Dingzhen's Hometown Is Beautiful, But There Are Even More Beautiful Places
[Time] 2021.9.29-10.10
D0 9.29 Fly from Shanghai to Kunming, overnight in Kunming
D1 9.30 Fly from Kunming to Lugu Lake, Lugu Lake - Muli County Town, overnight in Muli
D2 10.1 Dingdong Haizi, Kangwu Grand Monastery, Chang Haizi, Muli Grand Monastery, Mana Chajin, overnight in Mana Chajin
D3 10.2 Mana Chajin - Daocheng, overnight in Jinzhu Town
D4 10.3 Daocheng - Litang - Genie, Xiazetong Village, Genie's Eye, Genie Sacred Mountain, overnight in Genie Naiganduo Village
D5 10.4 New Lenggu Monastery, Old Lenggu Monastery, Genie - Batang, overnight in Batang
D6 10.5 Batang - Baba Gully, Baba Sea, Dongba Village, - Gaiyu - Baiyu, overnight in Baiyu
D7 10.6 Baiyu - Ganbai Road - G317, Tongcui Lake, overnight in Ganzi
D8 10.7 Cuoka Lake, Zhayi Monastery, overnight in Xinlong
D9 10.8 Larima Town, overnight in Daofu
D10 10.9 Qimei Township, Jiayila Co, Redwood Haizi - Dangling Village - Danba, overnight in Danba
D11 10.10 Danba - Xiaojin - Four Girls Mountain - Chengdu, fly from Chengdu to Shanghai
D1 9.30 Fly from Kunming to Lugu Lake, Lugu Lake - Muli County Town, overnight in Muli
Ninglang Lugu Lake Airport
This airport is really small, only one baggage carousel, but it was quite fast.
Lugu Lake is still as beautiful as ever. I visited five years ago, and it was also a sunny day. The water was incredibly blue, like a mirror. Actually, we just wanted to choose a scenic route to Muli, but we still had to pay 70 yuan for the ticket when passing through. If you enter from Muli, there's no ticket.
Lunch: Chengdu Impression Restaurant
A restaurant by Lugu Lake. We picked two of the three signature dishes. The boss guaranteed that if we weren't satisfied, we wouldn't have to pay.
Absolutely Flavorful Mashed Potatoes: The texture was indeed delicate and the taste was great.
Diving Fish: Fresh, tender, and delicious.
We also tried the local specialty, Water Lily (Shui Xing Yang Hua).
It's said that by selling baked potatoes, someone bought a house. That shows how good business is.
4 yuan each, a very rustic roasting method. The potatoes were a bit crispy on the outside; I prefer them soft and starchy. I dipped them in chili powder, which was really spicy.
D2 10.1 Dingdong Haizi, Kangwu Grand Monastery, Chang Haizi, Muli Grand Monastery, Mana Chajin, overnight in Mana Chajin
After more than an hour of winding mountain roads, we saw a sea of clouds from outside the valley, but upon reaching the lake, it was shrouded in thick fog.
Maybe the name Dingdong Haizi comes from the jingling of cowbells across the river.
When the morning fog dissipated, it was surreal—from seeing nothing across the shore to gradually becoming clear. All we had to do was wait.
A shop by the road—more like a family home.
Rice noodles with minced pork sauce. The taste was pretty good, especially the bone broth—extra savory. Roasted corn on the cob—delicious.
Muli's second-largest monastery, though not large in size. The carvings on the building were exquisite, and the main hall was magnificent yet antique—traces of time.
The mountain roads made me dizzy. Surrounded by mountains, the water was blue.
Yak milk from a herder's family
Yak milk is naturally sweet, quite sweet—almost as if sugar had been added.
The butter tea here was especially rich and fragrant. Only then did I realize that butter tea could have such a strong milky aroma, and it was the first time I saw hand-churned butter tea.
A dairy product whose name I forgot—a bit sour and astringent, like clotted yogurt, but probably very nutritious.
Much larger than Kangwu Grand Monastery, a Gelug sect monastery.
The exterior was magnificent, and the colors inside were fresh, showing it's regularly maintained and restored.
The second floor held many scriptures.
Around the main hall were many ruins.
The sunset, starry sky, and sunrise were all perfect.
By 8:30 PM, the Milky Way was clearly visible. Looking up, the sky was full of stars, and meteors frequently streaked across.
