Live Your Best Lives
haven't been at home for 3 or 4 months for a long time, because of the epidemic, many of my original foreign plans this year have been stranded, and because the control of the capital is relatively strict, I have been struggling at home. Around May Day, I saw other friends go to Shangri-La to take a picture of a huge bright starry sky and the Milky Way, which made me tempted, and consulted, this place is called Balag Zong, why haven't I heard of it at all, after inquiring about the basic information, I calculated the time of the Milky Way starry sky, and felt that May 24 was a good day, and decided to set off to see this place known as "Shangri-La's last secret place".
In fact, I didn't do much preparation, and I didn't think about where else to go besides Balagzon? Do you want to stop by Meili Snow Mountain? Songzanlin Temple? Only booked the outbound air ticket, let's play first!
The main things I saw from friends before were the Gezong Sacred Mountain and the Milky Way starry sky on the 4250-meter pass, as well as the classic photos found on the Internet - Rizhao Golden Mountain. Not much is known about other aspects of the place, but it is also a pleasure to travel. I really gradually figured out what this place called Balagzong was like in the process of playing and filming in the past few days? What is it?
Next, follow my lens to learn about this unknown "secret place".
Let's put a few photos I took to give you an intuitive and emotional understanding.
Baladra Malacón 
Shambhala Natural Stupa 
Bara Village Stupa 
Aerial view of Bara village 
Bala Village Pagoda wrapped in misty rain This time, the ratio of the photos is mainly vertical, in order to facilitate everyone to watch on mobile devices.
In addition, because of the depth of the altitude and mountainous environment of this place, the vertical content is richer than the horizontal, and I think the vertical composition is more beautiful.
But unfortunately, the few days I went were rainy, and I didn't see the true face of the Gezong Sacred Mountain, I didn't take pictures of the Milky Way starry sky, and I didn't see the Rizhao Golden Mountain. But still, I think this Balag Zong is very interesting, if it weren't for something at home, I plan to stay for a few more days.
Although there are tour maps in scenic spots and on the Internet, I still drew a tour diagram for you based on my personal practice in the past three days. It is more suitable for you to get to know this place quickly and intuitively.
Introduction to the Grand Canyon of Shangri-La:
"Balag Zong" in Tibetan means migrating from Batang, Sichuan to the hungry Tibetan village at the foot of the sacred mountain of Gezong. This scenic spot is actually part of the Shangri-La tourist area, located in the Grand Canyon, all the way up, from the lowest point of Shuizhuang at an altitude of 2,050 meters to the highest point of the scenic spot, Gezong Sacred Mountain, at an altitude of 5,545 meters, with a relative height difference of 3,495 meters. This also creates the multipolarity of the geological structure and the diversity of geomorphological causes in this area, which makes the vertical three-dimensional distribution characteristics of the topography and climate of the scenic spot very prominent.
In fact, I looked at the map of the scenic spot, this scenic spot is not only the route of Panshan Road, of course, the landscape around this winding mountain road is the easiest to reach and the most often seen on the Internet, but in fact, there are many hiking routes in the scenic area, which can reach the ultimate landscape such as plateau ranches, glaciers, plateau lakes, etc., but because I am really not ready for hiking, so I just visited the scenic spots along the Panshan Road, if you have enough time, you can really try the hidden scenery that can only be seen on the hiking route, I want to try it next time!
1. Distance
From Shangri-La Airport, drive along National Highway 214 to the fork in Balagzong, about 70 kilometers, 70 minutes. Then basically drive along the Gangqu River in the Grand Canyon into the mountains, about half an hour's journey, to the gate of the scenic spot.
At present, self-driving vehicles are not allowed to enter the scenic spot, unless you are booking two hotels halfway up the mountain, then private cars can drive to the hotel, but self-driving tours are still not allowed. Therefore, you need to take a scenic bus to visit, or charter a tour in the scenic spot, the latter is more flexible, but the cost will be higher, and it will be more cost-effective to share it with more people.
