Notes on Daocheng Yading

Daocheng Yading is actually Yading Village in Daocheng County. In recent years, it has become a famous Internet celebrity scenic spot in the country. Every holiday, a large number of people will flock to this small town in western Sichuan. In this summer’s trip to western Sichuan, Daocheng Aden is the end point of the trip.

01

From Litang to Daocheng Yading is a direction that gradually deviates from the Sichuan-Tibet Line, heading south from National Highway 227 and heading straight to the border between western Sichuan and Yunnan. However, the scenery on this road has a different kind of magnificence. It is different from the typical plateau meadow scenery in western Sichuan. There are huge rocks stretching for tens of kilometers on this route.

Tu'er Mountain is a huge rock mountain with a pair of cute rabbit ears. It looks very cute from a distance. Haizi La Mountain is an ancient glacial lake built among huge boulders. There are many ancient glaciers of different shapes in this area. Ruins Haizi. In addition, the plateau vegetation here is also very rich, and Tahuang is everywhere along the road.

Picture丨Tuer Mountain

Picture丨Huge rocks stretching for tens of kilometers

Picture丨Haizila Mountain Area

Picture丨G227

Picture丨Stone statues on the roadside

Picture丨Yak herd

02

We arrived at Daocheng County in the afternoon, which is still about two hours’ drive from the scenic spot. The scenery in Daocheng County is also very beautiful. Unfortunately, dark clouds came in and there was a sudden heavy rain. We could only continue on our way and arrived at the hotel at Station 2 of Yading Village before the Four Points Scenic Area closed.

Picture丨Daocheng County

Picture丨Daocheng County

The gate area of ​​Daocheng Yading Scenic Area is really big. You have to take an elevator to find the ticket gate, and then you have to climb a long flight of stairs to get to the bus point. This is really torture when you have a high fever headache. What’s amazing is that there is a Burger King in such a remote place.

The hotel is located at Station 2 of Yading Village in the scenic area. Because the altitude here is a bit high, about 4,000 meters, most tourists prefer to live in Shangri-La Town. However, the scenery at Yading Village Station 2 is really beautiful and can be called a paradise on earth.

However, the mosquitoes here are quite big. Their slender legs and body are only slightly smaller than the palm of my hand. Because I forgot to close the window after arriving at the hotel in the afternoon, I ignored the problem of small flying insects flying into the house after the rain. At about nine o'clock in the evening, I was lying on the bed and glanced at the ceiling, and I suddenly discovered that there were several large mosquitoes and many moths in the room. Fortunately, in the past few years in Shenzhen, I have been trained by the big cockroaches to the point where I feel calm. I just pick up my slippers and shoot them on the ceiling. However, the efficiency was too low. In the end, I went to the lobby to borrow a bottle of insecticide and went on a killing spree. Later, the hotel boy told us that if there was no one in the room, the moths flying after the rain could cover the whole wall.

Picture丨Dark clouds and heavy rain

Picture | The roadside of Yading Village Station No. 2

Picture丨Snowy mountains outside the hotel window

Picture: The red-billed crow chirping at the entrance of the hotel

Picture丨Long-legged mosquito

Picture: Early in the morning, the mist-shrouded path in front of the hotel

03

The next morning, I started my walking tour of Daocheng Yading. Since I had plenty of time, I first hiked from Zhaguubeng to Luorong Cattle Farm the next morning. In fact, very few people take this route. Most tourists will directly choose to take a battery car and then start from Luorong Niu Farm and walk directly to Milk Sea.

However, I personally think that if time permits, you can consider taking this route first for exercise, because hiking on the plateau is very different from hiking in other places, and the route from Zhaguubeng to Niuchang is of moderate length, with a distance of about 7 kilometers, the altitude is also very stable between 4000 and 4100, and it is almost flat ground.

Picture丨Chonggu Temple

Picture丨Chonggu meadow

I started hiking from Zhaguubeng at about 8 o'clock. Since it was drizzling in the morning, I had to wear a raincoat and brave the rain. In the drizzle, walking along the meadow and walking through the forest was quite interesting, but everyone turned into a drowned rat.

About a quarter of the way there, the rain finally stopped, and all the birds in the forest came out to look for food. Since this seven-kilometer plank road is almost deserted, there are also many small animals. You can often meet the birds on the branches.

Picture丨Meadow, plank road and forest

Picture丨Crooked-headed Turtle Dove

Picture丨Little Blue Bird

Picture: Half of the plank road bridge collapsed by melting ice and snow

Another highlight of this route is that you can see two snow-capped mountains in the second half - Shanuoduoji and Yangmaiyong. After walking along the forest all morning and crossing several half-collapsed plank road bridges, you will suddenly come to a turning point and walk out of the forest to a meadow that stretches for two or three kilometers. Here, you can see Shanuoduoji on the roadside and Yangmaiyong in the distance.

Picture | Plank road in the forest

Picture丨Mountains among forests

Picture丨Little tit riding the wind and waves

Picture 丨 Big bend, after passing through, you can see the snow-capped mountains

Picture丨Meadow and snow-capped mountains

Picture丨Yang Maiyong in the distance

Picture丨Meadows and wildflowers on the roadside

Picture | Shanuoduoji

Picture丨Yang Maiyong in the distance

When we finally arrived at Luorong Cow Farm in the afternoon, it suddenly started pouring rain, so we had to take a battery car back to Zhaguubeng in a hurry.

The line from Chonggu Temple to Pearl Sea is also called the short line. The journey is about 2.5 kilometers, but almost the entire journey is uphill. Beside the Pearl Sea at the end of the journey, there is a hospitable little squirrel who will scratch people's sleeves to look for cookies.

Picture丨Chonggu Temple

Picture | Plank road stairs

Picture丨Little squirrel

Picture丨Pearl Sea

Picture丨Squirrel scratching sleeves

Picture丨Little tits

When we returned to Zhaguubeng Station, it was already close to the closing time of the park in the evening. At this time, the macaques in the mountains would drag their families down the mountain in search of food. As you walk, you will find a few little monkeys above your head.

Picture丨Macaques

Picture丨Little macaque

This line of Milk Sea is also called the long line. It starts from Luorong Niuchang and has a journey of about 6 kilometers, and the slope is also very steep, rising from 4100 meters to 4500 meters. There is no plank road on the entire road, and you need to shuttle between rocks. It is very exciting for tourists like me who do not have non-slip shoes.

Picture丨Mountain Road

There are not a large group of wild little blue sheep on the hillside near Milk Sea. When there are few people, they will run down to play in groups, occupying the entire plank road. When they see tourists walking over, they will jump to the hillside.

Picture丨The little blue sheep occupying the plank road

Picture丨Little Blue Sheep

Picture丨Little blue sheep on the hillside

Picture丨Little blue sheep sticking out its tongue

Picture丨Milk Sea

Picture丨Mountain area

Picture丨Mountain area