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when the car drove to the alpine meadow under tianbao snow mountain in shangri-la, at the end of a gravel road, i could see wild irises all over the mountains, blooming under the shifting rocks at an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters. at that moment, i remembered the "sea of ​​flowers" in the poem "wild iris" written by american poet louise glück: "a huge fountain gushed out from the center of my life, deep blue, projected on the blue sea."

△a sea of ​​wild irises. (photo by seibu)

this is a nearly uninhabited area. in early july, when the wild irises were in full bloom, the yellow-cup azaleas were almost dead, with only one or two plants still hanging with slightly withered flowers.

if you look carefully at the corners of the jungle, you may encounter meconopsis hidden in the cracks of rocks. their upright or curved stems have blue-purple petals with dewdrops hanging on them. xu wei's song "blue lotus" is about this plant: "clear and lofty" and "never withering."

△meconopsis. (photo by seibu)

flowers in the mountains always have a wild charm. they are not "captive" by people, and they don't need to use flattering gestures to attract too many people to visit and admire them. and when this wild charm falls in yunnan, it is magnified beyond measure. in this place dubbed the "kingdom of flowers", flowers have become countless mountain elves.

so, i escaped from the crowd and set out from dali.spend the entire spring and summer on a flower-viewing trip across multiple locations, began to practice a kind of walking on the ground that is closer to nature.

01

why is yunnan called the "kingdom of flowers"?

the fact that yunnan has become the kingdom of flowers is purely a gift from god.

the unique geographical advantages make it the richest flower resources, and it is one of the major flower distribution centers in the world. there are more than 5,000 species of wild ornamental flowers in yunnan alone; 1/3 of the world's commercial ornamental flowers are native to yunnan, so much so that there is a saying:“without cloud flowers, there is no garden.”

△the secret place of the primeval forest in tianbao snow mountain. (photo/seibu)

walking from jinghong in the southernmost part of yunnan to deqin in the northernmost part, there is a latitude difference of 8.2 degrees. in addition, 65 million years ago, the plate compression formed the three parallel rivers region, which resulted in a height difference of several thousand meters in gaoligong mountain, meili snow mountain and other places.

the highest point in yunnan is kawagebo peak, the main peak of meili snow mountain, with an altitude of 6,740 meters. the lowest point is at the china-vietnam border where the nanxi river and the red river meet, with an altitude of only 76.4 meters.therefore, with an altitude difference of more than 6,000 meters, plants that prefer different temperatures can find their own "home".

△in winter, plum blossoms bloom on the branches of the 10,000-acre plum forest in songhe village. (photo/seibu)

coupled with the fact that low-latitude areas provide enough heat, and there are numerous rivers, and the air currents from the indian ocean and the pacific ocean bring abundant water and rainfall, yunnan has naturally become a paradise for flowers.

as for its position as a world distribution center for flowers, for exampleazaleathe whole genus has more than 1,000 species, with more than 560 species distributed in china, and more than 290 species in yunnan alone, more than half of the species distributed in china. the rhododendron tatarinowii on the west slope of cangshan mountain in dali and the rhododendron rubrum in shangri-la attract countless people every year to take a peek at their beauty.

△azalea serrata. (photo by seibu)

more famous arecamelliaas a major camellia country, china has as many as 238 species of camellia, accounting for 80% of the world's total. in yunnan, starting with the early spring varieties such as "zao taohong", more than 200 species of camellia all come out to "catch up with the spring", which lasts until april of the following year.

the richness and beauty of camellias have attracted many people. in jin yong's martial arts novels, duan yu, who was born in dali, gave 13 kinds of camellias very unique names. one of them is called "scratched beauty's face" because there is a red line on its white petals, which is very similar to the image mentioned by duan yu.

as for the camellia's "wandering" journey across europe, it has long become a legend in history.

in 1739, englishman james robert brought the first living camellia back to england. since then, camellia has become a favorite in european gardens. white camellia is especially favored by fashion designer coco chanel because of its pure white appearance, and has become the brand symbol of chanel.

