Traveling through 4000+ kilometers of day and night—Tibet｜Sichuan｜Qinghai｜Gannan half-month self-driving trip

foreword

Rewatching the documentary about Tibet "The Third Pole", Xu Wei's theme song of the same name is repeated. This is the second time for me to go to 318. I only planned to go to Seda before. Before leaving, I typed a few words: Dream of Western Sichuan, I want to feel the breath of the Buddhist Academy here.

Unexpectedly, the planned 3-4 day trip to Serta turned into a flight to Lhasa, instead taking the G318 National Highway, where the Xindu Bridge converged and went north via Sertar, Nianbaoyuze, Gannan and other places, and then returned to Chengdu via Ruoergai , It turned into a half-moon self-driving tour of more than 4,000 kilometers. This travel note seldom talks about strategies, board and lodging guidelines, etc. It only records the scenery seen along the way, the people I met, what I want to say, and the places I want to introduce to you...

Photographs full scenery selection

The King of Shu Mountain - Gongga:

It is said that Huanglong’s calcified pools are suspected to be lost in fairyland, while Yulongxi (Yulongxi) Quanhuatan is more mysterious and full of charm. It has not been developed here, and the stepped calcified pools and pools of various shapes from top to bottom are fascinating. dizzying...

The most surprising part of the 4,000-kilometer journey is probably Nianbao Yuze. Unexpected late autumn first snow, unexpected crushed tent, unexpected first clear after snow...

The eastern section of the Bayan Har Mountains, the birthplace of the Guoluo Tibetan nationality, is dotted with lakes of all sizes, continuous snow-covered peaks, forests with towering ancient trees and rare treasures, elusive wild animals, and ancient and modern Those fascinating and beautiful legends... which one is not the reason to attract people to keep Yuze in the coming year? Before I came here, I planned to hike a small crossing, and stay here for one more day to see the autumn scenery. Who knew that the tent was crushed by the heavy snow when camping at Camp No. 1. The equipment was too simple, and I couldn’t hike in the snow. The heavy snow harvested an unexpectedly pure and serene magnificent world.

Passing through Taizhao Ancient Town along the way,

Chen Quzhen mentioned in his "Jian Ye Chen Dwelling",

This used to be an important town in Tibet, and it was once a battleground for military strategists.

It reminds me of the inn opened by Xiaoqiu—Jianye Chenju, Bayi Town.

Cross the river from the watchtower-style bridge in Taizhao Ancient Town,

All the way along the prayer flag array to the top of the mountain, you can overlook the entire small village.

The weather improved a little bit, and I passed Tongmai Tianxian, Tongmai Bridge and Shilonggou Super Bridge, which are commonly known as "death sections". I heard the driver talk about the various traffic accidents that happened here, and the old road and old bridge were faintly visible. thrilling.

The car began to climb upwards in an N-shape. Looking out of the car window inadvertently on the halfway up the mountain, ninety-nine bends came into view. This is the "Nujiang 72 turn". From the lowest point of 3100 meters above sea level, it climbs to the highest point of Yela Mountain Pass at 4658 meters above sea level, and then circles down to Bangda Town. Looking around from the 72nd turn viewing platform at the Yela Mountain Pass, there are no dead ends. This is the legendary celestial road.

Along the way, due to the weather, I didn’t see a lot of the scenery I wanted to see; because of the distance, some places were completely dark, but fortunately, at the end of the journey, I saw the sister lakes of Haizishan. They are indeed like two Lost pearls usually stay together in this quiet plateau mountain pass, leaning on each other, feeling the passage of time for thousands of years...

Following in the footsteps of the old lama, through the narrow and loose wooden stairs, there is only a "creaking" sound from time to time in the attic. After turning a few turns, this small room is only lit with a butter lamp, which is The Sutra Pavilion of Juli Temple.

—— Seda Buddhist College

——The starry sky on the top of Sedaxi Mountain

Part 1: Lhasa-Linzhi

I stayed at the inn recommended by my friend Atuo Shi Xiaojun when I came to Tibet last time, No. 66 Inn in Lhasa. This time, he and his wife had an extra puppy named 2000 (two thousand).

