Heading West: A Self-Driving Trip from Guangzhou to Daocheng Yading

Number of days: 15 days
Time: August
Average cost: 10,000 yuan
With whom: husband and wife
Updated: 2023.04.10

I took a road trip from Guangzhou to Daocheng Yading during the summer of 2016. At the time, I simply imported the photos into my QQ album, noting the time and location, but never put them into words. Now that I'm retired, I've finally thought of slowly organizing the photos, slowly recalling the fun things we did back then, and putting them into words, as if I were going on another 318 trip. However, I took very few photos of the food I ate and the hotels I stayed in, and I don't remember much of it. I remember eating mostly Sichuan cuisine, which was very delicious. I only required the hotels to be clean and tidy, not star-level service, so this travelogue will not describe much about the food and accommodation.

On the Dragon Boat Festival of 2016, my mother, who had been seriously ill for three and a half years, became seriously ill and her condition worsened, and she eventually left us forever. At the time, I was extremely exhausted both mentally and physically. After all, during those three and a half years of my mother's serious illness, I was the one who accompanied and cared for her food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Seeing this, my husband told me to rest up and recuperate. He said he absolutely had to take me on a road trip during summer vacation, which was just over a month away, to relax and unwind. That's how we decided to go on this road trip to western Sichuan.

I'd long heard that Daocheng Yading is one of China's most intact and pristine alpine ecosystems, showcasing the world's most stunning alpine and canyon scenery. It's known as the "Last Shangri-La," "Shangri-La Wonderland," and "The Last Pure Land on the Blue Planet." I'd longed to visit Daocheng Yading, but the distance from Guangzhou, the inconvenient transportation, and my fear of altitude sickness had prevented me from making the trip. So, when my husband suggested a road trip with me, I immediately agreed. With our destination decided, I searched online for travel guides, planned our itinerary, and mapped out our itinerary. We planned a 15-day trip: Guangzhou - Jishou - Wulong - Chongqing - Chengdu - Dujiangyan - Yingxiu - Wolong - Mount Siguniang - Danba - Bamei - Tagong - Kangding - Hailuogou - Luding - Kangding - Xinduqiao - Yajiang - Litang - Daocheng - Yading - Xiangcheng - Durong - Shangri-La - Lijiang - Lugu Lake - Lijiang - Dali - Kunming - Nanning - Guangzhou. We sent the itinerary to our friend and neighbor Shiwei (who was also our road trip companion to Qiandongnan two years ago) and asked if he wanted to go. Within 10 minutes, he readily agreed to bring his son Taotao with us. Taotao had gotten into a key middle school this year and scored full marks in both physics and chemistry, so we were giving him a reward trip. With the itinerary and our companions in place, we made all the necessary preparations: sunscreen, cold protection, food and drink, and medications for colds, diarrhea, and injuries. Since we were going to the plateau, rhodiola rosea was essential. So a week in advance, I started taking rhodiola rosea. My husband said he'd been to Tibet before and drank alcohol and bathed there without issue, so he wouldn't take rhodiola. Then I started checking the weather forecast for western Sichuan, but it predicted rain every day, with news of landslides. I was undecided: should I change my route? My husband said, "No, we're not that unlucky. It's impossible for it to rain all the time. At most, it'll just be showers." So, on August 3, 2016, braving a typhoon, the four of us set off. My husband was in charge of the steering and planning the route, while Shiwei managed the finances and took care of all travel expenses. Shiwei is also a photography enthusiast, and the nearly 20 kilograms of gear he was carrying gave me a pretty good shot. I'm really looking forward to the photos from this road trip. Taotao was in charge of the accounts. Haha, I was just hands-off, except for taking over for my husband when he got tired. Day 1: Guangzhou to Jishou (893km) We set off promptly at 8:00 AM. The first day was mostly spent on the road. Having been deeply impressed by the Jiuningshan Service Area during our previous road trip to Qiandongnan, with its wall inscribed with Chairman Mao's poems and its clean, tidy appearance, we decided to have lunch there. We were disappointed; the variety of dishes was limited and the taste was average. We arrived at Fenghuang Ancient Town around 5:00 PM. The area was crowded, jammed, and parking was difficult to find, so we simply stopped by the bridge to take some photos before heading to Jishou for our overnight stay. Accommodation in Jishou was very affordable (150 RMB for a standard room), clean and tidy, and the food was excellent, especially the steamed bacon. After dinner, we retired early without going out.

