【To that distant place】Before departure again
After two days of rich and pleasant trips to Xining and Guide, we have been attracted by this former place of Qianghai. Feel free to move, today, I finally want to "go to that distant place"! The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is like a poem for travelers. If you only have imagination but no experience, you will never feel her charm. Personal experience is always very different from imagination. If you have never been to Chaka Salt Lake and Qinghai Lake, you will not believe that there is such a beautiful and holy place in the world!
Before preparing to leave, I learned that the situation on Qinghai Lake has changed again: the traffic has become more and more convenient, but due to the improvement of the scenic spot environment, many planned scenic spots in the lake area (such as Bird Island, Sand Island and Gold and Silver Beach, etc.), many local hotels and homestays have also been demolished, and accommodation in the Lake District has become tight. The reservation price is rising every day. The price of a B&B that was about 200 yuan before has doubled when it arrived in July. Moreover, the price of car rental in Xining is also rising, and the cost of fuel is not much different from that of a chartered car.
Self-guided travel means always wanting to travel in your own way, always wanting to get the experience you want, and always requiring a more economical itinerary, richer content, and more in line with local reality. For the reduction of Qinghai Lake sights and the increase of accommodation and car rental costs, we have also adjusted the travel mode: the original self-driving tour of the Qinghai Lake Grand Ring Road has been changed to focus on the self-driving tour of the southeast line of Qinghai Lake; the original two-night accommodation in the lake area has been changed to Xining Overnight stay in each lake area. The mode of transportation has also been adjusted accordingly, and the trip to Chaka Salt Lake has been changed from self-driving to train.
[Take the train to Chaka] Sit in the car and watch the scenery
Since the "Sky Realm" special train officially opened on June 26, there are still a lot of tickets left a few days ago, and it will become popular as soon as July arrives. Tickets were grabbed at 12306, and the hard sleeper was 118 yuan/person (failed to buy a seat ticket). It is a bit more expensive than renting a car and driving by yourself, but considering that you can return to Xining that night, after all, the food and accommodation consumption in Xining is still much cheaper than that in the Lake District. Besides, traveling by train is relatively comfortable and safe. Especially when taking the train to Chaka Salt Lake, part of the road runs along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, where you can enjoy the unique mountain and river landforms of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the scenery of Qinghai Lake in July. You will get a rare experience with different vision!
In the early morning of July 4th, we arrived at Xining Railway Station early. A moderate rain yesterday made the air very fresh. The sky is very blue, with white clouds floating in the sky, and everyone is in a very good mood. At 8:25 in the morning, with a whistle, our special train "Sky Realm" slowly drove out of Xining, passing every scenic spot on the way, and there will be relevant scenic spot introductions on the train broadcast. The popular "Sky Realm" special train is known for its clean, spacious and comfortable carriage environment, and considerate service by the crew.
The "Sky Realm" train from Xining to and from Chaka Salt Lake runs once a day. Y961 departs at 08:25 in the morning and arrives at Salt Lake at 12:28; Y962 departs from Salt Lake at 16:30 in the afternoon and arrives in Xining at 20:43. The driving route is: leave Xining and take the Qinghai-Tibet Railway over 360 roads, drive about 130 kilometers along the north shore of Qinghai Lake, leave the Qinghai-Tibet Railway at Chahannuo Station in Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture, turn southeast and drive more than 40 kilometers to reach Chaka salt lake. The whole journey is about 410 kilometers and the journey takes about 4 hours. Tourists can visit the Salt Lake for 4 hours if they go back and forth on the same day.
I heard from netizens before that taking the special train "Land of the Sky" to Chaka Salt Lake feels like sitting in front of the window and watching the scenery. We are looking forward to seeing all the lakes and mountains in Qinghai on this train. Not long after the special train left Xining, there were already tourists in the carriages setting up their cameras and pointing their lens at the window. "Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times", at this moment, it is no longer just hearing, but the real experience of the moment. When the special train entered Haiyan County, Haibei Prefecture, the scenery of the Qinghai grassland with the sun rising began to appear.
The special train passed the Zhahanbulahu hill in Haiyan County, Haibei Prefecture, and entered the northern shore of Qinghai Lake. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the mountains, rivers, grasslands and lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are three-dimensional and diverse. It is only a few dozen kilometers away from here to the famous Jinyintan Grassland, which is where Wang Luobingewang and the beautiful Zhuoma girl lived. Put it by her side..." This beautiful melody, which is famous all over the world, comes from this poetic place.
