Reading history in Barkhor Street, watching Namjagbarwa from an altitude of 10,000 meters: Lhasa is not an intermediate station (3)

October 30, 2020

Slowly and leisurely, we walked to Norbulingka, a good place for Lhasa people to have a picnic. The only place in Lhasa with towering ancient trees. For Lhasa, a tree-lined garden is rare. In the hot summer, go to Norbulingka to bask in the sun, have a picnic on the grass, and dance for a while. The Tibetan people's singing and dancing talents have a place to show off. Officials of the Tibetan local government took a fancy to this place, and Norbulingka was designated as the summer palace, corresponding to the winter palace of the Potala Palace.

In the autumn of Lhasa, the green leaves gradually turn golden, and the yellow leaves of the green trees set off the Tibetan red and yellow palace wall buildings, giving off the style of a summer palace. Norbulingka is not comparable to ordinary parks. Only after Tibet's democratic reform can ordinary people be eligible to visit Norbulingka.

Looking up, Lhasa is surrounded by dry mountains. Norbulingka actually preserves so many ancient trees.

Kelsang Phodrang, Golden Phodrang, and Dadan Mingjiupodrang are all Tibetan palace-style buildings shaded by green trees. They don’t show any grandeur from the outside, but when you enter, you will find that the layout is regular and solemn. Some Tibetans and their children are here one by one. worship. Phozhang means palace in Tibetan. With the Norbulingka garden layout and the palace architecture, it is appropriately called the Summer Palace of Tibet.

Yamdrok Yumcuo, means "Jasper Lake" in Tibetan, one of the three holy lakes in Tibet

Walk out of Norbulingka, get on the bus, go through the Yarlung Zangbo Valley, cross the Gangbala Mountains, and go to Yamdrok Yongcuo in Langkazi County in the south of the mountain.

There was laughter and laughter all the way, and there was no discomfort at all when driving on a plateau. Stop for a while at the pass of Gangbala Mountain, overlooking the Yarlung Zangbo River, a deep yellow autumn scenery, not much to see, it is better to head to Yanghu Lake as soon as possible.

Yangzhuo Yumcuo, one of the three holy lakes in Tibet, is as blue as ever. The white snow of Naikangqinsang Snow Mountain in the distance sets off the deep blue of Yangzhuo Lake. Unfortunately, there are no clouds in the sky, and the photography effect is not very good on a bare sky. However, there is a "one-click change of sky".

During my trip to Yanghu, I met Mr. H, a businessman in charge of business in the western region. His work experience in China's western region has blessed Mr. Hu's cheerful personality. During the conversation, I heard that he was from Chengdu. I envy the people in Chengdu who are so happy. There are snow-capped mountains to enjoy just 200 miles away from home. Unlike us Hubei people, we have to go 2,200 miles west to see the snow-capped mountains.

Mr. H laughed: "You don't have to leave the house. You can see the snow-capped mountains by opening the window in my house." Mr. H's words are true. He has been following the Weibo of Chengdu looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Chengdu is the only city in the world where you can see the snow-capped mountains above 5,000 meters in the distance. A city with a population of tens of millions. According to incomplete statistics, the number of times that Chengdu has seen snow-capped mountains in the distance increased from 50 times in 2017 to 65 times in 2019. In the first half of 2020, there have been 37 days where snow-capped mountains can be seen in the distance in Chengdu.

Two people born in the 1970s became closer because of their common hobbies. On the bank of the clear blue Yamdrok Lake, we continued chatting under the sunshine, talking about the experience of being almost isolated in Kashgar, the fun of work, the beautiful scenery in various places, and the grateful attitude of Western parents to their children...and then, a surprise I discovered that both of us had the same zodiac sign: the couple had the same zodiac sign, and the children had the same zodiac sign. We were grateful for the wonderful encounters during the trip, and we must write them down.

There are other places worth recording during the trip to Yanghu Lake. The driver detected the traffic jam ahead in advance and temporarily decided to take a trail. He passed the trail of Yanghu Power Station and passed through the wide valley of the Brahmaputra River. The road was flat and the fields were crisscrossed, giving it a feeling of a small plain. Industrious Tibetan farmers used tractors to drive the fields. Prepare for next year's harvest. This Tibetan driver greeted everyone along the road, including villagers, traffic police, highway inspectors, etc. He knew them all, and it felt like going home. The veteran driver said that he has been driving in Lhasa for 31 years and has acquaintances at every corner. Sitting in the passenger seat, I can testify that this guy is indeed an experienced driver on the plateau mountain road. He is very skilled. When crossing the Gangbala Mountain, the speed of the car was at least twice as fast as my driving on the plateau mountain road. Downhill, The vehicles on the curve, Tibetan A, and Sichuan V were all overtaken one by one. It was not dark yet, and we were safely sent back to Lhasa Deji Middle Road. I thanked the old driver and found a Sichuan restaurant... Yanghulan was still swaying in front of my eyes.

