Stepping under the rays of light, I walked happily along the Zharu Horse Road. The sound of chanting sutras and ritual instruments echoed in the vast valley. The largest Zharu Temple in Jiuzhaigou came into my sight. This Tibetan temple, built in the late Ming Dynasty and renovated twice, gradually revealed its full appearance under the cover of prayer flags. It has a golden roof, red eaves and white walls, solemn and sacred.
The "Mazi Festival" is an extremely important annual celebration of Zharu Temple. All the lamas and monks in the temple start eating fast, chanting sutras, and rehearsing traditional Tibetan opera and dance performances three days in advance. On the day of the festival, Tibetans put on clean clothes and came to burn Tibetan incense, burn oil lamps, go around mountains to worship, and walk in reverse directions around Mount Zayizhaga, the "ancestor of mountains".
Under the eaves of the corridor, the "Eight-Character Mantra of Yongzhong Benjiao" is looming in the curling smoke, revealing the true meaning of the Buddha. The prayer wheel rolls slowly under the caress of believers, the five-color prayer flags fly with the air current, and the Tibetan-style curtains are gorgeous and solemn. . In front of the Buddha, I clasped my hands together, and my heart felt empty. Scenes from the past life, this life, and the future rushed through my mind and disappeared in an instant. The vast universe and the long river of time, please tell me, in front of you, are my reincarnations of life a tiny grain of dust? Or a traceless wave?
The living Buddha monks gave initiations and blessings to the devout believers, and the young lamas were busy selling various souvenirs to tourists. There is both spiritual elegance and bustle here. Standing on the high platform of Zharu Temple, I saw at one end of Baojing Cliff, hundreds of believers walking slowly against Zhayizhaga Sacred Mountain. Waves of simmering green smoke and the murmuring of Buddha's voice came from Floating leisurely from the distant horizon.
At around nine o'clock in the morning, the tour bus I took left the ancient and sacred Zharu Temple and continued to approach the Huanglong Scenic Area. On the way, I took out a small notebook from my backpack and faithfully wrote down everything that happened in Jiuzhaigou last night.
After dinner yesterday, the tourists, led by their respective tour guides, walked into the Jiuzhaigou Grand Theater and went to watch the performance of the Jiuxin Gesangla Art Troupe with great interest. The theater was brightly lit and the seats were packed. The song and dance performances and folk culture with Tibetan and Qiang ethnic customs opened our eyes. One of the programs where the actors interacted with the audience was unique and unforgettable.
The pure and beautiful Qiang actress stood shyly in the center of the stage and looked around. She wanted to find a suitable husband among the tourists, and each tourist group had to send a man to participate in the "groom selection competition." The conditions for Qiang girls to choose a husband really surprised me. There were no cultural or economic considerations, and they were all about strong physique and strong strength. Each "groom contestant" has a rope loop around his neck. As long as he can pull all his opponents out of the designated area, he can embrace the beauty.
The person representing our tour group was Dr. Wang from Zhengzhou, Henan. He was thin and was dragged out of the circle by his strong opponent in the first round. After several rounds of battles, the final winner was a man named Li from the Nanchong team who looked like the "dwarf tiger" in "Water Margin". Before the "dwarf tiger" could wake up from the joy of victory, he was slapped in the head by the "groom's duty". He was stunned for more than three minutes, and he didn't even think of giving a gift to the bride.
Looking at the blushing and bewildered Qiang girl, a surge of sympathy surged in my heart. Dr. Wang from Zhengzhou and I ran onto the stage together with a medical worker from Yunnan, and each of us took some medicine from our pockets. He took out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to the "bride" with her big, affectionate eyes. Our "heroic spirit" immediately received endless applause and bursts of applause from the audience present, and the "dwarf tiger" who finally regained his composure slipped off the stage.
Before coming to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, I learned a little about the history of the Qiang people from books. The mountains, watchtowers, cottages, and the exciting custom of snatching brides are now both so far away and so close to me. There are many ethnic groups in China, and the blood of the Qiang ancestors flows through them. The Qiang ancestors are not only brave and hardworking, but also magnanimous, and the Qiang women are even more enthusiastic, generous, and extremely beautiful. It is said that Yang Yuhuan, who "looks back with a smile full of charm, and has no color in her six palaces", is an outstanding representative of Qiang women.
Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are both part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Aba Prefecture is adjacent to the Chengdu Plain, and its overall surface outline is a typical plateau landform. Within the jurisdiction are world-class tourist attractions such as the World Natural Heritage Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Wolong and Siguniang Mountain Giant Panda Habitat. In addition, there are also ruins such as Zhuokeji Tusi Official Village in Malkang, Songgang Zhibo Diaolou Group, and Songpan Ancient City. .
Near the north of Songpan County in Huanglong Scenic Area, on Yuanbao Mountain to the east of Chuanzhusi Development Town, a tall Red Army monument is erected under the blue sky and white clouds. This is the Long March of the Red Army of Chinese Workers and Peasants, known as "China's First Golden Monument" General monument. There are no flowers or worship, only sparse decaying grass looking up at the bare distant mountains. After stopping here for a while, the tour group continued to move forward, and the longed-for Huanglong Scenic Area immediately appeared in front of us.
