When I woke up in the morning, I lifted the curtains and saw that Saga County was still shrouded in dark clouds. Although most of the snow had melted, the surroundings were still white and vast. We packed our luggage and sat nervously in the car. The driver saw us all frowning and couldn't bear it, so he suggested trying to move towards Zhongba County for a while, and then making plans for the later journey based on the road conditions.
The driver still lowered the speed to the minimum and cautiously climbed up the assault mountain. When we climbed up the assault mountain pass, the snow around us suddenly disappeared without a trace, and even the dark clouds consciously hid behind us. As we see a bright future ahead, we welcome a clear sky of thousands of miles with tears in our eyes.
We sought survival from despair, but we didn't expect God to save face like this. Everyone was so happy that the driver breathed a long sigh of relief. Since the weather is so good, let's hurry up and set off. We passed through Zhongba County along G219 and traveled all the way to Payang Town.
Payang Town is a very suitable supply point. We found a Sichuan restaurant and ordered four dishes and one soup. Each dish costs 40 yuan, and rice costs 25 yuan per pot. The amount of food is sufficient, which is already very affordable under these conditions.
The driver told us that our next destination is Zada County in the Ali region, which is also the farthest place on our journey. Due to the long distance, we can only arrive late. He suggested that everyone eat more. Somehow, my appetite suddenly became surprisingly good, even if he didn't mention it, I could still flaunt my food crazily. What opened my appetite even more was that the fish flavored shredded meat stir fried by the female boss was so delicious. The shredded carrots in the dish were replaced with shredded asparagus, and the emerald green freshness instantly brought vitality to my dry land. Coupled with the crispy texture, I felt like I had the most comfortable meal of this trip to Alibaba.
After being full of wine and food, we continued on our journey. The scenery outside the car window becomes increasingly rugged, with a vast and boundless wasteland covered in yellow weeds. In the sky, towering and shrinking snow capped mountains undulate endlessly, out of reach. The road we are driving is built straight in the middle of this wilderness, and passing through it makes us feel particularly comfortable. Occasionally, yak herds appear on the roadside, focusing on nibbling on the yellow grass and disdaining us as we whizz past. This kind of scenery is monotonous yet full of charm. Xiao Wang extends his camera out of the window, and no matter how hard he takes it, he can't capture it well
Before entering Pulan County, we noticed a square arch with words written in both Chinese and Tibetan: "Welcome to the Secret Realm of Tibet, Heavenly Ali!"! I quickly asked the master to stop the car quickly because I wanted to take a photo as a souvenir, after all, I finally stepped into the land of Alibaba.
As we delve deeper into Alibaba, more and more snow capped mountains appear on both sides of the lane. In close proximity, deserts and lakes often appear in the same frame as the snow capped mountains, and these beautiful views repeatedly bombard our visual nerves. As the car drove all the way to Baga Township, we were already able to clearly see the distant peak of Gangren Boqi.
I saw the towering peaks of Okinawa Rinpoche, towering on the Ali Plateau, like a massive pyramid. Previously, I had only heard of its name, but now when I first saw it with my own eyes, I felt the goosebumps on my body surge like a surging tide, and my body trembled involuntarily like an electric shock. That was an indescribable shock, as if an invisible force had penetrated my body, causing me to involuntarily immerse myself in its grandeur and awe.
Gangren Boqi is not the highest peak in this region, but only its snow capped peak can shine with strange light under the sunshine, eye-catching. Especially its unique mountain shape, which is completely different from the surrounding peaks, makes people have to be filled with religious piety and awe.
As a result, Gangren Boqi became a globally recognized sacred mountain and was recognized as the center of the world by Yongzhong Bon, Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and ancient Jainism. According to legend, Yongzhong Bon Buddhism originated from this mountain. Hinduism considers this mountain to be the residence of Shiva and the center of the world. Jainism believes that this mountain is the place where his ancestor, Rishabana, attained enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism believes that this mountain is the dwelling place of the Vajra, representing infinite happiness. Therefore, there are constant believers who turn the mountain here all year round.
It is said that the most famous Mount Sumi in Buddhism also refers to Gangren Boqi. According to the Buddhist Dictionary, Xumi, the name of a mountain, is the center of a small world.
Not far from Mount Gangrenboqi, there is one of the three major sacred lakes in Tibet, Mapang Yongcuo. "Ma Pang Yong Cuo" means "invincible jade lake", and in Tibetan, "Ma Pang" means unbeatable and invincible. The earliest name of Ma Pang Yong Cuo was "Ma Chui", or "Ma Chui Cuo", which was the name of the Guangcai Dragon King in the Yongzhong sect. The Buddhist scriptures say that there are four dragon kings in the Central Plains of the Four Great Divine Lakes. Initially, they always stirred up trouble and endangered the people. During the Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Tibetan King Chisong Dezan, Lianhuasheng showed great power and subdued the four dragon kings, converting them to Buddhism and gradually becoming the four major protectors of Tibetan Buddhism. From then on, "Ma Chui Cuo" was also renamed "Ma Pang Yong Cuo", sometimes written as "Ma Fa Mu Cuo", meaning "Eternal Jade Lake" in Tibetan.
