My Colorful Journey to Jiuzhaigou~
This trip was hastily decided after a drinking session, so much so that when I woke up the next morning, I half wondered if it was a joke. But anyway, it also felt a bit like 'truth comes out of wine.' I had been holed up in this southern city all along, with ideas of getting out and about, but they always got搁浅 for all sorts of unnecessary reasons. My friend was right: don't make excuses, just do what you want. If you deny your own thoughts today, tomorrow you might never have any ideas again. So, after five days of insufficient preparation, we flew to Sichuan.
The first day, as soon as we got off the plane, Chengdu came into view. I thought it would make my eyes light up, but instead, it felt a bit like old Changsha. It was already 10:30 in the morning, but the sky was still gray, showing there was some air pollution. Since it was the weekend, there weren't many cars on the road, and we quickly arrived at the booked hotel.
Although Chengdu's modern architecture isn't particularly distinctive, its ancient alleys and streets have a unique charm. Our first stop was the entrance of Kuanzhai Alley. As soon as we got out of the car, an old hotpot restaurant appeared in front of us. We were already starving, and the aroma of hotpot drifting everywhere led us straight into the shop.
But to be honest, the hotpot wasn't as delicious as I imagined. Even though we were hungry and ordered a full table, it didn't leave us wanting more. Maybe we didn't get the most authentic one; next time I'll have to search online for the best place! After eating and drinking our fill, we started wandering around the alleys. At the beginning of the alley, there was a row of snack stalls with all kinds of snacks neatly displayed, filling the air with fragrance—red chili, green coriander, yellow sesame oil... a clever combination that was very pleasing to the eye. On both sides of the road were rows of dazzling small shops, decorated in a folk style, with colorful goods inside.
Kuanzhai Alley consists of Wide Alley and Narrow Alley. Although it's called Wide Alley, it still couldn't handle the huge number of tourists, so we just shuffled forward with the crowd. After walking through the patchwork alleys, we took a taxi to Jinli Ancient Street. The two attractions aren't far apart—about a 10-minute drive. Compared to Kuanzhai Alley's combination of simple design and ancient architecture, Jinli has a stronger ethnic flavor. All the buildings are antique, and the goods sold also lean toward ethnic culture. But the common point between them is that everywhere you go is colorful. Perhaps due to generations of inheritance, Chengdu people seem to be good at color matching. Whether it's food, clothing, or household items, they all have a bright hue—not jarring, but beautiful.
We visited both attractions from 12:00 noon until around 5:00 PM. After dinner, we bought some snacks for the upcoming itinerary and returned to the hotel to rest. The hotel we stayed in that night deserves a special introduction.
Location: The hotel is located in Kuanzhai Alley, known as 'Chengdu's living room.'
Metro: The entrance of Kuanzhai Alley is right at Metro Line 4.
Geographic location: The location is really great! It's right in the Kuanzhai Alley scenic area, so you can step out and eat and shop—very convenient. It's also not far from Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li, Tianfu Square, etc. You can take the metro or a taxi; if you take a taxi, it's about 10 yuan.
Hotel style: The overall style of this guesthouse is exactly what I like. The room design is Japanese-style, made of pure wood structure. The room has a unique fragrance that is very soothing. There are also handmade Shu embroidery in the room, and wren birds painted by a master artist.
There are many calligraphy, paintings, and antiques in the hotel, which the owner worked hard to collect. Every detail is thoughtful and impeccable.
Room: The door uses an electronic lock, ensuring security. The entire room, including decorations, bed, etc., uses phoenix tree wood, giving a faint woody fragrance that is very relaxing.
There is a dedicated dining area in the room, and the lunch and dinner tastes are very good.
Bathroom: When I go out, whether staying in a hotel or guesthouse, the bathroom is always my top concern. Cleanliness of the bathroom can definitely affect my mood. The bathroom at Wren gets full marks! The details show understated luxury. Super five-star luxury configuration: Carnation brand linens, King Koil mattress, Kohler bathroom products, TOTO smart toilet. Even turning on the faucet, you can feel the owner's care.
