Walking into the snowy plateau - Tibet 22-day tour

Number of days: 22 days
Time: February
Average cost: 13,500 yuan
With whom: husband and wife
Updated: 2023.12.16

Tibet is a place I have longed for for a long time, but I have not been able to make it because I am worried that my body will not be able to adapt to the high altitude. It wasn't until last year that I finally decided to go to Tibet in October, but because of the ongoing new crown epidemic, my travel was blocked, so I missed the best time to travel to Tibet. This year, with the adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies in various places, travel has become very smooth. After the first month, the temperature gradually warmed, and we set off for the snowy plateau under the blue sky and white clouds. Because we couldn't find a direct flight from Tianjin to Lhasa, we chose to transit in Chengdu and play in Chengdu for a few days.

The total cost (2 people) is 27,573.01 yuan, including:

transportation (including chartered car fee of 8,600.00 yuan) is 16,043.00 yuan, accommodation is 4,116.13 yuan, tickets (including scenic sightseeing cars, etc.) are 1,638.00 yuan, shopping, meals, city fares and miscellaneous items are 5,775.88 yuan.

took a flight at 9:30 in the morning and arrived at Shuangliu Airport in Chengdu at noon. Since we had already booked a flight to Lhasa tomorrow morning, we chose a hotel near the airport for the convenience of the flight. After checking in at the hotel, we decided to spend half a day in the afternoon to visit Wenshu Monastery in the city. Take the subway from Shuangliu Square to Wenshu Monastery Station and walk not far to the gate of Wenshu Monastery.

Wenshu Monastery is located in Qingyang District, Chengdu, covering an area of more than 200,000 square meters, and was founded during the Sui Dynasty (605-617) and named Xinxiang Temple. In the fifth year of Huichang (845), Tang Wuzong destroyed the Buddha and the temple was destroyed. In the thirty-sixth year of Kangxi (1697), funds were raised to rebuild the temple and was renamed Wenshu Monastery. The Kangxi Emperor's imperial pen "Empty Forest" was given a copy of the imperial seal, and the Kangxi Emperor's ink still exists in the courtyard. Wenshu Monastery is one of the key monasteries of Chinese-speaking Buddhism in the country determined by the State Council, the first of the four major Zen forests in the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, and is a Buddhist holy place integrating Zen forest relics, ancient garden buildings, worship and sightseeing, and religious practice. The existing buildings of Wenshu Monastery are typical of the ancient building style of the western Sichuan Plain, all wooden buildings, and the six-fold main hall is facing the central axis of the mountain gate in turn, which is magnificent and majestic.

It is the beginning of the school season, and many students come to Wenshu Monastery to worship Manjushri Bodhisattva today, which makes the usually quiet Wenshu Monastery much more lively.

Wenshu Temple

Wenshu Monastery

Visiting Wenshu Monastery, in addition to experiencing the heavy sense of humanities and history, is more inseparable from "eating". There are many Chengdu delicacies around Wenshu Monastery, and after visiting Wenshu Monastery and having dinner on the commercial street in front of the door, we went back to the hotel to rest.

Lao Ma Chao Shou

Just after dawn, we came to the airport. At 6 a.m., the plane took off on time and entered Tibet, the sun was rising, and you could see the continuous snow-capped mountains bathed in the morning glow on the plane, which looked desolate and mysterious.

Chengdu-Lhasa on the way

Chengdu-Lhasa The

plane landed at Gongga Airport in Lhasa at 9 o'clock, considering that Lhasa's altitude is relatively high, We chose to go to the relatively low altitude of Nyingchi to play first, and then return to Lhasa after our bodies adapted. Take a bus from Gongga Airport to Lhasa Railway Station, then transfer to an EMU to Nyingchi.

On the way from Lhasa to Nyingchi, the beautiful scenery on the plateau continues to unfold in front of you.

Lhasa-Nyingchi on the way

on the way from Lhasa to Nyingchi

There is a time difference of 2 hours between Tibet and the mainland, and it is almost 6 o'clock in the evening when we arrive in Nyingchi, and the sun has not yet set here. The hotel we booked was near the bus station in the city, the railway station in Nyingchi is more than 20 kilometers away from the city, and it takes more than half an hour to get to the city of Nyingchi by minibus from the train station.

came to the plateau after a two-day journey, and today we are going to go to Cuomu and Rijing Area, which is not far from the city. After booking the tickets for the scenic spot online, we took a taxi to the scenic spot. When I arrived at the gate of the scenic spot, I learned that due to the icy road up the mountain, the scenic spot was closed today, so I had to return the same way.

When I first arrived at the plateau, in order to adapt to the plateau environment, the time arrangement was relatively loose. Cuomu and Ri Scenic Area cannot be played, and no other attractions are arranged today, so we will go to the Niyang River not far from the hotel.

The

Niyang River, which originates on the west side of Mount Mila, has a total length of 307.5 kilometers and a drop of 2,273 meters, flowing from west to east, and is one of the five major tributaries in the Brahmaputra River basin. The Niyang River has clear water and intact forest vegetation on both sides of the river, making it the "mother river" of the people of Gongbu.

The water supply of the Niyang River is mainly snow-capped mountain meltwater, and the Niyang River should be very beautiful in summer. Unfortunately, when we came, it was a dry season, and a large area of gravel was exposed in the river, and the fine water flowed slowly between the gravel, dotted with several puddles, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance appeared and disappeared in the clouds and mist.

Niyang River

played by the Niyang River for a while, and on the way back to the hotel, after discussing the charter with a car rental company I learned about last night, We went back to the hotel to rest.

is officially starting our trip to the plateau today, and the first destination is Basuncuo. At 9 o'clock in the morning, the chartered car driver Xiang came to pick us up at the door of the hotel.

The car drove out of Nyingchi city for about an hour when it suddenly snowed. We felt that we were going to encounter a bad weather today, and told the master that the weather on the plateau changed quickly, and maybe the snow would stop after a while. The car drove on the mountain road for another hour, and when we arrived at the scenic spot, the snow stopped.

Basongcuo, also known as Cuogao Lake, which means "green water" in Tibetan, is located in the high gorge and deep valley of the upper reaches of the Ba River, more than 50 kilometers away from Gongbu Jiangda County, Nyingchi Region, with an altitude of more than 3,700 meters, and is a famous sacred lake and holy place of the Red Sect (Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism). The scenic spot integrates snow-capped mountains, lakes, forests, waterfalls and pastures, cultural relics and monuments, and ancient temples, with different scenery, different seasons, and all kinds of wild and rare plants gathered, which is really a paradise on earth and has the reputation of "Little Switzerland".

Master Xiang sent us to the gate of the scenic spot, told us some precautions for activities on the plateau, let us play slowly, don't worry, he is waiting for us to come out at the door.

We took the sightseeing bus of the scenic spot into the scenic spot and first came to the island in the middle of the lake.

The

island in the center of the lake is called Tashi Island, which is about 100 meters away from the shore and has a plank road to connect with the shore. Legend has it that the island is a "hollow island", that is, the island is not connected to the bottom of the lake and floats on the lake. On the island, there is a Tang Dynasty building "Cuozong Gongpa Temple", which is a famous Hongjiao Nyingma temple in Tibet, built at the end of the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,500 years. Cuozong Temple is a civil structure, with two floors, and the main hall is dedicated to lotus peanuts, thousand-handed Guanyin and golden boys and jade girls.

Basuncuo

Bassuncuo

The island in the middle of

Basuncuo

Lake is not big, and it takes almost half an hour to go around the island along the path. Coming down from the island in the middle of the lake, you can take a cruise to visit Basuncuo or along the plank road by the lake. Most visitors choose to take a boat tour or just take a short walk on the boardwalk and return, we choose to follow the boardwalk.