△in the early morning, the creek is full of primroses. (photo/seibu)

primrose this is also true. this is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. yunnan has 138 species and is the world's primrose distribution center. around 1820, british missionaries first introduced tibetan primroses to britain. when the flowers bloomed the following year, they even caused a sensation. people had never seen such flowers before, and to them, it was like a visitor from outer space.

02

walking in dali, searching for spring wildflowers

in early february, in eryuan, dali, we walked deep into the mountains and arrived at songhe village.ten thousand acres of plum blossomsthe hills in the southeast and northwest were covered with a layer of purple-gray, and it was not until the plum blossoms were seen closely that they showed a light pink, with a hint of early spring.

△the 10,000-acre plum field in songhe village. (photo/seibu)

eryuan it is the first stop of the flower viewing tour in northwest yunnan, starting from the central area of ​​dali.here there is“hometown of ancient plum blossoms in china”the plum trees planted in songhe village have a history of 2,000 years. over the past century, the plum trees planted in songhe village have become a sea of ​​flowers. this year, the planting area has reached 35,000 mu. the tv series "where the wind goes" was also filmed here.

the plum trees in songhe village usually bloom until the end of february. when i came here at the beginning of the month, less than 40% of the plum trees were in bloom. although it is still some time before the peak bloom, seeing the plum trees in full bloom still makes me feel that the trip is worthwhile.

△ a close look at the plum blossoms. (photo/seibu)

a better way to see the plum forest than to look at it from a distance is to look at it up close. thanks to the fact that songhe village has not yet become a popular online attraction, there are not many tourists coming to see the plum blossoms, and the whole village still retains a sense of tranquility like a paradise. whether you go into the woods from the mountain path or walk down the road from the village, the plum blossoms are reflected by the loess, stone slabs, and mud walls. when the wind blows, the petals fall, like raindrops falling obliquely, landing on the shoulders of the dark villagers passing by with baskets on their backs.

if the plum forest in songhe village still has artificial planting, then on the bijia peak on the west slope of diancang mountain, there are more than 300 acres of wild plums.rhododendron lantansit has more natural wildness.

this year, its flowering period came earlier, and it was already in full bloom at the end of february. unlike the shrub-like azaleas commonly seen in cities, the rhododendron tatarinowii is tree-like, with not only taller branches but also flowers the size of a bowl. in addition, the petals are bright red like blood. when it blooms in clusters, it can be said to be as imposing as a rainbow.

△azalea strychnifolia in full bloom on bijia mountain. (photo by seibu)

go up the gravel road, through the alpine meadow, and come to the tree of rhododendron tatarinowii. you can see the petals and the texture of the tree. passing by a few tourists, you can get the tranquility of being alone in nature. when the sky is clear, the rhododendron casts its shadow, and white clouds slowly float by in the distance. at this moment, time seems to stand still.

it is late march. go southwest from yangbi and you will arrive at baotai mountain in yongping. there are the world's tallest yunnan camellia and the "shangguan flower".magnolia yunnanensis。

△fallen flowers on baotai mountain. (photo/seibu)

the "flower" in dali's "wind, flowers, snow and moon" refers to the yunnan-tibet magnolia. this plant grows in the forest at an altitude of 2,500 to 3,500 meters. it can be as tall as 30 meters. when the flowers are in full bloom, they are as big as a human face and have a unique fragrance.

xu xiake also recorded another magical feature of the flower: "the flower is white with a light yellow hue, and its petals are like lotus flowers, two to three inches long, with twelve petals each. in a leap month, an extra petal is added. with such a tiny flower, it moves according to the number of days. it is amazing that not only the spring can be imprinted, but also the objects can be measured in this way."

unfortunately, this year, the flowering period of yunnan-tibet magnolia came later than in previous years. when i arrived at baotai mountain, a yunnan-tibet magnolia outside jinguang temple had not yet bloomed, with only a few flowers sparsely hanging on the branches, looking a little lonely.

