Live Your Best Lives
Ali has long heard that western Sichuan is the most scenic area in Sichuan Province: it is located at the junction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains, with snow-capped mountains, canyons, glaciers, lakes and grasslands, and the natural scenery is magnificent and magnificent - especially its autumn scenery is particularly gorgeous! As a travel enthusiast, Ali has always yearned for it.
In October 2024, Ah Li went to western Sichuan with a group and fulfilled his long-cherished wish. During the nearly 20-day roaming, we took a bus from Wuhan and successively visited the Emei Mountain Scenic Area in Leshan City, the Kangding Love Song Scenic Area and Zheduo Mountain and Tagong Grassland in Kangding City, the Moshi Park in Daofu County, the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area in Daocheng County, the Rabbit Mountain and Qianhu Tibetan Village in Litang County, the Lalongcuo Ancient Ice Drifting Wetland and Yaqing Temple in Baiyu County, the Hongshan Scenic Area in Xinlong County, the Dongga Temple and Wuming Buddhist College in Seda County, the Yangrong Village and Dagu Glacier in Heishui County, the Songpinggou in Mao County, the Bipenggou in Li County, Siguniang Mountain in Xiaojin County, Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in Chengdu, etc. The dream of traveling in western Sichuan has finally become a reality, which can be described as a great pleasure in Ah Li's life, and it is worthy of Ah Li's special writing.
1. Visit Mount Emei again, climb the liberation slope for the first
time Thefirst stop of our trip is the Emei Mountain Scenic Area in Leshan City. Ah Li had traveled to Mount Emei and climbed the Golden Peak in June 2016, so this time he did not go to climb high and look far away, but went to Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple, Leiyin Temple, First Mountain Pavilion, Emei Mountain Museum, etc., which he did not have time to visit last time. These attractions are all in the low mountainous area of Mount Emei and belong to the free admission area.
Ah Li walked in the dense forest at the foot of Mount Emei, breathing in the unique fragrant air of the forest, listening to the sound of gurgling water along the way, and was surprised by the number of towering ancient trees here, especially the ancient nanmu. Later, I saw the Bujinlin Archway, and after reading its introduction, I understood that these towering ancient trees were planted by monks in the Qing Dynasty. There are not only many ancient trees here, but also many ancient stone bridges, and the names of the bridges are also quite meaningful, such as the Fengming Bridge near the First Mountain Pavilion, the Puguang Bridge near the Baoguo Temple, the Huxi Bridge, the Tiger Roaring Bridge, and the Tiger Bath Bridge in front of the Fuhu Temple, and the Liberation Bridge under the Leiyin Temple. There are many steep slopes here, but the most famous is the liberation slope. The liberation slope is under the Leiyin Temple in front of the liberation bridge: crossing the liberation bridge is the liberation slope; Climbing up to the slope is Leiyin Temple. There is also a bluestone stele of the Qing Dynasty at the head of the bridge and under the slope of the liberation slope, except for the three big characters "liberation stone" at the top that are clearly visible, and the specific inscription is blurred and unrecognizable.
Why are both the Liberation Bridge and the Liberation Slope named "Liberation"? After reading the introduction on the roadside, Ah Li understood that this was related to Leiyin Temple: Leiyin Temple was formerly known as Guanyin Hall, also known as Liberation Monastery!
What exactly is liberation? Jiang Chao's explanation in the Ming Dynasty was: "Enter here to liberate the world, and get out of here to get rid of dangers." Hu Shian of the Ming Dynasty believed: "When it comes to fame, it is liberated one by one."
For those who are preparing to become monks, they walk across the Liberation Bridge, climb the Liberation Slope, enter the Liberation Monastery, and be liberated from the mundane world, without worries and worries. For us ordinary people, walking the Liberation Bridge, climbing the Liberation Slope, taking a look at the Liberation Monastery, listening to the sound of the stream and birdsong, smelling the fragrance of flowers and grass, our hearts will naturally return to tranquility, and we can temporarily be freed from all kinds of worldly fetters and helplessness.
Although Ah Li visited Mount Emei for the second time, it was the first time he crossed the Liberation Bridge and climbed the Liberation Slope. The liberation bridge is built of bluestone, with two piers and three holes, and under the bridge is the Yoga River, the river water is clear and the sound of the water is pleasant. There are more than 260 steps in the liberation slope, paved with bluestone, lined with dense woods, shading the sky and the sun. Ah Li walked quickly across the Jietuo Bridge, struggled to climb the Jietuo Slope, visited the Jietuo Monastery, that is, Leiyin Temple, and then came down from the Jietu Slope, and then walked through the Jietu Bridge, feeling that he was liberated from the world: his eyes were full of green, his ears were full of the sound of springs, and his heart was full of joy. It seems that walking on the Liberation Bridge, climbing the Liberation Slope, and looking at the Liberation Monastery can really make people's eyes, ears, and hearts liberated and happy!
People who have too many troubles in the world, why don't you come to Mount Emei, walk the Liberation Bridge, climb the Liberation Slope, and see the Liberation Monastery?
2024, 11, 10
2. Kangding Love Song Scenic Area, one person travels alone in the Thousand Waterfalls Gorge
"On the mountain of running horses, a slippery cloud shines on the slippery city of Kangding. The moon is crooked, and the city of Kangding is ......" This "Kangding Love Song" Ah Li is familiar with it, and he can also hum a sentence or two. Unexpectedly, the second stop of our 2024 October tour to western Sichuan is the Kangding Love Song Scenic Area.
