The photos in this article were all taken by the author of "The Touch of Black and White" and are copyrighted. Any use without permission is strictly prohibited!
After seeing Mount Everest, we returned to Dingri County to rest for one night. We continued driving west the next day and headed to Jilong Town, where the China-Nepal Port is located.
One of the joys of self-driving is that you can control the rhythm of the road by yourself. You can inadvertently discover beautiful scenery on the way, and you can stop at any time to feast your eyes on it. No, it was a clear day. Not long after we left Dingri County, the sky was blue and the clouds were white. The road extending to the distant mountains was also a heart-stopping beauty.
What’s so beautiful about a road?
It’s not that I’m sensitive. The mountain scenery on this trail is recognized as good. Some people named the peaks at the end “Tang Monk Image Stone”. It really looks like they are lined up. There are four masters and apprentices. There is also a prayer platform with a statue of Sakyamuni on the side of the road, and you can see a huge stone resembling the Buddha.
Not long after walking along the scenic path, a small temple on the hillside in the distance came into view. This was when we arrived at Gangga Town.
Gangga Town is the largest township in Dingri County, Nanling Nepal, and National Highway 318 runs through the town. Because of the earthquake, Zhangmu Port was closed, and it was impossible to leave the country due to the epidemic. Otherwise, you could pass through Gangga Town, go south along National Highway 318, and pass through Zhangmu Port to Kathmandu.
Gangga Town is also a good place to watch Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Makalu. I just saw the small temple on the hillside. The best location to overlook the peaks.
The Everest Guandi Temple is the highest Guandi Temple in the world (a cliché). It looks like a traditional Tibetan building from the outside, and the main hall inside is a Chinese style with a hard mountain roof. Building, the hall enshrines the majestic statue of Guan Gong, with his personal bodyguard Zhou Cang and adopted son Guan Ping on the left and right sides. Because its location borders Nepal, Bhutan, India and other countries, this Guandi Temple is known by local Tibetans as the temple that "sees four countries from one temple".
Standing outside the temple and looking south, in the distance are the yellow and green rice fields, behind the rolling green mountains, and the looming snowy peaks behind the white clouds. These are the 8,000-meter-level mountains. It's peak time. It would be great if there were less clouds.
Not far from the town, I saw a group of dressed-up Tibetan women carrying lundas on their shoulders. They must have just participated in a grand ritual event.
Continue westbound and reach the end point of 318 - Silong Village in Nyalam County. It still belongs to the Everest Nature Reserve and is where the Shishapangma Scenic Area is located. There is Pekucuo, the largest inland lake in southeastern Tibet.
Shishapangma is located in the middle of the Himalayas, with an altitude of 8,027 meters. It is the fourteenth highest peak in the world and the only snow mountain above 8,000 meters whose entire peak is located in my country. Its shape is like an inverted silver tripod, standing proudly in the clouds and mist, which is spectacular.
Many mountains and rivers in Tibet appear in pairs, such as Nyenchen Tanglha and Namtso, the Brahmaputra River and Namcha Barwa Peak... Shishapangma The peak also has a lake companion - Pekucuo at the foot of the mountain.
Pekutso is the largest inland lake in the Everest Reserve. I have not heard any romantic legends about it and Shishapangma, but this pairing of CP It has indeed benefited all living beings: The melted water from the glaciers of Shishapangma Peak supplies Peikutso. Through evaporation and transpiration, Peikutso gathers the airflow over the Himalayas to form precipitation. This airflow cycle provides surrounding wildlife. Plants provide a suitable living environment. Otherwise, the huge Himalayas block the flow of warm and humid air from the Indian Ocean and cause drought.
There is a Pekucuo viewing platform on one side of the road, but to get close to the lake, you need to take a small path around to the mountain road. The mountain road leads to a temple along the lakeside. Along the road, you can go from Viewing the snow-capped mountains and blue lakes from different angles, coupled with the red bricks and white walls of temples and houses, even if the mountain road is bumpy and narrow and you have to go back the same way, it is a beautiful scenery that is worth the hard work.
What’s more worth mentioning is the clouds here. The lake’s altitude of 4,594 meters is as high as the clouds. Some clouds are like a large pot lid covering the lake, and some are like greetings. The giant hand welcomes travelers from afar.
After a journey of 300 kilometers, we arrived in Jilong County in the evening.
It’s amazing. A moment ago, I was driving in the vast wilderness, and suddenly I drove into the lush mountains. The green trees on the roadside blocked the sky and the sun, and the streams were flowing. Whispering, there are occasional waterfalls pouring down, this is not Tibet, it is simply Jiangnan!
Compare the mountain road before entering Jilong, and you will know why this place is called "Little Jiangnan":
" "Gyirong" means "comfortable village" or "happy village" in Tibetan. Legend has it that in the late 8th century AD, when King Trisong Detsen of Tibet invited Master Padmasambhava to Tibet from India, the master and his entourage passed by Gyirong Valley (today's Gyirong Town). area), I once stayed here for a night. The master saw the beautiful mountains and clear waters here, the river water in the valley is as white as milk, the pebbles at the bottom of the stream are as smooth as jade, the scenery is bright and beautiful, and I am overwhelmed by it. Before leaving the next day, I happily named this place "Gyirong" ".
