Yunnan-Tibet Line, the most dangerous road to Tibet

Yunnan-Tibet Line, from Yunnan to Tibet. Generally speaking, except for the bumpy dirt road in the first few hundred kilometers, the Yunnan-Tibet Line is the most comfortable road I have ever walked into Tibet. The average altitude is lower, there are more woods and vegetation along the way, and the whole journey is zero altitude. On the contrary, the rice will not be cooked, no pressure cooker is needed to cook the noodles, and the food is more to my liking. In the past, I had to lose six or seven kilograms when I came back from the Tibetan area, and the rations I brought were basically empty when I came back. This time, I kept my original weight when I came back, and I ate less than half of the rations.

The Yunnan-Tibet Line starts from Dali, goes up the Nu River, passes through Bingzhongluo, Chawalong, Zayu, Medog, Luyang, Linzhi, and finally reaches Lhasa. The whole journey is basically in a densely forested area. There are more places on the Yunnan-Tibet Line. Experienced from the subtropical hot flashes to the icy cold of the plateau, from dense woods to cliffs, sometimes smoky and sometimes dusty, which also gave the Yunnan-Tibet Line a special sense of mystery...

When Dali is mentioned, older people may immediately think of Butterfly Spring and Five Golden Flowers.

Dali has beautiful scenery in March, and the Butterfly Spring is great for dressing up.

Butterflies fly here to collect nectar, why does my sister comb her hair?

butterfly spring

This song comes from an old movie "Five Golden Flowers" from the 1970s and 1980s. This movie can also be regarded as the earliest romantic literary film in Chinese history. This song made Butterfly Spring famous and Dali became famous. The butterflies that originally belonged to Butterfly Spring were sung away. Although the water of Butterfly Spring is still clear, there are no butterflies around the spring.

beautiful golden flower

Three Pagodas Temple

It is about two or three kilometers away from the ancient city of Dali. With the vigorous development of China's economy, many things have become neither objects nor people. Compared to the first time I went there more than ten years ago, there are several majestic and splendid temples built on the mountain behind the Three Pagodas Temple. The three simple pagodas seem a bit out of place in this scenic spot.

Although Dali has been completely commercialized, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake are still so beautiful. I arrived in Dali two days in advance and chose a seaside inn in Shuanglang to stay. I strolled by Erhai Lake at dusk and watched the sunset. Losing is a kind of enjoyment.

Sunset on the hotel balcony

Fishing boats at Erhai Lake in Cangshan Mountain at night

Bai family on the edge of Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake in autumn

Morning in Laomden

Jiguanshan

Staying overnight in Laomudeng is for the sunrise in the morning and to see the sunshine on Jiguan Mountain. But every journey can never be satisfactory. When we wake up in the morning, the whole valley is covered with clouds and mist. When we leave, a little bit of colorful clouds will appear.

Soy milk with spicy pepper

For me, a southerner who is used to sweet soy milk with eggs, white porridge, and kway teow soup, making such a bowl of soy milk with spicy food early in the morning seems a bit too strong.

Zhiziluo full of red memories

Zhiziluo means "good place" in Lisu language.

One is located above Laomden

An abandoned county full of red memories

Bingzhongluo in the early morning with mist

The first bay of Nujiang River

The angry river

With the development of the economy, various bridges of various sizes have been erected on the Nujiang River. Villagers on both sides of the Nujiang River no longer use the previous method of crossing the river - ziplining. The zipline is now gradually becoming an experience project for tourists. With the roaring Nu River at my feet, sitting in the straps of the rope, a trace of timidity flashed through my heart, but the moment the rope wheel flew up, my heart also started to dance.

Zipline on the Nu River

Building materials for ziplining across the river

Although countless bridges have been erected, many bridges are only for pedestrians to cross the river. Some small villages on the other side of the river are still inaccessible to traffic. Usually, some lighter items are carried by the villagers themselves, and large items are still transported by zip lines. Go to the other side of the river and go in on people's backs or horses.

Villagers carrying daily necessities

Dulongjiang tattooed women, a unique custom of the Nu people, also known as face painting. The tour leader told us that the women in Dulongjiang are beautiful. This is the face painted by women during the Tibetan rule to avoid being robbed. The more beautiful they look. The more beautiful women are painted, I think what is painted on their faces should be the brand of the nation and their beliefs. But there is no way to study the history, and this custom has gradually disappeared with the advent of the new era. In Dulongjiang, there are only a dozen tattooed old people left. We were lucky enough to visit one during this trip.

A 94-year-old Nu ethnic woman living deep in the mountains

One of the three ancient tea-horse roads in China, the ancient horse caravan road is also an important channel for China to enter world trade.