Huanglong Scenic Area is located in Songpan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in northern Sichuan Province. It is the only well-protected plateau wetland in China, 100 kilometers away from Jiuzhaigou Valley. Colorful pools, beach streams, snow-capped mountains, canyons, forests, ancient temples and folk customs are collectively called the "Seven Wonders" of Huanglong's beautiful scenery. Huanglong Valley, Danyun Gorge, Muni Valley, Xuebaoding, Snow Mountain Ridge, Hongxingyan and Xigou are the highlights of Huanglong scenery.
The 3.6-kilometer-long Huanglong Valley is dotted with many unique calcification pools. The water in the pools is crystal clear and colorful, earning it the reputation of "the fairyland on earth". At the same time, many endangered animals still exist in the Huanglong area, including giant pandas and Sichuan mute golden monkeys.
When they arrived at the Huanglong Scenic Area, white snowflakes suddenly appeared in the blue sky. Several young people who grew up in the south of the Yangtze River were mesmerized to experience the beauty of touching snowflakes for the first time in their lives. The five old men who could not adapt to the plateau climate could only continue to huddle in the carriage, helplessly watching their companions happily rush to the gate of the scenic spot against the falling snow. At the entrance of the scenic spot, I bought a few highland barley noodle pancakes from a little Tibetan boy. Wow, the wonderful feeling on the tip of my tongue immediately made my taste center happy.
Huanglonggou, which integrates snow-capped mountains, canyons, primeval forests and colorful pools, has a unique calcium landscape. On the milky-yellow slope of more than ten miles, there are lush flowers and trees, rushing clear water and winding colorful pools, like a golden dragon roaring out from the foot of the snow-capped peaks of the Minshan Mountains.
Huanglong Scenic Area was once known as "the most beautiful natural park in the world". It is backed by Xuebaoding, the main peak of Minshan Mountain. The cliffs formed by repeated crustal changes still retain the original style of the pre-ice age. The terrain is high and steep, and the cangyan rocks are exposed in the mist.
Walking along the wooden trestle, you will not only see colorful scenery, but also a burning poetry.
The forests in Huanglong Scenic Area are more primitive than those in Jiuzhaigou Valley. When walking there, you will find soft moss and fallen leaves under your feet, a moist breath floating in the air, the chirping of pines and birds, and the green flowers and herbs. The "golden sand pavement" with condensed yellow paste, the "mirror reflecting pool" with clean water, the dazzling "Zhengyan Pool", the azaleas all over the mountains and plains are fragrant and elegant, and the snow-capped mountains and white clouds intersect with each other to create a charming charm.
At the end of the "golden sand pavement" is the graceful Wucai Pond, which is bright and colorful and full of auspiciousness. No matter what words are used, it is impossible to explain the true beauty of the Wucai Pond. It is a very dynamic picture that makes people feel happy. When people are in it, they feel like they are in heaven.
colorful pool
Lock the poem in your dream,
Rub the painting into the sky,
The legend of holding stars in both hands,
The pupils of the stars,
Shake off the five-color divine dragon.
Phoenix shadow,
unicorn mane,
Turned into small beads one by one,
The quiet and meandering rhyme,
the words of the world,
How can I tell clearly.
There is no wine mountain to get drunk,
There are songs and waves that are even crazier,
Not to mention the drizzle all over the sky,
Wear strings of colorful lanterns.
The powdery and fragrant velvet flies in the pond,
The auspicious color is full of water spirit,
Love flows by the colorful pool,
This body is already the Nine Immortals Palace.
"The windy marsh and the fragrant pond are flowing freely, and the spiritual spring is sparse and chiseled with magical power. No matter how the water comes from the same source, its five-color distribution is different." The good words of predecessors are vivid and picturesque. The colorful pools are shining, the snow-capped peaks are towering, the caves and culverts are deep, and the bushes and shrubs add green. ah! Huanglong. Being in your colorful sea of azaleas, my heart is like a small boat, lingering on the top of the green mountains and clear waters.
It is said that in the early years, on the birthday of the real Huanglong, Tibetan, Qiang, Hui and Han people from hundreds of miles around would go to Huanglong Temple to offer incense. In order to show piety, one must go to Huanglong Cave to bathe and purify before going to worship the real person. Nowadays, the grand occasion of "the incense is burning in thousands of families in June, and the Qiang singing and Tibetan dancing are noisy in Khotan" has become history. Thousands of tourists only need to bypass Huanglong Cave and walk directly into Huanglong Temple.
Waves of exhaustion hit me, and I was no longer able to skip the Huanglong Cave to pay homage to the sacred places. I sat alone on the travertine embankment beside the colorful pool, panting and watching the men and women coming and going around me. On both sides of the red gate of Huanglong Temple, a gilded couplet shines in the sun. "It's time to have fun, spring is fun, summer is fun, autumn is fun, winter comes to search for poems in the wind and snow, it's not fun to be happy; looking up to the fairyland, the pond is fairyland, the trees are also fairyland, the mountains are also fairyland, I'm drunk now In Huanglong, there are not only immortals but also immortals.”
After wandering around Huanglong, I have nothing more to seek. Who dares to come here to compete with the beautiful scenery in the world? The only beauty in the world is Huanglong. When Huanglong returns, he doesn’t look at the water. This is the admiration I felt from the bottom of my heart when I left Huanglong Scenic Area.