This scenic spot is located in the middle of Gongga Mountain, 17 kilometers away from Kangding city in Ganzi Prefecture. Why is it named Kangding Love Song Scenic Area? It turned out that this was the birthplace of the folk song "Kangding Love Song", and it was also the main filming location of the movie "Kangding Love Song" starring Su Youpeng, Pu Bajia and others.
From the visitor center at the foot of the mountain to the highest point of the scenic spot, Kangding Love Song Scenic Area has fragrant lawns, seven-colored seas, thousand waterfalls gorges, medicine ponds boiling springs, rhododendron gorges, red stone beaches, Mugecuo sacred lakes and other scenic spots. We first took the scenic transportation vehicle directly to the highest point - the Mugecuo Holy Lake Observation Deck at an altitude of 3,780 meters. Coming out of the car, Ah Li immediately felt the cold of the plateau. I quickly opened my backpack and wanted to add a coat, but found that I forgot to put it in my bag. Fortunately, there was still a raincoat in the bag - although the sky was cloudy and the wind was blowing at this time, it was not raining, and the sun was still showing its face from time to time. Ah Li remembered the old thing of wearing a raincoat to protect himself from the cold on the Golden Peak of Mount Emei, and hurriedly put the raincoat on his body, and sure enough, it didn't feel so cold.
Mugecuo is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and the lake surface is as level as a mirror. Ah Li found that many of the stones on the shore were bright red - a lake of clear water with a red stone edge, which was really beautiful, and nature was really a master of color matching. After reading the introduction, Ah Li realized that these stones themselves were not red, but they had a red moss growing on their surface, so they became red stones; Once out of the environment suitable for their survival, these red moss die and the stones turn black.
After taking photos in Mugecao, Ah Li and his group members got on the downward transportation bus and came to Red Pebble Beach. This is the end of the Rhododendron Gorge, most of the trees are rhododendrons, and most of the stones are also red, but there are much more red stones than the red stones by Mugecuo Lake, and some hillsides are red, no wonder it is named Red Stone Beach. The water in the canyon is lake water flowing down from Mugetso. The white stream rushed and roared in the steep canyon, looking up the mountain like a white dragon leaping down.
Ah Li originally planned to return to the traffic car after taking pictures of the red stone, but the gorgeous autumn scenery of Cuckoo Gorge called Ah Li and asked her to walk down the plank road in the canyon step by step! Yes, the white stream, the red stone, the green rhododendron, the yellow autumn leaves, who can resist their charm? Who wouldn't want to take a second look at them? There are many group members like Ah Li walking on the plank road.
Unknowingly, Ah Li actually walked through the Cuckoo Gorge and came to the transfer corridor. It is very close to the highway, and it is not far from the bus point. At this time, it was raining lightly - this rain could not have been caused by Ah Li wearing a raincoat without rain by the sacred lake of Mugatso, right? Ah Li hesitated: Should I take a transportation bus? After looking at the time, it was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the meeting time stipulated by our group was half past five in the afternoon, and there was still an hour and a half! The rain is not heavy, and the raincoat has already been put on! Ah Li then decided to continue to take a look at the scenery of Qianfeng Gorge along the plank road, and then take a transportation bus down the mountain after walking for a while.
The scenery of Qianfuxia Gorge is really worth it to continue walking down the plank road! The long golden prayer wheel was neatly arranged under the corridor, a water channel passed under the prayer wheel, and the water from the sacred lake of Mugecso hit the leaves under the prayer wheel along the canal, so the long row of golden prayer wheels turned up, which was very spectacular. Walking through the corridor, Ah Li was greeted by a tree full of green pine trees, which were as soft and elegant as light gauze against the backdrop of white streams. Just after admiring the pine lotus, the red or yellow trees by the stream attracted Ah Li's eyes again. And the waterfalls in the canyon are one after another, and the sound of the waterfalls fills the entire canyon - the Thousand Waterfalls Gorge is really worthy of its name!
The rain seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, and the plank road became slippery, and Ah Li wanted to take a transportation bus. However, Ah Li suddenly found that he seemed to be walking in a primeval forest, surrounded by countless tall trees, and there was no shadow of the road at all. What's even more strange is that in the entire canyon, only Ah Li is the only one! When I was in Rhododendron Gorge just now, there were obviously many tourists going down! Where have they all gone now? Alas, what to do? Only keep going! Ah Li quickened his pace, hoping to get to the next bus point as soon as possible.
Along the way, Ah Li did not meet a tourist, nor a staff member, or even a bird or other animal. Only the stream in the canyon is still on the left and right, singing loudly, accompanying Ah Li forward.
Almost five o'clock, Ah Li finally walked out of the primeval forest and came to the Seven Colors Sea. The white stream that has been accompanying Ah Li down, at this moment, is like a child seeing his mother, laughing and throwing himself into the arms of the seven-colored sea, stirring up a big splash. The Seven Colors Sea is still a hot spring sea, coupled with the rainy weather, the whole lake is steaming with fog, but you can clearly see the ripples on the water surface - the small circles are splashed by raindrops, and the large circles are formed by the hot springs gushing out from the bottom of the lake. It's a pity that Ah Li was in a hurry to take a car, so he didn't dare to stop to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seven Colored Sea. According to the signs, I finally found the Seven Colors Sea Boarding Point.
