Northwest Sichuan clang foursome (2018)

During the recent epidemic, I can just sort out some past pictures and texts.

The term "clanking foursome" comes from Fergus, the partner of this trip. He used this as the title in the Meipian travel notes, so I will borrow this name.

There are about 20,000 words, and it takes considerable time to read, including the following chapters.

1. Travel Overview

2. Jinqiu Black Water

3. Journey to Rangtang 4. Seda, a trip trying to get rid of "customization"

5. Yaqing Temple, visit the last "daughter country"

6. Go to Gerima Village

7. Dingguo Mountain, the scenery is the same, people are different

8. Zhonglu Township, the heart will walk with love

1. Summary of Travel in Northwest Sichuan in 2018

Participants: Kicking Waiwai, Fergus, Charles, Lao Zuo (Japan)
Total driving distance: 2319KM

Organizer: Kick Wai Wai

Introduction to the itinerary

Days Date City Accommodation

D1 2018/10/28 (Sunday) Chengdu-Dujiangyan JI Hotel

D2 2018/10/29 (Monday) Dujiangyan-Heishui Goat Antler Hade

D3 2018/10/30 (Tuesday) Blackwater Goat Velvet Hard

D4 2018/10/31 (Wednesday) Heishui-Rangtang Sunshine Tribe Farm

D5 2018/11/1 (Thursday) Rangtang-Seda Xidu Youth Hostel

D6 2018/11/2 (Friday) Seda Xidu Youth Hostel

D7 2018/11/3 (Saturday) Seda-Garze County Gelai House

D8 2018/11/4 (Sunday) Ganzi County - Yaqing Temple - Gelai Folk House in Ganzi County

D9 2018/11/5 (Monday) Ganzi County-Danba Dingguo Mountain View Hotel

D10 2018/11/6 (Tuesday) Danba Dingguo Mountain View Hotel

D11 2018/11/7 (Wednesday) Danba Zhonglu Zangyun Inn

D12 2018/11/8 (Thursday) Danba-Chengdu Ruiting Hotel

D13 2018/11/19 (Friday) Chengdu Ruiting Hotel

The highest altitude passed: 4560 meters (on the way from Ganzi County to Yaqing Temple)
The lowest temperature: minus 11 degrees (Seda County)
Per capita cost (excluding transportation to and from Sichuan): 3,031 yuan, including 1,601 yuan for accommodation, 725 yuan for meals, 10 yuan for tickets, 386 yuan for car rental, and 309 yuan for fuel and tolls.
The most prolific photographer: Lao Zuo, about 2,500 photos.
Languages ​​spoken during the trip: Mandarin 50%, English 25%, Japanese 20%, Sichuanese 5%

Most memorable view or experience:
Lao Zuo: Seda sky burial, small house in Yaqing Temple

Charles: The mountain road in Zhonglu Township, and the process of searching for fellow Tibetans
Fergus: Celestial Burial in Sertar
Toby: Celestial burial in Seda, trapped in the old road at night in Rangtang

Most delicious food:

Lao Zuo: Tortillas in Zhonglu Township
Charles: Tofu Fish in Ledu Village, Mao County

Fergus: stewed hoof flower in Dujiangyan

Toby: Tofu Fish in Ledu Village, Mao County

2. Jinqiu Black Water

Many people will ask, why do you choose to go to Tibetan areas in early winter?

I usually say, one is that you can avoid the peak tourist season, there are fewer people, and the price is cheap. In addition, the weather in Tibetan areas in winter is usually relatively stable, and most of the sunny days are good for traveling and enjoying the scenery. If it is the Tibetan New Year, there are still a variety of festivals in Tibetan areas to watch.

Of course, if you go to Heishui County in the Aba Qiang and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, there is another reason, that is, this season is the best season to see the colorful forest of red leaves. The 40-kilometer mountain road from Heishui County to Yakexia Snow Mountain is said to be the most spectacular colorful forest scenic spot in China, and it does not require any tickets.

3. Journey to Rangtang

If there's a place you feel attached to while you're still there, it's got something to offer.

During this trip to Northwest Sichuan, there are five main destinations: Heishui, Rangtang, Seda, Ganzi County, and Danba. Donkey friends who are familiar with traveling in Tibetan areas will not be too unfamiliar with most of the places. Heishui County is characterized by the autumn red leaves and colorful forests. Seda County has the famous Wuming Buddhist Academy, which is also the largest Buddhist Academy in the world. Yaqing Temple in Ganzi County is also of interest to many travelers. Not to mention Danba County, which is known as one of the most beautiful villages in China.

Before setting off, I spent a lot of time studying the scenery and routes of these places, and made a rather detailed plan. A friend said, what do you do after seeing so many introductions, so that if you come to the scene, there is probably nothing new. I think what he said makes sense. The biggest motivation for traveling is the unknown and curiosity. Traveling without novelty will compromise the experience. But on the other hand, if the organizer does not study the situation of the destination in detail, but hastily arranges a mediocre travel plan, it will make the fellow travelers feel boring. From this perspective, being an organizer requires a little sacrifice Spirit.

Wait, I seem to have missed a place just now: Rangtang County. Not to mention the eye-catching features of this place name, many people may even have heard of this place name for the first time. Before, I didn't even know whether it belonged to Aba Prefecture or Ganzi Prefecture.

The transportation to Rangtang is quite troublesome. My original travel plan was a backpacking trip, 350 kilometers from Heishui to Rangtang, and there was no direct bus. If you want to arrive in one day, you need to take the shuttle bus to Malkang first, and stand on the roadside of Malkang in the afternoon and wait for the shuttle bus from Chengdu to Rangtang County that day, but you don’t know whether the shuttle bus enters the city, whether there is space, and where you can wait until these conditions . Solving various problems every day is also one of the great pleasures of backpacking and the most authentic state of travel.

Later, we finally changed to a relaxing self-driving tour, and I couldn't wait to add Rangtang County to the destination of the trip. In fact, I still don't know what scenery I can see there. After hearing the introduction from the staff of the local tourism bureau, I still can’t remember where it is. They are really enthusiastic and keep saying that Rangtang is really beautiful, please come here to have a look.

On October 31, we set off from Heishui to Rangtang early in the morning. The weather and mood were equally good. However, before noon, I encountered a traffic jam and waited for almost two hours. What was worse was that I took the wrong road later and walked back and forth in a tunnel for no reason. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Malkang, and when we were having dinner in Guanyinqiao Town, we called Rangtang's residence, and the other party said that you would not arrive until eleven o'clock in the evening. I was really unlucky that day. When I was almost at the residence, I was taken to the abandoned old road by the navigation app. I was stuck on the bad road and could hardly move. I had to ask the residence for help in a panic.

During this trip, I tried to avoid walking at night as much as possible, but it happened twice, and the other time was to Dingguo Mountain. Fortunately, there were no surprises, especially the scenery on the second day completely made up for all the losses.

Traveling long distances, arriving at a strange place in the dark night, what kind of scenery should there be after dawn? I fell asleep with such anxiety and excitement.

