Be a Lhasa native and wait for the slow flow of the Lhasa River

Text/White Tea Heart

1.

Tourists mostly take a quick tour of Lhasa. They have seen the Potala Palace and walked through We visited the Lesser and Lesser Zhao Temples, walked around Barkhor Street, visited Ganden Monastery, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, took photos of the worshipers who kowtowed, and touched prayer wheels. This is basically what a tourist can do.

However, after doing this, do you really understand Lhasa? Can it be said that you have touched the soul of Lhasa? It's rare that anyone can say that. Because the time is too short, what we feel is only superficial and superficial, and it is difficult to touch the heart of Lhasa.

I thought of the girl I met while watching the sunrise at Yaowang Mountain. She comes from Qingdao, Shandong Province. She said that every time she goes to a place, she stays for a long time. This time, she wants to stay in Lhasa for a year. A few days later, she found a job in Lhasa.

I think that is the real tourism, not a quick glance, but really a calm mind, living with Lhasa and experiencing Lhasa up close. However, not everyone has such an opportunity.

We also stayed in Lhasa for a long time. Of course, we were not long enough to visit every temple and hear enough stories. However, we didn’t choose to see the scenic spots everywhere. We spent 3 afternoons and chose to accompany the Lhasa River.

2.

It was the first day to go to the Lhasa River. After we finished work, we wanted to see the mountains and the water of the Lhasa River. So I walked and walked for a long, long time. Looking at the mountains very close to me, I really feel like I have to run to death. After walking for almost an hour, I finally walked to a small river. I thought it was the Lhasa River, but I was a little disappointed. Later I found out that it was just a small river and we were going in the opposite direction. So I could only take a photo of the sunset and went back unhappy.

The next afternoon, we walked along the river to Norbulingka. First we took the main road, then passed through an iron gate and came under Congliu Wu Bridge. The lake is blue up close, with distant mountains reflected in it. In the sunshine, we walked along the path built by the river to the Qinghai-Tibet Sichuan-Tibet Monument. The monument was erected under the blue sky. Hu Yaobang inscribed an inscription to commemorate the 30 years since the two roads were opened to traffic and the people who played a huge role in it. People's Liberation Army.

Later, after visiting various Pozhang (palaces) in Norbulingka, we went back and found the cliff carvings of Yaowang Mountain. We walked through the mountain, back to the main road, and then walked back along the river.

Walk and walk, still walking by the river. But I no longer have the energy to enjoy the scenery by the river. On the way back, I took a small path with many stones, so I walked slowly. My companions stopped from time to time to wait for me.

We started at 2:30 and didn’t return to the hotel until 7:30 in the evening. On the way back, I kept panting and thought I was going to die, but I couldn't stop and my mind didn't have time to think. After I walked back, I sat down in one breath and didn't want to get up. I just feel like my legs are no longer my own. Walking on the plateau is really a chore, and the panting due to lack of oxygen is an unforgettable experience.

3.

The next afternoon we went to the Lhasa River again. We first walked around Barkhor Street for a long time, and when we came out, we could no longer enter the Jokhang Temple. We slowly planned to leave, but we actually saw 3 cars of a certain type. This was such an unexpected surprise, it felt like I had picked up three million.

We used extremely poor signal and turned on the hotspot, and we managed to drive 3 cars, which were the most difficult ones to ride. Hey yo hey yo, we rode the bike and turned out of Barkhor Street. No, after riding a few steps, I felt out of breath.

We started riding towards the hotel where we were staying in the sun. The sun was very dazzling and I was sweating profusely while riding. Finally, we passed the monument on the Sichuan-Tibet-Qinghai-Tibet Road and arrived at the Lhasa River.

We first rode along the embankment road built on the reservoir to the opposite side of the reservoir. In the middle of the embankment, we stopped the car and started taking pictures. The water in the reservoir is very blue, and the Potala Palace and Yaowang Mountain can be seen in the distance. The water is rippling, and I feel that the construction of the reservoir really makes the Lhasa River more beautiful in winter.

Later, we rode to the foot of the opposite mountain. Several roads have been built at the foot of the mountain, and there is a flat land where houses are being built. If it is built, it will be a river-view room, which is also facing the water and has a very good view.

We stopped and walked to one of the short mountains, ready to fulfill our wish to climb the mountain. The mountains are dry yellow. Some dead grass grows on the lumps of earth and stones. The mountain is relatively steep and there is no road. At that time, the sun was shining halfway up the mountain. Like Kuafu, we were ready to retreat when we caught up with the sun.

We crawled and crawled, grabbing weeds, bending down, and climbing up the rocks. Panting while climbing. The sun slowly sets, the sunlight slowly climbs the mountain, and the shadow area of ??the mountain slowly expands.

