Notes from the Western Regions
Since July 27, 1999 in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, boarded the jeep starting from August 10 ended the morning left the Gonggar Airport in Lhasa, our party of four people traveling in Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet, the three provinces, a total journey 3,950 km, pay homage to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries calculation, there are as many as 12.
5:01 From Shanghai Train Station, we saw the travel agent to pick people. Eat a bowl of the most authentic, "Lanzhou Ramen", and replace a jeep on the straight Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Through Linxia County, the driver stopped the car at the side of a vehicle sharing, saying it was to check the spare tire, and we also went out of the car. Like a mosque across the road, we stroll inside. The mosque is very simple, may not be the prayer of the hour, one person can not, and then further inside is a small hospital, like a tenant. We have just a probe, it was a small white cap wearing middle-aged Muslims discovered that he was very warmly greeted us sit down, but also to make arrangements for the tea, and we quickly declined. Small homes are very quiet, and very cool, the Central is a big tree, we have a small stool to sit down under a tree, then chatted with the owner on the. He told us that he was imam here, years ago, had also been to the pilgrimage to Mecca - I really can not convince, but look at his eyes that we believe it is absolutely true. We would like with him in conversation for a while, but it might affect her hurry, and soon left. Into the territory of Xiahe, we see a White Tower at the roadside, they ran off in the past, there are a number of Tibetans around the Sule Pagoda in the circular motion, we also turn up, not turn a few steps, there is a very serious for the elderly stopped us, we turned to indicate the direction of change with him. We do not understand why, but also obedient.
Noon to reach its destination. Could not pull Leng Temple Yishanbangshui built, large-scale. Most of his life companion for the first time witnessed Tibetan Buddhist temple, with the excitement behind the one by one turn in the Tibetan prayer wheels. To take this opportunity, I calmly started shooting my live, teams played a tripod will be emphasis on the 300 mm lens, and then targeting 20 meters away a temple of the openings, deliberate look around, with the shutter line will target Italy 11 captured. Such as peer skull-bone arm back, I've photographed a lot of good shots, especially the elderly Tibetan half-length feature. Although there is one that has more than 400 by the turn of the cylinder, but not even half of the total transferred.
Xiahe County, could not pull away from the Temple leng close, just 10 minutes walk. The so-called town, also a street, with many of the past, monks, wearing dark red "cassock", heads held high, look steadily forward, and floated up and over, very philosophers demeanor. One of our companions want to lama photo shots, the result was the young monks refused, emotional blow.
We have one called "Crystal Village" hotel stay there, and price is 120 yuan.
Early the next day to leave the government of Qinghai Province, Xining Xiahe straight. Approached the driver want to Avenue, one will be directly west over Linxia, dipped into the path of the rolling hills. The way of gravel, the car kept in the rough, we all strained to catch on hand for fear of crashed through the roof. Opened two or three hours, and finally embarked on a bumpy country lanes. This road is very remote, the distance between the village and the village is very far away are some of the national Village, Tibetan, Salar, as well as Hui. Is estimated that the region's economically backward, full of adobe houses. Chance encounter on the way the local Tibetans go to the market, men and women dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing, Chengqunjiehuo convergence to the market. There are walking, there are 20 people crowded into a tractor on, as acrobatic performances of people are mountain-like. Because the driver was anxious to hurry the absence of stay, missed a lot of good shots, very regrettable. Along the way from time to time to see debris left behind after raging thick mud invasion into the villages and villagers in the yard. There is a plot on the road due to mud was really thick and had to turn back detours. Lunch in the Xunhua county, Sichuan-style small hotel, Deli, it is refreshing; Pro on the car only to find: They actually use dishwashing detergent. Based on the long straight, in the evening when they arrived in Xining.
Xining is very busy, hotels there are many, we have chosen the "Tongtianhe" Hotel, 98 yuan for a standard room only then go and give his partner to live, and men living in ordinary room without bathroom. Alternately in the companions of the room before taking a bath, and then go for dinner. Hotels in the hotel next door, is home Szechuan Restaurant, point the local specialty - Huangzhong fish, because it is not alive to kill, so do not leave us too deep impression, as if flesh quite old, there is no flavor. Center for a walk after dinner will be available everywhere food stands, cries, saute sound mixed with soot, was quite a crowd.
