On the road - traveling to west Sichuan

I always want to travel, but my heart is full of knots. If you think too much, it will be difficult to make it happen in the end! This time, thanks to the invitation from a friend, I didn’t think twice about it, and I really had a trip that I just wanted to go on!

Departing on July 1st, a group of eight people and two cars took the northwest Sichuan route without turning back and enjoyed the grassland scenery along the way. July is the season when grassland flowers bloom.

Via Chengdu to Yingxiu, arriving in Wenchuan at noon. This is the area hardest hit by the earthquake in 2008. What we see now is no longer devastated, but a new type of city with complete transportation facilities and people living peacefully on this land. Sculptures of Dayu stand on the main traffic thoroughfares of the city. Suddenly, all the beauties and handsome men rushed to take photos with Senior Dayu. There is a sense of awe! Take a short break and move on. As we begin to travel between mountains and rivers, the hustle and bustle of the city gradually moves away from us. After reconstruction after the disaster, the road condition was very good, and in a blink of an eye we arrived at Taoping Qiang Village in Li County. The village here is very unique. The walls are built with pebbles and flakes. The village lanes are criss-crossed and mottled, with a simple style. Qiang Village has a history of thousands of years and its folk customs have been inherited. The Qiang sang and danced all night long, unaware that the red sun was shining brightly. This poem is used to describe the folk customs of the Qiang people.

At dusk, we came to Emutang, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level. Suddenly going from lowland to high altitude, my body suddenly felt very uncomfortable. In addition, the viewing point is at the wind outlet, so the cold wind blows overwhelmingly. Despite this, when we arrived at the grassland for the first time, the grassland began to appear, and there were only a few yaks, but the brothers and sisters rushed to stand next to the landmark building at the commanding heights! The sunset is so charming and colorful, I can't help but feel a little excited...! We settled in a Tibetan home on the first day and everything went well!

This trip is just for me, a bit random. Every scene has never been before and is full of fresh curiosity and yearning. Sitting in the passenger seat, I am not as focused as my friends when driving long distances. I am greedily fascinated by the scenery as far as the eye can see.

After entering the Aba area, the sky becomes bluer, the clouds are as white as milk, the grassland is larger, there are more cattle and sheep, and the colors become brighter and richer. As I drove along with the car, my heart followed the milk-like white clouds of different shapes and sizes in the blue sky, rising up in the mist...

Despite the long and bumpy journey, I was still very interested, for fear of closing my eyes. Miss every bit of beautiful scenery. Unknowingly, we arrived at Nian Baoyuze at dusk. Nianbaoyu is located at the junction of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. Located in Jiuzhi County, Goluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, Nianbaoyu is composed of countless peaks with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. There are 360 ??glacial lakes with different landscapes. The main peak is 5,369 meters above sea level. It is The highest peak of Bayan Har Mountain. We arrived at Fairy Lake. When we arrived at the scenic spot, it was raining heavily and the sky was getting dark. The leader friend is a travel expert and knows everything about the situation here. He quickly put us in a wooden house. Let’s not talk about food, clothing, housing and transportation in detail.

Soon the rain stopped and the sky was filled with stars. The scenic spots are all tents or board houses, and the electricity for lighting is only temporarily generated and can only be used for one or two hours. I took pictures with my mobile phone all the way, but when I arrived at the destination, it was turned off and could not be charged. It was completely in a primitive state with no electricity, water, WC and no communication information! Qingyou has a temporary residence in the scenic spot under the bright starry sky, which shows a quiet, hazy and romantic beauty! Lying on the bed, with the door open, the lawn is in front of you, the stars are shining, and Gesang flowers are blooming everywhere. The glacier looms faintly, reflecting the starlight. My colleagues all felt their bodies trembling. I seemed to be in a sea of ??meadow flowers, accompanied by the moonlight, sweetly in a trance... Suddenly, a sika deer appeared at the door, walking back and forth gracefully. Perhaps, it is looking for a secret love flower on the ground! [em]e120[/em]

It may be altitude sickness. I have a headache and cough, and I didn’t sleep well all night. Afraid of disturbing other people's sleep, I simply got up at around five o'clock. Open the door lightly and be mesmerized by the morning scenery. I walked carefully on the meadow, worried about disturbing other travelers, and afraid of stepping on the elves underground.

The place where the sun rises gradually turns white. Walking on the grassland plank road in the dim light. There was a night of frost on the plank road. Looking from a distance, it was completely white. It creaked when you stepped on it, so you had to walk carefully. On the left side of the plank road is the Fairy Lake, on the right side is a very large meadow and a sea of ??flowers, and the rolling mountains embrace this holy land. The peaks next to the lake are dependent on each other, and the tip of the iceberg is exposed between the peaks, like a blooming snow lotus! The sun gradually peeks out from the distant mountain peaks, the sunshine is shining, a fairy mist is floating on the water, and a jade belt is floating between several mountainside. Is this the legendary hero and heroine talking to each other?

