foreword
During this trip to Shangri-La, my friend asked everyone a question: Why did you come to Shangri-La? What does this mean to you? Asking such a serious question, I can't give a definite answer.
Just like Wang Leehom sang "You are the sun and moon in my heart, falling here, the journey is redundant, just to meet you", it is probably a feeling, a yearning, maybe just feel the four words "Shangri-La" It sounds good enough, and I imagined a utopian scene in my mind.
Shangri-La, this is the second visit. I don’t mind visiting places I like many times. Different moods at different times will naturally have different interpretations and feelings, so this time I have a deeper understanding of Shangri-La.
There is a breath of Tibet here, but it is more romantic than Tibet. It is its unique temperament that attracts us to come here for pilgrimage. Although the trip was just a few days, it left too many indelible memories.
In Songzanlin Monastery, basking in the warm sun, watching monks rehearse for the Gedong Festival.
Duke Zonghua Lane, in a strong Tibetan atmosphere, participated in the New Year's Eve long table banquet with thousands of people.
In Brother Mongolia's shop, we talked about wine and chatted until 2019 came.
In Guishan Park, facing the first ray of sunshine in the New Year, turn the world's largest prayer wheel to pray for blessings.
We spent an unforgettable New Year's Eve here. Watching the hands of the clock move from 2018 to 2019, we felt a lot of emotion. Whether we remember the past or forget it, happy or sad, whether good or bad, we will be drowned in the end In the torrent of time. But on special days, I have to choose a special way to spend them. It is this sense of ritual that makes this year extraordinarily meaningful. I believe that I will never forget this kind of experience for the rest of my life.
about the author
Mo Wanyouyou, a travel blogger, a travel expert on major OTA platforms, likes all things that are slow and beautiful. On the way of travel, I have many stories to share with you. Weibo@莫晚悠悠, official account: lifepoetry.
Duke Zonghua Lane
From Lijiang to Shangri-La, the scenery moves all the way outside the car window, and it took less than 4 hours to drive, but earth-shaking changes have taken place. Compared with the stone alleys in Lijiang, Shangri-La has a little more majestic mountains and rivers, coupled with a strong Tibetan style, the taste is very different immediately.
My first stop was Dukezong Flower Lane, located in the north of Dukezong Ancient City. As soon as I walked to the gate, I saw that the staff were busy with tomorrow's New Year's Eve Long Table Banquet for Thousands of People. When one of them saw me, he immediately asked which hotel I booked. After I replied to Light Year Hotel, she picked it up Pass my luggage and say, go, I will take you there. In an instant, my heart was warm.
After checking in in the lobby, she sent me to the room before leaving. I really have to sigh, super considerate and meticulous service.
In Shangri-La in winter, the cold at night is biting, wrapped in several layers of clothes and still shivering on the edge of the cold, but I still want to take a good look at Flower Alley, this is my tribute to a new place.
I saw exquisite Tibetan-style houses, distributed on both sides of the alley, staring quietly at night, telling silent words.
The night is getting darker, but it can't hide the colorful prayer flags fluttering with the wind. Every time it flicks, it means that a blessing is sent. At this moment, I am determined to stand at the foot of Shangri-La. I like night and morning in a city, because everything is quiet at these two times, as if everything has settled.
The next day, I woke up in the blue sky and the sun. For me, there was no such thing as high anti-reflex, and there was an all-weather diffuse oxygen supply system in the Light Year Hotel, so I didn't feel it even more. When I opened the curtains, I felt the warmth of the sun, so I washed up immediately, had breakfast immediately, and went out for a stroll immediately. I couldn't live up to such a good weather.
Looking at the bright sun, basking in the warmth, there was a moment of trance, as if the cold last night was an illusion. The sky here is always so pure blue, without a single cloud.
If you want to understand the Tibetan style of Shangri-La in the most direct way, then Duke Zonghua Lane is a good window.
This is a theme of Tibetan cultural customs, integrating Tibetan intangible cultural heritage experience, Tibetan cultural scene commercial street, the fifth meteorite series hotel, original ecological Tibetan food, "Meet Shangri-La" performance show and other commercial formats in one Tibetan cultural scene holiday destination.
Starting from the big stage at the entrance, you will be in this small town full of Tibetan atmosphere. On the big stage, the scenic spot will hold regular cultural performances, and tourists can enjoy a visual feast immediately.
Bypassing the stage and strolling around the commercial streets on both sides, there are also many interesting discoveries.
While wandering around, I saw this shop opened by an old lady of the Yi nationality.