It is said that Marpon Yongcuo is the most sacred lake, a sweet dew bestowed upon the human world by the Great Master of Shengle. Holy water can cleanse the troubles and evils in the soul. She is the oldest and most sacred place among all the holy sites of Yongzhong, Indian Buddhism, and Hinduism. She is the perfect lake in the soul, the true heaven in this universe, the Shangri La of the gods, and the ultimate paradise of all things.
The water of Ma'angyongcuo Lake is the most transparent freshwater lake in China and the second largest natural freshwater lake in terms of storage capacity. Not far from it is a saltwater lake called Laoncuo, which means "toxic black lake.". Ma Pang Yong Cuo is a freshwater lake, while La Ang Cuo is a saltwater lake, so La Ang Cuo is also known as the "ghost lake".
Ghost Lake and Holy Lake are close neighbors, with equally beautiful scenery and intoxicating blue lake water. However, after being labeled as "Ghost Lake", they were placed in a different category. In fact, the Holy Lake Ghost Lake was originally a lake. Due to the accumulation of debris carried by glaciers in the middle of the original lake after melting, the lake bed was lifted. In addition, global warming, intensified lake evaporation, and glacier shrinkage led to a decrease in the amount of water that supplied the lake, resulting in a shrinking lake area and a decrease in water levels, causing the two lakes to separate.
The driver took us closer to the edge of Shenghu Lake. The cold winter tide had frozen the lake surface into ice, and the ice layer that had not yet solidified repeatedly shattered and condensed in the turbulence of the lake water, resulting in countless ice sheets piling up on the shore. These ice sheets involuntarily collide with each other in the waves of the lake, making a creaking sound, each sound resembling a piece of music played by the soul, exuding a strange and mysterious charm.
The strong wind on the shore of Shenghu Lake was so fierce that we couldn't stand it for long and had to flee back into the car. Considering that there is still a long way to go, we reluctantly left here, and as we bid farewell, we kept looking through the car window.
Before dark, we burrowed into Longgala Mountain. The snow cover on Longgala Mountain has not completely melted, and the snow forms white lines between the mountain valleys, outlining the texture of Longgala Mountain. The mountain exposed outside the white snow presents different colors such as red, yellow, and green under the sunset, which is truly colorful. With the characteristics of Danxia landform, no wonder it is also known as the "Five Color Mountain".
Longgala Mountain has an altitude of 5160 meters and is home to the world's smallest lake, Longgacuoqiong Lake, which is known as the "Tears of Angels". Unfortunately, the sky darkened too quickly, and we only found a faint white spot in the shadows of the valley, without the opportunity to take a serious look at the beautiful scenery of the small lake.
After crossing Longgala Mountain, we entered another big mountain. It was getting dark, and only our car was driving alone in the valley. The car was mercilessly submerged in the dense darkness, and even the headlights couldn't shine on the road ahead.
The further we move into the mountains, the more snow accumulates on the road, and the driver becomes nervous again. It seems that we have encountered the heavy snow of fate again. Some sections not far from the road have been cleaned up by snow shovels, while others have been left unattended with new snow. However, this is not the most dangerous part. The most dangerous part is that the road surface on some mountainsides is covered with slippery dark ice, which really makes people sweat.
This is our first time here, and we are not clear about the situation around us. In this dark environment, we are ignorant and fearless, but I think only the driver knows. The road is full of cliffs on both sides, and he slowed down the speed to over ten miles, soaking his palms in sweat and gloves.
In some sections with slightly better road conditions, we also need to deliberately slow down because many border checkpoints force vehicles to travel slowly. For safety reasons, they usually impose a mandatory speed limit of "it takes 40 minutes to walk ten kilometers", so we walked more than four hours away from the last thirty kilometers of mountain road in Zada County.
At around 11 o'clock in the night, we finally arrived at the county town of Zada. The moment I stepped out of the car door, tired and hungry, I felt the coldest feeling since my trip to Xizang. The temperature around is as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, accompanied by strong winds! Fortunately, the driver knows a hotel with heating, which is really rare. It should be noted that 99% of hotels in Tibetan areas can only provide electric blankets. Although the corresponding accommodation costs may be higher, in such extreme conditions, any further calculation would seem ridiculous.
When moving the luggage, I accidentally caught a glimpse of the sky, which was so pure and clean. The sky was so low that it felt like it was right above my head. The dense stars in the sky were like deep eyes, each shining brightly, truly deserving of the title of "Ali in the sky".
That night, we fell asleep in the warm hotel, with the brilliant starry sky still in our dreams. This unique experience has given me a deeper understanding of the mystery and beauty of Alibaba, and has also made me more in awe of nature.