23 Oct 2020, 14:00

First Impressions of Western Sichuan

If not for the provincial border sign, I would hardly have realized that I had already entered Sichuan. Sêrxü, tucked between Yushu and Golog in Qinghai, is the highest county town in Sichuan Province.

Sunset and Dark Clouds

When we left Darlag County, the sun had already lost its glare. The newly opened road from Darlag County to Sêrxü County, completed at the end of 2019 and still unavailable in navigation apps, stretched southwest from Darlag, wide and smooth. Only the dark clouds slowly gathering in the sky brought a slight sense of unease.

As the sun sank, the sky grew darker, and the spreading clouds made night seem to arrive even faster. Not long after leaving Darlag County, we already had to switch on the headlights. Fortunately, after turning on the radio and tuning to the AM band, quite a few stations came through, making the night drive a little less monotonous.

The altitude on the GPS kept rising and soon passed 4,000 meters. The road wound back and forth between the mountains. The moment we reached the top, the scene on the horizon took us by surprise. I had thought the sky had already gone completely dark, but it was actually the heavy clouds pressing down overhead. Far away, however, a crack opened in the black clouds and sunlight pushed stubbornly through. It was already dusk, and the setting sun had little strength left. Before long, the surrounding darkness swallowed the light without a trace.

Unfortunately, this was the kind of scene that could really only be experienced in person. I tried taking a few photographs from inside the car, but the extreme contrast and empty foreground eventually made me give up. It was better simply to look.

Qinghai–Sichuan Border

As the altitude continued to rise, the landscape outside gradually flattened. The moon appeared and disappeared through gaps in the clouds, adding something slightly eerie to the quiet atmosphere. Lightning occasionally lit the dark clouds, strengthening that feeling.

At close to nine in the evening, we finally saw the Sichuan provincial border sign. I thought to myself that this was my first time entering Garzê Prefecture and decided to get out and take a photograph.

Only after getting out of the car did I realize how spectacular the view behind us was. Bright moonlight illuminated the distant mountains and the road nearby, while dark clouds carrying flashes of lightning swept rapidly past the mountains toward the distance. I took the tripod and camera out of the car and stood behind it, pressing the shutter again and again. As the environment has improved in recent years, sightings of bears, wolves and other large predators have become more frequent, so I did not dare wander too far from the car.

After a while, a sedan drove past us, then reversed back. Two young Tibetan men got out and excitedly came over. We did not share much language, so after a combination of gestures and awkward Mandarin, I learned that they were from Darlag County and were returning home from Sêrxü. When they saw the lightning I had captured on the camera screen, they took out their phones and began photographing it too. After some effort, they finally got pictures they were happy with, cheered, climbed back into the car and drove off toward Darlag.

After packing away the equipment, we got back into the car and continued toward Sêrxü County. Not long after setting off, I vaguely saw an animal leap from the road onto the dirt slope beside it. As we drove closer, I lowered the window and realized it was a wolf. We looked at each other for a second. Then I quickly raised the window and drove away. It was the first time I had seen a potentially dangerous wild animal in the open.

Sêrxü County

We were getting closer to Sêrxü County, but the drop in altitude I had been expecting never came. By the time we reached the county town, the elevation finally settled at around 4,200 meters. It was already 11 p.m. The hotel owner was from Xining, Qinghai, and worked in construction here. From the way he spoke, it was easy to sense that Sêrxü was a place that received relatively little attention. Many police vehicles with flashing lights were parked along the main street at night, which made the town feel fairly secure. Loud music from a nightclub drifted around the corner, giving the otherwise quiet county town an oddly surreal atmosphere. In the highest county town in Sichuan Province, it was difficult even to find a supermarket still open at night. I decided it was better to go back and rest. Looking at my slightly purple lips in the mirror, I could only hope for a decent night’s sleep.

At 4:11 in the morning, I woke to an unexplained shaking. Still half asleep, I heard a low rumbling sound like a train passing nearby. I became fully awake at once. It was an earthquake. But it came quickly and ended just as quickly, and before long I fell asleep again. In the morning, I checked data from the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter had been in Sêrxü County, Garzê, Sichuan, at a depth of 23 kilometers.

Sêrxü in the morning was completely different from Sêrxü at night. The streets were full of people and activity. Thin morning mist drifted through the lanes, leaving distant buildings and monasteries half visible. We began another day’s journey in that long veil of mist.

Back to Qinghai

Not far from Sêrxü County is Sershul Monastery, one of the largest monastery complexes in Garzê Prefecture. A temple fair was being held there that day. Tibetan men and women were dressed formally as they made their way to attend. Handsome young Tibetan men rode past quickly on motorcycles, while young women in carefully prepared clothes walked with their mothers. A friend had recommended the previous evening that we stop at Sershul Monastery because it contains many yab-yum images, which are relatively uncommon. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time and could only look at it from a distance while passing.

The road from Sêrxü County to the Qinghai provincial border crossed flat grassland. Herds of cattle, sheep and horses stood quietly beside the river, as though thinking about the future.

The mountain pass from Garzê in Sichuan into Yushu in Qinghai is relatively low, and the road was in good condition. The scenery along this section did not change much, so there is little need to describe it in detail.

Sêrxü County is not far from Yushu City. We reached Xiewu Town in Chindu County, Yushu, at around one in the afternoon. From Xiewu Town onwards, the road to Yushu City was excellent, and there was also an expressway available. Along the way, we passed the Tongtian River and the Scripture-Drying Rock mentioned in the final ordeal of Journey to the West. In a cheerful mood, we watched the buildings of Yushu City gradually appear ahead.

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