Live Your Best Lives
July and August are the months when I don't want to travel the most, because first, there are many people; Second, the weather is hot. So much so that there is no interest in touring at all. Taking advantage of this time, a plan for a self-driving tour of Sichuan in October was formulated. The first option is to fly to Chengdu and then rent a car. However, because the new crown epidemic occurred from time to time during this period, for the sake of insurance, it was finally decided to abandon the plan of flying to Chengdu and instead drive directly from Shanghai. The route was also changed to bypass Chengdu and nearby attractions. The final itinerary is: Shanghai - Hailuogou - Mugecso - Xinduqiao - Aden - Litang - Tagong Grassland - Bamei - Yala Snow Mountain - Lianbao Yeze - Aba County - Shenza Village - Hongyuan Grassland - The First Bay of Jiuqu of the Yellow River - Ruoergehua Lake - Langmu Temple - Tiebu Town - Zhagana - Shenxian Pond - Jiuzhaigou - Huanglong - Munigou - Bipenggou - Siguniang Mountain - Shanghai. Departed on October 5 and returned to Shanghai on October 29, covering a total of 25 days and a distance of 8,222 kilometers.
On October 5, depart from Shanghai and start a self-driving tour of Sichuan. The first stop is Hailuogou. Rushing for four consecutive days, except for the last part of the road to Hailuogou, they were basically on the highway. He stayed in Yingshan, Hubei, Wushan, Chongqing, and Ziyang, Sichuan. On the fourth day, from Ziyang to Hailuogou, because of the abundance of time, I specially went around from the Yaxi Expressway. Take the section of the highway from Ya'an to Menghuocheng, take a look and walk the 10-kilometer-long Mud Mountain Tunnel and the double helix that is half a tunnel and half an elevated helix. It's just driving on the highway, but it's far less shocking than drone aerial photography.
Nipa Hill Tunnel
Hailuogou
Hailuogou is located in Moxi Town, Luding County, which is a very mature scenic spot, and it is very convenient to eat and live in the town. On May 29, 1935, the Red Army's Long March passed by here and held the "Moxi Conference", so there are many red sites in the town, you can take a look. It is only a ten-minute walk from the town to the gate of the scenic spot. Hailuogou, like most scenic spots now, takes about 55 minutes to take the scenic delivery bus after purchasing a ticket to enter the scenic spot to reach the end point - Ganheba. From the dry river dam, you can take the ropeway to Camp 4 to watch the big icefall. Because of the bad weather, we had to give up. As a result, I only visited the next section, walking from Ganheba to Camp 3, then taking a short battery car, taking the wooden plank road to see the ice tongue, and then returning to Camp 3, crossing the glacier forest walking trail to Caohaizi. Finally, go to Jingjiao Station and take the car back to the gate.
After the tour, I feel that the charm of Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park has been greatly reduced with the degradation of glaciers, and of course, bad weather is also one of the factors. So the ice tongue is not worth mentioning, and the forest is still worth seeing. We were blocked by a group of splashing monkeys as we walked through the forest walk, glaring at us, and we knew at a glance that we had bad intentions. I didn't see any other tourists before or after, and I couldn't help but feel secretly timid. After a stalemate with them for a while, you had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over, and the head monkey grabbed you, but fortunately you ignored it, and it didn't entangle you much. It was passed without danger.
Moses Town
the red mark of Moxi Town
the so-called ice tongue is like this
the malicious monkey
Mugetso
It is a mountain lake belonging to Kangding County, and in order to attract tourists, it is named "Kangding Love Song Scenic Area", which means a bit of "big money". Tickets plus scenery delivery are 190 yuan. This is no longer a little expensive. The scenic spot claims to have six scenic spots: Rhododendron Gorge, Fang Lawn, Seven Colored Sea, Medicine Pond Boiling Spring, Red Sea Grassland, and Mugecuo. But the scenery is really average. Except for the lakes of Mugetso and some tourists soaking in the boiling springs of the medicine pool, the others seem to have no impression.