The next morning was very cold, minus six degrees, and the water pipes in the room were frozen. We were told by the farm owner the night before not to turn off the water and to leave a little running, but that doesn't seem to be working.

The good thing is that the farm has prepared hot water in the kitchen early in the morning, and it can also be warmed by the fire, as well as hot noodles. Although it is the simplest vegetarian noodle dish, it is enough for us to sweep away the depression and cold of last night. What is even more surprising is that there is a vast pasture outside the glass window of the kitchen, and the yaks are grazing leisurely not far away under the bright sunshine. I heard from Aying from the farm that this pasture belongs to the farm. There is also a racetrack in town.

In the morning we went to the nearby Juonang Cultural Center. There are many sects in Tibetan Buddhism, such as the well-known Gelug Sect, also known as the "Yellow Sect", and the Nyingma Sect of the "Red Sect". The Guanyin Temple in Guanyinqiao Town belongs to the Nyingma Sect and is also a famous Buddhist resort, in addition to the Sakya and Kagyu sects.

The Juonang Sect with a long history is relatively small, currently only preserved in a few places in Aba Prefecture and Qinghai Province in Sichuan, and the Juonang Cultural Center in Zhongrangtang Township consists of Querji Temple, Zangwa Temple, It is composed of Zebuki Temple, and its location is near the old road where we got into trouble last night! It's a completely different day and night.

The Jonang Cultural Center composed of these three temples is large-scale, with various temple buildings lined up, and the sound of chanting sutras can be heard endlessly. We entered every temple, met every lama, and local villagers with friendly smiles. On this day in Rangtang, we didn't meet any other tourists. It seemed that the whole trip to Rangtang belonged to the four of us.

After lunch, we plan to go to Shangduke Township. If we follow the navigation app, we have to go to the county seat first, which is about 100 kilometers away. However, we have consulted the Tourism Bureau before, and they recommend a shortcut called Shangnan Road, which only takes less than 100 kilometers. 40 kilometers.

Taking this road to the south, you first go straight up along the rugged and winding mountain road. As the height continues to rise, the nearby shallow mountains gradually fall under your feet, and the distant high mountains appear in the field of vision, but after that they are no longer there. No matter how conspicuous it is, there are continuous snow-capped mountains stretching across the sky farther away, which is extremely magnificent. Looking up to the front again, there are clouds under the blue sky, as if you can touch it, and the altitude here is already more than 4,000 meters.

There is thick snow on the side of the road, and a little creeps into the road. The snow is shining blue in the sun, and it makes a crisp sound when you step on it. Lao Zuo was good at skiing when he was young, and he tried to wear his snow boots to try his youthful feeling here, but he accidentally slipped and fell in the snow and was embarrassed. Fergus and Charles also happily played in the snow. Back to childhood.

Going down the mountain is another scene, because this road is sparsely trafficked and often becomes a "fitness green road" for yaks to walk. We came to Yutuo Temple near Shangduke Township. This is a resplendent temple, shining brightly under the blue sky. Many villagers gathered to listen to the chanting, and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful.

Because of time constraints, we can only rush past Xiqiong Monastery and Dodrupchen Monastery in the back, and we need to arrive at Sertar County before evening. When we passed the Dodrupchen Monastery, we also entered the territory of Qinghai Province. For my three teammates, this was the first time they entered the territory of Qinghai Province.

In this way, I left Rangtang so reluctantly, but the attachment in my heart could no longer be suppressed.

4. Seda, a trip trying to get rid of "customization"

Seda, we are finally here!

The legendary crimson hillside is not far away, but I don't seem to be so excited.

Before departure from Chengdu, I asked my teammate Charles if he knew the destinations of this trip, and he said he had no idea. I really envied his blankness. And my head is full of things, like the altitude sickness that Charles experienced for the first time, feeling slightly swollen.

On the morning of November 2, I got up and looked out the window. The sun was shining and it was a good weather. But looking down at the weather information on the mobile phone, the outdoor temperature is minus ten degrees, so hurry up and prepare warm clothes.

The old Zuo who was in the same room as me was also piled up with all kinds of clothes, even snow boots. I said you brought all the equipment for the Antarctic trip!
But tonight we are scheduled to go to shoot the night scene, the viewing platform is probably the cold wind howling, so we can't do it without some more cold-proof equipment. To this end, I brought a scarf and a mask, the former is used to resist the cold wind, the latter is intended to be used when watching the sky burial, in addition, a pair of thin gloves are suitable for outdoor shooting, it is said that you can wear this Disney Caron's new glove taps the phone's touchscreen.

For that piece of crimson red, the preparation work is far more than that. Lao Zuo was particularly worried about the local travel procedures. He once sent me a link. Some Japanese tourists on the Internet said that foreigners were not allowed to enter Seda. In addition, some friends in Chengdu reminded me of this matter. So, I first contacted the Ganzi Prefecture Tourism Bureau, and then consulted the Public Security Bureau. The answer was that there was no problem. When choosing a place to live, I also specially booked the International Youth Hostel, and the owner answered clearly that he could receive foreign tourists.

However, after checking in, the experienced youth hostel owner reminded us that Wuming Buddhist College does not allow foreigners to enter. If you check your ID card, you will say that you did not bring it. If you are found to be a foreigner, you will say no. I know there is such a rule, and the hostel has not reminded me of it. However, the boss reassured us that there is no such restriction so far, so it is actually not that strict.

Afterwards, nothing was verified, and there were signboards like Hotel and coffee in a hotel of Wuming Buddhist College. It seems that Seda is not a restricted area for foreigners.

The Buddhist Academy is about 20 kilometers away from the county seat, and the road is very good, and you will soon reach the entrance. This is a long climbing road. Contiguous houses began to appear on the hillsides on both sides, which looked particularly eye-catching in the winter sun, but these were not houses built by practitioners but built by local villagers.

Tourists' self-driving cars and other social vehicles can only come to the parking lot at the entrance. If you want to go to the Buddhist Academy, if you don't want to walk a few kilometers on this plateau close to 4000 meters, you have to take a bus. The parking area is large and the bus station is well planned, making it look like an orderly town.

This bus line can go all the way to the highest point of the Buddhist Academy - Mandala, the road is winding. You will pass by the Great Sutra Hall of the Buddhist Academy, lined with countless crimson huts built by believers, where thousands of monks and Juems (monk women in Tibetan Buddhism) live a life of austere practice, no matter where they are The continuous sound of chanting can be heard.

The huge religious kingdom in front of us seems to remind us that there is another group of people in this world who have completely different values ​​and lifestyles from us.

A single hut like this looks really inconspicuous, even a few or dozens of huts, but when tens of thousands of them cover the entire hillside, the scene is extremely shocking. In addition to those huts, there is also a vegetable market, various religious supplies stores, monk clothing stores, self-service banks, and even a telecommunications business department. The public toilets are very clean and equipped with toilet paper. It has become a religious town where tens of thousands of people live.

In recent years, the local government has invested a lot of energy in improving the infrastructure. The main road has been repaired, and the climbing road and the railings on both sides are very good. Those densely packed wooden huts will gradually disappear due to potential safety hazards, replaced by uniformly planned one-story houses. Although they are not as attractive as huts from the senses, at least practitioners will have a safer and more comfortable place to live in the future.

