Self-driving Tour of Western Sichuan in Golden Autumn (7): From Xinduqiao via Kangding and Luding Back to Chengdu
October 12 (D9). Last night we arrived in Xinduqiao from Daocheng and checked into the Zangdi Xiangxue Hotel. It was already completely dark, so we didn't pay much attention to the view outside the window. This morning, when I got up, I was pleasantly surprised to find that our room actually had quite a nice view: one window faced the autumn leaves and mountain scenery, and the other directly faced the street view of Xinduqiao. Both directions were picturesque.
Today's plan: Xinduqiao → Zheduo Mountain → Kangding → Yajianggang → Red Rock Park → Moxi Town. The distance was not too far, so time should be relatively relaxed. Consequently, we moved slowly. We went downstairs for breakfast at 8:00, then returned to the room to tidy up and rest for a while. We checked out and departed at 9:30. At 9:43, we arrived at a three-way intersection. Turning right leads to Jiulong; we turned left and continued along National Highway G318 towards Kangding. Near the intersection there was a white pagoda called "Muya White Pagoda." We didn't stop and drove straight past, not knowing the history of this pagoda.
In 2007, I had come to Xinduqiao with a tour group. Back then, the town was called "Photographer's Paradise." However, with the "crazy" commercial development in recent years, Xinduqiao town itself has long lost its former paradise charm. Only by going to the surrounding remote areas can one find some of the old flavor. At 9:56, we arrived at a place called "Ezezhong." Although it was also on the side of National Highway G318, it was more than ten kilometers away from Xinduqiao town. The wind of commercial development had not yet reached here, and the old flavor of Xinduqiao remained. This was considered a landmark nostalgic spot in the Xinduqiao area. There was a parking lot and an observation deck on the roadside. We stopped briefly to revisit the rural scenery of Xinduqiao that we had seen in previous years.
As we continued driving, it started to rain, with ice pellets mixed in. At 10:15, we passed the "Muya Holy Land Scenic Area." We had already seen the Muya Golden Pagoda and Muya White Pagoda on this trip, and now we encountered the Muya Holy Land. I still didn't know what "Muya" meant. There was a "Free Wedding Dress Photography Base" and several hotels here, and on the hillside there were large characters saying "Muya Holy Land Scenic Area Welcomes You." However, driving on the highway, we couldn't see any scenery, probably it was just a religious holy site. We didn't stop and drove straight past.
Further ahead, we began to climb "Zheduo Mountain." It started with a long gentle slope. However, the road was slippery due to rain and snow, and there were many heavy trucks on the busy national highway. X.J. drove very carefully. As the altitude gradually increased, the autumn colors became more and more obvious. On the surrounding slopes, except for a few coniferous trees that remained green, large areas of low shrubs had changed into autumn clothes: red, yellow, and purple contrasted with a few spots of green, and together with the white snow on the mountain top, constituted a very pleasing plateau landscape.
Continuing forward, National Highway G318 changed from a long gentle climb to a rapid ascent along winding mountain roads. The rain and snow below turned into real heavy snowfall. Looking around, everything was white. There were many parking lots along the climbing road. At 10:30, we stopped briefly at the second parking lot we encountered after starting the ascent. This parking lot was large and located on the left side of the climbing road. On the right side of the road was a large gentle slope covered with snow. Many tourists had gone there to play in the snow, and we also got out of the car to join them. I couldn't figure out why such a large parking lot was built on the high mountain. Was it for tourism development? Or to provide a resting place for passing drivers?
At 10:40, we set off again. After driving only 400 meters, we encountered a three-way intersection. Going straight ahead to the left led to Kangding Airport. Following the navigation instructions, we turned right and continued climbing along National Highway G318. At 10:48, I saw another parking lot ahead. I was surprised—why were there so many parking lots? Suddenly, I saw a white pagoda, and I immediately realized that we had reached the mountain pass. I had been here in 2007 and recognized this white pagoda. Compared to 12 years ago, the pass had changed a lot. Back then, it was just an open space where cars could park, with a simple "toilet." Now, there was a proper parking lot, charging 10 yuan via QR code. Next to it was a three-story building, and the "toilet" had been replaced by a regular restroom. However, the only drawback was that the restroom was on the ground floor of the three-story building. To use it, you had to go down three floors and then climb back up three flights of stairs. The pass is at an altitude of 4298 meters. For me, it's very difficult to climb three flights of stairs consecutively at this altitude; I had to stop and catch my breath halfway. There was a stone tablet reading "Zheduo Mountain" in the pass square, which was obviously taller and larger than the one I saw in 2007.