People who work as inns in Lhasa almost never get up early, so when I go out early, I can only call him to open the door every day. The phone receiver says "didn't wake up + helplessness + I rely on it", so I had to get up early and buy some fruit before leaving. A little apology on the tea case. Later, I received his WeChat message saying, welcome to play next time... It turned out that every time the boss got up and opened the door, he was not dressed properly, so he didn't have the nerve to talk to me...

I wanted to take advantage of the week before the National Day to go out and visit inaccessible places, but Tibet travel has entered the off-season (except for the National Day), and there are really few people who want to carpool instead of taking the 317 National Highway. . The plan is to go to Seda and meet with friends on G317 and drive all the way to Gannan. Later, at 3:00 in the middle of the night, I found two beauties from Shandong on Jianren.com. The itinerary was changed to G318 together. They went to Chengdu, and I went to Batang/Litang/Xindu Meet Season, Cauliflower, Song Ge, Feng Xiaokang near the bridge...

So I walked the way I came to Tibet last time, already, things are not, people are not.

Walk all the way from Lhasa to Nyingchi.

Mira Pass is still raining and snowing as usual,

The array of prayer flags floated tirelessly as usual,

If you want to stand on the mountain pass and hold up the camera, you have to be hit by all kinds of snow.

The black Tibetan Mastiff was still lying on the mountain pass and looking into the distance, as if everything around him had nothing to do with it.

Coming down from the Mira Pass, the weather gradually became very good.

Passing through Taizhao Ancient Town along the way,

Chen Quzhen mentioned in his "Jian Ye Chen Dwelling",

This used to be an important town in Tibet, and it was once a battleground for military strategists.

It reminds me of the inn opened by Xiaoqiu—Jianye Chenju, Bayi Town.

Cross the river from the watchtower-style bridge in Taizhao Ancient Town,

All the way along the prayer flag array to the top of the mountain, you can overlook the entire small village.

At first the sky was still blue, but after a while it became cloudy again, and it began to rain lightly. It was already 7 o'clock in the evening when we arrived in Nyingchi, thinking that we would see our friends here again, I felt exhausted. Xiaoyue, who had short haircut, picked me up at the gate of the community. In the evening, a table of people had a hot pot, chatted, and talked about the changes of these days. It seemed that a lot of things had happened to everyone.

I came to Nyingchi for the first time to see the peach blossoms in April. I wandered around for nearly 20 days and met this group of friends. I hope that no matter how the years change, they can be as beautiful as this...

Part 2: Linzhi-Basu, when the most beautiful landscape avenue encounters a cloudy day

What are you most afraid of when traveling and shooting? cloudy day.

Looking at the scenery on a cloudy day is like seeing a stunning beauty in her twilight years. I can only silently sigh in my heart how beautiful she was back then. The sky covered by clouds could not cast a ray of light, and the eyes were also surrounded by clouds and mist. Unfortunately, there was light rain and even sudden snowfall. We encountered them all along the way. The hundreds of kilometers of this section may be the worst section of this year's National Highway 318.

I came to Linzhi in April to see the Peach Blossom Village in the south of the Yangtze River. At that time, a local friend told me, "What is Basongcuo, Lulang Linhai is really worth going..." At the same time, he took shocking photos I was shocked, but in the end I couldn't make it by mistake, so I went back to 318 this time, and I was full of expectations for Lulang Linhai.

How did you know that starting from Bayi Town, it started to rain early in the morning, and the Sejila Pass was still covered by heavy snow, and the Lulang Forest Sea was completely submerged in the clouds and mist, losing its former glory.

Driving all the way on the road with extremely low visibility, it took a long time to get out of the rain and snow area. At the end of September, the forest is still green, only a small number of leaves start to turn yellow, staggered in the forest. When I met the parking place, I went down and looked around, and suddenly found that the misty forest is another kind of beauty, not to mention the fresh smell that has just been washed by the rain in the air at this time. The prayer flags on the hillside have also become cleaner due to the rain, and have not been overshadowed by the weather.

Maybe you went to Lulang before, it was still a small village with charming scenery but extremely inconvenient to eat and live, but now, it is an international tourist town in Lulang, "Oriental Little Switzerland", with regular characteristic buildings on both sides of the road to prove it The development determination of the local government. Glaciers, mountains, canyons, meadows, forests, rivers, lakes...there are all here, and it is foreseeable that this place will become a new "highland" for leisure and vacation in just a few years, which really makes people feel complicated.