The water of Basuncuo Lake is crystal clear, and the surrounding snow-capped mountains are reflected in it. The sun came out at noon, the sun shone on the snow-capped mountains, and the white snow shone in the sun.

Basuncuo

basoncuo

Bassuncuo

Basuncuo

Bassuncuo

We walked and played until we reached the end of the plank road before returning. Return to the sightseeing station and continue by sightseeing bus to the observation deck. After climbing a flight of steps, you can condescend to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Basuncuo and the island in the middle of the lake.

Bassuncuo

Basuncuo

got off the observation deck and continued to take the sightseeing bus back to the gate of the scenic spot.

It was still early after the tour of Basuncuo, so we decided to stop by Kadingou on the way back. On the way back, passing by the Xiuba Castle Group, we decided to stop and take a look.

Xiuba Castle is located in Xiuba Village, Bahe Town, Gongbu Jiangda County, also known as "Rongbao", which is commonly referred to as the beacon tower, and is an ancient military castle built on the mountain. Originally built in the late Tang Dynasty, it has a history of more than 1,600 years, and is the oldest, oldest, densest and most structurally preserved ancient castle group in Tibet. Today's Xiuba Castle has been abandoned over the centuries and is a ruin.

The Xiuba Castle Group consists of 5 fortresses of different heights, with a spacing of about 30 to 50 meters, and each fortress echoes each other and is a corner of each other. Incredibly, the entire castle is actually made of sheet stone and wooden planks, hollow inside, uncapped, and the exterior presents a geometric shape of 12 sides and 12 prisms, with a regular octagonal shape inside. After thousands of years of wind and rain, the ancient castle is still majestic and upright, extremely strong, and truly shows the exquisite architectural craftsmanship of the Tibetan nation more than a thousand years ago.

Xiuba Castle

After visiting the Xiuba Castle complex in about half an hour, we continued to Kadinggou.

Kadinggou Scenic Area, also known as Kading Tianfo Waterfall Forest Scenic Area, is located on the banks of the Niyang River 24 kilometers away from Bayi Town on National Highway 318. The main attraction in the scenic area is the Tianfo Waterfall, which has a waterfall with a drop of nearly 200 meters, and the silver chain-like water flows on the cliff, majestic and spectacular. A naturally formed Buddha in the waterfall has a kind face, appearing and disappearing in the waterfall, hence the name of the Heavenly Buddha Waterfall. The waterfall water floats down like a silver chain when it is small, and when the water is strong, it is majestic and thrilling. There is a naturally formed Buddha statue on the rock wall behind the waterfall, which is said to be the protector of Tibetan compatriots in the Nyingchi area, with a clear face, as if it was artificially carved. There are male and female protectors on both sides of the Buddha statues, and they all have solemn and vivid demeanors. The female protector Bandan Ram on the right is about 100 meters high, and it can be vaguely seen that she is wearing a veil, wearing a ribbon around her waist, and holding Buddha beads, her image is lifelike; On the left is Jigong worshiping Buddha, and the image is just as realistic. In addition to the heavenly Buddha and the protectors on both sides, there are also naturally formed abstract Buddhist landscapes such as the Tathagata, Guanyin, lama chanting, the divine turtle calling the sky, the divine eagle offering treasures, and the butter lamp, which are said to be more visible to people with Buddhist connections.

We just entered the scenic spot and happened to meet a tour guide walking and explaining with a tour group, so we followed the tour guide and watched the various strange images on the cliff while listening to his story. Walking all the way, when I walked to the edge of the Tianfo Waterfall, snowflakes began to float, and after a while, the surroundings were shrouded in fog, and the various images on the cliff wall were blurred.

Kadingou Scenic Area

When we returned to the gate of the scenic spot, a layer of snowflakes had already fallen on our bodies. Back in the car, today's trip is over, and we return to Nyingchi city at 7 o'clock in the evening.

Nyingchi is most famous for the stone pot, back to the city of Nyingchi, we went to taste the stone pot mushroom soup yak meat, the portion is very large, the yak meat is very tender, and the mushroom soup is delicious.

stone pot mushroom soup yak beef

Today we are going to climb over the Sejila Mountain, Go to Yigong Township to see rapeseed flowers and peach blossoms. In the morning, Master Xiang came to the hotel on time to pick us up, and left Nyingchi city for Yigong Township.

The car drove along National Highway 318, passing through Nyingchi Town and entering Sejila Mountain. Sejila Mountain belongs to the Nianqing Tanggula Mountains, which is the boundary between the eastern and central and western parts of Nyingchi County in Tibet, and is the watershed between the Niyang River Basin and the Palong Zangbo River, and is crossed by the southern route of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. I heard that it snowed heavily on Sejila Mountain last night, and today the slopes are covered with thick snow.

Sejila Mountain

Mount
Sejila

Sejila Mountain

Mount Sejila

At noon, we arrived at the observation deck of the Sejla Mountain Pass, where the snow shimmered in the sunlight and the Nanga Bawa Peak in the distance was shrouded in thick clouds. When the weather is good, the Sejila Mountain Pass at an altitude of 4,728 meters has a wide view, and you can overlook the endless Lulang Forest Sea and the majestic majesty of Nanga Bawa Peak.

Nanga Bawa Peak is located at the intersection of the Himalayas, Nianqing Tanggula Mountains and Hengduan Mountains, and is the highest mountain in the Nyingchi region of Tibet, China. It is the oldest Buddhist shrine in Tibet and is known as the "Father of the Mountains of Tibet". Its huge triangular peak is covered with snow all year round, surrounded by clouds and mist, and never easily reveals its true face, so it is also called "Shame Peak".

Because we had to pass through here on the way back, we didn't stop too much and only took a few photos before leaving.

Sejila Pass

Sejila Mountain Pass

The car continued to drive on the mountain road, with steep mountain walls on one side and endless forest seas on the other, There are some houses scattered in the mountain hollows in the distance. Listening to the master's introduction, this is the famous Lulang Linhai.

Lulang Forest Sea is located on the South Sichuan-Tibet Highway (National Highway 318) and is a forest in a sea of clouds and mountains. The surrounding snow-capped mountains are lined with lush forests, and there are neat meadows that seem to be manipulated in the forest, with thousands of wildflowers blooming in a picturesque manner.

Lulang Linhai

circled down the road from Sejila Mountain to Lulang Town.

Lulang Town is located in Bayi District, Nyingchi Region, is a quiet town surrounded by forests and mountains, with clouds and mist on the mountains in the distance, winding streams around it, wildflowers on the alpine meadows, beautiful and safe scenery, known as "Snowy Switzerland", known as "Tibet Jiangnan".

the town of Lulang

Lulang Town

Today we are also going to Yigong Township, so we didn't stop in Lulang Township. After passing Lulang Town, continue along National Highway 318 to Pailong Natural Danger. It turned out to be the most dangerous section of the Sichuan-Tibet line, with the characteristics of narrow, rotten and dangerous, and is famous for its steepness. Due to the sparse and fragile mountain, when wind, rain or ice and snow melt, mudslides and landslides are very likely to occur, resulting in traffic interruptions; Even in the dry season, due to the crushing of large vehicles, the road ruts are serious, rockfalls are everywhere, and cars often wipe the bottom when passing by.

Now tunnels have been built here, bridges have been erected, turning natural dangers into roads.

the natural danger
of the dragon

Pailong Natural Danger

After passing through Pailong Natural Danger, we temporarily left National Highway 318 and drove into the branch line to Yigong Township.