At the top of the small hill behind the pass, there was a "Zheduo Mountain Snow Viewing Platform." You needed to climb another 40-50 meters along stone steps. X.J. and I climbed one after another. He quickly got ahead, while I had to stop and gasp for breath every 40 steps. I thought to myself, anyway, every 40 steps I climb brings me 40 steps closer to the top, so there's no need to rush. I started climbing at 11:00 and reached the highest point after 15 minutes.
I had also been here 12 years ago. There used to be a small pavilion, but now it was gone, leaving only the foundation, called the "Zheduo Mountain Snow Viewing Platform." Standing on the platform and looking out, the landscapes on the east and west sides of Zheduo Mountain were completely different: on the west side towards Xinduqiao, the terrain was relatively flat, mainly grassland with few trees. On the distant hillside, there were white stones forming the words "Kangding Love Song City" in Tibetan, Chinese, and English. On the east side towards Kangding, there was a deep valley with dense forests on the slopes. In the distance, one could see the snowy Gongga Mountain in the clouds, with its peak covered in snow all year round.
At 11:44, we left the pass and descended continuously along the winding mountain road. The slopes were steep, and the curves were sharp, so accidents were prone to happen. At 11:50, we saw the wreckage of a large truck that had broken through the highway guardrail and overturned on the roadside. About a minute later, we saw the wreckage of a small car, which the traffic police had placed on the roadside as a warning of "car destruction and busyness." A tireless fake policeman holding a radar speed gun stood by the roadside, constantly reminding drivers going downhill to control their speed.
Starting from 12:05, the Gongga Snow Mountain, which had been hiding in the clouds, began to appear frequently. The main peak of Gongga Mountain is 7756 meters high. It is the highest peak in Sichuan, known as the "King of Sichuan Mountains." However, this section of the road was not suitable for stopping to take photos. X.J. could only briefly pull over to the side of the road, and I quickly took a few landscape photos from the car.
Continuing forward, at 12:12, I suddenly noticed a place on the roadside that looked like a small garden where we could park the car. So we quickly drove in. Here we could also take photos of the snow mountain, and there were large reliefs. Later, when I checked Baidu Maps, I found that this place was called the "Wannian Snow Mountain Viewing Platform."
At 12:15, we continued on the road. About 10 minutes later, we saw a "Yuling Snow Viewing Parking and Rest Area" on the roadside, but we didn't enter. At 12:26, we arrived at Lucheng Town in Kangding City. At the intersection, there was a "Neijiang Restaurant." We stopped for lunch and ordered the "tofu fish" recommended by the boss, with the fish freshly killed. Since we had plenty of time today, we didn't leave immediately after eating. We drank tea in the restaurant, tasted the free peanuts provided by the boss, and rested for about half an hour. The restaurant was located on a high slope. Across a small stream at the bottom of the slope was the new city of Kangding. The small stream should be the Zheduo River.
At 13:30, we set off again. Next, we were going to Moxi Town. X.J. had already booked our accommodation for tonight in the Hailuogou Scenic Area. We planned to go from the new city of Kangding → Yajianggang → Red Rock Park → Yanzi Valley to Moxi. This road used to be a dirt road, but it had recently been upgraded into a tourism highway, probably called "Yumo Road," also known as Provincial Highway S434. The electronic navigation guided us to drive along National Highway G318 to the Zheduo River at the foot of "Running Horse Mountain." Near the ticket office of the Running Horse Mountain Scenic Area, we crossed the bridge, turned right, made a U-turn, and then headed south along the east bank of the Zheduo River. Going all the way ahead was the new city of Kangding. At 13:55, we saw Kangding Middle School across the river. At 14:02, we passed the Love Song Park. At 14:03, we passed the "Welcome to Kangding" large roundabout, and then we drove onto the tourism highway leading to Hailuogou.