It didn't take long for Ah Li to finally get on the transportation bus going down the mountain. After sitting down in the car, Ah Li took out his mobile phone from his bag, and the mobile phone rang, it was a call from the team leader, asking where I was, why didn't I answer the call before, and I was the only one in the whole group who didn't come back. Ah Li was surprised: It's strange, along the way, I didn't hear my phone ring! Ah Li is focused on rushing, rarely taking pictures, and has no time to look at his phone, maybe the sound of rain and water covers the sound of the mobile phone in his bag; Ah Li was also very puzzled about the fact that the group members had gone back: When they were in Cuckoo Gorge, there were obviously many group members walking behind Ah Li, why did they go back all at once? Ah Li clicked on WeChat again and found that there were still a few missed voice calls, all of which were called by Ah Li's travel partner.
Ah Li finally returned to the bus before the time specified by the team leader, and sure enough, he saw that the group members were all sitting neatly. The tour partner told Ah Li: After some group members arrived in Mugecao, they immediately got off the car because of the high reaction and cold; After walking through the Rhododendron Gorge, some of the group members also came back by car because of the rain; Only Ah Li was nowhere to be seen, and no one answered the phone, and everyone was worried about whether something had happened, such as the mobile phone dropped; Some people suggested calling the police immediately, but she insisted on waiting before calling the police, because she believed that Ah Li, an old outdoor, should be fine. Ah Li was honored, sorry and moved when he heard this: I didn't expect that the beautiful scenery of Qianfeng Gorge would be the only one to see it, and I didn't expect the group members to worry so much about their safety.
Today, the tour of Kangding Love Song Scenic Area is a thing of the past, but the beautiful scenery there has remained in Ali's mind, and the story of enjoying the Thousand Waterfalls Gorge in the rain has also become words. Ah Li also wanted to say to friends who are preparing to visit the Kangding Love Song Scenic Area: Mugecso is beautiful, Rhododendron Gorge is beautiful, Thousand Waterfall Gorge and Seven Color Sea are also beautiful, all of which are worth walking along the plank road; Just note that once you walk through the corridor and enter the Thousand Waterfall Gorge, you will stay away from the road and enter the primeval forest, and it will take about an hour to walk to the Seven Colors Sea Boarding Point; The most important thing is that no matter what season you go to the scenic spot, you must bring a thick jacket, raincoat and snacks, and it is best to bring your own partner.
2024, 11, 12
3. Zheduo Mountain Moshi Mountain Red Mountain, the mountains are extraordinary
Our 2024 October tour to western Sichuan has visited many famous mountains in western Sichuan, such as Zheduo Mountain in Kangding County, Moshi Mountain in Moshi Park in Daofu County, and Red Mountain in Xinlong County. These mountains are all in Ganzi Prefecture, each with its own unique color, which makes Ah Li understand: there are many colors of the peaks in the world!
Zheduo Mountain means "curved mountain" in Tibetan, with an altitude of 4,962 meters, and National Highway 318 passes here. After climbing over the mountains, even if you officially enter the Tibetan area. The day after we finished visiting the Kangding Love Song Scenic Area, we went to Zheduo Mountain. The bus spiraled up along National Highway 318, bending after bending, proving that Zheduo Mountain is indeed a curved mountain. When the bus came to the pass at an altitude of 4,298 meters, we got off the bus and seemed to have entered a fairy tale world: snow covered Zheduo Mountain, shining in the sun; The sky is blue and high, the sun is shining, the white clouds are varied, and the prayer flags are fluttering in the wind. That day happened to be the Double Ninth Festival, a day to climb high and look far, we climbed Zheduo Mountain, enjoyed the magnificent plateau snow-capped mountain scenery, and took beautiful photos.
Moshi Park Scenic Area is our country's only plateau stone forest landscape, with an altitude of 3,500 meters. The stone forest in the park is like ink, and the posture is myriad, and it is also very vivid to call it Moshi Mountain. We enjoyed the snow on Zheduo Mountain in the morning and strolled in Moshi Mountain at noon; Zheduo Mountain is a white world, and Moshi Mountain is a black world. This visual black and white change is really exciting, so that Ah Li can't help but marvel at the magic of nature.
The Xinlong Hongshan Scenic Area, which only opened in July 2023, is both a red world and a white world. It is between 4,200 and 5,000 meters above sea level, etched by glacier ruins, and is currently the highest altitude and the widest Danxia landform scenic spot in our country. When we took the transportation bus to the observation deck high up in the scenic spot, the meadow and the plank road were covered with snow, and the surrounding bare red peaks were more or less covered with some snow, as if wearing a super fashionable white gauze skirt, under the clear sky, the contrast between red and white, it was really beautiful. We went down the plank road to the bottom of the valley and found that the stream in the valley was also red - in fact, the stream water was very clear, but the stones at the bottom were red; On many aquatic plants by the stream, there are dense crystal clear ice ridges! The red stream, white ice ridges, red and white opposites, are amazing! There is a lot of snow on the hillside, and there are many shrubs with red leaves in the snow, red and white, can it not make people linger?
Kangding Zhe Duo Mountain, Daofu Moshi Mountain, Xinlong Red Mountain, the mountain is not ordinary. Three colors, three worlds, are all attractions in western Sichuan worth seeing.