The special train continued westward and entered the transition zone of sandy land northeast of Qinghai Lake. The green grass beach, the blue lake, the rapeseed flowers and the rolling sand dunes in the distance are impressive, and the rare sun and moon shine together!
Overlooking the sandy islands of Qinghai Lake from a distance, the sky and water are the same color, pure and vast, like a pure land on earth that spans thousands of years.
Some people say: When nature created Qinghai Lake, it used the most delicate carvings, the most smooth techniques, the richest colors, and the most elegant artistic conception. A touch of yellow rapeseed, a touch of emerald green grassland, a touch of blue lake water... It's so splashy, colorful and intoxicating!
The special train continued westward and passed through the territory of Gangcha County, Haibei Prefecture. At this time, Qinghai Lake has a wide sea and sky, and the sky and water are the same color, which is even more breathtaking. Faced with this situation, you seem to have come to the hometown of wind and clouds, and walked into the pure and blue sky!
After driving for about 3 hours, the special train arrived at Chahannuo Station in Ulan County, Haixi Prefecture. After a short stay here, turn the locomotive, leave the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and go straight to Chaka Salt Lake. After passing through the famous rubber mountain in Ulan County, Haixi Prefecture, you will arrive at Chaka Salt Lake Railway Station.
After leaving the train station, you will see Chaka Salt Lake, which is the only one in the "Qiang Sea" in the world. At this moment, we are no longer hearing about it! After continuously accumulating for this longing land, today, I finally entered this world. This is a mutual acquaintance and meeting between people and mountains and rivers!
After leaving the Chaka Railway Station, walk through the parking lot in front of the station to the Chaka Salt Lake Ticket Office. Previously, I heard that this place was once criticized for environmental protection issues (mainly garbage, discarded shoe covers and toilet sewage discharge) and had been rectified many times. On May 1st of this year, the Chaka Salt Lake officially opened to welcome guests after the upgrade again. The Chaka Salt Lake we saw was completely free from the dirty and chaotic things we heard before. From the site conditions to various facilities, it is refreshing. feeling, and full of Tibetan style. It is said that the upgrading has been aided by some brother provinces. At present, there are free tickets and accommodation discounts for Zhejiang tourists.
Probably there is more than enough hardware and not enough management. Although there were not many tourists that day, we spent more than half an hour buying tickets (at that time, all the automatic ticket machines were just decorations, and the conductors did not know how to use computers and could only register information by hand. Faced with long queues and doubts from tourists The staff in the scenic area are bewildered and aggrieved). This is not a small loss of half an hour for tourists who only come here for sightseeing for 4 hours. It seems that the development of the western region is easy to do without funds, but certainly not without talents!
In order to maximize the tour time, don't leave regrets for only coming here once in your life. Our tour order is: first take the environmentally friendly battery car to the yacht dock, then transfer to the yacht to quickly enter the core area of the Salt Lake for sightseeing. After that, take the small sightseeing train to the viewing area of Yandiao Square, and finally, take the small train for the second time to return to the entrance of the scenic spot. Although it costs a little more, it is worth it if you can guarantee enough time to visit!
Take a yacht to the core area of the Salt Lake. The buoys in front of you divide the boundary between the shallow water area and the deep water area, which is the route mark for yachts to prevent stranding. Riding the wind and waves, it takes up to ten minutes from the Yanchang Pier to the Lake Center Pier.
[Chaka Salt Lake] A pearl inlaid in the Qiang Sea
Chaka Salt Lake belongs to Ulan County, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is one of the four major salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin. "Chaka" in Tibetan and "Dapxunnur" in Mongolian both mean salt lake. Chaka Salt Lake is dry and rainless all year round, with an average annual temperature of only 4°C. The lake is 3,100 meters above sea level, 15.8 kilometers long and 9.2 kilometers wide. The formation of Chaka Salt Lake is due to the orogenic movement of the earth. Due to the continuous uplift of the Himalayas, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has changed from ocean to land. In addition, the climate on the plateau is dry, and the evaporation of the atmosphere is much greater than the precipitation. After hundreds of millions of years of geological evolution, salt lakes have been created, and Chaka Salt Lake is one of them.