Wash area: It's worth mentioning that the wash area has a wet-dry separation. You can take a shower or lie in the bathtub for a soak. The hotel also provides bath salts.
The three-piece toiletries are from June Jacobs (a high-end spa skincare brand from New York, USA). I had used this brand before at a Sheraton in Guangdong and really liked it. I didn't expect to use it again in Chengdu. According to the butler, June Jacobs customized a special technique for the hotel, based on local culture, environment, climate, and some traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy methods, creating the hotel's unique 'Wren Nest in the Forest.'
Bedding: Lying down was so comfortable that I fell asleep in minutes. The quilt and mattress were soft and skin-friendly. I like sleeping on buckwheat pillows, and the hotel thoughtfully provided one for me.
The biggest highlight is the hotel butler—a very enthusiastic group. When I was about to arrive at Kuanzhai Alley, the butler contacted me in advance, came to the alley entrance to pick us up, and along the way introduced us to the culture of Kuanzhai Alley. Just this alone made me very favorable toward the hotel. After arriving at the hotel, the butler learned that I can't eat spicy food, so for breakfast they specially prepared non-spicy wontons for me.
To avoid booking various hotels and attraction tickets separately, we booked a three-day-two-night tour from Chengdu to Huanglong to Jiuzhaigou for the 25th to 27th in advance. Now I think it was a wise decision. Having a guide arrange our meals, accommodation, and transport saved us a lot of trouble. Since the departure time was 5:30 AM, we got up at 4:00 AM the next day. After groggily packing, we went to the hotel lobby to wait for the pick-up, which is one of the benefits of a tour—you don't have to arrange the car yourself. It takes 8-9 hours by car from Chengdu to Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou. To ensure enough time to visit Huanglong that day, tour groups usually depart very early, so sleep is definitely insufficient. After getting on the bus, we listened to the guide's long introduction and instructions, and soon most of the bus fell asleep. By around 7-8 AM, when the sky was just getting light, the guide started chattering again. Since we hadn't eaten much in the morning, and with the fatigue of the journey, plus the guide's droning voice talking about the Wenchuan earthquake and how many people died, my stomach started churning. I really wanted to shout 'Shut up,' but I didn't have the courage to offend the person who would be managing my life for the next few days. Motion sickness medicine is really important for long bus rides! Fortunately, we stopped at a rest stop, and I got off to get some fresh air, which saved me from throwing up. Toilets at the rest stops along the way were run by local residents, so they charged 1 yuan each. The conditions were disgusting—I don't want to recall. Around noon, we arrived at a hotel for lunch, or rather, we just filled our stomachs. The guide had already warned us about the food, and I personally don't have high expectations, but even I thought it was terrible. But there was no choice; when you're under someone's roof, you have to make do. Next time, I must bring my own Lao Gan Ma or something—it'll make the food taste good and keep you healthy! After eating, we set off again. Driving along winding mountain roads, the peaks on both sides became steeper, and the colors of the plants on the mountains became more varied, giving the illusion that we were about to enter a paradise. But the constant swaying of the bus kept pulling my longing back to reality. We twisted and turned until around 2:00 PM, finally arriving at the nearest medical service station to Huanglong Scenic Area. After the bus stopped, a staff member came on board to explain the scenic area tour and what to be aware of regarding altitude sickness. To be honest, I hadn't learned much about altitude sickness beforehand; I just bought a box of Rhodiola rosea capsules. I didn't know that these capsules need to be taken a week in advance. Taking them on the spot wasn't very useful. For the sake of my health, and because I had already started feeling a little chest tightness and shortness of breath, I reluctantly bought a bottle of oral liquid. I want to emphasize that altitude sickness should not be taken lightly. If you plan to travel to high-altitude places, you must prepare well in advance, whether by taking medicine earlier or buying the oral liquid on the spot. It's much cheaper outside the scenic area. If you really haven't prepared, don't risk not taking it just to save a few bucks—after all, good health is the foundation of everything. Shortly after taking the medicine, the bus arrived at the entrance of Huanglong Scenic Area, but it didn't stop. Instead, it kept driving along the long queue of tourists, which stretched back three to four hundred meters—longer than the queues I've seen at Chimelong during peak season! My heart sank. How long would we have to wait?! The guide also became anxious and urged us to get off and line up before the bus even reached the end of the queue. As soon as we got off, a chill hit us. We were now at an altitude of about 3,200 meters. Despite the bright sunshine, the temperature was quite low, so I instinctively wrapped my coat tighter.