Jilong is a county southwest of Shigatse. From the county seat, Dzongga Town, all the way south through Jilong Valley, you can reach the Jilong Port in Jilong Town. It is only 80 kilometers away from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Only separated by a mountain from the adjacent Zhangmu Port, it is one of Tibet's main external channels.
Because it is close to South Asia, the cultural scenery of Jilong Town has exotic characteristics that are different from Tibetan areas. There are many Nepalese restaurants in the town, with exquisite decoration, exquisite wall patterns, and hanging Photos of famous tourist spots in Nepal. One of the hearty dishes is called "Daal Bhat". "Daal" means beans in Nepali, and "Bhat" means rice. Daal Bhat is rice with a few side dishes and a bowl of bean soup, including chicken curry. , beans, cucumbers, etc. When eating, pour the bean soup on the rice. The taste is rich and delicious. You can add the rice and soup until you are full. It is also not expensive. It is a rare and inexpensive dining experience in Tibet.
The restaurant proprietress doesn’t speak much Chinese, but she is fluent in English. Except for her dark skin and three-dimensional facial features, she does not look like a Tibetan. She may be a Daman people living in Jilong Valley. The Daman people are descendants of Nepalese people. They migrated to Jilong Valley at the end of the 18th century and mixed with Tibetans.
There is a Paba Temple in the town. It is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist temple, but its appearance is different from the Buddhist temples seen along the way. On the contrary, it is similar to the Southern Buddhism in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The temple looks a bit like it, full of South Asian style.
The murals on the walls of the temple and the prayer corridor that goes around the temple, as well as the Buddha statues in the temple and the prayer hall where lamas do their homework, show that this is indeed a Tibetan Buddhist temple. "Face" refers to geography, and "lizi" refers to culture.
Paba Temple was built around AD 637. When Songtsen Gampo married Princess Trizun of Nepal and entered Tibet, he took three statues of Sakyamuni Buddha with him. The statue of Emperor Sampo was placed in the town of Gyirong, and the Phra Ba Temple was built for it.
There is a Jifu Village not far from the town. There is a Grand Canyon at the entrance of the village. The canyon is 15 kilometers long. The upper section is called Jilong Zangbo Canyon and the lower section is called Jipu Canyon. The canyon is about 256 meters deep and 20-50 meters wide. The water in the valley is rapid and the sound of the water is thunderous. The peaks on both sides are lined up and the ancient trees are towering. It is a beautiful scenery that combines precipitousness and beauty.
The Gibb Suspension Bridge spans the canyon. It is a few simple iron plates held up by chains. Walking on it is shaky and thrilling. After crossing the Jibu Suspension Bridge, you enter Jifu Village.
This small village can be described as a paradise, with blooming flowers, green grass, dense forests, and occasionally wild Ganoderma lucidum. There are families in the village selling Ganoderma lucidum, Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan bags woven with rattan. They are very exquisite, but the prices are not cheap.
There is a grassland on the roadside leading to the port in the south of the town. Some self-driving tourists will camp here. The flowers are bright and the creek is winding, which is amazing. Refreshing. Climb to the top along the winding road behind the meadow, overlooking the meadow forest. The scenery is excellent. However, the road conditions are poor and the slope is steep. It is impossible to walk on it if it rains, and the chassis is too low to get up.
On the way back to Jilong County the next day, I encountered another temple in Bangxing Village - Qiangzhun Zu Lakang. It is still a Tibetan temple influenced by South Asian architecture. Buddhist temple - a wooden pavilion-style building with a square tower body and 4 floors. Each layer has eaves and is closed layer by layer. Qiangzhun Temple belongs to the Gelug Sect and was an important temple built during the Songtsen Gampo period to suppress Rakshasa witches and other monsters.
Shortly after leaving Bangxing Village, we came to Kaire Waterfall. The rich dissolved water from the snow-capped mountains flows through the forests and rocks, forming rapid waterfalls, like a white hada, floating on the high mountain cliffs on both sides. The waterfall is located just off the road and is deafening when you drive by.
The road here is also passed by the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road. There is also a scenic spot called "Zhaoti Barrier" deep in the dense forest on the roadside.
In July of the 53rd year of Qianlong's reign, the Gorkha army invaded the Tibetan border and occupied Nyalam and Jilong. Jilong was an official village on the Tibetan border and was occupied by the Gorkha army for one year. , the Kuo army built a two-foot-high stone barrier under Shizhuguanzhai, and set up strongholds around it. Later, Fukang'an commanded the soldiers to break through the enemy's Guanzhai with all their strength, annihilating thousands of enemies, and Jilong was able to recover. This is the main route for the Qing army to counterattack the Gurkha army.
