Leaving Chang'an in the west is a journey of three thousand miles. I am willing to walk to the end of the world with my sword, but there is no worry on the bridge. -------Written at the beginning of the dream
I woke up from my dream with a shiver. I heard the sound of the train rubbing against the rails. Moreover, the travelers next to me were still rubbing their temples. Talking endless whispers. I turned on my phone, and the time was fixed at two o'clock in the morning. Several text messages from friends flashed across the screen. Some asked me if I had arrived in Xi'an, and some wished me a happy trip. I replied to them one by one and wished everyone good night, and then fell asleep again. passed.
-1-
I don’t know since when, I always have such a picture in my mind, the endless Gobi desert, the crescent-shaped lake is located in the sand dunes At your feet, there are ancient temples and ancient bells and pagodas, with Sanskrit sounds ringing out. The camel caravan outside the temple is swaying in the desert like a straw, reflecting the setting sun and listening to the ringing of the camel and horse bells.
? A strong wind blew, and the yellow sand flew up. After the dust settled, caves were spread out in front of us, accompanied by bursts of Buddhist sounds and incense. The monks chanted sutras, meditated, and talked in the caves. It tells about the past events of the Buddhist Kingdom.
When I grew up, I learned that this place is called Dunhuang, a pearl that has shone for thousands of years on the ancient Silk Road. When I had the chance to catch a glimpse of her face, I resolutely boarded the train heading west.
-2-
? The train slowly pulled into the station, Xi'an Station, but I prefer to call this city Chang'an. Chang'an, Chang'an, always peaceful, Chang'an, Chang'an, long-lasting peace and stability, the prosperous Tang Dynasty only left half of Chang'an. Chang'an, Chang'an, Chang'an chaos, the place where the troubled times in Han Han's works began.
? Although Chang'an is still hot at the end of May, due to the rain, the city still has some signs of desertedness on the streets, which actually adds to the trip. Purely ethereal.
We made an appointment at the cafe near the station to meet our travel companions, Yang Ge, Nan Nan and Lu Lu. It was precisely because of their presence that this trip of three thousand miles to the northwest was made possible. It is a perfect trip.
?Brother Yang and Lu Lu are from Wuhan, Nan Nan is from Chongqing, and I am from Shandong. It can be said that people from all over the world gather in Chang'an City, and it feels like holding a martial arts conference. We are all people with stories, and we are all people who take our stories with us on the road, and stories are the best food to go with wine.
-3- In May, the streets of Chang'an are filled with the fragrance of locust flowers. No wonder Meng Dongye has a poem about "The spring breeze is so proud that horses are hoofed, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day."
I had heard of the snacks in Muslim Street before arriving in Xi’an. When I arrived in Xi’an, my first stop was to go straight to Muslim Street. The snacks in Huimin Street are quite unique. The Roujiamo is authentic and the mutton steamed bun is also very chewy. Su Shi, a famous foodie, once wrote a poem that goes, "Long delicacies include bear wax, Qin cooks only mutton soup" to describe the deliciousness of the mutton steamed bun. . Qishan Saozi Noodles, Gentband Noodles, Jia San Baozi Shop, etc. are all the characteristics of Huimin Street snacks.
Of course, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda are must-see places. Standing in the temple, with the gentle breeze and drizzle, they are like two guards guarding this thousand-year-old city. The Sutra Collection Building of the Dayan Pagoda stores the Mahayana Buddhism that Master Xuanzang retrieved from Tianzhu. On the north side of the pagoda is the Sanzang Zen Temple, which is the place where Master Xuanzang translates scriptures and where he preaches and receives karma. As if inspired by heaven, I met Master Xuanzang again. I had encountered the remains of the Master at Linggu Temple in Purple Mountain before, and I met the Master's former dojo at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
?Chang'an has the most complete city wall built in the Ming Dynasty, so climbing the city wall to watch the sunset has become the most beautiful thing. Climb the city wall from Andingmen, cycle around the city wall, chase the footsteps of the sun, and watch the sun slowly disappear on the horizon. It seems that you can see the ancient city rising and falling for thousands of years as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. That touch of afterglow.
? Huaqing Pool and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses all tell the glory of that era. During the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, King Qin conquered Liuhe, and each period of history contrasts with each ancient artifact. ?
With the poignant love between Tang Ming Emperor Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, pomegranate trees were planted next to the Hall of Eternal Life. The pomegranate flowers are still as charming as the year before, and have never faded. "The king of Qin swept across Liuhe, how majestic the tiger looked! He swung his sword to cut through the floating clouds, and all the princes came to the west.
"Li Bai's "Ancient Style" is so majestic and majestic. The King of Qin swept Liuhe with one sword, and all the princes came to worship. Maybe there is no Great Qin in the world, but the terracotta warriors and horses have carved the Great Qin Empire thousands of years ago into the long river of history.
-4-
As night fell, we packed up our luggage and headed west. Our next stop was Dunhuang. Due to schedule requirements, we arranged Jiayuguan Lanzhou on the return route.
Heading west, leaving the place where you are. The hills outside the car window began to become sparse, and the Gobi desert became more numerous. When night fell again, the train entered Dunhuang Station.
Dunhuang is a pearl on the Silk Road, a city surrounded by flying sky.
The flying immortals outside the clouds are not far away, so I call Qu Xiaowei to stay in Qingluan. When we were in the area, a flying pipa sculpture came into view, and this poem by Lu You came to mind.