Day 2: Jishou – Aizhai – Wulong (368km) – Chongqing (198km)

Departed from Jishou at 8:30 in the morning and passed through the Aizhai Scenic Area. Aizhai is a beautiful and quaint Miao town. Since it was not in our plan, we only took photos at the observation deck and did not enter the scenic area.

We arrived in Wulong around 1:00 p.m. and had a meal there, including a fish weighing over three kilograms (98 yuan per kilogram). Unfortunately, they only had braised fish, so the taste was average. After lunch, we visited the Three Natural Bridges Scenic Area. Comprising Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge, and Heilong Bridge, the Three Natural Bridges are majestic and magnificent, forming the largest natural bridge complex in Asia. Tianlong Bridge towers above the ground, standing 200 meters tall and spanning 300 meters. As the largest of the three bridges, it resembles a soaring dragon, hence the name "Tianlong." Beneath the Tianlong Bridge lies a natural pit, with caves within it, all interconnected, creating a magical experience reminiscent of the Minoan Labyrinth on Crete.

After the play, we rushed to Chongqing and checked into the Chongqing Amaris Hotel (300 yuan) at 8:30. On the recommendation of a Chongqing local, we went to Chongqing Linjiangmen Dongzi Hot Pot Restaurant for a meal of yukan hot pot. The taste was delicious. Not only was it delicious, but beer and Sprite were free before 10 o'clock. So, my husband and Shiwei drank a total of 6 bottles of beer, while Taotao and I were not very strong and only drank 3 bottles of Sprite. Day 3: Chongqing – Chengdu (340km) – Dujiangyan (55km) – Yingxiu (34km) – Wolong Town (49km). We left the hotel at 8:30 AM and followed the navigation system. Suddenly, we realized we were going the wrong way. Just as we were about to turn around, a traffic police officer came up and took us to the traffic police station for a lecture. Just as we were worried about getting fined and points deducted, the Chongqing police officer was kind enough to say we were from out of town and that it was our first time, so we could just relax. He waved us off and let us go. Haha, what a stroke of luck! We left Chongqing, passed through Chengdu, and encountered traffic jams. We arrived in Dujiangyan around 2:00 PM. We had planned to have lunch before letting Shiwei and his son explore Dujiangyan (my husband and I had been there before, so we skipped the tourist attractions this time). It was past lunchtime, and after visiting several restaurants, they all had their meals, leaving us with nothing to eat. Shiwei and his son had to continue exploring with their snacks. We then wandered around the ancient town behind Nanqiao Bridge and discovered a wealth of snacks. My husband can't walk without snacks, so we devoured cold noodles, dandan noodles, and cold vermicelli noodles, leaving us completely bloated.

Day 5: Danba - Bamei (82km) - Tagong (29km) - Kangding (70km)

Driving from Danba along Highway S303, we soon arrived at the Yak Valley Natural Bonsai Area, which is 64km long and features hot springs, waterfalls, flat grasslands, and Tibetan villages. The road is accompanied by a river, the river water is clear and bright, the canyons on both sides stand tall, and the clouds and mist are shrouded, like a fairy mirror.

After walking out of the bonsai area, you will soon see the Yala Snow Mountain. Yala means "willing to give up" in Tibetan. The Yala Snow Mountain is a sacred mountain that symbolizes sacrifice and devotion. Its majestic peak, capped year-round with snow, is a sacred mountain revered by Huiyuan Monastery and the surrounding Tibetans. Continuing on, we soon arrived at Bamei, where we stopped to admire the scenery and take photos. The vast meadows, golden barley, undulating snow-capped mountains, charming Tibetan villages, and earth and rock forests complement each other, creating a breathtaking scene. It was truly a picturesque scene.

The road from Bamei to Tagong was under construction, so the road was difficult to travel on and it was dusty, so we didn't get off the bus. After arriving in Tagong, lunch presented another challenge. The Tibetan restaurant only had beef, and neither Shiwei nor I eat beef. I was relatively unhurried, so I managed to eat a few pieces with my eyes closed. Shiwei, however, was practically vomiting at the mere smell. I asked the chef to make egg fried rice, but he said it was cooked in ghee and refused. I asked him to have instant noodles, but when he saw they only had beef, he refused. In the end, we had to continue our journey hungry. My husband and Taotao were overwhelmed by the food, constantly praising it as they ate. The Tibetans even offered us homemade yogurt and green tea, which were quite good. The journey from Tagong to Kangding was a journey of breathtaking scenery. The Tagong Grassland is the most famous grassland in Ganzi Prefecture and the closest grassland to Chengdu. "Tagong" means "the place favored by the Bodhisattva" in Tibetan. The towering Yala Snow Mountain, the rolling grasslands, and the herds of cattle and sheep are truly breathtaking. Seeing such a beautiful scene makes you want to cheer and leap for joy. Haha, having a photographer along was a plus; the photos of me leaping in the air were fantastic.

