Tibet Travel Notes--Close Contact with Spirits (originally written in 2009)

Perhaps because I grew up on the grassland, I have always had a special attachment and sentiment towards the Western Regions. And Tibet has always been my childhood dream. I have experienced the mystery of Tibetan Buddhism, the magic of the reincarnation of soul boys and the solemnity of sky burials countless times in my dreams; I have also experienced the ultimate romance in "That Night" of Tsangyang Gyatso countless times. When I was a freshman, I actually had the opportunity to go to Tibet, but I always stubbornly believed that I must go to Tibet with the person I love most, so I didn’t make the trip. Then, with graduation and busy work coming one after another, I continued to travel between countries around the world, just like a standard trapeze artist. Tibet was put on hold by me for more than ten years.

When the time came to 2009, a group of our Gobi comrades from the Yangtze River planned to hike the Brahmaputra River under the organization of Lao Cai, and my Tibetan dream could finally come true. On April 26, I was so impatient that I took half a day off and took the 3pm flight from Chengdu to Lhasa. I want to reach Tibet before the large army and experience the solemnity and solemnity of the Potala Palace as soon as possible. As the plane approaches Tibet, you can see the rolling snow-capped mountains, which are a bit mysterious and a bit coldly lonely. My dream is about to come true, I was thinking, when suddenly there was news on the radio that the plane was going to return to Chengdu due to strong winds in Lhasa. In an instant, I felt like my head was going to explode. How could this happen? Am I not pious enough to want to come to the snowy plateau where the gods live? !

I stayed at the airport hotel in Chengdu for one night, and took the first flight again the next day. This time I arrived in Lhasa smoothly. Sun Tou from Gaolu has already greeted us at the airport. I met at the airport with Xiaowei, Tong Xin, Lao Ju from the 10th phase, and Ostrich and Yu Yao from Jiaotong University. After another hour of driving, we finally arrived in Lhasa. After throwing our luggage in the room, the old man took us to the street for a lunch with Western characteristics, and then we went to Bajiao Street without stopping. Bajiao Street is located in the center of the ancient city of Lhasa. It is the street with the most complete preservation of Lhasa's original appearance. It is also the gathering place for Lhasa's religion, economy, culture, national handicrafts and even Tibetan customs. Here, you can fully appreciate the various customs of Tibet. The unique antique shops and smooth bluestone roads tell us the history of Lhasa; countless handicraft carts show us the culture and art of Lhasa; The old people and children wearing local costumes passing by us told us of their kindness and happiness with pure eyes. And all of this has deeply moved those of us who have lived in big cities for a long time. Xiaowei and Tong Xin greedily took photos. Yuyao bought local clothes and wore them, trying to blend in with the locals. Lao Ju and I walked lazily, slowly admiring the romance on the roadside. Don’t feel like we’ve come full circle, we come to the Jokhang Temple. The Jokhang Temple is the most glorious existing Tibetan-era building in Tibet and the oldest existing civil structure building in Tibet. It pioneered the Tibetan Pingchuan-style temple layout. The Jokhang Temple combines Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese and Indian architectural styles and has become an eternal model of Tibetan religious architecture. Enshrined in the Jokhang Temple is the 12-year-old life-size statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng from Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty. It holds the supreme status in Tibetan Buddhism. After we visited the main hall on the first floor, we went to the second and third floors to overlook the Potala Palace. In the light twilight, we felt this holy land, as if we were washing our souls...

After returning to the hotel, the main force had already arrived. Except for Cheng Chen, Wang Lu, Li Yemin and Professor Liu Jun, who went directly to Linzhi, everyone else arrived at the hotel. Lao Cai gave us a unique welcome banquet, and also invited the captain and secretary of the Tibetan Mountaineering Team, which added a lot of color to the banquet. The people who came this time, in addition to those who arrived in the morning and those who went directly to Linzhi, were Zhang Bo, Peng Jin, and Kangaroo from the 10th phase, Wei Qiang from the 11th phase, Yan Jun from the 7th phase, and Lu Junhe from the 12th phase. Xiong Yong, Guofan who repeated the grade from the first semester to the 13th semester, Dean Xue and his student Xiuli, PhD students from Peking University and smiling faces from CEIBS Wang Lingjiang, Liu Jun and Xiaoyan, as well as the so-called Yellow River Business School Wang Zhanjun, Gong Hao, Tingting and others. If we include Pengfei who came the next day, we have 36 people in one group, which can be said to be a strong force. After dinner, some of our classmates didn’t want to go to bed early, so they went to Maggie Ami’s Bar on Bajiao Street.