The entrance to the scenic area is situated in a valley between two mountains that are not far apart. Looking up, the blue sky and white clouds looked like a narrow, beautiful oil painting covering the mountain peaks. To the right of the queue was a small stream, with water flowing gently, clear and melodious. At some point, all the scenery that came into view turned into beautiful pictures—perhaps that's the charm of this place. After queuing for about forty minutes, we got on the cable car going up. Maybe because they need to handle many visitors daily, the cable car runs relatively fast. I suggest that friends with a fear of heights definitely keep their eyes closed—it's really thrilling! As the cable car ascended, our view gradually broke free from the valley's confines and was filled with distant other mountains. Whether due to the rapid ascent or seeing the magnificent peaks in the distance, my heart began to beat faster and faster. But this feeling quickly disappeared when we reached the top. Honestly, I felt a bit like I wanted more.
After getting off the cable car, we walked along the boardwalk, enjoying the scenery of the primeval forest. The relatively single-direction boardwalk is a common feature of scenic areas here, which protects the landscape from damage and ensures the safety of tourists. There aren't many attractions in Huanglong; our main goal was to see the Five-Color Pond, but it's at the highest point of the entire scenic area, so we had to follow the boardwalk all the way up. At first, we were attracted by some tall or strangely shaped trees, but as time passed and our energy decreased, such scenery no longer held our attention. Moreover, at this point, Guo Feng had started showing symptoms of altitude sickness, making the walk even harder. After walking and resting like this for about a third of the way, at the first viewing platform, I saw snow-capped mountains on the plateau for the first time. The towering peaks rose high into the clouds; the snow on them sparkled under the blue sky. White clouds lingered on the mountaintops, unwilling to leave. Sunlight poured through the thick clouds like Buddha's light—very spectacular. I had seen snow-capped mountains before in movies, TV shows, or novels, especially the Changbai Mountain in 'The Lost Tomb' series. When reading, I was astonished, but I couldn't fully appreciate its grandeur. Now seeing it with my own eyes, I understood more deeply, and I felt a desire to visit Changbai Mountain.
After admiring for a few minutes at the viewing platform, we continued along the boardwalk to the attraction closer to the snow-capped mountains—Huanglong's Five-Color Pond (I emphasize 'Huanglong' because Jiuzhaigou also has a Five-Color Pond). This section became even more difficult. Guo Feng's altitude sickness worsened. Fortunately, I had bought a bottle of oxygen while queuing; otherwise, I was afraid she might pass out. She had to take two puffs every few steps, looking like a high-risk patient, and my arm naturally became her solid support. In her high-heeled boots, she clicked along, attracting glances and expressions of surprise and admiration from people around. Her face was full of helplessness—I think she was probably internally freaking out =_=". The boardwalk started going uphill at about two-thirds of the way. By then, I was also a bit out of breath, but it felt about the same as climbing eight floors at home. I suddenly felt glad I lived on the eighth floor, which allowed me to breathe normally at 3,500 meters altitude. All these discomforts dissolved the moment I saw the Five-Color Pond. Huanglong's Five-Color Pond consists of over a dozen pools of various sizes, each like a palette—independent yet complementing each other. The colors are mainly green, blue, and yellow, with other colors interspersed. Looking out, it's like an exquisite painting displayed between heaven and earth—beautifully intoxicating. The snow-capped mountain stood majestically at the end of the valley, like a stern and loyal guard, protecting this holy land for thousands of years. How much must nature favor this land to bestow such beauty! If only I could lie by the Five-Color Pond, close my eyes, and feel its tranquility. But unfortunately, the edge of the pond was packed with people as solid as a city wall—impossible to squeeze in. Ah, that's the common phenomenon of popular tourist attractions. Struggling on tiptoe to take a few photos, we reluctantly headed downhill.