Day 8 Yajiang - Liyong (137km) - Daocheng (148km)

Yesterday's itinerary was easy and we rested early, so this morning we headed towards Litang, the world's highest city. Walking along National Highway 318, passing through the 18 bends of Tianlu, and passing through Jianziwan Pass (4659 meters above sea level) and Kazila Pass (4718 meters above sea level), we finally saw an alpine meadow. This is Litang, a high city in the world and the Pearl of the Plateau.

The entire urban area of Litang County is 4,100 meters above sea level. It is really not advisable to stay overnight if you have altitude sickness. Vegetables cannot be stir-fried. Basically, the food is cooked in a pressure cooker first, and then heated in a hot pot when the guests eat. Remember: it is not cooked in a hot pot, but heated. We had a meal of heated tofu flower hot pot in Litang. Since the whole county of Litang was under construction and the dust was flying, we headed towards Daocheng without stopping.

On the way, you will see the scenery of the Maoya Prairie, pass by the Wuliang River, climb over the Rabbit Mountain, the legendary tortoise and the hare race, pass by the largest ancient glacier site on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Daocheng Ancient Ice Cap, and the desolate, rough and magnificent Haizishan Nature Reserve (4,500 meters above sea level). The endless hillside is covered with rocks of different sizes and strange shapes. There is no grass except rocks, which makes people feel like they are in the wilderness of the universe. Along the way, you can enjoy the charming scenery of the Red Earth River Valley and the paradise-like Tibetan villages.

毛垭大草原

Wulianghe

Haizishan Nature Reserve (4500 meters above sea level)

Rabbit Mountain

After coming down from the pass, not long after walking, you can see the Tallinn consisting of a large white pagoda and 108 small white pagodas from a distance. Zunsheng Tallinn is the symbol of Daocheng County. It is a Tibetan custom to go around mountains, rivers and the White Pagoda. Going around the White Pagoda three times in a clockwise direction is a compulsory course for local Tibetans every morning, noon and evening. It's a pity that we didn't know about it at the time and didn't go around. Daocheng County is located in the open valley at the intersection of Daocheng River and Banghe River. The small town on the plain was called "Daoba" in ancient times, which in Tibetan means "open land at the mouth of the valley". The red grassland and tens of thousands of acres of poplar forest outside Daocheng complement the blue sky and white clouds. Rapeseed flowers, Gesang flowers and many unnamed wild flowers are blooming extremely beautifully. All this made us really not want to leave. We wanted to stay for one night (280 yuan), live well, eat well, and treat ourselves. The hotel is not bad. They tested our blood oxygen and heartbeat for free. The results showed that my husband was normal. I'm neither normal. The blood oxygen level was as low as 78 and the heart rate was as high as 128. The child Taotao is slightly better than me.

Day 9 Daocheng-Aden (110 kilometers)

The road from Daocheng to Aden is easy to walk, and it takes one hour to reach Aden. Find a hotel, park the car, bring water and dry food, and then take the scenic transportation bus to Chonggu Temple. Remember to bring your own water and dry food. The scenic spot is well protected and nothing is sold inside. Take a battery car from Chonggu Temple to Luorong Cattle Farm. Luorong Cattle Farm is surrounded by continuous alpine meadows, with wild flowers in full bloom on the meadows, covering the mountains and plains, which is very spectacular. The Gongga River passes through the cattle farm, and groups of cattle and sheep graze leisurely by the river and on the hillsides, creating a harmonious scene.