Get off the car and walk, not far away is the Shazhou Night Market, where food is the most important thing. The first stop is of course eating. In this multi-ethnic city, the food culture is particularly unique. It is not as delicate as the eastern region, but more rough under the wind, and it retains the most original taste of the meat. . Local specialties such as Huyang Braised Pancakes and Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles are also exotic.
Driving from the city to Mingsha Mountain, it was still surrounded by trees. The vast desert is a kind of shock that ordinary scenery cannot give.
The Crescent Moon Spring under Mingsha Mountain is like the eyes of the desert. The lake is clear and the desert coexists on the shore. A great wonder. The most beautiful thing is the sunset over the sand. When you climb up the high sand dunes and watch the sun disappear little by little in the desert, you can't help but sigh. Maybe the ancients thousands of years ago also watched the sun set over the hills like we do. I couldn't help but feel the emotion of "the desert is solitary and the sun is setting over the long river."
The next day, we drove two hundred miles to see the Yadan landform in the Devil's Domain. The eastern part is completely invisible. The black Qilian Mountains are barren of grass, and the white snow is looming on the top of the mountain.
Passing by the Thousand Buddha Cave, the Buddha Cave is dug on the cliff, similar to the Mogao Grottoes, and is adjacent to the Dang. River, this reminds me of the story about the Danghe River told by the Dangxiang people in "The Western Xia in Stone Sheep".
At Yumen Pass, they sang with low eyebrows, "Why should the Qiang flute blame the willows? The spring breeze does not blow away." Yumen Pass. "Looking at the success and failure of ancient and modern times, only the ruins of the huge Yumen Pass are left. The Great Wall of Han Dynasty, which is still blowing in the wind, has witnessed the rise and fall of Yumen Pass. The vast Gobi has long lost the prosperity of the Silk Road in the past, and is more of a reminder of the millennium. A sigh of time.
The wonders of the West Sea Fleet in Longcheng are naturally worth seeing. If the weather is good, the sunset next door is also excellent, with the dim sunset and the burning clouds. The essence of the sunset in the empty city.
I took a bottle of sand from Mingsha Mountain, a stone from Danghe River, and a section of Populus euphratica trunk from Yumenguan. A journey that has lasted thousands of years.
-5-
The Mogao Grottoes are a must-visit place in Dunhuang. The greatest treasure of mankind is presented here, and the splendid Mogao Grottoes culture is The most shining pearl of the Silk Road.
The documentary played in the dome theater at the Mogao Grottoes Visitor Center helps us better understand the ride to Mogao Grottoes. Cave after cave appears on the cliff, which is spectacular. What is even more interesting is that there is a Taoist temple in this holy land of Buddhism, which is the Taoist Temple, which is also the Taoist Tower written by Yu Qiuyu. "Wang Yuanzhuan", Wang Daozhang's ashes tower still stands by the river.
There are a large number of exquisite murals and sculptures in Mogao Grottoes, which were left by ancients thousands of years ago. Each mural is a story about the Buddhist kingdom, and there are nine floors for future generations to enjoy.
Legend has it that monk Lezun was passing through Dunhuang when he suddenly saw a golden light appearing on a cliff at sunset, as if the Buddha was approaching. . So, a cave was dug under the Mogao Mountain, and this was the first cave of the Mogao Grottoes. The Hou Mogao Grottoes can only be seen in the digital library.
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?Take a train from Dunhuang, passing through Jiayuguan and Zhangye, and arrive at Lanzhou.
?Jiayu Pass, the No. 1 Pass in the World, is the first city of the Great Wall, and also has the best views of the No. 1 Dungeon in the World and the Tuolai River. Datang Food Street in Jiayuguan is a must-go place to experience Jiayuguan cuisine. The unique local ginger drink and drinks made with ginger are very popular among locals. The nightlife of people in Jiayuguan is exciting. As night falls, everyone orders a few side dishes at the night market, calls out to friends, chats about trivial matters of the seven aunts and eight aunts, gets happy, pumps and drinks, and is all happy. This was the first time I saw people drinking in real life, and the night market was full of curiosity. Jin Wuwei, silver Zhangye. The Danxia landform in Zhangye is also worth a visit. If it rains, the colorful Danxia landscape is a major scenic spot in Gansu.
In addition to the large mutton skewers that are unique to the northwest, Jiayuguan’s delicacies also include fish noodles, lamb chops and other unique local delicacies. Zhangye's unique firecracker noodles are undoubtedly the biggest gourmet feature. The noodles are cut into long strips, boiled and then stir-fried, then beef soup is poured in, and a fragrant bowl of firecracker noodles is made.
Lanzhou Beef Noodles uses Lanzhou’s characteristic Yellow River water and adds unique soy sauce beef. The taste is very different from that in the eastern region. Lanzhou’s unique drink, Sanbaotai, is also a good choice of specialty. The First Iron Bridge on the Yellow River, Zhongshan Bridge, and Baitashan Park all have a good viewing experience.
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In Lanzhou, everyone began to return to their cities one after another. This time, the three thousand-mile journey from Xi'an to Dunhuang has come to an end.
Travel itself does not change anything. What changes is our view of the world, that is, our worldview. Reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, there must always be one body and soul on the road.
Never try to change your life with one trip, what we can do is a better life.
May the world be well and may you always have a young heart. ------Written at the end of every trip, looking forward to the beginning of the next trip.