It's true that going up is easier than going down. Going up, you have excitement to sustain you; going down relies entirely on willpower. The downhill boardwalk passed several scenic spots, but none were as beautiful as the Five-Color Pond. Plus, time was limited, so we walked silently and quickly. Guo Feng's 'two highs' (altitude sickness + high heels) had completely drained her usual fighting spirit. I had to support her as she limped downward. It was already getting dark, past the meeting time agreed with the guide. I couldn't help feeling anxious. I thought if I had the strength, I would have carried her and run down without a word. Around 6:40 PM, we finally walked out of the scenic area entrance on the verge of collapse. A simple downhill path took us nearly two hours. At that moment, I just wanted to quickly take a shower and go to sleep! But we weren't the last to descend. Among our group, two more groups hadn't come down yet, including a team of six elderly people. These were six old men and women from Shenyang. They chatted and laughed all the way, completely belying their average age of 60. Sometimes when I saw them, I wondered: when I'm that old, will I be able to walk such a difficult path? Will I still have friends willing to accompany me to see the great rivers and mountains? Thinking this way, I felt a bit sad. We waited in the bus for about half an hour, and they finally came down. One auntie among them had a severe altitude reaction and was vomiting heavily. At such an age, climbing Huanglong with a maximum altitude of 3,700 meters—I really admire them! But I also worried for them. At 8:00 PM, we were supposed to have a complimentary show ticket, but due to the delays on the mountain and everyone being tired, we unanimously agreed to cancel it. We stayed that night in Chuanzhu Temple at around 3,000 meters altitude. When we arrived at the hotel and got off the bus, we felt the deep chill of this place. My teeth started chattering, and my feet involuntarily trembled. After eating a dinner I had no expectations for, we went back to our respective rooms to rest. Since we had gone directly from Chengdu at 500 meters altitude to over 3,000 meters that day, the guide specifically told us not to take a shower or wash our hair to avoid catching a cold, and to sleep on our sides to prevent altitude sickness during sleep. I thought the day would end peacefully, but my companion's altitude sickness didn't disappear with the descent.
Around 1:00 AM, I was woken by heavy breathing and light. Guo Feng was sitting limply on the bed, looking pained, saying she felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. I got up to boil some water, planning to give her the Rhodiola capsules we had prepared earlier. I didn't want to drink the local water because the guide had said that the water here is rich in minerals and, though clear, is not suitable for drinking—it could cause kidney stones. But there was no choice; we had run out of bottled water. When the water boiled, Guo Feng took a sip and felt it burned her throat. She ended up taking the capsules with cold bottled water. After all this, I was wide awake, but Guo Feng showed no improvement, saying she was still very uncomfortable and wanted to call the guide. I hesitated—calling someone in the middle of the night seemed inconsiderate. But seeing that the medicine didn't help, I had no choice but to dial the guide's number. The supposedly 24-hour phone was turned off. I tried two or three more times—still off. My heart sank again. Guo Feng suggested we go find the hotel front desk and check which room she was in. Thinking of the chilly wind outside, I was quite scared, but seeing Guo Feng's suffering, I gritted my teeth and went out. We were on the third floor. Before closing the door, I looked around. There was no one in sight—after all, it was the middle of the night and cold, who would be out there? The hotel was laid out in a square shape, so I could see the entire corridor at a glance. Because it was an enclosed structure, the echo was very obvious. Every step I took produced one or two footsteps, which was especially creepy. I don't know if it was because of the cold or the hotel trying to save electricity, but the lighting in the corridor was very dim—a yellowish pale. I had to use my phone's flashlight to move forward. That created multiple light sources, and I saw several shadows on the ground. Every time I took a step, I would glance around, and my peripheral vision would involuntarily catch shadows on both sides. I knew they were my own, but still, I would imagine all sorts of things. The atmosphere was terribly scary! I made my way to the first floor, trembling with fear. I thought I would finally reach the front desk and see someone, but to my dismay, the front desk was empty, and the hotel's main door was wide open. That gave me goosebumps again. Although the walk there was terrifying, I had always believed that someone would be at the front desk—that if something happened, I could shout for attention. But now, I was certain that I was the only one in this empty, silent environment. My heart raced even faster. The horror scenes