The main ethnic group in Shangri-La is Tibetan, besides there are more than a dozen ethnic groups such as Naxi, Yi, etc. Each ethnic group also has its own different cultural characteristics.
Grandma's store is selling clothing, hats, daily necessities, etc. with Yi ethnic characteristics. At a glance, they are all colorful and exquisite in workmanship.
If you want to take a group of ethnic photos, buying a set is also a good choice.
Immediately after strolling all the way to the intangible cultural heritage experience hall, you can see the black pottery of Nixi, the wooden bowl of Benzilan, Tibetan strings, and Thangka and other Tibetan intangible cultural heritage.
Thangka Painting Academy, just when I came in, I saw a little Tibetan brother who was painting Thangka with concentration, every stroke and every painting was so careful.
Thangka has auspicious meaning and is also the embodiment of artistic beauty. Its painting lasts as short as half a year and as long as more than ten years.
Although I can't fully understand its meaning, it does not affect my appreciation of its rich and brilliant colors and the sacredness of religion. When I look closely at the Buddha statue above, I will find that no matter which angle I stand, the eyes of the Buddha They were all looking at me, full of compassion.
Nisi black pottery, Nixi is a Tibetan village in Shangri-La. It has a long history of pottery making. The ceramics produced are very exquisite and unique, especially when cooking food, it has a fragrance that ordinary utensils do not have.
Each of the wooden bowls in Benzilan is unique. It is said that it is a bowl, but sometimes it is more of a work of art. Because it is handmade, it has warmth.
Jiangchuan Copper Pot, Jiangchuan has a profound ancient Yunnan bronze culture, but not many people know it. It is precisely because of its remoteness and backwardness that it has preserved the copper casting process that has been passed down for thousands of years. I remember that I was in Fuxian Lake before. Then I ate the famous local copper pot fish.
This pot is Jiangchuan's copper pot. The fish cooked is delicious and extremely sweet.
Tibetan incense is mostly used in Buddhist sacrificial activities, and a small amount is used to purify darkness and ward off evil spirits at home. Its production process contains the essence of Tibetan culture.
Then I went to the Mongolian brother's shop. I remember that when I saw him that day, he was carving words by the table with a focused expression.
Hearing us coming in, he looked up and welcomed us with a smile; his eyes were bright, and his intuition told me that he was a man with a story.
Yes, I have confirmed the eyes, I am really a person with a story! Therefore, listening to stories has become one of the highlights of visiting Duke Zonghua Lane.
Mongolian brother is from Inner Mongolia, so everyone calls him Mongolian. "SH.XM Gallery" is a "spiritual recuperation station" and "life experience hall" jointly operated by Mongolian brother and his partner Gillian. Gillian is usually in charge of painting, and Mongolia is in charge of everything other than painting in the store to assist Gillian in better creation.
Because they love freedom, want to find the life they want, and do what they really want to do, Mongolia and Gillian came to Yunnan from Hangzhou in 2010. At the beginning, they lived in the second village on the Tiger Leaping Gorge hiking route. The harsh environment and poor living conditions, but their hearts have never felt free. There, Gillian devoted herself to painting, and Mongolia did some odd jobs to earn living expenses. When they were the poorest, they only had 20 yuan, but they never gave up hope, and even felt that every day was full of expectations.
Later, the economic conditions gradually improved, and by chance, they moved to the ancient city of Dukezong in Shangri-La, and set up their first spiritual healing station - SH.XM Gallery on the most beautiful alley.
This is a fourth space far away from everything, and everyone who comes here can have a different interpretation, maybe relaxed, maybe peaceful, maybe happy. Here, Shangri-La is not just Shangri-La, but an utopia in your heart. It is a pity that the fire in the ancient city in January 2014 burned down their Utopia. All their belongings and paintings accumulated for more than ten years were reduced to ashes in the fire. Only one dog they raised was rescued. .
Such ups and downs in life, if I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't believe it was a real thing. Later, the opening of Duke Zonghua Lane continued their utopia, which is the store we see now.
It can be seen that the designs in the store are all ingenious, and if you explore slowly, you can always find different surprises. Next to the bar, there is a T-shaped stage design, which is connected to the fish pond. From the T stage, you can go to the hut of "Shangri-La is not just Shangri-La". In this hut, you can do everything you want, unrestrained and free. It's okay to be in a daze all day.
