The white crane
Please lend me your wings
I won't go far
Only to Litang on the return
The Sixth Dalai Lama, Kurang Gyaltsen, was reincarnated in Litang, and I almost said goodbye to the world in Litang.
This is by no means an exaggeration, and listen to me slowly.
This is a picture of me and a Tibetan family in Litang, Sichuan province, in June 2014, in front of their house.
My relationship with their family originated from a self-driving trip to Tibet in 2014.
On June 15, 2014, the self-driving trip to Tibet, which I had been longing for for nearly three years, finally set off in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the World Cup in Brazil. A person, a car, the Great Wall Haval H5, displacement only by a friend strongly questioned the ability to go to Tibet 2.0T, diesel engine (on the plateau after a very regret why buy diesel version, plateau hypoxia environment power loss is too strong), the so-called intelligent four-wheel drive, or automatic transmission! So no matter what one person set off. Later, more than a month later, people and cars are safe and sound back to Guangzhou, think about their own initial courage really big! I'm not sure if I'm a good driver or not, but I'm a good driver.
The first day of the Tibet self-driving trip from Guangzhou to Changsha, the second day of Changsha to Chongqing, the third day of Chongqing to Chengdu, the fourth day of Chengdu to Kangding, the fifth day of Kangding to Xinduqiao. Then it was the sixth day of the trip from Xinduqiao to Litang.
The sixth day walked to the Yajiang County KaZiLa mountain pass, stopping to rest, into the pass at the set of a service point tents, point a pot of butter tea (a pot of pots to sell, I had to point a pot of a person, drink not finished pouring into the thermos flask to take away). Because I have been to the Tibetan area many times, I and the Tibetans close up faster than other mainland tourists, but also more natural. The man's name is Loden Zaxi and the woman's name is Lobsang Drolma, and soon I offered to take a picture with them, which they happily agreed to do.
Loden Zashi, Lobsang Choma and me.
Their son's name is Geledaji, a handsome young man, and it was he who greeted me as I entered the tent to rest and drink ghee tea. He did most of the work of soliciting guests, while his parents took care of the ghee tea cooking and other tasks. He was very enthusiastic, and after learning that I intended to stay in Litang that night, he also gave me a business card, which was the business card of an inn in Litang, suggesting that I go there to stay. Visible, his tourists to expand the "business" is also very active. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that," he said.
Gladdadge, me.
Later, after Geller added my WeChat, I often see him in the WeChat circle of friends with his girlfriend to go to the K hall to sing and drink some photos, dressed in a modern, stylish, WeChat message is also full of personality, I feel that he is a very modern Tibetan life, and the mainland fashionable young people do not seem to be the same.
Drinking ghee tea in the tent while chatting with them. Lodun their family has been operating this service point for a few years, in recent years the business is getting better and better, because the Kazi La mountain pass in the Sichuan-Tibet route on the 318 national highway, in recent years through the 318 national highway into Tibet more and more tourists, there are chartered cars, have their own car, there are bicycles, and motorcycles, as well as hiking. When people pass by, most of them will take a rest here and drink a cup of butter tea or something. During the day, the two old men came over to help organize, the night back to live in Litang, leaving only their son Geler Daji in the tent to keep watch. At night, the temperature on the mountain must be very low, the tent is not very airtight, the wind at night a penetration of a blow, really only young people can survive ah.
I saw a Tibetan ghee-making vessel in the tent, so I went up and fiddled with it.
The Tibetan woman standing in front of the vessel making ghee in the movie about Tibet has been engraved in my mind, so let's learn from it!
Pouring the milk into the vessel and repeatedly pestling it with a stick, the ghee is separated after a few hundred strokes.
After sitting for a while and preparing to leave, they suddenly and enthusiastically invited me to stay at their home in Litang that night, and to give the two old men a ride back to the county seat. I don't think they meant to open their own homestay and ask me to stay there, but they invited me to their home as a guest, and it seemed to be a kind of feeling as a friend. I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about Tibetans, and as I had never spent the night in a Tibetan home before, I agreed. Later I kept wondering why they invited me to their home in the first place, and it was only after a night's stay that I had a slight answer. Of course it was an afterthought.