The sunrise at Mana Chajin Observation Deck showed the golden sunrise on 11 snow-capped peaks over 5,000 meters, plus three layers of sea of clouds and a halo. The center was the famous Three Sacred Mountains of Yading: from left to right, Yangmaiyong, Xianuoduoji East Slope, and Xiannairi. The price: staying at an altitude above 4,500 meters, no electricity, no water, no signal, freezing cold. But witnessing the entire sunrise was extremely shocking—so worth it!
The observation deck is undeveloped; you can drive up directly.
Accommodation at Mana Chajin: a Tibetan family home
Their house is just a few minutes' drive down from the observation deck.
They have many standard guest rooms, but no electricity or tap water. If there are many guests, they might generate electricity for 2-3 hours, then you need flashlights. No electricity is okay, but no water means no washing. Worse, the toilet is across the road and is a pit latrine.
D3 10.2 Mana Chajin - Daocheng, overnight in Jinzhu Town
The road from Mana Chajin to Daocheng was poor, dusty, and winding along the canyon midway—it felt like the difficulty of the Sichuan roads.
On the way to Genie, we saw a golden forest, already feeling the autumn atmosphere.
D4 10.3 Daocheng - Litang - Genie, Xiazetong Village, Genie's Eye, Genie Sacred Mountain, overnight in Genie Naiganduo Village
The scenery from Daocheng to Genie was beautiful, with several viewing platforms along the way.
Entering Genie, we first arrived at Xiazetong Village, which is Dingzhen's hometown. Meeting Dingzhen was impossible, but his hometown was really beautiful. There's a small wooden cabin accommodation in Xiazetong Village facing the Genie Sacred Mountain—great location. Actually, there are many accommodation options, including newly built better hotels.
Genie's Eye, Genie Sacred Mountain
I didn't bring a drone, so the photo of Genie's Eye only looked a little like an eye.
But this is a great place to watch the sunset and sunrise over Genie Sacred Mountain because of the reflections.
When we went, people were playing horse racing—very dashing.
The autumn colors of the forests, mountains, and valleys ahead were comparable to Xinjiang's Kanas.
Accommodation in Genie: Naiganduo Village
A newly opened accommodation. Finding such conditions in this village was already good; we had prepared to rough it.
The room was clean, a standard twin room. Shared bathroom with hot water from an electric water heater. All hot water came from that heater, so showering was difficult, and we didn't plan to wash.
In the evening, villagers danced, like a local square dance. Some even wore ethnic costumes—very lively.
But the accommodation didn't provide food, only instant noodles. There was only rice and potatoes. No breakfast either, only rice you could cook yourself. I suggest bringing your own food.
D5 10.4 New Lenggu Monastery, Old Lenggu Monastery, Genie - Batang, overnight in Batang
After watching the sunrise at Genie, we went to New Lenggu Monastery. They were performing a prayer ceremony, so the main hall was not open for visits, and we didn't see the Three Treasures of Genie.
From New Lenggu Monastery, you can ride a horse to Old Lenggu Monastery. The horse caravan is at the entrance, 380 yuan per person. Previously you could go by motorcycle, but it was banned due to safety concerns. Now it's said the horse caravan is a regulated service by the scenic area.
Now there are only two options: horse riding or hiking. One-way takes over an hour. Most of the path is easy, but some parts are rough.
Old Lenggu Monastery is very close to Genie Sacred Mountain, a Gelug sect monastery over 1,000 years old. Locals still walk a long way to pray there. We met a guide uncle who made it more interesting. The horse groom guy also took us on a vertical rocky path to drink a miraculous spring that cures stomach problems—the toughest road I've ever walked. They said if I'd come two years earlier, Dingzhen would have been leading my horse.
From Genie to Batang, it was truly a sky road. The scenery was amazing, and there was only our car on the road—like a dream. The pass was over 4,900 meters; getting out to take a photo made me feel lightheaded.
The southern route of Genie was breathtaking.
D6 10.5 Batang - Baba Gully, Baba Sea, Dongba Village, - Gaiyu - Baiyu, overnight in Baiyu
The water color of Baba Sea was even purer and clearer than Jiuzhaigou, like a gem. It's said that whether sunny or rainy, it maintains a highly saturated blue-green.