Maggie Ami is filled with a lazy atmosphere, comfortable sofas, relaxing music, and a silver counter that is somewhat similar to a bar. The dazzling array of books on the bookshelf in the corner can deepen your yearning for this mysterious city. On the walls, on the table, you can see some vivid and exquisite ornaments everywhere; there is also a guestbook written by me in the end of the world, with blessings, melancholy, heroic words, and pathos. What makes us most nostalgic is the moving poem written by Cangjia Gyatso to Magu Ami that has been passed down to this day. "On the top of the eastern mountaintop, the bright moon rises, and Magu Ami's face gradually emerges in our hearts." In such a romantic place, our emotions were also aroused. The kangaroo first came to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and then some of us sang and some recited poems. Accompanied by the night and the sweet smell of highland barley wine, all of us had long forgotten No matter where we are, if we hadn't gotten up early tomorrow, we would have partyed until dawn.

The next day, after having breakfast, we went to the legendary holy church - the Potala Palace. Xiaowei and Tong Xin arrived very early to take pictures of the Potala Palace in the morning light. The Potala Palace was first built in the 7th century AD during the reign of King Songtsan Gampo of Tibet. It has a history of 1,300 years. It is built on the mountains, with overlapping buildings. The palaces are majestic and majestic. The sharp contrast of the three colors of red, white and yellow, the divided and connected building shapes, all reflect the charming characteristics of ancient Tibetan architecture. The palace consists of the White Palace in the east (where the Dalai Lama lives) and the Red Palace in the middle (Buddha Hall and the Dalai Lama's Pagoda Hall) in the middle. We started from the White House and visited each room from east to west, including a trip to the world's highest toilet in the middle. The Potala Palace contains the pagodas of the Dharma Kings and the Dalai Lama, a large number of murals, scriptures and countless treasures and artworks. During the entire visit, we had only one feeling, that is, "awe", awe of history, awe of gods, and awe of the mystery and wisdom revealed in this thousand-year-old palace. Among the Dalai Lamas of the past, the fifth Dalai Lama is the most accomplished. His pagoda is also the most luxurious. It is made of pure gold and inlaid with countless treasures. It is said that this pagoda alone can buy half the world and six cities. Shanghai shows how valuable the Potala Palace is. Accompanied by the happy sound of the Potala Palace female workers driving piles, we ended our visit, had a quick lunch, and drove to Linzhi.

The scenery along the way is very good, but the altitude has been rising. It has risen to more than 5,000 meters at Sera Pass. Xiaowei and Lao Ju, who came non-stop from the United States, have begun to take oxygen. Everyone may also More or less headache and breathlessness. It was not until we arrived at Namtso seven hours later that everyone's emotions were lifted by the beautiful lake water. Namtso means Sky Lake in Tibetan. The lake is supplied by the melted ice and snow of Nyenqentanglha Mountain. There are many large and small streams flowing in along the lake. The lake water is clear and transparent, and the lake surface is sky blue. The water and sky blend into one, making it a perfect place for leisurely swimming. By the lake, you feel like you are in a fairyland. Maybe it's because of the season, but there don't seem to be many other tourists except us, so we can enjoy this tranquility and romance to ourselves. All of us were sitting by the lake admiring the beautiful scenery or taking photos everywhere. We had already put the altitude sickness behind us. The car drove for almost two hours, and after passing the border guard station in Linzhi, we finally arrived at the Linzhi Hotel. Here we meet up with our Professor Liu, Ye Min, and the so-called empress dowagers of the two palaces, Cheng Chen and Wang Lu, and the team is finally assembled. After the special dinner, we were exhausted and hurried back to sleep. See you tomorrow, Brahmaputra.