Even though the weather is so bad, it still can't stop the pilgrims. Most of the people they met on the way were Tibetans who came to Lhasa from Ganzi Prefecture in Sichuan. Just like at the gate of the Jokhang Temple, every time I see all kinds of people worshiping, I will think, how many secrets are hidden in their hearts? What expectations do they have for this world?

Part 3: Basu-Xinduqiao, which section of G 318 is your favorite?

On the Sichuan-Tibet line, when you see the well-deserved reputation of the south of the Yangtze River from the wild peach forests, highland barley, and snow mountains in Nyingchi and Bomi, when you see it from the crimson red rocks along the way near the Nujiang Grand Canyon The special landform of Tianlu, when you see the deserted and desolate vastness of the plateau from the countless mountain passes you have crossed, when you see the gentleness and beauty of the legendary "Tears of God" from large and small mountain lakes, when you are close Standing at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, you can even have a panoramic view of its clear veins... You may feel deeply at a loss for words, and then you can only say three words "too, beautiful, la" helplessly and naively.

We often joke that if you are walking on the G318, if you are an old driver who has been walking the Sichuan-Tibet line, you will be overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery in front of you, and you will not be able to calm down for a long time. When he was happy, he could probably only read these few words from his indifferent expression: "No, see, pass, world, face". Yes, this time, I was so "unseen in the world" that I was completely conquered by the beautiful scenery along the way.

【Nujiang Grand Canyon】

Starting from Lhasa, all the way to Basu, it was cloudy all the way. On the third day, the blue sky and white clouds began to appear from Basu, and the vision became clearer. The three of them also struggled from the initial state of dying, and switched states instantly and jumped all the way: "If the weather is so bad all the way, I really want to die."

The scenery along the Lulang Linhai road that passed two days ago is completely different. Starting from Basu, the mountains on both sides of the road are almost covered by vegetation, and the reddish-brown mountains are exposed, which is what a typical plateau landform should be. The first stop is the Nujiang Grand Canyon. The Nujiang River, originating from the Tanggula Mountains, passes through the Nagqu River upstream, crosses Yunnan and Burma, and finally enters the Indian Ocean. Looking down from the roadside along the Grand Canyon, the water flow is fierce and rapid. One can imagine how spectacular it is when it flows into the Gaoligong Mountain Canyon and reaches 5,000 meters. .

Like many rivers and river valleys in Tibetan areas, there are many Mani stone piles left by passing Tibetans, drivers and travelers. Tibetans believe that stones are spiritual, so they will pile up Mani stone piles at intersections, lakes or mountains to pray for blessings. It is said that when passing the Mani pile, you have to circle clockwise and fill in a stone to pray for yourself, so the Mani stone pile will become bigger and bigger. The truth is to take away the stones from the Mani stone pile from the roadside. If you don’t know the rules in advance, it’s best to "return" them to the roadside...

On the opposite side of the Grand Canyon is a hillside with unique scenery. Green trees grow sparsely on the mountain without vegetation. There is actually a family or a temple in the depths of the green forest?

【Nu River 72 turns】

The car began to climb upwards in an N-shape. Looking out of the car window inadvertently on the mountainside, ninety-nine bends came into view. This is the "Nujiang 72 Turns", which climbs from the lowest point at 3100 meters above sea level to Yela Pass at the highest point at 4658 meters above sea level, and then circles down to Bangda Town. Looking around from the 72nd turn viewing platform at the Yela Mountain Pass, there are no dead ends. This is the legendary celestial road. I just looked at it in excitement, and the 72nd turn was completely blocked by the clouds, as if it was a flash.

Along the way, we pass Mira Mountain, Sejila Mountain, Lulang Mountain, Anjiula Mountain, Yela Mountain, Dongda Mountain, Jueba Mountain, Lawu Mountain, Lala Mountain, Haizi Mountain, Kazila Mountain, Scissors Bend Mountain, From Gaoersi Mountain to Xindu Bridge, every mountain pass can be seen as far as the eye can see, and you can see the continuous hillsides extending from near to far, with no end in sight, and farther away, the junction of heaven and earth Snow-covered snow-capped mountains.

【Jueba Mountain】

The last two high mountains with their own characteristics to leave Tibet and enter Sichuan are Jueba Mountain (3980 meters above sea level) and Lawu Mountain (4336 meters above sea level). Because the weather in the afternoon is very good, the time spent in these two high mountains is also longer. .