2. Accommodation and meals
Thereare four hotels in the scenic spot: the Shuizhuang Hotel at the entrance of the scenic spot, which is more popular, I see that many self-driving private cars park their cars in the parking lot at the door, stay here, and then take the scenic bus to visit, after all, not everyone can control this ecstatic winding mountain road;
Alittle further inside, there is a Lover's Valley Hotel, which is very close to the entrance of the scenic spot and relatively small;
Two hotels are halfway up the mountain, which is also the core tourist area of Balagzon Scenic Area. I chose to stay in these two hotels halfway up the mountain for three days, mainly because of the good view and the feeling of living in the depths of the clouds.
One of them is the Tusi Manor, now called the Snow Mountain Worship Yangxin Manor, in Bala Village. The other is also very close, called Snow Mountain Ice Spring Health Manor. Bala Village should be the core hub of the entire scenic spot, where there are several restaurants, canteens, butter tea houses, museums, etc.; The Snow Mountain Ice Spring Manor opposite is quieter and also equipped with a restaurant, and a little up are the two attractions of Baladra Malakang and Barada Yong Pagoda.
I thought I would not be used to eating in Tibetan areas, because during the epidemic, the room included three meals, and each meal was super great, great!
3. Tour method (scenic bus vs chartered bus)
Under normal circumstances, most tourists will choose the scenic bus tour, It saves effort, but the time is relatively limited.
If you book two hotels halfway up the mountain, you can drive into the mountain (of course, you can also ask the hotel to send a car to pick you up the mountain), many friends who are not confident in driving around the mountain, you can choose to stay at the Shuizhuang Hotel at the entrance of the scenic spot, and then take the scenic bus to enter the tour.
However, because the scenic spot does not allow self-driving tours, for photography enthusiasts, taking pictures with the bus will be more time-limited. Therefore, chartering a car in a scenic spot is a better choice.
Somesightseeing buses depart from the ancient city of Dukezong, and some depart from the Shuizhuang Hotel at the entrance of the scenic spot. Usually if you go on a day trip, you can choose these two ways, depart in the morning, send you back in the evening, the regular route is to arrive at Bala Village halfway up the mountain, if you want to go to the Shambhala Pagoda at Yakou, you have to take a very early car, time is enough.
Therefore, I actually recommend a more comfortable trip of at least two days. Because if it is a day trip, Balagzong is too rushed. What's more, the accommodation and catering here are quite good, making it a good choice for a vacation.
Tour bus fare: Shuizhuang-Bala Village, round-trip 60 yuan, one-way 35 yuan;
Bala Village - Shambhala Pagoda, 75 yuan round trip, 40 yuan one way;
VIP charter price: general car, Shuizhuang-Bala Village, 300 yuan; Bala Village - Shambhala Pagoda, 360 yuan, can seat 4 people;
This should be the lowest price, and if the model is better, such as an off-road vehicle, or a commercial vehicle, etc., it will be more expensive. The advantage is that you can stop and take pictures at any time, which will be very convenient for photography enthusiasts, because there are many observation decks along the way to take good photos.
4. Observation deck
There are several observation decks along the way, which are more suitable for viewing and taking pictures, I marked them all on the schematic map, and I remember about 7 places along the way, where you can enjoy the canyon, the sacred mountain and the village of Bara. If the weather is good, the light will be better in the morning or evening, and if the weather is bad, you need to use your creativity to shoot different works, such as me this time.
5. Travel season
If you want to see Rizhao Jinshan, you have to come in winter, such as after October and before March; According to the scenic spot staff, it is almost every day and is very common. But in the rainy season, if you want to see this scenery, you have to look at the weather. My luck is not good enough, it has been rainy for a week, and I really can't wait to see the true face of the Gezong Sacred Mountain, but the visit in the rainy season is another feeling, the clouds and mist halfway up the mountain every day, coupled with the very small number of tourists during the epidemic, this Grand Canyon is really a secret place in the secret realm! Wake up in the clouds and mist every day, shuttle between the mountains and rivers, as if the whole wonderland belongs only to you.
Bandan Ram Sacred Mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist 6. About photography
This time I did make sufficient preparations, brought two sets of equipment, and prepared to shoot the starry sky and time delay, but I couldn't take pictures due to the weather, so I could only take pictures casually, but according to local conditions, I used ND lenses to shoot some slow door works surrounded by clouds, which can be regarded as a frozen moment.
The basic configuration is: a combination of full-frame SLR + ultra-wide-angle + telephoto, and a tripod and ND lens must be brought.