Yaochi Boiling Spring
from Mugecuo to Xinduqiao, take Provincial Highway 434. Passing through Kangding Airport at an altitude of 4,238 meters, this road is closer than from National Highway 318 to Xindu Bridge, and the scenery is beautiful. Grasslands, mountains, blue skies and white clouds accompany you all the way. Looking at the endless mountains in the distance from the viewing platform, people can't help but feel small.
is the runway of Kangding Airport in front of
it 
Aden
Aden's reputation goes without saying. There are usually two options for visiting Aden accommodation: Shangri-La Town and Aden Village. Shangri-La Town is about 7 kilometers away from the newly built tourist service center in the scenic area, and Aden is in the scenic area. Self-driving cars can only be parked at the tourist service center. After purchasing tickets, enter the scenic spot to sit and deliver the car. The scenery will arrive at Aden Village in about half an hour and will stop to pick up tourists staying in the village. After about 45 minutes of scenic delivery, we arrived at the terminal - Okikoji Temple. When you arrive at Chonggu Temple, you can walk to the Pearl Sea on a short line; Take a battery car to Luorong Cattle Farm for a long time, and then walk 12 miles back and forth to the Milk Sea and the Five-Colored Sea. These 12 miles are really a test of physical strength and perseverance. We entered the scenic spot at 8 a.m. and left the scenic spot at 6 p.m. For ten hours, except for the scenery and delivery, the rest of the time was climbing the mountain. The weather did not disappoint us, the scenery is really good, and the people are really tired. But when you go through a hellish trial, it feels like it's all worth it. It is recommended to go to the Milk Sea first, and then to the Five Colors Sea, although the journey is the same, but it is relatively easy.For people at high altitudes and physical strength to the limit, it still saves a lot of energy. You can also ride a horse from the five-color sea and milk sea from the Luorong cattle farm, but it is not recommended, because first, there are few horses, there is a time period, and you have to wait for his time; 2. It is only a one-way trip, and it is not as good as the Milk Sea and the Five-Colored Sea, so it cannot save a few miles. The vast majority of people take a long line to Aden, and it generally takes about 6 hours to go back and forth from the Luorong Cattle Farm to the Milk Sea and the Five-Color Sea. With the addition of scenery and delivery, it is normal to visit Aden for 10 hours, so it is appropriate to hurry early.
Aden village
Yang Maiyong
the Pearl Sea, and the snow-capped mountains behind it are the days
of the immortals
Milk Sea
five-colored sea
Eighteen Bends
of Tianlu
From Xinduqiao to Litang, you have to pass through the famous Tianlu Eighteen Bends of National Highway 318.There is an observation deck and parking lot and restrooms above Turn 18. Because there are too many people who want to stop and watch the eighteen bends, and the parking lot is not big enough, there is often a traffic jam.
National Highway
318
Aden - Litang
From Aden to Litang, this day is full of free attractions on the road. This is the advantage of self-driving tours, stop all the way and watch all the way. From Aden to Litang, there are: 10,000 acres of green poplar forest, Zunsheng Tallinn, Red Grassland, Haizi Mountain, Rabbit Mountain, Wuliang River and other scenic spots; Then from Litang along National Highway 318 to Maoya Grassland, Sister Lake.
million acres of green poplar forest
respects Tallinn
Red Meadow
Haizi Mountain
Rabbit Mountain
Litang National Highway 318 check-in place
Maoya Grassland
Sister Lake
Wuliang River
Tagong Grassland
From Xindu Bridge to Tagong Grassland, walk through the scenic corridor.Small rivers, grasslands, green mountains, and green trees accompany you all the way. Arrive at noon. The sun is shining brightly and the weather is very hot. Looking at the not too high mountain road, I really didn't want to climb up, so I stayed in the parking lot for five minutes and then went to the next stop.
