Zhagana, in the Tibetan region of Gannan, is a fascinating hybrid.
An article described it as a "secret place separated by stone gates": to get to Zagana, you need to pass through three stone gates, and then it opens up in front of your eyes, a mountain peaks towering into the sky, villages and temples on the mountains and water, and fields, forests, and houses in a mismatched manner, which is very reminiscent of the similar scenes described in the book of the Peach Blossom Garden.
When we were loaded with heavy clothes, stepped on the mud, accompanied by snow and wind, over the mountains, we finally saw the real Zagana, and all the beautiful descriptions of it, there is a particularly strong empathy.
It's not a bad place to be, but it's a great place to be, and it's a great place to be! It's all because of the mediocrity of the pictures on the Internet related to Zagana, which made the original mood of not expecting too much from the scenery to be filled with amazement all of a sudden.
Since it is a secret place, it is usually difficult to approach and little known.
The book said that the peach blossom source of the people, the original to avoid the Qin chaos in the absolute, not again out of nowhere, so with the outsiders apart, and their descendants do not know that there is Han, regardless of the Wei Jin. In contrast, the history of human activities in Zagana, is much longer, even as early as three thousand years ago, here has appeared in the budding of animal husbandry civilization, Chinese ancestors in this heavenly land self-sufficiency, prosperity, rarely with the outside world.
Nowadays, the road network is well-connected, and the moat has been opened up. From Lanzhou to Zagana, only eight hours drive, once Zagana and the outside of the road blocking the road of the mountain rocks, have been through, to visit the so-called "stone box" of the hidden Tibetan village, is no longer a difficult task.
However, Zagana Scenic Spot is still a rather cold travel destination, and even during the 11th Golden Week, there is no need to worry about a crowded situation. This is attributed to the semi-developed state of the scenic area, the entrance fee is only ten yuan, supporting facilities are very limited, if visitors want to see more ornamental value of the landscape, you must go deep into the mountains, either on horseback, charging a lot of money; or hiking, the road is blocked and long.
"The road is blocked and long, the line will be to". After three days of heavy trekking more than 60 kilometers, just from the other side of the mountain crossing to us, lazy leaning sitting on the scenic entrance to the field, feel at ease to enjoy the sun, to recover nearly exhausted vitality.
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The more we learn about Zagana, the more we realize that it is different.
Dieshan, where Zagana is located, is bordered by Minshan Mountain in the south and Qinling Mountain in the east; it is adjacent to the three major landforms of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau and Sichuan Basin. It is not only at the edge of the intersection line of the first and second terrain ladder, but also holding hands with the western extension of the Qinling Mountains, distinguishing between the northwest and the southwest, the unique geographic location creates its eclectic customs and traditions.
China's beautiful scenery is mostly distributed in the demarcation line between the three terrain ladders, such as the Keleqing River Valley in the Kunlun Mountains, the Roach Rock Landscape in the Taihang Mountains, and the Aershan Primitive Forest in the Daxing'anling Mountains. China National Geographic magazine in the "slow walk in China" special, put forward to walk "prism" of the national trail planning, according to this idea listed seven walk "prism" hiking area, Minshan - Da Xueshan - Hengduan Mountains line is listed, more than 80 years ago, the Central Red Army More than eighty years ago, the Central Red Army passed through here, "climbed the snowy mountains, crossed the grassland", the fierce battle of Dibei heavenly danger Lazikou, and then rolled through the southern part of Gansu to arrive in the northern Shaanxi Province, which created a brand-new situation of the Chinese revolution.
In 2017, the civil society self-organized the completion of the "Hengduan Heavenly Road" national trail survey line, this hiking route south from Dali, Yunnan, north to the cooperation of Gansu, the full length of 2,230 kilometers, will be the Yunnan, Sichuan, Gan Province, many well-known hiking routes and landscapes such as beads chained, such as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Tiger Leaping Gorge, Haba Snow Mountain, Rock Line, Gongga Line, Yala Snow Mountain and so on, to name a few. And Zagana, is undoubtedly this epic route gorgeous final chapter.
Based on the geography of the concept of the Great Transverse, Gannan alpine grassland is regarded as part of the Great Transverse northern grassland belt, it is adjacent to the northwest Sichuan Ruoergai wetland grassland, *** with the composition of the Transverse Mountain region relatively easy to approach the anteroom. Here is rich in water and grass, suitable for animal husbandry, to the south is gradually to the transition to the canyon, agriculture and animal husbandry, mountain range hydrology are from north to south, many ancient road set vertical and horizontal, has always been the northern nomadic culture, the Central Plains of the farming culture and Tibetan Buddhist culture of the intersection of the fusion of the key zone. The complete preservation of the "Diebu Zagah agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry complex system" was selected as one of the first important agricultural cultural heritage in China, which is a perfect proof of this.