Monks Juem walked between the huts and scripture halls, and believers could be seen devoutly praying everywhere. Compared with them, tourists are only a very small number of people here. It can be said that this is an unparalleled religious sightseeing route.

In the Mainland, when we come to many so-called ancient towns and villages, although we see many utensils and buildings from the past, most of the traditional life forms attached to them have disappeared. Such ancient villages and towns give people the feeling of being poor and stagnant, like a forest that has lost its vitality and has become an empty folk park.

What's more, in today's prevailing commercial tourism, there is a small amount of tourism resources to enclose land for development, and the Chinese tourism market, where prices start from the ground, charges a lot of expensive items. This phenomenon can be said to be everywhere. The fees for commercialized scenic spots, many charging models are the "troika" of tickets, cableways and sightseeing cars, like the famous Siguniang Mountain, these three fees add up to more than 300 yuan, we used to The Dagu Glacier in Heishui County that I have been to is also more than 300 yuan.

However, the most difficult thing for me is not only the high cost of tickets, but also the fact that the tour methods of commercial attractions are basically customized. The attractions, routes, accommodations, etc. are all planned uniformly, and everyone is like a product of a high-speed production line Being processed, this lack of personality and variety, "bespoke" travel really suffocates me.

In Seda today, the bus fare to Mandala only costs three yuan, and of course there are no tickets. The bus filled up quickly and I immediately noticed the difference in this ride.

Passengers are almost divided into two types, one is local villagers and practitioners, wearing Tibetan clothing or crimson monk clothing, there is a strong smell similar to butter tea in the car. Another category is tourists like us, with all kinds of bright clothes, a variety of cutting-edge equipment, and various regional dialects. The number of these two types of people should not be underestimated, the ratio is almost half and half. The most traditional and the most fashionable two groups of people are in close contact in this crowded carriage. This is probably the most peculiar bus line in China.

Lao Zuo asked me in Japanese in a low voice, whether those monks take the bus for free, and I answered him in the same low voice, one yuan is needed. This bus takes about 15 minutes to drive all the way to the mandala at the top of the mountain.

But then I found that I did not escape the curse of "customized" travel. Not far from the mandala, there is a higher and more eye-catching viewing platform, which has become the most time-consuming place for us today. You can see the whole picture of the Buddhist Academy there, and it is said that the night is the best place to shoot the night scene.

Together with us today is Lao Zhou, who is a temporary companion. He is from Foshan, Guangdong, and stayed in the same youth hostel with us last night, so we made an appointment to accompany us today. Lao Zhou said that he had been here yesterday afternoon, but he didn't find a good feeling for shooting night scenes, so he wanted to try again today.

In fact, I have studied the night scene of the Buddhist Academy beforehand. I think the most ideal location is not the viewing platform—it’s too far away, but at the bottom of the slope. Spectacular effect like a street market in the sky. Now that I am not a photography enthusiast, and I didn’t bring a tripod, I basically didn’t plan to shoot night scenes. Another reason was that it was too cold at night. I heard from Lao Zhou that the cold wind blowing last night made me collapse.

I asked Lao Zuo, do you want to go to the night scene? In fact, I wanted to get a negative answer and cancel the night scene shooting plan. But I also know that this question is tantamount to not asking, and he will never give up any opportunity to shoot. Lao Zuo is not a photography enthusiast, and his equipment is not as good as mine, but he is definitely a tireless photographer, always with great enthusiasm to record the scenery he passes and the people he meets.

So, we have been waiting at this viewing platform since 5:30 pm, and it will be around 7 pm when it gets dark. But we are not lonely. We are surrounded by a large group of photography enthusiasts. This situation reminds me of the observation deck on Niubei Mountain that year. As long as the scenery is good, the tenacious photographers will never be stopped.

As the night approached, I was adding clothes, doing warm-up exercises, and using the baby warmer that Lao Zuo gave me, but I found that I had neglected the protection measures for my ears, so I had to wrap my face tightly with a scarf and tried to cover the ears, but the surrounding people all wore winter clothes with hoods without exception.

We stayed on the observation deck until after seven o'clock in the evening. The faint light from the huts was completely suppressed by the extremely bright street lights. I didn't take a picture, and others took pictures that looked more like some modern day. Small town brochures.

There is a long step down from the viewing platform. We carefully avoided the snow and dark ice. Beside them were Juems in twos and threes. They walked back to the hut where they lived in the dark night, which belonged to them. Winter has just begun.

I know that in two days we will come to another hillside, and there will be another

There is an unbelievable scene.

Note, in fact, the most shocking scene in Sertar was the sky burial, which is an unforgettable experience, but because of respect for relevant regulations, it is inconvenient to tell it publicly.

5. Yaqing Temple, visit the last "daughter country"

After the trip to Sertar is over, this trip is more than halfway done. The first half was already exciting, we approached the charming autumn Heishui, the unexpectedly harvested Rangtang, and the long-awaited Seda. It seems that the second half of the trip seems to be difficult to surpass.

Especially for someone like me who is easily satisfied, it is difficult to control myself when seeing beautiful scenery. I arrived in Dujiangyan on the first day of the trip. I haven’t been to Dujiangyan for almost 30 years. My memory is very vague, but I saw an elegant and fresh town in front of me. There are no tall buildings and it feels straight to the point, so I said, I Don't go, you three continue! What happened afterwards was that I made similar exclamations at almost every destination, and finally became a cliché that was seriously despised by my teammates.

The Ganzi County mentioned last time is not the main destination of this trip. The purpose of going to Ganzi County is to go to Baiyu County in the west, where there is a Yaqing Temple.

I have a friend in Guangzhou who is a photography enthusiast. He travels for a long vacation at least once a year, and he always goes to Sichuan in the past few years. He joked that Sichuan will soon become his second hometown. Speaking of where to go in Sichuan, especially the Tibetan areas, he is very familiar with it, and he is more familiar with it than I am. In October of this year, he went to the Tibetan area of ​​Sichuan again. Before he left, he shared his itinerary plan with me. There were two destinations that were the same as ours. One was Seda and the other was Yaqing Monastery.

Yaqing Temple is located in Acha Township, Changtai District, Baiyu County, about 100 kilometers away from Ganzi County, a little closer than Baiyu County. Speaking of this Baiyu County, I am afraid that it is the most remote county in Sichuan. So far, it has not been possible to reach Baiyu County in a whole day from Chengdu. The "Ganbai Road" from Ganzi County to Baiyu County is said to be beautiful and desolate. I coveted this beautiful scenery when I went to the northern Sichuan-Tibet line in 2004, but gave up soon. The reason is very simple. The road is so bad that not to mention ordinary cars, even imported off-road vehicles may not be able to pass.

Today’s road conditions in the Tibetan area of ​​Sichuan have improved enormously. Coupled with the opening of the Zhuodala Mountain Tunnel last year, it is said that the road conditions on Ganbai Road are no longer what they used to be.