Eight Mei Moshi Park
It is the only plateau stone forest landscape in our country, and it is a relatively unique scenery. The tour route is to first take the scenic delivery car (now the scenic delivery car is a must-have for tourist attractions and the main means of making huge profits) to the mountain (it only takes a few minutes, but the price is 20 yuan), and then walk all the way along the wooden plank road to see all the way. Finally, go to another exit and take the scenery to return to the parking lot. Of course, you can also enter the scenic spot from the exit parking lot, which can save the money of scenic delivery. Provided you are willing to go back and forth. The scenery of Moshi Park is still worth seeing, but the road down the mountain to the exit of the scenic spot is a bit long.
When I got up in the morning in Bamei Town, there was the first power outage in Sichuan, and I couldn't do anything, and the electronic door lock could not be used normally, so I could only wait for dawn.
Yala Snow Mountain
It is a new scenic spot. There are two main attractions: Yala Youcuo and Sister Lake. The scenery is driving all the way, and the surrounding scenery is quite beautiful, but it does not stop. The 16-kilometer scenic delivery car charges 90 yuan for a round trip, which is expensive enough. The next road can only be walked or horseback ridden. The mountain roads are extremely bad, they are all gravel dirt roads, and they are definitely not suitable for walking on rainy days. The price of horseback riding is divided into two sections, the long line to Sister Lake and the short line to Yala Wetland. And Yala Youcuo had to walk a mountain road after arriving at Yala Wetland. The essence of the scenic spot is in Yala Youcuo, if it is in the right season and the weather helps, it is quite good. Sister Lake is remote and the scenery is quite average. Not recommended to go. The day we went was cloudy, with occasional light rain and occasional rays of precious sunshine - just in time for Yarayutso. It makes the scenery much more beautiful. By the way, the scenic spot has a power outage, and there is no payment system, so you can only use cash. Fortunately, we were prepared. It's a pity that a few tourists behind us were not allowed to enter when they arrived at the gate of the scenic spot because of lack of cash.
Yala Youtso
rainbow after rain
beautiful valley
sister lake
lotus treasure leaf
Located in Aba County, Sichuan, Nianbaoyu belongs to the same mountain system as Qinghai, and the name is also very similar. Nian Baoyu closed in April 2018. So Lian Baoye suddenly rose up and replaced him. The scenic spot is characterized by strange peaks and rocks, snow-capped mountains and lakes. The biggest feature of this scenic spot is that there is no scenic delivery, so there is no other way but to drive. The ticket price is 120 yuan per person, although expensive, but worth it. The scenic spot is extremely suitable for self-driving tours. Roads and parking lots are well repaired. Very close to the attractions and quite user-friendly. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery at high altitudes with little effort. It is recommended to park where you see a place where you can park and drive all the way to the highest point of the mountain! Guaranteed not to disappoint you. Lotus Leaf is fully qualified to be called a paradise for self-driving tours.
the temple of each Mo
It is 13 kilometers away from Aba County. With a history of over 200 years, it is one of the three major Gelug temples. The temple covers an area of 18,000 square meters, with pagodas, scripture corridors, and scripture transfer halls, which are grand in scale, and are also under construction. Its Bodhi Pagoda has seven floors and houses the relics of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school. Unfortunately, due to the power outage, the elevator did not open, and the stairs could not be found, so I could not go upstairs to see it, so I could only look outside and on the first floor. But it's shocking enough!
Kanza Village
The village is built along the mountain and is quiet and beautiful. It has been awarded the reputation of "the most beautiful Chinese paradise". We took a turn from Aba County to Hongyuan County. I was surprised that there were no other tourists except us, and the parking lot was empty. Due to the construction of the Kuma Expressway, the Wacha Ring Road we took was crushed by heavy trucks under construction, which was very difficult to walk.