Chaka Salt Lake is called the "mirror of the sky" because of its special geography. The terrain here is open and flat. Under the clear lake water with high salinity, there is a layer of white salt crystals several meters thick and highly mineralized. Under the action of sunlight, it has mirror-like reflective ability and emits pure white light. At the same time, Chaka Salt Lake is located between Wanyantongbu Mountain, a branch of Qilian Mountains, and Wanggaxiu Mountain, a branch of Kunlun Mountains. The two mountains are covered with snow all the year round, and the snow mountains are printed in the lake. In addition, the clouds are low and the sky is far away all year round, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds on the lake. Thus formed the magnificent scene of Chaka Salt Lake "just like a mirror, the sky and water are the same color".
Although we have made various predictions about the scene here before the future, the Chaka Salt Lake we saw at first glance is quite different from the Chaka Salt Lake we imagined. This plateau salt lake, which is known as "two mountains engulf the vastness, and one clear mirror", has been implanted in your memory since the moment you walked into her!
The lake center wharf of the yacht is also the terminal of the small sightseeing train, where most tourists gather. From here, walk along the abandoned small train tracks all the way to the end of the railway, and you can enjoy the magnificent salt lake with the sky far away and the clouds low; you can also walk from here to the water on both sides of the railway track, dripping the lake water, and stepping on the soft and delicate salt Jing, go to the salt flats in the lake to experience a different kind of scenery.
Some people say that an open world will also make people open-minded! The purity and thoroughness here will temporarily clear your mind, make you forget your troubles and sorrows, let go of the benefits and temptations of life, and calmly face the choices and sacrifices of life. At this time, if you are in it, you probably have only one thought, which is to keep walking and looking, and to enjoy the current scenery to the fullest. As you walk and watch, you will also blend into the scenery!
As long as there are tourists in the lake area, there will be shoe covers for sale, each pair is 20 yuan, and some people will sell them for 10 yuan. In fact, as long as the weather is not very cold, wearing or not wearing shoe covers will not affect walking in the salt lake. On the contrary, it feels good to step on the flat salt layer with bare feet. It’s just that there are many salt caves in the lake, so you must be cautious when walking in them. If you accidentally step into the salt caves, your legs and feet will be scratched, and your skin will be very painful if your skin is soaked in salt water.
If you are a traveler, then Chaka Salt Lake is the journey station. This is a place where you can rest your mind and let your mind fly. Everything here makes people calm and full of joy. Everything makes people think and move. This move will be embedded in your memory!
Tranquility will cleanse your soul, clarity will let you release to your heart's content, purity will dispel the haze in your heart, and dreamlike scenery will awaken your longing for a better life! People have traveled thousands of miles or thousands of miles to come here hand in hand, who is gentle and gentle in this moment and this life! And who will make whose expectations come true! As long as you walk into this holy and pure place, no matter how time goes by, it is like mountains and waters, wind and clouds, blue sky and earth staying together, never leaving without words!
The water reflects the sky, the sky is grounded, and people walking in the lake are like swimming in the middle of a painting. You step on the soft bottom of the lake and look far into the distance. Wanyantongbu Mountain and Wanggaxiu Mountain in the distance are still like Daisy, quietly embracing this blue holy water, everything looks quiet and profound. The brocade scales of the lake in front of you are shining like a huge emerald mirror. Under the sunlight, the lake water presents silvery white, green and azure blue, exuding the unique charm of "mirror of the sky". Speaking of the beauty of Qinghai, Chaka Salt Lake is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Qinghai!
After finishing the tour in the core area of Salt Lake, we immediately took the sightseeing train to the Salt Sculpture Square. The little train moves slowly all the way, and history follows closely like two railroad tracks. As the east gate of the Qaidam Basin, Chaka has been the hub of the Silk Road since ancient times, and it is also the only way for merchants to enter Sichuan and Tibet. In the long history, the ancestors created salt mining technology with diligence and wisdom, and climbed mountains and deserts with courage and tenacity. They traveled to and from this barbaric plateau salt marsh either for the needs of life or to create wealth.
Today, the vicissitudes of life here have changed dramatically, and the misfortunes of the past have long since disappeared. This "platinum-like salt lake" has also been endowed with a poetic mood! At this time, you take a small train and slowly pass through the salt lake, as if you are also traveling through the thickness of a thousand years of time and space!