The fog is heavy and the photos taken are not very good

From Luorong Niu Farm, you can choose to ride horses to the Milk Sea and the Five Color Sea. Because we had ridden horses in Siguniang Mountain, everyone in Aden unanimously decided not to ride horses and climb up. The distance from Luorong Niuchang to Milk Sea is less than 5 kilometers, and the distance from Milk Sea to Five Color Sea is less than 1 kilometer. It turned out that our thinking was too simple. This was not an ordinary 6 kilometers, but 6 kilometers from 4100 meters to 4700 meters above sea level. It was still raining lightly, and the roads were super bad. It was really a trek through mountains and rivers. Not only did we have to step on horse manure, but we also had to walk in small streams. One-third of the entire climb up the mountain was very difficult, and riders on horseback had to get down and walk (suddenly they felt that they were not worth riding, and they had to get down to climb the most difficult section even if they were riding). There was a section of the road with a slope of more than 70 degrees. After climbing two steps at a high altitude, you would get out of breath, rest when you get out of breath, and then grit your teeth and continue... It took 4 hours, and my husband and I finally reached the Five-Colored Sea at an altitude of 4,700 meters. (It was later discovered that we made a mistake in choosing to go to Wusehai first, because this section of the road was too steep and tiring, and the road to Milk Lake was much gentler). The moment I boarded the Five-Colored Sea, I felt that everything was worth it. The Five-Colored Sea is named after the five different colors it produces when exposed to sunlight. The panoramic view is even more beautiful from above the Five Colored Sea. Looking at the two holy mountains of Shanuoduoji and Yangmaiyong from a distance, you can see alpine flowers and grass, green forests, capped glaciers, green lakes, and streams running through meadows. This beautiful scenery will never let you down after hours of hard work climbing the mountains. The biodiversity is also well preserved. You can see pheasants, wild deer, squirrels, birds and other animals at any time. They are not afraid of people and will pose for you to take photos, allowing us to fully experience the natural beauty of the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Going down the mountain from the side of Milk Sea is much easier. With the weather clearing up, the three sacred mountains have revealed their true colors. The blue sky, white clouds, snow mountains, alpine stamens, forests, glaciers, lakes, rivers, wild animals, etc. form a beautiful picture. This is God’s reward for our hard work.

The weather got better after going to the Milky Sea, with blue sky and white clouds, and the sun was shining. Every time I took a photo, it was a beautiful sight.

Small animals taken along the way

When I returned to Luorong Cow Farm and met Shiwei and his son, I realized that they had not climbed to the Milk Sea and Five Color Sea. It turned out that Xiao Taotao was suffering from altitude sickness and lacked oxygen, so he even borrowed oxygen from others to take a few breaths. They chose to give up after climbing two-thirds of the way. On the other hand, the two of us are doing pretty well. We can’t say we don’t have altitude sickness, but it’s not serious. My husband doesn’t eat rhodiola. He drives for a few hours every day and is fine. He can still eat and sleep. He drinks a little wine every night, and he’s fine at all. I eat rhodiola rosea every day, but since I entered the Kangba area, I can’t open my eyes and shed tears after driving for half an hour. This is probably altitude sickness, but everything else is fine. I am extremely proud of myself for being able to crawl for 12 kilometers on a plateau of over 4100 meters to 4700 meters.

Day 10 Aden --- Xiangcheng (86 kilometers) --- Derong (165 kilometers) --- Benzilan (63 kilometers)

Set out for Echu Mountain at 8:30 in the morning. After walking for 30 kilometers, I did not dare to go any further. The road was too difficult to walk, as if I had entered a no-man's land. Since entering Kang Since the trip to the Ba area, due to the many winding mountain roads with sharp turns and the wild driving style of Tibetans, my husband has been holding on to the steering wheel tightly, not trusting me and Shiwei to drive. Therefore, my husband is the most tired during this trip to Western Sichuan. Fortunately, my husband is in good physical condition. Although he drives for a long time every day, he still eats well, sleeps soundly, and has fun. So we unanimously decided to turn around and head from Xiangcheng via Derong to Shangri-La in Yunnan.

When you see a white Tibetan house from a distance, you know that you have arrived in Xiangcheng. The "white Tibetan house" is one of the "three wonders" of Xiangcheng and the most important cultural brand of Xiangcheng. The white Tibetan house is a civil structure and has strong local characteristics. The walls of Tibetan houses are made of ordinary mud with suitable humidity and are generally used for hundreds of years. The outer side of the wall is inwardly inclined and the inner side is vertical. The whole house is a dense frame of indoor wooden columns. The more column heads, the bigger the house. The overall house is trapezoidal, with flat and smooth walls. Every year around January before the Chuanzhao Festival, a white soil slurry is mixed with water and mixed with a kind of Argo soil unique to Xiangcheng Mountain. It is put into teapots and other utensils and poured slowly from the top of the wall until the soil wall turns white. This not only makes the wall beautiful and rainproof, but more importantly, it prays for good luck and happiness. Legend has it that every pouring is equivalent to lighting a thousand butter lamps and reciting a thousand peace sutras. In terms of traditional structure and stratification, white Tibetan houses in rural areas generally have five to six floors. The lowest floor is the livestock shed. The second floor is the important living area, where the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and sutra hall are all located. The third, fourth and fifth floors are mostly used for drying grain. Nowadays, white Tibetan houses have also begun to pay attention to the "separation of humans and animals", and the ground floor has also been decorated for people.