the Red Army's Long March stayed here - see the red mark again
Moon Bay in the Red Plains Prairie
There are some sightseeing platforms on the Jiuhong Grassland Sightseeing Road, where you can park and watch the magnificent scenery of the Red Grassland. After seeing the beautiful scenery all the way, I didn't have too many expectations for the Red Plains Grassland Moon Bay. Because I have time, since I have walked by, I should go and take a look. The scenic spot is not big and does not take much time. It's still the old routine: sitting on the scene and handing over the car, changing the battery car. A viewing tower has been built in the scenic spot, and the elevator goes directly to the viewing platform. Climbing high and looking into the distance, the scenery is still good: the winding white river flows at your feet, the sky is blue, the wilderness is vast, and the wind blows the grass and sees cattle and sheep. Some travelogues think that it is beautiful enough to see the red grassland on the road, and think that it is not worth spending money to see Moon Bay. But I don't think it's the same thing to climb high and look at the free sightseeing platform, and the money still has to be spent.
Red Plains Grassland
observation tower
The first bay of the Yellow River
The confluence of the Bai River and the Yellow River forms the first bay of the Yellow River. Take the 13-step escalator to the observation deck. Looking around from the observation deck, the winding Yellow River is unobstructed. This is also the place where the Red Army's Long March walked. Looking at this vast world, I remembered Mao Zedong's words: "Ask the vast earth, who is the master of ups and downs?" ”。
Ruoergehua Lake
From the first bay of the Yellow River Jiuqu to Ruoergehua Lake, you must take Tangre Road. Along the way, we walked through the beautiful and grassy Ruoerge grassland, with few vehicles and pleasant scenery.
Ruoerge Flower Lake Scenic Area still has to take the scenery and deliver the car, and you can't walk if you want to. After the scenery arrives at the point, you have to walk a long straight wooden plank road to get to the water's edge. The weather was clear and the clouds were high on the day we went. The water surface is sparkling and shining with golden light; The aquatic plants in the lake are clustered and dotted with the lake, which is really beautiful. Walking along the Huahu wooden plank road for about an hour and a half, there are some viewing platforms, take pictures, and the view is excellent.
Jorge Steppe
Flower Lake
Langmuji
There are two Langmu Temples in a Langmusi town, one belongs to Gansu and the other belongs to Sichuan. In order to go to the source of the Bailongjiang River and the Bailongjiang Grand Canyon behind Langmu Temple, we chose Langmu Temple in Sichuan. When I went, I encountered Sichuan Langmu Temple engaged in road construction, which was gray. After visiting Langmu Temple, I walked to the back of the temple with great interest. The dirt road along the Bailongjiang Gorge has to cross the Bailongjiang River (small stream) from time to time, the road is very difficult to walk, and the scenery is average, and the Bailongjiang Grand Canyon is really in vain. And the Bailongjiang River was just a stream a few meters wide at this time.
It was a cloudy day when I left Langmu Temple, and there was a power outage. The streets are dark and deserted. I found a small restaurant for lunch. The store immediately started the small generator and made lunch for us. It can be seen that power outages are the norm, and the impact of the new crown epidemic seems to be not small.
the road to the Grand Canyon of Bailongjiang via Langmu Temple
Randuo Village, Tiebu Town
,the source of the Bailongjiang River
On the way from Langmu Temple to Zagana, there is a very beautiful village on the side of the road with a very beautiful poplar forest. A small river flows by the forest. There is no charge for parking or excursions. So some tourist buses also park here, which is a good place to rest and check in.
Zagana
Because of the route arrangement, this trip to Sichuan also went to Zagana in Gansu. On the day of arrival, the epidemic has appeared in western Sichuan, Yinchuan and other places. When entering the scenic spot, I encountered the first registration inspection of this trip. It seems that the new crown infected people are ahead of us. Fortunately, the measures are behind us. When we left the next day, it was said that the scenic spot already needed a nucleic acid test report. If you go to the county hospital for nucleic acid testing, you might as well give up! The accommodation in Zagana is Dongwa Village, Yeri Village, Dari Village, and Daiba Village from bottom to top. There are quite a few viewing platforms and parking lots. Panoramic views of Zagana can be viewed from different heights. Further up is Rock's Road. Endless mountain roads, desolate and miserable mountain scenery. The entire section of the road is under construction and is not paved.