Further ahead was "Yajianggang," located between Old Yulin in Kangding and Moxi Town in Hailuogou. It was also the highest mountain ridge we had to cross today to reach Hailuogou. At 14:28, we started climbing the mountain. It was sunny at the foot of the mountain, but the summit was covered by thick clouds. It started to drizzle on the climbing road, and soon the car entered the clouds. Visibility became extremely poor. We turned on the headlights and drove slowly. At this time, if an oncoming car only had its yellow fog lights on, we could only see it when it suddenly emerged from the thick fog at a distance of about 30 meters. At 14:52, in the haze, I saw a large open space on the roadside with a huge stone inscribed with "Yajianggang." I guessed this should be the pass, so we drove into the parking lot and stopped briefly. On the front of the huge stone, there were small characters "Altitude 3830 meters," and on the side, "China Alpine Botanical Garden." However, the surroundings were thick with fog. As far as the eye could see, there was only this stone. We didn't stay long and continued driving. At 15:15, we encountered another roadside observation deck with paved floors, fences around it, and a boardwalk, which seemed quite formal. There was also a large stone here inscribed with "Water Rhyme Heavenly Path." However, the surroundings were still just white fog. I didn't know what this observation deck was for.
Leaving "Water Rhyme Heavenly Path," the road began to descend, and the clouds gradually rose above our heads. The surrounding scenery became clearer. At 15:24, we saw a very large parking lot on the roadside. In the middle stood a solitary huge stone inscribed with "Yajia Love Sea." We drove in and stopped briefly. At the end of the parking lot, there were two wooden houses with a sign saying "Lovers Supermarket." A display board in front introduced the main attraction: "Yajia Love Sea," a high-altitude lake (haizi) hidden in the dense forest on the slope ahead. Kangding is famous for a love song, and many place names are linked with the word "love." This scenic area promotes itself as most suitable for lovers, and all scenic spots are named "Hand-in-Hand Bridge," "Lovers Grove," etc. This place is very close to Gongga Mountain. We had hoped to see the snow mountain here, but the clouds were too low, and the peaks near and far were shrouded in clouds and fog, so we couldn't see anything.
The next scenic spot was the Red Rock Park. We descended all the way, and red rocks began to appear sporadically on the roadside. Earlier, we had also seen some red rocks in Bipenggou and on the way from Danba to Bamei. The orange-red color on the rock surface is due to a kind of "orange algae" attached. This algae has extremely strict environmental requirements; any pollution will kill it. Therefore, wherever red rocks appear, it is a place with excellent environmental conditions.
At 15:35, we arrived at the "China Red Rock Park." Its main body was a hillside that the road passed through. The road made six 180° turns on this not-too-wide hillside, descending from the top to the bottom in a total of seven layers. On the cliff wall on the left side of the topmost road, there were large red characters reading "China Red Rock Park." On the right side of the road, there was an observation deck. The observation deck faced a small river that extended from the valley at our feet deep into the distant mountains. Large areas of red rocks were distributed along the river course. This river valley was called the "Red Rock Gully," claimed to be the largest red rock beach in China and even the world. However, the observation deck was too high, so we could only get a panoramic view of the red rock formation but couldn't take close-up photos. So we parked the car on the side of the lowest road and walked to the water's edge of the Red Rock River. We viewed the red rocks up close, separated only by a road guardrail.
Continuing on, we drove out of the unmanned Red Rock Park gate and suddenly saw a dirt road going up the mountain on the left side of the road. A small stream flowed along the dirt road, and there was a long line of red rocks along the stream. The remarkable thing was that these red rocks could be touched by hand, offering zero-distance contact.
The road wound through the valley. The small stream that nurtured the "world's largest red rock beach" ran parallel to the road, first on the right side and then moving to the left side. The flow of this small stream was not large, but some sections of the riverbed were very wide. Moreover, driving along the stream, we could often see red rocks on the riverbank and on the exposed riverbed in the middle of the channel. At 16:28, we passed a place called "Lanniba Mudslide Gully." Here the riverbed was very wide, and large numbers of red rocks could be seen everywhere, both on the riverbank and in the middle of the river.
