At the beginning of 2020, before the epidemic spread around the world, I arrived in Antarctica as scheduled. At the moment when the Antarctic continent was under my feet, I suddenly thought of a sentence, keep loving life, always have a curiosity, and the world will open to you. Walking through the pure land of the Antarctic continent, a few days ago, I browsed the website and noticed a music travel movie "The Road to Extreme Purity", which was filmed in Damxung, Tibet. This film portrays six characters, some of them are travelers, and some are cadres who aid Tibet. Although their life trajectories are completely different, their purpose of going to Tibet is the same, that is to find inner peace. The daily stories of the six characters become stories within stories in Dangxiong, a pure land favored by nature.
So I suddenly thought, I have already "reached the extreme", why not "reach the peak" in 2020? Go to the filming location of "The Road to Extreme Purity", go to Damxung, to Mulan Snow Mountain, and to Kuoqionggangri Glacier to appreciate the profound artistic conception of the unbearably cold high places, and to feel the purity that nature bestows on the heart. The travel plan is in early October, and I made some strategies before departure, and I want to share it with friends who have also been planted by the film.
Let me talk about Damxiong first. Dangxiong means "chosen pasture" in Tibetan. Damxung County is located in the central part of Tibet, at the junction of southern Tibet and northern Tibet, 170 kilometers away from Lhasa City. It has a typical plateau continental climate with an average altitude of 4,200 meters. Damxung County, as its name implies, is a pure animal husbandry county in Lhasa. Of course, many famous scenic spots such as Namtso Lake and Yangbajing Blue Heaven Hot Spring are here. However, I would like to recommend two niche attractions in my itinerary, which are also filming locations.
The first one is Mulan Snow Mountain. It is simply too small, but in the hearts of the locals, it is the incarnation of the "Goddess Bailam", a holy and beautiful goddess. There has been a legend about it among the Tibetan people. Princess Mulan is the younger sister of God Nyainqentanglha, and she married a young herdsman in Qiangtang. Because of her industriousness, kindness, and good devotion to helping the people, the surrounding Tibetans have received her grace, and the Mulan Mountain has bestowed the Tibetans here with good weather and a happy life. It takes about 2 hours by car from Lhasa. It is said that the scenic spot has a good viewing platform. The Cordyceps Festival is also held here every year.
The second is the Kuoqionggangri Glacier, which is the landscape of "the closest ice age to Lhasa". The glacier is located in Geda Township, Damxung County, at an altitude of about 5,500 meters. It takes about 2 hours to drive 160 kilometers from Lhasa. I have been to the glaciers in northern Sichuan and the glaciers in Shangri-La, Yunnan, but I am still looking forward to the glaciers in Tibetan areas. It may be due to the fact that it stands on the shoulders of giants on the "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau", and there are countless sacred mountains around it, which makes it even more majestic. At present, this scenic spot has been developed into a natural ecotourism area integrating glaciers, snow mountains, lakes and meadows. In the scenic area, you can climb to experience close contact with the glacier.
Finally, let’s talk about the high anti-reaction that discourages many tourists. In fact, for the "plain man", high reaction is indeed inevitable, but it can be avoided by adjusting the mentality, judging the physical condition in advance, and taking appropriate precautions. Before this departure, I planned to start taking Rhodiola oral liquid two weeks in advance, and went to Lhasa two days in advance to adapt to the plateau climate. The hotel I booked in Lhasa is better, and it is also more convenient for dining and bathing. Here I want to say that not everyone in Tibetan areas is suitable for bathing. If you wash, the water temperature should not be too hot. When altitude sickness comes, it is usually accompanied by nausea, headache, and vomiting. Most people will have it at an altitude of 3500-4000 meters, and it will be aggravated at night. If it is particularly uncomfortable, it is recommended to relieve it by inhaling oxygen. These symptoms will disappear immediately in low-altitude areas, so don't panic, don't eat too greasy food, eat less meat, and drink more water. Pay attention to keep warm and prevent cold when sleeping. After adapting, it will be relieved slowly, but strenuous exercise should also be avoided.
Finally, before departure, I used a sentence from the "Extremely Clean Road" crew to encourage "come, to go back better". Dangxiong trip, let's go!