Remember the continuous snow-capped mountains to the west of Ganzi County mentioned last time, what kind of scenery would it be if you could go deep into the snow-capped mountains? I once stood on the terrace of Ganzi Monastery and daydreamed. Unexpectedly, this wish would come true soon. Shortly after setting off for Yaqing Temple, the vehicle drove straight to the hinterland of the snow mountain. There are towering snow peaks in the distance on both sides. The morning sun is projected on the hundreds of meters high cliff on the right side. The endless stretch of cold and steep rocks seems to be leading us into an unknown world, and we are like ants strayed into the giant country, and the vehicles are as small as toy cars. I imagined how the people who came here in the past kept marveling at the beautiful scenery on both sides while traveling on the bad road with severe vibration and bumps.

The altitude is rising all the way, and we passed the Zhuodala Mountain Tunnel. It is said that this is currently the highest highway long tunnel in Sichuan. At an altitude of more than 4,300 meters, a tunnel of nearly 3 kilometers is needed. One can imagine how old the old road was. Difficult and dangerous. After passing through the tunnel, the scene in front of me is suddenly different. The previous dangerous mountain suddenly turned into a gentle plateau.

However, whether it is a mountainous area or a plateau, there is almost no human habitation in the area along the Ganbai Road. Except for the occasional herdsmen and yak herds, there are very few houses and villages, and most of the areas are like no-man's land. We passed through wetlands, lakes, and vast fields, all of which were silent. Even when we passed the highest altitude of 4,560 meters on this trip, there was no sense of ritual like a pass. It seemed that it was just a small mountain on the plateau. Just a gentle slope. With such feelings, you will be more and more surprised what kind of power makes the Yaqing Temple built in such a lonely place. The more she is far away from the world, the more people have a strong desire to get closer.

The entrance of Yaqing Temple is on an open plateau. Like Seda, vehicles need to be parked in the parking lot first, and then walk inside. But unlike the crimson red that can be seen all over the mountains and plains from Seda, you can't see any scenery waiting for you in front of you, except for a long prayer corridor that is slightly special, but this is in the Tibetan area. Not uncommon either.

We walked through the turning corridor, and on the right side was a gentle and wide grassy slope. A huge resplendent Buddha statue stood impressively on the slope, as if looking into the distance. Before I walked a few steps, I heard exclamations from people on the top of the slope. They were tourists who visited for the first time like us.
When we also came to the top of the slope, an unbelievable scene appeared in front of us.

I saw a vast and flat plateau not far below, with a river meandering through it, and the river channel was in a huge C-shaped arc. The inner side of this arc formed a natural peninsula, with many The bridge leads to the peninsula, and the island is densely built with countless small houses, and there are many red or white square box-shaped objects. What are they? There is a wide and straight road on the island. Because of the long distance, I saw many shadowy figures walking on that road. Looking closer at the hillside at the foot, those red, white and white square box-shaped objects are scattered around us. It turns out that it is a small house that is less than the height of a person. Some people dressed like monks go in and out of these small houses. What are they doing again? Overlooking the grassland ahead, there are countless such "small boxes".

Today we trekked long distances, all the way through the mountains and plateaus of no-man's land, and suddenly such a dense residential area appeared in front of us, but its shape was different from the normal, which was extremely surprising. There is no noisy sound of people here, and the surroundings are so quiet that there are only the sound of wind and river flowing, as well as the sound of chanting sutras that comes to my ears from time to time.

Let's go downhill quickly and head towards the extremely mysterious peninsula. I carefully walked around the mysterious "small box" on the slope, and I didn't even dare to approach it, for fear of disturbing their lives. This is not a tourist area, and it feels particularly abrupt for outsiders like us.

It is said that all the people living on the island are Juem, that is, nuns of Tibetan Buddhism, with tens of thousands of people. I heard that men are not allowed to go to the island. Before going on the bridge, we confirmed that men can go to the main road outside the peninsula, so we crossed the bridge with confidence.

Coincidentally, after crossing the bridge, I suddenly met a foreigner. He was tall and looked old but walked briskly. After chatting, I learned that this is a 67-year-old tourist from Norway. He has been traveling alone in China for two months. Today, he took a ride from Baiyu County to Yaqing Temple. This is the only European and American tourist we met on this trip to the west of Sichuan. I didn't expect that he was in the most remote Yaqing Temple, and he was a solo traveler. We jokingly said to Lao Zuo, you are still very young, you must work hard in the future.

Because of language problems, the Norwegian tourist did not know that men are not allowed to enter the island's neighborhoods. He said that he realized this rule only after he tried to walk in and was discouraged by Jumu. Sure enough, there are Chinese and Tibetan reminders at every intersection: Men are not allowed to walk in Juemu District.

Therefore, there are also vehicles coming and going on the avenue you saw just now, and the driver must be Juemu. Not far from an intersection, a new wooden house is under construction, and many people in monk clothes are busy building this new residence together. Upon closer inspection, they are all Juems. This group of petite builders dressed in crimson red looks so different, just like the soft-spoken conversation between them, like a ray of breeze. The Buddha passed by.

But not everything is so poetic. Just now I saw those "small boxes" on the hillside so small that only one person could sit in them. It was the place where Juemu practiced in seclusion, and such practice required hundreds of consecutive hours. In Yaqing Temple, which is about 4,000 meters above sea level, the temperature in winter can drop to minus 20 degrees, and even in summer, it is only a few degrees at night. What kind of test is such a hundred-day retreat? Ordinary people simply cannot imagine. It is said that only one percent of Juem can get the confirmation of Aqiu Lama during a hundred-day retreat, so they need to live here for several years or even ten years to get that crucial confirmation.

Everything in front of me seems to have come to the country of daughters. This is the Sichuan I am familiar with? This is the China I am familiar with? In front of the typical mainstream social life of the "four new inventions" of high-speed rail, scanning code payment, shared bicycles and online shopping, everything in front of me made me unable to help asking such questions again. This has the same feeling as Seda, even Even more intense!

In the warm and troubled mainstream society outside, when many people are suffering from various pressures, or because they are obsessed with chasing various utilitarian external labels, they become more and more lost in themselves and drift with the crowd, but there is another Some people choose a very different purpose and way of life. It can be said that the more developed and glamorous the mainstream society is, the more confused and helpless it is, the more intense this contrast is when you come to Yaqing Temple. It is said that religious beliefs are becoming more and more common in many first-tier cities. Religion is a good remedy for those who cannot get rid of the troubles of reality and hope to find inner comfort.

Although I don't believe in any religion, I think there is a big difference between superstition and religion. Superstition is self-interested (such as burning incense and worshiping Buddha to seek fame and fortune), blind (such as using weird folk remedies to cure diseases), while religion is more about how to understand the world and life, and it is a kind of self-worth and way of life. In the face of such people, we need to respect and understand more, and reflect on our own values ​​and attitudes towards life.
There is no commercial atmosphere in Yaqing Temple, only simple food and accommodation conditions. We had lunch in a small restaurant outside the island. There is only vegetarian food here, and a large bowl of steaming noodles only costs 12 yuan.