7. About Gao Fan
Bala Village, the core area of the entire scenic spot, is about 3,900 meters above sea level. The pass is 4250 meters.For most tourists, there is some altitude sickness, that's for sure. But you don't need to worry too much, on the one hand, everyone should try to avoid excitement when they first arrive here, and it will be no problem to adapt slowly; In addition, the vegetation coverage here is very high and the oxygen content is very good. I personally experienced that on the first day, I went up to the pass, a little short of breath, and the rest of the time was fine, but I felt a little headache when I took a shower and went to bed on the first night, and I didn't sleep well on the first day, and then I gradually got used to it.
So I have three suggestions to summarize:
1. When you first arrive at the plateau, don't be too excited to avoid aggravation of altitude sickness;
2. Eat rhodiola in advance before coming to relieve altitude sickness;
3. Do not take a shower on the first night, especially do not wash your hair, so that it will be easier to adapt to high reactions;
Attractions
Below, I will give you an intuitive introduction to the points I have been to one by one. Some of them can be called scenic spots, and some are completely places that I think are beautiful or worth visiting, I will mark them for you, I hope it will be helpful to you.
To be honest, in Balagzon, I don't think the check-in attractions are as isolated as the immersive experience.
It should be said that in the entire Balag Sect, I think Bala Village is the core, and during the three days of Balag Sect, I basically arranged my time with Bala Village as the central point.
Bala Village is actually the birthplace of the magical land of Balagzong, it is said that it is a Tibetan village that migrated here from Batang, Sichuan more than 1,300 years ago, and has lived here for generations, the terrain of Bala Village is very interesting, on a flat land raised halfway up the mountain at about 3,900 meters, you can overlook the Grand Canyon and the Gangqu River downwards, and you can look up at the highest peak - Gezong Sacred Mountain up. When I walk on the mountain road of Balagzon, I can see the iconic pagoda of Bala Village at many corners, so I can't overstate it as the core of the entire scenic spot.
Bara village under the prayer flag 
Bara village from the drone perspective 
Overlooking the stupa in Bara Village 
Stupa before sunset In reality, Bala Village, it is said that there are only a dozen households, and now they have basically moved out of here and gone to live in Shuizhuang Village below, today's Bala Village, on the one hand, retains two ancient houses as museums to show tourists the history of Bala Village, on the other hand, relevant supporting facilities have been built around, such as the earliest Tusi Manor Hotel, right next to the parking lot, next to restaurants, canteens and butter tea houses, etc., and a little further up, rows of relatively new buildings, which are another part of the Tusi Manor, relatively new, Now it is called the Snow Mountain Worship Yangxin Manor Hotel. I stayed here for two nights and all the hardware and software (service, catering, etc.) were very good. Every morning when you open the window, the misty Shangri-La Grand Canyon is in front of you, the birds are chirping, it's very quiet, I sometimes feel a little dazed, where am I?
This building is very eye-catching in the scenic spot, especially in Bala Village, looking at the opposite mountainside, a row of pagodas and Tibetan-style buildings behind it seem to be a hermitage in the mountains. This place is called Baladra Malakang, which is a Guanyin temple built by the Tusi Sina Dorjee more than 1,300 years ago after the Dayong Mansion, and was rebuilt on the original 21st Tara Sutra Hall because it was too old. A total of 21 Tara statues are displayed in the Dolmalakang Temple, which is a family goddess of liberation and salvation of suffering beings, and is also a group of female deities worshipped by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, 21 Tara is widely worshiped by believers and people in Tibetan Buddhist areas, and has great regional influence.
This is the venue for Bala Village people to worship Buddha on major festivals or the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and is divided into two floors according to the old site. The first floor is the main statue of the Thousand Buddha Hall, and the second floor is the 21st Mother.
Balajo Marakon under the snowy mountains 
Inside Baladra Malacón 
2nd floor loft view 
Detail elements of the doorway 
Stupa and Balajo Malakorkham 
Observation deck overlooking the village of Bara and Bala Dromalakang Every day at about half past nine, buses will take tourists up the mountain one after another to visit here, so I enjoyed the quiet morning here alone before them, raindrops fell from the eaves outside, birds were chirping, and the incense ash in the hall floated out, I looked at the opposite village of Bala and the Bandan Ram sacred mountain behind me from here, and after a while, the sky cleared, and the blue sky and white clouds came out, although the time lasted for a short time, but I seemed to have a feeling, was it Tara apparition?