△a valley full of flowers on baotai mountain. (photo/seibu)

fortunately, on the way to find yunnan camellia, there is a valley that can be called a modern version of "xanadu". under a tall white cherry tree, a stream gurgles, and only bees and butterflies sip by the water. when the wind blows, petals fall in pieces, a silent, unmanned cherry blossom snow.

03

from lijiang to shangri-la,

traveling through the uninhabited secret realm

in the countryside, outside dali, wild flowers are also growing wildly.

in northwestern yunnan, lijiang and shangri-la are both great places to see flowers. in early may, hike to the lijiang anaguo nature reserve and you can see a sea of ​​rhododendrons on the top of the mountain. the altitude here is nearly 4,000 meters, and it is almost a world without disturbance.

△azalea in anago. (photo by seibu)

after being led into the reserve by a local guide, winding paths unfold before our eyes on the way up.usnea hangs leisurely on the tree branches, like balls of tender green thread weaving a web of primeval forest.this plant only grows in places with good air quality and can be regarded as one of the criteria for testing the quality of the local ecology.

△ usnea hanging densely on tree branches like wool. (photo/photo by seibu)

compared with the rhododendron tatarinowii on the west slope of cangshan mountain, the rhododendron tatarinowii in anaguo is located at a higher altitude and its flowering period comes more than a month later. during the peak flowering period, a heavy rain has washed down the blooming rhododendron tatarinowii, and the dirt road is covered with a "flower road" made of fallen flowers, which has a rather cold and desolate feeling.

when we reached the middle of the mountain, we could already see the sea of ​​azaleas on the top of the mountain through the gaps in the woods. after passing through a jungle, the view became wider and a panoramic view of the endless sea of ​​flowers appeared, as if a partial puzzle was instantly completed.

△azaleas are everywhere in the mountains. (photo by seibu)

on the way, the herdsman's sheep suddenly jumped out from behind, bleating and gnawing at the wild flowers and grasses. there was also a lone lamb, crying out in pain in a place where it could not be seen, its miserable voice echoing in the mountains for a long time.

finally, we reached the top of the mountain, and in front of us was an extremely lush azalea tree, with its flowers covering the land where it was rooted like a big umbrella. only when you really stand in front of it can you experience the shock that you can't experience from a distance.the vitality that bursts out from its body, sweeping over like a wave, will naturally make you think of "all things have spirits".

△a lushly blooming azalea tree. (photo/seibu)

compared to anaguo, shangri-la is more like a cold wonderland. due to the higher altitude, you can still feel the chill even in midsummer. driving to the foot of tianbao snow mountain, you will find a forest farm that cannot be found on the map. from a distance, the gravel beach will be mistaken for snow.

the first thing that comes into view is thewild iris, blue to purple. its slender petals droop, together with the yellow primroses, dot this uninhabited land. the mysterious feeling of the primeval forest naturally attracts people to step in, just to explore.

△wild irises that are blue to purple. (photo/photo by seibu)

even more amazing than wild irises and primroses is meconopsis. unlike the first two, which are easily accessible, meconopsis often hides in the cracks of rocks or other inconspicuous corners.

during the two hours we stayed here, my friend and i only found four or five plants of meconopsis.they have extremely pure and clean blue petals with cold dewdrops hanging on them. just one glance and you will understand why they are worthy of the description of "mountain elves".especially in places surrounded by rain and fog, it adds to the fairyland atmosphere.

△meconopsis in the mist. (photo/photo by seibu)

there are also azaleas here, but they are almost withered. in the rain and fog, the last batch of yellow cup azaleas in the azalea family have also passed their peak blooming period and are entering the end of their gorgeous bloom. only a few yellowish flowers are still lingering under the tree, reluctant to leave.

△ most of the yellow azalea flowers have withered. (photo/seibu)

after wading through the stream and leaving the forest farm, this flower-viewing trip across hundreds of kilometers in northwest yunnan, which spanned the entire spring and summer, also came to an end.

in the countryside, away from the crowds, in the kingdom of flowers, finding and enjoying the wildness while walking is undoubtedly a transcendent luxury bestowed by nature.