And there are many small boxes hanging on the ceiling. There are two colors, one is flowery and the other is solid color. Brother Meng said, you can write your thoughts or secrets in colorful boxes, no one will ever open them, and I will keep them forever for you. As for the solid-color boxes, you can write your dreams and things you want to achieve, and other people can open these boxes. Maybe someday someone can help you realize your dreams.
Really too many interesting designs. And in the attic, seats are set up ingeniously. In the words of Brother Mongolia, it is possible to see the world from a different angle. Finally, a group of us also took a group photo in the loft. In the new year, may we all embrace the world in a new way.
Kadan Songzanlin Monastery
Songzanlin Temple, known as the Little Potala Palace, is the largest Gelug Sect temple of Tibetan Buddhism in Yunnan Province and one of the famous "Thirteen Forests" in the Kangzang area. When sitting in the car and looking at it from a distance, it is located under the blue sky, halfway up the mountain, magnificent and magnificent, and the golden roof is particularly eye-catching. The closer you get, the more shocking you feel.
Coming here always reminds me of those times in Lhasa. The majestic Tibetan temples are very sacred and mysterious. As a layman, I can only interpret it in my own way. It looks beautiful, and that is enough.
This kind of beauty is integrated with the whole environment, everything looks so harmonious and beautiful.
Walking to the gate of Songzanlin Temple, when you look up, you can see the big characters "Gadan Songzanlin Temple" written on the plaque, which is the name of the temple given by the fifth Dalai Lama. In Buddhist stories, the heavens are divided into "six heavens", the fourth of which is called "Tusita Heavenly Palace", and "Gadan" is the Tibetan name in "Tushita Heavenly Palace". "Song" means "three" in Tibetan, "Zan" refers to the place where the gods play games, and "forest" is a paradise of happiness. Therefore, "Gadan Songzanlin Temple" is "a paradise of happiness for the gods to play".
After passing the gate, you need to step on 147 steps to reach the Zhacang Hall. At an average high altitude of 3,400, climbing these more than 100 steps is also out of breath. When walking halfway, when you look back, you can see the suddenly clear scenery in the distance, and you will feel refreshed all at once.
As we continued to climb up, we heard the unique sound of music from the monastery. After inquiring, we found out that the monks in the monastery were rehearsing for the upcoming Gedong Festival.
Going clockwise to the square in front of the Dratsang Hall, you will see a group of monks dancing a unique dance.
Every movement has its own rules, dancing with the music, although I don't understand, but the lively and joyful atmosphere can still be felt. Their faces and eyes are full of smiles, shining in the sun, and sometimes they discuss with each other.
After some research, Gedong Festival in Tibetan, "Ge" means September, and the accurate pronunciation of "Dong" should be "Du", which means gathering.
In the past, many pastures and fields were the property of the monastery, and they were leased to common people for grazing and farming. Every year in September of the Tibetan calendar, when all the rents are collected, the monastery will hold activities to celebrate the harvest.
The grand event has not yet officially started, and it is still in the rehearsal stage, which also attracted many local Tibetans to watch.
They sat on the steps in twos and threes, on small benches, basking in the sun, watching intently.
After stopping to watch for a while, continue to visit other places.
On the steps leading to the Shakyamuni Hall, a group of Tibetan-style old ladies basked in the sun. They wore Tibetan-style costumes and watched the passers-by with peaceful faces. They also attracted many foreign tourists to take photos with them.
Although the old ladies were a bit shy, they did not refuse and happily took pictures with tourists.
They all had kind smiles on their faces, and they really wanted to gossip with them when they saw it. Unfortunately, they couldn't speak the language, and the whole process was based on hand gestures, which was also a very interesting experience.
Of course, a smile is the best language.
There are many monks in the monastery, and you can meet them within a few steps. Sometimes they will smile and greet us, or look at us curiously.
Standing on a high place in the temple, you can have a panoramic view of the entire county of Shangri-La.
And right in front of the temple is a lake. In winter, the lake freezes, forming a winter scene with the surrounding dry branches.
There is also a lot of snow on the mountains in the distance.
The scenery in winter is not as bright and strong as the colors of spring, summer and autumn, but it looks very clean, and everything is in a state of sleep, so quiet.
I like this Shangri-La. When walking back, I encountered a puppy bullying a little black pig. This scene was also very funny, so I immediately took a picture of it.
New Year's Eve Long Table Banquet for Thousands of People
Long table banquets are not uncommon, but New Year's Eve long table banquets with thousands of people are worth looking forward to. To welcome the arrival of 2019, Duke Zonghua Lane specially organized this grand New Year’s Eve event, so that tourists can experience the most simple, natural and rich Tibetan life in Shangri-La, which is known as the pure land on earth.