After the trip to Yaqing Temple, my old problem relapsed, thinking that this time is really the most beautiful scenery. But this confidence didn't last long, because we soon came to another wonderful place - Danba Dingguo Mountain.

6. Go to Gerima Village

Gerima Village is located in Tagong Township, Kangding City. Although the Tagong Temple a few kilometers away is a very famous tourist attraction, few people know about Gerima Village.

I noticed this village by accident. More than ten years ago, on the plane back to Chengdu during the Spring Festival travel, I saw the introduction of Gerima Village when I was reading an aviation magazine. The prayer flags all over the hillside, and Countless pious figures left a deep impression on me, so I secretly wrote down this place name. When I went from Danba to Xinduqiao in April 2007, I couldn't wait to go to Gerima Village. Enter the hinterland of the plateau from a small fork road with almost no signs on the provincial road. It is a quiet village overlooking the snow-capped mountains. The locals hardly speak Chinese. , it is said that tens of thousands of people gather here twice a year.

Before going to Dingguo Mountain this time, we made a special detour and came to Gerima Village again. There have been many changes in ten years. Today's provincial road S215 is wide and straight, and there are sightseeing vehicles along the way. There is also a new sightseeing spot in China's Moshi Park, which we didn't enter because it is a paid attraction. The village road to Gerima has also been renovated, and street lights have even been installed. A newly renovated hotel seems to have not opened much. The bathroom inside is clean and tidy. This is the best bathroom everyone has been to in the past few days.
There are also many Juem in Gerima Village. They also wear crimson monk uniforms and masks, and walk lightly like a gust of wind. This place is not as bitter and cold as Yaqing Temple, and it seems that there is no need to go to a small box to experience the "Hundred Days of Retreat". There seems to be no contradiction between spiritual practice and a decent life. Although we were shocked by the magnificent sight of Yaqing Temple and moved by our firmness to stay away from the world for the sake of spiritual practice, we always felt that the long and arduous test was unbearable. Does religion have to lose a decent life in order to realize the true meaning?

The temple in Gerima Village has a stone wall with a height of more than ten meters, all of which are piled up with pieces of mani stones. What a huge effort. Mani stones are stones engraved with Tibetan scriptures or six-character mantras, often placed in temples, roadsides or hillsides.

This time I go to Tibetan areas, I want to buy some unique gifts for friends, not the kind of beef jerky that can be bought anywhere, almost logistics and distribution. Mani stone is the special gift I was looking forward to. I happened to see two craftsmen on the side of the road carving mani stone there. The stone used was the ink stone produced in the Moshi Park. I bought three pieces of mani stone here. Stone, the price is really approachable. The craftsman named Xiama repeatedly told me that the stone with scriptures engraved on it must be placed in the most solemn position, and if it is on the car, it must not be pressed by other things.

The color of the inkstone is gray and black, with the unique luster of an inkstone, and it is very thick. Although it is difficult to carry it, it must be a special gift.

7. Dingguo Mountain, the scenery is the same, people are different

Sometimes I am a perfectionist. I always like to delve into the things I am interested in. I don’t miss any details, and I won’t take action until I am sure. For example, on this trip to Northwest Sichuan, I spent countless efforts and did a lot of homework, and finally concocted an extremely detailed travel plan that made my teammates stunned.

But this is not a bad thing. Well-planned trips are not only enjoyable for yourself, but also for your partners. But there are some things that no matter how interested you are, no matter how willing to spend time, you can’t do it alone, such as a complex project. In the face of such challenges, if there is no other sharp weapon in the arsenal of perfectionists, I am afraid that they will only stagnate, and may become a dreamer over time.

Yes, at least when it comes to opening an inn, I have been a complete dreamer for more than ten years, and even I often despise myself.

This dream was germinated in 2005. In that winter, I went to Kangding County, Ganzi Prefecture to investigate the current situation of local youth hostels, and wrote a very rough market research report and project proposal. However, whether it was because I fell in love with the youth hostel, or because I felt bored with work at the time and moved on, I have not yet come up with an answer.

Even I don't know what makes me hesitate. Is it the lack of a suitable site? The Tibetan area is so big and the transportation is getting better and better. There are countless suitable places. lack of funds? As long as it is not luxurious, it does not cost much to open a youth hostel, and it is not a big burden if it is a partnership. lack of experience? This seems to make sense, I sometimes struggle with details like where the quilt hangs, but are they really that important?

In the final analysis, what is really lacking is courage and ability to act. I am unwilling to step out of the comfort zone (comfortable zone) that has been formed for a long time.

Think about it many years ago, we left our hometown and came outside to work hard for survival. We were as blank as blank paper and had nothing. In order to make a living, we had to learn the survival rules of society as soon as possible. In order to blend in with the people around us, we had to please strangers. Having your own personal interests is more to cater to the wishes of employers and target groups. At that time, how much we longed to be able to do what we like one day.

Later, we had a stable job, a decent life, and a familiar social circle, but in the end it became a kind of shackles that bound freedom. I often hear a lot of people talk about their various visions of retirement, and they feel that at that time they can feel at ease to do what they want. Not to mention how many years it will be before I retire, and I may encounter other unexpected problems at that time, such as health, family relationship, financial resources, and so on.

It seems that the more I write, the more I deviate from the topic. In fact, what I want to introduce today is our trip to Danba Dingguo Mountain. This is the destination of the ninth day of travel in Northwest Sichuan. We finally bid farewell to the high altitude and cold, and headed for the mountainous area. When it comes to the many destinations in Ganzi Prefecture, Danba naturally does its part, especially the Jiarong Tibetan Village represented by Jiaju and Zhonglu, and the plateau scenery represented by Dangling and Morduo Mountain.

Since I lack the ability to move and dare not try to open a store, it should be okay to find a perfect residence. I looked at the old Zuo who was sitting next to me, and wondered if I could meet a residence that could rival "Xiju" this time. "Xiju" located in a village of the Bai nationality in Dali, Yunnan, was the first residence we traveled together last year. The old house and small courtyard are quiet and full of artistic atmosphere because of the meticulous care of the owner Jiajia. Lao Zuo said that he has been to various residences, and "Xiju" brought him an experience he had never had before.

When the trip started, I specially sent a text message to Jiajia, telling him that we were leaving again. I always have a premonition that we will meet again at "Xiju".

During the trip to Danba, whether to live in Zhonglu or Jiaju, when I was busy choosing accommodation in these two places like most tourists, a hotel called Dingguoshan Scenery Hotel suddenly caught my attention. It is far away from the mainstream sightseeing routes, tens of kilometers away from Danba County, deep in the mountains, there are no other residences around, not even shops and restaurants, only Tibetan villages are neighbors. There must be unknown reasons for opening a hotel in such a lonely place, such as the magnificent scenery, such as a certain feeling, which makes people very curious about what kind of owner this is. For some reason, I suddenly thought of my long-awaited dream, and I didn't even have the courage to take a step. Here may just be an example for my reference.

But I didn't reveal this idea to anyone. I know that Fergus, my teammate on this trip, my best friend, must despise me on the matter of opening an inn, because I wrote to him ten years ago, persuading me to open an inn in Tibetan areas, but ten years ago Years passed with no progress on the matter. Later, I simply postponed the expected value greatly, and put this desire after retirement.