An early left Xining the next day. Kumbum Monastery on the outskirts of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism (the Yellow Sect), one of the six temples, but also the birthplace of Master Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug Sect. 9:00 provisions open the door, in the Tar Monastery, the first time we saw the "Five bodies to bid for land" type of worship. Worship of hands each holding a wooden quickly, first straight, hands clasped together, and then bent over, hands shoot the ground and then hunched down in the hands of the body slide show wood fast forward, finally paste the entire body, the movement is very coordinated, very skilled; time and again, it seems that will always continue to do so ... ...
Butter is the most prominent feature here. Butter is made of butter as raw materials and works of art, looks similar with wax products, but very fine. Tar of the Butter Sculpture, Buddhist stories as a theme, works like a large wall carving. Temple there are two sets of creative team, every year a group of creative works should be evaluated on early appearances, winning exhibition in the front hall. It is said that because the production of butter to the ice water with zero, so work is completed, the artist's hand Now he's full of frostbite, showing their dedication to pursue the arts.
To leave the Tar 11:00, 15:00 to reach Qinghai Lake. Lake is a vast gravel beach, one side of several buildings built beautiful bungalows, that is, "the clerk hotels." Lake beach a lot of parked cars, lake blue, do not see a boat, and as we are attracted to play people like us to the lake, after throwing a few stones do not know what to play better. Fortunately, the horse was doing rental business, we have one person to run a lap. I rode the horse began to run decent and quite in to the lake to drink water on the bow Meng said nothing move, and I do nothing. Fortunately, the horse ran over the owner will be horses out.
We left on the drive to the Bird Island in Qinghai Lake, the roadside is a big large tracts of rape, yellow flowers, blue lake, very enjoyable. We Jingan slow drive, and finally before sunset arrived at Bird Island in Qinghai Lake. Glad it was not enough time in one of the cold water poured, the ticket office located in the Bird Island hotels have closed down! At this time only 6:00. In the registration room, the struggling to the hotel attendant solutions. There is an attendant moved compassion, pointing out our Road: quickly drove into the bar, leading probably still inside the ticket office. We are one, and quickly drove look inside rush. This is a soil may not be in the earth's dirt road, dust flying, but also full of pits. Anxious, cars also opened unhappy, 13 kilometers down the road to open for nearly an hour. Mercifully, we arrived, the van had just launched the sitting leadership, quickly in the past mitigation. A similar situation may be more lead in the car waved, let us go in the replacement ticket. As the season of the relationship between migratory birds have mostly only see the gulls and cormorants. Qinghai Lake is China's largest saltwater lake, no boat on the lake, deep blue expanse of the lake. Bird Watching from afar from the stage, a large seagull landed the lake, near a lake beach there are many abandoned shell of small gulls, flying overhead from time to time with tits loud seagulls dive by. Cormorant Island elephant standing on a huge lake in the eggs, and sunset, the black cormorant Onlly on the island, as if to rally.
Bird Island to Golmud travel 600 kilometers, of which more than half of the plateau no man's land, the companies also did not see 2,3 hours of a person, a car; wake up, the scenery outside the window is still, as if still stay in place. The road straight ahead, at the end of intercourse with the blue sky, people in the car, you will feel like sitting under the plane on the runway Ji Ben, soon will enter the blue sky ... ...
Golmud to the west and then south, then into Tibet boundary. They pass through the source of the Yangtze River ━ ━ Tuotuohe, elevation 5,261 meters Tanggula mouth, China's highest county ━ ━ Amdo (elevation 4,700 meters).
Shortly after the Tanggula pass over, I photographed the Tibetan antelope, it is a solitary sheep, there are tens of meters away from the national highway distance, a motionless, silently staring at us.
In Amdo, we are lucky enough to catch up with the plateau of the biennial event ━ ━ Jockey Club. Amdo nomads in the vicinity of the venue of the white tents erected all around, well looked, like prairie village. Football field as a large space to gather around the thick side of the herders dressed in costumes, horse the morning, afternoon, singing and dancing competition, such a grand occasion to last for seven days.