Before the dinner was about to start, the Miss Zhuoma in Duke Zonghua Lane dressed in costumes and sang and danced at the door to welcome guests from all over the world~
The old grandmas are basking in the sun by the wall, chatting, leisurely, and they are also one of the protagonists of the bonfire jumping pot village at night.
Other guests also took their seats one after another, and students from Shangri-La Special School were also invited to participate in this New Year's Eve event.
The children are full of expectations and curiosity about this long table banquet~
The busy staff can also be seen everywhere. At this time, they are busy serving dishes. A large number of local delicacies such as highland barley wine and Tibetan eight bowls are coming online~
The grandmothers of Tiaoguozhuang are sitting together, waiting for the banquet. They are wearing beautiful clothes~ Sitting together is a scenic line~ I couldn’t help but take a few more photos~
This is also the first time I have dinner with strangers from different regions at home and abroad. Although I don’t know each other, I feel like friends after sitting together. I believe that everyone feels the same frequency of happiness at this moment. Really It's amazing~
The main course of the long table banquet is the Tibetan-flavored eight-treasure hotpot. To say what is special about this dish, the first thing is the pot, which is the Nixi black pottery mentioned above. The soup base is delicious and mellow, very delicious , so delicious that we drank the soup base until there was no drop left.
The side dishes are also very rich, including fried crispy pork, Yijia braised pork, stir-fried Tibetan pork, fried liver and cold three shreds, shrimp slices with peanuts, white fungus buckled pumpkin, and very appetizing milk dregs, eat it after eating too much meat One bite, sour, pure Tibetan flavor~
Regardless of the size of the festival, wine is needed to embellish it, and in the plateau, it must be drinking highland barley wine~
During the banquet, scene interpretation was also added, bringing tourists into the story of Shangri-La~
First of all, the city lord of Duke Zonghua Lane appeared, holding a bowl of wine, and doing it first as a respect to express his welcome to everyone.
Ms. Dolma also served wine one after another and greeted everyone warmly~
The old lady of the Yi nationality laughed from ear to ear, and kept telling the guests around her to eat more~
Everyone eats and drinks in a pleasant atmosphere~
Then there was a burst of melodious singing from upstairs. It turned out that the daughter of the city lord was recruiting relatives. She told the Tashis downstairs that she would marry whoever could catch up with her singing.
In the end, this handsome Tashi hugged the beauty back.
Double happiness is coming to the owner of the city, and the joy is even more so that everyone must drink to their heart's content! If you don't get drunk, you won't return!
Everyone ended the long table banquet in a lively atmosphere, after that, what awaited us was dancing around the bonfire.
Guozhuang is a traditional folk dance of the Tibetan people. The rhythm is lively and enthusiastic. It is not limited by time, place and number of people. Men, women, old and young can join or quit the dance team at will.
As the music sounded, Tashi and Dolma all shook their long sleeves, walked lightly, and danced in a circle.
Their postures are sometimes graceful, sometimes heroic, and very joyful, so many tourists joined their team, followed their steps, and danced happily around the bonfire.
The night, which was originally a bit cold, warmed up in an instant, and the happiness was contagious. Everyone merged into the ocean of dancing. Looking back now, every scene is still fresh in my memory.
New Year's Blessing & Running Through the City
On the first day of 2019, I naturally woke up in the Light Year Hotel in Shangri-La. Thinking about the New Year’s blessing activities today, I felt very excited and couldn’t fall asleep. Before the sun came out, I quickly got up and tidied up, and walked to Moonlight Square.
The largest prayer wheel in the world is here. It has a total weight of 60 tons and a height of 21 meters. It is equivalent to the height of several floors. It takes at least three or four people to turn it~
According to reports, this prayer wheel is made of gold-plated pure copper, and contains 1.24 million mantras, six-character mantras and 16 tons of various Buddhist treasures. It is located on the mountain of Guishan Park, and you need to climb a flight of stairs to get there. .
Climbing up with a large group of people didn't feel tired at all, and we quickly climbed to the top of the mountain.
Standing at the highest point, you can clearly see the whole picture of Dukezong Ancient City. It is estimated that some people are cooking breakfast, and the smoke is curling up, and the fireworks are full.
Then we turned the largest prayer wheel in the world together, and I silently made a new year's wish while turning~
After turning the prayer wheel, the tourists and local Tibetans who participated in this activity returned to the Moonlight Square to gather, ready to go, and participated in the running across the city, welcoming the arrival of the New Year with a full of energy.
