Lost My Phone at the "Peak of Chengdu," but Found the Pure White of Winter

📅 Xiling Snow Mountain Adventure Diary

📍Location: Xiling Snow Mountain, Chengdu, Sichuan (The legendary scene of "eternal snow beyond the west window," a winter fairy tale where sea of clouds meets hot springs)

❄️ Soul-stirring! When the sea of clouds at Yin-Yang Boundary cascaded like a milk waterfall, I forgot to breathe.

At 6 a.m., I trudged through the snow to the Riyueping Viewing Platform. In the mist, the 3,250-meter-high Yin-Yang Boundary suddenly unveiled itself—clouds tumbling down like frozen milk waterfalls, with the main peak of Daxuetang glowing amber in the dawn light. I fumbled for my phone to capture a time-lapse, only for a sudden mountain gust to send it tumbling off the cliff. But I laughed—this time, I remembered to bring my GoPro!

🏔️ Immersive Snow Carnival | Every snowflake tells the epic tale of the Shu Mountains

1. Yin-Yang Boundary Sea of Clouds (The ultimate romance of the Shu Mountains)

✅ Must-do:
- Arrive before 6:30 a.m.! Capture the "sea of clouds + dawn light," with a 0.5x wide-angle for maximum depth.
- Rent an audio guide (¥30) to learn about the "geological history" and use your phone’s macro mode to photograph "frost crystals."
🚗 Transport: Take a bus from Chengdu Chadianzi Station (¥35, 2 hours) → East Gate → Cable car up (¥120).

2. Ski Resort (A heart-pounding snow adventure)

✅ Hidden gems:
- Drone shots of "ski slopes + sea of clouds" look like alien landscapes straight out of the camera.
- Try the "snowfield hot pot" (¥100 extra) for a "fire and ice" experience.

3. Huashuiwan Hot Springs (A hidden paradise)

✅ Pro tips:
- Hike 2km to the valley floor for shots of "steaming hot springs + snow mountain reflections." Wear red swimwear for better photos.
- Stargazing camping (¥80/person)—see the Milky Way with your naked eyes! Bring a down jacket.

4. Du Fu Thatched Cottage (A time-traveling experience)

✅ Must-capture:
- "Thatched cottage snowscape + plum blossoms" with your phone’s slow shutter to catch falling snowflakes.
- Spot "Hanfu-clad beauties" (bring a telephoto lens!), but don’t disturb them.

5. Riyueping Cable Car (Extreme experience, upgraded)

✅ Thrills:
- Ride Asia’s longest cable car (40 minutes one way) and film "the cable car piercing through clouds."
- Listen to "snowfall ASMR" at night—use your phone’s noise reduction to record your own white noise.

🍜 Sichuan Food Feast | Gained 5kg in 3 days? Blame these!

- Must-eat list:
1. Xiling Snow Mountain cured pork (¥80): Smoked with cypress wood, stir-fried with garlic sprouts.
2. Black chicken stew with mountain yam (¥120): High-altitude yam and snow-fed black chicken—so fresh it’ll make your eyebrows fall off.
3. Brown sugar glutinous rice cake (¥15): Crispy outside, soft inside, drizzled with secret-recipe brown sugar syrup.

- Avoid: Overpriced "yak meat" in the scenic area—buy it cheaper at Huashuiwan Town supermarkets!

🛏️ Stay Recommendations | Sleep inside the scenery

- Ski resort homestay: Yunqi Snow House (¥680/night), floor-to-ceiling windows facing the slopes, with cherries delivered by the host.
- Huashuiwan hot spring hotel: Sakura Private Hot Spring (¥1,280/night), open your window to a hot spring pool, breakfast included.

💡 Pitfall Guide (Learned the hard way!)

1. Transport:
- Weekend cable car lines take 2 hours! Visit on weekdays instead.
- No signal in the scenic area! Download offline maps in advance.
2. Must-pack list:
- ID, sunglasses (for snow blindness), cash (some shops only accept cash).
- Ice cleats! You’ll walk 20,000+ steps daily.
3. Hidden gems:
- Dafeishui Waterfall: Free shots of "ice waterfall + red stone beach"—even more stunning with a drone!
- Xiling Snow Mountain Museum: Photograph "Quaternary glacial relics" and unlock Earth’s secrets.

📸 Legendary Shots

- Yin-Yang Boundary sea of clouds (straight out of camera! ISO100 + wide aperture for bokeh).
- Ski resort dawn light: Use your phone’s pro mode (ISO100, shutter speed 0.5s).

💰 3-day cost: Transport ¥100 + lodging ¥1,960 + food ¥500 = ¥2,560

✨ Ramblings
Xiling Snow Mountain is truly "Chengdu’s winter fairy tale!" Losing my phone was a bummer, but the black chicken stew and starlight healed everything. Next time, I’ll bring my parents for a week—skiing, hot springs, and sunrises every day, living like a snow-spoiled sloth (and eating brown sugar glutinous rice cakes forever!).