Daocheng Aden Travel Notes (4): Aden—Distant Shangri-La

Since I didn’t read the guide first, I always thought that Daocheng and Aden were the same place. Only when I got here did I realize that Daocheng is the name of the county and Aden is the name of the village. There is Riva Township in between, which is now renamed Shangri-La Town. . It is 74 kilometers from Daocheng to Shangri-La Town, and further 38 kilometers to the scenic spot in Yading Village. We set out from Daocheng early in the morning and passed by Banghe River near the county town. The scenery along the way was like an oil painting.

From Daocheng to Shangri-La Town and then to Aden, this is an extremely beautiful scenery. Driving on this road is undoubtedly a feast of beauty. One dish after another was served in front of our eyes, which made us feel dazzled. We didn’t even have time to take a closer look, and the view from the car was already very intoxicating. Unfortunately, the mountain road is rugged and parking is inconvenient, making it impossible to take photos at will. The photos taken through the dirty car windows are horrific and obviously blasphemous to God’s handiwork. It would be better not to publish them. I told my companions that if we take a short section of this road and move it to Guangdong, we can sell tickets for two to three hundred yuan each, and tourists will definitely flock to it. If we build a few more five- and six-star hotels, we will definitely make a lot of money.

After crossing a pass, majestic snow-capped mountains appeared outside the window. The car stopped at the observation deck, and we could finally see the magnificent face of Aden.

I Our car could only be parked in Shangri-La Town, and then we would transfer to the sightseeing bus to Yading Scenic Area. Passing by Yading Village, which has only dozens of households, our team leader Xiao Zhangmei told us that we would stay there tonight. After more than 30 kilometers, we arrived at the entrance of Yading Scenic Area. As soon as I got off the car, I was stunned by the colorful redwoods and mountain poplars around me!

The blue sky is dotted with white clouds. Under the crystal snow-capped mountains, the forest is alternately dark green and golden. The dark green ones are the non-defoliating spruce and fir, the golden ones are the pine needles of redwoods and aspens, and the colors of various iron birch maples are bright red, burning like fire. Faced with this situation, all words seem pale and powerless.

When I was scrolling through the WeChat circle of friends, I said: I have traveled all over China, from north to south, inside and outside the Great Wall, and this is the most beautiful place! This statement is not an exaggeration. Even Jiuzhaigou, which tourists are full of praise for, I personally think is slightly inferior compared to Aden. I have also seen the famous red leaves in Japan in late autumn. The scenery is different, but the redness of the maple leaves is only intoxicating, while the beauty of Aden is amazing! Amazing and speechless!

Before this trip, I asked friends who came last year about how to have fun, and specifically asked about going to Milk Sea, and made mental preparations for this. For this reason, I specially bought a new hiking pole with an LED flashlight and N strips of pain-relieving ointment for dampness and dampness. I was going to have a wild talk like a teenager, and I would be able to see all the mountains at a glance. The night before, the little deer girl said something that made me retreat. The core area of ​​Yading Scenic Area, Luorong Cattle Farm, is at an altitude of 4,200 meters, and the Milk Sea is at an altitude of 4,800 meters. The round trip is more than ten kilometers. Even for young people with no high altitude sickness and strong physical strength, a round trip will take 6 to 7 hours. On such a plateau, walking on flat ground is still breathless. The 600-meter height difference, coupled with the cliffs on the way, is undoubtedly extremely difficult for me. The mentality that was originally prepared became waning after Xiao Zhangmei's words.

From the entrance of the scenic spot to the battery car ride point bound for Luorong Cattle Farm, there is about 500 meters of gently sloping road. I think if I can walk up the 500 meters easily, I will try Milk Sea. If I find it difficult, I will give up. Regret is also a kind of beauty. The most beautiful scenery is reserved for those with the most courage and courage.

Sunflower's companion Vicky is a straightforward girl. She was determined to board the Milk Sea the night before. At the dinner table, she asked if everyone would admire her if she climbed up. The answer is obvious. If a few of us can climb up, I think everyone will be happy for it. If you can't climb up, in our minds, you are still a hero who dares to challenge! People who don't want to cheer for others are the beginning of dementia, or so I think.

This short 500-meter road made me stop and go because of the beauty of the scenery, but I was still out of breath while walking. Considering that my knee was injured not long ago and has not recovered yet, looking at the trekking poles that have traveled thousands of kilometers with me, I had no choice but to decide to give up on the Milk Sea. When we got on the battery car and headed to Luorong Cattle Farm, we were pleasantly surprised to find a winding plank road on the other side of the road. I thought, wouldn’t it be a kind of enjoyment to abandon the sea of ​​milk and walk along this beautiful plank road? !

electricity The end point of the bottle car is Luolong Cattle Farm, the core area of the Aden Scenic Area.

Luorong Cattle Farm is surrounded by the three sacred mountains of "Risong Gongbu". The Gongga River flows through the pasture, and the gurgling streams in the forest complement each other with the pasture wooden houses, forming a primitive and charming scenery that makes people return to basics. realm. This place is 4100-4200 meters above sea level. It is an alpine pasture for nearby villagers to graze. During the grazing season, groups of cattle and sheep enjoy ample sunshine, green grass and pure lake water here. In May, the grass grows long and eagles fly, and yaks appear in the wind-blown grass. It is also backed by the three sacred mountains Xiannairi, Yangmaiyong, and Shanuoduoji. It is the best place to watch the three snow-capped mountains. Travelers on long journeys can choose to camp here or pitch their own tents for accommodation. Snow peaks, forests, pastures, streams, lakes, waterfalls and ranch cabins complement each other beautifully. —Adapted from Du Niang Encyclopedia

In the season we arrived, the green grass was already turning yellow, but it was the most beautiful time in Aden. In addition, the weather is fine, the air is fresh, and there are few tourists. It is extremely enjoyable to swim in it. Moreover, we clearly saw all three sacred mountains that are said to be rare! According to Tibetan people, this is called our relationship with Buddha. Among them, Yangmaiyong, the holy mountain, means Manjushri Bodhisattva, who is my natal Buddha.