This is a fitness activity that all people participate in. The whole distance is about 5 kilometers, passing through the ancient streets of the ancient city all the way, turning back through the Long March Avenue, and finally arriving at the red sun square at the end.
During the run across the city, the police uncle also opened the way for the athletes and escorted them.
The temperature was very low that day, but everyone was enthusiastic~
Everyone insist on running to the finish line~
The Dolmas were already at the Red Sun Square, singing joyous songs to welcome the returning athletes~
In the end, everyone happily took a group photo in the square to record their moment of victory, and the first carnival of the new year came to an end. about
board and lodging
The whole trip stayed at the Light Year Hotel in Duke Zonghua Lane, which is one of the themed hotels in the fifth meteorite series; because Shangri-La is located on a plateau, the hotel has an all-weather diffused oxygen supply system, which can quickly relieve high reactions. , to achieve the recovery of human body functions, and the guests staying in the hotel do not have to worry about the problem of high anti-reflex at all. Then there is a beautiful legend about meteorites. A long time ago, five meteorites fell into Shangri-La. Four of them, representing courage, wisdom, love, and health, were found by local famous families, and the fifth one represented luck. The meteorite was left in Duke Zonghua Lane, so it became the name of the series of themed hotels.
After checking in, I feel very satisfied in all aspects. First of all, the environment is very good, with a strong Tibetan style, which is very unique; secondly, the facilities are very good. After checking in, a text message was sent to my mobile phone to log in to the hotel provided After setting up the website, you can use WeChat to control the room when you enter the room. You don’t need to look for the room card every time you open the door. It’s really convenient. There is also a humidifier in the room, which is very necessary for us who are in the dry plateau and have the heating on. There is also a restaurant in the hotel. The breakfast is very rich, as well as lunch and dinner. The products are very good.
Hotel reception~
We stayed in a standard room~
There is also a bay window, you can drink tea, very comfortable
The bathrooms are all from Kohler~ the toiletries are very good~
The restaurant in the hotel has a glass ceiling, where you can enjoy delicious food in the sun. Next, there will be a wave of food introductions~
For yak sashimi, seafood sashimi is eaten too much. Yak sashimi is eaten every time. According to the restaurant, only the loin of yak is used for sashimi, so a cow can only cut 2.5 catties. It can be said to be very precious, and the taste is also very special. It is very compact. This may also be related to the fact that yaks live in high altitude areas for a long time and are raised in free range.
White Chenisi Chicken is a free-range chicken on the plateau. The deliciousness of the chicken itself is preserved by cooking in white.
Huaxiang pagoda meat is a special dish of the hotel. It is in the shape of a pagoda, very unique~
Morel stew pot, a very delicious soup with high nutritional value
Qiankun Jinniu's palm is the palm of a yak, which is full of collagen
Stir-fried Tibetan pork, the plateau pork tastes very good
Saffron doll dish, a very suitable dish for girls~
Bamboo tripe egg is also a very special dish. Bamboo tripe is a fungus that looks like tripe.
Desserts are also very good, egg tarts are crispy and tender
Appetizers in the four-flavored dish~
Ground worms, which look like worms, are fried fragrant and crispy, just like snacks, delicious
The fruit plate is also full of artistic sense~ the strawberries are very sweet~
You can also drink wine at night in the restaurant~
Suitable for a small gathering of friends~
Plateau Tourism Notes
1. First of all, there is the problem of high reaction, because the altitude of Shangri-La is about 3400, some people will have high reaction; Regarding this problem, the first thing is to relax, do not do too much exercise when you first arrive, and move as slowly as possible. It takes a day or two to get used to it. If the reaction is really severe, oxygen inhalation can be used, but it is not recommended to inhale oxygen as soon as it comes, because there will be dependence.
2. The ultraviolet rays in the plateau are relatively strong. Girls should wear a higher degree of sun protection, and the climate is relatively dry, so they must wear a mask and body lotion.
3. Regarding the weather, Shangri-La’s winters are mostly sunny and sunny, but the temperature difference between morning and evening is a bit large, so keep warm. 4. Respect the customs and habits of the Tibetan people. When you encounter monasteries, manidui, pagodas and other religious facilities on the road, you should go around clockwise from left to right.
end
During this trip to Shangri-La, I bid farewell to 2018 during the journey. This year, it has become a complete past. Goodbye, I will never see you again; I also started 2019 during the journey. In the new year, I think I should still stay on the road , Waiting to "encounter" with all unknowns. I wish you all the best, Tashi Dele!