From Baba Sea to Dongba Village, we drove over two hours on high-altitude gravel roads. Some sections were very rough with rocks—truly a remote mountain home. Viewing the village from above, its location was amazing: surrounded by mountains, with sunlight just hitting this small, relatively flat slope. Hu Bayi would definitely say the feng shui is good. The village has about 20 people, living by raising yaks and digging caterpillar fungus. The villagers were very pure. Maybe that's what seclusion is like. Below Dongba Village is Xiba Village—it looks close, but the two roads are far apart.
This is a place that shouldn't be disturbed, but I felt the people inside want to go out and be known. The villagers came to welcome us when we entered, and finally sent us to the main road by motorcycle. Actually, walking up would be quite strenuous.
They genuinely welcome outside tourists. A few young people said they can provide accommodation, with yak meat, barbecue, yak milk, etc.—a Tibetan home stay. The main issue is transportation; they said they can be responsible for picking up and dropping off at Baba Gully or the county town. I hope this village, beautiful as an oil painting, maintains its precious primitive style and original intention after gaining attention.
Baiyu county town is well-built: neat and orderly buildings, clean, with murals on walls. In the distance, you can see a monastery on the mountain.
Dinner: Pingtouge Kitchen
We randomly chose a restaurant near the accommodation; unexpectedly delicious.
Boiled Beef in Chili Sauce: spicy and numbing, fresh and tender slices of beef with many side dishes.
Green Pepper Sautéed Pork: fragrant and flavorful.
Fish-fragrant Eggplant: looked oily but tasted soft and sticky.
D7 10.6 Baiyu - Ganbai Road - G317, Tongcui Lake, overnight in Ganzi
Ganbai Road - G317
The Ganbai Road was scenic all the way—from river valleys to forests, grasslands, snow mountains. Then turning to G317 was also beautiful.
We passed by Lacuo National Wetland Park, still under development.
Originally we wanted to see the Danxia landform in Ase Village, Yinduo Township, but the road was newly built and not open to the public.
At a glance, three lakes with different colors. The middle one was actually just a pond. With a drone, we could see a further lake blocked by mountains—impossible to reach on foot.
High-altitude lakes are always so attractive, crystal clear like glass.
Dinner: Chengdu Family Restaurant
An 11-year-old restaurant, large but seemed a bit quiet. The boss is from Chengdu, admitting that the pandemic greatly impacted business, plus diversified travel routes led to scattered customers.
The taste was excellent.
Potato Braised Spare Ribs: the meat had no unpleasant smell, very fresh and delicious; potatoes soft and flavorful.
Dry-Fried Pork Liver and Kidney: a famous Sichuan dish, but they only had liver, no kidney—still tasty.
Home-style Tofu: made with wok hei (breath of the wok).
D8 10.7 Cuoka Lake, Zhayi Monastery, overnight in Xinlong
To reach Cuoka Lake, you drive up the mountain. Though no gate, someone stops you to charge a fee: 10 yuan per person, 20 yuan per car.
The reflections at Cuoka Lake were beautiful, suitable for a picnic and afternoon tea by the lake. The monastery is Nyingma (Red Sect).
After traveling over mountains, we arrived at Zhayi Monastery. There was a sign at the entrance, but the fork later had no signs, so we took a wrong turn. It took about an hour on mountain roads to get there. Then a small path leads down—not a great path, about 5-10 minutes walk, again no signs.
Zhayi Monastery stands on a cliff, over 800 years old. Originally a retreat place for the high monk Zhaxi Jiangcuo. Currently a lama stays to guard the monastery, but the lama was not there, so we couldn't enter and didn't see the well-preserved murals.
D9 10.8 Larima Town, overnight in Daofu
From Xinlong to Larima Town, we encountered road construction, closed for several hours. But in the future, this road will be excellent, built to national highway standards.
The Larima Grassland was beautiful. It's said that in July and August, wildflowers cover the ground, changing color every 15 days. When you hesitate to pick the best spot for photos, you drive on and find the grassland already ended—maybe life is like that.
A village in the Larima grassland, under aid from Taizhou. In five years, it will become a mature attraction with star-gazing rooms, grass sliding, etc. Features include slate Tibetan houses. At the village entrance, there is a large statue of Padmasambhava; the mountain has his heart mantra carved, so the whole village is Nyingma sect.