2024, 11, 14
4. Daocheng Aden and Dagu Glacier, change and unchanged
In our 2024 October tour of western Sichuan, Daocheng Aden and Dagu Glacier are two important scenic spots in our itinerary, and many group members come for them. We first visited Daocheng Aden, which took a day and a half; Later, I visited the Dagu Glacier for half a day. For these two scenic spots, Ali's feelings can be summed up as "change and unchanged": Daocheng Aden showed its fickleness in our day and a half of play, while the Dagu Glacier seems to remain unchanged but is actually changing.
Daocheng Aden, located in Shangri-La Town, Daocheng County, Ganzi Prefecture, has a total area of 1,457.5 square kilometers, more than 10 peaks above 5,000 meters above sea level, 32 peaks above 4,500 meters above sea level, 62 alpine ancient glacial lakes, and alpine ecological landscapes such as snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, forests, meadows, and streams, of which the milk sea, five-color sea, and pearl sea are the most colorful.
We went in mid-October and the Milk Sea and the Five Colors Sea were closed.Because we lived near the entrance of the scenic spot, we got on the scenic sightseeing bus before nine o'clock in the morning on the first day, and an hour later we arrived at the end of the sightseeing bus at an altitude of 3,900 meters. Here, tourists can choose to take a tour bus to the Luorong Cattle Farm on the left line, or they can choose to hike to the Pearl Sea on the right line, or they can choose the middle line and hike along the plank road by the Gongga Galaxy to the Luorong Cattle Farm.
Ah Li originally planned to take a tour bus to the Luorong Cattle Farm on the right line, but as soon as he walked to the Chonggu Meadow, he was fascinated by everything in front of him: the Gongga Milky Way, which is formed by the collection of snow and water, is clear and beautiful, gurgling; The banks of the river are trees with red or yellow leaves; the surrounding mountains, the top of the mountain is white snow, and the green dense forest below the snow line; The blue sky is beautiful and the sun is high, and the clouds are white and the wind is light. This is really a gorgeous oil painting! Ah Li couldn't help but walk into this painting, walking along the plank road to the upper reaches of the Gongga Galaxy, wanting to walk to the Luorong Cattle Farm.
Thereare more and more shrubs with golden leaves on both sides of the plank road, forming a golden road that guides Ah Li to keep moving forward. Ah Li stopped from time to time, photographing yellow trees, mangroves, green trees, streams, meadows, snowy peaks, birds playing on the branches, and little squirrels who came out to beg for food when they saw people...... Just walked to Shengshui Lake, still far from the Luorong Cattle Farm, and it was more than two o'clock in the afternoon, and the two group members had returned from the Luorong Cattle Farm. Seeing that Ah Li still wanted to go up, they dissuaded him: The scenery above is similar to here, and now we should go back, and our group stipulates that the gathering time is five o'clock in the afternoon.
Ali then stopped by the holy water lake. From Shengshui Lake to Chonggu Meadow, and then to the Zhaquan Beng sightseeing bus stop, I arrived at the gate of the scenic spot at half past four in the afternoon.
The next morning, we went earlier and got on the sightseeing bus to Zha Guan Beng at about eight o'clock. It was cloudy when we set off, but as soon as the car drove to the mountain, it was snowing heavily outside the window, and the trees on the hillside were still green and yellow yesterday, but now they are all white. The driver stopped the car after driving for a while, took out the snow chain, carefully loaded the tires, and then moved forward slowly. Yesterday it only took an hour to drive to the collapse, but today it took two hours! Yesterday was sunny, today it was snowing! The weather in Daocheng Aden is really fickle!
By the time we got off the sightseeing bus, the snow had stopped. The roads, trees, houses, etc. in the scenic area are covered with thick snow! Yesterday, the golden rice city of Aden disappeared, and what appeared in front of us was a romantic world of ice and snow! The color of Daocheng Aden is also fickle!
According to the plan, Ah Li's goal today is the Pearl Sea on the right line. So I tried my best to take pictures while climbing hard - who could hold back from taking pictures of such a beautiful snowy scene? Finally, after walking from Zha Guan Beng to Chonggu Temple, Ah Li met a group member who returned from the Pearl Sea. He said that the Pearl Sea is still far away, and the team leader has called everyone to go down the mountain in the WeChat group, gather at the gate of the scenic spot at one o'clock at noon, and do not wait for the time. Ah Li looked at the time, it was eleven o'clock in the morning, and the drive back would take at least an hour, so he could only turn around and walk down. At this time, the golden trees on both sides of the plank road were bent over by the white snow, and they were actually connected together to form a golden tunnel, and the snow on the branches and leaves fell from time to time. Ah Li bent down to walk through this golden tunnel, although he was hit by falling snow from time to time, he enjoyed it and didn't feel any back pain or leg pain at all.
In the end, before noon, all of us arrived at the gate of the scenic spot. After asking each other, I realized that only the group member I met on the road arrived at the Pearl Sea, and the rest returned halfway! Later, the group member posted the video of the Pearl Sea he took in the WeChat group, so that those of us who returned halfway could also witness the beauty of the Pearl Sea in the snow.
Daocheng Aden is indeed fickle! But Ah Li likes it very much! Because in the same Daocheng Aden Scenic Area, Ah Li saw two different worlds - on the first day, its main color was gold; The next day, its main color is silver. Although he did not see the sea of milk, the sea of five-colors, and the sea of pearls with his own eyes on this trip, Ah Li was already satisfied.
Dagu Glacier is located in Luhua Town, Heishui County, Aba Prefecture, and "Dagu" is a Tibetan word that means "glacier in a deep ditch". At 3,800 to 5,100 meters above sea level, it is one of the lowest, largest and youngest glaciers in the world, and the closest glacier to the city.
