Leaving Chang'an in the west is a journey of three thousand miles. I am willing to walk to the end of the world with my sword, but there is no worry on the bridge. -------Written at the beginning of the dream
I woke up from my dream with a shiver. I heard the sound of the train rubbing against the rails. Moreover, the travelers next to me were still rubbing their temples. Talking endless whispers. I turned on my phone, and the time was fixed at two o'clock in the morning. Several text messages from friends flashed across the screen. Some asked me if I had arrived in Xi'an, and some wished me a happy trip. I replied to them one by one and wished everyone good night, and then fell asleep again. passed.
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I don’t know since when, I always have such a picture in my mind, the vast desert Gobi, with crescent-shaped lakes nestled in the sand dunes. At your feet, there are ancient temples and ancient bells and pagodas, with bursts of Sanskrit sounds. The camel caravan outside the temple is swaying in the desert like a straw, reflecting the setting sun and listening to the ringing of the camel and horse bells.
? A strong wind blew, and the yellow sand flew up. After the dust settled, caves were spread out in front of us, accompanied by bursts of Buddhist sounds and incense. The monks chanted sutras, meditated, and talked in the caves. It tells about the past events of the Buddhist Kingdom.
?When I grew up, I learned that this place is called Dunhuang, a pearl that has shone for thousands of years on the ancient Silk Road. When I had the opportunity to see her face, I resolutely stepped on the train heading west.
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? The train slowly pulled into the station, Xi'an Station, but I prefer to call this city Chang'an. Chang'an, Chang'an, always peaceful, Chang'an, Chang'an, long-lasting peace and stability, the prosperous Tang Dynasty only left half of Chang'an. Chang'an, Chang'an, Chang'an chaos, the place where the troubled times began in Han Han's works.
? Although Chang'an is still hot at the end of May, due to the rain, the city still has some signs of desertedness on the streets, which actually adds to the trip. Purely ethereal.
We made an appointment at the cafe near the station to meet our friends for this trip, Yang Ge, Nan Nan and Lu Lu. It is precisely because of their presence that this trip of three thousand miles northwest It is a perfect trip.
?Brother Yang and Lu Lu are from Wuhan, Nan Nan is from Chongqing, and I am from Shandong. It can be said that people from all over the world gather in Chang'an City, and it feels like holding a martial arts conference. We are all people with stories, and we are all people who take our stories with us on the road, and stories are the best food to go with wine.
-3- In May, the streets of Chang'an are filled with the fragrance of locust flowers. No wonder Meng Dongye has a poem about "The spring breeze is so proud that horses are hoofed, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day."
I had heard of the snacks in Muslim Street before arriving in Xi’an. When I arrived in Xi’an, my first stop was to go straight to Muslim Street. The snacks in Huimin Street are quite unique. The Roujiamo is authentic and the mutton steamed bun is also very chewy. Su Shi, a famous foodie, once wrote a poem that goes, "Long delicacies include bear wax, Qin cooks only mutton soup" to describe the deliciousness of the mutton steamed bun. . Qishan Saozi Noodles, Gentband Noodles, Jia San Baozi Shop, etc. are all the characteristics of Huimin Street snacks.
Of course, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda are must-see places. Standing in the temple, with the gentle breeze and drizzle, they are like two guards guarding this thousand-year-old city. The Sutra Collection Building of the Dayan Pagoda stores the Mahayana Buddhism that Master Xuanzang retrieved from Tianzhu. On the north side of the pagoda is the Sanzang Zen Temple, which is the place where Master Xuanzang translates scriptures and where he preaches and receives karma. As if inspired by heaven, I met Master Xuanzang again. I had encountered the remains of the Master at Linggu Temple in Purple Mountain before, and I met the Master's former dojo at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
?Chang'an has the most complete city wall built in the Ming Dynasty, so climbing the city wall to watch the sunset has become the most beautiful thing. Climb the city wall from Andingmen, cycle around the city wall, chase the footsteps of the sun, and watch the sun slowly disappear on the horizon. It seems that you can see the ancient city that has been built for thousands of years as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. That touch of afterglow.
? Huaqing Pool and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses all tell the glory of that era. During the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, King Qin conquered Liuhe, and each period of history contrasts with each ancient artifact. ?
With the poignant love between Tang Ming Emperor Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, pomegranate trees were planted next to the Hall of Eternal Life. The pomegranate flowers are still as charming as the year before, and have never faded. "The king of Qin swept Liuhe, how majestic the tiger looked! Swinging his sword to cut through the floating clouds, all the princes came to the west." Li Bai's "Ancient Style" is so majestic and majestic. King Qin swept Liuhe with one sword, and all the princes came to worship. Maybe there is no great Qin in the world. However, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses have carved the Qin Empire thousands of years ago into the long river of history.
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As night fell, we packed up our luggage and headed west. Our next stop was Dunhuang. Due to schedule requirements, we arranged Jiayuguan Lanzhou on the return route. superior.
Go all the way west, leaving the place where you are. The hillsides outside the car window began to become sparsely covered, and the Gobi desert became more numerous. When night fell again, the train entered Dunhuang Station.
Dunhuang, a pearl on the Silk Road, is a city surrounded by flying sky.
The flying fairy outside the clouds is not far away, and he calls Qu Xiao to stay in Qingluan. When the car drove into the urban area of ??Dunhuang, a flying pipa sculpture came into view, and Lu You's poem came to mind.
Get off the car and walk, not far away is the Shazhou Night Market. People depend on food, so of course the first stop is to eat. In this city where multi-ethnic cultures blend together, food culture is particularly prominent. The barbecue in the northwest is very unique. It is not as delicate as the eastern region, but more rough under the wind and sand, and it retains the original taste of the meat. Local specialties such as Huyang Braised Pancakes and Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles also have an exotic flavor.