Although the altitude of Jueba Mountain is not high, the mighty Lancang River flows through the valley, which makes it maintain a solid sense of walls and sharp edges for thousands of years. It reminds me of a word "seeing a mountain is a mountain".

【Lawu Mountain】

As we are about to enter Sichuan, the overall trend of altitude has changed, and the vegetation has also changed, from barren grasslands to alpine meadows, and now there are large areas of bushes and even trees. It's almost autumn, and the bushes as a whole are gradually turning yellow and mottled and colorful in different rhythms, while the soil exposed on the ground is reddish-brown. This picture under the blue sky is extremely beautiful.

The scenery of Mount Lauu is almost the most screaming in the whole process. The weather is so good that it reaches the extreme. The big white clouds set off the blue sky more purely than precious stones. When the car passed the pass, a surprisingly large white cloud appeared In the middle of the sky, we screamed excitedly in the car regardless of the driver's "contempt". The entire prairie has turned yellow, and the sheep in the distance are walking leisurely, open the car door, stand in front of all this, take a deep breath, just want to have a real "fantasy journey of shepherd boy"...

【Maoya Prairie】

The biggest feature of the Maoya Prairie is that the grassland is flat and vast, and the roads are straight. When driving on a road with excellent road conditions, it seems that there is no end in sight. Isn’t such a scene the most suitable for shooting blockbuster road movies? So we parked the car by the side of the road, "If we can't take satisfactory photos, we won't leave." No one came and went, as if this hundred miles was our world.

【Haizi Mountain】

Part 4: Curie Temple, together with the Lama, walked into the Sutra Pavilion

【Juri Temple, Holy Land of Yellow Sect】

It's too early to be here in early October. The leaves of Xinduqiao just entered autumn are not yet yellow, and the weather is not good. I was wondering where to go shopping today? It was sunny at noon, and I walked slowly towards Juli Temple with my camera. A few kilometers, stop and go, the six-character proverbs are frequently seen on the mountain by the roadside, wild horses and wild boars share a pasture. Although there is no step-by-step scene in early autumn as in the "Photographer's Paradise" period, you can still see beautiful seeds sprouting.

Coincidentally, I met two lamas who were driving back to Juli Temple, so I took their car to get to the temple faster. The lama who drove the car couldn’t speak Chinese very well, and I couldn’t understand the Mandarin he spoke. I often needed the lama next to him to translate for him. Later, when I returned to the town from the Juli Temple, I met them again at the gate of the temple and drove me. a lot.

Juli Temple is considered to be a well-known and famous Yellow Sect temple in the surrounding area. There were very few monks in the temple on the day I came, and I only found out that more than 100 monks had gone out to participate in religious ceremonies. I didn't have the opportunity to listen to their lectures in the afternoon, but I experienced the quietness and coolness that are rarely seen in this bustling temple alone. The symbolic ticket for the temple is 10 yuan, but the monk who took us to visit was extremely enthusiastic.

There is a huge green lawn in front of the main hall, and beside the lawn is a group of Tallinn. I was wandering in the deserted small courtyard behind the main hall of the temple. I was stopped by this enthusiastic but restrained old lama, and then I went to the Buddhist scripture pavilion of the temple together, and saw things that I hadn’t seen in other temples before. thing.

Entering from the main hall, following in the footsteps of the old lama, through the narrow and loose wooden stairs, there are only "creaking" sounds from time to time in the attic, and after turning a few turns, this small room is only lit with a lamp of ghee Light, this is the Sutra Pavilion of Juli Temple.

The Juli Temple used to be on Zheduo Mountain, and it was moved here more than 600 years ago. The Buddhist scriptures in the temple have a history of more than a thousand years. I repeatedly checked whether I can take pictures, and kept a few as a souvenir after I got the permission. In addition to enshrining Buddha statues and collecting scriptures, the Tibetan Scripture Pavilion also has ancient Buddhist murals more than a thousand years ago. There is a passage like a small room under the bookshelf of the Buddhist scriptures. According to the old lama, this passage is for some bodies and minds. People who are suffering climb in, "pressing Buddhist scriptures" to drive away their pain and sins...