Zagana doesn't seem to be as attractive as people say, and it should be said that it does not meet expectations. Maybe it's because the weather is a little worse.
The climate in the mountains is unpredictable, and it snows lightly in the middle of the night, and when you wake up in the morning, it is white.
Rock's Way
is like this on the day it arrives
the next morning it looked like this
The Immortal Pool
is called Nen Sangcuo in Tibetan. It is about 40 kilometers away from Jiuzhaigou. It boasts of being a combination of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. It's indeed a little interesting. As long as you go to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, you don't have to look at this fairy pool. Not only is the scale small, but the scenery is also a grade worse. Since the Nine Yellows have been removed, why must they be immortals? What was surprising was that the day we went was not a weekend, and the transportation to the fairy pool was not very convenient, but there were quite a lot of tourists. Is the advertising done well?
28 turns
The road from the Immortal Pool to Jiuzhaigou has to pass through 28 turns. I think drone aerial photography must be spectacular.
the first turn at the foot of the mountain
The twenty-eighth turn on the mountain is simply two worlds
of Jiuzhaigou
After the earthquake on August 8, 2017, the scenic spot was damaged, and it was not until September 28, 2021 that the whole area was reopened. We caught up. After purchasing tickets in the tourist hall, enter the ticket gate and hand over the car directly to the scene. Because there are many tourists, the first point of the tour is arranged by the scenic spot, and you can't help it. In order to stagger tourists, the scenic delivery car pulled us to the Rhino Sea. Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area is a Y-shaped, the middle point is Nuorilang, the visitor center of Jiuzhaigou, catering, shops, rest, and transfer are all here. One end of Y is the long sea, and the other end is the primeval forest. There are many attractions scattered among them. Tour suggestion: You can not go to the primeval forest, just walk back from the sea of grass. This is my second time swimming in Jiuzhaigou. This revisit, I feel that the scenic spot has spent a lot of effort, and the attractions have recovered quite well. As for the scenery, there is no doubt about it. At all times, Jiuzhaigou is beautiful and worth a visit.
Huanglong
has a very poor experience because of the bad weather. Sitting or not sitting on the ropeway up the mountain puts you in a dilemma. I took the ropeway, spent money, lined up, and walked a lot. This is a fairly long road and there is no scenery. Don't take the ropeway, it doesn't seem worth it to walk back and forth. The scenery varies depending on the weather and personal feelings. The day we went was really not good, the 170 yuan ticket and the 80 yuan ropeway ticket were a bit sorry for us. I think that Huanglong's ropeway is the most unreasonable ropeway I have ever ridden, and there is no one.
Munigou
Scenic Area consists of two parts: Erdaohai and Zaga Waterfall. The distance is about 20 km. Because the location is relatively remote, there are few tourists. You can buy a joint ticket for the two scenic spots. Munigou Scenic Area is famous for its calcified ponds, primeval forests, alpine meadows, etc. The two seas are quite well developed, and the whole process is a wooden plank road. There are many attractions and the scenery is good, so it is worth a visit. Zaga Waterfall is much smaller, and there is basically only one waterfall to see. If time is limited, you can give up.
Bipenggou
inZaga Waterfall
is not very developed, and it goes all the way from Hailuogou, around a large circle in western Sichuan, until the road from Maoxian to Bipenggou, and then it is on the highway in the mountains in Wenchuan. Looking at the majestic mountains around me, I couldn't help but be frightened. Bipenggou is only 200 kilometers away from Chengdu, and it coincides with the weekend, so there are a lot of self-driving tourists, and they have to queue up to enter the parking lot. The tour method is: first take the scenic delivery bus to Longwang Sea, then walk through the lake, and then take the scenic delivery bus to the tourist service center. Take a battery car to Panyang Lake in the service center, which is the essence of the scenic spot. From Panyang Lake, you can also take a battery car to the swallow's nest. We didn't go to the swallow's nest due to time constraints. Instead, after visiting Panyang Lake, I walked back to the tourist service center along the trail. Finally, take the scenic delivery bus back to the gate of the scenic spot. Bipenggou in October should be the most beautiful season, with snow-capped mountains, lakes, and boxwood forests complementing each other. Compared with the 130 yuan ticket, it is still worth the money.