Buckwheat flowers on the Tea Horse Road

The Ancient Tea Horse Road carved out of the cliff

hard working horses

The inn man drinking tea leisurely

Abandoned Chaohong Bridge

The road from Bingzhongluo to Chawalon is said to be the worst, bumpiest and most dangerous road, but compared to the rest of the trip, I think the road condition is not bad.

tiger's mouth

There is a blue sign in front of Lahuzui that says Yunnan-Tibet Boundary. When you reach Lahuzui, you have reached the border of Yunnan, and you will enter Linzhi, Tibet.

Yunnan Tibetan Boundary

big quicksand

It is said that the "Big Quicksand" is the Death Valley on the Bingchacha Line. Every day from 5 pm to 7 pm, the wind in the valley will bring up the wind and sand, and the quicksand on the mountain will continue to roll down. The time we passed was 3 pm. In addition, a protective wall has been built in the quicksand area. From a distance, the quicksand feels like mercury pouring down from the mountains. It shines with beautiful silver light in the sun, and you can't experience the fear in the legend.

Wild cactus at the foot of the mountain

A paradise hidden deep in the mountains, to the north of Meili Snow Mountain, there are only four families in the whole village. It is 60 kilometers away from Tsavalong. The winding mountain road is probably the most primitive and difficult section of the road to drive. The visibility of the front and rear cars is less than 10 meters. When meeting the car, it feels like half of the car is hanging on the edge of the cliff. There are some roadside Dead trees left behind by forest fires stand amid white clouds.

The road into Jiaying Village

Me sitting on the cloud

A dead tree baptized by the fire, showing its teeth and claws in the clouds and mist

Hiking in Jiaying Village, the whole journey is 8 kilometers round trip, half of the mountain climbing road, original mountain forest, the mountain is basically covered with vegetation, we climbed up the mountain along the horse path. In the pasture at the foot of the mountain, cows hang bells and graze leisurely beside you, and horses run leisurely on the horse track. It is a paradise...

Tubu, I like to walk alone. There is only peace and tranquility to accompany you.

Pasture at the foot of the mountain

Fake Cowboys and Yak

cabin on the farm

path into the mountains

Grassland, snow-capped mountains, sea buckthorn trees

A dark horse traveling alone in the mountains and forests

Chayu is located on the border of Tibet and the border of China, connecting Myanmar and India. The ownership of the 2,000-kilometer border is still in dispute. Signs prohibiting entry by foreigners stand at every intersection entering Chayu County.

catfish mountain

At the intersection of the Nu River and the Yuqu River, the mountain feels like a lying catfish dividing the green river water and the turbid yellow Nu River water. Catfish Mountain is the name I gave myself. Growing up eating seafood, I may have wanted to eat fish after being out for too many days. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of catfish. After passing this place, we started to leave Nujiang River.

on the way

The road cut out of the cracked mountain

Mountain Road Shibawan

heart lake

A mount already wearing a mud coat

Bingchacha, the whole journey is 305 kilometers, and after entering Jiaying Village, the car has been put on a mud-yellow coat. When we arrive at Chayu, we can finally give the car a good wash. According to our driver, Bingchacha is a hardcore off-road route in China. You can play with your car in the cracked mountains and enjoy the bumps on the cratered road. The fun is exciting and the driving is heart-pounding. And our car's shock absorbers were declared scrapped after the stimulation.

Due to the weather, I couldn’t feel the beauty of Laiko Glacier. I had longed for it before I went there, and saw the melted blue ice, looked at the black mud covering the blue ice, and stood next to the glacier. For a moment, I felt full of loss.

Entering the lake in front of the glacier

Laigu Village Ranch

Little dragon horse waiting for the flop

clanking cavalry

Blue glacier covered with a layer of black mud

Glacier and me

Adjacent to the Laigu Glacier, Ranwu Lake in early autumn has been covered with yellow clothes. Although the sky is gray due to the weather, without the blue sky and white clouds, the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the quiet lake, the yellow leaves on the mountains, and the clear mirror of the autumn water , reflection in the water, you can still feel the poetry and the artistic conception of the distance.

Ranwu Lake against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and mist

Reflection of Ranwu Lake

Small islands dotted in the middle of the lake

According to the original plan, we had to stay one night by Ranwu Lake before entering Heituo the next day, but the itinerary was always changeable. Medog has always restricted entry time due to road conditions. It used to be possible to enter even numbers every month, but when odd numbers came out, it was changed from September to single entry and double exit. Our itinerary was also forced to adjust accordingly, but Wuhu Lake also Just a quick glance.

Lotus Holy Land——Medog

Medog County is the last county in China with access to highways. The Medog Highway is not about the badness of the road, but the danger. Road construction of more than 100 kilometers has been suspended for decades. Although the highway has been opened and the entire journey has been asphalt Roads have replaced dirt roads, but the rainy season and the ice and snow in Medog for half the year, coupled with earthquakes, landslides, landslides, and mudslides, still ruthlessly destroy the road into Medog.