Yigong is a township under the jurisdiction of Bomi County, Nyingchi City, Tibet Autonomous Region, which means "beautiful" in Tibetan. There are many narrow terraces around the Yigong River Valley and Yigong Lake, with a minimum altitude of 1900 meters and a maximum of 2300 meters, no severe cold in winter and no scorching heat in summer, high humidity, relatively weak sunshine, and is the only tea-producing area in Tibet, where the famous Yigong Tea Farm is located.

Yigong Tea Farm is 2,240 meters above sea level, which is currently the highest tea farm in our country. Entering Yigong Township, the first thing you pass through is the first tea field in Yigong.

Yigong's first tea field

continues along Yigong Lake, there are many farmhouses by the lake, patches of blooming rapeseed flower fields and sporadic peach blossoms, in the snow-capped mountains, It is particularly beautiful against the backdrop of the lake.

Yigong Lake

Yigon Lake

Yigong Lake

went around Yigong Lake, and finally we came to the location of the Yigong Tea Farm Department, Visited the General Building, where General Zhang Guohua, former commander of the Tibet Military Region, worked in Tibet.

General Building

left Yigong Township, and we returned to National Highway 318, After passing the 4,000-kilometer milestone of the Tongmet Bridge and National Highway 318, we arrived at Bomi County.

to the Met Bridge

318 National Highway 4,000 kilometers Milestone

Today we are going to go along the Zamo Highway to the mysterious Motuo.

The

Zamo Highway starts in Zamu Town, Bomi County, and ends at Lotus Square in Motuo County, which is renovated and rebuilt on the basis of the original Motuo simple road, with a total length of 117.278 kilometers, successively crossing 6 rivers such as the Bodou Zangbo River, Jinzhu Zangbo River, and Ximo River, passing through the Galon Temple, crossing the Galunla Snow Mountain with a tunnel, and reaching the Lotus Square in Motuo County. Due to the complex geological conditions in southern Tibet, where Motuo County is located, geological disasters such as debris flows often occur, and the construction is extremely difficult. Construction started in 1975, was damaged by natural disasters many times, and was repaired and stopped many times, until the road was officially opened to traffic on October 31, 2013, and Motuo County got rid of the history of "the only county in the country without highways".

From Zamu Town, Bomi County, to the south, you must first cross the Galongla Snow Mountain, which is one of the only roads to Motuo County.

Galongla Snow Mountain is located at the junction of Motuo County and Bomi County in the Nyingchi Region of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is the western end of the Gangrigab Mountains (also the northwest extreme of the Hengduan Mountains), with an average altitude of 4,800 meters and an altitude of about 4,200 meters above sea level. The top of the mountain is covered with ice and snow all year round, and the mountain is home to several glaciers, with typical modern glacial landforms, and the glacial meltwater eventually flows into the tributaries of the Brahmaputra River.

Galunla Snow Mountain

Galongla Snow Mountain

Galunla Snow Mountain

Galonla Snow Mountain

The Galonla Snow Mountain

Highway was lined with thick snow, and we moved forward through a snow wall more than half a meter high.

Zamo Highway

After passing the 52K checkpoint, we arrive at the Galonla Tunnel.

The Galonla Tunnel is a control project of the Motuo Highway, with a total length of 3,310 meters and an average altitude of 3,700 meters. The meteorological conditions of the construction tunnel are harsh, passing through multiple geological fault zones, rock masses are broken, water inflow is large, and the geological structure and hydrogeological conditions are extremely complex. From November to April of the following year, heavy snow begins to close the mountains, causing great inconvenience to the lives of the Motuo people. The penetration of the tunnel not only saves the time of crossing the snow-capped mountains, but also avoids the difficulty of being unable to drive due to heavy snow, creating a miracle in the history of highway construction, representing the end of the history of the Motuo people who have been blocked by the vast snow-capped mountains for generations.

Galonla Tunnel

When you reach the Galonla Tunnel, it is covered with a thick layer of snow. Because we had to pass through here when we came back, we didn't stop too much, but continued to Motuo County. From the Galonla Tunnel at an altitude of 3,700 meters to the town of Motuo more than 1,000 meters, there are many continuous downhills. Along the way, from snow-capped mountains to lush rainforests, one day experienced four seasons.

Zamo Highway

The Motuo Tropical Rainforest on

the Zamo Highway

is the northernmost tropical rainforest on Earth, and is the lowest altitude, mildest and most abundant rainfall on the Tibetan Plateau. The most ecologically preserved area.

Zamo Highway

The Zamo Highway

arrived at Motuo County at noon, and Motuo in Tibet was called "Boyu Baimagang", which means "hidden lotus". It is also the birthplace of the legendary Sixth Dalai Lama Cangyang Gyatso. In 2013, Motuo became the last county in China to open to traffic.

First of all, we came to the Rinchen Beng Monastery located on Mount Zemara in the south of Motuo Village, Motuo Town, but the temple is under renovation and is not open to the public. Then we came to an observation deck called "Mirage", which overlooks the winding Brahmaputra River and the entire county of Motuo.

"Mirage" observation deck

"Mirage" Observation Deck

Continue from the observation deck to the famous Brahmaputra Jiangguotang Big Turn.

The Brahmaput Jiangguoguotang Big Turn is located on the mountain 20 kilometers of Motuo County and is the most representative attraction of Motuo. The Brahmaputra River makes a big bend here in Guoguotang, which is also called a serpentine bend locally. Guoguotang is named Guoguotang because it looks like a lollipop. The Guoguotang Big Bend is the real big bend of the Brahmaputra River, and there is also a lotus-shaped observation deck at the viewing place for tourists to overlook, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon, shrouded in clouds and mist, looming, and the magnificence of the scenery is breathtaking.

Bend of the Brahmaput Jiangguo Guotang

Bend of Brahmaput Jiangguotang

Leaving the Bend of Brahmaputra Jiangguotang, we went to visit the Museum of History and Cultural Heritage of Motuomenluo.

The Motuo Menluo Historical and Cultural Heritage Museum, also known as the "Lotus Pavilion", is located on the top of a mountain on the edge of Motuo County. The museum displays in detail the geographical overview of Motuo, the farming, production and lifestyle of the Menba and Luoba people, the ancient hunting culture, religion, customs and culture, as well as textile costumes and traditional handicraft culture, etc., and is a historical and cultural heritage museum.

Museum of Historical and Cultural Heritage
of Montmenlo

the Museum of

Historical and Cultural Heritage
of Motumenlo

Museum of Historical and Cultural Heritage
of Montmenlo

Motuo Menluo Historical and Cultural Heritage Museum

The Lotus Pavilion is a landmark building in Motuo, with strong Menluo ethnic characteristics. Standing on the viewing platform on the roof, you can see the entire Motuo County without dead ends, which is the best viewing point and shooting point in Motuo.

Lotus Pavilion Observation Deck

Coming out of the museum, we entered the county seat of Motuo. After checking in at the hotel, we walked around Motuo County.

Metuo County

Motuo County

Today we are going to leave Motuo and return to Bomi the same way. In the morning, the Zamo Highway was shrouded in a layer of fog, and the surroundings were filled with moist air.

Zamo Highway

Follow Zamo Highway and soon reach the Galonla Tunnel. Passing through the tunnel, the golden-roofed and red-walled Garong Temple appears in front of you against the backdrop of white snow.

Galunla Snow Mountain

Galun La Snow Mountain

Galongla Snow Mountain

Garonji Temple

We stayed for a while at the pass and then left. After lunch in Bomi County at noon, we told the master that the nearby Gang Spruce Forest was beautiful, so we decided to go to Gang Spruce Forest in the afternoon.