【Muya celestial burial platform】

The Muya celestial burial platform has been abandoned, and it is much smaller than the Seda celestial burial platform, but the grand occasion of the past can be vaguely discerned. The prayer flags on the surrounding mountains are still the same, the celestial burial platform is lined with white pagodas, and the small river flows by the side as always. There is only one stone platform that has been used. One end of the stone platform is the trace left by perennial skull knocking...

【Small town bookstore (this may be the most treasured part in Xinduqiao)】

It is a bad habit to look for bookstores everywhere. There is only one in Xinduqiao Town, and the lama who brought me back to Xinduqiao Town from Juli Temple also told me. It was still early to get out of Juli Temple, so I wanted to take a walk in the market town, and casually mentioned in the car that I wanted to go to the bookstore in the town. They took me through the vegetable market in the market town, and found it after turning several turns. It seems to be called "Love Hope"?

I didn't remember the name of the bookstore clearly, but I remembered the proprietress. Because I didn’t have cash to pay, I added her on WeChat, only to see that on weekends she would give English tutoring to the children, show The Chronicles of Narnia in the simple screening room, and care for the lonely elderly in the community with friends, doing their best A little help... her little bookstore, kids' reading time, iPad time...

I don't know where she came from, whether she is a local, but it seems that she made me redefine this remote and desolate town that was booming due to tourism. Greeting guests in the restaurant, the noisy and disorderly rhythm of motorcycles speeding through the vegetable market captures a trace of warmth, and this person runs the only bookstore called "Love" and "Hope" in the town.

Maybe, we'll see each other next time.

Part 5: Yaha Pass - Zimei Pass - Quanhua Beach

The king of Shu Mountain - Gongga, I have been close to him countless times, but none of them are as close as this time, so close that I can touch him with my hand. The car went up along the rugged mountain road, and a turning Gongga appeared in our field of vision unexpectedly. The straight-line distance is 30KM. Do you know what this concept is?

【Yalonggou Calcification Pool】

In the early autumn of Xinduqiao, most of the leaves are still green. Walking around the town and occasionally seeing a small piece of yellow leaf forest can also surprise people. On the road from Xinduqiao Town to Jiagenba Township, the altitude gradually changes. High, there are many small yellowing forests like this. When I drove out at 9 o'clock in the morning, the sun was just slanting on the branches. Looking at the light and shadow dancing up close, it made my friends feel good.

Continue to start from Jiagenba, walk through a section of cement road and officially enter the bumpy mountain road. The master said: Today's journey has just begun. The car staggered through several valleys and arrived at the first stop, the calcification pool in Yalonggou.

I even met a foreign girl who rode here alone. The mountain road was all upwards. It's hard to imagine how she persisted. And it’s almost noon in western Sichuan. Although the sun brings blue sky and white clouds, the ultraviolet rays can burn people without any scruples. She wears simple underwear and doesn’t even have any protective arm covers on her hands. Thinking of applying three layers of 50P sunscreen It is embarrassing to have your nose peeled off by the sun. As the saying goes, the best sunscreen is not afraid of the dark.

Climb to the top of the calcification pool and see a small lake. There are many plants growing on the calcification surface extending to the small lake, probably because of the water. The shape is reminiscent of Pai in the movie "Life of Pi". The magical pool on Cannibal Island. Coming down from the top, it happened that the foreign girl also pushed the bicycle here, smiled at each other, and then she walked up the small waterfall of the calcification pool alone, looking back, not to mention how cool it is.

【Yaha Pass】

Before the car arrived at the Yaha Pass, I did not expect that the straight-line distance would be so close when viewed from the pass. The snow line of Gongga and the veins of the main peak are clearly visible, and at noon the blue sky is cloudless, Gongga just appeared in front of our eyes without reservation. It seems that I have been to too many mountaintops in the past year, and the excitement of the past has become less and less, but I was still shocked by the Gongga I saw at the Yaha Pass. I don’t know if you have also experienced this This feeling, the eyes are washed by the clean and flawless snow mountains.

At an altitude of 4,600 meters, the wind is very strong on the top of the mountain, and the prayer flags are constantly flying. The friends in the same company can't care about the height, so they have to take pictures, because from here, the main peak, side peaks, every angle, and every view of the snow mountain are beautiful. A flawless picture, only to find that there are more than 100 photos on the SD card of my camera, each of which is similar but different...