Early the next morning, we drove to the starting point of the first day’s hiking. We were divided into groups in the car. The first team was the so-called Yellow River team, the second team was the Yajiang team, and the third team was the Yajiang team. The third team, 8850, is mainly from Gobi Phase 3, and the fourth team, Siye Team, is mainly from Gobi Phase 1 and 2, as well as the lone ranger Sun Bo. Everyone chose a team leader and made a team flag. About three hours later, we arrived at the entrance of Brahmaputra and the four-day hike began. There is a suspension bridge at the starting point. It is very long and spectacular. The girls walked across it with very nervous steps, while the rest of us almost ran across it. Yan Jun sprained his ankle while playing basketball before he came. We have been living together these days, so I am responsible for taking care of him. We walked slowly on the road. Xiaowei, Tong Xin and Sun Bo were taking pictures from behind. We walked together, almost like taking a walk. After walking for a short time, we saw the second suspension bridge, which was more dangerous and spectacular. We simply stopped and kept admiring and taking pictures. , Haijiu from Gaolu kept urging us to leave quickly, but we just pretended not to hear.

Only when I came here did I realize how beautiful this place is. Along the way, there are suspension bridges that are like "cutting off the clouds and rain in Wushan and erecting the stone walls of the Xijiang River"; there are cliffs that look like knives and axes; there are huge rivers with huge waves like tigers leaping; there are ancient Shu roads. As steep and difficult as the plank road is, there are also emerald green agate-like vegetation. We were completely conquered by the uncanny craftsmanship of nature, and we did not feel that it was getting slower and slower as we walked. Slowly, the sky became dark, and Yan Jun's feet seemed to be getting more and more painful, but he refused to get on the horse no matter what, so we had to walk slowly behind. Sun Bo has been with us all the time. We didn't talk much when we were in the Gobi, but we talked more this time. Only then did I realize that I went to university in my hometown of Xi’an, and my first love was from our Xi’an Jiaotong University. Haha, this world is really small. Anyway, I had nothing to do, so Sun Bo and I started to compare poems and couplets, haha. News came from the front that their first echelon arrived at the camp very early. Zhang Bo, Boyuan and Professor Liu were all our strong men. I began to worry, how could we walk on such a dangerous road if it was too dark. While we were talking, Lu Jun and Boyuan had already come back to greet us. Yan Jun got on his horse with our persuasion, and we quickly arrived at the camp. On the first day we lived in a tent and couldn't sleep, Sun Bo and I continued to exchange poems. Yan Jun next to us was already so annoyed by us that he had nothing to say, haha.

The next day, several members of the Yellow River team went back beforehand, leaving only three people. However, in the words of team leader Wang Zhanjun: "The organization is still there." Yan Jun and Yu Yao also stayed at the camp to wait for us under our persuasion. Sun Bo helped them find books, and Cheng Chen found some cans for them. "See you the day after tomorrow, enjoy your world together, and don't forget to write a letter of repentance." We joked with them both while starting the next day’s hike. Today's section of the road is much more difficult to walk, with constant uphills and downhills, making even those with good physical strength breathless. I still walked behind, and Wang Lu and Kangaroo sang many songs to us, which added a lot of joy to the difficult hike. Wei Qiang's mission was to protect Wang Lu. I walked with them, but there were still dizzying views along the way. When we arrived at Zaqu Village, we suddenly saw Zhang Bo and Professor Liu. Haha, it turned out that they took the wrong road. They walked forty or fifty minutes longer and came back. They happened to meet us. It was really interesting. We sat on the roadside to rest, teasing the two of them, and eating something to replenish our supplies. Suddenly, I heard Xiaowei calling us from a high place in the distance. It turned out that he had found a good place to watch the big bend of Palong Zangbo, and we hurried forward. After arriving, Xiaowei said that he couldn't help crying when he saw this scene. It was so beautiful. What Xiaowei said was true. All he saw was a verdant mountain peak, and a large river spiraling through the foot of the mountain like a giant dragon, running endlessly, giving birth to the long-standing and splendid Tibetan culture. It is true that "the country is so beautiful that it attracts countless heroes to bow down." Namjagbarwa Peak can be vaguely seen in the distance, but the top is not visible due to the clouds and mist. Cheng Chen kept blowing there, as if he was trying to blow away the clouds, and we also began to pray quietly. God rewarded our efforts, and we finally saw the top of Namjagbarwa. Although it was not the main peak, and although we only had a few minutes, it was enough. We will definitely get the protection of the gods.