Vicky, together with several young people, launched a charge into the milk sea. Arjun, Sunflower and I wandered slowly in the cattle farm together. Due to their respective nostalgia for beauty, the three of them soon separated. Looking around, it was difficult to find the two of them in the empty cattle farm.

I followed the path that Vicky and the others took to the Milk Sea, towards the Kas Hell Valley. When I was about to enter the valley, I turned back and walked towards the plank road I had seen when I came here. On the road, we met Sunflower, who was coming towards us. She was walking towards the valley with Zhang Sheng, our recognized master of photography and one of the most handsome guys in the group, from Wenzhou.

Zhang Sheng’s photography skills are top-notch, and he shared the photos he took in the WeChat group along the way. He carried several lenses and tripods in his backpack, not missing any beautiful scenery and capturing the beauties around him. I made an appointment with them, and when they came back, we would meet at the small wooden house at the beginning of the plank road. Later, I saw Arjun who was also walking back. He walked further along the road to Milk Sea and entered the valley. The two of us were in the cabin, waiting for the return of Zhang Sheng and Sunflower. After the four of them reunited, Sunflower said that Vicky called her. During the journey to the Milk Sea, she really couldn't hold on and was already on the way back. They continued to wait for Vicky's return so that they could go down the mountain together from the plank road.

Asia How beautiful is Ding? How beautiful is Luorong Ranch? Let me quote a few passages from James Hilton, the first writer to describe Shangri-La, in Lost Horizon:

"The clear blue sky, illuminated by the afternoon sun, brought a dream-like scenery into his eyes. It was breathtakingly beautiful, as if the air in his lungs had been sucked out all at once. Looking from a distance, in the distant horizon, the mountainous snow-capped peaks are covered with snow and ice, and they look like they are floating on the vast sea of ​​clouds. ...The dazzling bright light is colorful and even a little gaudy, as if it were the work of some crazy impressionist masters who splashed ink on the canvas. 』

"The outline of a long and narrow valley appeared before Conway's eyes, with desolate, hill-like low mountains on both sides. Against the arc-blue night sky, the black shadows of the mountains appeared. And his eyes were irresistibly attracted to the strange landscape in front of the valley. A majestic mountain peak towered at the gap. Bathed in the faint moonlight, it was beautiful and majestic. He immediately felt that this was the most lovely mountain in the world. It is almost a perfect cone of ice and snow. Its simple outline seems to have been drawn by a child. However, it is so big, so high, and so close that it cannot be compared with any painting. It was so radiant, so peaceful, that for a moment Conway could not tell whether it was a real illusion. While he was staring blankly, some clouds and mist wrapped around the edge of the pyramid-like mountain, adding a bit of vitality to the scenery, and the faint sound of an avalanche confirmed that this was not an illusion. 』

"Until dawn. The dawn suddenly appeared, as if it was some kind of signal, the wind stopped, leaving a pitiful tranquility to the world. The pyramid-like mountain peak appeared again, outlining a pale triangular outline in front of it. It was gray at first, and then gradually turned into silvery white. When the rising sun sprinkled the first ray of sunlight on the top of the mountain, it gave it another Stained with a hint of pink. As the darkness gradually faded, the valley revealed its shape, with rocks and pebbles piled up along the slopes. It didn't look like a friendly picture, but to Conway, when he looked around at the scenery, he felt that there was a strange and beautiful idea in it, which had no romantic appeal at all. Rather, it is filled with a masculine and even rational beauty. The white pyramid in the distance is like Euclid's theorem. Although it doesn't arouse much enthusiasm in you, you have to agree with it from the bottom of your heart and fall in love with it involuntarily. 』

Vikey finally returned to the cabin out of breath. The five of us walked back along the plank road together. The plank road is built along a canyon, and there are picturesque scenery all along the way. There is no need to compose a picture or to compare the scenery. Every photo you take is the most beautiful photo that can be used directly as a computer screen saver. Blue sky, white clouds, crystal snow-capped mountains, golden forests, gurgling water, and squirrels appearing on the plank road from time to time. Moreover, snowflakes actually fell from the sky, swaying and flying in the wind...

Without further ado, let’s just pick a few photos:

Before sunset, all the group members returned collectively to Yading Village, where we stayed that night. He was full of praise for the beauty of Aden, and his words were well worth the trip. Several group members who boarded the Milk Sea also became everyone's heroes, sharing their difficult experiences and the more magnificent scenery along the way.

I think this place didn't belong to China until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and even then it was ruled by chieftains, and Han culture had never been here for thousands of years. Draw a straight line from the northeast corner to the southwest corner on today's map of China. Chinese culture is basically on the lower right side. Perhaps because of this, in areas with developed Han culture, all the beautiful scenery is praised and described by the poems and songs of literati and poets. However, the large areas of land in the southwest and northwest on the upper left have the most beautiful natural scenery, but it is difficult to find poets. A little bit of text. Perhaps this is a kind of luck. She is far away from human beings, far away from the intrusion of secular culture, and far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, so she can preserve this nature, this innocence, and this way of heaven.