Although we entered Medog County safely, Medog still welcomed me in its own unique way - rain, landslides, and mudslides. It has been raining continuously since we set foot on the Medog Highway. It rained all night and caused the road into the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon to collapse. The team leader decided to take us out of Medog early in the morning.

But the drive back was thrilling. Our car was hit by a small rock falling from the mountain halfway. Although there was no danger, the atmosphere in the car was solemn due to the weather outside.

The rain that raged all night washed away not only the road into the Grand Canyon, but also our way back.

Road construction workers rushed to repair the road in the rain. They kept digging stones on the side of the road to fill in the washed-out sections. The traffic police assisted the vehicles to pass safely. However, the road that was finally filled was crushed by the big truck and collapsed again. Every time the road was filled, the road was repaired. The workers and traffic police had to work together to wade through the landslide section to ensure the road surface was smooth. After waiting for more than five hours, we finally waded through the water smoothly.

Being able to witness, experience and come out safely, although the stay in Medog was only a short 12 hours, it was a worthwhile trip.

There is only one Medog in the world

Traffic policeman helping a car whose wheels got stuck in a pit to fill it

On one side are road construction workers and traffic policemen who are working hand in hand to level the road.

On one side are enthusiastic people who help people who are stuck in the water and can’t help pull the car.

Brahmaputra River in smoke

I have been hesitating for a long time about how to write about Linzhi. Everyone has the impression that Linzhi is a beautiful place with peach blossoms all over the mountains and fields. The peach blossoms in March are in the autumn of October. It was awkward when we went there. In early autumn of October, although the rainy season has passed, It was still raining all the time, and the trees on the river dam were half green and half yellow. Maybe we were here to see the fog on this trip.

Quiet Lulang in the rain

After breakfast, we set off to the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon, which is dozens of kilometers away from Lulang. It is said that this is the source of the Brahmaputra River. It is said to be an AAAAA-level attraction.

but……!

This is a completely cheating attraction. The entrance fee is 150 and the sightseeing bus is 90. As soon as you enter, someone will take a photo in front of your set. They say it's free, but you have to pay 30 to take the photo. This is all a routine, and I just chose to give up the photo.

At the first alighting point, a commentator who called himself Dolma came to greet us. A whole bus of people coded the car number, and told us that we had to get off the original car. Then the routine came again. , telling a bunch of made-up stories without any emotion on the way, and finally led us to a trail full of so-called blessing plaques, and warned us not to talk when we walked past so as not to anger the gods, followed by That's the key point, selling things, so-called blessing supplies.

I was no longer in the mood to continue walking down. The wind started to blow and it started to rain at the right time. When we returned to the bus stop and prepared to go back, we were told that we could only ride with the bus to the last stop and then come back with the bus.

The reason is that every car is full from the time you enter to the time you get off. This is a ticket that costs 90 yuan. At this point, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Depressed, I followed the car to the second scenic spot. When the driver saw that I was sitting still, he urged me to get off the car. In order to get a chance to go down the mountain, I lied to him and said it was too little. Moreover, I had to go to Mount Everest the next day, so I must not do it. I had a cold and was about to go down the mountain. The driver saw that I was determined not to get out of the car, so he helped me stop a car going down the mountain and took me down.

A casual photo of Namjagbarwa Peak taken at the foot of the mountain

Namjagbarwa Peak taken by teammates on the top of the mountain

I like the coldness of the snow-capped mountains very much. It is said that Namjagbarwa Peak never shows its true face easily and is known as the "Shy Girl Peak". But scenery comes from the heart, and you can only appreciate her beauty when you are in a good mood.

The road photos taken on the way back were still filled with smoke

Lama resting by the roadside at the lake

Basongcuo means "green water" in Tibetan. The green of Basongcuo is really as green as a turquoise falling from the sky.

Tree tunnel on the way to Basongcuo

island in the center of the lake

Gongbu clan eldest brother

Bubble hotel on Basongcuo Lake

Friends who have time can choose to stay in the bubble hotel in Basongcuo for two nights. Lying in the bubble house, you can watch the snow-capped mountains and sunset during the day, and watch the stars and the Milky Way at night.

At dusk, we arrived in Lhasa, and the City of the Sun was still as welcoming as ever.

Lhasa sunset

After washing away all the fatigue, we ordered a pot of highland barley wine and a pot of sweet tea at Bangda Cangzang Restaurant on Barkhor Street, and chatted with our teammates about our journey and our next stop.

highland barley wine

sweet tea

Hand-caught yak meat

Bangdacang is a well-known old Tibetan food restaurant with a good environment. It is right next to the Jokhang Temple. Except for highland barley wine, the rest is really average, and the price is not cheap.

Tibetans visiting monasteries

After dinner, as night fell, the Jokhang Temple finally returned to calm. There were no more beauties traveling to take photos. We walked around silently following the hurried footsteps of Tibetans who were visiting the temple.

Potala Palace under the lanterns