Lijiang Lashihai: Exploring the unique atmosphere of the plateau wetlands on the Tea Horse Road

Lashihai is located in the middle of Lashiba, 10 kilometers west of Lijiang County. It is the first nature reserve named after "wetland" in Yunnan Province. "Lashi" is the ancient Naxi translation, "La" means barren dam, and "Shi" means new, which means new barren dam. When I heard the term "Lashihai" for the first time in Lijiang, I kept questioning whether the other party had said it wrong. It should be "Lashihai". How can a city be called "Lashihai"? When my friend put the map in front of me, I realized that it was a nature reserve, a beautiful wetland on the Tea Horse Road.

Boatman punting a boat

Lashi Haiyuan is part of the ancient geosyncline in northwest Yunnan. It is the first nature reserve named after a "wetland" in Yunnan Province. The lake surface is 2,437 meters above sea level. rice. Since the 1980s, water conservancy projects have been built successively, and a tall dam has been built in front of the sinkhole. Seawater can no longer flow freely. Instead, a water conveyance tunnel opened from Haidong Huangshan Post flows into Lijiang City. Lashihai has transformed from a seasonal lake into a plateau lake that maintains a certain water level. The mirror-like surface of the lake reflects the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Overwintering waterbirds rest peacefully or soar among the blue sky and white clouds, creating a unique atmosphere of plateau wetlands.

Driving from Lijiang Old Town to Lashihai, the altitude continues to rise along the way. It takes about 15 minutes to drive along the winding mountain road to Lashihai. Standing on the shore of Lashihai, you can see the green mountains in the distance and the white clouds in the sky, all reflected in the clear lake.

Lashihai is located on the Ancient Tea Horse Road and was a fortress for ancient southwest frontier trade. Nearby Lashihai are the relatively well-preserved ruins of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. You must experience it on horseback when you get here. Most of the horses in Lashihai's horse market are Yunnan horses that are unique to the local area. They look smaller and thinner, but they are very powerful, no less powerful than horses from the northwest.

A bird egg in the wetland

After paying 200 yuan, we were arranged to be guided by a Naxi woman. She rode a horse and took us slowly along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. This eldest sister told me that horses can also look at people. If they are too gentle, they will bully me and run around according to their own temperament. When on horseback, they should be stricter and more fierce. If you want to be gentle to him, wait until you get off the horse. If you like him more after you get off the horse, he will also like you very much.

When riding a horse just uphill, I felt very nervous. The eldest sister told us that when going uphill, lean forward and when going downhill, lean back and hold the stirrups with both feet. That's it. On the way up the mountain, the horses were very obedient, and they even chose the right section to walk. The eldest sister said that one time she went out to herd her horse and walked into a forest and couldn't find her way home. In the end, the horse took her back. I think this is the legendary "old horse knows the way".

When they learned that we were tourists from Beijing, the eldest sister said with envy that they also wanted to visit Beijing, but they might never get the chance in this life. After all, a round trip to Beijing is not a long trip. It's a small expense. The eldest sister kept thanking us. She said that our trip was the third time she took horses today. The first two trips had three tourists, so she could not ride because there were only three horses in one group, so she could only Able to lead horses on foot through rugged and muddy mountain roads. Because she had to lead the horse several times before, she didn't have lunch and didn't even feed the horse. Now that we were alone, she could finally take a breath. I looked at her feet, a pair of worn-out rubber shoes, covered with mud, even the trousers. This scene made me sad. Unfortunately, we were in the mountains and there was no place to eat, even a bowl of noodles, so that this elder sister could fill her stomach first!

Horse

My girlfriend accidentally asked, what if the horse dies? The eldest sister quickly took over and said that this was taboo. They generally didn't talk about horse deaths there because they came all the way from the Tea Horse Road. For them, horses are not only a means of transportation, but also the source of their lives. They treat horses well. Even if the horse dies, they will find a geomantic treasure to bury the horse and erect a monument to commemorate it.

After riding the horse, you should go boating on Lashihai to experience the fun of the wetlands. The villages near Lashihai are backed by mountains and face Lashihai in front. They can be said to be "close to mountains and rivers" in the true sense. The person who punted the boat for us was a local Naxi uncle, who looked to be in his 50s. On the lake, the uncle was very warm and friendly and introduced the history and formation of Lashihai, as well as the local culture, customs, specialties, etc. in non-standard Mandarin. The uncle said that they have lived here for generations and made a living by farming. After Lashihai was developed into a scenic spot, they began to lead horses and punt. While growing crops to be self-sufficient, they also earned some cash by driving horses and punting boats. They felt that they were living quite happily. This is "contentment and happiness"!

Simple shelter by the wetland

While boating in Lashihai, you can also see groups of egrets. Egret eggs can be seen everywhere on the algae on the lake. When the uncle who punts the boat sees an egret egg, he will go around it. He said that animals should be protected and their nests should not be touched, so that humans and animals can live together for a long time, and they do not want to destroy the living environment of the birds.

There is another unique scenery in Lashihai, which is Lashihai grilled fish.

When boating on the lake, sometimes you will meet a young man selling grilled fish on the lake. The fish is freshly caught and grilled, usually 10 yuan a piece, and tastes very good. If you talk to the young man, he will also sing a Naxi folk song while on the lake. It is really a pleasure to enjoy the beautiful scenery, eat grilled fish and listen to Naxi folk songs. The young man also taught us a few words in Naxi. For example, the pronunciation of "thank you" in Naxi is similar to "nine cups of water" in Chinese, and the pronunciation of "hello" in Naxi is similar to "ala ***".

Eat grilled fish on the boat

At the end of the day, in addition to marveling at the beautiful scenery, there are also some unexpected gains. Lashihai is definitely worth an in-depth visit. It is not recommended to choose a route that only lasts for half a day or even less. It is difficult to appreciate the charm of Lashihai through a quick tour.

Tips

1. The best time to travel to Lashihai is January to February or May to June every year. Birds can be seen in the former, and flowers can be enjoyed in the latter.

2. The most concentrated scenery of Lashihai is around the lake. You can ride the horses provided by the local Naxi people for a real horseback riding. When riding a horse, you must hold the reins with one hand and the saddle with the other. At the same time, you must learn to use the reins to control the horse. Pulling to the left means going left, pulling to the right means going right, and pulling hard back will make the horse stop.

3. Do not pick flowers, plants or trees, whether they are wild or artificially planted; there are many birds in Lashihai, so remember to only watch them from a distance and do not disturb them up close.

4. The local food has unique flavor. The more famous ones include highland barley wine, eight big bowls, roasted whole lamb, Dongba grilled fish, Naxi barbecue, Naxi hot pot, Lijiang jelly and cured pork ribs hot pot.