The Gang spruce forest is located 22 kilometers west of Bomizamu Town, with a forest area of more than 2,800 hectares and a forest coverage rate of more than 61%, especially spruce. The scenic area is high and densely wooded, with towering ancient trees, lakes, mountains, rivers and green trees, forming a fascinating picture.

Hill Spruce Forest

hill spruce forest

Hill Spruce Forest

Gang Spruce Forest

Today we are going to come to the ancient glacier to play, come out of Bomi County, go along National Highway 318, and first pass by Ranwu Lake.

Ranwu Lake is located in Ranwu Township, Basu County, Changdu Region, and is a dammed lake formed by landslides or mudslides blocking the river. There is Gangrigab Snow Mountain in the southwest of the lake, Azagonla Glacier in the south, and Boshula Ridge in the northeast. The ice and snow meltwater from the surrounding snow-capped mountains constitute the main supply water source of Ranwu Lake, and cause the lake to pour westward to form one of the upper sources of Palong Zangbo, an important tributary of the Brahmaputra River, a famous river in Tibet. The lakeside is a dense primeval forest, and there are many primitive Tibetan villages.

Ranwu Lake

On the road to Wuhu Lake

, we pass a lake with the reflection of snow-capped mountains, and the clear snow-capped mountains are reflected in the turquoise lake like a mirror, like a rich oil painting. There were many vehicles parked on the side of the road, and we also parked here to play for a while.

Ranwu Lake

continues along the shore of Ranwu Lake, known as the "Western Heavenly Yao Pond", and the bushes on both sides of the lake are superimposed on the white clouds and blue sky. The reflection in the lake water is a picture of rich colors.

Ranwu Lake

It is already noon when we arrive at Laigu

Village

, where the

Laigu Glacier is located, we have to take a sightseeing bus at the entrance of the scenic spot, Then walk over a small mountain bag to reach the edge of the ice lake.

Laigu Glacier is located in Ranwu Town, Basu County, Changdu Region, Tibet, close to Ranwu Lake, is the collective name of a group of glaciers, the source of the Palong Zangbo River, and the ice and snow meltwater flows into Ranwu Lake, which is the largest and widest glacier known in Tibet. Due to the different geology and soil composition of different glaciers, each ice lake will reflect a different color, and some ice lakes also float on large and small icebergs, which looks a bit like Antarctica. Between the end of the glacier and the glacier lake, the broken glacier reveals a blue ice layer more than ten meters high.

ancient glaciers

Ancient Glacier

Here glaciers, lakes, farmland, villages, and forests are fused, and the snow shines all year round, and the glaciers are as clean as jade, with different shapes. The scenery is magical and charming, and it is a model of harmony between man and nature.

ancient glaciers

to the ancient glacier

In the morning we left Bomi and returned to Nyingchi city. Out of Bomi County, not far away is Guxiang Lake.

Guxiang Lake is located in Guxiang Gucun, 33 kilometers away from Bomi County in Tibet, 210 kilometers away from Nyingchi area, with an altitude of 2,600 meters, a length of 5 kilometers, a width of 2 kilometers, a depth of more than 20 meters, and an area of 20,000 square meters. There is a small island in the lake, the island covers an area of more than 1,000 square meters, the lake is located on National Highway 318, with convenient transportation, is a natural park.

Guxiang Lake

Due to the thick clouds in the sky, the light is not very good, Guxiang Lake is not as beautiful as imagined, after taking a few photos on the observation deck, And we left here. On the way back, we passed through Lulang Town again and stopped at an alpine meadow known as Alpine Pasture.

the town
of Lulang

Lulang Town

the town
of Lulang

When the town
of Lulang

passed the Sejila Pass again, the sky was gloomy, and Nanga Bawa Peak was still hiding in thick clouds.

Mount
Sejila

Sejila Mountain

did not have the chance to see Nanga Bawa Peak, we did not park and returned to Nyingchi city at noon.

D10

ended our journey in Nyingchi, and today we returned to Lhasa accompanied by beautiful scenery along the way.

Nyingchi-Lhasa endeavour

on the way
from Nyingchi to Lhasa

Nyingchi-Lhasa endeavour

on the way from Nyingchi to Lhasa

Nyingchi-Lhasa enway

Nyingchi-Lhasa After checking in at the hotel on the way

, it was dinner time, and there was a Cuomu jelly shop next to the hotel where we stayed. This is an Internet celebrity shop that sells local snacks, and there are many locals from Lhasa who come here to eat, so we will go to Cuomu Cold Powder Shop for dinner tonight.

Tsom jelly

Sweet Tea

After dinner, it was still early, and we came to Bakhor Street not far away.

Bakhor Street, also known as Octagonal Street, is located in the old town of Lhasa City and is a famous transit road and commercial center of Lhasa, which has completely preserved the traditional appearance and living style of the ancient city. The original street of Bakhor Street is only a single transfer road around Jokhang Temple, which Tibetans call "Holy Road". Now it has gradually expanded into a large old neighborhood around Jokhang Temple.

The circle around the

Shakyamuni Buddha Hall in the center of the Jokhang Temple is called "Nangkuo", the circle around the outer wall of the Jokhang Temple is called "Bakhor", and the street radiating out of the Jokhang Temple is called "Bakhor Street", that is, Octagonal Street. Centered on Jokhang Temple, a large circle including Potala Palace, Yaowang Mountain, and Xiaozhao Temple is called "Lin Kuo". These three rings from the inside to the outside are the routes for Tibetans to perform the scripture transfer ceremony.

There are many shops selling tourism specialty products on Bakhor Street, and tourists come and go, and Tibetans who transfer scriptures perform their scripture transfer ceremonies devoutly.

Bakhor Street

D11

Bakhor Street

There are many temples in Lhasa, mainly Jokhang Temple, Xiaozhao Temple, Sera Temple and Drepung Temple, as well as Canggu Temple and Zaki Temple. Jokhang Temple needs to be booked in advance, we made an appointment to visit Jokhang Temple this afternoon, and in the morning we first visited Canggu Temple and Xiaozhao Temple, which are not far from Jokhang Temple.

First we came to Canggu Temple located on Bakhor Street. The bhikshuni masters of Canggu Monastery run a sweet tea house, a gathering place for local Tibetans, where nuns from the temple come to cook and serve. Most of the people who came here were Lhasa locals, chatting while eating, and we hadn't had breakfast today, so we went to the sweet teahouse for breakfast first.

Entering the teahouse through the front door, the store is small but clean, and it is full of Tibetan elderly people drinking tea and chatting. We ordered vegetarian noodles, vegetarian buns, and sweet tea, sat down in a corner of the second floor, and watched the bustling crowd outside the window while eating.

Canggu Temple Teahouse

After having breakfast

with vegetarian noodles and sweet tea

, we came to visit the Canggu Temple next door.

Canggu Monastery, located in Lhasa, Tibet, is a Gelug temple of Tibetan Buddhism and the only nun temple in Lhasa. The most famous of Canggu Temple is the Songtsen Gampo Practice Cave on the ground floor of the main Buddha hall, which enshrines the statue of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, where three full-time nuns chant scriptures and pray on time, place offerings, or replace lamp oil.

Canggu Temple

The area of Canggu Temple is not very large, and it was quickly visited. After walking for more than 20 minutes, we came to Xiaozhao Temple.

