothers". The king of the cow roared, and the herd of cattle came rushing.
Driving into the river valley, the muddy road turns into a smooth concrete road, and the mood is also relaxed with the oncoming wind, facing the stream, sunshine, soft wind, and the Ghenie Mountain not far away.
The Tibetan name of Gnei Mountain is Xiamariba, which is the 13th goddess among the 24 sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism in my country. Gnei Sacred Mountain is not a snow mountain, but a group of peaks. Among them, the three most respected are the three sacred mountains. Along the way.
Continue along the river road, and you will see a small road sign with Lengu Temple written on it. The road sign is not big and can be easily overlooked.
It takes about an hour to drive from Xiazetong Village to Xinlangu Temple. Xinlangu Temple is backed by the main peak of Genie Shenshan Mountain. There is still thick snow on the top of Shenshan Mountain.
Although due to the epidemic, the new Lenggu Temple and the old Lenggu Temple are not yet open, but this does not stop us from yearning for the old Lenggu Temple. The distance from the new Lenggu Temple to the old Lenggu Temple can only be reached by foot or by motorcycle. The price of the motorcycle is 50 one-way and 100 yuan for a round trip.
In order to have more time to enjoy the scenery along the way, we chose to hike. On the left is the road to Xinlanggu Temple.
On the right is the road to the old Lenggu Temple on foot.
At the starting point of the hike, you will meet many local Kham men. They will ride motorcycles and ask tourists if they want to choose motorcycles to go up the mountain. Along the way, they sang songs while playing the stereo, free and enthusiastic.
It is not easy to hike the old Lenggu Temple. From 3,800 meters to 4,000 meters above sea level, it is a slope uphill. Two steps are a big panting, and five steps are easy to reverse. It takes about 2 hours to walk one way, but on the way along the foot of Shenshan Mountain, the more Moving forward, the scenery is also very different.
When Lengu Temple finally appeared within sight, the fatigue was instantly wiped away by the shock in front of him.
Climb up the last section of the hill and come to the gate of Lengu Temple. The white pagoda outside the temple has been mottled by the years.
Around the temple, there are many wild goats. Some of the goats have developed a good friendship with humans, very dear.
The air here is thin, the conditions are difficult, and the traffic is extremely inconvenient, but there are still elderly lamas who stick to it.
They recite Buddhist scriptures over and over again, turn around the pagoda over and over again, laughing and devoutly witnessing the passage of time and the passing of tourists. Buddha said: Encounters and misses are the result of destiny.
After finishing the hike in the Old Lenggu Temple, in order to experience the famous Lifan motorcycle in Kham, we chose to go down the mountain by motorcycle. It was too thrilling. For safety reasons, I personally do not recommend you to ride here.
In addition, walking down the mountain is not so tiring, and there is more time to enjoy the scenery of this otherworldly and majestic place. It may not be a pious farewell.
As for me, I don’t know if I will have the chance to come here again. After leaving the old Lenggu Temple and returning to Xiazetong Village, I will inevitably feel the loss before saying goodbye, and this loss will be healed by the night in Xiazetong Village.
Back at the village, we went to the entrance of the village to soak in the wild hot springs to soothe our tired feet after hiking. The wild hot springs are actually several small water dams. The water dams are very small, just enough to soak your feet. They are surrounded by blue sky and white clouds, at the foot of the sacred mountain. One side is scalding hot water, the other side is cold glacier water, fused together to form a wild hot spring with just the right temperature.
The temperature difference between day and night on the plateau is large, the sun goes down completely, and the temperature drops rapidly. Standing in the village, you can see one of the peaks of Genie Mountain.
The evening in Xiazetong Village is quiet, without the rumble of Lifan motorcycles. Villagers return to their warm homes at sunset, and tourists build bonfires in the yard of the inn, drinking beer and eating barbecue.
Above the head is the sky full of stars and the Milky Way. And I, in my twenty years of life, saw a shooting star piercing the sky for the first time with my naked eyes.
It's a pity that the speed of the meteor passing by is very fast, and it was fleeting before we took a picture. With the hope of our group, we drilled into the depths of the Milky Way.
DAY 6-7 Xiazetong Village-Chengdu Chasing a sunrise before leaving
We encountered rainbows and meteors by chance, and before we left Xiazetong Village, we went to chase the sunrise. I asked the tourists staying in the same inn, and they said in a respectful tone that they must see the sunrise of Xiazetong Village when they come here.
On the way to the Eye of Genie, the car drove to the first hillside. Before the road turned downhill, the hillside on the left was the best sunrise shooting spot recognized by villagers and tourists. Sunshine Jinshan, on the other side you can see the awakening of Xiazetong Village.