Come and see Lhasa in the most beautiful season, the colors of autumn:

October 31, 2020

Drepung Monastery, on the 15th day of the Tibetan calendar, Tibetan believers flocked to Drepung Monastery to worship. They worshiped in front of each Buddha statue devoutly and presented cash. When they encountered the ever-lighting lantern, they added the butter they had already carried in their hands. Their pious attitude was solemn. No matter how big or small the cash is, believers who don’t have change can put in large bills and make change on their own without supervision, as are honest Tibetans. Drepung Monastery has a long history. After hundreds of years of construction, it is very large and is said to be the largest temple in Tibet.

The entire temple is large in scale, with row upon row of white buildings covering the hillside. From a distance, it looks like a huge pile of rice, hence the name Drepung. It is the highest-status monastery in the Gelug Sect and was founded by Tsongkhapa's disciples. Halfway up the mountainside among the dry mountains with no grass growing, only the 200,000-square-meter temple is shaded by green trees. A stream comes down from the mountain. It is the first time in Lhasa that I have seen living water flowing from the dry mountains. It is a bit of a magical temple.

Halfway up the mountainside of Drepung Monastery, you can overlook the panoramic view of Lhasa. Buildings such as the Tsoqen Hall, Ganden Phodrang, and the Four Dracangs are built along the mountain. Sitting in the square of the Tsoqen Hall, watching the believers worshiping devoutly, watching the fashionable Tibetan youths riding racing-looking motorcycles, watching the lamas in monk robes passing by carrying gas tanks, and watching the The bespectacled monk passed by holding a thick scripture. He looked back at the bottom of the mountain. The city of Lhasa was shrouded in fog, and the whole city was looming.

The golden dome of Falun houses the solemn Dharma. It is said that many of the murals in the hall are exquisite. Unfortunately, the lighting is poor, so we can only see them roughly. The square, open corridor, and main hall of Tsochen Hall are large in scale, and there are large skylights to introduce sunlight. The design is exquisite and the construction is perfect. Of course the Buddha-showing platform in the middle of the mountain was empty, it was still early for the Shoton Festival.

During a slow tour of Lhasa, Zongjiao Lukang Park will not be forgotten. The garden in the backyard of the Potala Palace is bustling with activity, with collective pot cooking and solo dancing complementing each other. The Tibetan singing and dancing talents are fully demonstrated in Zongjiaolu.

Beautiful autumn picture of the backyard of the Potala Palace.

The lake in Zongjiao Lukang is a paradise for waterbirds. Red-billed gulls and brown-headed geese are leisurely and contented, facing the coming winter with confidence.

Before dark, we strolled to the Potala Palace Square. As night fell, the landscape lights of the Potala Palace slowly turned on, and the musical fountain appeared. There were really few tourists. I finally experienced the quiet Potala Palace Square. .

November 01, 2020

Go out early in the morning, drink sweet tea and eat beef cakes. Then, we visited Ramoche Temple and Jokhang Temple. Many Tibetans are purchasing various supplies in large quantities. Every day at the Jokhang Temple, Ramoche Temple, and Barkhor Street is a market day. It's winter, and there are few tourists. Tibetan believers, old and young, are still expressing their unswerving faith by visiting temples.

On Barkhor Street, there are many old buildings and houses that have been famous for a long time. If you look closely, you can see that the cultural changes in Tibet are concentrated in Barkhor Street. Chongsaikang, Langzixia, the Qing Dynasty Minister’s Office in Tibet, etc., condensed thousands of years of history, and the most popular one is of course the Maggie Ami Sweet Teahouse. However, if you want to understand the history of Tibet, you still need to go see those important historical buildings.

The Langzixia Exhibition Hall on the south side of the Jokhang Temple was an office of the Tibetan local government in charge of the Lhasa area, and was later used as a trial and prison. The place where the history of blood and tears of Tibetan serfs is condensed is simply a hell on earth. I have seen the disgusting torture of cutting off hands and skinning human flesh in unclear photos. Those imprisoned in prison have to go to Barkhor by themselves in shackles every day. He had to beg for food on the streets to avoid starving to death. He only regretted that the democratic reforms in Tibet in 1959 were too late.

In the renovated building of the Qing Dynasty Minister's Office in Tibet, various materials are displayed. There were swords and swords inside and outside the government office. The Qing Dynasty also shed a lot of blood for Tibet. Now it has become important evidence of Tibetan sovereignty since ancient times.

Although I have turned around Barkhor Street many times, these historical buildings right in front of me have been ignored. An in-depth tour of Lhasa is necessary.

In the afternoon, take a bus from Barkhor Street to Sera Monastery, passing by the Tibet Military Region General Hospital, a large-scale medical institution. The development of Tibet, the dedication of soldiers, and the escort of the army are not only at the border and front line.