To climb to the top of thesnow-capped mountain observation deck at an altitude of 4,860 meters above sea level, you need to take the world's highest Dagu Glacier cableway. It takes more than an hour to take a scenic sightseeing bus from the gate of the scenic spot to the ropeway station, passing through the Golden Monkey Sea, Red Army Lake, Zenacuo, Red Army Bridge, Shenniu Lake, Dagu Lake and other scenic spots along the way.
We arrived at the scenic spot at noon, and then took the sightseeing bus to the ropeway station.It was a sunny day, the sun was warm, and the woods on the hillsides on both sides of the Dagu River were dressed in colorful autumn clothes, stacked red and green, which was particularly gorgeous and dazzling; The lakes you pass along the way are clear and turquoise, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, and the colorful woods on both sides. Every time the driver drove to a scenic spot, he would stop and let us go down to take pictures, and after a while he would shout: Get in the car! We just got in the car and moved on.
At half past two in the afternoon, we entered the ropeway station and started going up. Sitting on the cable car and looking out the window, the first thing we see is the golden redwood forest on the hillside, and then the redwoods gradually thin out, and some low shrubs begin to appear. As the cable car continued upward, the shrubs were gone, leaving only rocks covered with snow and ice. When I was about to reach the top of the mountain, there were fewer rocks, and all I saw were snowy peaks.
Before three o'clock in the afternoon, Ah Li was standing on the top of the Dagu Glacier. Looking around, in the vast white world, in addition to the ropeway station, there is also an observation deck at the top of the snow-capped mountain at an altitude of 4,860 meters, a plank road for tourists to hike, a five-star red flag fluttering in the wind, a log cabin, the highest café in China, and the highest lake in this scenic spot, called Tear Lake. Ah Li was attracted by the blue lake of tears, stepped on the thick snow, and came to it along the plank road. It is a little different from the Golden Monkey Sea, Zenatsuo, Dagu Lake and other lakes under the mountain, the lake of tears is not big, the color is not rich, and only the snow-capped mountains and the sky are reflected in the lake, but it is on the top of the snow-capped mountains, lying quietly in the embrace of ice and snow, away from the hustle and bustle of the world, otherworldly, ethereal and elegant. What Ah Li was puzzled was: Why is such a beautiful lake named Lake of Tears?
Yes, why is it named Lake of Tears? There is no introduction by the lakeside. Ah Li later checked the information and learned the reason.
Lake of tears is a moraine lake, a lake formed when glaciers melt and retreat at the end. It is a witness and witness to the evolution of the earth's environment. In the context of global warming, the Dagu Glacier is melting rapidly at a rate of 5%-10% per year, and has disappeared by 70% in the past 50 years. If this rate continues, the Dagu Glacier may cease to exist in the next five to ten years. If Dagu Glacier doesn't exist, will Lake of Tears exist? Therefore, the Lake of Tears can be described as the tears of nature and the tears of human beings themselves.
In the past, the Dagu Glacier area was snow-free for only two months a year, but now this snow-free period lasts for three or four months. In summer, all the ice and snow around the Lake of Tears melts, leaving only bare large and small rocks; When autumn comes and the temperature drops, the lake of tears can return to the embrace of ice and snow; When winter comes, the Lake of Tears will be connected with the surrounding ice and snow and become an ice lake; It wasn't until the spring of the following year that it turned back into Lake of Tears.
We were lucky to see the lake of tears surrounded by ice and snow, not the ice lake surrounded by rocks; We saw the unchanging weather and the unchanging beauty of ice and snow of Dagu Glacier! As for the changes in Dagu Glacier and Lake of Tears, we have not witnessed it with our own eyes, is it lucky or unfortunate?
We played on the Dagu Glacier for more than an hour and then took the cable car down. Snow peaks, lakes of tears, rocks, and redwood forests slowly moved away from us. But Ah Li will not forget them, especially the Lake of Tears, which is like the tears of nature.
Daocheng Aden and Dagu Glacier, change and unchanged, are worth a look!
2024, 11, 15
Five, White Jade Yaqing Monastery and Seda Buddhist College, the ocean of the red house
During our 2024 October tour to western Sichuan, we visited many temples, the most famous of which are Yaqing Temple in Baiyu County, Ganzi Prefecture and Wuming Buddhist College in Seda County, both of which belong to the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. We first went to the White Jade Yaqing Monastery and then to the Seda Buddhist Academy three days later. Ah Li felt that these two temples had one thing in common: the practitioners lived in red houses, which were densely packed like a sea of red.
Founded in 1985 by Buddhist master Achu Rinpoche, Yaqing Monastery is a sacred place for female practitioners and one of the largest nunnery temples in the world. It is built on the Changtai Prairie at an altitude of 4,000 meters, and the Changqu River passes through the temple, dividing the monastery into two, one side is the Zaba (male practitioner) area, and the other side is the Juem (female practitioner) area. The Changqu River did not pass straight, but turned a big bend, and hugged the Juemu District in his arms like a semicircle, making the Juemu District a peninsula, which could only be connected to the Zhaba District by a bridge. Therefore, Juemu District has become a daughter country in the real world.