After lunch in Xiangcheng, head towards Derong. Who said this is the best way to go to Shangri-La? Is this the best way to go? It’s almost the same as the road from Kangding to Hailuogou. I really don’t know what that difficult no man’s land is like. The road is uneven and has many sharp turns. You have to climb many mountains. The key is to wait for the excavator in front to dig out a road. Once while waiting, I discovered that the front and back of my car were all cars from Guangzhou. What a coincidence, so several drivers chatted animatedly, and finally took a group photo at the construction site.

We didn’t arrive at the Big Bend of the Jinsha River until almost 8 o’clock in the evening. Fortunately, the night here was very dark, so we took a look at the Big Bend of the Jinsha River in the twilight. We stayed at Benzilan (150 yuan).

Day 11 Benzilan - Shangri-La (88 kilometers) - Lijiang (168 kilometers) - Lugu Lake (200 kilometers)

Get up in the morning and head towards Shangri-La along National Highway 214. I saw the Jinsha River dividing Sichuan and Yunnan into two sides. It’s also interesting. It turns out that I lived at the junction of the two provinces yesterday. National Highway 214 is really easy to walk, and the scenery is not bad. The white clouds floated from the side to the mountainside. Finally, we understood that we had descended from the plateau. Originally, the trip to Yunnan was also on a plateau, but all the way down from Litang, there was so much oxygen and no altitude sickness. People are so adaptable. Afterwards, I had already walked all the way. I walked again and found that the Napa Sea had not changed, the terraced fields had not changed, and the tourism resources had been over-exploited. Shangri-La is no longer the beautiful countryside it was 20 years ago. It has become a city, just a big garden in the city. When we passed Tiger Leaping Gorge, it happened to be a weekend and the traffic jam was serious, so we skipped the trip and went straight to Lijiang.

The road from Lijiang to Lugu Lake is easy, taking more than 3 hours by car. We had no choice but to build roads again, and we had to detour around the Ahai Hydropower Station. The road was rugged, and the road was over mountains and ridges. It was only enough for two cars to pass through the Yi village. There were various traffic jams and various detours. It took 7 hours to travel more than 200 kilometers from Lijiang. Fortunately, the scenery is beautiful, the Gesang flowers blooming beside the road are brilliant, and the Ahai Hydropower Station is very majestic.

At almost nine o'clock in the evening, I stayed in a lake view room in Lugu Lake. It is the kind where you can see the sunrise while lying on the bed. It costs 380 yuan a night. Both the taste and portion size are much worse than those in Western Sichuan. I originally said that during this self-driving trip, the food was really good and very suitable to my taste. I ate much more every day than at home, and I have gained a lot of weight. But as soon as we arrived here, the food gave us a setback.

Day 12 Lugu Lake-Lijiang (200 kilometers)

As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I quickly looked to see if there was a sunrise. I really saw the lake bathed in the glow, it was so beautiful. After lying on the bed and taking a few pictures of the sunrise, I quickly got up and went to the lake. Walking along the wooden plank road around the lake, there are very few pedestrians. The morning at Lugu Lake is peaceful and beautiful. The plateau lake bathed in the glow is dreamlike and picturesque. I can't help but secretly rejoice. Fortunately, Lugu Lake is not over-developed, so I can enjoy this beauty and tranquility.

Mysterious place and mysterious nation. When visiting Lugu Lake, you must understand the customs and customs of the Mosuo Daughter Country, the last matrilineal homeland of mankind. So after breakfast, we went to the Mosuo Folk Museum to learn about the folk customs of the Mosuo people. It turns out that the Mosuo migrated from Ningxia and were an important trading nation on the Tea Horse Road. I never thought that Dr. Locke from the United States would settle here for many years in the 1920s. We watched walking weddings, Mosuo guys climbing into flower houses, performances by Axia (lover), and many exhibitions of folk-custom items, which gave us a certain understanding of this nation. Mosuo people only have uncles in their families, but no father. In a family, the grandmother has the highest status and is the master of the family, while the uncle is the master of the family.