The sun has risen, the sky is blue, with white clouds floating in the sky. Occasionally, an eagle or a white crane flies across the sky. Birds and bees flutter in the sea of ??flowers, and the flowers under the sun are shining. , showing colorful colors, graceful and tall flowers. The green water is rippling with clear waves, and the fish are leisurely and calm in the shallow water, in groups, completely ignoring the presence of tourists! What a quiet and vivid picture, I was completely intoxicated by this fairy lake shrouded in fairy mist!

Every time you set sail in life, you will have a way back. The first stop on the way back is next to Fairy Lake, one of the many lakes in Nian Baoyuze. It is not as beautiful as Fairy Lake, nor is it as popular as Fairy Lake. There are few people here, the water of the lake flows quietly, cattle and sheep are in groups on the green grass and green land of the hillside, and shepherd boys are grazing on horses. We went and were warmly received by the herdsmen, who took out a large piece of yak meat to share with everyone.

On a whim, I also rode on the horse, and the shepherd boy led the horse towards the lake. The first time I rode a horse, I was a little scared, so I held onto the saddle tightly with both hands. Walking among the yaks, I felt like a little herding girl, with the blue sky above my head and the grassland under my feet, singing the song of the grassland. The huge yaks became small under my feet. It was so beautiful! [em]e112[/em]

On the third day, I came back with full eyes, but my body was tired and my stomach was empty! After two days of eating dry instant noodles, everyone was complaining and eager to have a big meal. Seeing everyone's heads tilted, the captain was considerate of the people's sentiments and stopped rushing. At three o'clock in the afternoon, he found a hotel to stay in Jiuzhi County and made an exception to go to a restaurant for a big meal! [em]e102[/em][em]e102[/em]

The fourth day’s destination is the Nine Bends of the Yellow River. After a night's rest, everyone regained their spirits and drove for several hours on the dusty county road that was being renovated from Gannan Maqu to the Zoige Prairie, which was somewhat depressing. However, the scenery is on the way. There are herds of yaks on hills, plains, lakes, meadows and seas of flowers, or lying lazily in the middle of the road. They are so leisurely and leisurely that when cars come, they have to stop and wait patiently for the yaks to pass by. Occasionally, when I meet a group of sheep, I feel that the sheep are the honored guests of the grassland! We only made a short stop at the First Bend of the Yellow River. From the perspective of the field of vision, it is an ordinary river. The water flow is gentle and smooth, without any waves. This is far from the turbulent Yellow River in my mind, so just don’t look at it! However, the few tents beside the Yellow River Bridge are very Tibetan style. Go ahead and take pictures. Taking pictures of iconic buildings counts as a visit when you go back. This is considered a characteristic of Chinese tourism!

The grassland scenery changes with the flow of splendor. Unknowingly, the car drove into the vast Zoige Prairie. Against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, the grassland is colorful. Flowers of various colors, including goose-yellow, purple, white, pink, and light blue, compete for beauty. The yellow flowers are the most numerous. From a distance, they look golden and form a wonderful landscape oil painting with the lake in the hinterland of the grassland! On the uninhabited edge of the Zoige Grassland, the scenery is unique. All the beauties put on bright skirts and colorful scarves, posing in various poses for photos, elegant and feminine!

The wide Ruoergai Prairie Road has a speed of 70 kilometers per hour. There is not a single turn in the 40-minute drive. It seems like a heavenly road. I really marvel at the vastness of the Zoige Grassland! There are densely packed tents on the roadside, crowded with tourists, and yaks are scattered leisurely among the grassland flowers. Suddenly, these two poems came to mind: The sky is vast and the fields are vast, and the grass is blown by the wind and the cattle and sheep are low! Although I don't have the heroic spirit of a poet, I am still intoxicated by the fantastic and colorful scenery of the grassland.

When it was getting dark, we rushed to the Nine Bends of the Yellow River. The sun had set in the west, and Huo Shaoyun was nowhere to be seen. It is said that the sunset here is very spectacular. The captain is a photography enthusiast, and he felt a little disappointed because he couldn't see the sunset as he wished. Instead we stayed in Tangke Township a few kilometers away, looking forward to the sunrise the next morning! In the hotel, the water I drank was a bit yellow, and the landlady repeatedly explained: The water of the Yellow River is original without adding medicine, the water of the Yellow River is original without adding medicine! I find it funny, but also thought-provoking...!

Start climbing up to watch the sun at five o'clock in the morning, overlooking the Nine Bends of the Yellow River.

