L-R: Ching Neng Bin, Chew Leng Soon, Bernard Lee, Lee Kam Boon, Grace Ong Siew Hua, Lily Yap, Lim Sok Bee, Lim Cheng Tee, Ng Peng Kim at Swallow Gully 燕子沟 Gongga Mountain
Day 3 (1.4.2013) Hailuogou 海螺沟 Red rocks @ Swallow Gully 燕子沟
We went for breakfast at 7.30am at Double Pepper Mixed Noodle Restaurant. After breakfast we walked to the office to get our ticket to the Red Rock @ Swallow gully. A mini bus took us from the office to the starting point where we were served hot coffee. We chose the 2 hour walk instead of the 1/2 hour tour of the mossy forest.
We were then taken in 2 vans to go up the Gongga Mountain 贡嘎山 to see the glaciers but have to turn back after almost reaching there due to the heavy snow fall. All of us stopped on the way down for photographs in the snow. We were then taken further down to see the red rocks. We came back to Moxi town at 4.30pm. After a rest and dinner at 6.30pm, we walked around town.
Sleeping: Xinfei Backpackers Inn (鑫飞背包客栈) Hailuogou
We went for breakfast at 7.30am at Double Pepper Mixed Noodle Restaurant, Hailuogou.
Lee Kam Boon with a worker at Double Pepper Mixed Noodle Restaurant, Hailuogou.
We were taken in 2 vans to go up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers.
Villages along the mountain road up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers.
Villages along the mountain road up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers.
Farmers along the mountain road up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers.
Security check at the park entrance road up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers.
The high Gongga Mountain dirt road looks frightening with the dried-up river deep down below.
Partial view of the Gongga Mountain range with fog and cloud rolling down the mountain side.
A Tibetan monastery along the Gongga Mountain road from Moxi Town, Hailuogou.
A Tibetan monastery along the Gongga Mountain road from Moxi Town to Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
We stopped to visit the Tibetan monastery by walking down the gigantic wooden steps, Hailuogou.
We stopped to visit the Tibetan monastery along the Gongga Mountain road from Moxi Town, Hailuogou.
A Tibetan monastery along the Gongga Mountain road from Moxi Town to Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
Tibetan monastery - during prayer time, the hall fills with monks and they all sit on mats that are neatly lined into rows. There is one designated monk who leads the prayer and chanting time. The low pitched sound of the chanting monks can be heard from a far distance away.
The colorful main prayer hall of Tibetan monastery.
Mural painting on Tibetan monastery wall depicting practices of the earliest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
Mural painting on Tibetan monastery wall depicting practices of the earliest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
Mural painting on Tibetan monastery wall depicting practices of the earliest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Tibetan gods of death is Yama.
The Tibetan god of wisdom is Mañjuśrī.
The walk to the entrance gate of the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Our two lady tour guides in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Panoramic view of the Gongga Mountain range from mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Panoramic view of the Gongga Mountain range from mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
The eight auspicious symbols in Tibetan Buddhism - 1) conch shell denotes the fame of the Buddha's teaching, 2) treasure vase denoting spiritual and material abundance, 3) parasol denotes royalty and spiritual power, 4) lotus denotes mental and spiritual purity, 5) endless knot symbolize the infinite wisdom of the buddha, 6) wheel represents the teachings of the Buddha, 7) golden fishes denotes good fortune, fertility and salvation, 8) victory banner denotes the victory of the Buddha's teaching and the triumph of wisdom over ignorance.
Walking up the Sky-Leading Stair. It has 432 steps which represents 108 groups of Four Innocent Hearts - merciless, sorrow, happiness and abandonment. If you turn the prayer's wheel in clockwise when you are climbing the stairs, you are praying for health and success.
Panoramic view of the snow-covered 7,556 meter-high peak of Mount Gongga.
Panoramic view of the snow-covered 7,556 meter-high peak of Mount Gongga.
The 2 hour walk through of the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
The beautiful wild flowers found in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
The beautiful wild flowers found in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
These are Chinese medicinal herbs such as frog skin fungus found in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Chinese medicinal herbs such as these caterpillar fungus found in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Naro Dakini Mandala - Mandala is a Sanskrit word and it means a place for worshiping. The two trees in the middle means twins, wisdom and convenience. The shape of mandala is two triangles leaning closely and is surrounded by 32 Tibetan signs, signifying auspice in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
The stone in front of the Naro Dakini Mandala depicts the centre of the universe.
Another magnificent view of the snow-covered 7,556 meter-high peak of Mount Gongga.
Tibetan painting on the mountain rock surface in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Tibetan painting on the mountain rock surface in the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
The 2 hour walk through of the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
A Tibetan hut at the mossy forest park in Hailuogou.
Lee Kam Boon and Ching Neng Bin at the Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
The misty Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
The misty Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
We had lunch at the Double Fish Viewing Platform restauran in misty Swallow Gully (燕子沟).
After lunch we drove up the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山) to see the glaciers but have to turn back after almost reaching there due to the heavy snow fall.
Our van driver fixing the wheel chain to prevent sliding on icy road
We have to turn back after almost reaching there due to the heavy snow fall.
It was fun playing in the snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
We built this snowman on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
It was fun playing in the snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The thick snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The thick snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The thick snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
Lim Cheng Tee on the thick snow of Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The thick snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The thick snow on the way down the Gongga Mountain (贡嘎山).
The unique scenery of Red Stone Land - this is the Hailuogou Red Rocks Gully which is famous for its red color rocks along the creek.
Hailuogou Red Rocks Gully landscape is the Asia's largest.
Hailuogou Red Rocks Gully is one of Sichuan's lesser-known attractions.
Hailuogou Red Rocks Gully is one of Sichuan's lesser-known attractions.
Hailuogou Red Rocks is covered with red substance is a microorganism.
Hailuogou Red Rocks is covered with red substance is a microorganism.
|
|
Tibetan Buddhist principles are rather complex to fathom unless you're one of them. 2 hrs walk through the mossy forest on board walk, that's comfortable through strange place on earth; good for horror movie shooting in the night.
ReplyDeleteMossy forest at Cameron Highland is much denser (then again it's tropical). The 2 lady guides of the park look tough but still very feminine. Strange looking flowers and herbal plants sure are eye-opening rewards along the way. In the cold open wilderness, NB Ching remembered to take off one hand glove to show a "make it" sign, like everybody did. Was it 'we're no.1'? or '1Malaysia"? It's a great picture shot for the group in snowy winter wonderland-comradeship all the way. Memang-lah no fun to turn back when the Gongga Mt. peak was within sight due to bad weather condition. The Hailuogou red rock gully made up for the loss with an exalting discovery of the picturesque red rock creek. Somehow the incomplete journey up the snowy Gongga Mt. was so frightening...safety had been always a priority. Very intersting and tell-tale photo-reporting. Ching, you're some body....!
Regards,
Alan K.
Thank you for sharing. Always love to read your travel blogs.
ReplyDeleteHave not had the opportunity to meet u in person but heard a lot of your travels from Kam Boon and thru your blogs. I miss the opportunity to travel to Chiengmai and surrounding areas last year with your group as I have already committed on another trip.