Chapter 6 Movement 2 Labrang Monastery: Because of Faith

If you are going to an unfamiliar place, you'd better ask the locals what the climate is like there.The temperature in Gannan in summer varies greatly. We each brought a thick coat, sunglasses, sunscreen, moisturizer, wet wipes, regular medicine, band-aids, flashlights and sleeping bags.Of course, as old donkeys outdoors, we also prepared a gas stove, snacks, a box of mineral water and instant noodles. Because the departure time was late, unfortunately, I encountered a traffic jam in Lanzhou City, and finally walked to National Highway 212. After a few kilometers, I should go to Lanlin Expressway and get off at the exit of Hezuo City, Linxia Autonomous Prefecture.

What should I do after getting off the highway?On the road behind, Guan Yuan was in charge of driving, and I flipped through the large map I borrowed.After exiting the expressway, you should take National Highway 212 for a while, then turn to Provincial Highway 309, then turn to National Highway 213 after a certain distance, and then go to Provincial Highway 312.If we were to memorize these numbers early in the morning, we would definitely be dizzy, but we did not go through any injustice on this journey southward. The road conditions in Gannan are surprisingly good!The roads are well groomed and there are very few vehicles, so damage is kept to a minimum.Along the way, after passing many mosques with special styles and colorful colors, after entering Linxia, ​​the road suddenly returned to its original nature, with almost no pedestrians and vehicles on the road, and shepherds, yaks and sheep on horseback appeared from time to time.

It was the first time I saw the sheep girl at such a close distance, with a blue paint cloth tied to its horn.Guan Yuan said that in order to avoid confusion, the herdsmen each made special marks for the animals. No matter how you look at it, this road trip is pure adventure.On August 15, 2008, I finished the last subject of my driver's license test, and on the 16th I boarded the train going north.As for Guan Yuan, his driver's license was revoked because he violated the regulations when driving a taxi, and he never took the test again.When she found out that I had just finished the test and hadn't received my driver's license yet, she felt like a sap in the head.

At that time, when Beijing was hosting the Olympic Games, all parts of the country were under strict management, and it was impossible to leave without a driver's license.So, while staying in Lanzhou for two days, Guan Yuan spent 200 yuan to apply for a temporary driver's license. Sensen and Yuanyuan have been posing excitedly in various poses in the back seat of the car, even wanting to climb into the passenger seat.We opened the sunroof and lit a cigarette.The music filled the carriage, and the ever-changing scenery outside the window made me feel that life was infinitely beautiful at that moment!

It was evening when we arrived at Labrang Monastery.We found a youth hostel with a yard, a tatami-style room for 100 yuan a night.Guan Yuan also asked the store owner to let Sen Sen Yuanyuan live with us. After washing and tidying up properly, I went out to look for dinner on the street.It was only eight o'clock, and many shops were out of food.We were wandering around the night market, buying offal for the dog for dinner, when we suddenly saw a noodle restaurant with its doors open.Fortunately, there are many sides, and can cut out the whole plate of cooked beef!Looking around the restaurant, all the tables have been cleaned up, except for a girl sitting on one table, who looks like she is waiting for food.The boss told us to sit there.So we two women and two Samoyed dogs squeezed together at the little table.

The girl looks young, but she has a very quiet feeling.She said that she came here with her friends last year, but because of time constraints, she wanted to finish the rest of the journey by herself this year. Guan Yuan was moved by the girl's words, and that night, she talked to me about her past feelings for the first time. Traveling all over the great rivers and mountains is the dream of many young men and women, just like me, just like Guan Yuan.Four years ago, she traveled alone to Qinghai Lake.The lake water has thawed in August, and many kinds of migratory birds inhabit the lake. Occasionally, cormorants can be seen skimming the lake, holding delicious, fat, live silver fish, and gulping them down.

Towering mountains can be seen around the lake, and the West Sea among the green mountains looks like a fairy abode isolated from the world.In the distance, you can see the flock of sheep floating like white clouds, everything is so beautiful.Guan Yuan crouched by the lake, staring blankly.Suddenly, the sound of flashing lights startled her, and when she turned around, she found a camera facing her not far away. The man holding the camera is called Bei Ji.That day, they sat side by side by the lake until sunset.When the sun said good night to the world, the sky was so close that it seemed like you could hold it in your arms with your arms outstretched.

They got up and walked to the dotted tents, looking through the photographic results of Bei Ji's journey overnight.When a woman with a beautiful face appeared in front of him, Guan Yuan suddenly felt a tremor in his heart.I don't know if Bei Ji saw the clue, he stroked the screen and said that this woman was called Shiyan.The sky is jealous of Hongyan, she was diagnosed with leukemia at the beginning of the year, so she went to Dali alone, intending to end the rest of her life there silently.When such a plot appeared in front of her eyes, Guan Yuan didn't have the slightest doubt. She looked at Shiyan again as if feeling distressed, and then turned to the next one.

During the week spent in Qinghai Lake, Bei Ji took a large number of photos of Guan Yuan, each with a pure and relaxed smile, just like the calm and beautiful lake water.However, people who get close because of loneliness will always be really separated because of farewell in the next stage. After leaving Qinghai Lake, Bei Ji continued westward to Tibet, while Guan Yuan returned home and returned to the worldly life. Bei Ji said, next September, we will see you at the Pingyao Photography Exhibition!Be there or be square. Guan Yuan returned to Lanzhou with a lot of photos, and when he saw himself in the camera, he would laugh unconsciously.She was always waiting for the day when they would meet again, thinking over and over again, what should she say then?

However, in September of the following year, she stayed from the first day to the last day of the exhibition, and there was no sign of Bei Ji.Among the numerous photos on the wall, none of them were familiar to her. On the last day, she grabbed a random photographer and asked: Where is Bei Ji?Why didn't he come? The other party's response was usually to shake her head. She watched the crowd gradually disperse, but she still didn't give up. Finally, someone finally responded to this.He said: "Bei Ji will not come back, his eyes are useless, he can no longer play photography."

Guan Yuan did not give up: "What about the contact information? Do you have his contact information?" The other party shook his head and left the exhibition room. With so much power coming from nowhere, Guan Yuan secretly decided to find him.But things backfired. At the second year's photo exhibition, she learned that Bei Ji had stayed somewhere, married a Tibetan girl and had children. After returning to Lanzhou, Guan Yuan looked at the beautiful colors in the photos, and thought that Bei Ji's eyes were only black and white, and his heart ached.Fortunately, someone stayed by his side to take care of him, so this relationship would be over. From that day on, Guan Yuan began to walk alone in every Tibetan Autonomous Region, hoping to see Bei Ji who was caressing his son and daughter one day. After listening to Guan Yuan's story, I thought of Xiaoxia whom I met in Lijiang. That's another long story.Xiaoxia is from Ya'an, but because of her strong Lijiang complex, she left her hometown and lived alone in Dayan Ancient Town. She adopts a stray puppy with a broken bone, and runs a small shop with a man with long flowing hair who can play the guzheng.They wear dresses they cut and do manual work to survive.A piece of cake for fifty cents is a meal. That kind of life that is indifferent to the world is poor but satisfying in my eyes. Xiao Xia said that they have many, many dreams of traveling, and they promised each other that if one day the other party is gone, they must take each other's dreams with them and walk all the places they want to reach alone. I didn't have anyone to discuss my dreams with, but I dreamed of such a romantic and poignant love story when I was seventeen years old. Alone, how much love does it take to insist on completing the journey of two people?