Xiaozhao Temple, known in Tibetan as "Jiada Huanmu Che", is located about 500 meters north of Bakhor Street in Lhasa, Tibet, and was built in the middle of the 7th century in 641 (Tibetan Iron Ox Year Tibetan Songtsen Gampo Period), which was laid by Princess Wencheng. The architectural style of Xiaozhao Temple integrates the characteristics of Sino-Tibetan architecture, which is not only one of the earliest temples in Tibet, but also a symbol of the unity and friendship between the two ethnic groups, and occupies an extremely important position in the history of Sino-Tibetan ethnic relations. Xiaozhao Temple has been burned down several times in history, and most of the existing buildings of Xiaozhao Temple have been rebuilt later, only the ground floor temple is an early building, and the 10 pillars in the hall can vaguely see the Tibetan legacy.

Today happens to be the 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, and there are many Tibetans who come to Xiaozhao Temple to worship Buddha, and everyone lined up to wait in front of the Buddha statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Xiaozhao Temple

After visiting Xiaozhao Temple, it was already noon, and the time for us to make an appointment to visit Jokhang Temple was almost here. So we walked back to Jokhang Temple Square.

Jokhang Temple, also known as "Zulakang" and "Juekang" (Tibetan meaning Buddha Hall), is located in the center of the old city of Lhasa, with a history of more than 1,300 years, integrating Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese and Indian architectural styles, is the most brilliant Tibetan period building in Tibet, and is also the earliest civil structure building in Tibet, and created the Tibetan Pingchuan-style temple layout standard, becoming a thousand-time model of Tibetan religious architecture, and has a supreme position in Tibetan Buddhism. The temple was originally called "Jasa", which later became the name of the city and evolved into the current "Lhasa". After the completion of the Jokhang Temple, it was repeatedly modified and expanded by the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties to form its current scale. Incense was burning in front of the temple all day long, and the believers worshipped devoutly, leaving deep marks of life-long heads on the bluestone floor in front of the door. Ten thousand butter lamps are always bright, leaving traces of time and pilgrims.

The Jokhang Temple square was noisy, and many Tibetans kowtowed in front of the Jokhang Temple.

Jokhang Temple Square

Jokhang Temple

The Jokhang Temple was even more crowded, with many Tibetans coming to worship with ghee and hada. Mixed in the crowd, there was no way to appreciate the exquisite Buddha statues and murals, so I hurriedly turned around and came out. It was still early to come out of Jokhang Temple, and we decided to go to Loblinka. After taking the bus and getting off at Roblinka, I saw that the Tibet Museum happened to be opposite the station, so I decided to visit the Tibet Museum first.

Located in the southeast corner of Lobulingka, Lhasa, the Tibet Museum is the first museum in Tibet with modern functions, with distinctive characteristics of traditional Tibetan architecture and art, and at the same time profoundly reflects the practical characteristics and artistic charm of modern architecture. The museum exhibition hall is composed of four major parts: prehistoric culture, inseparable history, culture and art, and folk culture, showing people more than 1,000 treasures of various types of collections, such as Buddha and Bodhisattva figures of various textures and shapes, handwritten Tibetan classics dipped in gold powder, silver powder, coral powder and other handwritten Tibetan classics of the past dynasties, gold seals issued by the central government to the Great Living Buddha, gold vases and jade sticks used in the golden vase drawing ceremony, colorful thangka paintings, various musical instruments, ritual instruments, handicrafts with distinctive national characteristics, pottery with unique styles, etc.

Tibet Museum

Tibet Museum Observation Deck

Tibet Museum

It has been nearly 5 o'clock after visiting the Tibet Museum, and we are also a little tired today, so Roblinka will not go for the time being, so we will take the car back to the hotel to rest.

D12

Today we are going to Yangzhuo Yongcuo, one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet, because there is no direct shuttle bus to Yangzhuo Yongcuo, we chose to take a one-day tour with a group.

Yangzhuo Yongcuo, referred to as Yanghuo, means "Jasper Lake" in Tibetan, located in Langkazi County in the southern region of Tibet, and is known as the three sacred lakes of Tibet along with Namcuo and Mapang Yongcuo, and is the largest inland lake in the northern foothills of the Himalayas. The beauty of the lake and mountains is the best in southern Tibet. The water of Yanghu Lake is like a mirror, the lakeside is rich in water and grass, it is a rich plateau pasture, and the local Tibetan people praise Yangzhuo Yongcuo with folk songs: "Wonderland in the sky, Yangzhuo on earth." Stars in the sky, cattle and sheep by the lake. "

In the morning, the travel agency's car came to the hotel to pick us up, and out of Lhasa, the car drove along the winding road in the mountains. On the way, you will pass several observation decks where you can condescend to see Sheep Lake from different angles.

Lhasa-Yangzhuo Yongcuo on the way

Lhasa-Yangdro Yongcuo on the way

Rujra Lookout

Ruzhra Lookout

Rujra Lookout

Ruzhra Observation Deck

After a bumpy road, we arrived at the daycare temple at noon.

The daycare temple, which means "stone on the mountain", was built on a peninsula on the north bank of Yangzhuo Yongcuo, built against the mountain, and is the only building on the peninsula. There is only one monk stationed in the temple all year round, and he guards the temple all his life, and is known as the loneliest temple in the world. One lake, one temple, one monk and one life, have spent 700 spring and autumn in this way, the four seasons change, sunrise and sunset, practice, that is, stay here until it becomes a way of life that can no longer be separated.

Standing on the island surrounded by lakes and blowing the lake breeze, you can feel the feeling of being surrounded by Sheep Lake 360°. The blue sky and blue lake, the brown mountain and the Zhu Temple, are like a dreamy picture, which makes people feel as if they are outside the world, and they suddenly feel refreshed and happy, and the sea and sky are vast.

Yang Zhuo Yongcuo

daycare

Yang Zhuo Yongcuo

can get close to Yang Lake on the peninsula, the lake water is blue and clear, and the white clouds are reflected on the water, Aquatic plants sway in the shallow water near the shore.

Yang Zhuo Yongcuo

Yang Zhuo
Yongcuo

Yang Zhuo Yongcuo

returned to downtown Lhasa It was already 7 o'clock in the evening, and he got off at the parking lot of the White Pagoda near the Potala Palace, next to which there happened to be an Internet celebrity yak yogurt shop , so I tasted yak yogurt with a rich milky aroma.

yak yogurt shop

Yak Yogurt

Yakwang Mountain near the White Pagoda parking lot is the best place to see the panoramic view of the Potala Palace, The Potala Palace on the back of 50 yuan was filmed here.We originally planned to go to Yaowang Mountain to see the panoramic view of the Potala Palace, but Yaowang Mountain was not allowed to enter after 5 o'clock, so we had to come to the Potala Palace Square opposite the parking lot to wait to see the night view of the Potala Palace.

White Tower

Potala Palace Square

Potala Palace night view

Potala Palace Night View

D13

The Potala Palace is a must-visit place when coming to Tibet, and we made an appointment to visit the Potala Palace 2 days in advance.

The

Potala Palace is located on Mabuli Mountain, northwest of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, and is a palace-style complex originally built by Zampu Songtsen Gampo of the Tibetan Dynasty to marry Princess Wencheng. After being rebuilt in the 17th century, it became the winter palace residence of successive Dalai Lamas, and was the ruling center of Tibet's political and religious unity. The Potala Palace is built on the mountain, integrating palaces, castles and temples, with majestic and majestic temples. The whole palace has a Tibetan style, and the east and west sides of the main building extend downwards and connect with the tall palace wall, which is divided into two parts: the White Palace and the Red Palace.

Entering the Potala Palace, we first visited the White Palace, and then followed the stone steps to the Red Palace. The Red Palace is magnificent, displaying a large number of exquisitely crafted precious cultural relics, and it is not allowed to take photos when entering the Red Palace.

