Chen Tang, a secret realm within a secret realm. Legend has it that it is the most pristine and purest piece of sacred land in the depths of the Himalayas.

In addition to the geographical reasons, there is a more important factor in the mystery of Chentang, which is the Sherpas who live here. Sherpas, in Tibetan, means people from the distant East. Although the Sherpas have always been classified as Tibetans in the official system, Sherpas are very different from Tibetans in that they have their own language, their own beliefs, and their own way of life.

Just as the name of Chentang is unknown, the origin of the Sherpas is even more mysterious. Although there are multiple versions of the legend, where did they come from and why did they stay in Chentang? There is no written record, and there is no sufficient historical evidence to prove it. No one even made it clear whether the place name Chentang came first, or whether there were Sherpas first? Whether the place name Chentang comes from Tibetan or Sherpa languages.

After Christmas 2014, a group of four of us set off from Riwu and crossed Turonggou along the Sachen Highway into Zangga Village in Chentang. Then cross the chain bridge over the Pengqu River from Zangga, step up the 1,600 steps leading to Chentang, and embark on a journey to the legendary Sherpas who inhabited Chentang.

Carrying a heavy backpack on our backs, we walked on the steps leading to Chentang, and we did not walk easily. Along the way, you will encounter Sherpas up and down the mountain road. We began to appreciate that the Sherpas were all "backed". Most of the Sherpas walking on the road, young and old, carried a basket full of things. The Sherpa basket is not worn with two ropes over the shoulders, as elsewhere, but with a long rope on the forehead and on the head. It is said that this is the experience of the ancestors of the Sherpas in the long-term practice, once in distress in the rugged mountains, people are easily tired by the things they carry, and this kind of backpack on the head is very convenient to abandon the goods in distress.

For us, the steps leading to Chentang are not easy to walk. But for the Sherpas who came and went up and down the stone steps, they walked with such ease. People of all ages who go up the mountain carry baskets on their backs, and it is common for young people to run away like the wind. The Sherpas who went up the hill surpassed us one by one, and I once lifted the back basket of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, and the weight of it could not help but stagger me. The backpack weighs as much as my backpack. The little girl tried to lift my backpack as well, and then just smiled and didn't say no. Although my backpack contained all the outdoor gear, food and water for a week, it definitely weighed more than thirty-five kilograms. But in the eyes of the little girl, it is obviously not worth mentioning. This reminds me of a legend that when Tibet was helping to build the Medog Highway, some Sherpas also responded to the call. When transporting cement, workers from other places carry a bag of 50 pounds of cement for two days, and Sherpas carry two bags of cement and walk twice a day. This was the first time that the outside world knew about the mysterious Sherpas, who have since become famous in Tibet for their heavy loads and mountain climbing.

The Sherpas we met along the way were friendly, mostly smiling and nodding to us, and occasionally some greeted us in jerky Chinese. This gives us an exotic feeling. Perhaps it was because they rarely saw travelers like us, but in addition to curiosity, some people came up to us and signaled if we needed help when they saw us all carrying large backpacks and walking overwhelmed.

When we stepped onto Chentang, the labyrinthine laneway suddenly made us dumbfounded. At this time, a young man who could speak simple Chinese saw us embarrassed and volunteered to lead us out of the labyrinth. Later, we couldn't get in touch with the guide in Chentang who had been told in advance, and because there was no inn in Chentang Town, we were worried about accommodation. A young Sherpa asked us about our situation, so he set us up for us and arranged for us to live in the house of the teacher, who could speak Chinese.

When I first came into contact with the Sherpas, I felt the warmth and kindness of the Sherpas.