Siguniang Mountain
The itinerary on the day of going to Siguniang Mountain was the tightest day. But it seems that everything slows us down by half a beat. First of all, breakfast in the hotel where I stayed started at 8 o'clock. It was already half an hour later than planned. And it took a lot of time to complete the penggou. Therefore, it was already night when we arrived at the Balang Mountain Winding Road, and the rain and fog hit at the same time, and the visibility was extremely poor. To ensure safety, the car is like a turtle. And the most complaining thing is: finally only a few kilometers away from the homestay where we stayed, but there was a traffic jam due to the epidemic check health code. Just like that, we waited in line for an hour.
Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area has three scenic spots: Shuangqiaogou, Changpinggou and Haizigou, which are sold separately. We went to Shuangqiaogou and Changpinggou.
The Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area is very large, the tour method is very simple, the scenic delivery car will send you all the way to the farthest place, and then travel back with the scenic delivery car one stop at a time. There are forests, small lakes, and meadows inside, but there is no Siguniang Mountain! Blame us for our ignorance, it turns out that Shuangqiaogou can't see Siguniang Mountain at all.
Changpinggou is from the ticket office of the scenic spot to the gate of the scenic spot, and the whole tour is completely on foot or horseback. Compared to Shuangqiaogou, you can see the Yaomei Peak of Siguniang Mountain at the gate of the scenic spot. The wooden plank road in the scenic spot goes all the way, and it is said that the more you go inside, the more beautiful it becomes. Unfortunately, time was limited, so we only walked to the dry tree beach. The scenery of the woods, peaks, and creeks under the sunset is still good.
Shuangqiaogou
bug-footed waterfall
Dead Tree Beach
is said to be at the Maobiliang Observation Deck on the side of the road. We passed by when we left, but unfortunately because of the bad weather, we couldn't see the figure of Siguniang Mountain. I didn't see the complete Siguniang Mountain during the entire Siguniang Mountain tour, and it seems to have nothing to do with Siguniang Mountain.
Soon after passing the cat's nose bridge, we arrived at the Balang Mountain Winding Highway. It snowed lightly last night, and Balang Mountain was white all the way, but fortunately, the snow was not deep. Because it is daytime, driving is less difficult than night rain and fog, so just be careful. After descending from Balang Mountain, there was no trace of snow. Soon, get on the highway - return to Shanghai at full speed.
Cat's Nose Bridge Observation Deck
couldn't see anything on the Balang Mountain viewing platform
and went home
On October 26, I set off from Siguniang Mountain to return to Shanghai. At that time, there was already an epidemic in Chengdu, and returning to Shanghai through Chengdu already needed to do nucleic acid testing and daily temperature measurement reports. We were lucky enough to avoid Chengdu, pass through Quxian, Dangyang, and Anqing, and return to Shanghai on October 29, and the Sichuan self-driving tour ended successfully. God is very fond of us, and although we have passed by the new crown epidemic in Ruoergehua Lake, Zagana and other places, it has not had any impact on us.
With each trip, the weather plays a decisive role in the view. Sichuan has many attractions and is very beautiful. This self-driving tour is only part of it. If I were to choose among these attractions, I think the most worthwhile ones are: Aden, Lianbaoyeze, Jiuzhaigou.
This year, the epidemic is still occurring from time to time across the country. And we in Shanghai have experienced the most tragic lockdown, and I consciously closed myself at home throughout the spring, in addition to doing nucleic acid testing, I wrote this miscellaneous note in boredom.
After a long 70 days, it began to gradually return to normal from 6.1. I am thinking that in the face of strict prevention of the epidemic across the country, I don't know if I will have the opportunity to continue my self-driving trip this fall.
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