Before Fergus joined, the original travel plan was a backpacking trip between me and Lao Zuo. At that time, I made a phone call to inquire about the accommodation situation. The person who answered the call was the hotel manager Yama. I said that if I took a shuttle bus to Danba County How to get to the hotel, he said it doesn't matter, we will find a car to pick you up, it's only a few tens of kilometers away. Yama's voice is gentle with a strong Tibetan accent, often mixed with "oh, oh" in Tibetan, which makes people feel good. So, I thought this hotel should be opened by the locals. This model is not surprising. There are already countless inns and hotels in the western tourist areas, but I am still a little confused because of the good reviews on the Internet. From the perspective of Chao Chao, running such a hotel is not something that ordinary mountain people or novices like me can manage.

Going to Dingguoshan was full of twists and turns. Just like going to Rangtang that day, we had to wait for two hours because of traffic control. What was worse was that the driver of the car in front actually slipped backwards due to dozing off and collided with our car. We waited until the negotiation It was already dark after the treatment. Although it was only a minor accident, it was not easy to negotiate, and it was also a small conflict. During the conflict, everyone had the opportunity to show their personalities and characteristics that are not seen in ordinary times. Fergus' reaction was the most intense. He argued with reason and was resolute. It can be seen that he is a person with a strong collective consciousness. And Charles, when encountering a crisis, will calm down and think about the solution, and take the initiative to undertake challenging work. Although Lao Zuo couldn't fully participate in the conflict resolution process due to language problems, he fully trusted our ability and waited patiently.

In our lives, when we are weak, we need someone to stand up, when we are confused, we need someone to point out the direction, and when we take responsibility, we need encouragement and trust. Everyone needs such friends. Fortunately, this small traffic accident made me realize that such people are by my side, which is also a great harvest of this trip.

I remember that there was a classic line in a TV series many years ago, "If you love someone, please take him to New York; if you hate someone, please take him to New York." The same is true for travel, travel with the person you like , Maybe the other party will be able to show the shining points that cannot be seen in normal times, so that there will be more surprises for each other. Of course, if you hate someone, don't take him on a trip, that would be a tragedy.

Let's continue to talk about our experience that day. After the collision problem was solved, it was already dark and we still had to travel dozens of kilometers. On the side of the road is the running water, and there are almost no lights in front of it. This is another night driving that was not planned. After double-checking the driving route, we turned right across the river and started up the hill.

It was Charles who was driving at the time. He later joked that all the mountain roads he had driven through before were not as good as this trip, and Dingguo Mountain was of course one of them. As soon as the car went up the mountain, Charles couldn't help crying again and again. It turned out that the navigation display showed all kinds of staggered twists and turns in front of him, like a messy mountain road. Although I had expected this mountain road, the night road still made me quite worried. Fortunately, although this mountain road is not too wide, the road condition is not bad, especially the anti-collision barriers are always there, which makes people feel a little comforted.

After about 15 minutes, we finally arrived at Dingguoshan Hotel. Dawa, the receptionist of the hotel, came to pick us up in the parking lot. He was tall, with a shy smile on his red cheeks. When I finished the check-in procedure, I suddenly found that my big backpack was missing, and when I looked closely, it turned out that it was on Dawa's body.

It was already around eight o'clock in the evening, and the surrounding area was pitch black, with no scenery to be seen, and no starlight, and everything outside seemed to be shrouded in thick fog.

Sometimes, I feel that travel is a process of satisfying "hunger". This hunger is the desire and longing for the scenery, as well as the freshness. Yes, freshness is very important and it is often the easiest to disappear. It may disappear on the road. For example, when you go to Guilin and there are dozens of kilometers away from the scenic spot, there will be one after another unique steamed bun mountains along the way. , although they are not the most beautiful, but the core scenic spot is actually this kind of similar mountain shape, so when the most beautiful "Mantou Mountain" appears in front of you, the surprise is much less. Similarly, when you go to see the most beautiful red leaves in the legend, they are actually just a little more beautiful than the many red leaves you passed by before.

What's worse, most of this novelty may disappear before departure. The pictures of those famous scenic spots have been widely disseminated on the Internet and other media. Who wouldn't be tempted to take a look first? The more you watch, the less that novelty, the less fully the process of satisfying that hunger. So, when Charles said that he had no idea about the destination of this trip, I really envied such "ignorance", because my poor novelty has long since disappeared.

The location of Dingguoshan Hotel is about 3,200 meters above sea level. It belongs to the alpine climate, and the climate is changeable. Even if the sky is clear during the day, it is often shrouded in clouds and fog at night, and the visibility is extremely low. The Dingguo Mountain in front of us, the night, and the thick fog, it seems that there is an invisible curtain covering the sky and the earth, and it also keeps our sense of freshness to the best state. When the curtain is lifted tomorrow, what kind of scenery will be in front of us?

When we reached Dingguo Mountain, our trip was coming to an end, and we already had aesthetic fatigue, and our bodies were also a little tired. Especially Lao Zuo, I saw that he was obviously exhausted, so I told him that he can take a good rest in Dingguo Mountain, and just enjoy the beautiful scenery without doing anything. Charles muttered, why did he stay in Danba for three days? What are the beautiful scenery here? As for Fergus, I was a little afraid to meet his gaze, because I came to Dingguo Mountain with a purpose.

The facilities of the hotel are very good, the bathroom has plenty of hot water, the room is air-conditioned, and the interior walls are covered with wallpaper, which feels very warm and intimate. Standing on the wide balcony, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding scenery, and you can also hear the sound of the distant river valley The sound of running water. Such careful design and construction made me curious again. Is the owner of this hotel really the manager of Yama, or is there someone else?

In the early morning of the next day, a thick fog was still shrouded outside the window, not to mention the distant mountains, even the nearby trees were only faintly visible. Could it be that today is going to be spent in such a thick fog? I begged in my heart, quickly lift your hijab. After breakfast, we saw that the dense fog began to surge, and the sun shone faintly from the right side. Lao Zuo and I quickly took our cameras and ran outside to capture them.

The clouds above the head are gradually receding, revealing the blue sky. Suddenly, a majestic snow-capped mountain emerges from the clouds and mist in the distance on the left. see clearly. The most unexpected thing is that directly opposite this position, about a few hundred meters away, there is a mountain peak at almost the same height as us, and a magnificent temple stands out on the top of the cloud-shrouded mountain. The tumbling sea of ​​clouds sometimes covers the entire temple, and sometimes raises a corner of the continuous forest below it. This dreamlike and mirage-like scenery is so beautiful that people doubt their own eyesight. For fear of losing this beautiful moment, we kept pressing the shutter with excitement.

When we returned to the restaurant after filming, we unexpectedly met a character I had been looking forward to for a long time—the owner of the hotel.

Mr. Gao is from Guangzhou. He is about 60 years old. He is tall and has slightly curly hair. He has a beard like Lao Zuo. He told us a lot about him and the hotel.