At 17:06, we arrived at "Moxi Town." The scene that happened in Yajiang yesterday repeated itself here. I thought the hotel X.J. had booked was in Moxi Town, but when we reached Moxi Town, the voice navigation said our accommodation was still a few kilometers away. So we entered Moxi Town and then drove out of it, crossed a bridge, and drove up a mountain road for a while, eventually arriving beside a small building with no signs of life. The voice navigation announced, "Navigation ends here." There was a sign in front of the small building saying "Guquan Hot Springs Hotel." X.J. checked his phone and said, "This is the place." However, it was clearly a farmhouse that also served as a guesthouse. There was a stall at the entrance, but no one was around. We parked at the door, and no one came out to greet us. I said, "I guess it's like Yajiang again; tonight we might be the only guests here." X.J. listened and looked angry, not saying a word. I kept quiet too. I know his temper. He understood that he had been fooled again. If I said any more, he would get furious and pick a quarrel with me. So, he silently checked his phone again and finally said, "Let's go. We'll stay in Moxi Town." I didn't say a word either. This time, he was the sucker again, because the room fee for this hotel had already been paid in full when booking, and it was non-refundable. If I said more, he would bite back and blame me for being dissatisfied.
X.J. focuses solely on online reviews when choosing a hotel (including fake reviews), completely ignoring the location. This is different from me. When I travel alone, I always pay special attention to the location of the accommodation—whether transportation and dining are convenient. X.J. thinks that since he has a car, transportation convenience doesn't matter, and for dining, as long as the restaurant is good, distance doesn't matter. At 17:30, we left the hotel gate and drove down the mountain. During the nearly 15 minutes we stayed there, no one came out to attend to us. Anyway, the room fee was already collected, so they probably preferred us not staying.
At 17:40, we returned to Moxi Town. X.J. had already booked the "Muqi Nanshe" hotel through Ctrip. The Ctrip price was over 200 yuan. The front desk clerk later complained to me that this price was too low and put them at a loss. She guessed that X.J. was a Ctrip gold member, so Ctrip gave such a big discount. I comforted her by saying that during this season, the hotel room vacancy rate is high. If Ctrip hadn't brought us here, she wouldn't even earn that 200 yuan. She laughed and said, "That's true!" This was my second time at Hailuogou. The first time was in 2007. Except for the "Great Icefall," I had visited all the places worth seeing. At that time, the cable car was out of service, so I couldn't see the icefall. The front desk clerk said that the weather was bad today. If it remained like this tomorrow, there would be no need to buy cable car tickets because with fog, you wouldn't see anything and it would be a waste of money. When she learned that we had already paid for the "Guquan Hotel" and came here because we were dissatisfied, she kindly advised us to contact Ctrip customer service to request a refund from Guquan. X.J. remained silent.
This hotel room was quite large and the facilities were good. Overall, we were very satisfied. The TV was a large projection screen, but we never turned it on during the one-night stay. At 18:50, we went out for dinner. Not far from the hotel was the original old stone-paved street of Moxi Town. I had strolled here in 2007. Back then, there were only small stalls selling daily necessities. Now, it had been upgraded: the entire street was lined with beautiful wooden antique-style buildings. The old street was now a pedestrian street. The original old street mainly sold tourist souvenirs, with each shop brightly lit, but there weren't many tourists.
Most restaurants were concentrated in the new section of the old street. The two of us walked to the end of the pedestrian street before we started to see some restaurants. Many restaurants had no customers. We deliberately chose a restaurant that seemed relatively busy. I can't remember what we ate, only that when we were leaving, an elderly person from the restaurant told us to go to a nearby noodle shop for breakfast the next morning, guaranteeing that it would be delicious. There were many inns on this street, but none of them seemed to have lights on, as if no one was staying there. At 20:24, we returned to the "Muqi Nanshe" hotel. The front desk clerk warmly greeted us and asked if we had contacted Ctrip customer service for a refund from Guquan Hotel. X.J. still didn't give a clear answer. After entering the room, I also asked him, but he remained silent. Later, I remembered that he had mentioned that this time, he booked the hotel through a website that locks on to Baidu Maps, so he drove following the navigation and couldn't remember the hotel's name himself. He only knew it by checking his phone.
October 13 (D10). It rained all night. By daybreak, the rain turned to overcast, but the clouds were still very low and foggy. I guessed that the "Great Icefall" would still be a miss today. This was my second time at Hailuogou. The only thing I was interested in now was the Great Icefall. If there was fog on the mountain and we couldn't see the icefall, it would be better to go directly back to Chengdu. In the morning, X.J. was sleeping in. I told him that the clouds were very low, so we probably wouldn't see the icefall. Now we had two options: one was to go up the mountain even if we couldn't see the icefall; the other was to go directly back to Chengdu. I had been to Hailuogou before, so it didn't matter to me whether we went up the mountain or not. It was up to him. X.J. chose to go directly back to Chengdu and continued sleeping in.
