Glacier, Snow Mountain Tour----Sichuan West Small Ring Road Half-moon Tour

After a year of planning, the route of this year's trip to western Sichuan was finally finalized before the trip. This year's time is relatively loose. We finally decided to start the trip on the West Sichuan Small Ring Road from Chengdu, then stop by the Black Valley and Jinfo Mountain in Chongqing, and then return to Tianjin from Chongqing. Due to too many uncertain factors on the road conditions on the Western Sichuan Ring Road, this trip only booked round-trip air tickets and train tickets from Chengdu to Chongqing, as well as tickets for several must-see attractions. Tickets for other attractions and transportation were temporarily booked on the road .
The total cost (2 people) is 15,328.10 yuan, of which: Tianjin-Chengdu, Chongqing-Tianjin air ticket is 3,461.00 yuan, Qingchengshan-Chengdu-Shapingba train ticket is 309.00 yuan, the West Sichuan Small Ring Road fare is 868.00 yuan, Hailuogou-Danba chartered car 1,000.00 yuan, Shapingba-Wansheng-Nanchuan-Chongqing fare 200.00 yuan, each scenic spot-to-accommodation round-trip fare 212.00 yuan, 16-day stay totals 3,226.00 yuan, attraction tickets (including sightseeing cars and cableways) total 2,789.20 yuan , meals, city fares, shopping and miscellaneous 3,262.90 yuan.
D1
When traveling to Chengdu, Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain are must-go places. We also chose Dujiangyan as our first stop in Chengdu. The plane landed in Chengdu last night, and I booked a direct train from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport to Dujiangyan at 7:30 this morning. Arriving at the airport early in the morning, after a lot of trouble, I finally found the place to get on the bus. After about an hour, the bus arrived at the gate of Dujiangyan Scenic Area. We picked up tickets at the Tourist Service Center, stored our luggage, and we started this year's journey.
Dujiangyan is a large-scale water conservancy project organized and built by Li Bing and his sons on the basis of the excavation by the predecessor, Bie Ling. Making the Chengdu Plain a "Land of Abundance" with fertile fields thousands of miles away is the oldest and only surviving grand water conservancy project in the world that is still in use and characterized by water diversion without dams.
Entering from the gate, the first thing you arrive at along the avenue is Fulong Temple. Here you can see the rushing water of the Minjiang River flowing into Baopingkou. No more flooding. Next, continue along the avenue, pass a cable bridge to the opposite bank, and you can clearly see Baopingkou and Lidui.

Baopingkou

Baopingkou and Lidui
After passing Feishayan and continuing on, we came to Yuzui, which is the key project of Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project. The construction of Yuzui divides the rushing Minjiang River upstream into two, forming a "four-six division of water", which not only ensures the production and living water in Chengdu Plain, but also protects Chengdu Plain from flooding. Not far from the Yuzui viewing platform is the Anlan Cable Bridge. After passing through the Anlan Cable Bridge and climbing up to the Qinyan Tower, you can see the whole picture of the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project.

fish mouth

Anlan Cable Bridge

The panorama of Dujiangyan
After coming down from Qinyan Building, we passed Erwang Temple and other scenic spots, and came to a small commercial street, where we had lunch. Cross the commercial street and come out from the South Bridge, which is the visitor center. In order to visit Qingcheng Houshan the next day, we booked an inn in Qingchengshan Town, picked up our luggage, and took the bus to Qingchengshan Town at the bus station not far from the scenic spot. Arriving at the inn, it was still early, so I decided to go to the front mountain of Qingcheng Mountain to have a look.
Qingcheng Mountain is divided into front and back mountains. The front mountain is the main part of the Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area, which is what we usually call Qingcheng Mountain. It is one of the four famous Taoist mountains in China;
The inn is not far from Qianshan, and the proprietress enthusiastically drove us to the gate of the scenic spot. There is still a certain distance from the gate of the scenic spot, and we need to take the sightseeing bus of the scenic spot. Most tourists come to Mount Qingcheng to Qianshan, so there are many people here. Jianfu Palace is located just outside the gate of the scenic spot. Although the Taoist temple is not big, it is well-known. Entering the scenic spot, I wanted to climb up the mountain, but there were many people. I talked with tourists who went down the mountain at a fork and learned that it would take more than two hours to walk up the mountain. Due to time constraints, we temporarily decided to take the cableway up the mountain.

Qingcheng Mountain

Jianfu Palace

From the cableway station, not far up is Shangqing Palace, the core scenic spot of Qingcheng Mountain. We didn't know much about the Taoist temple, and we didn't see any way to do it, so we walked out after wandering around inside. When drinking tea in the tea shed not far below the Shangqing Palace, I learned that the scenery was better than the front when I bypassed the Shangqing Palace and descended from the mountain road at the back. The mountain road goes down the mountain.

Shangqing Palace

This road passes many Taoist temples, including Patriarch Hall, Yuanming Palace, Yuqing Palace, Chaoyang Cave, Tianshi Cave, etc. The scenery is better than the front, but the mountain road is steep and not easy to walk. Stop and go all the way, after more than 2 hours, we came to the fork in the road we passed before, that is, the place where we took the cableway up the mountain, and then we went down to the gate of the scenic spot. It was already past six o'clock, and there were very few tourists. Come out of the scenic spot and call the inn proprietress to pick us up.

Taoist Temple in Qingcheng Mountain

Taoist Temple in Qingcheng Mountain
Back to the inn, after a simple meal, take an early rest and prepare for the next day's trip to the back mountain of Qingcheng.
D2
After having breakfast at the inn in the morning, the proprietress sent us to the Qingchengshan high-speed railway station, where there is a minibus to the back mountain of Qingcheng. As soon as we arrived at the high-speed rail station, a driver came to pick up passengers. The price was 2 yuan/person more expensive than taking a minibus. It was an off-road vehicle, and there were already two people in the car. We could start immediately after getting on the bus, so we decided to take an off-road vehicle. Qingcheng back mountain. I saw on the Internet before that the back mountain of Qingcheng is composed of Wulonggou and Feiquangou. Talking with the driver in the car, I learned that the scenery from Wulonggou to the mountain is better, but you need to take a sightseeing bus from the gate of the scenic spot to Wulonggou. Finally, we negotiated with the driver, and he will drive us to the entrance of Wulonggou. The fare plus tickets is 100 yuan per person.
The total length of Wulonggou is 8 kilometers. It is named after the legend that there were five dragons hidden in the valley in ancient times. After getting off at Wulonggou, you can directly enter the scenic spot. Since this is not a travel agency's tour route, there are very few people. At this time, it began to rain lightly, and the mountains were shrouded in a layer of mist, making them even more serene. After passing a small bridge, you can see the gurgling water. Going upstream, there are many peaks, towering rocks and deep valleys. The Cangfeng valley is like a magical and magnificent fairyland. There are streams along the way, and the quiet valley allows us to stop and watch from time to time. After passing the plank road of Longyin Gorge, we arrived at Youyi Village. It was already noon. There are many farmhouses here, we had lunch here and took the cableway up the mountain. The cableway from Youyi Village to Baiyun Temple has to pass through several peaks. The cableway keeps climbing between the peaks and valleys. You can see the different scenery between the peaks and the valleys. In a few minutes, we came to the upper station of Baiyun Temple Cableway.