Having almost rested, we continued moving forward. Soon, I saw the big bend of Brahmaputra. "High, strong, deep and quiet, long and dangerous, low and beautiful" is a true portrayal of this place. What is displayed in front of us is an extremely spectacular scene. The rushing river flows through the twists and turns of the canyon, as if embedded in the slit opened by the giant axe. At the bottom of the valley is a roaring rapid, with river beds dotted with shoals, reefs, and jagged rocks. Its endless rapids and continuous peaks combine to form a magnificent and moving picture. Not only does it contain abundant water resources, but the landforms here also provide valuable conditions for the development and utilization of rich water resources. Brahmaputra is the veritable mother river of Tibet. Next we have to pass through the Leech District. Let’s take a break. Facing such beautiful scenery, of course we have to play some games. We played a real killing game before moving forward and starting to travel through the Leech District. . This section of the road is really difficult to walk. Most of the downhill sections are very slippery. The trees and various plants on both sides are covered with leeches. They use their suckers to suck on the leaves, and their tails fly in the wind. , and then if you are not careful, leeches will crawl on your clothes, bags, hats, and even your neck. It's hard to pull them off by picking them with your hands, and the salt water that Lao Cai gave you has no effect. Basically, you have to rely on the "magic skill of snapping your fingers" to pop them off.

In many cases, when you notice, the leech has already sucked blood, and then you have to deal with the bleeding wound. Many of our team members were bitten, some on their hands, some on their limbs, some on their backs, some on their ears, and even their buttocks. When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, our famous empress dowagers of the East Palace and West Palace burst into tears. Everyone hated the old talent and said in unison that they would give him a lesson. At the foot of the mountain is a place with close contact with the river. Zhang Bo, Kangaroo, Guofan and I took a good bath in the river and then came to our campsite. The campsite we chose was very good, surrounded by mountains, and an open space in the middle was perfect for camping. After we set up the tent, it started raining heavily, so everyone had to brave the rain to get food. I felt very tired and too lazy to eat, so I fell asleep in the tent. After a long time, the rain stopped, and suddenly Lu Jun called me to eat, saying that the rice had been prepared and he was using Lao Ju's rice bowl. After I ate in a hurry, I realized that it was actually very hard for everyone to go get food in the heavy rain. I actually enjoyed treatment that even the female team members did not receive. I was really ashamed. There was originally going to be a bonfire party, but because of the rain, many people went back to sleep after dinner. But I felt that sleeping in such a beautiful place was too wasteful, so I invited everyone to play truth or dare. Haha, it’s really romantic to have a lot of people playing truth or dare around a bonfire at night. It's just that everyone is relatively familiar with each other, so they don't let it go very openly, especially Peng Jin, who is particularly pretentious. I was particularly annoyed with her, so I deliberately asked a very difficult question, asking her what her measurements were. It didn’t matter. Professor Liu Jun, who was about to sleep in the tent when we were in the tent, couldn’t sleep. He was desperately waiting for the answer. As a result, he stayed up all night. Sleep, hahahaha. Later, several of our male team members didn't want to sleep, so we chatted for a long time around the campfire. While chatting, we drank highland barley wine, which can be regarded as "Dongli wine after dusk".