This is the world of salt. Roads, squares, embankments, roadbeds, sculptures, etc. are all made of salt. The smell of salt is in the air. The salt industry here has gone through vicissitudes, from the initial "take it with a spoon and carry it on a horse" to "collect it by boat and transport it by car", and now it is famous all over the world for the modern salt mining and tourism. , witnessed the great changes of Chaka Salt Lake for more than 3,000 years.
There are several large salt sculptures on the square, which are said to be the largest group of salt sculptures in the world. They stand in the open space of the salt lake, letting the wind and the sun shine, showing their demeanor to every visitor. Each salt sculpture here has its own name and is the loyal "guardian" of this salt marsh. They are either heroes or myths and legends, telling their own stories to tourists every day!
The clouds are low, the sky is far away, and the Chaka Salt Lake, where the salt industry is flourishing, has a long history. According to historical records, as early as the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, this was the grazing land of the Qiang people outside the Great Wall. During the Western Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Tuyuhun tribe of the Xianbei people in the Northern Wei Dynasty moved here. After the Tang Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of Tubo for a long period of time. In the third year of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1253), the Yuan court granted this place the jurisdiction of the Tubo Xuanwei envoy Sidu Marshal's Mansion. In the thirty-eighth year of Jiajing Emperor Shizong of Ming Dynasty (1559), a large number of Mongolian Baron people moved here year by year. It wasn't until the first year of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty (1723) that the Qing government recruited farmers of the Han nationality to come here for farming, smelting iron and mining salt, and the economy here developed by leaps and bounds.
At this moment, everything is like a gift from God. You are in this "magic mirror". The purity of white, the thoroughness of blue, the depth of blue, and the beauty of beauty. Time and the sky flow, and what is in the sky is also in the water. The sky is very blue, the clouds are low, and everything is clear and clear. You seem to be able to go to the end of the world from here, but you will never know what is in the distance! This is Chaka Salt Lake, which is a gift of nature and one of the most worthwhile places to visit in one's life. Goodbye, Chaka Salt Lake, we came here especially for you!
In the distant Qaidam Basin of Qinghai, there is a place called "Mirror of the Sky". People say that it is one of the 55 must-see places in life. We finally had the opportunity to come and see this world at the beginning of midsummer in July, a day when the weather was not clear, and experience this salt lake where the sky is far away and the clouds are as low as a mirror. When parting, looking back and staring, still reluctant to part. If there is an opportunity and impulse, we will definitely come to Chaka Salt Lake again!
Ended the viewing of the Salt Sculpture Square, so far, we also ended the tour of the Chaka Salt Lake for more than three hours, and took the sightseeing train back to the gate of the scenic spot again. In the afternoon, take the "Mirror of the Sky" special train Y962 (16:30-20:43), and return to Xining that night full of gains and pleasures. After dinner at Mojia Street in Xining, I bought some food supplies by the way to prepare for the next self-driving trip to Qinghai Lake. Stayed at Home Inn Xining Dashizi Mojia Street that night.
The Chaka Salt Lake Railway Station, which combines Tibetan and Mongolian styles, is quite eye-catching.
After returning from Chaka Salt Lake, the Xining Railway Station is still dimly lit at night. At this time, Mr. Liu from Ctrip was waiting for us in the square in front of the station. After finishing the car rental procedures, we drove back to the city. Tomorrow, I will go to Qinghai Lake, which I have long admired, to this poetic place. We are looking forward to this.
【Zamplinka Temple】A "Holy Land of Summer Capital"
In the early morning of July 5th, the sky was still blue and white clouds, and we drove out of the urban area before the morning rush hour. The first stop of the itinerary is the ancient city of Tanger in Huangyuan, the second stop is Riyue Mountain in Huangyuan, and the end point is Erlang Sword in Qinghai Lake—that is, "that distant place". I plan to stay by the lake that night. After leaving Xining, the weather is good and the road is good. The whole journey is only more than 160 kilometers. "My driver" drives very easily.
It took less than an hour to arrive at Huangyuan County. When we were refueling at the entrance of the county, we saw the Zamplinka Temple opposite at a glance. I heard before that this temple was built by Songtsen Gampo to welcome Princess Wencheng into Tibet. It has a considerable historical and cultural origin and is well-known in Huangyuan and even Xining. Although we have no plans to visit the monastery, but it is close at hand, it is a rare opportunity, a windfall.