So, for anyone who wants to experience the charm of the Hengduan Mountains, it is not advisable to miss Zagana.
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According to Swallow Zhang, the leader of the tour, despite the difficult mental preparation before coming, the degree of hardness of the crossing of Zagana was much more than expected, and made us realize how exquisite the word "diyi" is used in diyi mountain.
We have traveled one journey after another, and we have climbed one mountain after another. We often for the feet of the muddy soft land agonizing, for the unexpected mountain scenery marveled, discussing the route and the similarities and differences of the Rock line. We also stopped at a green barley field in the alpine meadows to ask the herdsmen who drove their horses home for directions, and complained about our not-so-reliable horseman and guide.
The horseman we hired, although the Tibetans, but mercenary tight, the middle of the word, in the name of the shortcut to bring us on the wrong road, thanks to Swallow Zhang against the track, in time to pull out of the chaos to return to the right, we realized that he has not been into the mountains for many years, is based on the vague impression of the road for us, which is just too much, to our daily struggle in the collapse of the edge of the state of physical fitness, the pressure is not at all! After that, we completely abandoned him in the route decision-making, and honestly followed the track.
The hike started at the Triangle Stone Ditch in Mul Town, Zhoni County, and the road signs used three Chinese, English, and Tibetan characters to indicate the name of the place, which, combined with the construction vehicles on the way here, gave the impression that the local government was trying to salvage the tourist economy. Here at an altitude of nearly 3,000 meters, the surrounding slopes of the forest, lush, ditch two or three houses and field beds, meadows scattered with a few Tibetan pigs, fat hair black, is leisurely foraging for food, all full of life, but also quiet and harmonious. Our intrusion, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, in addition to attracting the Tibetan girl through the fence of the curiosity of the survey, and then can not stir up any ripples.
The longer we go into the mountains, the more gloomy the weather becomes. Alpine areas have their own microclimate, lush vegetation, the abundance of water vapor, is dry and energetic molecules, they will not be demanding too much sunshine, they will be eager to say goodbye to the soil, streams, green and wooded, upward ascension of the accumulation of large blocks of dark clouds, in order to force the momentum of the pressure on the top of the mountains, waiting for the onset of the time. Walking for a long time in such a mountainous area, encountering precipitation is a normal event, the worst situation, no better than strong winds wrapped in heavy rain, it is easy to induce hypothermia and life-threatening.
However, when the precipitation comes in the form of light snow, it adds to the excitement and bravado of the hikers. Almost every day, the mountains are not shy to inspire us in this way. Snow particles always come unannounced, rustling on the punching bag, like an alert guard fighting back against trespassers, but can't hide the embarrassment of weak firepower, barely drumming up some noise, and then retreating silently.
Perhaps it is not willing to stop, re-entanglement of the power of the snowfall comeback, this time a flurry, shrouded in the four fields, a few moments of everything white head, nature a little show its power, enough to bluff us put away the idle, carefully organize the protective equipment, and hurry up the road as a matter of priority.
The best weather appeared in the first day over the "stack Ga Ye" after the pass (3726 meters), which is the first pass we attacked, the pass at the cross of a gravel boulders, like growing out of the meadow in general, with the wild and unrestrained, straight and froze piercing into the sky. At that time the sky blue clouds, the sun blazing, snow falling grassland. We half lying side by side on the grass, looking at the mountains and mountains of wind and clouds, enjoying a rare ease, think of the whole need to go through the 18 passes, the journey has just begun.
The standard four-day hiking route, due to time, compressed into three days, an average of at least 20 kilometers a day hiking, the cumulative climb of more than a thousand meters, for each person is definitely a not small test. The good thing is that the whole process is basically walking on the grass, the herdsmen turn to step out of the road clearly recognizable, although the mud tangled feet, quite annoying, walk up than all over the gravel gully route to save too much worry, and on the way to the landscape of the rich and varied, the same far beyond the expected.
In the Gannan route, the Qinling Mountains, the typical landscape of western Sichuan into one, the plateau mountains and wetland grasslands with each other **** born, pastures and fields complement each other. I admire the natural creation, it should be a skillful bartender, east and west picking, north and south to find material, will be very different styles from all over China gathered together, wantonly waving, and ultimately reconciled into a bottle of wine called Zagana, enchanted by the beings who came to visit.
As for us, because we have experienced the hard work of pursuing, we cherish the same effort and remember what we have seen.