Qingcheng Back Mountain

Qingcheng Back Mountain
To reach Baiyun Temple, it will take more than an hour to go up from the Baiyun Temple cableway station. In order to preserve our strength, we decided to abandon Baiyun Temple and go down the mountain through Feiquangou from here. Along the way, it rained from time to time, and the road was slippery. After passing large and small mountain waterfalls, we came to Cuiying Lake. Take a boat from Cuiying Lake to return to the gate of the scenic spot.

Qingcheng Back Mountain

Qingcheng Back Mountain--Cuiying Lake
Coming out of the back mountain of Qingcheng is the ancient town of Tai'an, an important transit town in ancient times. Passing through the town, the streets are lined with ancient wooden structures and ancient buildings, the heights are well-arranged, and the lingering charm of simplicity still exists.

Tai'an Ancient Town
After tasting the local characteristic bean curd rice in the town, take the bus back to Chengdu and get off at the Qingchengshan High-speed Railway Station and return to the inn.
D3
After finishing the trip to Mount Qingcheng, today we are going to the next stop - Hailuogou.
There is a direct bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Passenger Station to Hailuogou. Since we wanted to see Luding Bridge, we chose to transfer from Luding to Hailuogou. Take the high-speed train from Mount Qingcheng to Xipu at 6:55 in the morning, arrive at Xipu Station half an hour later, transfer to Metro Line 2 and arrive at Chengdu Chadianzi Passenger Station. At 9 o'clock in the morning, the bus departed on time and arrived at Luding Bus Station after 5 hours.
Luding Bridge is not far from Luding Bus Station. We left our luggage at the station and we walked to Luding Bridge.
Located on the Dadu River, Luding Bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. At the head of the bridge, there is an imperial plaque of "Luding Bridge" inscribed by Emperor Kangxi. The bridgehead castles on both sides of the Luding Bridge are ancient wooden structures of the Han nationality, and the abutments are the foundations for fixing the ground dragon piles and Wolong piles; the bridge pavilion is an ancient Qing style building. The bridge body is composed of 13 iron chains with the thickness of the mouth of a bowl, 2 on the left and right sides, which are bridge rails, and 9 in parallel at the bottom, covered with wooden boards, which is the bridge deck. Each iron chain is interlocked by 862 to 997 wrought iron handcrafted iron rings, with a total weight of 21 tons. The bottom chain is covered with planks, and the handrails and the bottom chain are connected by small iron chains. Since the Qing Dynasty, this bridge has been an important channel for Sichuan to enter Tibet. In 1935, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army "flyed over the Luding Bridge" during the Long March, making it an important historical memorial site for the Communist Party of China.
Although the bridge is now paved with wooden boards, standing on the rickety bridge and watching the turbulent Dadu River flowing under the bridge will also make people shudder. Imagine what a feat it was for the 22 warriors to brave the enemy's bullets and bravely climb the iron chain. Standing on the Guanyin Pavilion on the other side of the bridge, you can have a panoramic view of Luding Bridge. The artillery support when the Red Army "flyed to capture Luding Bridge" was set up on a small platform of Guanyin Pavilion.

Luding Bridge

Luding Bridge
On the way back from Luding Bridge, I bought the unique fruit "Xiantao" - the fruit of the cactus. When we arrived at the bus station, we just caught up with a car heading to Moxi Town and were ready to drive. One hour later, we arrived at Moxi Town, where Hailuogou is located.
There are many inns in Moxi Town. Guests who come to Hailuogou can stay here. The board and lodging are more convenient, but if you want to soak in the hot springs, you have to go near the No. 1 camp of the scenic spot. The hot springs in Hailuogou are very famous. We booked a hot spring inn in the scenic spot. After arriving in Moxi Town, call the innkeeper and drive to pick us up at the inn.
The inn is located in Gonghe Village near the No. 1 campsite. Taking advantage of the time when the proprietress prepared dinner for us, we walked around the village. This village is a very simple village. There are many farmhouses in the village, and the villagers are also very simple. Back at the inn, after dinner, the boss has prepared a pool of hot spring water for us. Soak in the hot spring water with a slight sulfur smell to relieve the fatigue of the day.

Qingquanju Hot Spring Villa

Qingquanju Hot Spring Villa
D4
The sightseeing car in the scenic spot passed near the inn where we lived, and the innkeeper had already reserved a seat for the sightseeing car for us in advance. After breakfast, the boss took us to the sightseeing car on the highway and other scenic spots. Today we will officially start our trip to the glacier.
Located at the foot of Gongga Snow Peak, Hailuogou is the most easterly low-altitude modern glacier discovery in Asia. It has the most accessible glacier in the world, the most majestic ice waterfall, the most complete mountainous vegetation belt, the largest red rock beach and strong ethnic customs. The Hailuogou glacier is the most active. During the movement of the glacier, crystal-like emerald and crystal glacier arches, ice caves, ice steps, ice gates, ice lakes, and ice peaks are formed. The unparalleled Ice Falls is more than 1,000 meters high and 1,100 meters wide, more than ten times larger than the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall. It is magnificent and extraordinary. It is the highest ice waterfall discovered in China so far.
Camp No. 4 is the best place to watch the Great Ice Falls. It was raining lightly when we set off, and the mountain was very foggy. We were worried that we would not be able to see the Great Ice Falls on the mountain, so we decided to go to the city gate at Camp No. 3 first. After an hour's drive, we arrived at Camp No. 3. Most tourists come to Hailuogou to see the Great Ice Falls, so we are the only ones who get off at Camp No. 3.
There are battery cars available from Camp No. 3 to Chengmen Cave, but we arrived too early and the staff hadn't gone to work yet. After asking the staff, we learned that Camp No. 3 is only 1.5 kilometers away from the city gate, so we decided to go there on foot. There are dense trees on both sides of the road, and there are only two of us along the way. We breathed the moist and fresh air to our heart's content. Halfway through, we saw the snow-capped mountains in the distance, looming in the misty clouds. It was the first time I saw snow-capped mountains, and I was immediately excited.

