Zhang Baotong, the medieval country of Mustang 2018.2.20

In the early morning, the snow-capped mountains are illuminated by the sun, and the surrounding scenery is very beautiful with snow-white snow-capped mountains, scattered villages, and golden forests. The sunlight was shining from behind him, and it was very bright and dazzling. When the sun rises, beams of light scatter all around, refracting a multicolored glare that illuminates the Kali Gandaki River valley in a golden light.

The Kali Gandaki River Valley, which flows mysteriously and quietly between the snow-capped mountains of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, is a grand canyon that runs through the north and south of the Himalayas. The river is greyish-black in color, and the name is said to be derived from Kali, the wife of Shiva, the main god of Hinduism, which means black because black symbolizes death. But the bell of the pack horse will pass through these ancient years and resound through the valley, bringing some clarity and vitality to the valley.

The mountains below the snow-capped mountains are desolate, and the sun is as clear as water, reflecting the pure light of the snow-capped mountains on the spacious plains of the valley. The valley along the river is dotted with a large area of old and bright villages, surrounded by green fields and yellow woods. The mysterious valley between the icebergs and valleys behind the Himalayan snow-capped mountains is the source of this mysterious river, Mustang, which is translated as Mustang.

Tucked away in the Himalayas, Mustang is known as the "Jewel of the Himalayas" and was once an independent kingdom in Tibet, China, before being annexed by Nepal in the 18th century. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world. It was not until 1992 that Mustang was opened to the public, and it is currently the only area that has completely preserved the original appearance of traditional Tibetan culture. On October 7, 2008, the Government of Nepal ordered the abolition of the throne of King Mustang in Lomantang, the capital of the northern region of Mustang, and the existence of the Kingdom of Mustang was stopped. Thus, the kingdom founded in 1350 by the heroes of the Mustang tribe, the Amepal family, fell and disappeared. But foreign tourists need a permit to enter, and so far only 30 Chinese have visited Mustang. The Tibetan word for Mustang means fertile plain. It is more than 80 kilometers long from north to south, 45 kilometers wide from east to west, more than 2,500 meters above sea level, and the climate is relatively arid, bordering Dzongba County and Saga County in Tibet in the north. Some say it was once a military stronghold of the Dalai Lama, but Nepal sent troops to uproot it because of China's protests.

When you come to Mustang, you will pass through the path in a large apple orchard, and look at the quaint and simple huts on the side of the road, the houses built on the mountain, and the chic temples in the village, which makes people feel that they have entered an ancient country. Entering the village, a stone-paved road passes through the village. The exterior walls of the houses on both sides are painted white, the roofs are neatly stacked with wood for firewood, and a pair of mules and horses walk slowly along the road with bells ringing. Walking in front of the wooden cow house, I saw a large group of children cheering at the tourists from behind the door with dirty but cheerful and hospitable smiles. The monks, on the other hand, passed by the tourists with solemn expressions. The women wore brightly colored Tibetan robes, and the men wore thick fox fur hats. They are also said to speak Tibetan. In fact, they are pure Tibetans.

We went into the village and found a restaurant that doubled as an inn. The courtyard is not big, full of flowers inside and out, such a bright and beautiful courtyard makes us feel like we can't bear to leave. There is an ancient pagoda not far from the village, the pagoda looks a little dilapidated, but it is extremely soft and dignified, which makes people look up and can't help but feel a sense of respect and solemnity. The red cliff behind the pagoda is as brilliant as the sunset. Standing on a high vantage point and looking down at the temple and across the river valley, the cliff looks like a burning flame. There is a Tibetan Buddhist temple on the edge of the cliff, and we climbed the stairs to visit the temple. The lama at the door smiled very kindly at us. There is a hidden cave on the top of the cliff, which contains a beautiful mural of the four-armed Guanyin. She smiled tolerantly and kindly, and between her eyebrows, there was compassion. At this time, the sunset seems to have not set, the golden light is ten thousand ways, the red glow is ten thousand flowers, under the reflection of the huge snow-capped mountains, the pagoda seems to be more and more mysterious and holy, as if people can hear the Buddha voice of God. And in the deep valley between the river valleys, a large red stone forest burned like a flame on the side of the hillside, and it was as spectacular as a deception and horror.

Annapurna and Daulagiri are both peaks with an altitude of more than 8,000 meters, and between the two are the deepest canyons in the world, so the wind in the Kaligandaki Valley is the strongest valley rising wind on the planet. In the face of the scorching wind and sun, the only thing that can relieve fatigue is the wonderfully changing clouds on both sides of the snow-capped mountains.

The natural scenery of Musitang is dominated by the magnificent and open plateau valley, the erosis of the forbidden place, the silence under the snow-capped mountains, the shock of rare beauty, and the simplicity of the food in the valley, making Mustang a secret place of people's souls. There are many scenery in Musitang, the cultural connotation and the appearance of the scenery are very rich, and each attraction can make you stay quietly for a day, and even make people can't bear to leave. The place that people flock to is not necessarily a paradise for the soul. Hidden deep in the Himalayas, the forbidden place of Musitang can be said to be the most well-preserved Tibetan civilization in the world, and it is also the most original Tibetan life sample in the world. When your feet set foot on this land full of taboos and mysteries, everything becomes interesting and incredible. Every inch of land here is so mysterious and strange that your soul will be fascinated and rejoiced. Every sight here makes you feel a kind of devotion that goes deep into your bones. No matter where you go, you will feel your soul stirring, and you will feel that you are entering the paradise of the soul.