I was originally planning to go to Sera Monastery to watch the Bible debate scene. When I was going through the security check, I met a young armed policeman from Xiangyang, Hubei Province. This young soldier, whose skin was tanned by the plateau sun, told me that today was Sunday and there would be no Bible debate. It seems that the Buddhist students who debate scriptures also have weekends off. Forget it, leave some regrets and have a reason for your next trip to Lhasa.

November 02, 2020

On the way back, we headed east to avoid the dazzling backlight and chose the afternoon flight back to Chongqing. I reserved a seat on the right side of the plane early, so I could see the mountains along with the light. Shortly after taking off, there was a row of snow-capped mountains on the skyline. The corridor of the snow-capped mountains, like a guard of honor, was neatly arranged on the south side of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is estimated that Mount Everest is also among the snow-capped mountains in this direction.

A high-altitude shot of Namjagbarwa Peak in November 2020, with an altitude of 12,650 meters :

In July 2015, overlooking Namjagbarwa Peak from the Sejila Pass, with an altitude of 4728 meters:

In July 2015, a close-up shot of Namjagbarwa Peak in the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, 3,300 meters above sea level:

Sichuan-Tibet route, viewing snow-capped mountains from the air:

We saw hundreds of snow-capped mountains along the way. We couldn’t recognize the mountains by looking at them, we could only make random guesses. After flying not too far, I saw several towering snow peaks above the clouds. One of them had a round peak on one side of the peak, which I thought looked very similar to Yang Maiyong. I took clear photos and videos and asked for help in the circle of friends for identification. Sure enough, an outdoor expert from Wenchuan first concluded that it couldn't be Yang Maiyong. The reason was that Yang Maiyong couldn't be covered by such a large amount of snow. I further recognized that this snow peak is the Shy Girl Peak - Namjagbarwa, also known as the sharp sword piercing the south sky, Namjagbarwa on the side of the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, 2005 "China National Geographic" In the "Beauty China" selection organized by the magazine, it won the first place among the top ten most beautiful mountains in China.

The 40-hour train journey takes only 2 hours by air. Sichuan Airlines is famous for its delicious food. Coupled with the comfort of wide-body aircraft, the Sichuan-Tibet Line is worth remembering. At an altitude of 12,650 meters, enjoying Sichuan Airlines' gourmet meals and desserts, admiring the beautiful scenery of snow-capped mountains outside the window, the captain informed the captain of the upcoming landing at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport through the earphones. A perfect trip to Lhasa, prepare for it End the in-depth tour of Lhasa with Chongqing hot pot.

During this in-depth tour of Lhasa, the biggest feeling is that the people in Lhasa are very friendly. Whether they are Han or Tibetan, everyone has a good temper. Whether on the street, in the temple, or even on the bus, as long as they meet each other Looking at each other, everyone smiled slightly and nodded, which was regarded as saying hello.

Life in Lhasa is very fashionable. Enter KFC and walk around the commercial complex on Beijing Road. The latest iPhone 12 is already on the shelves. If it weren't for several Tibetan clothing stores, I would have thought I was shopping in the mainland. There are advertisements for the opening of Lhasa Wanda Plaza hanging on the streets, and the distribution of high-standard public restrooms is much denser than in most cities. Of course, there are more and more high-rise buildings on the other side of the Lhasa River, facing the Potala Palace on the Red Mountain across the river, reminding that this plateau city has entered the whirlpool of modernization.

Deji North Road Food Street has everything from Hong Kong-style tea restaurants in the south to hand-caught mutton in the north, and there are also several bakeries with good taste. There are also those Tibetan restaurants that have to be mentioned, and the Lhasa sweet tea houses that can be seen everywhere. In the afternoon, we can bask in the sun and drink some sweet tea. The autumn in Lhasa is particularly suitable for our appetite. We drink a few pounds every day. It is delicious and it is said that it is even more delicious. Can prevent high reflex.

For people in the humid areas of the south, even in the best season of Lhasa, the climate in autumn is still a bit uncomfortable. I used to pass through Lhasa in the summer, and I just felt the sun was dazzling. This time I arrived in Lhasa in autumn, and it still felt very dry. The temperature difference of 20 degrees, plus the exposure to the sun, made me a little uncomfortable after staying there for a long time. The weather is probably worse in winter.

In such a harsh natural environment, one can only appreciate the tenacity of all the people living in Lhasa. After an in-depth tour of Lhasa, I deeply felt that the soldiers stationed in Tibet all year round, the teachers who support Tibet, and the mainlanders doing business are all warriors, warriors who persist in their jobs even though their health is exhausted. In particular, the soldiers who work in Tibet all year round deserve the most respect and admiration. The harsher the season, the more they have to stick to their posts, unlike others who can escape the worst seasons.

Lhasa is not an intermediate station (all three chapters, ending)