【Zimei Pass】

The road from Yaha Pass to Zimei Pass passes through a valley pasture. The road is in the middle of the valley. The pasture is sparse and there are only a few stone-built herdsmen’s houses. How happy people live here. Grassland pasture with a radius of hundreds of miles , Every day when you wake up and look up, you can clearly see the snow-capped mountains, and you can also sit outside the small house and watch the sunset on the snow-capped mountains.

There are a lot of groundhogs in the bushes of the prairie. When they see a stranger’s car approaching, they shyly hide in the dirt holes they dug beside the bushes. There are also little groundhogs who are not afraid of strangers, just like this. He poked his head out of the hole and stared at us cutely while eating. He really wanted to take a picture of it, but the moment he just raised the camera, he ruined such a beautiful moment. It turns out that the little groundhog likes humans but will still be hacked Huhu's "long guns and short cannons" scare away.

There was a traffic jam when we were approaching Zimei Pass. I was still wondering why. There are very few undeveloped people here. The master told us that today the locals are holding a horse race at the racecourse here. When we came, the race seemed to have just started After the end, the residual heat has not dissipated. Many Tibetans led their "BMW" down the mountain and put them into the trunk of the pickup truck. Haha, in ancient times people rode horses, but in modern times horses ride cars. It is said that the prize money for horse racing here is still very high.

At around 3:00 in the afternoon, the clouds gradually rose, and the main peak of Gongga was also covered, sometimes not at all, but the altitude of Zimei Pass is a little higher, and the Gongga mountains can be observed in almost all directions, and the snow line can be seen more clearly Clearly, this is why many people regard this place (rather than Yaha Pass) as the best viewing point.

Because the flowing clouds surge among the snow mountains, the snow mountains have another kind of beauty. I just sat on the mani pile on the top of the mountain for a long time, watching the clouds change...

【Yulongxi (West) Quanhua Beach】

The benevolent enjoys the mountains, the wise enjoys the water, and the joy brought by the mountains and rivers is endless. Probably at this time, there is only the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" "It is the day, the sky is clear and the air is clear, and the wind is smooth. Looking up at the vastness of the universe and looking down at the prosperity of the categories, so wandering eyes and bosoms are enough for extreme audio-visual entertainment and belief in Coca-Cola." Also." This sentence is enough to express my feelings.

The itinerary is to go to Quanhua Beach when we come back. It is also a big surprise for me at the end of the day's journey. The entire Quanhua Beach is 6,500 meters long and 200 meters wide. There are eight steps from top to bottom, like terraced fields. , it is here (Yulong West Village) and Gongga Snow Mountain is far away. Like Huanglong, which was famous all over the world many years ago, it also attracts people because of its special geological structure - calcification pool.

The formation of calcified pools is generally caused by hot springs gushing from the bottom up from the ground, so you can see many small hot springs if you look carefully at Quanhua Beach. Because of its high temperature and high pressure, groundwater has a higher solubility for minerals and calcium carbonate than ordinary water. When groundwater reaches the ground, its temperature and pressure become lower, and the calcium carbonate dissolved in it naturally will come out. When the water in the fountain on the top of the mountain flows down from the top of the mountain, it will turn the surface into white, milky white, yellow or even black...

Yulong Xiquan Huatan has eight layers of stepped calcified pools from top to bottom. When the water in the top pool accumulates to a certain extent, it will spread out from the "field ridge" and drop to the second layer, and the surface of the mountain in the middle will also be calcified. , so that it goes down layer by layer in a "zigzag" shape. The calcified pools on each floor are composed of small pools of different sizes, shapes and colors connected together. The autumn grass is gradually yellowing, and the water in the pools is colorful and charming in the sun.

We took a motorcycle from the village to the bottom floor of the calcification pool, and then walked from bottom to top to the second and third floors of the calcification pool. Each floor gave people a different feeling, but unfortunately we didn’t have so much time to go all the way up Arriving at the top of Quanhua Beach, one can imagine what a spectacular scene it must be.

What we see here is often three or five friends who love the outdoors come together, and some people tell us that their route is: Xindu Bridge-Yaha Pass-Quanhuatan-Zimei Pass-Kowloon Wuxuhai, this is A perfect crossing route, but it is opposite to the direction of my later itinerary plan, or else I would just go and go with them.