At the end of July, the sunrise time of Xiazetong Village is at 6:45. This time refers to the time when the sun shines on Jinshan Mountain. The time to see the sun rising from the hillside is about 7:20, so you need to try your best before 6:30 Arrive at the hillside. (Winter sunrise time is delayed)
There are two ways to go to the hillside. The first one is to gather at the door of the uncle’s house at 5:30 in the morning (the uncle’s house is a two-story building on the main road of the village, the most luxurious one) and take the villagers’ motorcycles up and down the mountain. 50 yuan per person (round trip), the motorcycle can be carried to the viewing position at the top of the hill. The second is to drive for more than 10 minutes to the roadside at the top of the mountain, and then walk for about 20 minutes to climb the hill.
We chose the second option. At 6 o'clock in the morning on the plateau, climbing the mountain before dawn is really amazing! clear! gas! Cool!
No, in fact, I was half dead tired.
But the scenery when climbing to the top of the slope makes people forget all fatigue, all expectations have been answered, and all fatigue has been healed.
It is said that if you are lucky enough to meet the spectacle of Rizhao Jinshan, you will be lucky for a whole year.
You must see the sunshine Jinshan once in your life to heal the regrets in your heart.
On the other side of the hillside, the sun gradually shines down on the mist that leads to the village.
The clouds and mist surged like a river. Xiazetong Village in the morning light is like a fairyland outside the world.
Xiazetong Village awakens its pure and quiet beauty in this picturesque morning. It turned out that Ding Zhen grew up in such a beautiful world.
The sunrise on the plateau is different from the villages in Sichuan where I grew up. The mist before sunrise became thicker and thicker after sunrise, wrapping the village tightly in the sea of fog. Disperse.
The village hid in the thick fog, and we also returned to the inn, packed our bags, and bid farewell to Ding Zhen's hometown.
Before leaving, I encountered groups of yaks rushing from the top of the mountain to the valley, as if they were seeing us off.
When we are used to the boring day after day, we always need to take a short time to get away and go to another world. And the uncertainty in travel also constitutes another kind of life we encounter.
As Tsangyang Gyatso wrote in his poem:
"Turning mountains, rivers, and Buddhist pagodas is not for cultivating the next life, but just to meet you on the way."
Litang, thank you for meeting you.
Self-driving strategy
【Travel Preparation】
1. Necessary for plateau: some oxygen bottles, take Rhodiola in advance;
2. Daily necessities: The weather on the plateau changes rapidly and the temperature difference is large. It is recommended to wear jackets + fleece + thermal underwear, sunglasses, sun hats, underwear and socks. Cream and sunscreen, and rain gear; the air in Litang is dry, so it is recommended to bring hand cream and moisturizing skin care products; bubble wild hot springs are free, and you can bring a pair of slippers if necessary;
3. Payment: Prepare some cash. The signal of the Eye of Genie is poor, and the old Lenggu Temple has no signal. You may need to use cash for riding horses and motorcycles. Some villagers will use their mobile phones to open hotspots;
4. Charging: Xiazetong Village has a 4G signal, but no wifi; the accommodation conditions in the inn are poor, and there are few sockets. Charge;
5. Food: Be sure to prepare enough dry food, snacks and mineral water. There is no restaurant in Xiazetong Village, so you can discuss with the boss in the inn to make it yourself; the uncle’s house sells box lunches, 20 yuan per person, and there is only one in the uncle’s supermarket. Instant noodles and self-heating rice, there is a self-heating hot pot in the inn, and there are few food choices. There is no place to eat along the Eye of Genie and the Old Lenggu Temple; you can bring some apples and other durable fruits; bring a thermos cup ;
6. Others: Download the offline map in advance; do not run fast on the plateau, and move forward slowly at a constant speed during mountain climbing and hiking.
【Board and lodging】
1. Chengdu-Litang: hotels in Xinduqiao and Litang can be booked in advance online. Summer and autumn are the peak travel seasons, especially hotels in Litang County are relatively tight, so it is recommended to book in advance; hotels are generally equipped with restaurants, and restaurants in Litang County are more crowded. Many, free to choose.
2. Xiazetong Village: The inn is almost not online on the Internet platform, and it is not possible to book online. If you have the contact information of the inn owner in the village, you can directly book with the owner. If you don’t have it, you will first find accommodation after arriving in the village, and then proceed to other itineraries; For meals, you can go to the restaurant of your uncle’s house, or you can cook by yourself in the inn, or eat instant noodles, self-heating rice, etc.
The Internet celebrity cabin on the mountainside outside the village costs 800 yuan a night, there are standard rooms, 4-person rooms, and 8-person rooms, the price is the same, and there are independent bathrooms;
The inn in the village is Datongpu, 70 yuan per bed, there are double bed rooms, standard rooms, and triple rooms, and the boss can add an extra bed, and an inn shares the same bathroom;
The new and old Lenggu temples are not open to the public for the time being, and accommodation is not allowed. It takes a day to go back and forth to the old Lenggu temple. If you have plenty of time, it is recommended to live in the village.