I usually watched conveniently started replaying in my mind. I wished I could teleport back to my room! I had thought about going outside to buy some medicine, but through the glass wall, the outside looked like a pitch-black bottomless abyss, opening its mouth wide waiting for me to walk in. I immediately gave up that idea. I searched for a contact number at the front desk but found none, so I turned around and walked back. Strange as it may sound, the more scared you are, the more you try to act calm, thinking that will make others fear you. Now I realize it's just a form of self-comfort. If someone were lurking in the dark, they would only care about whether you have money or are good-looking, not whether you're calm or panicked! After what felt like a very long time of fear and anxiety, I finally returned to the room. Only after confirming the door was closed did my heart finally settle. Fortunately, Guo Feng had vomited right after I left and was feeling much better. I looked at the time—it was already 3:00 AM. If we had to get up at 5:00, we had two hours of rest left. So I quickly got into bed, and within two minutes, I drifted off.
At 5:00 AM, the familiar yet annoying alarm rang again. After struggling for a few minutes, I reluctantly left the warm bed. The 26th was the most important stop of this journey—the fairy-tale world of Jiuzhaigou. We had a whole day to enjoy the beauty. Guo Feng had basically recovered, which was a huge relief! If she were still like yesterday, our trip would have been a waste. The weather that day was a bit gloomy; the mountaintops were covered with dark clouds, and a heavy rain was unavoidable. I really missed yesterday's weather at Huanglong! But we had raincoats and umbrellas; even if it hailed, it wouldn't stop us from seeing the scenery! While waiting for tickets, I noticed a father-daughter pair from our group. Guo Feng had mentioned them earlier—on the bus when she was carsick and threw up, the uncle handed her tissues. He seemed very gentle and refined, so seeing him up close made me pay more attention. The uncle had some gray hair, but he looked very energetic. He wore glasses and smiled at everyone he made eye contact with—a truly warm person. His daughter was young, probably around 20, with a delicate face and a smile as warm as her father's. In this day and age, I've rarely seen someone that old still traveling alone with their father. I felt a bit touched. But when I discussed the reason with Guo Feng, she offered a less touching explanation: maybe her mother had passed away. That made me a bit sad.
Thinking this way, we soon reached the entrance of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area. The entrance gate was much wider than Huanglong's, and there was no need for a cable car, so queuing to enter was relatively fast. While queuing for the sightseeing bus, it started to drizzle. Soon, the rain got heavier, so we had to put on our raincoats. At that moment, I could have slapped myself—I had left the raincoat I bought in advance in my suitcase on the bus, not in my small bag. Now I had only a cheap promotional raincoat, which was a pullover style. Seeing myself looking like a steamed bun, I felt like thousands of alpacas stampeding through my mind. I really wanted to tear that raincoat to shreds. But reason won over impulse. I took out my umbrella, draped the raincoat over my small bag, and waited in line for the sightseeing bus. Jiuzhaigou has three developed valleys, each of different lengths. The longest takes over half an hour by bus to reach the end, the shortest about ten to twenty minutes. Walking is impossible unless you have three days there. So the mode of sightseeing relies on over 600 sightseeing buses shuttling constantly. The junction of the three valleys is the only tourist service center inside the valley, also the only smoking area. All sightseeing buses are dispatched from here to decide which valley to go to first. Once decided, the bus drives along the road to the highest point of each valley, and tourists walk back along the boardwalk for sightseeing. You can get on and off at attractions that are far apart, so we could visit one attraction and then take the bus to the next. Our first valley was Rize Valley. Following the guide's advice, we didn't go to the highest point of Rize Valley, the Primeval Forest, but got off at Arrow Bamboo Lake. Actually, on the sightseeing bus, the guide had already briefly introduced the origins and legends of each attraction, and we had hastily admired the picturesque scenery. But when we finally got off and walked into this fairy-tale world ourselves, we were deeply shocked. These lakes of various sizes are called 'haizi' (child of the sea) here. Each haizi has its own legend and characteristics. The one before us was Arrow Bamboo Lake. Being the innermost haizi of this valley, it had more depth and tranquility compared to outer ones. The water surface wasn't very wide, and there were many reed-like plants on the shore. Since it had just rained, the plants along the boardwalk still had many crystal-clear water droplets. When the wind blew, they fell into the water, creating ripples.