In order to get back to Xinduqiao before dark, we set off early and met waves of yaks on the road, grazing quietly and leisurely on the alpine pastures, and unexpectedly saw a rainbow after a few drops of rain. The stream meanders to the distance, sitting on the co-pilot listening to the song, what could be more beautiful than this?

Part 6: Tagong-Luhuo-Taofu-Seda

Leave Xinduqiao and go to Seda. The first grassland we passed was Tagong Grassland. Tagong Temple was built here, and the incense is extremely prosperous every year. Almost all the people who come to western Sichuan by car regard this place as a must-see destination, so... there are many people.

Tagong Grassland can also take a good turn, overlooking the unique shape of the Yala Snow Mountain.

And then...the whole journey...

Part 7: Red and black in the Buddhist world

The long-awaited Seda is the first stop of the large army. Passing through Tagong, Luhuo, and Daofu, it was already 10 o'clock in the evening when we drove to Sertar. We simply carried tents, sleeping bags, and dry food and went directly to the top of the West Mountain of the Buddhist Academy to set up camp. At an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, the cold wind was howling, and it was already late at night when the tent was set up. At this time, looking up at the Milky Way seemed within reach, and immediately took the camera tripod to the highest point to take pictures of the starry sky.

Have you ever shot the starry sky in the middle of the night so that your nose was so cold that you could only do the bunny dance? Have you ever been silently surrounded by a group of wild yaks under the night? Come camping on the top of the west mountain of Wuming Buddhist College.

Cold feet, sleepless nights. In the early morning, watching the blue light gradually glowing in the distant sky, I clutched my sleeping bag and walked around the top of the mountain with my camera on my shoulders. I didn’t expect the sun to rise as I expected. On the contrary, the entire Buddhist College was shrouded in morning fog. , I can't see clearly from far and near, but it is the giant prayer flag array on the top of the West Mountain that attracts me.

After brunch, go to the celestial burial in advance to watch the celestial burial. The sun drives away the haze, and the celestial burial enters our field of vision. If you have been to Chiang Rai, a small town in northern Thailand, and seen the Black Temple (Black House Museum) there, and the items about death and hell collected by the artist Thawan Duchanee all his life, then see the display outside the celestial burial platform With these skeleton sculptures and human skulls, you will definitely have new and indescribable feelings.

Because it is related to death, I also processed these photos into black and white. In my eyes, black and white is always the most impactful.

Tibetans admire sky burials, and believe that feeding vultures with "skin bags" is the most noble form of charity, and it also embodies the highest state of Mahayana Buddhism-sacrificing one's life. In their view, death is just the separation of the immortal soul from the old body, and sky burial is the reciprocation of the immortal soul and reincarnation...

I also did not use the lens to record the celestial burial master and the celestial burial process, but put such a large number of vultures that I have never seen before in my own lens. This is the funeral of a noble soul who deserves a final moment of tranquility. During the waiting process, Juemu who was beside me led everyone to chant scriptures to show the meaning of salvation, and at the same time explained some Buddhist principles to everyone. I suddenly remembered another novel "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code". "'s line: Faith requires talent.

Returning to the Buddhist Academy again, I have become accustomed to the "breath of Seda" that people often say. This time, I walked around the Buddhist Academy and approached the red wooden houses that we overlooked on the top of the mountain. These small wooden houses are a bit low. The layers are stacked and scattered, making the trails on the hillside a bit like the narrow alleys of old Beijing.

See them walking back and forth in the Buddhist academy, or leaning against the door of their own room with prayer beads in their hands to chant scriptures, or carrying buckets to fixed drinking water points just after class, or three or five people going to the Buddhist hall to pay respects to the Buddha, or sitting on the stone slabs in the open space. Meditate to carve the six-character mantra... I don't know how many lamas and juems live here, and how many secrets are hidden here. I only know that this is a world completely different from ours.

Part 8: Nian Baoyu is the first time after the snow, this is the back garden of the gods

The most surprising part of the 4,000-kilometer journey is probably Nianbao Yuze.

Is it because I love snow scenes too much? A child from the south, who has attended university for four years in the north, is used to seeing heavy snow in the deep winter in the north, which is unforgettable. So much so that I want to find time to see the snow every year. People in Chengdu often go to Sanya, Southeast Asia, and Australia for vacation in winter to enjoy the nourishment of the warm sea breeze. But I deeply practice "Go to the northernmost place when it is coldest, Go to the equator when it's hottest."