If you want to say which angle of Balag Sect is the most classic, whether you are in an advertisement or a travelogue, what you see the most is definitely the Shambhala Natural Pagoda. This naturally formed mountain is actually called Qudeng Sacred Mountain. "Qudeng" means stupa in Tibetan, which is a religious building used to store relics, scriptures and other objects. The shape of this Qudeng Sacred Mountain resembles a circular pagoda, and it is a beautiful pagoda when covered with snow. Therefore, this "natural pagoda" must become the most photogenic and representative landscape of Balag Sect.
Shambhala natural stupa wrapped in clouds and mist 
I want to take a picture of a row of sacred mountains, but I can't see the sacred mountains of Gezong 
Before sunset, the wind and clouds meet 
A beam of light suddenly appeared, capturing this rare moment 
At the pass, climb up and look down a little 
The winding mountain road when coming 
Winding mountain road, looking down at the pass, is already hidden in the clouds When I climbed the 4250-meter pass, the Shambhala stupa was hidden in the clouds and mist. The weather has been too bad these days, rainy all day long, so the humidity in the canyon is very heavy, and the relatively high peaks are covered with residual snow, which will also evaporate water vapor, so the peaks are always hidden in the clouds. I waited for a while at the 4250 pass with a strong wind, and finally took the opportunity to take a picture of its true face in the gap between the two clouds.
Continuing forward from the 4250-meter pass, in fact, it is going down, about a few minutes, a pagoda made of stones will appear in front of you, and then a flat land, this place is called Gezongtang. It is the best place to see the Shambhala natural stupa.
Still, I waited hard in front of the clouds and fog before waiting for the moment when the pagoda showed its true face, and after the shooting, a dark cloud floated over and it rained, so I had to pack up my equipment and go down the mountain.
Although I have never been able to see the true face of the highest sacred mountain in the scenic area, it is a wish to be able to see the Shambhala Pagoda, so be content.
Gezongtang angle view of Shambhala natural stupa Walking on the mountain road of Balagzon, it is easy to overlook this relatively small point, and there are few tourists during special periods, so it is really very quiet. Walking along the wooden plank road, the light became darker and darker, and the sound of flowing water became louder and louder, like a secret place unknown to the world. It is said that the hole of this natural spring is only the size of a fist. The reason why it is called Shenquan is that it is said that the living Buddha of Simba in Ganzi led the believers to this place of baptism for children, that is, it is said that in this divine spring, worship and burn incense, etc., and nine out of ten women will become pregnant and give birth after a year. Of course, I didn't have this need, so I started photography while there was no one around.
I sometimes sigh that a secret place like Balagzong is not only a divine spring, but the entire scenic spot is quiet, But this sense of immediacy that is shrouded in clouds and mist is really a good place for vacation and self-cultivation.
Baptist Gorge, in fact, I am still looking forward to a place, because I learned about this peculiar canyon when I did a guide before coming, from the bottom of the valley to the top of the gorge is about 4,000 meters high, the highest peak here, the river formed by the melting of the snow water of the Gezong Snow Mountain shuttles through the canyon, and there are several waterfalls with a large drop, I think, it should be a good photography spot. But when I arrived at the mouth of the canyon, I learned that the plank road in Tongtian Gorge was damaged and had not been repaired, so I couldn't walk all the way to see the waterfall. The original 2-kilometer plank road was closed halfway through, and I think what an exciting experience it would be if you could go to the end and see the spectacular waterfall on the plank road with a drop of 700 meters.
This may be the most popular attraction in the entire scenic spot. A few minutes up the drive from the village of Bara to a large parking lot where you can send postcards. From the parking lot, you can go all the way to the glass plank road along the wooden plank road. This plank road is actually not close, it takes about 10 minutes to walk. On the way you will see different angles of the Shangri-La Grand Canyon and then hear shouts from time to time. Don't be afraid, that's the excitement of tourists doing the ropeway. If you like excitement, you can try it, the starting point is where the wooden plank road ends, I suggest you visit the glass plank road, on the way back, you don't have to walk the wooden plank road for 10 minutes again, just slide the rail directly to the other side, exciting and labor-saving.