Hailuogou--Snow Mountain

Hailuogou--Snow Mountain
When I was approaching the city gate, I met a staff member and asked about it. For the sake of safety, the city gate can only be viewed from a distance outside the safety line, and it is not allowed to approach the glacier. But the staff member said that because there are no people there, he can lead us to get close to the glacier, but he will be paid 50 yuan. After bargaining, he agreed to take us there for 30 yuan. After passing through a rocky hill, we finally came to the foot of the glacier and had a close contact with the glacier.
When you come to the glacier, you will see a moraine lake formed by the melting water of the glacier. The water flow here is fast and there are many ice blocks of different sizes in the lake. The glaciers in the distance reflect a bright blue color. The huge ice caves and steep ice bridges make people feel like entering the mythical Crystal Palace; You can touch the ice 1.6 billion years ago, and you can see the tiny air bubbles in the ice surface. Due to global warming, it is said that the glaciers here are retreating every year. This may be the adverse impact on nature caused by people's pursuit of a comfortable life. If we want to protect these masterpieces of nature, I think we should start from ourselves, from the bits and pieces in our lives.

Hailuogou--Chengmendong Glacier

Hailuogou--Chengmendong Moraine Lake
We stayed near the glacier for a while, and after getting in touch with the glacier, we returned the same way. There was a small lake near the stop where the battery car was returning to. The sky cleared, and we saw the reflection of the snow-capped mountains in the lake.

Hailuogou
After returning from Chengmen Cave, we continue to drive to Ganheba Station, from here we can take the cableway to Camp No. 4 to watch the Great Ice Falls. The cableway passes above the glacier. Sitting in the carriage, you can clearly see that there are many ice cracks on the glacier at the bottom of the valley, and the rocks on the mountains on both sides are polished smooth and round by the glacier. The tongue of the glacier extends into the primeval forest for 6 kilometers, forming a wonderful landscape where the glacier and the forest coexist. When approaching Camp No. 4, you can see crystal clear glaciers cascading down from the steep valleys, decorating the silent valleys into pure and clear Qionglouyuyu.

Looking at the glacier from the ropeway

Looking at the glacier from the ropeway
Hailuogou Glacier, also known as No. 1 Glacier, has a total length of 14.7 kilometers and is the longest glacier in Gongga Mountain. The Great Ice Fall is the tallest and most spectacular glacier waterfall discovered so far in China. In Camp No. 4, you can watch the Great Ice Falls up close. Behind the Great Ice Falls is the majestic main peak of Mount Gongga. It is said that on the mountainside of the magnificent Great Ice Falls, a mighty snow mountain magic wolf with its head raised is lifelike, very mysterious and shocking. We stayed on the viewing platform for more than two hours. The clouds and mist gathered and dispersed, and the ice waterfall changed from time to time in the light and shadow of the clouds and mist, presenting different landscapes. Due to too much fog, we have not been able to see the main peak of Gongga Mountain and the wonder of "Wolf Totem".

Hailuogou--Big Ice Waterfall
Coming down from Camp No. 4, we got off at a place called Dongga Temple by car. I thought it was a temple, but after getting off the car, I only saw the murals of Buddha statues and some prayer wheels carved on the mountain wall beside the road. It turns out that this is just a place name, and there is no temple. From here, we can walk to Caohaizi, which is about 1 kilometer away. We decided to walk to Caohaizi. There are virgin forests along the way, with lush vegetation, moss on the ground, and a plant called Usnea hanging on the trees. Usnea is a lichen plant that has extremely high requirements on the growth environment and can only survive in an environment without pollution.

Hailuogou--Dongga Temple

Hailuogou--Caohaizi Usnea

Hailuogou--Caohaizi
From Caohaizi, take a sightseeing bus back to the inn. It was raining again, and in the pattering rain, soaking in the hot spring washed away the fatigue of the day.
D5
Today I originally planned to go to Kangding after visiting Yanzigou, and chartered a car from Kangding to Danba tomorrow. Chatting with the innkeeper, I learned that it is possible to go to Danba from Hailuogou in one day, so I asked the innkeeper to contact us with a chartered car to Danba, and the innkeeper readily agreed. After breakfast, the owner of the inn personally drove us to Yanzigou Scenic Area.
Yanzigou is the sister ditch of Hailuogou, located more than 10 kilometers northwest of Hailuogou. The scenery in the ditch is primitive and natural, with all kinds of strange red stones all over the red stone beach, also known as "Gongga Red Stone Valley". In Yanzigou Scenic Area, there are modern glaciers, forests, mountain peaks, warm and cold springs, rare animals and plants, and the simple and beautiful natural ecological landscape forms her unique beauty.
It takes about 20 minutes from Moxi Town to Yanzigou Scenic Area. Since it is not as famous as Hailuogou, not many people come here. From the tourist center of the scenic spot to the scenic spot, we need to take the scenic spot sightseeing bus. We took the sightseeing bus to the scenic spot with a few other self-driving tourists. After about half an hour, we arrived at Shili Wonderland Scenic Area. From here, you can go through a section of stone steps to the Diecui Pavilion, and then walk along the walking plank road to the Red Stone Beach.
We went up the stone steps, with prayer wheels on one side of the mountain wall and waterfalls and streams on the other. After passing through the Pinnacle Pavilion, you enter the walking plank road. There are dense forests everywhere, and the paths covered with moss lead quietly to the depths of the dense forest. The misty mountain peaks in the distance and the silent forest nearby give people a sense of tranquility and serenity. Walking in it, breathing the fresh and moist air, listening to the chirping of birds in the dense forest, makes people forget the troubles in the world and feel as one with nature. A section of the trekking plank road was destroyed by mudslides, and a temporary trail was built beside it for tourists to pass by. The place where the mudslides passed was covered with mud and sand, and the broken trees fell to the ground. The vegetation has not fully recovered, and there is a feeling of desolation. .

Swallow Valley Scenic Area--Shili Gallery

Swallow Valley Scenic Area--Shili Gallery
From the Ten Mile Fairyland Scenic Area, go down the opposite path to the Red Rock Beach. In order to protect the red stone, the road down to the bottom of the valley is now closed. We met a local lady who sold medicinal materials, and under her leadership, we had a close contact with Hongshi. The red stone here is a layer of red fungus attached to the surface of the stone. It has extremely strict requirements on the quality of the growing environment. Air cleanliness, humidity, and water cleanliness will all affect its growth. The red stones all over the red stone beach are magnificent against the backdrop of mountains and flowing water.