Nianbaoyu is an undeveloped scenic spot, but it is better than previous years because there are already several restaurants in it, which can serve Sichuan dishes and Tibetan dishes with acceptable taste. After dinner, we put on our gear and went camping by the Fairy Lake. The night fell so fast that our group moved forward in the darkness. At this time, the horses that could carry people and supplies during the day had already finished work, so we had no choice but to follow the trend Outside the fence of the herdsman's house not far from the river, I found a high ground and set up a tent.

The barking of the herdsman's house in the distance was endless, but they never came to us. Halfway through the ride, the herdsman brother came out according to the "old rules" and charged 50 yuan. I often go out, and I always have a complicated mentality towards Tibetans, herdsmen, and so-called local people, because I will meet local children who are so kind and enthusiastic that you can’t refuse; Tibetans who directly extort money from your car; you will meet elder sisters who take you to eat farm food and stuff baked corn and potatoes into your arms when you are shivering from the cold; you will also meet old ladies who pretend to be poor and sick A passerby who wants to study and cheat money and disappears immediately...

Just like this big herdsman, he charged us the camping fee in the middle of the night on the first day; when he saw the snow was so heavy in the early morning of the second day, he came to ask us sincerely if he needed to boil water for us , do you need to sit in his big tent and warm up by the fire? I read from his eyes the sincerity from the heart at this moment, and there is even a trace of guilt stemming from last night's incident of "soldiers before salutes". So after the heavy snow at night, the three members of the herdsman's family came out of the big tent to look at us in the early morning, which is also the greatest comfort.

Camping in the wild, the clouds are too thick at night to take pictures of the starry sky, so a group of people huddled in a tent and played games until late at night. After I fell asleep, it started to rain, and I was so dazed that I was afraid that the tent would be washed directly into the river in front of me by the heavy rain. Then the rain stopped, I was relieved, I dreamed, it snowed heavily, and the tent was crushed... everything It's so unconventional. Covered in a sleeping bag in the early morning, you can still clearly hear the heavy and heavy footsteps around you that are completely different from human footsteps, boom, boom, boom... and the sound of the yak panting in the nose, opening the small windows at the front and back of the tent, the tent Already surrounded by yaks, they even grazed and drafted leisurely here, and by the way, pulled a large size in front of our door...

Walking to the Fairy Lake, a lama came out of the big tent by the lake alone, and I walked behind him slowly for a long time. Goluo Tibetans regard Nianbaoyu as a sacred mountain and Fairy Lake as a holy lake, so Tibetans and lamas often visit the mountains here, and they also make tsampa into treasure-shaped flowers, candlesticks, etc. The fish are fed. Maybe it was an ordinary day for them, but for us, it was beautiful.

After packing up the tents and equipment, I reluctantly set off for Gannan. Nian Baoyu Ze, I thought to myself: I will definitely come to see you again.

Part 9: Gannan, to be continued...

From Nianbaoyuze, we drove all the way north. In our hearts, we were immersed in the snow scene that day. The reality is that the last part of the whole journey almost hit the street, was stopped by Tibetans, and then passed through Sichuan, At the border of Gannan, I took the road with the worst road conditions and the worst road conditions. I stumbled into Gannan while wondering whether it was dark first or the car broke down first. I lived in Langmusi Town...

The next day I went to Langmusi and Gahai. I was not very familiar with Langmusi because of the weather, so I just came here for a visit. On the way back, we passed the Ruoergai Grassland, which is not as magnificent as the grassland at the junction of Sichuan and Gansu that we passed by by mistake. Miyaluo, which is expected to have red leaves in October, has only slightly turned yellowish, and the end of the trip is a bit rushed.

On WeChat, the uncle driver who carpools from Lhasa to Xinduqiao is posting photos of Gahai and Ruoergai Grasslands, which are so beautiful...I wonder if I should arrange time to go out for a while in August/September, but the reality is There is a lot of new work to do, and I am so tired that I want to recruit relatives~ I don’t know when the next time I will take this route...

The travel notes are coded here first, just to commemorate and remind myself not to stay at home, hurry up and plan your next trip...