Potala Palace

Coming down from the back mountain of the Potala Palace, at the foot of the mountain is Zongjiao Lukang Park, a civic park in Lhasa. Cuojiji Lake is an artificial lake in Zongjiao Lukang Park, with ancient willow trees planted next to the lake, and the scenery is charming.

Zongjiao Lukang Park

Coming out of Zongjiao Lukang Park, we took a car to Roblingka, located in the western suburbs of Lhasa, Tibet.

Roblinka was built in the 40s of the 18th century (Dalai VII), and is a typical Tibetan-style garden where successive Dalai Lama governed. After more than 200 years of expansion, the whole park covers an area of 360,000 square meters, with Gesang Pozhang, Jin Pozhang and Daden Mingjiu Pozhang as the main body, which is the largest, most scenic and most monumental garden in Tibet. The garden layout of Roblinka not only has the characteristics of the Tibetan plateau, but also absorbs the traditional techniques of mainland gardens, and uses architecture, mountains and rocks, water surfaces, and forests to create different artistic conceptions. The park is densely wooded, and among the green trees, Tibetan-style buildings such as Huxin Palace, Dragon King Pavilion, and Golden Linka are faintly moving. The fresh air and peaceful environment have a simple and natural taste unique to Tibetan gardens.

Roblinka

LobulingkaAfter

visiting Roblinka, we returned to Bakhor Street and tasted delicious Tibetan yak hot pot at a Tibetan restaurant called Nam Salong Tibetan Meal.

Tibetan Yak Beef Hot Pot

D14

In the morning we took the bullet train at Lhasa Station, After 2 and a half hours to Shigatse, take a bus to Tashilunpo Monastery at Shigatse Station.

Tashilunpo Monastery is located at the foot of Mount Niseri in Shigatse, Tibet, which means "Auspicious Sumeru Temple", and the full name is "Tashilunpo Baijide Qinqu Tangjielenbaje Valin", which means "Auspicious Sumeru gathers blessings and wins all the states". In the twelfth year of the Ming Dynasty's orthodoxy, Tsongkhapa's disciple Gendun Jupa built it. Later, the fourth Panchen Lama Lobsang Choji Gyanzan expanded it.Tashilunpo Monastery is one of the six famous Huangjiao monasteries in China, and together with the "three major temples" of Lhasa, Gandan Monastery, Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery, it is collectively known as the "Four Great Temples" of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The four major temples, along with the Ta'er Temple in Qinghai and the Labrang Temple in Gansu, are listed as the "six major temples" of the Gelug sect. Tashilunpo Monastery covers an area of 150,000 square meters, surrounded by palace walls, which wind along the mountain and have a circumference of more than 3,000 meters. The entire temple is built along the hillside, and the temples are successively connected, dense and balanced, harmonious and symmetrical.

Tashilunpo Monastery

Tashilunpo Temple

Tashirunpo Temple

Tashilunpo Temple

Tashilunpo Monastery

There are not many tourists to Shigatse, and most of the shops on the street in front of Tashilunpo Monastery sell items related to the daily life of the locals. After visiting the Tashilunpo Monastery, we wandered around the streets of Shigatse and took the 7pm bullet train back to Lhasa.

D15

I heard that the Zhaki Monastery is the God of Wealth in Tibet, and the God of Wealth enshrined in it likes to drink and is often drunk, so it is necessary to go to the Zhaki Monastery in the morning before the God of Wealth is drunk. We also went to the countryside to follow the customs and went to visit the Zhaki Monastery after breakfast.

Located on Zaki Road in the northern suburbs of Lhasa, Zaki Monastery is a branch of the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug temple Sera Monastery, and is the only temple of wealth in Tibet. The "God of Wealth" of Zaki Monastery is called "Zakiram" in Tibetan, and although the temple is small, the incense is very prosperous, and many pilgrims come to pay their respects.

Zaki Monastery

After visiting Zaki Monastery, take a bus at the gate for half an hour to reach Sera Monastery.

Sera Monastery is located at the foot of Sera Uzi Mountain 3 kilometers in the northern suburbs of Lhasa, the full name is "Sera Mahayana Monastery", one of the six main temples of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and together with Drepung Monastery and Gandan Monastery, it is known as the three major temples of Lhasa, and has been the place where eminent monks and living Buddhas preach since ancient times.

The architecture of Sera Temple is dense but not crowded, messy but not chaotic, adapted to local conditions, and the main body is prominent, reflecting the unique style of the Gelug Monastery. The early buildings were centered on the Maizha warehouse and the Abaza warehouse, and later underwent successive additions and expansions to have today's scale. There are tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues preserved in the temple, most of which are made locally in Tibet, and many bronze Buddha statues brought from the mainland or India. A large number of original colorful murals are preserved on the walls of the main hall and each Zhakang scripture hall, and the most famous statue is the statue of "Horse Head King" in the main hall.

Sera Temple

There are not many tourists visiting Sera Temple, and after visiting the temple, I originally wanted to see the lama's debate, but the debate was not open, so I took the car back to Bakhor Street. Just got off near Chong Saikang Market and stopped by the market.

Chongsaikang Comprehensive Market is located in Chengguan District, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, and is a Tibetan daily commodity trading market. The meaning of the Tibetan word "Chong Saikang" refers to "market, market". A building on the east side of the Chongsaikang Comprehensive Market was originally an aristocratic compound called "Wangdian Bian Ba", and the nobles occasionally stood in front of the window on the second floor of the compound to "review" the crowds and order of doing business in the Chongsaikang Market.

The market for

the Saikang comprehensive market
is not large, mainly selling some daily necessities. Not far from Chongsaikang Market, there is an ancient building, which was once used as the yamen of the Qing government in Tibet, and is now the "Exhibition Hall of the Former Site of the Qing Government's Yamen in Tibet".

The traditional Tibetan compound where the Qing Government's Minister in Tibet Yamen Exhibition Hall is located is called "Chongsai Kang Zhakang", which is a three-story Tibetan building courtyard, located in the ancient city of Lhasa Bakhor Street North Street, in the center of the old city of Lhasa, with a history of more than 300 years. The Qing government established the first minister's office here for the minister to work and live. Since the minister in Tibet can enjoy the bustling scene of Bakhor Street up close from the window of the south building of the compound, it is called "Oki Saikang", which means "a house with a view of the market".

the exhibition hall
of the former site of the minister's office of the Qing government in Tibet

the exhibition hall
of the former site of the Qing government's ministerial office in Tibet

Exhibition Hall
of the former site of the Qing government's ministerial office in Tibet

the exhibition hall
of the former site of the minister's office of the Qing government in Tibet

the former site of
the Qing government's minister's yamen in Tibet

Qing Government Minister's Yamen Former Site Exhibition Hall

After visiting the exhibition hall, he continued to wander around Bakhor Street.

Bakhor Street

When it was dinner time, I tasted belly wrap meat and ginseng fruit fried rice at a Tibetan restaurant called Ga Jixiang on Bakhor Street. The yak meat wrapped in tripe and the slightly sweet ginseng fruit fried rice are delicious. Later, I found on the Internet that Tibetan ginseng fruit is the root of a bracken plant.

belly wrapped in meat

Ginseng Fruit Fried Rice
After dinner, I bought some souvenirs on Bakhor Street and went back to the hotel to rest.

D16

Today is the last day in Tibet, and we are going to the sacred lake of Namtso, Tibet. It takes 4 hours to drive from Lhasa to Namcuo one way, and in order to save time, we signed up for a one-day trip from a travel agency in advance.

We set off as soon as dawn broke, and not far from downtown Lhasa, the car entered the Nianqing Tanggula Mountain.