X.J. didn't get up until after 9:00. We checked out at 10:00 and drove off. First, we went to the nearby Red Army Long March Memorial Hall. During the Long March, the Central Red Army had traveled from Anshunchang along the Dadu River to the Luding Bridge and held the "Moxi Meeting" in Moxi Town. I had also been here in 2007. Today, it was like revisiting an old place. Compared to 12 years ago, everything was basically the same, except a new statue of Chairman Mao had been built. After visiting the memorial hall, we drove to the old street to have breakfast. We chose the noodle shop recommended by the elderly person from last night's restaurant. When we arrived, we found that the elderly person from last night was actually the owner of the breakfast shop. He quickly explained that last night's restaurant was run by his eldest son, and this was his younger son's shop. He came to help out at both places. However, his noodles were indeed delicious.
At 10:50, we left Moxi Town and began our journey back to Chengdu. At 10:52, we passed through the "Hailuogou Tunnel." After exiting the tunnel, we took Provincial Highway S211 and headed north along the left bank of the Dadu River. At 11:03, we crossed the "Dadu River Bridge" to the right bank and continued north. At 11:09, we arrived at Hekou Village in Luding County. The Dadu River here had a swift current. I had often heard about the raging Dadu River, but now I witnessed it with my own eyes. Facing such a dangerous river, it would be extremely difficult for either the Red Army back then or the earlier Taiping Army of Shi Dakai to cross using wooden boats.
At 11:40, we refueled at the CNPC Hailuogou gas station in Lengqi Town, Luding County, spending 240 yuan. At 11:53, we stopped at the "Bird's-Eye View of the Red Army Long March Road" observation deck on Provincial Highway S211. Back then, the Red Army split into two groups and advanced along the east and west banks of the Dadu River towards the Luding Bridge. The group on the west bank reached Luding first and captured the bridge. On the observation deck, an elderly person was selling mountain products. We chatted and found out that both of us were 79 years old this year, both born in the Year of the Dragon. So we took a photo together.
At 12:00, we arrived at the three-way intersection where Provincial Highway S211 meets National Highway G318. S211 ended here. Turning right ahead led to G318 towards Tianquan; turning left led to G318 towards Luding. We turned left. At 12:14, we entered Luding County town. We immediately crossed the river via the "Kangba Bridge" and took the "Warrior Road" within the town, continuing north along the west bank of the Dadu River, following the route taken by the Red Army back then. At 12:19, we passed through the "Red Army Bridge Tunnel," and upon exiting, we found the parking lot for the Luding Bridge scenic area.
The two of us boarded the bridge. I took photos of X.J. on the bridge, but I didn't take any of myself because there were many people on the bridge, and it was swaying violently, making me feel quite unsteady. Actually, I had taken many photos on this bridge in 2007, when there weren't so many people and it wasn't swaying this much.
At 13:03, we left the Luding Bridge. We crossed from the west bank to the east bank of the Dadu River via a rainbow-shaped "Baizhiba Bridge" and continued north. At 13:06, we entered the "Sihuan Tunnel." After exiting the tunnel, we wound up the mountain. At 13:13, we entered the G4218 Yakang Expressway at the Luding toll station. At 13:16, we passed through the Erlang Mountain Tunnel, followed by a series of tunnels. At 14:05, we entered the "Tianquan Service Area" for a brief stop.
According to this progress, we would reach Chengdu in about two hours. I have a cousin X.N. who lives in Chengdu. We hadn't seen each other for many years. I wanted to take this opportunity of a short stop in Chengdu to invite him out for a meal and meet up. So I called him. X.N. was currently at the "Global Center" and wouldn't be free until after 17:00. Our hotel in Chengdu was booked near "Kuanzhai Alley." The "Global Center" was on the way to our hotel. So we agreed that we would pick up X.N. at the "Global Center" at 17:00 and then find a restaurant to have a short chat. With this arrangement, there was no need to rush. Besides, X.J. wanted to take a short rest, so we dawdled in the service area for over half an hour.