Swallow Valley Scenic Area--Red Stone Beach

Swallow Valley Scenic Area--Red Stone Beach
After coming out of Hongshi Beach, we returned to the parking lot of Ten Mile Wonderland. From here, take a sightseeing bus and get off at Locke Ranch, where some yaks, alpacas and other animals are stocked. I turned around in it, nothing interesting. From here, I took a car back to the visitor center, and with the help of the staff at the visitor center, I found a car back to Moxi Town.
After getting off the bus in Moxi Town, it was still early, so I decided to take a stroll in Moxi Town.
Moxi Town has now become a prosperous town on the Sichuan-Tibet Passage. There are many Ming and Qing ancient buildings and a Gothic church built by French missionaries in the town. The blend of Chinese and Western cultures adds another flavor to the ancient town. In 1935, 20,000 Red Army troops came here and held the famous Moxi Conference on the Long March Road. Here you can see the former residence where Chairman Mao Zedong stayed during the Long March. Walking on the old road paved with bluestone slabs, it seems to have returned to the past. Now Moxi Town is mainly composed of some inns and shops for buying local specialties and tourist souvenirs.

Moxi Town--Catholic Church

moxi town
We walked around the town, visited the Catholic Church and the former residence where Chairman Mao Zedong stayed, and called the innkeeper to pick us up.
D6
Early this morning, the chartered car driver I contacted came to pick us up at the inn. Today we will start a snow mountain journey along the 318 National Highway.
The road from Hailuogou to Danba is a landscape avenue, and you can see many different scenery along the way. But it is basically by car, and there is very little time to visit the scenic spots.
The first scenic spot we arrived at was Hongshi Park. It is said that on sunny days, you can see red stones stretching for several kilometers here, which is still very spectacular. Since it was raining when we set off from Hailuogou in the morning, the fog was heavy, we could only see the nearby red rocks and running water, and the distant mountain peaks showed hazy silhouettes under the shroud of fog. We saw red stones in Yanzigou yesterday, and the fog and visibility were very low. We just took a few photos here and left. The next scenic spot is Yajia Love Sea. We also stopped at the entrance for a while and then left. Next, we will cross Zheduo Mountain at an altitude of 4,200 meters.

Redstone Park in dense fog

Redstone Park in dense fog
On the way up the mountain, on the halfway up the mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, the snow-capped mountains shone brightly under the sunlight shining through the gaps in the clouds and mist. Against the background of clouds and mists, the snow-capped mountains are half-hidden and half-revealed, which is very mysterious. When we reached the top of Zheduo Mountain, the clouds cleared and the fog dispersed, the sun shone on the surrounding snow-capped mountains and meadows, and the surrounding scenery was clearly presented in front of our eyes. Climb to the viewing platform on the top of Zheduo Mountain, and you can see the majestic main peak of Gongga Mountain.

Scenery on the way to Zheduo Mountain

Scenery on the way to Zheduo Mountain
The main peak of Gongga Mountain is 7,556 meters above sea level and is covered with snow all year round. It is the highest peak of the Hengduan Mountains in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Around the main peak, there are 45 peaks above 6,000 meters above sea level. The mighty snow-capped mountains are continuous, towering, clean and magnificent, creating a magnificent landscape of extremely high mountains.
Both sides of the road leading to the top of the mountain are covered with prayer flags, and from here we have entered the Tibetan area, which is also the highest place we reached on this trip.

zheduo mountain top

zheduo mountain top
Coming down from the top of the mountain, accompanied by the snow mountain, we headed towards Xinduqiao Road. When approaching Xindu Bridge, many Tibetan-style dwellings appeared on both sides. The field of vision is much wider, and the mountains on both sides present different scenes in the constant changes of light and shadow. At about 1 o'clock, we arrived at Xindu Bridge. After lunch here, we continued our journey.

Xindu Bridge
Starting from Xindu Bridge, we passed a place called Songlinkou. There are many Mani stones engraved with scriptures in the river here, murals are carved on the mountain walls on both sides of the road, and prayer flags are hung everywhere, which makes people feel a strong Tibetan style. We walked all the way, took pictures all the way, and then we arrived at Tagong Temple.

Songlinkou

Songlinkou
Tagong Temple is one of the famous temples of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is known as the "Little Jokhang Temple" and has a high status in Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the holy places for Tibetans to worship in the Kangba area. The temple architecture is magnificent and has an ancient and long history. When the weather is fine, you can see the resplendent Tagong Temple against the background of Yala Mountain and the vast green grassland, presenting a beautiful plateau scenery. It's a pity that when we came, thick clouds covered Yala Mountain, and we didn't see this beautiful and charming scenery.
The statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the Tagong Temple is said to be made when Princess Wencheng entered Tibet. Entering the temple, the outer wall of the main hall is resplendent and magnificent. The surrounding walls and high dome of the main hall are covered with thangka paintings, and the altar enshrining Buddha statues is full of butter lamps. The lamas went about their own business and were not disturbed by our arrival. There is no commercial atmosphere of some temples in the mainland, but only the majesty of Buddhism. It was the first time I entered a Tibetan Buddhist temple, and I was immediately infected by this solemn feeling. There are narrow stairs on both sides of the main hall to go up to the second floor, which is full of thangkas, enshrining the portraits of living Buddhas of this temple for generations. Coming out of the main hall, there are side halls on both sides, where Buddha statues are also enshrined, and Thangkas are hung on the walls.

Tagong Temple

Tagong Temple
From Tagong Temple, not far away is the entrance of Muya Golden Pagoda and Tagong Grassland. Muya Golden Pagoda is a pagoda built by Living Buddha Dorje Tashi to commemorate the 10th Panchen Lama's empowerment here. Due to limited time, we just took a picture at the door and left.

Muya Golden Pagoda

Tagong Grassland

The next attraction to arrive is Moshi Park, which is also one of the attractions we plan to visit this time. Moshi Park Scenic Area is the only plateau stone forest landscape in China, but the driver said that it would take more than an hour to travel by sightseeing bus. Because we have to go to Jiaju Tibetan Village to stay at night, I am afraid that there is not enough time, so we had to give up the visit to Moshi Park. On a viewing platform beside the road, you can see part of the earth and stone forest in Moshi Park. We got off the car and stayed for a while, and took a few photos, which can be regarded as making up for the regret of not being able to go in for a tour.

Moshi Park

Moshi Park
At around 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Huiyuan Temple. Huiyuan Temple was built in the seventh year of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing government specially allocated silver to ensure the safety of the seventh generation and stabilize the situation in Tibet. Huge gold-plated plaque. It was past 5 o'clock when we arrived, and the main hall was closed. We only walked around the temple and then came out.

Huiyuan Temple

Huiyuan Temple
Coming out of Huiyuan Temple, after 2 hours, at around 7:00 pm, we arrived at today's destination - Jiaju Tibetan Village.
D7
The inn we stayed in is a Tibetan-style house located in Jiaju Tibetan Village. When I arrived yesterday, it was already dark, so I didn't get to see the stockade. This morning, I visited the inn first.