On the way back to Litang with my Great Wall Haval H5, it was a very different feeling from when I was driving alone, and I felt much more responsible. The first time I saw the H5, I was able to get a ride from a hiker who was asking for a ride along the way, but I think it was too much of a responsibility. I've never run the Sichuan-Tibet route myself, so I can't afford to take the blame in case something happens. But the two old men (and their son), believe that only know less than an hour of me, on my car, let me in the Sichuan Tibetan line of the mountain road running, frankly that moment I hold the steering wheel of the hand can not help but out of some sweat.
Fortunately, more than an hour later, we successfully arrived in Litang County. Litang, 4000 meters above sea level, known as the city of the plateau. Just more than twenty days after I took the Qinghai-Tibet Highway out of Tibet passed through the Tibetan north of Amdo, only to realize that the real plateau of the city is actually Amdo. Ando county elevation of 4800 meters, stayed that night heart beating wildly throughout the night, heartbeat feel no 200 should also have 150, did not sleep the whole night. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on some of the most popular products and services in the world.
Long youth Kol Temple, also known as Litang Temple, in the county next to the mountainside. It is the original famous Gelugpa temple in Xikang.
Litang county town is located in an open area surrounded by mountains, but also some of the residential houses are located on the mid-levels.
Loton their home, also on a small hill. There were some vegetables growing in the front yard.
Walking into a large room in Uncle Lodun's house, I found that their home furnishings are quite simple. A large room, both the kitchen, living room, or bedroom. The doorway comes in not far is the stove, can not see the gas canister, also does not burn coal, Luo Sang aunt cooking burning is - dry cow dung. This is exactly the same as in the movie "Red River Valley" to see the old Tibetan herdsmen cooking situation. I remembered that in 2010, I had been to the home of Master Yixi Sangzhu in Lhasa to cook, and I remembered that Yixi and his family had used gas stoves. It's possible that Uncle Lodong and his family still feel more accustomed to cooking in the old way.
Lobsang Drolma was pouring ghee tea for me, while Lodong Zhaxi was counting the turnover of the day's service points.
There was a small TV in the room, but we didn't watch it that night, and usually they basically don't either. It's not because their two young sons, who are in elementary school and junior high school, don't like to watch TV, but because the voltage in Litang is unstable and there are blackouts from time to time. I remember in 2011 chartered a car through the Sichuan-Tibet route out of Tibet that once in Litang stayed a night, at that time did not think that the hotel power supply has any problem. The first thing I'd like to say is that I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get a good deal on my own, but I'd like to be able to get a good deal on my own.
The two youngest sons of Ms. Lobsang came back from school one after another, and we had dinner together. There was no tsampa as I had originally envisioned, but also rice, and two stir-fried vegetables, very simple, and it felt like their usual meal. Although Litang belongs to the Tibetan area, but may be located in Sichuan, Chinese and Tibetans live together for a long time, in terms of food, clothing and so on has produced some convergence with the Han Chinese. The first thing you need to do is to get a good look at the color of the clothes you are wearing.
After eating, chatting, we almost have to go to bed to rest, because Loden uncle they have to get up very early to open the business things. A corner of the room according to the corner of the wall in an L-shaped open four beds. It was then that I realized that the beds were not enough for five people. But Auntie Lobsang insisted that I sleep on the bed, and she alone laid a mat on the floor. That night, I lay on the bed and could not sleep, I do not know whether it was because of the high altitude sickness, or because of the guilt of letting her sleep on the floor.
Luosang Drolma was helping her youngest son organize his school bag, which is the same as those used by elementary school students in many parts of the country.
It was about 7 a.m. when she woke up. A burst of chanting came to my ears - it turned out to be the sound of chanting coming out of a loudspeaker from the Changyongkol Temple halfway up the mountain in the distance. I got up and climbed to a high place, looking towards the temple, and felt the solemnity of the Changyongkol Temple in the morning amidst the sound of chanting.