There is no need to buy a ticket or make an appointment to go to Yaqing Temple, and tourists can visit freely and there is no time limit. We arrived there at noon.Ali first climbed a hill opposite the Juemu area along the plank road, where he could overlook the surrounding scenery. The mountain is relatively open, there is snow, and in the lawn stands a magnificent statue - the seated statue of Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Padmasambhava sits to the south, facing the golden puja square, stupas, monasteries and the red Dzhaba accommodation area. The direction pointed to by his right hand was a steep cliff, under which was the jade-like Changqu River, and on the other side of the Changqu River was Juemu District, which was filled with dense red houses - snow on the roofs, echoing the snow-covered grassland in the distance.
Looking at the entire Yaqing Temple, Ah Li and a group member walked down the hill and went up the bridge to the Juemu area on the other side. The clear Changqu River flows quietly, watching us enter the Juemu area. A truck full of rice was parked there, and a group of Juem in crimson monk's robes came to collect a bag of rice. They carried or carried the bag of rice back to their red house. The two of us continued to walk inside, and saw that the door of a lecture hall was full of all kinds of shoes, and the lecture hall was full of Juems, and even people were sitting at the door. Ah Li was a little curious: With so many shoes, how can Jue Mu find his own?
I met a lot of Juemu while wandering around, and I wasn't surprised to see us. When Ah Li and his companions took pictures of each other, no one stopped them. When we were taking pictures of each other in the alley in the red house, a young and beautiful Jue Mu told us not to take pictures in Mandarin. When we explained that we only took pictures of ourselves, she stopped stopping. In short, Ah Li feels that the Juemu of Yaqing Temple are more friendly to tourists - as long as you don't shoot at them.
Seda Buddhist College is located in Laronggou, Luoruo Town, Seda County, more than 20 kilometers away from the county seat, with an average altitude of 3,900 meters. It has a long history of Bia Qing Monastery, formerly known as the Wuming Buddhist College of Larong Monastery, founded in 1880 by Dejiang Dorjee. After many expansions and developments, Seda Buddhist Academy was officially established in 1997 and gradually became one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist colleges in the world, with countless male and female practitioners coming here to study and build red wooden houses to live in.
From Seda County to Seda Buddhist College to visit, tourists must go to the Seda Jinma Grassland Distribution Center to get their ID card to buy their own tickets (tickets are 48 yuan, cannot be bought on behalf of others, face recognition is required), and then take a special tourist car; You can only play there for an hour, and then take a special tourist car back; If it takes more than an hour, you cannot take a special tourist bus back to the county. And there is a limit to the number of tickets per day.
It was past eleven o'clock in the morning when we arrived in Seda, and the tour leader immediately led us to buy tickets. There were only three tickets for the day, and the rest were for half past eight the next day. So only three people in our group had the opportunity to go to Seda Buddhist Academy that afternoon, and the others had to wait until the next morning. After arriving at Seda Buddhist College, these three group members played until dark, and took a panorama of Seda Buddhist College at night on the observation deck on the top of the mountain, and posted it in the group, so that we had the honor to see the magnificent night view of Seda Buddhist College. And because they played for more than an hour, they had no tourist bus to take, so they could only squeeze into the local bus and return to the hotel.
The next day, the sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue, and the tour bus took us directly to the top of the mountain of Seda Buddhist College. Walking on the street at the top of the mountain, Ah Li was shocked by the red ocean in front of him: at the bottom of the valley was a golden temple, surrounded by dense crimson wooden houses, which spread up the hillside, all the way to the top of the mountain, and spread to our feet. A three-story mandala was built on the top of the mountain, shining golden in the sunlight, and countless monks and believers were circling around the golden prayer tube. Ah Li first climbed the mandala, followed the flow of people to visit around, and then walked down, along the long street between the red houses to the bottom of the valley, and into the sea of red houses.
When he reached halfway up the mountain, the stipulated play time was approaching, and Ah Li could only stop. The golden temple at the bottom of the valley could only be seen from a distance. When Ah Li got on the tour bus, exactly an hour had passed since we arrived here. The tourist car took us through the Seda Buddha Institute and through these red houses. We watched this red ocean get closer and closer, and then farther and farther away, until it disappeared.
Now recalling the White Jade Yaqing Temple and the Seda Buddhist Academy, Ah Li wants to say: They are the paradise of practitioners, the ocean of red houses, and the most holy place on the western Sichuan Plateau.
2024, 11, 30
6. Songpinggou Bipenggou Shuangqiaogou is gorgeous
In the last few days of the 2024 October tour to western Sichuan, we visited the three major ditches in Aba Prefecture: Songpinggou in Mao County, Bipenggou in Li County, and Siguniang Mountain Shuangqiaogou in Xiaojin County. These three ditches are extremely brilliant in the October sun, unfolding a gorgeous and dazzling picture for us, which is amazing, lingering, and unforgettable.
Songpinggou and Bipenggou, Ah Li visited during his trip to Gannan Aba in September this year, and he didn't think there was anything particularly amazing about them at that time. Unexpectedly, a month later, Ah Li entered Songpinggou and Bipenggou again, and found that they had changed and became a little unrecognizable: the once ordinary lake is now extremely deep, as green as emerald; The once green leaves now become red or golden, as bright as clouds; The top of the mountain, which was once shrouded in clouds, now reveals silver snowy peaks.
As for Siguniang Mountain Shuangqiaogou, Ah Li is playing for the first time.