Jiaju Tibetan Village

Jiaju Tibetan Village
In 2005, Jiaju Zangzhai was rated as the first among the "Six Most Beautiful Ancient Villages and Towns in China" in the beauty pageant China organized by "Chinese National Geographic". "Jiaju" means hundreds of families in Tibetan. There are more than 140 households of Jiarong Tibetans living here. The Tibetan village climbs up from the Dajin River Valley layer by layer and extends to the foot of the Kapama peaks. Looking around, the whole village is scattered along the undulating mountains, or dotted around. In dense clusters, either on high mountain cliffs, or in the greenery of river dams, from time to time, cooking smoke curls up and smoke clouds linger, together with aura-filled valleys, clear streams, and snow-capped peaks, it presents an idyllic picture scroll to people. Exist in the form of a work of art.
After breakfast, we wandered around in the village. Jiaju Tibetan Village is a unique Tibetan-style building, where each family lives in a village building. Generally, the villages face south, some of them are nestled in groups of three or five, some are far away from the group of buildings and stand alone, and many of them have a history of more than a hundred years. The residents here are very enthusiastic. We entered a village building, and with the permission of the owner, we visited the village building where they lived. The first floor of their Zhailou is a storage place, the second floor is for people to live in, different rooms are connected through the roof, and the third floor is the Sutra hall, which is the most sacred place in the whole Zhailou, and outsiders are generally not allowed to enter. Now that tourism is being carried out, most of the villagers have newly built well-equipped houses next to their own village buildings to receive tourists, and they still live in the old village buildings.

Jiaju Tibetan Village

Jiaju Tibetan Village
The whole village is like a big maze. We walked around the village for a long time before we found our way back to the inn. The innkeeper said that from Zhaizi to Danba County, you can stop the car at the door of the inn, but the few cars we stopped were reserved by others, so we had to trouble the innkeeper to call us a car, and agreed on a price of 40 yuan. But after getting on the bus, the driver said that we only went to the entrance of the scenic spot, and that we had to pay more to get to Danba County, and finally negotiated 70 yuan to send us to Danba County. In the car, I asked the driver the price of a chartered car from Danba County to Mount Siguniang, and finally negotiated a carpool of 150 yuan per person to send us to the hotel in Changpinggou. But when we arrived at Danba County, the driver said that we would leave in a while, and let us put our luggage in the car first and go around the county. There are many small shops selling ethnic jewelry in Danba County. We just got halfway there when the driver called and said that everyone was here and we were ready to go. We rushed back to the station only to find out that the original driver would not go, and let us take another off-road vehicle to Chengdu. As a result, nine people were squeezed into a seven-seater off-road vehicle. Fortunately, it was only a 2-hour drive, and we arrived at the hotel in Changping Village, Mount Siguniang at around 3:00 pm.
Mount Siguniang belongs to the Qionglai Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is lined up within a range of 3.5 kilometers from north to south. The majestic and strange peaks, uncanny landforms, and rich and unique landscapes are known as the holy mountains of the East, making her a resort for tourists, a paradise for climbers, a labyrinth for hikers, and a paradise for photographers. Siguniangshan Scenic Area is composed of Siguniangshan, Shuangqiaogou, Changpinggou and Haizigou. The average altitude of the three valleys is between 3200 meters and 3300 meters. There are different ways to visit Santiaogou. Shuangqiaogou is known for sightseeing tours, and you can reach various scenic spots by sightseeing bus in the valley; Changpinggou belongs to ecological tourism, and you can walk or ride horses; Haizigou belongs to the category of adventure tourism. We plan to visit Shuangqiaogou and Changpinggou in Mount Siguniang this time.
After settling in the hotel, we came to Mount Siguniang Visitor Center. There is a plank road not far from the Siguniang Mountain Visitor Center, along which you can reach the entrance of Haizigou Scenic Area. We walked along the plank road for a while. Since we first arrived at the plateau, we began to suffer from altitude sickness. In order to preserve our strength, we decided to return.
D8
When we first came to the plateau, today we chose the Shuangqiaogou Scenic Spot, which is relatively easy to visit. Outside the Siguniang Mountain Visitor Center at the entrance of Changping Village, there are some special off-road vehicles for attracting tourists. It costs 15 yuan per person from Changping Village to Shuangqiaogou, and it takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the gate of Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area.
Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area is the most well-developed one of the three valleys in Mount Siguniang, and there are sightseeing cars for the whole journey. Take a sightseeing bus from the entrance of the scenic spot to the redwood forest, a scenic spot at the highest point of the scenic spot. There is no parking in the middle. After that, each scenic spot can choose to walk or take a car at will. Along the way, you can see more than 50 snow-capped mountains with different heights and shapes. There are promotional videos on the sightseeing car to explain along the way. Very flavorful.
After getting off at the redwood forest scenic spot, walk through the redwood forest along the plank road. At the beginning, there are tall and straight redwoods on both sides, and you can see seabuckthorn trees full of fruits from time to time. It seems more and more mysterious.

Shuangqiaogou-Sequoia Forest

Shuangqiaogou-Sequoia Forest
When you come out of the redwood forest, the sightseeing car stops at the exit, and take the sightseeing car to the next scenic spot - Potala Peak. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, it got its name because the Potala Peak resembles the Potala Palace in Tibet. We have been waiting here for a long time, but the Potala Peak appears and disappears in the clouds, but it still refuses to show the whole picture. I originally wanted to walk along the plank road from here, but after walking a few hundred meters, I felt that the scenery on both sides had not changed much, so I returned to the bus point and took a sightseeing bus to the next scenic spot - Nianyu Dam. Here is an alpine lake. We walked along the plank road for a while, and the scenery along the way was constantly changing. The meadow by the lake was full of unknown wild flowers, and yaks were eating grass leisurely.

Shuangqiaogou--White Tower

shuangqiaogou

Shuangqiaogou--Potala Peak

shuangqiaogou

Shuangqiaogou-Nianyu Dam

Shuangqiaogou-Nianyu Dam
After walking for about an hour, the plank road in front was under repair and it was impassable, so we had to go back to the road. Continue along the road and see Shengren Peak - a mountain that looks like a statue of Confucius. After walking on the road for about an hour, the scenery was not as beautiful as when walking on the plank road. I saw a bus stop and decided to take a bus to the next scenic spot - Longzhucuo. Longzhucuo was formed due to the silting and silting of mountain torrents. There are many dead seabuckthorn trees in the lake. The jagged trees in the nearby lake and the snow-capped mountains in the distance constitute a beautiful picture.

shuangqiaogou

Shuangqiaogou-Sage Peak

Shuangqiaogou--Longzhucuo

Shuangqiaogou--Longzhucuo
After visiting Longzhucuo, we took a sightseeing bus to the last scenic spot - Ginseng Fruit Ping. At this time, the sky cleared up, and under the sunlight, the blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, clear streams, grassy slopes, and cows formed a beautiful picture scroll.