By this time, the uncle and his wife had already gotten up. Their two sons also got up one after another, and after a brief meal, they planned to go to school. The first thing I did was to ask a neighbor to say something in Tibetan to me, and I was told that I would not be able to do that. I asked the neighbor to help me take a picture with the family.
When I went back to the house after taking the picture at the entrance, Lobsang Drolma and Loden Zhaxi suddenly asked me to go to a room next to the house very seriously. Followed them into the room, I was surprised, the original is a very large and very grand and solemn Buddha Hall, the reason why surprised because of its mysterious and solemn atmosphere, neat and clean furnishings, and last night's "bedroom cum kitchen cum living room" formed too strong a contrast. The four walls of the Buddha Hall are filled with various Buddha Tangka, which to Dalai, Panchen Tangka image of the majority, but also the seventeenth Karmapa's Tangka image. The two old men accompanied me for a while, then went out. I alone in the inside continue to feel experience for a while. I thought Uncle Loden, they live in their own place can be so simple or even simple, but their own home Buddha Hall settings can be used to describe the splendor, and I have visited many temples than the Buddha Hall is not necessarily inferior. This is the nature of the Tibetan people. On the surface, they may seem to be getting more and more in tune with the mainland in terms of what they eat and what they wear, but at heart their religious beliefs remain the same.
Back in the living room, Lobsang Drolma showed me the photos on the wall. One of them is a huge photo of a temple, and in front of it are lamas, perhaps thousands of them (the top part of the photo of her son helping him organize his school bag). It turns out that this is the temple where her other son is becoming a lama, in Nepal. This son has been a monk for many years, and has earned a good degree from his further studies at the temple. He is so diligent in his practice that he often comes home to visit his parents only once every few years. Lobsang told me that they also have a son in the long youth Cole Temple as a lama, also has a few years, in this son is often home to visit, because the temple is only a few kilometers away from home.
They have many sons, which is really a blessing for them. There are those who have become monks to practice as lamas, and those who have opened tourist service points to do business. I think of their other son Geler Daji in the Kazira Pass, after adding WeChat with him, can often see in his circle of friends, some of his photos, many of which are in the "Rangma Hall" (dance hall) entertainment, drink photos. I think the lives of Geledarji and his two lama brothers are very different, but they have the same mother, the same father, and come from the same family. Two lamas came out of this family, but there are also young Tibetans like Geledarji who live a modern life. I don't know how Geledarji usually communicates with his two brothers who are lamas, but I can see from this Tibetan family that contemporary Tibetans can achieve a harmonious **** place between tradition and modernity.
That morning, Mr. Loden and the others were going out to purchase some food and drinks to replenish the service points on the mountain. So I went with them to the Litang county town to take a stroll.
Uncle Lodun was loading the car with goods.
They called another car and said it was not a good idea to bother me again to help them send it up the mountain. So it was time to say goodbye, and the two old men took out a yellow ribbon and helped me tie it to the rearview mirror of the car. They said that this is the light, can guarantee me a safe journey. So, in Litang County leading to Batang on the side of the road, I waved goodbye to the two old men, to Batang, the rearview mirror of the two old men's figure long watched my car! Zaxidler, Uncle Lodun and Auntie Lobsang! The two old men in the rearview mirror were watching my car for a long time!
That afternoon, on the way to Batang, I had a not-so-small accident, and if not for good luck, I might have hung up. At that time, my car slid down the hill (due to an unexplainable mistake), backward vertically across the 318 national highway (fortunately, there were no big trucks passing on the national highway at that time), and the rear of the car directly hit the highway's concrete pits, and sunk into the pits, which was then only less than 20 centimeters from the distance of one of the small cars parked by the side of the road! At that time, I was thinking, this may be the yellow ribbon in the blessing of me!
In a group of local Tibetans and Mr. Zhou, who also drove by, we worked together for more than an hour, and my Haval H5 finally jumped out of the pit and saved the car. The rear bumper was cracked and the chassis was slightly scratched, but no major damage. I can continue my Tibet driving trip again.
After the car was rescued, I took a photo with the local Tibetan compatriots who helped me
Thanks to Litang! I'd like to thank them!