The route on the third day was basically the same as the second day, except that due to the rain, we took a section of the mountain climbing route through another section where there were relatively few leeches. It's a lot to say the least, but Wang Lu had at least a dozen of them crawling on her body. Fortunately, there were many of us together, and we arrived at Zhaqu in one go. Lao Ju, Sun Bo, Xiong Yong, Xiao Yan, his wife and I arrived early, and we had a great time tasting mutton soup and butter tea at a Tibetan home. Later I learned that the owner of this place was originally a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and there was a photo with Chairman Hu Jintao hanging on the wall. It was a real honor. The second half of the road was relatively easy. Xiong Yong and Sun Bo and I walked together, taking photos and enjoying the scenery, walking very slowly. Xiong Yong is in good health, young, and has a cool hairstyle. I gave him a nickname: Chasing the Wind Boy. Later he changed his name to Chai Feng Shaoxia, haha. Yan Jun and Yu Yao were waiting for us at the camp. I realized that they had been relying on bread for the past two days and had been looking forward to our return. Haha, I remembered the guy in the movie "Party A and Party B" who stole all the chickens in the village. of money. The dinner was sumptuous, followed by a well-arranged Yajiang La Singing Party. Of course, we still won’t let the veteran go. Lu Jun, Xiong Yong, Xiao Wei, and Wei Qiang and I picked up the veteran and kept throwing him over the bonfire. We didn’t let go until we were too tired. The party also Ushered in the first climax. When we first started singing, everyone was a little shy, but Wang Lu and Kangaroo sang a few songs generously. But then, the appearance of White Rabbit Li Yemin ignited everyone's passion. Yemin sang a song called "Nothing," and before everyone could react, he sang a second song, and then said to everyone, "If you don't sing, you will have no chance." Okay, the next song is booked by us. Haha, everyone's passion was aroused now. Wang Lingjiang, the smiling man, sang a team song from the second period of Gobi. Then Boyuan and Zhanjun couldn't sit still and got up to sing one after another. Later, a three-legged situation was formed. . Boyuan, Zhanjun and Lingjiang's team, our Yangtze River Gobi team, and our Tibetan friends' team, everyone came and went, and even started to sing songs from the 1960s. It was really lively. At this time, the old man actually took out two popular song encyclopedias, and Cheng Chen also started to offer suggestions from all sides. Haha, everyone was even more fiercely fighting now. In the end, they took off their shirts and rushed to sing, basically competing for their voices. . According to incomplete statistics, the scene experienced seven orgasms in one session. This is the limit of men since recorded history, haha. When we got tired of singing, everyone started to have a heart-to-heart talk, and everyone talked about their feelings about this trip to Yajiang. Everyone talked a lot, some talked about the essence of life, some talked about the meaning of life, some talked about the touch in life, some talked about resolutely leaving everything behind to come to Yajiang for a promise, and some people recorded it with their cameras. It captures the moving and beauty of our integration with nature at this night.

Finally, everyone said what they wanted to say the most, and then reluctantly returned to the tent. On the last outdoor night of the Yajiang trip, they silently felt the tranquility and fell asleep slowly... ,,,