Shuangqiaogou--Ginseng Fruit Ping

Shuangqiaogou--Ginseng Fruit Ping
When we came out of Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area, it was already past 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Take a local off-road vehicle back to Changping Village, and on the way back to the hotel, I bought yak yogurt made by the locals, which has a strong milky fragrance. There are many small shops selling local specialties in the small street outside the hotel. In the evening, I tasted the local specialties-yak meat hotpot on the small street, and ended the day's trip in the food.
D9
The Changpinggou Scenic Spot we are going to today is the most challenging scenic spot in this trip, because it is a hiking trip in the plateau area with an altitude of more than 3000 meters.
Buy tickets at the Siguniang Mountain Visitor Center early in the morning, and then take a sightseeing bus to the gate of Changpinggou Scenic Area.
In Changpinggou Scenic Area, there are ancient cypress roads, Ganhaizi and waterfalls tens of meters high. Siguniang Mountain is located 16 kilometers away in the valley. When you enter the scenic spot, you will see many horses. Not far away is the Lama Temple, a small but glorious temple in the local Buddhist history. Looking from the Lama Temple, you can see the looming Yaomei Peak in the corner where the clouds clear and the fog clears. You can walk or ride a horse when visiting Changpinggou Scenic Area. We choose to visit the scenic area on foot.

Changping Valley - Lama Temple

Changping Valley--Yaomei Peak in the Clouds
Entering Changpinggou, walk along the plank road in the scenic area, with green cypresses and green pines on both sides, waterfalls and springs rushing in the dense forest, and you can see the ancient post roads shuttling and extending in the vast forest. The first scenic spot to pass by is the Chongchongjiao Waterfall, which is named after the entire waterfall is divided into many small branches from top to bottom, much like the tiny feet of a caterpillar. But to get close to the waterfall, we need to climb up a section of stone steps. It took us about an hour to go back and forth, which is still very exhausting.

Changping Valley - Chongchongjiao Waterfall
After descending from the Chongchongjiao Waterfall, we continued to walk along the plank road, unknowingly walked a few kilometers of the plank road, and came to the end of the plank road - Dead Tree Beach. There are many people gathered here, and it is said that one-third of the tourists arrive here and then return. Going forward is the bridle path, we did not stop, and continued along the rugged bridle path. There are many gravels on the road in front of you, and a large tract of virgin forest spreads out in front of you. The ancient cypresses are tall and straight, the green pines are dense and leafy, and the cedars and willows are densely covered to cover the sky and block out the sun. The sunlight penetrates the crown of the trees and sprinkles on the ground in spots.

Changping Valley - Dry Tree Beach

changpinggou

changpinggou
After passing through a dry forest like the Jurassic era, at noon, we arrived at the base camp, a wooden house built by a local fellow. There is a small lake here, the water surface is calm, the mountains and trees are reflected in the water, there is a kind of still beauty, as if time is frozen here. The base camp can provide hot water, we simply had lunch here, took a short rest, and continued to the wooden mule.

Changping Valley--Base Camp

Changping Valley--Base Camp
At first, the road was relatively easy to walk, but it didn't take long before the road under your feet became muddy, and some places were covered with gravel. The trees on both sides of the rugged path were covered with moss, telling the unique tranquility and primitiveness. But the scenery along the road changes from time to time, and the beauty is overwhelming. Sometimes the dense forest is quiet, and sometimes the shadows of trees are reflected in the lake.

changpinggou

Walking through the vast forest, after one and a half hours, we finally arrived at Muluzi.
Muluzi is the end of Changpinggou. It is said that only one-third of the tourists who come to Changpinggou arrive here. Looking around, it suddenly becomes clear that the vast meadow mixed with primitive atmosphere is surrounded by mountains. The green grassland, white snow-capped mountains, and leisurely grazing cattle and sheep constitute a peaceful and serene picture here, which makes us feel Forget about the fatigue of trekking.

Changping Valley - Wooden Mule

Changping Valley - Wooden Mule
Changpinggou’s sightseeing bus back to the visitor center is at 5:30 pm at the latest. In order to catch up with the sightseeing bus, we stopped here for a while and left reluctantly. On the way back, the clouds cleared and the fog cleared, and we saw the true face of Siguniang Mountain. The white snow peaks shone brightly under the sunlight.

changpinggou

changpinggou
At 5:20, we returned to the gate of the scenic spot. From 8 o'clock in the morning, after more than 9 hours of hiking, we successfully completed today's challenge.
Before going out in the morning, I asked the front desk of the hotel to help book the bus ticket back to Chengdu tomorrow. When I returned to the hotel, I confirmed with the waiter the bus back to Chengdu early tomorrow morning, and then I had an early rest.
D10
The bus back to Chengdu departed from Xiaojin County at 9 am. In the morning, the hotel staff drove us to the side of the road to wait for the bus. At 10 o'clock, we got on the bus back to Chengdu. The car drove through the mountains along the way, and when we approached Balang Mountain, we also saw a spectacular sea of clouds.

Mount Balang Sea of Clouds
At around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the car arrived at Chadianzi Passenger Station in Chengdu. Take Metro Line 2 to the scheduled hotel near the People's Park to check in, take a rest, and decide to go to Yulin Chuan Chuan Xiang, an internet celebrity in Chengdu, to eat Chuan Chuan Xiang.
It is not far from the hotel we stayed in to Yulin Chuanchuanxiang. We went there early, but there were already many diners inside. The skewers here are self-service, order the hot pot base, go get the ingredients you want to eat, and finally the waiter charges according to the amount signed.

Chengdu Cuisine--Yulin Chuan Chuan Xiang

Chengdu Cuisine--Chuan Chuan Hot Pot
After a full meal, we came to the prestigious Jinli. Even though it was night, it was still crowded with people. Jinli is a famous pedestrian commercial street in Chengdu, just across the wall from the famous Wuhou Temple. It is an antique building in the architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, with the culture of the Three Kingdoms and Sichuan traditional folk culture as the main content. The layout of the ancient street is rigorous and orderly, and the bar entertainment area, the famous Sichuan food and snack area, the mansion inn area, and the special tourist handicraft exhibition area are well arranged. Here you can feel the local cultural atmosphere of Chengdu.