The best angle overlooking the Grand Canyon 
Glass Observation Deck Speaking of glass plank roads, in fact, many domestic scenic spots are building glass plank roads or glass observation decks, so I am not particularly excited and looking forward to it. But the glass observation deck does offer the best view of the Grand Canyon's drop and spectacle.
Oneof the better things about the scenic spot is that tourists are not allowed to wear shoes to step on the glass observation deck, and must rent shoe covers, which to a certain extent ensures the cleanliness of the glass platform, which is much easier for people like me who want to take reflections.
The zipline passes through the Grand Canyon 
The building near the glass plank road seems to be a café, and the was not opened during the epidemic
When you enter the scenic spot, the first thing you see is the thousand-year-old linden tree. This linden tree that is more than 3,000 years old is really magical, although it grows on the rocky cliff, it is really difficult to take pictures from a photographic point of view, but its significance is worth stopping at.
On the way up from the gate of the scenic spot along the winding mountain road to Bala Village, you will encounter a big corner, where there is an observation deck with a name tag: Bandan Ram Sacred Mountain. Because the place was spacious, I temporarily parked the car next to it and got out of the car to take a look.This observation deck is across the Grand Canyon from the so-called "Bandan Ram Sacred Mountain". I didn't particularly remember the point that impressed me, but when I came to Bala Village and chatted with the front desk of the hotel, I learned the story behind this sacred mountain.
Bandan Ram Sacred Mountain, mobile phone photo "Bandan Ram" has more memories in the memory of the younger generation of Bala villagers. At that time, there were no roads and communications in Bala Village. However, due to the needs of life, the fathers would hike out to Shangri-La County every year to trade some salt, tea and other daily necessities, but because of the arduous and long journey, it took more than ten days to go back and forth. Every time the Kangba men returned to Bandan Ram halfway up the mountain, they would fire their shotguns into the air, and the hostess in the village knew that the men in the family had returned. Butter tea and other food will be prepared in advance to reward the men who have traveled long distances. And the children in the village greeted them at the entrance of the village with anticipation. Over time, Bandan Ram has become a natural post station for people from Bala Village to return from hiking.
After listening to the story of "Bandan Ram Sacred Mountain", I looked at the Grand Canyon in the distance and thought about it.
The little girl at the front desk suddenly called me, what are you thinking?
I came back to my senses and told her:
Listening to your story, it feels like a long time ago, but it's not far away. Before it was developed as a scenic spot in 2008, perhaps the entire Bala Village lived such an isolated life for hundreds or thousands of years. They persevered, fought against nature, and survived tenaciously; They are accompanied by the sacred mountain and have been passed down from generation to generation by relying on their beliefs. But life is really extremely difficult, and now Balagzong and Bala Village have opened their arms to welcome outsiders. This most unknown secret place in Shangri-La is slowly becoming known to the world, which is a good thing for the villagers here and the surrounding residents.
I stayed here for three days, in fact, it is enough for the scenic spot tour, maybe two days will be more efficient. But I deliberately slowed myself down because it was very different from my previous trips.
Although I didn't see the starry sky and the sunshine Golden Mountain that I expected, I got a misty and rainy wonderland experience. Every morning, I pushed open the window and watched the mist in front of me float over layer by layer, and slowly dissipate ......
In this special period, this scenic spot seems to be only open for myself, and many times I visit alone, and the big valley is ethereal and full of magic.
I am looking forward to meeting again in the winter of Balagzon.
End of full text.
Number of days：6 days, Average cost: 6,000 yuan, Updated: 2020-10-28 15:49
Number of days：5 days, Average cost: 1800 yuan, Updated: 2021-08-16 17:29
Number of days：6 days, Average cost: 4800 yuan, Updated: 2024.03.08
Number of days：8 days, Average cost: 10,000 yuan, Updated: 2024.02.24
Number of days: 3 days, Average cost: 1000 yuan, Updated: 2021-01-31 20:04
Number of days: 4 days, Average cost: 3600 yuan, Updated: 2024.11.16
