Fourth of China's Top Ten Autumn Colors: The Grand Canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo River and Mount Namjagbarwa
December 8, 2010, 21:45:41 Source: Xielong Journey [Large Medium Small] Views: 1 time
The Beautiful Autumn Colors of the Grand Canyon
After passing through the seasons of flowers and rain, before the arrival of the snow season, the Grand Canyon region is draped in autumn attire, presenting a rare beauty that combines grace, elegance, and grandeur.
Mount Namjagbarwa, which is usually shrouded in clouds and mist, finally reveals its true form. Its snow-capped conical peak stands out against the clear sky background, with such pure white and blue colors; and whenever the autumn sun bathes it in mystical light halos, it seems to have a metallic quality. At the foot of the mountain lies the Yarlung Zangbo River winding around, after the summer’s torrential muddy flows, now clear, either green or blue, depending on the light's reflection. Also clear is the visibility, allowing you to see as far as the eye can reach - latitude, altitude, temperature, and humidity all play their roles, creating the vertical distribution of vegetation in the Grand Canyon region; the water vapor from the Indian Ocean flows ceaselessly, adding fullness and moisture to the natural creations. The autumn attire of the wild mountains gathers the most vibrant colors of nature: at the upper limit where trees grow, the needle-leaf forest remains unaffected by seasonal changes, still guarding its silent dark green; below the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, the original green kingdom begins to transform, turning red and yellow, sparse then dense, cluster upon cluster, rising together: maple leaves turn crimson, Sorbus alvata turns bright red, and within the red family, there are shades like orange-red transitioning to golden yellow, brown yellow or bright yellow - if not for awareness of what is being described, one might almost use "dancing flames" to describe it. In short, for those who gaze far into the distance, the large-scale landscape is a grand narrative of nature, while specific small scenes are intimate whispers. By the riverside, riverbank, road side, wherever you walk, shrubs accompany you. During this annual season of maturity, red tiny fruits appear on time, delicately adorning the branches. These colorful shrub clusters have been given beautiful names: wild roses, Potentilla fruticosa, hawthorn, Berberis... If your strength allows, feel free to venture deep into the forest to appreciate the autumn expressions of the understory organisms. Although the ground cover flowers have already bloomed, they bear abundant fruit, and on living tree trunks grow lingzhi mushrooms, while on fallen decaying trunks grow Auricularia auricula-judae; in places hard for ordinary people to reach, in the tropical monsoon rainforests of Motuo, there are ancient plant elders akin to living fossils, where rare birds and animals can be seen. For those specifically coming for glaciers, you can witness the spectacle of the Jade Dragon glacier gracefully crossing through forests and villages, coexisting with human life in the peripheral areas of the canyon. These glaciers differ from continental glaciers; their academic name is "marine temperate glacier", active life forms, or more appropriately called ice streams. Continuous movement has carved fold patterns named "arcuate structure", resembling solidified surging waves.
In fact, there is no need to embark on long treks for exploration. Starting from Lhasa by car, crossing over Mila Mountain along National Highway 318, every place offers scenic views, changing as you move: the Nyang River Valley, Sejila Mountain, Lulang, Yigong, Basongco and Ranwu Lake all belong to the Grand Canyon region. From the waist of Sejila Mountain, you can catch a distant view of Mount Namjagbarwa. Even during the summer when tourists abound, they are accompanied by constant exclamations, unaware that the autumn scenery is even more beautiful. The Grand Canyon region is widely recognized as the world's greatest scenic spot, evidenced by the results of successive beauty contests organized by China National Geography: in the 2005 "Beauty of China" event, five landscapes from this area made the list. In the 2008 "Top Ten New Tianfu of China" selection, the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon also ranked highly. It currently ranks among the "Top Ten Autumn Scenic Spots in China", truly deserving its reputation. In the past, the local area was always advertised as "the Jiangnan of Tibet", but in reality, the two cannot be compared. After visiting, you will realize the vast difference between them.
So far, we have only discussed the superficial beauty of the Grand Canyon's natural endowment, focusing on its splendid attire. Digging deeper, the cultural beauty of multiple ethnic groups and the intellectual beauty of multiple disciplines require experts to write separately. But simplicity has its own charm, even if you know nothing, even if you rush through, you can still fully enjoy the sounds of nature, gaining nothing but pure joy.
For related travel routes, please refer to Tibet tourism.