Jing Li

Jing Li
D11
Chengdu is a city with a very slow pace of life. We also wanted to enjoy a slow life when we came to Chengdu this time, so we did not arrange too many scenic spots in Chengdu. After breakfast in the morning, I decided to visit Du Fu Thatched Cottage.
Du Fu Thatched Cottage is the former residence of Du Fu, a great realist poet of the Tang Dynasty in China, when he lived in Chengdu. In order to commemorate the poet Du Fu, later generations continued to repair and expand his former residence, forming a famous cultural sanctuary with simple and elegant buildings and quiet and beautiful gardens.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage

Du Fu Thatched Cottage
When you come to Chengdu to travel, you must check in at Kuanzhai Alley. After visiting Du Fu Thatched Cottage, it was almost noon, and we took a car to Kuanzhai Alley.
In the fifty-seventh year of Kangxi, after the Zhungeer Rebellion was quelled, the Qing government selected more than a thousand soldiers to garrison Chengdu and build Shaocheng. Today's Kuanzhai Alley is a remnant of the old Shaocheng. Wide and narrow alleys are composed of wide alleys, narrow alleys and well alleys arranged in parallel, all of which are antique quadrangle courtyards with Qingdai bricks and tiles. This is also a relatively large-scale ancient Qing Dynasty street left over from Chengdu, which records the vicissitudes of old Chengdu. Its architectural style combines the characteristics of western Sichuan folk houses and northern courtyards. Now it has formed a complex cultural commercial street focusing on tourism and leisure, with distinctive regional characteristics and strong Bashu cultural atmosphere.

Kuanzhai Alley

Kuanzhai Alley
After visiting Kuanzhai Alley, we walked to the nearby People's Park. Chengdu People's Park, formerly known as Shaocheng Park, was built in 1911 and is a good place for leisure and entertainment in Chengdu. The Heming Tea House in the park is a time-honored brand, a place for family gatherings, friends gatherings, and leisure breaks. Although we arrived here after 3 o'clock, it was still difficult to find a seat. It seems that the life of the people in Chengdu is really leisurely. After finally finding a seat, we also sat down and asked for a cup of tea, enjoying the leisure and comfort like the people of Chengdu.

Heming Tea House

Heming Tea House
Coming out of People's Park, we wandered the streets and bought local specialties such as bacon in a market not far from the hotel. I bought sugar oil and fruit at a small stall on the side of the road. It was much more delicious than what we ate in a scenic spot last time. Sure enough, we had to find it in the market.
D12
I went to Chongqing last year just in time for the National Day holiday. There were many people in Ciqikou, so I couldn’t take a good look. I want to visit Ciqikou again this year. In the morning, take the train from Chengdu to Chongqing and choose to get off at Shapingba, which is not far from Ciqikou.
As soon as I got out of the car, a heat wave hit my face. It seems that Chongqing is really a "stove". After storing our luggage, we took the subway to Ciqikou. But when we arrived at Ciqikou, there were still a lot of people, and it was just in time for the road construction in Ciqikou area, and the weather was hot, so I lost my mood, walked around in a hurry and left.

Ciqikou
Back to the train station to pick up our luggage, we took a bus to Wansheng County, where the Black Valley Scenic Spot is located.
Arriving in Wansheng County, I finally found the reserved hotel in a dilapidated building. This was the worst hotel we stayed in during this trip. Fortunately, there is a delicious noodle restaurant in the market behind the hotel, and the next few breakfasts and dinners were settled in this noodle restaurant.
D13
In the morning, there is a direct bus from Wansheng Bus Station to the Black Valley Scenic Area.
Chongqing Black Valley Scenic Area has high mountains, dense forests and inaccessible people. It preserves one of the few subtropical and temperate natural ecology in the same latitude area on the earth. The forest coverage rate reaches 97%. It is currently the largest and most intact original ecological protection in Chongqing. The natural and ecological scenic area is praised by experts as "Chongqing-Qian Biological Gene Bank", Chongqing's unique "Biological Gene Bank", and "Southwest Shennongjia". The characteristics of the scenic spot can be summarized as secluded, dangerous, strange and beautiful.
The Black Valley Scenic Area is a long and secluded canyon. You can start from the south gate on the mountain or the north gate below the mountain. There are sightseeing cars from the visitor center to the south gate and north gate respectively. We chose to enter from the south gate on the mountain and visit down, which can save energy. Entering the scenic spot, there is a 1-kilometer sightseeing cableway, which can also be walked. There were very few people, so we chose to walk down the mountain. Going down the stone steps, there are dense bamboo forests everywhere, accompanied by the sound of gurgling water, breathing moist air, and dragonflies and butterflies walk with us from time to time.

black valley

black valley
The first thing we came to was Shenlong Waterfall, where the water poured down from the top of the mountain, causing layers of splashes. In the nearby Shenlong Cave, there is a naturally formed boulder, which resembles a dragon's head, hence the name of Shenlong Cave. Then I came to a waterfall, where the water flow is very large. You can walk to the waterfall and have a close contact with the waterfall. It is said that the content of negative oxygen ions here is extremely high. Going further down, along with the waterfall and stream, passing through the Ciba House, Shuanglong Xizhu and other scenic spots, you come to Fengxiang Bridge. The trees are lush here, the water flows down through the moss-covered stone crevices, and stalactites hang on the stone walls.

Black Valley--Shenlong Waterfall

Black Valley--Shenlong Cave

black valley

black valley
Going down to the bottom of the narrow and deep valley, the cliffs on both sides face each other, and the stream in the middle is clear. The plank road and pontoon bridge are erected on the stream and stretch out on the water surface in a winding way, which is quite strange. When people walk on it, there will be rain and fog from time to time, like roaming in a dragon palace. Passing Monkey King Cave, Eagle Claw Rock and other scenic spots, there are three mountain peaks juxtaposed in front that look like a camel. Because the camel's head is west and tail is east, it is named "Camel Westward".

black valley

Black Valley--Camels Westbound
Coming out from the north gate, the mountain road was very foggy and visibility was very low. We took a sightseeing bus, and the driver sent us to the bus station bound for Wansheng County, and we drove back to Wansheng County.
D14
Today we are going to another destination of this Chongqing trip - Jinfo Mountain. Take a bus at Wansheng County Bus Station in the morning, and arrive at Nanchuan County in 2 hours. From Nanchuan County, you have to transfer to the bus to Jinfo Mountain Scenic Area, and you can reach Jinfo Mountain Scenic Area in more than 1 hour. We are going to stay on the mountain today, and we don’t want to bring too much luggage up the mountain, so we first go to the Tianxing Town at the foot of the mountain, put our luggage in the Liangjiang Hotel that we have booked, and then go up the mountain in a simple pack.
Jinfo Mountain, known as Jiudi Mountain in ancient times, is a typical karst geological landform and has been included in the list of World Natural Heritage for its biodiversity and unique karst landform features. With its unique natural features, a wide variety of rare animals and plants, majestic and strange rock shapes, mysterious and deep cave palaces, unpredictable meteorological landscapes and relics of famous temples and ancient temples, it ranks among Mount Emei, Mount Qingcheng, and Mount Jinyun. The four famous mountains in Bashu.
Take a car from Tianxing Town, and you will arrive at the tourist center of Jinfo Mountain Scenic Area in a few minutes. The tickets we booked are a package ticket that includes a sightseeing car and a cableway, and you can directly swipe your ID card to enter. Because the main scenic spots of Jinfo Mountain are concentrated on the mountain, you have to take a sightseeing bus from the visitor center to the bottom station of the cableway, and then take the cableway up the mountain.