Tsamplinka Temple was first built in 641 of the Tang Dynasty by the leader of the Tuyuhun Kingdom at that time to welcome Princess Honghua of the Tang Dynasty. It has a history of 1379 years. It is also the only remaining Tibetan king monastery in the Qinghai-Tibet region. The temple covers an area of about 40 mu, with a construction area of about 10,000 square meters. The temple is divided into front and rear courtyards, the front courtyard is a Buddhist hall, and the back courtyard is a garden. The main hall is a typical Tibetan building. Because the temple enshrines the unique two jade Buddha statues of Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo and Princess Wencheng, it is known as Qinghai's "Summer Capital Holy Land" and is highly respected by the local people. The monastery is now an AAA scenic spot, the ticket is 30 yuan, half the ticket for students.
The main hall of Zamplinka Temple has five floors. Although it is not magnificent, it also looks solemn.
The main hall and the three-story hall of the temple are the main attractions of the Tsamplinka Temple. Because there are two jade Buddha statues of Songtsan Gampo and Princess Wencheng enshrined here, there are also rich and exquisite thangkas, paintings and eight Tibetan Buddhist statues in the hall. The statues of historical figures of the sect are also another major attraction of the temple. Most of these murals and statues are colorful and lifelike, as if telling historical stories of the year.
After textual research, the two jade Buddha statues of Songtsan Gampo and Princess Wencheng were built in 1032 AD (the first year of Mingdao in the Northern Song Dynasty) in the Jiaosiluo Dynasty (a descendant branch of Songtsan Gampo, based on the Huangshui River Basin in Qinghai today). Center, a short-lived feudal regime that practiced Tibetan Buddhism). It is said that there are also small jade Buddhas made of Hetian jade inside the two jade Buddhas. The two jade Buddha statues are exquisitely carved, lifelike and serene. Some experts said that there are relics inside the Buddha statue, but they cannot be opened due to religious regulations. This also casts a mysterious veil on the Millennium Jade Buddha. On the other side of the statue of Songtsan Gampo is the statue of Princess Chizun.
Tsamplinka means "garden of the king of Tibet" in Tibetan. Its first construction was the result of the marriage between the Tuyuhun Kingdom and the Tang Dynasty. The construction of the two jade Buddha statues in the temple also came from the instruction and support of the Northern Song Dynasty. Numerous murals and sculptures in the monastery reproduce the warm scenes of the Tibetan, Qiang, and Han ethnic groups. The well-preserved Zamplinka is a historical witness of ethnic unity and a crystallization of ethnic cultural exchanges. Today's Zamplinka Temple has been renovated again, which adds a historical and cultural landscape to Qinghai Lake tourism.
The commercial atmosphere in the monastery we have seen is very strong, and it is "disrespectful" to not listen to "Buddha's voice" or to burn incense and worship Buddha. Inducing tourists to spend more, there is a feeling that if you don't consume, you will be reluctant. For this reason, we only visited for half an hour and left immediately to the ancient city of Dangar in the north of the county.
[Ancient City of Tanger] "The Commercial Capital of Xirong"
It is less than 2 kilometers from Zamplinka Temple to the south gate of Tanger ancient city, and it takes up to 10 minutes to drive. The ancient city of Tanger has a long history. It was first built in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 600 years. It used to be an important economic and cultural hub and military town in western China. It is also an ancient historical and cultural city. Dangar means "Dongkeer" in Tibetan. Mongolian means "white conch". It is located on the north bank of the Yellow River, on the shore of the West Sea, at the source of Huangshui River, 40 kilometers away from Xining City. It is the dividing line between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Since ancient times, farming culture and grassland culture have blended here, the ancient Tang and Tibetan roads and the South Silk Road cross here, and many ethnic groups live and coexist here. It is known as "Hai Zang Throat", "Tea Horse Merchant Capital" and "Little Beijing". The ancient city is open all day, no tickets are charged.
This is the entrance to the south gate (main gate) of Tanger Ancient City on Chengdong Street, Huangyuan County. There is an unknown (some say it is the Temple of Fire) temple that is very imposing.
The ancient city of Tanger has been a Qiang land since ancient times. Linqiang County was established in the Han Dynasty, and it was attached to Jincheng County. The Three Kingdoms was changed to Xiping County. The Northern Wei Dynasty was changed to Xidu County. The ancient city belonged to Shancheng County in the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Anshi Rebellion, it was under the jurisdiction of Tubo. After the third year of Song Huizong Chongning (1104), it was subordinate to Xining Prefecture. In the Ming Dynasty, it was subordinate to Xining County of Xining Prefecture. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Dangar Hall was changed to Huangyuan County.
