Man Country - A Journey Through the Primitive Tribes on the Sichuan-Tibet Border

Author: Qian Junhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Never in my dreams did I imagine that my feet would one day stand in the "vibrant city of Kangding." Mostly, it was the "Kangding Love Song" that sang this passionate soil into a sticky one, gripping my tired feet, washing my eyes as I sought solitude and ancient wonders, igniting a thousand waves of passion in my heart. Regrettably, I am not a romantic by nature, and in my eyes, the city of romance belongs only to the romantic. Interestingly, romance can also spread instantly. A mere glance at the petite and charming Kangding, and a strange sentiment began to grow rapidly. Perhaps, this exploration is to reconsider and forge myself? Then I must thank the yet-to-be-met paternal tribal clans, for it is because of you that I am able to step into China's only city of love songs, as it is the to Tibet and can be considered the gateway and heartland.
Arriving in Chengdu at 6:30 a.m. on September 12, I immediately took a long-distance bus to Kangding. After a journey of over seven hours, I arrived in the small city that sang the authentic "Kangding Love Song" at 3:00 p.m. The sun was bright, but the wind was biting cold. Strangely, I felt some curious glances. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was due to my attire. I was dressed for summer, while here it was already late autumn. Everyone, without exception, wore wool sweaters or flannel coats, mostly in a Sino-Tibetan fusion style—a wool sweater paired with a Tibetan long skirt. In full Han attire, I wore a sky bead and coral jade pendant around my chest. I had never expected the Kangba region to be so novel and exquisite, nor the plateau climate to be so dreamlike and ever-changing.
Settling into the Great Wall Hotel, I went to a bookstore to find some materials andly discovered a collection of essays titled "Lifting the Veil of Kangba." After flipping through a few pages, I found the writing to be excellent and noted the author's name: Geren Zhuimei. I guessed he was likely a Tibetan writer. Indeed, the cashier told me that the author was a Tibetan who occasionally visited the store. I asked for his phone number. By sheer coincidence, he had just returned from a trip and was about to turn off his phone when he answered my call, or we would have missed each other.
That evening, at the hotel where I was staying, I met Geren Zhuimei, a rugged Tibetan man with a deep, reddish-brown complexion like high-quality coffee-colored silk. His eyes burned with passion, and he exuded a sense of generosity and justice. From him, I learned that it was his zodiac year, and he was 36. Besides his busy daily affairs, he loved writing beautiful prose, much like his name—Zhuimei, chasing beauty. Thus, many "unknowns" and "mysteries" unraveled from his deep baritone voice. Through him, I learned about the many stories of the Kangba region—its unique geographical location and cultural landscape made it a historic passageway to Tibet and a place of multi-ethnic fusion. The famous Tea Horse Road passed through it. Throughout Kangding, the national culture is rich and diverse, forming a Kangba culture dominated by Tibetan culture but also including Western, Islamic, and Han cultures. The characteristic of multicultural convergence is most evident in Kangding. In this small city, there are seven temples and halls: Anjue Temple, Nanmu Temple, Jingang Temple, the Islamic Mosque, Guanyin Pavilion, and the Catholic Church. Beyond Zheduo Mountain, it is a paradise for photographers.
Geren Zhuimei suggested I immerse myself in the Kangba culture, visit several temples, and definitely see the Dege Printing House, as it is also the birthplace and homeland of the King Gesar. P5-6