Jinfo Mountain
It was noon, and there were not many people taking the cableway up the mountain. Sitting in the car, from time to time you can see tourists going down the mountain in the opposite car. I still think they went down the mountain so early. As the altitude rises, the fog gets heavier as you go up, and it has already started to rain lightly when you reach the upper station of the cableway. There is a vast expanse of whiteness in front of you, and the visibility is very low. No wonder those people went down the mountain early. I wanted to play all the way first, and then go to stay at the farmhouse near Yaochi Dam. But in such weather, I had to go to the place where I lived first. Called the innkeeper, he happened to be nearby and could come and pick us up. Sit in the boss's car, walk on the road, surrounded by dense bamboo forests, and arrived at the residence in Yaochiba in a short while. After checking in, the boss suggested that we go to the ancient Buddha Cave not far away first.
After coming out of the inn, follow the direction indicated by the boss, and you will arrive at the entrance of the ancient Buddha cave in a few minutes. Enter the cave along the narrow stone steps. At the bottom of the cave is a huge cave hall. There is a naturally formed stone Buddha in the middle of a pool of clear water; on the other side of the cave hall is a statue of Guanyin in the middle. Arhat statue. Go forward along the statue of Arhat and go up the passage to reach another cave entrance. Here is a viewing platform, and the bottom of the viewing platform is a cliff. Near the entrance of the cave grows low grass covered with small yellow flowers. There is fog at the entrance of the cave, which makes people feel like they are in a fairyland. Walking out of the cave, you can see the spectacular sea of clouds on the viewing platform mountain.

Jinfo Mountain--Ancient Buddha Cave

Jinfo Mountain--The Sea of Clouds in the Ancient Buddha Cave
We didn't come out of the cave reluctantly until the uncle guarding the ancient Buddha cave came to call us and said that the door was about to be closed. Down the mountain road, not far away is a large green meadow, with a few lambs grazing leisurely. Along the plank road to the depths of the meadow, there is a small lake. The surrounding green hills, green grass, sky, and clouds are reflected in the water, forming a beautiful picture. As we go deeper, the scenery changes accordingly. The grass on the hillside begins to turn yellow, and low shrubs appear, sometimes with large white wild chrysanthemums.

Jinfo Mountain--Yaochiba

Jinfo Mountain--Yaochiba
Unknowingly, the sky darkened, and it was time to eat as agreed with the innkeeper, so we returned to the inn along the same road.
D15
It rained in the morning and the temperature was very low. After breakfast, we bid farewell to the innkeeper and walked down the mountain. Going along the road and passing Yaochi Dam, you can enjoy this beautiful meadow again from another angle.
Walk for more than 20 minutes to the entrance of the ecological stone forest scenic spot. Walking through the stone forest along the stone steps, there are dense bamboo forests and trees everywhere, and stone pillars and stalagmites of various shapes are scattered among them. Because there are not many tourists here, the ecological environment is well preserved, and the stone forest covered with blue rocks exudes wild charm.

Jinfo Mountain--Ecological Stone Forest

Jinfo Mountain--Ecological Stone Forest
From the ecological stone forest, you will arrive at the cliff plank road. The plank road has a total length of 3.5 kilometers. It is almost built on a 90-degree vertical cliff, 40-50 meters above the ground, and it is like a small step in the air when walking. Walking on the plank road, we have a wide view, and once again we can see the magnificent sea of clouds, and the mountains in the distance are like small islands floating in the sea of clouds. Since we came down from the mountain early in the morning, we didn't meet anyone along the way, so we could enjoy the beautiful scenery here.

Jinfo Mountain Cloud Sea

Jinfo Mountain--Cliff Plank Road
But before walking far, I saw the cloud and mist rising rapidly. In an instant, the cloud and mist covered the plank road and climbed to the top of the mountain, and the plank road was wrapped in thick fog. When we arrived at Swallow Cave, the visibility was already very low. At this time, tourists began to come up from the bottom of the mountain. It is estimated that only thick fog can be seen when going up the mountain.

Jinfo Mountain--Swallow Cave

Jinfo Mountain--The Cliff Plank Road in the Fog
Continue to walk through the clouds on the plank road, passing the Golden Turtle Chaoyang scenic spot, but due to the heavy fog, I didn't see anything. Crossing the Jianzhu Sea, I wanted to go to the Golden Buddha Cave, but the staff of the scenic spot said that the Golden Buddha Cave was under maintenance and was not open to the public, so I had to go to the Golden Buddha Temple.
Go up the road in the Yanunioping service area and walk for more than 10 minutes to the Golden Buddha Temple. The Golden Buddha Temple is very large, but it looks very new, like a newly built temple. There was nothing to see inside, so I turned around and came out. Returning along the highway, we had lunch at a canteen at the entrance of Dujuan Wangting Scenic Spot on the way. When we came, it was not the season when the rhododendrons were blooming, so we didn’t enter the Rhododendron King’s Court Scenic Area. We went directly back to the upper station of the cableway and took the cableway down the mountain. On the way back by the sightseeing bus, we passed the Bitan Yougu Scenic Spot, which is a Xikou Canyon-type eco-tourism scenic spot. We didn’t get off the bus and went straight back to the visitor center.

Jinfo Mountain--Jinfo Temple
Return to Tianxing Town by car from the visitor center, check in at the hotel, and we went to Tianxing Hot Spring City in the town. The overall architectural style of Tianxing Hot Spring City in Jinfo Mountain is a combination of Chinese style and modern. There are many bubble pools of different sizes and functions. It is one of the core products of Jinfo Mountain's leisure and vacation, but I personally feel that it is average.

Tianxing Town--Tianxing Hot Spring City

Tianxing Town--Tianxing Hot Spring City
Coming out of the hot spring city, we wandered around the town, tasted the local bamboo shoots and then returned to the hotel to rest.

star town

star town
D16
Today is the last day of our trip. After breakfast, we took a bus back to Nanchuan County. The plane took off from Chongqing Airport at 7:15 in the evening. I wanted to go to Hongyadong after thinking about Chongqing, but because I was delayed in waiting for the bus in Tianxing Town in the morning, I only bought a ticket from Nanchuan to Chongqing Airport at 2:00 in the afternoon. , it turned into a half-day tour of Nanchuan County.
I wandered around Nanchuan County for half a day, and sold some rice cakes and dry rice noodles in the local market. Arrive at Chongqing Airport around 5:00 pm, and drive directly to the gate of T3 terminal. The plane took off on time at 7:15 and landed in Tianjin smoothly at 21:45.

November 2018