?Drive all the way from the city to Mingsha Mountain. It was still surrounded by trees a moment ago, but in an instant it turned into a vast desert. The kind of shock that ordinary scenery cannot give.
? The Crescent Moon Spring at the foot of Mingsha Mountain is like the eyes of the desert. The lake water is clear and the desert is on the shore. The coexistence of lakes and sand dunes is also a wonderful sight. The most beautiful thing is the setting sun over the singing sand. When you climb up the high sand dunes and watch the sun disappear little by little into the desert, you can’t help but sigh. Maybe the ancients thousands of years ago also watched the sun setting over the hills like we do, which is why we couldn’t help but have the idea of ??“desert.” The solitary smoke is straight, the sun is setting over the long river."
The next day, we drove two hundred miles to see the Yadan landforms in the Devil's Domain. All the way we walked was the Gobi desert. This kind of scenery is completely invisible in the east. There is no grass growing in the black Qilian Mountains, and the white snow is looming on the top of the mountain.
Passing by the Thousand Buddha Cave, the Buddha Cave is dug on the cliff, similar to the Mogao Grottoes, and is adjacent to the Dang River. This reminds me of Dang Xiang in "Xi Xia in Stone Sheep" The family’s story about Danghe.
At Yumen Pass, I sang with a low eyebrow, "Why should the Qiang flute blame the willows? The spring breeze does not reach Yumen Pass." Looking at the success or failure of ancient and modern times, only the broken walls of Yumen Pass are left. The Great Wall of Han Dynasty, still blowing in the wind, has witnessed the rise and fall of Yumen Pass. The vast desert has long lost the prosperity of the Silk Road, and is more of a sigh of thousands of years.
The wonders of the West Sea Fleet in Dragon City are naturally worth seeing. If the weather is good, the sunset next door is also great. The black Gobi, the dim sunset, and the burning clouds are the essence of the sunset in the empty city.
I took a bottle of sand from Mingsha Mountain, a stone from Danghe River, and a section of Populus euphratica trunk from Yumenguan. One lasts for hundreds of years, one lasts for thousands of years, and the other lasts for ten thousand years.
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Mogao Grottoes is a must-visit place in Dunhuang. The greatest treasure of mankind is presented here. The splendid culture of Mogao Grottoes is the most shining pearl of the Silk Road. That one.
The documentary film played in the dome theater in the Mogao Grottoes Visitor Center has greatly helped us understand the Mogao Grottoes better. Take a bus to the Mogao Grottoes, where the caves appear on the cliff, which is spectacular. What’s even more interesting is that there is a Taoist temple in this holy land of Buddhism. It is the Sanqing Temple, which is also the Taoist Wang Yuanzhuan, and it is also the Wang Yuanzhuan in Yu Qiuyu's "Taoist Tower". The ashes tower of Wang Taoist Master is still standing by the river.
There are a large number of exquisite murals and sculptures in the Mogao Grottoes, which were left by the ancients thousands of years ago. Each mural tells a story about the Buddhist kingdom, and there are nine floors for future generations to enjoy.
Legend has it that monk Lezun was passing through Dunhuang and suddenly saw a golden light appearing on a cliff at sunset, as if the Buddha was approaching. So, they dug a cave under Mogao Mountain and meditated here. This is the first cave of Mogao Grottoes.
The Mogao Grottoes Research Institute intends to convert the Mogao Grottoes into digital mode, so it is likely that the Mogao Grottoes will only be visible in the digital library many years later.
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?Take a train from Dunhuang, passing through Jiayuguan and Zhangye, and arrive at Lanzhou.
?Jiayu Pass, the No. 1 Pass in the World, is the first city of the Great Wall, and also has the best views of the No. 1 Dungeon in the World and the Tuolai River. Datang Food Street in Jiayuguan is a must-go place to experience Jiayuguan cuisine. The unique local ginger drink and drinks made with ginger are very popular among locals. The nightlife of people in Jiayuguan is exciting. As night falls, everyone orders a few side dishes at the night market, calls out to friends, chats about trivial matters of the seven aunts and eight aunts, gets happy, pumps and drinks, and is all happy. This was the first time I saw people drinking in real life, and the night market was full of curiosity. Jin Wuwei, silver Zhangye. The Danxia landform in Zhangye is also worth a visit. If it rains, the colorful Danxia landscape is a major scenic spot in Gansu.
In addition to the large mutton skewers that are unique to the northwest, Jiayuguan’s delicacies also include fish noodles, lamb chops and other unique local delicacies. Zhangye's unique firecracker noodles are undoubtedly the biggest gourmet feature. The noodles are cut into long strips, boiled and then stir-fried, then beef soup is poured in, and a fragrant bowl of firecracker noodles is made.
Lanzhou Beef Noodles uses Lanzhou’s characteristic Yellow River water and adds unique soy sauce beef. The taste is very different from that in the eastern region. Lanzhou’s unique drink, Sanbaotai, is also a good choice of specialty. The First Iron Bridge on the Yellow River, Zhongshan Bridge, and Baitashan Park all have a good viewing experience.
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In Lanzhou, everyone began to return to their cities one after another. This time, the three thousand-mile journey from Xi'an to Dunhuang has come to an end.
Travel itself does not change anything. What changes is our view of the world, that is, our worldview. Reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, there must always be one body and soul on the road.
Never try to change your life with one trip, what we can do is a better life.
May the world be well and may you always have a young heart. ------Written at the end of every trip, looking forward to the beginning of the next trip.