For a traveler, Chen Tang is undoubtedly full of temptations.

Due to its special geographical location, Chentang has always been a secret place in the eyes of the world, and is called the last holy place in the depths of the Himalayas by those who have been there.

Chentang is the name of the town, which is under the jurisdiction of Dingjie County, Shigatse Prefecture. Chentang is located in the northern Himalayas, in the primeval forest area on the east side of Mount Everest, and is separated from the Kimatang of the Kingdom of Nepal by a strip of water and across the river. Chentang covers an area of more than 250 square kilometers, has six administrative villages under its jurisdiction, and has a population of about 2,000 people, all of whom are basically Sherpas. The interpretation of Chentang's place name in Tibet is the meaning of guiding dam and guiding dam. The name of the village under the jurisdiction of Chen Tang is also very interesting, Zhangxiong Xuema Village, which refers to the place where a kind of wild grass grows wildly. Pidan Village, which means a place with a lot of mice. That is the meaning of the village, the flat land in the woods.

After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, there was a dispute over the Sino-Nepalese border in Chentang, until the Chinese government took back Chentang in the 70s and established a district government. In the 80s, Chentang was built as a township, and at the beginning of the 21st century, the township was withdrawn to build a township. Due to historical and geographical reasons, Chentang is the only region in China that has not experienced the impact of democratic reforms, people's communes, or even the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the true sense of the word.

The three rivers in Chentang, the Pengqu River, the Karma River, and the Nadangqu River, nourish the Sherpas of Chentang. These three rivers come together and flow into Nepal, which is the Along River. The road into Chentang is also related to these three rivers, and the three roads into Chentang are Chentanggou, Karmagou and Turonggou. All three of these roads follow the river, the only of which is the Sachen Highway that crosses the Turong Gully along the Nadangqu River, and the rest is a mountain road for hunters and porters. Among them, Karmagou is known as the first trekking route in China.

During Christmas 2014, a group of four of us set off from Shigatse and took a bus to Dingjie County. Due to heavy snowfall, we started walking from Dingjie and crossed Nitui Mountain via Salquling Temple to reach the town of Hiya. On the second day of Christmas, we left the day house and entered Turonggou along the Sachen Highway through the Qumagu battlefield. After six days of walking, we finally reached the end of the Sachen Highway, Zangga Village under the jurisdiction of Chentang Town. Zangga Village means riverside village in Sherpa language, and we were very tired from walking all the way, so we rested for a day at the Sherpa Hotel in the village, and then walked to Chentang the next day.

Looking up at Chentang from Zangga Village, you can see a little clue about Chentang. Chentang is a border town located halfway up the mountain, with stone walls and iron roofs, and most of the roofs are blue and violet. This adds a touch of romance to the verdant mountains.

Starting from Zangga Village, crossing the chain bridge across the Pengqu River, we stepped on the stone steps leading to Chentang.

There is no highway in Chentang, and the public saying is that building the road will destroy a large amount of farmland, so the people of Chentang, who cherish nature, resolutely oppose the construction of the road to Chentang. Therefore, the road was only built to Zangga Village at the foot of Chentang.

There are more than 1,600 steps on the way from the foot of the mountain by the Pengqu River to Chentang, and there are five exquisite pavilions built with the help of the mainland for pedestrians to rest or enjoy the scenery. There are also more than a dozen stone benches or wooden benches built along the way to provide convenience for pedestrians to rest.

On the way to the mountain, we admired the pristine scenery of the Himalayas along the way. The Pengqu River at the foot is clear and charming, and the Karma River on one side blends not far away, merging into the original Along River. With the back of Chentang, you can see the Pidan Village among the strange stones and trees on the opposite bank, and the Waxue Village behind the cliff and waterfall. You can also see Kimatang flying the flag of the Kingdom of Nepal. Along the way, we saw a depression of rice paddies on the legendary boulder. I saw the bird's nest-like wooden house hanging high among the branches.

When we stepped onto the last pavilion, Chen Tang finally came to our faces.