Going north to the outskirts of Jilong County, the landscape returns to the barren mountains unique to Tibet. After passing an ancient white pagoda, we arrive at the ruins of Gongtang Royal City.
The Gongtang Royal City was built by the Gongtang Dynasty in the Mangyu area (centered on today's Jilong County) during the Tubo split. The Gongtang Dynasty was established around the 11th century and fell around the 15th century. ?
The site is located on a hillside at the southeast corner of Jilong County. It is commanding and has a wide view.
Not far ahead, I saw a roadside sign that read "The Inscription of the Envoy to Tianzhu of the Tang Dynasty". This was the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Xuance, who passed by when he was on an envoy to Tianzhu during the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. Geelong's account. Following the instructions, I turned onto the trail and saw a mountain that looked like a turtle, but I couldn't find the rock with the inscription on it.
Say goodbye to Jilong, and go north through Saga, the "Warrior" Assault La Mountain, Zhongba, the source of the Brahmaputra River, and the Mayumula Mountain with an altitude of 5211 meters, and enter the territory of Ngari . The altitude here is higher and it is known as "Ali in the sky" and "the roof of the world". There are many lakes here, and people jokingly call it "one measure after another, one measure after another".
(Zhongba Wetland)
The first person to greet us was Gongzhucuo.
Gongzhucuo is located in Alipuran County, with an altitude of 4786 meters. The color of the lake is very ordinary, so I quickly checked in and headed to another village in Purang - the famous Manasarovar. wrong.
About an hour northwest of Gongzhucuo, you can reach the Manasarovar Visitor Center - a uniquely designed building. It is still a few kilometers away from the lake and it takes 150 minutes to drive in. Yuan tickets. The lake looked very big from a distance, and it was said online that some observation decks do not require tickets, so I drove along the lake for a while to see if I could find a free observation deck.
Shortly after returning to the main road, I saw a small dirt road extending towards the lake, so I drove in. However, the further inside, the harder it became to drive, and the car actually got stuck in the dirt. I couldn't get out of the middle, and I found that the area dozens of meters away from the lake was fenced off with iron wire, making it impossible to reach the lake. "I was greedy for small gains and suffered big losses", so I had to call and pay for rescue, which was delayed for more than an hour...
Later on, I actually met a free rescue on the road. There is more than one viewing platform.
Manasarovar Lake, Namtso Lake and Yamdrok Lake are known as the three holy lakes in Tibet and are holy places in the minds of Buddhists. In Tibetan, "Manasarovar" means undefeated and invincible, and "Manasarovar" means "invincible jasper lake." Tibetans believe that the holy water of Manasarovar can cleanse the worries and worries in people's souls. Hinduism believes that it is the residence of Lord Shiva.
In addition, it is also the birthplace of the four major rivers in Asia: the Maquan River (the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra River), the Kongque River, the Xiangquan River (the upper reaches of the largest tributary of the Indus River) and the Shiquan River (the upper reaches of the Indus River).
The picture below shows Manasarovar seen in front of Jiwu Temple:
Jiwu Temple is located in Manasarovar On the hillside on the west bank of Cuo, the majestic temple overlooks the quiet holy lake. It is magnificent and has a mysterious and sacred feeling.
Not only can you overlook the blue sacred lake in the distance, but you can also see the long river of the plateau in the other direction.
Across the road from the Holy Lake Manasarovar is the Ghost Lake Laangtso, which means "poisonous black lake" in Tibetan. It is a brackish water lake, and the water in the lake cannot be drunk by humans and animals. , and there is no grass growing around it, which is probably the origin of the name "Ghost Lake".
Although they are very close to each other and are equally stunningly blue, the Divine Lake is a freshwater lake and the Ghost Lake is a saltwater lake. It makes people think of the harmony and unity of opposites, and the nature of good and evil. Two opposites, but here they live in peace and harmony. In fact, the two lakes were originally one lake in history. After the glacier melted, the detrital material carried by the glacier accumulated in the middle of the original great lake, causing the lake bed to rise and divide into two lakes. Laang Cuo's supplementary glaciers shrank and evaporation intensified, gradually forming The salt water lake.
Due to the trouble of getting stuck in the car, the sun was setting when we arrived at La Ang Tso. The setting sun gilded the snow-capped mountains behind the lake and dyed the clouds red. Suddenly there was a light rain and a rainbow. Falling from the sky, making the evening more colorful.
The red clouds take on different shapes, some look like Superman, some look like flying fish, some look like Pegasus, some look like Phoenix...
What’s even more amazing is that at the same time and at the same place, when you turn your sight to the east, the sky seems to be splashed with a layer of blue ink, while 20 minutes ago the snow-capped mountains were still dazzling golden. Aren’t they the three primary colors of nature?
Manasarovar Lake and Laang Lake are located in the south of Kailash. During the day, the "Swastika" on the Mount Kailash can be clearly seen between the two lakes. character.
Next stop, we will go to Mount Kailash.