Namco lying on the snow-capped mountains surrounded by itself, was the largest in Tibet, the "holy lakes." Car via Damxung, we rolled into the path leading to Namco. We bypassed a Road ridge, finally came to the lake on the grass. Unfortunately, there is a swamp, the jeep could no longer move forward, we can only go far overlooking the blue lake that the lake there is no ship around and no other people, and a quiet, only a few eagles in the sky silently patrol the .
You want to come out, the car stuck, and tried to push a few times, the car absolutely still. Looking around, I saw a few riding distance of Tibetans there, the driver saw as the savior of the general, to them cry. Approached and we have to see is 2 big 1 small, they saw our car stuck, and apart from anything else then put it down over horse carts, cars or not to move. At this time, leading the side of gestures, while the driver Han Han to giggle. The driver to see to understand, and they want to take technical measures to save our car, this time should be remunerative. The driver nodded and said a price, they accepted immediately neatly action. Adults with jack jack up car, a child beggar with robes pad stones at the bottom for a while, we'll be able to hit the road the car, very professional!
Round-trip spent a total of 7 hours after which they returned when hung, and then that is 165 kilometers south of Lhasa. They pass through the center of China's largest geothermal ━ ━ Yangbajain, even though it is night, or could not withstand the temptation of the plateau hot springs, jumped into the hot spring pool, toss some time. Unable to see the night not far from the snow-capped mountains, but occasionally a rise of the sky Star bright, the stars of the highlights of occupied most of my Universe, to give people the illusion of Star Trek. A few days later, the head always dull, which is probably the altitude sickness, and also the consequences of this swimming.
We have come to Lhasa.
We stayed at the one called "auspicious" in hotels, located in downtown Lhasa, the Tibetan architectural characteristics of a very strong three-storey building was built according to CTS of the compound, was back to shape; house rent is very cheap, only a per person per day RMB30, there are single public bathroom; hostels every day, offers a free laundry service, bunch of us a great deal. Tibetan hostels have free laundry service, has long been obtained from the Internet such information, thought, or the real thing, but think about anyway, is to use washing machines, but also no big deal. When we wash the morning up to the original house only when that incredible, all these clothes are Tibetans Aunt Handwash, and suddenly felt a lot of people inadvertently accounted for nor do not want to take advantage of the accounts.
Hostels in front of message boards covered with a piece of paper to find temporary companion, is very convenient for visitors. Therefore, foreign students travel to Lhasa to choose not surprising that such a residence.
A three-day stay in Lhasa, we toured the Jokhang Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, wood, such as Temple, the Potala Palace, Norbu Lingka and the Barkhor. Lhasa's temples have their own characteristics, we caught up with the Sera monks debate the scriptures. Dozens of monks sitting in the shade, three, five a group standing debate by those who, while beating with his hand forced, while loudly representations to the peers with their own point of view. Hit the applause and the monks, rich voice are interlinked into a ring ... ...
Tibetan Buddhist temples Buddhist temples and the Central Plains region, very different, with distinctive Tibetan characteristics. Are generally dedicated to Sakyamuni, the Buddha, strong bar (ie Buddha), Tsongkhapa master is essential; temple who do not light candles or burn incense, only point of butter lamps, the faithful, or hand solid butter or carrying a thermos container of liquid butter to the temple "Respect for oil"; temple buildings are particularly numerous everywhere are painted beautiful murals, which in the Central Plains region is rare to get. Tibetan Buddhism is very particular about "change" into the first turn in front of the temple through the cylinder, in the hands of ritual implements must constantly turn the saw onto the laps should Baita; turn directions is also very particular about a certain according to clockwise direction, from left to right, each turn in a circle accumulates merit, they cut the wrong direction for a merit. The first time that we turn the wrong direction, thanks to our Tibetan old man pointing a timely manner, or probably not return home.
Tibetans say that all due to religious devotion and witnessed heavier. We feel that religion Tibetan men and women who are part of everyday life. However, in the temple encountered in elderly persons, probably the sake of young people working during the day bar.