The Nianqing Tanggula Mountains are one of the main mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, with the main peak Nianqing Tanggula Peak at an altitude of 7,162 meters, which is a silver-clad majestic peak adjacent to Namtso, the second largest lake in Tibet. In addition to the main peak, Nianqing Tanggula Peak also has three peaks, namely Nianqing Tanggula II Peak at an altitude of 7,117 meters, Nianqing Tanggula III Peak at an altitude of 7,111 meters, and Nianqing Tanggula IV Peak at an altitude of 7,046 meters.

Nian Qing Tanggula Mountain

Nianqing Tanggula Mountain

The Nianqing Tanggula mountain

car traveled

through the Nianqing Tanggula Mountain for more than 3 hours and arrived at the Nagenla Pass.

Located in Dangxiong County, Tibet, at an altitude of 5,190 meters, Nagenla Pass is the only place to cross the Nianqing Tanggula Mountains to Namtsov, and it is also a sacred place in the hearts of Tibetans. A stone monument indicating the altitude was erected at the pass, and the mani pile on the pass was covered with prayer flags. Looking north from the mountain pass, you can see the blue and blue Namtso in the distance. Standing on this mountain pass with an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, which belongs to the so-called forbidden area of life, looking at the four fields, the heart will suddenly feel majestic, vast and vast.

The

mountain pass full of prayer flags is very windy, and the snow on the ground can be seen everywhere, and the prayer flag sways in the wind.

Nagenla Pass

stopped at Nagenla Pass for about 20 minutes, continued the bus to Namtso, and arrived at the Namtso Visitor Center at noon.

Namcuo is located in the central part of the Tibet Autonomous Region and is the second largest lake in Tibet and the third largest saltwater lake in China. The lake is 4,718 meters above sea level, almost rectangular in shape, more than 70 kilometers long from east to west, more than 30 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of more than 1,920 square kilometers, making it the highest large lake in the world. The lake water is clear and transparent, and the surface is sky blue. "Namcuo" is Tibetan, and the Mongolian name is "Tengger Sea", both of which mean "Tianhu". Namtso is one of the "three sacred lakes" in Tibet, the first sacred lake of the ancient Xiangxiong Buddhist Yongzhong sect, and one of the famous Buddhist holy places.

It took less than 1 hour to continue driving from the Namtso Visitor Center to the Tashi Peninsula.

The

Tashi Peninsula, also known as Auspicious Love Island, is at the southeastern end of Namtso Lake, extending north into the lake, and is a peninsula of about 10 square kilometers composed of limestone, which is the largest peninsula in Namtso. In the middle is a hill several tens of meters high, and at the northernmost point, there are countless stone pillars and strange stone peaks, and there are naturally connected stone bridges between the peaks and forests. Due to the long-term erosion of Tianhu Lake, there are many secluded caves on the island, which are covered with stalactites and form a unique karst landform.Such a strange, colorful and ingenious landform on Tashi Island is truly a spectacle.

At the foot of the lake, there are many mani piles piled with stones. It was March, and the ice and snow on the lake had not yet melted, and when I looked up, the deep and sparse blue sky above my head was integrated with the frozen lake; The majestic snow peaks in the distance are like jade towers and jade palaces, appearing and disappearing.

namcuo

Namutso

namcuo

Namtso

Namcuo

Namtso

can walk around the island along the transfer road of the peninsula, because time is limited, we can only walk to the lake. After playing around the lake for a while, on the way back to the visitor center by sightseeing bus, the sightseeing car drove along the road on the peninsula, and you could see the landscape of the peninsula on the car.

Namcuo

Namtso

namcuo

Namtso

ended his trip to Namtso, and it was already past eight o'clock in the evening when he returned to Lhasa by car.

The D17

Tibet journey is over, today we leave Lhasa and fly back to Chengdu.

Lhasa-Chengdu on the way

Lhasa-Chengdu route

Lhasa-Chengdu

After a day's journey, arrive at the hotel near Tianfu Square in the evening. Every time I come to Chengdu, I have to go to eat skewer hot pot, and this time is no exception, after a short rest in the hotel, I came to the roadside skewer hot pot restaurant near the hotel to eat skewer hot pot.

Chengdu Skewer Hot Pot

D18

The home of the big bureaucratic landlord Liu Wencai is in Anren Ancient Town, and the first stop in Chengdu this time is to go to Anren Ancient Town. In the morning, take a bus to Anren Station at Chadianzi Bus Station, get off the bus and take a local tricycle to reach the ancient town in about ten minutes.

Anren Ancient Town was founded in the Tang Dynasty, and the place name was named after the meaning of benevolent Anren. Most of the existing old-style neighborhood buildings in the ancient town were built in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, especially during the Republic of China, the Liu family had the most buildings in the heyday, and the style was a combination of Chinese and Western styles, solemn, elegant and generous courtyards, creating a special architectural style in Anren Town, known as "Western Sichuan Architectural Culture Boutique".

Anren Ancient Town

Entering the ancient town, the first place to visit is Liu's Manor.

Liu's Manor is composed of five mansions (Liu Wenyuan, Liu Wenzhao, Liu Wencheng, Liu Wencai, Liu Wenhui) and an ancestral residence of the Liu family built by Liu Wencai, a big bureaucratic landlord in Sichuan in modern times, and a family residence, distributed in two major buildings facing north and south, covering a total area of more than 70,000 square meters, a construction area of more than 21,000 square meters, and a total of 545 houses, which is the largest modern landlord manor complex in China. The entire manor complex was built in the late Qing Dynasty, and after several large-scale constructions and expansions, it formed its current scale at the end of the Republic of China. Among them, the most representative Liu Wencai Mansion is a closed courtyard with high walls and deep courtyards, a typical combination of Chinese and Western architectural styles, gables on the top, heavy doors and deep alleys, winding and twisting, like a maze, fully reflecting the luxury and pomp of the rich families in western Sichuan in modern times.

Liu's Manor

Liu Manor

Liu's Estate

Liu's Manor

Liu Manor

Liu's Estate

Liu's Manor

After visiting Liu's Manor, I had lunch in the ancient town and casually wandered around the ancient town.

Anren Ancient Town

Seeing the sign of Liu Wenhui's former residence, I walked forward in the direction indicated and came to a courtyard with a sign hanging at the door that read "Liu Wenhui Mansion Yanqing Garden". When I entered inside, I found that this courtyard was only a courtyard of Liu Wenhui's former residence, not where Liu Wenhui lived, and the real Liu Wenhui's former residence was in another courtyard next to it, and I had to buy a new ticket. We didn't go in, just took a picture at the door.

Yanqing Garden

Liu Wenhui's former residence

returned to Chengdu from Anren Ancient Town, got off at Chunxi Road, and went shopping on Chunxi Road.

Although Chunxi Road is a commercial pedestrian street, there are many Chengdu specialty snacks here, the most famous food is Long Chaoshou, in addition to husband and wife lung slices, spicy lobster, and various skewers are also mouth-watering.

Chunxi Road

Crispy pork belly

D19

The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest cliff rock carving statue in China, and this time I decided to go to Leshan to see the Giant Buddha in Chengdu. Take the train from Chengdu East Railway Station to Leshan Station in the morning, and transfer to the bus to Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area after leaving the station.