On the fourth day, I walked the same route as the first day. It was not very tiring. The scenery along the way was beautiful. Xiong Yong, Lu Jun, Sun Bo, Professor Xue and Xiuli and I walked at the back. . Our friends who came to Yajiang this time are all very cute, and I cherish the time with them very much. Let’s talk about the professors first. The two professors we have here this time are really interesting. Professor Liu Jun always walks in the first place, walking like flying. He doesn’t look like someone who is almost 50 years old at all; Professor Xue is always optimistic and happy. He keeps talking to us about relaxing topics, and he is indeed our spiritual support. Boyuan and Zhang Bo are basically at the forefront. Boyuan now has a very good relationship with our Yangtze River and he basically comes to all our activities; Zhang Bo is a tough guy. In addition to being an exhibitionist, he also likes to make fun of our sister Wang Lu. Haha, but he looks very happy. He is our good comrade in Gobi. It will be lively after all with him. Lu Jun is a man of action, professional in outdoor activities, with first-class equipment, and he also understands the meaning of life. Xiong Yong is a very talented young man chasing the wind. Guofan always works silently for everyone. This time he even bought yak meat and pork liver for all of us in Linzhi, which added a lot to our dinner. It's really hard for him. He weighs more than 200 kilograms, but he can never say "tired". Yan Jun is a very cheerful person who is very persistent and firm in life, love and career. Wang Lu and I had an agreement to lose 20 kilograms. I thought it was a good idea, and now we have lost almost seven or eight kilograms. She and our Kangaroo are the main singers. Kangaroo is known as the commander of the Beijing Station of the Yangtze River Art Troupe, and his singing is very refreshing. Cheng Chen called a lot of people over this time, most of them from Gobi Phase II. In addition to the white rabbit Li Yemin and the little black rabbit Pengfei, there were also the Smiling Man Wang Lingjiang and Xiaoyan from CEIBS, and Ostrich from Jiaotong University. Wang Lingjiang is very enthusiastic, but sometimes he is too enthusiastic, haha. Ostrich and Yu Yao from Jiaotong University are both very interesting people. I wonder if there were any sparks between Yu Yao and Yan Jun after spending two days together. Li Yemin and Pengfei have both participated in Gobi twice, which is really not easy. This is Lao Ju’s first time going outdoors, but he has been insisting. I believe he will fall in love with hiking from now on. Wei Qiang is not very talkative and has been protecting Wang Lu along the way. In fact, he is also an outdoor veteran. I won’t say much more about Xiaowei, our good captain. Tong Xin actually has a knee injury, but he participates in every hike we take. Although the speed is not very fast, his persistent spirit and attitude of constantly using his camera to discover beauty on the road perfectly explain the essence of our hike. Peng Jin, it would be great if you could stop doing this. Sun Bo is a very romantic girl who loves life. I hope she can better grasp some people and things in life. Some things will never be found again if they are lost. Liu Jun from CEIBS is in good health and kept taking photos along the way. He is an optimist. Xiuli doesn't speak much, but it's obvious that she is a person who loves life and cherishes her friends. Zhan Jun is a person who has seen through life and brought us many thoughts about life along the way. Tingting loves life very much. Her slogan is to travel around the world and become friends with all the talented and beautiful people she meets. James from Hong Kong came to Yajiang with his sister and brother-in-law. This event was more like a family trip for them. Haifeng was injured later, but he still persisted to the finish line. It was really not easy.

After passing the last suspension bridge, our Yajiang hike was completed. Everyone was very excited. Xiong Yong, a young boy chasing the wind, had to compete with me and Lu Jun in the 100-meter race. He was really young. I believe everyone will always remember this trip to Yajiang. There were too many things worth remembering during the trip. There are no words to describe the beauty of Brahmaputra. It is majestic, spectacular and mysterious. It is like the reappearance of ancient times and the manifestation of gods. It is actually the pure land leading to the holy land. I have specially composed a poem for everyone to appreciate: The road from Yajiang to Heaven leads to the holy church,

? It attracts fairies to practice their colorful clothes.

? The green sleeves are wrapped around thousands of times of blue,

? The white skirt dances with thousands of miles of frost.

I thought it was complete, but when we arrived at the observation deck, Namjagbarwa actually revealed his true appearance. Namjagbarwa Peak is the highest mountain in Linzhi area, with an altitude of 7782 meters. Its huge triangular peak is covered with snow and mist all year round, never revealing its true appearance easily. Namjagbarwa Peak is full of magical legends. It is said that this is the place where the gods live. There is also a shrine and a road to heaven on the top of the mountain. People living here firmly believe that everyone who sees its true appearance will be blessed. God's protection.

And we are so lucky today to get a glimpse of Namjagbarwa’s true face on the Buddha’s birthday. Believe in the existence of gods and be awe-inspiring in your hearts. In the past few days, we have been in close contact with gods and have been protected by the true gods. We knelt on our knees, kowtowed to Namjagbarwa and prayed for our family, for our friends, for everyone who loves you and the people you love...

It has been a long time since we returned to Linzhi It's late. During dinner, we all made donations to Linzhi, initiated by the Yangtze River. This is the purpose of our Yangtze River hike. Every time we go to a place, we must leave something for the local area. After communicating with the local education bureau, we decided to donate an electronic classroom to a local primary school under construction. Everyone donated, which was a successful conclusion to our trip to Tibet.

In life

there are always some things

that are unforgettable

When the years pass by for a long time

These things

will become legends

scattered in the wind

And we

sing songs of memories

Walking in the wind

……