We continued along the boardwalk down to Panda Lake. Panda Lake gets its name from its water color, which is black and green, resembling a giant panda. It was much wider than Arrow Bamboo Lake, with no water plants on the surface, calm as a mirror. By then, the rain had stopped, and the sky was filled with blue and white clouds, reflected on the water, making the haizi even more azure.
When your vision is fully indulged, taste becomes insignificant. We had breakfast at 6:00 AM and then drove to Jiuzhaigou. From 8:00 AM until now 12:00 PM, we finally felt hungry. So we had a simple snack at the rest area near Panda Lake, then took the bus to one of Jiuzhaigou's highlights—Five Flower Lake.
If the haizi of Jiuzhaigou are masterpieces of nature, then Five Flower Lake is nature's divine creation! Seeing it makes all the hardships of the past few days worthwhile—whether the seven or eight hours of bus ride, or the aches and pains from climbing up and down. Her beauty can heal everything. It's a beauty that makes you intoxicated beyond self-control; a beauty that cannot be described in any language; a beauty that people willingly endure hardships to find. Those who see her can't bear to look away, afraid of missing a single second of this encounter. Those who see her instinctively pull out cameras to capture her beauty, because they can't absorb this charm in a short time. Those who see her temporarily forget all worries, and her image fills every corner of their hearts. I have always dreamed of beautiful scenery, but for the beauty of Five Flower Lake, I never even dreamed of it. Unfortunately, the edge of the haizi was surrounded by people who refused to leave for a long time. With reluctance, we kept looking back as we left this wonderland, our hearts unable to calm down for a long time.
Below Five Flower Lake is Pearl Shoal Waterfall. The waterfall's grandeur can't compare to big waterfalls across the country, but this patch of white in the specific setting is unique. Plus, this waterfall was a filming location for the 1986 version of 'Journey to the West,' so it still attracted many people to watch and take pictures.
Continuing down from the waterfall, we reached Mirror Lake. But with the outstanding beauty of Five Flower Lake before it, the other haizi seemed somewhat diminished. Further down, we returned to Nuorilang Tourist Center. We took a short break there and then took a bus to the next valley—Zechawa Valley. This is the longest of the three valleys, but it has relatively few attractions—only four. Going up, we decided to visit just two: Long Lake and Five-Color Pond. After a half-hour bus ride, we arrived at the valley's highest point—Long Lake.
Long Lake is like the mother of all haizi in Jiuzhaigou. Due to its high altitude at the foot of snow-capped mountains, its water volume is stable in every season, and it supplies water to other haizi. Standing on the viewing platform and looking down, a pure blue color came into view. Although the sky above was blue with white clouds, the haizi didn't reflect them; instead, it absorbed the sky's blue deeply into its body, teasing visitors' eyes through water ripples occasionally stirred by a gentle breeze. The snow-capped mountains stood majestically at the far end of Long Lake, selflessly offering love and guardianship. If Long Lake is the mother, then the distant snowy mountains are the father like a mountain. At the edge of the viewing platform below Long Lake, there is a magical pine tree with branches growing all in one direction, like an old butler silently welcoming distant guests. The boardwalk from Long Lake to Five-Color Pond is the steepest section in Jiuzhaigou. By then, my calf and right knee started aching dully. I didn't know if it was from too much walking these days or from the cold. This section was also a bit tough. Finally, Guo Feng's altitude sickness was gone, but my knee started acting up. Ah, it seems that visual enjoyment comes at a price.