The Dalai Lama's Potala Palace in history to live in tin, but also the era of political and religious center theocracy. Here to worship the Dalai Lama, seated with the ancient gold Pagoda. Seated Buddha and the pagoda of different sizes, said the size of the Dalai Lama, seated Toshihisa related to the size of the pagoda are with the performance and the amount of the personal property.
Left Lhasa, we went to Shigatse. Via Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse. Yamdrok Lake in Tibet, one of the four holy lakes, we are the sheep around the entire lake opened for several hours, the salt smell of the thick smell and see the blue of the lake, free-flying gulls, flocks of cattle and sheep and the shepherd boy. Gyantse's baiqoi monastery with its pagodas and the tablets of the seated master Tsongkhapa is known for.
In only 12 kilometers away from Shigatse, our car ran into trouble. Flood rushing down the hills from the sidelines, diffuse over the road, forming a small lake, there is a car and a van was thrown into the water, there are several Tibetans busy in that I do not know what. Our driver stopped the car, I do not know what to do. Then came a local behind the truck, it is quick and neat way to open later, in fact, on the road to water is not deep, less than half of the wheels, but very dark days, not any lights are not clear Bale . We let the driver keep pace with the car but we still left the road, two wheels off the side of empty. Drivers to make the H-throttle, the car motionless, the water flows from the side of the car, and we hastened to the baggage hold in the body, soon, exhaust tubes into the water, H is also not the throttle. Everyone in the panic among those few Tibetan greeting out loud, so that they can to open tractors to emergency, they confirmed late compensation, the once all but disappeared. Around a dark and a silence inside the car to the vehicle in desperately scoop in water, the van had been abandoned, and our rickety car in the water, slide down completely at any time possible. We are afraid, hoping to quickly savior. After a more than 20 minutes before we heard the distant roar of the machine, it really was them, driving a big tractor, followed by 30 people, it is estimated the village's young manpower had come. Technology is home! San Liangxia our car'll be able to hit the road - we had a big storm.
Tashilhunpo in Shigatse built on mountains, Rusi to be lowered before the conventional turning, but also the first turn Mountain, Hill is full of dogs, there are as many as several hundred, I jokingly said, "This must raise Temple Saint Dog ", and later a inquire about, is really a" sacred dog. " Tashilhunpo honors generations of the Panchen Lama Lama, usually silver, only the tenth Panchen Lama is the gold of the. Tashilhunpo Shrine Jampa Buddha is the world's largest, up to 26.2 meters.
Shigatse is left of our trip east, the last leg of ━ ━ Zetang. The Zetang area, we toured the temple Min Zhu, Chang Zhusi, Yumbulagang, Zang tomb, Samye Monastery, and Long-color forest estate. Min Chu temple is Ningma (Red Sect), one of the three major monasteries to Tibetan, Tibetan medicine is known. Changzhu Si, one of Tibet's first Buddhist temple, according to legend was built for the Songtsan, after Songtsan Gambo and Princess Wen Cheng of the Winter Palace in Shannan. Yumbulagang a palace in Tibet's history, built on top of the hill, like a castle, according to legend is the benzene as the first generation of believers Nie Tsenpo Zao was built after Songtsan Gambo and Princess Wen Cheng in Shannan Prefecture, a summer resort. Samye Monastery was built in the mid-eighth century AD, is the first Tibetan Buddhism, France, and monks are all fully formal temple treasures. The layout of the building in accordance with the Buddhist "mandala" and designed the main hall of the layers respectively Han, Tibetan and Indian architectural styles of three different construction of Samye Monastery is also unique.
Throughout the journey, we encountered Tibetans are very honest, whenever we ask for directions, they all very enthusiastic, and sometimes the language barrier, they will receive specially sat us down to our car after a big get off their diametrically then taken back, now think of it really sorry.
Western Regions of the line, most impressive is that religion, natural and simple Tibetans. Ubiquitous temples and Mani Dui hands of law enforcement device believers, beating the butter lamps, pious monks; white snow-capped mountains and wind Piaowu hada, a vast grassland and flocks of sheep, pure blue sky and soar Eagle; white teeth and the face was dark, all constitute a perfect picture of the Western Regions.
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