Live Your Best Lives
Although the pandemic has forced travel to a halt, the desire to explore remains unquenched. Follow You Xiaoxia as we delve into the deepest secrets of Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Explore the northern edge of the Great Hengduan Mountains, where Sichuan, Qinghai, and Tibet meet. Perhaps many have never heard of this name: "White Jade."
The pure land of snow, unchanging forever!
Baiyu, aptly named "a place of great virtue and good fortune" in Tibetan, once a traffic dead zone and a visual blind spot for travelers, has become an ecological paradise in northwestern Sichuan. Numerous nationally protected species, including white-lipped deer and snow leopards, now call the area home.
This is the most mysterious area in western Sichuan. Through this guide, you will encounter the custom of the White Jade Tree Burial Forest, get close to the thousand-year-old trees covered with "corpse barrels", the cliff-mountain temple of Gaden Monastery, the heart of white jade, practitioners in the clouds, the world's longest stone scripture wall, the pilgrimage to Songgemani City, the city of faith, the red sacred mountain - Hongshan Danxia, the highest and most extensive Danxia landform on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and Sichuan's largest grassland - Zhaxi Ka Grassland... Snow-capped mountains and wild animals accompany you all the way.
locate: Hepo Township, Baiyu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 3800m
In Hepo Township, deep in the white jade, Tibetan knife craftsmanship has a history of more than 1,300 years. It enjoys a very high reputation in the vast Tibetan area and is also known as the "King Gesar's Arsenal."
407 families of craftsmen, 407 kinds of crafts. In order to prevent their unique skills from being leaked, local artists have only passed on their skills to their closest relatives and passed them on orally from generation to generation for hundreds of years.
Their exquisite craftsmanship, beautiful shapes, and sharp blades have earned them high acclaim both domestically and internationally. Handcrafted horse harnesses, Buddhist instruments, and knives are highly collectible and practical. We'll personally witness the Tibetan knife-making process and experience the true essence of "a sharp sword forged through countless trials and tribulations."
locate: Bailonggou Doni Mountain, Hepo District, Baiyu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 4300m
Gaden Monastery, also known as "Seda" on the cliff, is different from the "bustling" Seda. Its rugged roads and remote location make it a Buddhist pure land rarely disturbed by outsiders.
Built majestically on a cliff face, the temple is home to a massive, smooth white boulder on which the Tibetan alphabet "Gā" (Ga) is naturally formed, giving it its name. Guru Padmasambhava personally consecrated and blessed the monastery thirteen times. The grounds house over 7,000 Buddhist scriptures, a large bronze pagoda, a statue of Sakyamuni, and classical engravings, among other rare treasures.
The temple is built on a high mountain. It is a niche secret place that can only be reached by hardcore off-road vehicles. Do not attempt it easily with a car!
locate: Shiqu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 3900m
The other side of the Kham Plateau is more real and cruel. During the long winter lasting half a year, all life is fighting a desperate battle against the severe cold and snow disasters. Therefore, for the people of Shiqu, the blessing of the Buddha is particularly important.
Generation after generation of people, with their firm belief, chiseled with hammers and built brick by brick, created the world's longest Mani Wall - the Bagh Mani Stone Sutra Wall.
locate: Shiqu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 3900m
Songgemani Stone Scripture City is located on the Zhaxika grassland in Shiqu. This stone scripture city has a history of more than a thousand years and was built during the reign of King Gesar. It is full of legends.
Standing here you will feel shocked. The entire castle is about 10 meters high and 100 meters long and wide. It is a square stone city.
According to the results of modern archaeological excavations, the Stone Scripture City that we see today is only 2/3 of its actual size. Due to the soft grass, 1/3 of the Stone Scripture City has sunk into the ground under the action of gravity.
locate: Baiyu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 3000m
In Gaiyu Township, Baiyu County, the ancient custom of tree burial persists. When a child under thirteen dies, the locals curl them up in a fetal position, place them in a container, and hang them from a sturdy tree. The location for tree burials is very strict, often at a T-junction or crossroads.
It symbolizes the constant presence of someone by the deceased's side. Secondly, it's the confluence of two or more rivers, where the rivers flow, like a mother's milk, into the deceased's heart. Thirdly, the tree chosen must be a grassy plain at a crossroads or at the center of a river's confluence. The tree must be sturdy, tall, and lush, symbolizing a prosperous family and a successor.
locate: Yinduo Township, Xinlong County, Ganzi
Altitude: 4000m
When talking about the Hengduan Mountains, most people will first think of canyons and high mountains. Those who know more will mention snow-capped mountains and glaciers, but have you ever thought that among the gray and white Hengduan Mountains, there is a moving red hidden deep inside.
Hongshan Danxia is located in Yinduo Township, Xinlong County. There are nearly 10 Danxia peaks over 5,000 meters. It is the highest and most extensive Danxia landform discovered in Tibet in my country so far.
As Professor Peng Hua, director of the China Danxia Research Group, said: "It has the best quality in Sichuan Province, the best landscape on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the top Danxia landform in China, and it has the potential to become a world-class brand!"
locate: Shiqu County, Ganzi Prefecture
Altitude: 4300m
"Zhaxi Ka" is another Tibetan name for Shiqu, meaning "along the Yalong River." This is the largest grassland in Sichuan, with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters and a high-altitude grassland climate.
Zhaxi Ka Grassland and Derge Grassland are both places where King Gesar's tribe roams all year round. It is the place where famous stories such as "The Birth of a Hero" and "Becoming the King by Horse Racing" in the epic "The Legend of King Gesar" took place. The famous photographer Lv Linglong used to shoot here all year round and published a collection of works "The Sun Tribe of Western China - Shiqu", which presented Shiqu to the public for the first time. In recent years, Lv Linglong re-entered Shiqu in order to photograph the most precious animal living on the plateau here - the snow leopard.
Most of the pictures in this guide are from the "Heart of White Jade Exploration Tour" event of China-TravelNotex's "Explore China" Season 3. After two product managers' on-site visits, we finally added Baiyu, a destination full of surprises and unknowns, to our "product line".
Although Baiyu is far away, China-TravelNote is here to protect you!