Descending from Long Lake, we reached Jiuzhaigou's second highlight—Five-Color Pond. Jiuzhaigou's Five-Color Pond is different from Huanglong's; it's just one pool, relatively small, but it has a different color that other haizi don't. Besides the crystal-clear green, there is a special fluorescent green. Whether due to light refraction or unique minerals in the pool, this interplay of shades and stillness gives Five-Color Pond a breathtaking beauty. Because it's small, the edge of the pool was even more crowded and difficult to approach. I managed to take a full view with a selfie stick, but the photo was filled with other people's phone screens. It seems that everyone has the same aesthetic for great beauty.
Leaving Five-Color Pond, we took the sightseeing bus directly out of the valley. We arrived at Nuorilang Tourist Center around 3:30 PM. The guide had set the meeting time at 5:30 PM, so we had only two hours left. We still hadn't visited the Shuzheng Valley towards the exit, so we didn't rest and boarded the bus immediately. Fortunately, the highlights of Jiuzhaigou were already deeply etched in my mind. On the way, we only made brief stops at Rhinoceros Lake, Spark Lake, and Penjing Beach before exiting the scenic area. This time we came out relatively early, arriving at the bus by 5:00 PM. The sky in Jiuzhaigou was starting to get dark. This day was really tiring, but it was a happy tiredness. Interestingly, the young couple sitting next to me had a quarrel for some reason. The woman looked very angry; no matter how the man tried to soothe her, it didn't work. Every time he put his hand on her, she ruthlessly pushed it away. The scene was a bit awkward, but I also found it a bit funny. Before that, they chattered non-stop from boarding to disembarking, but now they were completely silent. I didn't pay much attention; soon after boarding, I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, the bus was empty. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming or had encountered something supernatural. Although a bit startled, I knew that staying calm solves everything, so I remained still in my seat. Not until Guo Feng came to get me did I realize that an hour had passed since boarding. This was one of the itinerary items arranged by the guide—visiting a Tibetan family. Everyone else had gotten off, but I hadn't heard the bus stop or the guide's voice because I was asleep. I was a bit amazed at myself! But I was too tired, so I asked Guo Feng to go alone while I stayed in the bus to rest and wait for them. I waited for an hour until they returned, marking the end of the day's itinerary.
On the 27th, we got up at 5:00 AM again and departed at 6:30 AM. Since it was the last day back to Chengdu, I felt a bit reluctant. Although it was the last day, we visited three spots in the morning that were ostensibly about minority culture but actually shopping spots: a silver jewelry store, a specialty supermarket, and a silk product shop. Although tinged with commercialism, they still gave us some insight into the customs and culture of the minorities—another kind of gain.