The sunrise always rises in one direction. The only difference is its background and the location and mood of people watching the sunrise. The sunrise is always brilliant. Climbing up a few hundred meters of the plank ladder and witnessing the entire sunrise makes me feel particularly comfortable! After turning around, you can have a panoramic view of the nine bends of the Yellow River. The nine curves and bays in the morning light are gentle and quiet, and the continuous and crisscrossing grassland plank roads allow tourists to have close contact with the Yellow River. The water of the Yellow River is like a silver snake caressing the grassland, spiraling and flowing. Both are Yellow Rivers. The water upstream is clear and soothing, while the water downstream is turbid and roaring. The Yellow River is known as the mother river. From ancient times to the present, countless literati and poets have filled their ink with poetry and poetry! I think it is the clear and compatible heart of the mother river that causes mud and sand to flow wherever it flows, and hundreds of rivers to merge into it, creating turbulent waves downstream!

The car kept running on the grassland, seeing enough of the graceful and graceful scenery of the grassland, and did not stop when we arrived at the Hongyuan Grassland. I just took a few distant views from the Moon Bay Observation Deck in the drizzle.

Traveling westward, we visited the Xisuo Folk Residence in Zhuokeji Chieftain’s Official Village and Jiaju Tibetan Village. The two places are about two hundred kilometers apart. This distance is only more than three thousand meters above sea level. It has rich vegetation and beautiful scenery. We have been shuttling between the high mountains and the turbulent waters of the Jinchuan River. The two villages belong to Markang County in Aba Prefecture of Sichuan and Danba County in Garze Prefecture, and both belong to the Jiarong Tibetans. The houses are built near mountains and rivers, facing south and are well-proportioned. It has the architectural characteristics of the Jiarong Tibetan people building stone houses. In Jiaju Tibetan Village, Jiarong sister Gema warmly received us. Along the way, we accompanied him to visit the Red Army ruins and civilian residences. Explain the construction characteristics of Jiaju houses and local customs. Jiaju Tibetan Village is backed by the Kapama Mountain Peak, and the Jinchuan River Valley can be seen in front. More than 140 residential houses are located in a stepped style, standing on the hillside, wrapped in patches of verdant green. I think the Jiaju Tibetan Village surrounded by clouds and smoke must be a mirage...! According to Gema, the Jiarong Tibetan people are both separated by the Jinchuan River and cannot speak the same language at all, so they have to rely on Chinese to communicate.

It’s really incredible!

Yiyi as Biejia Juzang Village, we traveled from Bamei to Tagong to Kangding Airport, and finally settled in Mugecuo Zhonggu Hot Spring. This section of the road is more than 100 kilometers long, and most of the sections are under construction. The unbuilt roads are also full of potholes. Cars are always driven carefully to ensure everyone's safety. The altitude is getting higher again, the grassland is in sight again, and the car is driving among the flowers. It's raining, a bit heavy, and through the car window, the flowers in the rain feel even more beautiful, shy and charming. I couldn't help but open the window and breathe in the scent of flowers and plants in the rain!

We rushed to Zhonggu Hot Spring and stayed at a Tibetan home. The landlady cooked a sumptuous dinner for our group, and even served a large bowl of wild mushroom and meat slices soup. This touched everyone so much! Because the accommodation fee for each of us is only 90 yuan, which also includes breakfast and dinner, and enjoyment of indoor and outdoor natural hot springs. This is really low consumption and high-end enjoyment! Compared to us in Nian Baoyu, where a cup of boiled water costs three yuan, the landlady is simply honest and kind! This night, everyone took a comfortable bath in the hot springs and enjoyed their dreams...

On the eighth day, Kangding Love Song Mugecuo. From the prime of life to the setting sun, Kangding Love Song has been growing up with us, and everyone is full of curiosity about this place. Take the scenic bus to the Gold Coast, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level. You will see the rippling blue waves of the flat lake, the foothills of the mountains, and the Tibetan murals inlaid on the mountainside or on the stone walls. You can see them everywhere along the way. The flowers here grow taller than other places, probably because of the abundant rain! The patterns are numerous and gorgeous. Winding down along the green valley canyon, due to the drop, the water flows rapidly and roars, with only splashes but no water, it is majestic. Rhododendrons are everywhere in the canyon and there are many varieties. Unfortunately, we arrived two months late and were unable to appreciate the stunning beauty of the rhododendrons! The Seven-Colored Sea is 2,600 meters above sea level. It is not as beautiful as you imagined, even though it is a flat lake. When we caught the last bus, a rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky, and everyone on the bus cheered. The driver stopped temporarily so that everyone could enjoy the rainbow from a full perspective and take photos one after another.

…

At this point, this trip to northwest Sichuan is coming to an end. There are two or three scenic spots on the way back. I took a quick look at Luding Bridge and just passed by Hailuogou. I wanted to go in, but I can only look forward to my next trip. The entire trip was 2,400 kilometers. Along the way, friends united and helped each other, leaving behind our footprints and laughter along the way.

Let me conclude by borrowing the current golden saying - whether you are reading or traveling, your body and soul are always on the way! This life is on the road!