I feel that it is not easy for Kuafu. Later, I finally climbed to a position where the sun shines. Further up, there is a small platform, and I feel like there is a bellows in my chest, whirring.

Looking from a distance, you can see only the green waters of Huangshan Mountain, and the vague Bulada Palace and Yaowang Mountain in the distance. The city of Lhasa is only a thin belt between the mountains and rivers on this side and the mountains on the other side. Surrounding the Lhasa River are densely packed white houses in the city of Lhasa.

We climbed to a high-voltage power line again and stopped. At this time, the phone showed that we had climbed to more than 3,700 meters. Yeah, another record has been set. The altitude of Lhasa is 3658 meters. We have climbed more than 300 meters. This is not mountain climbing on the plain. I feel that my lungs are extremely uncomfortable and I am a little afraid that I will die suddenly.

After resting for a while, we climbed down. I am really afraid of rolling down. Shaking my legs, I climbed down. From the roadless mountain, I slowly grabbed hold of the protruding rocks and dead weeds, and with the help of my companions, I moved down step by step. While moving, I looked at my feet. I didn't dare to look at the foot of the mountain at all. I felt dizzy just looking at it.

After finally reaching the foot of the mountain, I got on my bicycle and went back. Looking back at this yellow mountain, I just feel so short and far away, as if I haven't climbed a few steps.

After that, with the idea of ??not turning back, we rode for a while and rode back from this end of Liuwu Bridge. The bridge is very long, 1660 meters. It is the first overpass in Tibet.

The Liuwu Bridge is very majestic and has a Tibetan style. There are lotus flowers on the main piers, symbolizing auspiciousness, and the approach bridges resemble yak legs, symbolizing strength. We stayed on the bridge for a while and then got off the overpass. We felt very tired for half a day, but it was really worth the trip.

4.

We also went to the Lhasa River in the afternoon of the third day. This time I didn’t ride a bike or go to the bridge. We chose to get closer to the Lhasa River. We passed under the Liuwu Bridge and walked to the river beach. There are large stones and oval pebbles on the river beach, which have been washed away by time and water.

There are some dead shrubs by the river, with some five-color prayer flags wrapped around them, praying day and night. Looking from this side of the river to the other side, the mountains in the distance are misty, like being in a fairyland.

The mountains closer are orange-yellow, with clear outlines, and the edges and corners of the mountains are clearly visible. The mountains further away seemed to be covered by a thin layer of gauze, making them look very empty. The mountains farther away are a faint gray fog color, and only a rough outline of the mountains can be seen. Layer by layer, different depths of field, reflecting the light blue sky, make people mesmerized.

These mountains of different colors and distances, as well as the buildings at the foot of the mountains, are all reflected in the calm water. The shadows in the water of nearby mountains are gray-black, and the shadows of distant mountains in the water are light gray. Layers upon layers, very peaceful and beautiful.

We floated by the river for a while. The flat stones crossed the water, causing ripples, and then quickly disappeared. There are some weeds on the river beach that have turned yellow.

There are also Mani piles piled up by someone unknown, quietly accompanying them by the lake.

Looking back at the Liuwu Bridge, I can see that the bridge and the landscape are integrated into one, very harmonious. The arched approaches on the bridge are reflected in the water and form a beautiful arc.

After walking forward for a long time, we came to another dam. The dam has a blue bottom. Every other section of the dam has a white tower, which may have the function of suppressing or praying for blessings. There is a Ferris wheel in the distance, which adds a lot of beauty under the setting sun of Green Mountain and Huangshan Mountain.

As the sun slowly set, we blew the wind on the dam for a while and then walked slowly back along the river beach. On the way, I encountered a plant covered with thorns, and the fruit shell contained many black seeds. I don’t know how they survive on such a rocky beach.

These are our several encounters with the Lhasa River, and each experience is completely different. Walking on the road of Ewaran Stone, I was thinking, why am I wandering here? There seems to be no fundamental difference between me hanging out by the river in my hometown. However, in fact, it is different. Watching and meditating here can get closer to the real Lhasa. There is no hustle and solemnity like the Jokhang Temple here. Here, there is only the plainness and affection of the mother river of Lhasa. It nurtured the city of Lhasa silently without saying a word.

And our companionship these days is actually a real life in Lhasa. Not like a tourist, but like a Lhasa native, watching the river flow slowly and the sunset slowly setting. Some of my companions who rode the Sichuan-Tibet Line to Lhasa did not go to catch up with the excitement of the Jokhang Temple. He rode all the way, just like a local, slowly enjoying the scenery along the way. Therefore, he didn't even suffer from altitude sickness.

Perhaps, this is a more authentic way to experience and touch Lhasa. It’s not a fleeting glimpse, but a slow-moving and leisurely experience. Together with it, watch the long flow of the Lhasa River and watch the afterglow of the setting sun.