After leaving the silver jewelry store and boarding the bus, I noticed that the young couple next to me had made up again, reverting to their usual chattering. The woman had a silver bracelet on her wrist. Indeed, shopping is the best way to please a woman! At 2:00 PM, we departed from the silk culture point in Chuanzhu Temple and began our 8-hour return journey. The bus first had to cross a snow-capped mountain over 4,200 meters high before driving out of the mountains. Since it was daytime, we could enjoy the beautiful scenery on the snow-capped mountain up close. So although I was very sleepy, I couldn't bear to close my eyes. Despite all the reluctance, the blue sky, white clouds, and lofty mountains gradually receded from my view. The bus continued to spiral upward. Chuanzhu Temple at the foot of the mountain became smaller and smaller. When the bus reached the highest point, looking out through the window, the continuous snowy mountains appeared directly before us. Unlike previous views of snow-capped mountains that were lofty and untouchable, these mountains seemed within arm's reach. The shock from this eye-level view was incomparable to looking up. I suddenly had the illusion that the bus would break through the guardrail and drive straight into the snowy mountains. I wondered if there was a bronze door or Zhang Qiling in these mountains? The magnificent snowy mountains were incredibly beautiful and spectacular! I didn't expect to enjoy such scenery on the last day. One word: worth it! Unfortunately, I was on the bus and didn't manage to take photos. After descending from the snowy mountains, the scenery became ordinary again—like descending from heaven to earth. I finally allowed myself to fall asleep. The road out of the mountains seemed unusually long without the anticipation to sustain me. Every time I dozed off and woke up, only a few minutes had passed—it felt like an eternity. The only thing to be grateful for was that I didn't feel carsick at all. Maybe I had gotten used to the swaying driving style over the past few days. I don't want to dwell on the details of this grueling journey. After about six hours of bumping, the view outside gradually showed signs of the city. Oh my god! We had finally driven out of the mountains! The bus stopped on Jinniu Ba Road on Chengdu's Third Ring Road, marking the end of our tour group journey. Our guide, despite many shortcomings—especially on the night Guo Feng had altitude sickness—did fulfill her duties responsibly. So I am still very grateful to her. After getting off the bus, we planned to take a taxi to the booked hotel. But the road near the hotel was closed, so we had to book a hotel near the drop-off point instead. After checking in, it was already past 11:00 PM. We were so hungry that we went to a nearby McDonald's for a hamburger. Didn't get to sleep until 12:30 AM.
That sleep was exceptionally comfortable. When the alarm rang at 7:00 AM the next day, I thought I was dreaming. Since the last day's itinerary was to go to Chongqing, and we had bought tickets for the 10:50 AM train, I didn't dare sleep in. After washing up, we hurried out. Arriving at Chengdu East Station at 10:00 to pick up tickets, I turned to look back at the city of Chengdu, then plunged into the waiting room. On the train, I kept recalling the bits and pieces of this journey, not even appreciating the scenery along the way. Before I knew it, we arrived at the mountain city—Chongqing. The name 'mountain city' is well-deserved. Looking out the taxi window, I could see buildings as towering as mountains everywhere. The roads were rugged and narrow. After every few steps, the car had to climb a slope, and the gradient was steep. Even in the city center, you could still see low hills, making the greenery very abundant. Mountain city, mountain first, city later—it's not that the mountain adapts to the city's development, but the city accommodates the mountain's unyielding presence. The taxi driver recommended a pretty good pea-and-noodle shop near Jiefangbei in Chongqing, which apparently had been featured on TV. Since it was close to Hongyadong, we went out of our way to try it. Honestly, it was just okay. I don't know why, but as soon as I got off the train, I felt an inexplicable dislike for this city—not even half the fondness I had for Chengdu. Maybe I felt Chongqing people are relatively indifferent. After eating, we dragged our luggage, unsure where to go. Dragging a suitcase to visit attractions is really not a wise choice—crowds everywhere, a bit awkward. So when we reached the entrance of Hongyadong, I decided to stay and watch the luggage while not going in. Guo Feng didn't feel like going in alone either, and she was a bit unwell, so we left soon after.
Since the taxi driver had mentioned that Chongqing has narrow roads and many one-way streets, traffic jams are severe during peak hours. To avoid traffic, we took a taxi to Beichuan Airport at 4:00 PM. We arrived at the airport at 5:00 PM. Our flight was at 8:30 PM, so we spent the last three hours of the trip at a buffet restaurant. At 10:30 PM, the plane landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, marking the true end of our trip.
This journey had its hardships and surprises, but overall it was very worthwhile. This spontaneous trip started from Chengdu and ended in Chongqing. It allowed me to appreciate the wonders of nature and experience the distinct character of different cities. If there's any regret, it's that I didn't stay longer at Five Flower Lake. But regret is the motivation for next time. The beauty of Jiuzhaigou is worth seeing even a thousand times. Next time, I'll definitely choose a direct flight to Jiuhuang Airport and avoid suffering the 8-hour 'turbulent' journey again.