Continuing on, at 14:55, we left G4218 (leading to Ya'an) at the "Duiyan Hub" and turned onto G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway heading north. This point was 134 kilometers from Chengdu. At 15:36, we entered the "Pujiang Service Area" in Pujiang County, Chengdu, for a brief stop and to add some fuel. At 16:37, we exited the expressway at the "Chengdu Toll Station." Soon after, we saw the massive figure of the "Global Center." The full name of Chengdu's Global Center is New Century Global Center. Its main body is 500 meters by 400 meters, with a height of about 100 meters. It is a multifunctional building integrating amusement, exhibitions, business, media, shopping, and hotels. For us, this could be considered a scenic spot. Since we were here, we might as well take a look.
Shortly after 17:00, we met X.N. and his wife. They live in "Huaxiba," which is not far from "Kuanzhai Alley." They suggested that we first go to the hotel to check in, and then find a nearby place to have a relaxed gathering. We thought this was a good idea. In Chengdu, we had booked the "Meiju Hotel (Kuanzhai Alley Branch)" at 434 yuan per night without breakfast. After checking in, we went directly to a nearby restaurant for a small gathering. X.N. and I both lived in Beijing in our childhood. Later, his family moved to the southwest, while I went to Xiamen after graduating from university. He has visited Xiamen, and I have been to Chengdu, but time together is rare. This reunion brought back endless memories and endless conversations. After dinner, we drove to send them home, and then we returned to the hotel ourselves.
October 14 (D11). Today was the last day of our stay in Sichuan. X.J. planned to check out in the morning, store the luggage, drive to the rental car agency to return the car, then take a taxi to visit the "Jinsha Site," and finally spend time at "Kuanzhai Alley." When it was time to head to the airport, we would return to the hotel to pick up the luggage and take a taxi directly to the airport.
Since we picked up the car on October 4 at 11:40, we only needed to return it before 11:40 today. Time was relatively loose. We got up very late in the morning. At 9:40, we left the hotel and had breakfast at a nearby noodle shop—dan dan noodles, which were delicious. After eating, we returned to the hotel to check out, stored the luggage at the front desk, found the car in the underground parking lot, and departed at 10:22. We arrived at the rental car agency on time and returned the car.
Then we took a taxi to the "Jinsha Site." However, after arriving, we found that the "Jinsha Site" is a museum, and today was Monday. All museums in China are closed on Mondays. So the plan to visit the "Jinsha Site" was completely ruined. So we simply took the same taxi and told the driver to go straight to "Kuanzhai Alley." Kuanzhai Alley is a place that out-of-towners flock to, but locals never go. A half-length grilled sausage as long as a finger costs 25 yuan. The shops in the alley, apart from selling tourist souvenirs, are all kinds of food. Out-of-towners, who rarely come to Chengdu, are willing to spend money here. The alley was crowded with people. Many tourists were holding various foods. Some food items seemed reasonably priced, but the portions were extremely small.
We had to kill time here and also needed to have lunch, so we inevitably joined the consumption: 30 yuan for a small cup of grilled meat and grilled tofu—compared to the large paper cup of grilled meat in Bipenggou, it was both less tasty and ridiculously expensive. We also went to a food stall to eat tangyuan and wontons, and then went upstairs to a tea house to watch a show for more than 10 minutes (38 yuan per person). The show wasn't good, but because the interval between two performances was long, we were allowed to sit for a while longer and also video chat with family.
The so-called "Kuanzhai Alley" is a commercial area consisting of three parallel alleys: Kuan Alley, Zhai Alley, and Jing Alley. Apart from food, there were various handicrafts and tourist souvenirs on sale, a dazzling array of goods, but more people were browsing than buying. To kill time, the two of us walked around separately. When we got tired, we went into a Starbucks, bought two cups of coffee, found a seat on the third floor with a view, sat down, and continued to kill time.
Our return flight to Xiamen was scheduled to depart at 18:30. We left Kuanzhai Alley at 16:08, first went to the Meiju Hotel front desk to retrieve our luggage, and then took a taxi to Shuangliu Airport, arriving around 17:00. We checked in, checked our luggage, and there was a slight delay; we only boarded at 18:28. Shortly after, we took off and arrived at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport at 21:20. Our younger son X.H. drove to the airport to pick us up. The 11-day Western Sichuan trip came to a successful conclusion.