The core attraction of Siguniang Mountain is three ditches and four peaks. the three ditches from west to east are Shuangqiaogou, Changpinggou and Haizigou; The four peaks are Yaoguniang Mountain (Yaomei Peak), Sanguniang Mountain, Erguniang Mountain, and Daguniang Mountain. The main peak is Yaomei Peak at an altitude of 6,250 meters, which is the second highest peak in Sichuan Province, and is far away from Gongga Mountain, the "King of Shushan" we have looked up at in the Kangding Love Song Scenic Area.
Shuangqiaogou is the most well-developed ditch in the Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area with relatively complete tourist facilities, and it is the only ditch in the three ditches of Siguniang Mountain where sightseeing buses can reach all scenic spots, which is suitable for the general public to play. The development of Changpinggou and Haizigou is not perfect, requiring long hiking or horseback riding, requiring good physical strength, and is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Most of our group is elderly, of course, we chose Shuangqiaogou in Siguniang Mountain.
Siguniang Mountain and Bipenggou are still neighbors: Bipenggou is at the northern foot of Siguniang Mountain, and is connected to Changpinggou in Siguniang Mountain in the south, and people who like outdoor sports can hike from Changpinggou to Bipenggou. When Ah Li was playing in Bipenggou in September this year, he met such a group of people, including men and women, mainly young and middle-aged, all carrying a big bag and leaning on trekking poles, starting from Changpinggou in Siguniang Mountain, crossing the pass, and entering Bipenggou.
The first place we visited this time was Songpinggou, Maoxian County, which lasted only more than three hours: from 11 noon to 3 pm. Ah Li did not take the scenic transportation bus, but strolled along the plank road, admiring the White Stone Sea, the Ink Sea, the Pearl Waterfall and the colorful woods along the way, while the colorful pond and Changhai in the ditch tail did not have time to go. But Ah Li did not feel regrets, because the blue sea, white waterfalls, red leaves and yellow leaves everywhere he went, had dazzled Ah Li's eyes and made Ah Li's body and mind relaxed and happy. Moreover, the future is long, and the unfinished attractions can be saved for next time - the beautiful scenery is worth seeing again and again! Besides, the seasons are different, and the scenery you see is also different!
After we came out of Songpinggou Scenic Area, we went to Bipenggou Scenic Area in Lixian County with the car, and arrived at the hotel near the scenic spot at seven o'clock in the evening. Early the next morning, we went to Bipenggou Scenic Area, got on the scenic transportation bus, and arrived at the first attraction of Bipenggou: Longwanghai at half past eight. At this time, the sun rises in the east, the sun is shining on the top of the mountain, the top of the mountain is painted with gold, becoming a golden mountain, and the moon has not yet set, it hangs diagonally above the golden mountain, we are fortunate to witness the magnificent landscape of Rizhao Golden Mountain and the slanting moon setting in the west. The fiery red maple trees and golden sequoias are reflected in the lake, and the golden top and colorful hillsides are also reflected in the lake, up and down, brilliant, which is fascinating.
After visiting Longwang Sea, we got on the transportation bus and continued to move forward, and the scenery along the way was intoxicating. Shanghaizi is the terminal of the scenic traffic bus, and when we arrived here, we bought another ticket and got on the battery car and continued to walk into the ditch. When the car passed Dolma Beach, the driver stopped and asked us to get off and walk to the pick-up point in front.
Dolma Beach and Dragon King Sea are completely different in tone: Dragon King Sea is the kingdom of oil painting, and Dolma Beach is the ice and snow world! The grass on the ground is ice and snow, the trees are ice and snow, and the mountains near and far are also ice and snow. Only the waterfall that jumped off the cliff is not ice and snow, only the stream flowing quietly next to the plank road is not ice and snow, only Dolma Lake is not ice and snow, but they are also white - the surrounding majestic and upright snow peaks are reflected in Dolma Lake, and the clear Dolma Lake has also turned white! Dolma Beach turned into a white fairy tale world at this time! And when Ah Li visited here a month ago, it was still an ordinary green world!
After walking through the ice and snow world of Dolma Beach, we got on the battery car and went to the next attraction - Panyang Lake. Here the redwoods are forested, the lake is turquoise, and the snow-capped peaks stand upright, and we unknowingly walked to Skyline Lake and Moon Bay. In the September tour, Ah Li stopped here. Moon Bay is still five kilometers away from the swallow rock nest at the end of the ditch, and you need to take a battery car to the scenic spot. At that time, because of the clouds and mist and gloomy weather, only the nearby lake and the green trees by the lake could be seen, and there was little time left to play, so Ah Li and his group members gave up the scenic spot of Swallow Rock Nest. This time Ah Li decided to finish swimming in the peng ditch, so he bought another ticket and got on the battery car to go to the swallow rock nest. On the way, we also stopped to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hongshan Lake and Hongshi Slope, and finally successfully arrived at the end of Bipenggou - Swallow Rock Nest.
Swallow Rock Nest is more than 3,800 meters above sea level, which is the highest point of Bipenggou and the last scenic spot in Bipenggou Scenic Area. It is backed by Siguniang Mountain and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. General Peak, Empress Peak, Jade Rabbit Peak, and Monkey Head Peak are all wrapped in silver and wearing white armor to protect the swallow rock nest in their arms. At the foot of the mountain is a golden redwood forest, and between the snowy peaks are yellowed meadows and gray rocks. Walking on the meadow of Swallow Rock's Nest, admiring the surrounding glaciers and snow-capped peaks and golden sequoia forests, basking in the warm sun, Ah Li is really worth the trip!