Return to Lijiang in the afternoon. My husband’s student from 20 years ago gave me warm hospitality. It turned out that this student was a descendant of Prince Mu’s Mansion. Maybe my husband is too tired from driving, maybe he’s too excited to see a female student he hasn’t seen for years, or maybe he’s just too drunk? Anyway, when we were walking around the Old Town of Lijiang at night, my husband got so drunk that he couldn't walk very steadily. As a result, the kids, Taotao, didn't have a good time walking around the Old Town of Lijiang all night. They were just busy helping their husbands, haha.

Day 13 Lijiang-Dali-Kunming

We finally have a highway today. My husband is not in good spirits because he was drunk yesterday. Plus, we were walking on the highway, so I felt relieved and gave me the steering wheel and went to sleep. When we arrived at the Three Pagodas of Dali, Shiwei and his son went in to visit. My husband and I had been there before but didn’t go in. Saved two hundred yuan on tickets. Later, I went to Dali Ancient City for a while. To be honest, I felt very disappointed. There are so many people here and there is nothing like the tranquility, small bridges and flowing water that it had 18 years ago. Lijiang and Dali are over-developed, I really don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. After visiting Dali, we went straight to Kunming. Maybe we just came from Aden. The beauty of Aden is unparalleled, so after arriving in Yunnan, we felt that the scenery in Yunnan was too ordinary. The original plan was to go to Dongchuan Red Land, but everyone was not very interested, so we unanimously agreed not to go and go directly to Nanning tomorrow.

Day 14 Kunming-Baise-Nanning

In the morning I went to the Haigeng Training Base, the training base of the national football team, and I deeply felt that the national football team was really sorry to the people of the country. Such a good training base has such poor results. . . . . . I went to Dianchi Lake for a while. It might rain. Although Dianchi Lake is beautiful, the photos I took were average.

Continue to move forward, heading towards Nanning. When passing by Baise, which was less than 200 kilometers away from our planned scenic spot - Bama Longevity Village, my husband asked, do you want to go to Bama? Everyone said in unison, not to go. If not, I’ll go straight to Nanning. Knowing that he would be home tomorrow, the child Taotao said excitedly that he would be able to eat the braised pork cooked by his mother tomorrow, and immediately called his mother to ask her to cook more braised pork. Haha, tomorrow night’s dinner is settled. When I went to Nanning, I stayed at a city express hotel next to Guangxi University. It cost 240 yuan a night. The food in Yunnan was not as good as in Sichuan.

Day 15 Nanning-Guangzhou

There was no conversation all the way, the whole journey was on high speed, and I only had lunch in the service area. I got home before 5pm.

Conclusion: The self-driving tour in Western Sichuan, which lasted 15 days and covered 6,100 kilometers, passing through five provinces and one city in Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong, ended successfully. Along the way, we passed the Tuojiang River, Wujiang River, Minjiang River, Dadu River, Jinsha River, Erhai Lake, Lugu Lake, Napo Sea, Dianchi Lake and other rivers, and appreciated their different beauties. We were lucky during this trip. The weather was very good during the trip. It didn’t rain until we got in the car or stayed at the hotel after the trip. Although I rarely go out at night because of the rain, I have never even participated in the ditch fire party of ethnic minorities. But it was the rainy season after all, so it didn't affect our itinerary, which was very lucky.

The most profound thing is that the most beautiful scenery is on the way, it is free and natural, and there is no ticket. It is much more beautiful and grand than those so-called attractions where you have to spend a lot of money to buy tickets.

The second is to truly feel the meaning of the sentence "eyes are in heaven, body is in hell". When you sit in a car with bumps and potholes for several hours and your body is too weak to bear it. When your breathing becomes short as the altitude rises. When you are out of breath after climbing two steps at high altitude, you feel like you are in hell. But when white-capped snow-capped mountains appear in front of you, and when you finally stand on the top of the snow-capped mountains and overlook the panoramic view, you will feel that this is paradise, a clean and beautiful paradise.

Third, when going to western Sichuan, you must prepare sunscreen. You have to wipe it even on rainy days. My husband just didn't apply it for the first two days and his skin peeled off. The blue sky and white clouds in Tibetan areas are beautiful, but the ultraviolet rays are extremely vicious. The sun shining through the car window can also make people ache. It feels like if a person is exposed to the sun for two hours, he will become a thousand-year mummy!
Fourth, when traveling by car in Western Sichuan, you must drive a car with a high chassis, otherwise you will feel heartbroken when you hear the sound of the chassis hitting the chassis. Driving on a plateau, I felt that the car was accelerating very slowly. I wanted to speed up and overtake, but I couldn't pick up the speed for a long time. When I got up, I was about to turn sharply, so I didn't dare to overtake.