Currently, an observation deck on the mountain is nearly built, showing a full view of the village.
From Larima to Daofu is actually close—about an hour's drive, with decent mountain roads.
Dinner: Himalaya Kitchen
The decoration was very Tibetan. After so many days in small villages, this restaurant seemed quite flashy.
Few dishes, menu on an iPad.
Yogurt: thick, homemade, very sour.
Beef under the Blanket: the bread was good, wrapping the beef and side dishes like onions, potatoes, etc. Generous portions.
Butter Mushrooms: fragrant, similar to the taste of escargot.
Potato Pie: bread stuffed with mashed potatoes—delicious.
Stir-fried Mushrooms with Cured Meat: strong flavor, both mushrooms and cured meat were good.
D10 10.9 Qimei Township, Jiayila Co, Redwood Haizi - Dangling Village - Danba, overnight in Danba
Qimei Township had lush water and grass, scenic all the way. Passed a monastery that was magnificent.
At the foot of Jiayila Co, someone blocked the road, only allowing their motorcycles to go up, charging 120 yuan. Actually, the road is fine for SUVs. Hiking is easy, about 4-5 km. If time permits, hiking is recommended because the scenery along the way is nice.
Jiayila Co had emerald green water, charming autumn colors, refreshing to the eye.
About 20 km from Jiayila Co, this lake is deep in the grassland of a herder's family. The road was really wild.
A motorcycle took me deep into the grassland, then a horse took me through a rocky section. The last part I had to walk. Finally, I saw the quiet Redwood Haizi. In the grassland, I also saw marmots. The herders were so hospitable, treating us to yak milk and a meal. The joy of eating butter directly—it was so good.
This lake itself wasn't much to see; I don't recommend going because the horse ride on that rocky path was too dangerous. The horse stumbled on the rocks, and being carried was nerve-wracking. But the experience at the herder's home was very nice.
Danba dinner: Wanglaowu Restaurant
We chose a 10-year-old shop, close to the accommodation, located on the second floor, easy to miss when walking by.
We ordered a fish with tofu. It was too spicy for me, average taste.
Wild Mushroom Spare Ribs Soup: a large bowl, the soup was fresh, the ribs and mushrooms were generous—delicious.
Egg Stir-fried with Shredded Pork: many seasonings, very savory—the umami from seasonings.
D11 10.10 Danba - Xiaojin - Four Girls Mountain - Chengdu, fly from Chengdu to Shanghai
No scenic stops arranged from Danba to Chengdu. We glanced at the entrance of Four Girls Mountain. The weather was bad; we could see just a bit of snow mountains.
Upon arriving in Chengdu, we checked in at an internet-famous landmark: the giant panda at IFS. You can see the panda's butt from the street, and on the 7th-floor terrace, the front of the panda. Many people were queueing for photos; we just took a quick one from the side.
A restaurant recommended by the must-eat list, a time-honored brand.
Oil-splashed Young Duck: delicious, the duck was fresh, tender, and flavorful, similar to soy sauce duck but drier.
Assorted Braised Delicacies: spare ribs, pig ears, chicken hearts, chicken, dried tofu—average, nothing special.
Fresh Pepper Exploded Goose Intestines: very numbing, the intestines were well-prepared, crispy, but not particularly tasty.
Health-preserving Stir-fry: yam, snow peas, black fungus, carrots—just wanted some vegetables.
Brown Sugar Guokui (pan-fried bun): the inner layer was a bit stiff, but taste was okay.
After dinner, many people were lining up to buy steamed buns.
Xiyuecheng Tan Douhua (tofu pudding shop)
After savory, we had something sweet.
Iced Drunken Douhua: 7 yuan, taste of fermented rice. The bean flavor was strong, texture coarser than Shanghai's douhua—pretty good.
Brown Sugar Douhua: this was a surprise—served hot, looked like it had soy sauce, but tasted of brown sugar.
Tianfu International Airport
About 60 km from the city center, quite far, but convenient transportation. Subway Line 18 goes directly, arriving in about an hour.
The airport is large and new, not crowded, security check fast. Facilities are advanced: face-scanning without contact. The electronic screen outside the restrooms shows the layout and congestion level.
Finally, I end this travelogue with the delicious Sichuan cuisine tasted over these days.