It was half past one in the afternoon when we came out of Bipenggou, and we immediately got in the car and went to Shuangqiaogou in Siguniang Mountain along the famous Lixiao Road, and stayed in the hotel next to the scenic spot that night.
Early the next morning, we entered the Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area. First, take the sightseeing bus directly to the terminal - the redwood forest at an altitude of 3,840 meters, and then take the sightseeing bus back and forth one by one. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Yutu Peak, Potala Peak, Eagle Mouth Rock, Hunter Peak, Jianzi Mountain, Sgulaso Lake, Yuba, Silver Waterfall Yongcuo Lake and so on. Glaciers and snow-capped mountains, plateau lakes, red and yellow forests, grassland deserts, and leisurely cattle are all delightful. We played until after one o'clock in the afternoon before reluctantly ending our trip to Shuangqiaogou and heading to Chengdu.
After three days of playing in three ditches - Songpinggou, Bipenggou, and Shuangqiaogou, Ah Li did not feel any aesthetic fatigue. On the contrary, Ah Li feels that the brilliant autumn colors of these three ditches are never tired of watching!
It can be said that Songpinggou Bipenggou Shuangqiaogou is gorgeous and worth seeing!
2024、12、14
Seven From Chengdu City, can you swim Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in one day?
The last attraction of our 2024 October tour in western Sichuan needs to be chosen by ourselves.
At that time, we had already swam Songpinggou Bipenggou and Shuangqiaogou and returned to Chengdu with a day of free time.
Where to go to Chengdu on this day?
Ah Li has been to Chengdu several times, and he has visited almost everything in the city. During the Gannan Aba tour in September, we also had a day of free time in Chengdu, and Ah Li and his group members went to the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan: take the high-speed rail from Chengdu East Railway Station to Guanghan Station for 18 minutes in the morning, take the bus to Sanxingdui Museum after leaving the train station, and return to Chengdu in the afternoon. It's fast and cheap to go this way, and you can see enough Sanxingdui Museum in one day.
In fact, every time he comes to Chengdu, Ah Li has a wish: to spend a day visiting Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan, because the two sentences "worship the water Dujiangyan and ask about Qingcheng Mountain" are too tempting. Unfortunately, Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain are far away from Chengdu and are not directly accessible by subway. If you take a bus, it will take several hours on the road, and a day will basically be spent on the road, so Ah Li's wish has not been fulfilled before.
This time, in the 2024 October tour of western Sichuan, can Ah Li fulfill this wish?
Ah Li thought, can you take the bus, what if you take the train? Just like Ah Li went to the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan in September, can he take the train and visit Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in one day?
Ah Li quickly clicked on the railway 12306 on his mobile phone, checked the train from Chengdu to Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan, and found that there were really trains directly to these two places: from Chengdu Xipu Station to Qingcheng Mountain, the time was forty minutes, and the fare was ten yuan; From Dujiangyan to Xipu Station, the time is 20 minutes, and the fare is 10 yuan. There is a bus No. 101 connecting Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area and Dujiangyan Scenic Area.
Theoretically, starting from Chengdu City, you can visit Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in one day.
Whether the theory is correct needs to be tested by practice.
Ah Li then decided that the last stop of the 2024 Western Sichuan October tour was Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain in Chengdu - to test whether the theory is correct with practice.
Before leaving, Ah Li bought a ticket from Xipu to Qingchengshan at 7 o'clock in the morning and a ticket from Dujiangyan to Xipu at 6 o'clock in the afternoon.
At six o'clock that morning, Ah Li and a group member set off from the hotel and took the subway to Xipu Station. After waiting for a while, I got on the train and arrived at Qingchengshan High-speed Railway Station at eight o'clock. Then we waited for Dujiangyan Bus No. 101, the fare was 2 yuan, and we took three stops to Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area. The group members hiked the mountain, while Ah Li took the ropeway up the mountain.
Qingcheng Mountain is truly one of the four famous mountains of our country's four major churches, with lush and green trees and undulating peaks. After leaving the ropeway station, Ah Li continued to climb, passing Ciyun Pavilion, Tianyi Pavilion, Shangqing Palace, etc., and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock, thinking that he had to go to Dujiangyan, so he decided to go down the mountain. The trail in the Qingcheng mountains and forests is paved with red sandstone, like a red ladder in the verdant forest, straight down. Although it is steep, the descent is fast.
At twelve o'clock, Ah Li came to the bus station of Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area. Soon, bus No. 101 came, and Ah Li got on the bus smoothly. I arrived at Dujiangyan Scenic Area at one o'clock.
Dujiangyan was built by Li Bing, the governor of Shu County in the Qin state more than 2,000 years ago, and is the only grand water conservancy project in the world that has been around for a long time and is characterized by damless water diversion. Ah Li followed the flow of people, visited Fulong Temple, Baopingkou, Anlan Suo Bridge, etc., and walked all the way to the fish mouth at the forefront of Dujiangyan. After shopping, it was half past three in the afternoon. Take the special train to Dujiangyan high-speed rail station, just four o'clock. Ah Li then changed the ticket from six o'clock in the afternoon to more than four o'clock. Before five o'clock, I returned to Chengdu Xipu Station.
After visiting Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in one day, Ah Li easily realized it. Ah Li has also proved with practice that starting from Chengdu, you can swim Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan in one day - although it is a bit of a walk.
Friends who want to go to Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan may wish to give it a try!
Ah Li's 2024 October tour to western Sichuan has come to a successful end!
Looking forward to the next outing!
2024、12、22
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