This is the Fengsheng Street in the ancient city. From here, go northward, pass through the single arch and arch sea gate in front, and enter the Ming and Qing Old Streets with the most historical relics in the ancient city. The main street of Ming and Qing Old Streets, which is less than a kilometer long, connects well-known old buildings such as Chenghuang Temple, Confucian Temple, Dangar Hall, and Renji Commercial Bank. The old business houses, the unique and unique Huangyuan row of lights, etc. As long as you walk here, you can feel the historical diversity and cultural information carried by the ancient city everywhere.
The single arch was built in the Ming Dynasty 670 years ago. It has gone through many vicissitudes and is the oldest surviving historical relic in the ancient city.
Walking through the single arched gate is the Gonghaimen, and after passing through the Gonghaimen, you will enter the most prosperous and historic Ming and Qing old streets.
The old yogurt here is 5 yuan a bowl, and the seabuckthorn fruit tea is 8 yuan a bottle. It can be seen that the pace of life of Huangyuan people is very slow. On the Ming and Qing Old Streets around 9:00 in the morning, although tourists have gathered one after another, many businesses have not yet opened for business. As a former cultural and historical city, although it has lost the glory of the past and appears to be in disrepair, it is still worth visiting here.
The Town God's Temple in the ancient city, with magnificent architecture, wandering dragons and phoenixes, and various exquisite carvings, is a rare artistic masterpiece that combines Han, Tibetan, Confucianism, and Taoist cultures
Next to the Town God's Temple in the Old Street is a primary school built during the Republic of China, and the walls on both sides of the gate are engraved with the eight characters of "study hard and make progress every day" during the Cultural Revolution. History is constantly unfolding here, and life is constantly changing here.
The most famous Ming and Qing old streets in the ancient city. It is said that in the thirteenth year of the Republic of China (1924), the commerce here reached its peak. There were more than a thousand large and small merchants in the city, with more than 5,000 practitioners, and the annual trade volume reached more than 5 million taels of silver. Whenever dusk comes, the various shops and foreign firms here will light the row of lanterns placed in front of the door, and the whole street will be brightly lit, which is really lively. Some people say that the Huangyuan row of lights is the earliest prototype of Chinese light box advertising.
With the development of modern transportation and changes in commerce and trade, the geographical role of Huangyuan is declining, and the commerce of the ancient city of Dangar is also declining. Today, although it is not as lively and prosperous as it was a hundred years ago, the tourism function of the ancient city is improving year by year. At this time, the tourist season has not yet entered, and there are not many tourists in the ancient city. Some shops and food stores are not yet at full capacity, but we believe that the ancient city will have a bright future.
The famous Dangar Office on the Old Street of Ming and Qing Dynasties was built in the ninth year of Qianlong (1744), and it was the government-run transaction supervision office for Qinghai to Tibet.
The Renji Commercial Firm opposite the Tanger Office is an old British foreign firm that exists in the old street. It is a historical witness of foreign businessmen in old China doing business in Huangyuan.
The location shooting base, in order to better develop, the ancient city of Tanger has been endowed with new commercial and cultural functions.
Huangyuan County, known as Dangar in history, is under the jurisdiction of Xining City, with a total area of 1.5 square kilometers and a population of about 200,000. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was called "Xirong Land". Although it looks a bit old and withered, there are still many valuable relics. During the nearly two-hour trip to Tanger, we didn't see all of it. Its rich history and former prosperity still left a deep impression on us. After that, we had lunch at the restaurant on the second floor of Huangyuan County Bus Station. After a short rest, we went to Riyue Mountain in Qinghai immediately.
[Riyue Mountain] An eternally beautiful story
After leaving Huangyuan County, we drove along the Xidao Highway for about 40 minutes, then turned over a section of winding mountain road called "Earth Art Sculpture", and continued to drive for 10 minutes to arrive at Riyue Mountain Scenic Area. Riyue Mountain is located at the junction of Huangyuan and Gonghe counties in the southeast of Qinghai Lake. It is the gateway to Qinghai-Tibet, and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway passes through the mountain. Since ancient times, it has been known as "Xihai Screen" and "Tangbo Ancient Road". Riyue Mountain is called "Nima Dawa" in Tibetan and "Nalasala" in Mongolian, both of which mean the sun and the moon.