When he was young, he used to be an executive of an import and export company in Guangdong. Speaking of which, he was the senior of Fergus and me. Although he has lived in the city for a long time, he has always loved nature. In 1999, Mr. Gao contracted a hot spring project in a famous scenic spot in Sichuan. Under pressure he had to withdraw from the project.

At that time, the hometown of a security guard of the hot spring project was Dingguo Mountain in Danba. Once he came to this employee's hometown, he was deeply attracted by the scenery here and determined to develop tourism here. The hotel started construction in 2007, and it took ten years to complete and start trial operation in 2017.

It seems that it is not uncommon for people to start a business in a foreign place and be squeezed out by the locals. A few years ago, when we went to Yaoshe Village in the mountains of Conghua District, Guangzhou, we also heard about such an experience in the wooden house resort. The operator of the resort is a couple from Guangzhou. When they built and operated the wooden house resort, they had many disputes with the local villagers. For example, when renting the land, even a seedling cost hundreds of yuan to the other party. Compensation, it is quite difficult to try to start a business in an unfamiliar place in China, and how to deal with the relationship with the local people and the government is a difficult problem.

Because of the lessons learned from the previous project, Mr. Gao changed his management method in Dingguoshan. He tried to let local people participate in this project and take the way of mutual prosperity. Most of the waiters in the hotel are local villagers. If there are not many tourists on weekdays, they can go home and busy with their own affairs. If the business is good, they can come to the hotel to help. In addition, the general manager of the hotel, Yama, is the security guard just mentioned , his home is in the village not far from the hotel. With such a business model, the relationship with the local people is not only not an obstacle, but also a great advantage. Undoubtedly, Mr. Gao provided us with a very good idea for operating in other places.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many foreign businessmen came to Guangdong to invest and build factories and encountered similar problems. Therefore, many factories had a local person who was temporarily employed as an office director. Good local relations and formalities. Although this phenomenon is no longer seen in Guangdong, it seems that it is far from disappearing in the interior, especially in remote areas.

We also met three other guests in the restaurant, two of them are painting lovers from Chongqing, and one is a paragliding enthusiast from Guangzhou. He came here to inspect the paragliding project at the invitation of Mr. Gao. It happened to be Mr. Gao’s Mrs. Lily was also there, and she warmly greeted everyone and said to take us to the back of the hotel.

There are two good places behind the hotel, one is the ruins of the Qing barracks, and the other is an alpine meadow. It just needs to climb the mountain all the way. Lao Zuo walked out of breath, he stared at me, and said that he was just relaxing, why is climbing a mountain, you lied to me! The next day, when we were in Zhonglu Village, the mountain road continued, and he said that you really bullied the old man! However, Lao Zuo’s face has always been his trademark kind and kind smile. Rather than blaming him, it’s better to say that he is in a state of pain and happiness in the face of Meijing.

Our small team of seven, led by Lily, walked through the mountains and jungles. Lily was first in the army when she was young, and later she studied English at the university, and then engaged in foreign trade work. In addition, the husband and wife run the Dingguoshan Hotel. She has a wealth of experience. Her life experience alone is enough to tell the story along the way. that's it. But we are not just blessed with ears, the beautiful scenery there is even more dizzying. We can only see the sea of ​​clouds billowing on both sides, and more snow-capped mountains in the distance emerge from time to time. In an alpine meadow, we even encountered a few horses looking for food.

The gliding expert here carefully observed the flying attitude of the mountain eagle in the opposite sky. He said that the flying attitude of this mountain eagle can judge the condition of the nearby airflow. A few days later, they really tried the first flight of Dingguoshan. There is also the painting lover who dug up many works and told us the story behind each scene.

Finally, we went back to the hotel through Sanjiazhai. Sanjiazhai is also the location of Yama’s family. Lily greeted the villagers warmly, and they were already close friends. In the afternoon we saw Yama again. He is a typical Kham man, strong and tall, with a gentle voice and a humble attitude. Originally, Yama was going to drive us to the temple on the opposite mountain peak, Yongzhong Peng Cuoling, but suddenly it snowed and mixed with hail in the afternoon, so he had to give up.

For lunch, we enjoyed a hearty yak meat hotpot. When we passed by the neighboring table, we overheard Mr. Gao and his chatter, talking about those snow-capped mountains, those seas of clouds, and those dreams.

During this trip to Dingguo Mountain, I'm not sure if the old Zuo encountered a residence that surpassed "Xiju". Difficult mountain road. But I understand one thing, the scenery is always there, but what kind of people you travel with and what kind of people you meet during the journey is the charm of travel.

8. Zhonglu Township, the heart will walk with love

November 7, 2018 is the day of departure and the day of parting.

Dingguoshan in the morning light, I opened the window and saw a vast expanse of snow outside. During several days of travelling, we briefly met her several times, and then hurriedly said goodbye. Finally, Xueer caught up with us and quietly sprinkled pieces of white around us. Even Xueer seems to be holding back our parting, so how could I not stop here? Helpless, there are still beautiful scenery in the distance, and people who are worried about, we have to set off again.

When we left, there was no one at the front desk of the hotel, so we put the keys under the table, and sent a message to Yama on the mobile phone, thanking them for their hospitality in the past two days, and saying goodbye. Snow mountains, sea of ​​clouds, primeval forests, temples, Tibetan villages, and the Dingguoshan Hotel adjacent to the magnificent scenery are such wonderful places. Living here is like being a guest at an old friend's house, which is deeply fascinating.

Perhaps, today's Dingguo Mountain is like Zhonglu Township back then, and it will become another kind of concern and the driving force for the next journey.

The thrilling and rugged mountain road the night before yesterday has also become sparse and normal today. It took only about ten minutes to go down the mountain to reach the main road at the bottom of the mountain. The reason why we have to rush so early is because there is a road construction section ahead, we have to unilaterally in the morning pass before release.

Today our destination is Zhonglu Township in Danba County, not too far from Dingguo Mountain, about two hours by car. The journey after Dingguoshan is not too strange for me, and I can enjoy a relaxing journey.

Looking back on the journey of more than a week, the journey of more than 2,000 kilometers has too many memorable things. We've weathered harsh climates and high altitudes, seen incredible wonders, and met some modest challenges. This short period of ten days is also like a microcosm of a long life.

When traveling, you need to make a lot of decisions and choices every day, even if you do your homework, unexpected things will happen. How to deal with changes, participate in decisions, communicate with internal members, and deal with external people and things can be said to be tested every day. In addition, everyone has their own living habits, preferences, and styles of doing things, not to mention we still have Language communication problems. But they can all live in such a harmonious and harmonious way, and enjoy it very happily, which makes me extra gratified and happy.

Let’s talk about the journey to Zhonglu Township. After passing Danba County, we started to go to the side of Xiaojin River, and the car started to drive into the mountain road again. Eleven years have passed, is that Tibetan residence, that person still the same? Seeing the familiar and unfamiliar scenery outside the window, I couldn't help thinking about it.