Leshan Giant Buddha, also known as Lingyun Giant Buddha, is located on the side of Lingyun Temple on the east bank of the Nanmin River in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, near the confluence of the Dadu River, Qingyi River and Minjiang River, and across the river from Leshan City. The Leshan Giant Buddha is carved on the rock wall at the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River, and was carved by Monk Haitong in order to reduce the water potential and save all living beings. The Buddha statue was excavated in the early years of Tang Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era (713) and completed in the 19th year of Emperor Dezong's Zhenyuan (803), which lasted 90 years. The Big Buddha is a seated statue of Maitreya, 71 meters high, 8.5 meters wide on the instep, head level with the mountain, feet on the river, hands on the knees, well-proportioned posture, solemn posture, chiseled by the mountain, sitting upright by the river, graceful and magnanimous, majestic, praised by poets as "the mountain is a Buddha, the Buddha is a mountain". On December 6, 1996, the Leshan Giant Buddha was approved by UNESCO as a "World Cultural and Natural Heritage" and officially included in the World Heritage List.

Enter the gate of the scenic spot and go up the mountain road, there are many stone carvings on one side of the cliff wall, and there is a rushing river under the cliff on the other side.

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

When we arrived at the top of the mountain, we first visited Lingyun Temple next to the Giant Buddha.

Leshan Lingyun Temple was built during the reign of Li Yuanwude (618-626), the ancestor of the early Tang Dynasty, nearly 1,400 years ago, before the construction of the Leshan Giant Buddha, and is one of the oldest temples in China. In the early years of Kaiyuan (about 713), the Buddha statue was excavated, because it was the location of the Great Buddha, so it was also called the Great Buddha Temple. The Tang Dynasty built Lingyun Temple in the war during the Yuan Shun Emperor, and the existing Lingyun Temple was rebuilt in the sixth year of the Qing Kangxi Dynasty, and has since been repaired many times to preserve its current appearance.

Lingyun Temple

Lingyun Temple Lingyun Temple

There are many people gathered on the viewing platform in front of Lingyun Temple, where you can see the Buddha up close.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

Leshan Giant Buddha

On the left side of the Giant Buddha, going down the "cave sky" is the beginning of the Lingyun Plank Road, and on the right side is the Jiuqu Plank Road. When we went, the Jiuqu Plank Road was not open, and we could reach the bottom of the Big Buddha by going down the Lingyun Plank Road.

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

The platform at the

bottom of the Giant Buddha is full of people, and when you look up at the Giant Buddha here, you will feel a sense of admiration.

Leshan Giant Buddha

After returning from the bottom of the Buddha, the

Leshan Giant Buddha

came to the river along the stone steps, and the banks of the river were full of rapeseed flowers.

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

played by the river for nearly two hours, and then returned to the road and took a bus to Zhanggongqiao Food Street.

The vicinity of Zhanggongqiao is a gathering place for Leshan food, but when we came, there were few people on the street, and it seemed a little deserted.

Zhanggongqiao Food Street

went around Zhanggongqiao, returned to Leshan Station, and took the train back to Chengdu.

D20

is going to visit the Zhuhai Seaview Area in western Sichuan not far from Pingle Ancient Town today, and take the bullet train from Chengdu East Railway Station in the morning to Qionglai Station in more than half an hour. Transfer to the bus to Pingle Ancient Town at the exit and arrive at Pingle Ancient Town in almost 1 hour. There are many tricycles in the ancient town to the Zhuhai Sea Area, we did not stop in the ancient town, and it took about 10 minutes by tricycle to the Zhuhai Sea Area in western Sichuan.

Western

Sichuan Bamboo Seaview Area is located in Pingle Ancient Town, Qionglai City, Chengdu, with dense bamboo forests in the scenic area, more than 100,000 acres of bamboo sea, green and dripping, secluded paths in the valley, fresh air, known as "natural oxygen bar". Every time the breeze blows, look up at the rippling bamboo waves, overlook the low sound of the bamboo waves, or stroll on the winding paths in the forest, or sit leisurely on the side of the stone by the stream, and revel in the natural oxygen bar that refreshes the mind and eyes, and savor the sighs, the heart is refreshed, and it is really a wonderful ......

There are not many people in the scenic area, there are lush green bamboos everywhere, and the moist air rushes towards you, and you feel cool when you are in it.

western Sichuan Bamboo Seaview Area

Zhuhai Seaview Area
in western Sichuan

western Sichuan Bamboo Seaview Area

West Sichuan Bamboo Seaview Area

Down from the mountain, there is a large rapeseed flower field by the small river. The humid air rushes in front of you, and the blooming rape flowers are reflected in the water, and the gurgling water forms a tranquil pastoral beauty.

Zhuhai Seaview Area in western Sichuan

Zhuhai Seaview Area
in western Sichuan

West Sichuan Bamboo Seaview Area
stayed by the river for a while and returned to Pingle Ancient Town.

Pingle Ancient Town is located 93 kilometers southwest of Chengdu and 18 kilometers southwest of Qionglai City, with a history of more than 2,000 years, and is a famous historical and cultural town in China, known as "one level, two solids and three Jiaguan". The ancient town retains the ancient houses of the Ming and Qing dynasties, lined up in rows and with ancient style. Most of the houses on both sides of the ancient street are wooden buildings on the first floor and one bottom, generally with the lower floor as paving and the upper floor as the living room, reflecting the strong western Sichuan style. Ancient streets, ancient temples, ancient bridges, ancient trees, ancient weirs, ancient workshops, ancient roads, ancient styles, ancient songs, green mountains are layered, bamboo trees are lush, have a long history, and are full of humanities, and have become "the first town of the ancient tea horse road and the first post station of the Southern Silk Road" since ancient times.

Stroll through the ancient town, experience the various customs of the ancient street, listen to the good stories of the ancient bridge from generation to generation, enjoy the thick shade of the ancient trees and yellow rafters, watch the rolling waves of the ancient dam water, and taste the leisurely atmosphere of the ancient residential compound. The folk art that has been followed for thousands of years and the residential buildings that have stood for a hundred years have been impregnated with water and mountains with strong local characteristics, becoming the epitome and symbol of the ancient water town in western Sichuan, and interpreting a "Qingming River Map" that integrates the past and the present.

When we went, the ancient town was under renovation, many shops were not open, and there were not many tourists.

Pingle Ancient Town

went around the ancient town, took a car back to Chengdu, and returned to the hotel after dinner.

Mapo Tofu

back to the pot and pot D21

Today we are going to go around the city and come to Qingyang Palace after breakfast.

Chengdu Qingyang Palace is located in the second section of the first ring road of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and is known as "the first Taoist temple in western Sichuan" and "the first jungle in southwest China", and is the largest and most influential famous Taoist temple in Sichuan. The existing halls and buildings of Qingyang Palace have a construction area of 4,800 square meters, and the buildings are neat, and its main buildings are divided into six layers, all of which are built on a central axis, and the main buildings are Shanmen, Hunyuan Hall, Bagua Pavilion, Sanqing Hall, Doumu Hall, Purple Gold Terrace, Birth Platform and Shuo Terrace.The Qingyang Palace has more than 13,000 pieces of the "Taoist Compilation" engraved in the 32nd year of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1906), all of which are carved from pear wood, each carved on both sides, with a clear layout and neat handwriting, which is the most complete storage board of Chinese Taoist classics and an extremely precious Taoist historical relics.

Qingyang Palace

Qingyang Palace is much bigger than expected, and I used vegetarian food in Qingyang Palace at noon, and then came to Kuanzhai Alley. This time I came to Kuanzhai Alley and found that there were some changes compared with a few years ago.

wide and narrow alleys

Kuanzhai Alley

wandered around Kuanzhai Alley for a while, and unknowingly walked to the vicinity of People's Park. I remembered that there was a snack bar called Xiaomitang Dan Dan Sweet Water Near here, and the snacks in the store tasted very good, so I went to this snack bar for dinner again.