Riyue Mountain is a branch of Qilian Mountain. The average altitude is 4000 meters, the highest peak is 4877 meters above sea level, and the famous Riyue Mountain Pass is 3520 meters above sea level. Riyue Mountain is also the confluence zone of my country's monsoon climate and arid climate. It is located in the overlapping area of the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and is the natural dividing line between farming civilization and nomadic civilization. It is said that standing on the top of Riyue Mountain and looking at the two sides, the scenery is very different. To the west of the mountain is a vast expanse, with lush pastures, undulating deserts, prairie dotted with yurts, and the rippling Qinghai Lake. On the east side of the mountain is an agricultural area with dots of villages, terraced fields, green fields and lush crops. Some people say: "Ascending to Riyue Mountain, there are two heavens on both sides."
Riyue Mountain was called Chiling in the Tang Dynasty, and the name Riyue Mountain comes from a historical story. According to legend, Princess Wencheng married Tubo and stayed here on the way to Tibet. She looked eastward here and took out the Sun and Moon Mirror (given by the Queen of Tang Dynasty) to see the prosperous scenery in Chang'an City. She couldn't help but shed tears of homesickness. , but she also thought of the important task of making good marriages and turning conflicts into treasures, so she resolutely threw the mirror down the mountain. It is said that Baojing became Qinghai Lake with blue waves at that time, and her tears merged into the Daotang River at the foot of the mountain. To commemorate Princess Wencheng, later generations renamed Chiling Mountain to Riyue Mountain.
At this moment, standing on this pass at an altitude of 3,520 meters, you seem to see a huge procession escorting a 16-year-old princess of the Tang Dynasty in 638 A.D. Come on, this princess shoulders the important task of reconciliation between the two dynasties, stays here for a while, and then resolutely walks from here to the strange and desolate land of Qiang and Tibet. Since then, with the sun and the moon as evidence, there has been this heavy and poignant story on the land of China.
When you stand at the pass of Riyue Mountain and look down, if it is sunny, you will have a good perspective here, and you can see the twists and turns of the road you have passed. You can see the whole picture of Riyue Mountain Scenic Area. If you climb up here and look far away, you can see overlapping mountains, flowing clouds and sky light in the distance.
"After Riyue Mountain, two tears will not dry up, once you go ten thousand miles, you will never return the thousand miles." "Advise you to drink more wine, when will the sun and the moon return." Princess Wencheng travels through the long journey of Qiang and Tibet to marry Tubo, which still touches us today. Looking at Princess Wencheng's far away figure, coming here to visit this great woman in history should also be our inheritance from generation to generation! It is also because of the ancestors' indomitable spirit and dedication that Tibet will always be the motherland's Tibet, and no force can separate her from China's territory!
At this moment, standing in front of the statue of Princess Wencheng, you may be able to deeply understand that a weak woman in the feudal society, facing the bitter cold plateau that she is about to go to, has given up her supposedly happy life and stepped forward , Resolutely walked towards the road of peace. What courage and dedication it takes! Today, the mountain is still the same mountain, and the sky is still the same sky. Although Princess Datang is no longer there, her aura of "going thousands of miles and vowing not to return" will last forever!
There are Riting Pavilion and Yueting Pavilion respectively built at the pass of Riyue Mountain. It is said that there are inscriptions and murals in the pavilions recording the grand occasion when Princess Wencheng entered Tibet. At this time, the pass of Riyue Mountain is full of twigs and fences, prayer flags fluttering in the wind, Tibetan songs and high-pitched melodies are everywhere, decorated with yaks in the mountains, and people and vehicles flow in an endless stream. The magnificent scene of distant sky and low clouds, spanning time and space, seems to bring you back to the era when "the princess of the Tang Dynasty went to Qianghai to marry Tubo"!
Riyue Mountain Scenic Area belongs to Huangyuan County. Now it is an AAA-level scenic spot, the ticket is 40 yuan, half-ticket for students and the elderly, the scenic spot is open all year round, and the best tourist season is from June to September every year. After a quick tour here, we drove over the pass of Riyue Mountain in front of us. 60 kilometers ahead is "that distant place" - Qinghai Lake, which is the most important goal of this trip. Tonight, we are going to go there to stay, and we are looking forward to the next trip. (End of this article/to be continued)