However, before the thoughts in his mind had time to sort out, new problems had already appeared in front of him. It turned out that the mountain road in Zhonglu Township was very narrow and there were vehicles meeting each other from time to time, so it was really painstaking to pass. But Fergus is familiar with the road, almost humming all the way forward. Compared with the dangerous night road the night before, today's test is more like a pleasant challenge. At worst, he fell into the field ridge and was embarrassed for a while.

"Sasaki san, I am so sorry to book this hotel (Mr. Lao Zuo, I am really sorry to book this hotel)", It seems that from the first day of the trip, I can't do anything in the back seat , I repeat this sentence so sorry every day, and it soon becomes a mantra that my companions extremely dislike.

No, Charles in the front row said contemptuously, "it's still too early to say that (it's still too early to say that)", and I was suddenly at a loss for words.

We asked while driving, and finally arrived at the residence - Zangyun Inn, which is already halfway up the mountain. It was raining lightly, there was some mist around, and the air was fresh and moist. There are not many guests in this inn, just us and another couple of young men and women. The owner prepared a delicious lunch for us.

People say that Danba produces beautiful women. When I lived in the home of the village chief in Jiaju in 2007, I happened to meet a tour guide training activity in the county. The platform of that Tibetan residence was full of beautiful tour guides. They are dizzying. Zhonglu Township, which is located on the opposite side of Murduo Mountain, is not inferior to Jiaju Township. The proprietress of Zangyun Inn is such a passionate Danba beauty. She and her daughter look extraordinarily beautiful in the kind of embroidered headkerchiefs. It is a unique costume of Jiarong Tibetans.

But what I was concerned about was the residence of a fellow Tibetan named Qiega, so I asked them about it. I only met Qiega eleven years ago, and I didn’t have any contact information with him. I was really worried that I couldn’t find out.

Fortunately, the proprietress said there was Che Ga, but there were two people nearby both named Che Ga, who asked me if I was young or old, and it was not difficult to answer that I was definitely not young. So, after dinner, we went to Lao Qiega's residence in the direction she said.

How can I forget that experience eleven years ago? I was walking alone in Zhonglu Township in the early spring, and I met Qiega by chance. He warmly invited me to his house as a guest, and took me up a high mountain pass, where you can overlook the entire Danba County, as well as Zhonglu. The whole picture of the village. Although I am much younger than Chega, I am not as good as him in walking the mountain road. He helped me barely pass several steep slopes.

In the second year after Danba came back, some friends happened to be traveling in Zhonglu Township, so I asked them to bring some small gifts for Chega, but he happened to be on a pilgrimage to Lhasa at that time. It has always been my wish to see him again and thank him for his warm treatment. Although I don’t have his contact information, I know that he lives in the second group, and there are photos of his house. This is enough. As long as there is a chance, I will Never miss an opportunity to find Chega.

Everyone knows that I have such a Tibetan friend in Zhonglu Township, and they are all willing to accompany me to search for it.

This mountain road is not easy to walk, and the sunny and rainy weather makes the path extremely muddy. Fergus stumbled at the beginning, his hands were covered in mud, but he smiled and didn't take it seriously. After several days of travel, Lao Zuo seemed extremely tired, especially yesterday's climb of Dingguo Mountain. He didn't expect that there would be so many mountain roads today, so he would soon be out of breath. He pretended to be annoyed and told me He scolded, where is the agreed leisure tour? This old man is really exhausted! Soon, Charles took the old Zuo's backpack and carried it by himself, although I knew that Charles' knees had been injured all the time, so he was not suitable for climbing.

The happiest thing in life is being with the people you love. On the way to Chega's house, I realized that I might be in this happy feeling. It's a pity that we will return to Chengdu tomorrow afternoon, ending the unforgettable journey of more than ten days.

More than ten years later, Zhonglu Township has undergone considerable changes. Coupled with the different seasons, the impression of the past has become more and more blurred, but the majestic towers that have remained unchanged have remained standing after hundreds of years. We asked as we walked, but we didn’t seem to meet many people today. In front of a Tibetan house that looked like Qie Ga’s house, I carefully compared the photos of the year and found that the house had an extra window.

Finally, in a house where people heard voices inside, they asked the other party through the outer wall where Qie Ga lived. A girl inside said that it was right next to her. She enthusiastically led us to the yard of the house opposite. A three-story Tibetan-style building that is very common here.

Is this really Chega's house? I remember that there is a pepper tree in front of the house, but I have not seen it now, and there are a few tall trees that seem to be missing, but a grape trellis full of fruits is particularly eye-catching. I dug out the photos from that year again for comparison, and carefully confirmed every detail of the house, and soon I was sure that this was Chega's home.

There was no one in the yard. The enthusiastic girl yelled several times, and a young girl came out of the house. It turned out that she was Chega's granddaughter and her name was Zelam. I hastened to ask if Chega was there, I was worried that he would go away again like last time. Zelam said that grandpa is here, in the activity room in the village, I will call him right away, and then call his grandpa after speaking.

Later, how should I introduce myself? After 11 years of meeting by chance, there was no news, no contact information or even a name, and now I suddenly came to visit with a group of people.

While we were waiting for Chega, we stopped by his house to have a look. This year, I just read a book about Gyarong Tibetan culture and customs recommended by my friend Solo, including an introduction to Tibetan residence. Today I can finally apply what I have learned. Standing in Qiega's house, I felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy, like coming to the home of a long-lost relative or friend. Although the furnishings in the house are simple and simple, I feel extraordinarily cordial. Back then, Qie Ga took me to his home and served me hot tea. That scene seemed to happen yesterday.

There is a platform on the roof of the second floor, where golden corn and hot peppers are drying, which is full of pastoral atmosphere. From this platform, you can also look at the surrounding scenery. Zhonglu Township, which is known as the most beautiful village in China, can bring you a paradise-like feeling no matter what season or location you look at, not to mention that there are people I care about here.

At this moment, a person came from a distant field. At first, his figure was so small like a black dot that I couldn't make out his face at all. As the distance continued to shorten, the figure became clearer and clearer. I saw his dark complexion—he was called a South American by the villagers back then. His footsteps were still so strong, and I could see the crutch in his hand.

This is the Chega I miss day and night. Zelam said that grandpa is eighty years old this year. That is to say, Chega was nearly seventy years old when he took me over the mountains to that high pass eleven years ago. Zelam said that grandpa is not very expressive, but he has a warm heart that is willing to help others, and he is very hospitable to everyone.

I hurriedly waved to him upstairs, and then ran down to greet him.

Finally, I held his hands tightly, do you still remember me, that meeting more than ten years ago? He said, remember, you still asked someone to come and see me later—I didn’t expect Chega to even forget these things. My partners were also very pleased to see the situation in front of them. Everyone greeted and chatted with each other warmly, as if they were a family.

Especially Fergus, he not only asked about the living conditions of Chega's family, but also cared about Zelam's future work ideas, and warmly invited him to develop in Guangdong in the future and was willing to provide help. I was very touched when I saw this old classmate and old friend who was a mild-mannered person in front of me.

In the end, we reluctantly bid farewell to Chega's family, holding their gifts in our hands - local pears, huge fruits, just like their heavy hearts.