The squeeze and collision of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin have formed a vast plateau and continuous mountains in western Sichuan, which geographers collectively refer to as the "Western Sichuan Plateau". Here the mountains and valleys are adjacent, and the clear springs meet the rapids. From the Jiuzhai Yellow Dragon in the world of water-colored armor to the Wolong Nature Reserve, where the national treasure giant pandas live; From Aden, the pure land of earth, to Gongga Mountain, the highest peak of the majestic Hengduan Mountains, a number of fascinating beauties gather here. Under the stars and surrounded by layers, in recent years, there is still a "new" peak group that stands out and becomes the focus of attention, it is Siguniang Mountain. Siguniang Mountain has beautiful scenery and is considered to be the "second highest peak" (in fact, not the second highest) in Sichuan, and is known as the "Empress of Shushan".
In the world of mountaineering and climbing, where experts gather, the fame of Siguniang Mountain is even louder than Mount Everest. Climbers and rock climbers from the West like to refer to it as the "Alps of the East" or "Yosemite of China". British mountaineer Mick Fowler once said: The north wall of the Four Girls is the most magnificent route he has ever climbed, and the Four Girls Mountain is also the most charming mountain.
Today's core attractions of Siguniang Mountain Scenic Area are Shuangqiaogou, Changpinggou, Haizigou, Mianguniang Mountain (Mimei Peak), Sanguniang Mountain, Erguniang Mountain, and Da Niang Mountain. Siguniang Mountain is steep and modern glaciers develop. There are 85 snow peaks above 5,000 meters above sea level, with year-round snow and modern mountain glaciers. The main peak, Siguniang Mountain, is 6,250 meters above sea level. However, it is not the second highest peak in the hearts of Sichuan people, and there are many independent mountain ranges in the mountains where Gongga Mountain is located that are higher than Siguniang Mountain, such as Zhongshan Peak 6886 meters above sea level, Edgar Peak 6618 meters, Jiazi Peak 6540 meters, and Riwu Peak 6376 meters, all higher than it.
Perhaps it is precisely because the altitude is not too high that it has been ignored in the scenery of western Sichuan for thousands of years, and when the scenery of western Sichuan is famous all over the world, it is silent. There have been at least five times in history when times were unlucky.
The first time was unlucky
1200 years ago, the poet Du Fu left a famous sentence in Chengdu looking at "Xiling" from afar: the window contains dry autumn snow in Xiling, and the door is berthed to East Wu Wanli ship. (Du Fu, "Absolute Sentence")
Xiling Snow Mountain
It's like a poem tailored for the Four Girls Mountain. The straight-line distance between Siguniang Mountain and Chengdu is only 120 kilometers, and when you look west from the city, you can clearly see the white peaks covered with snow all year round. With this famous sentence, it seems that the Four Girls Mountain is about to become famous. However, Du Fu did not give the specific location of "Xiling", and later generations have been arguing about it.
Another mountain, about 80 kilometers away from Chengdu, was later renamed "Xiling Snow Mountain" and has since become famous in the sea. The Four Girls Mountain is lost to the poetry saint. The warmth and coldness of life are only in an instant.
The second time was unlucky
In the second half of the 19th century, French missionaries discovered the giant panda in Sichuan, a species endemic to China and the rich variety of flora and fauna in the mountains of western Sichuan, which aroused strong interest among Western biologists. Their exploration spread around Siguniang Mountain, but the snow peak did not attract much attention, but several inconspicuous valleys immediately adjacent to the east side began to become famous. That is the Wolong Sanctuary, which is known today for wild pandas.
Wolong Sanctuary
Four Girls Mountain was once again neglected.
The third time was unlucky
In the 20s of the 20th century, Western explorers' investigation of western Sichuan became more comprehensive, and various peaks began to enter people's field of vision. Gongga Mountain, the "King of Shushan", naturally received the most attention due to its height advantage. Joseph Locke, a well-known contributor to National Geographic, even miscalculated the elevation of Mount Gonggar to more than 9,000 meters, and for a time, its title of "the world's highest peak" spread all over the world.
Three Gods Mountain in Daocheng Aden
The Three Gods Mountain in Daocheng Aden, although it does not have a height advantage, but with its soft mountain shape, it was also recorded by explorers at this time and spread outward. The Four Girls Mountain, which does not have a significant advantage in height and mountain shape, was missed by the outside world for the third time.
The fourth time was unlucky
In the 30s of the 20th century, the Red Army troops during the Long March entered western Sichuan and successively crossed many snow-capped mountains, including Jiajin Mountain in the south of Siguniang Mountain and Min Mountain in the north. These mountains in western Sichuan, which have the footprints of the Red Army, have become household names in the bloody memories of the red era: they are more happy with thousands of miles of snow in the mountains and mountains, and the three armies have opened their faces after the passage. (Mao Zedong, "Seven Laws: The Long March")
And all this still has nothing to do with Siguniang Mountain, although the nearest meeting place of the Red Army (Dawei) is only 20 kilometers from Siguniang Mountain, but it is not on the main communication road of the Red Army's advance. After the Red Army met the division, it immediately went north to Ganxi and Shaanxi, and the Four Girls Mountain was destined to have no connection with revolutionary history.
The fifth time was unlucky
In the 60s of the 20th century, loggers entered Jiuzhaigou with modern equipment. The abundant forest resources here allow workers to harvest trees at a rate of 100,000 cubic meters per year. Years of extensive logging eventually attracted attention from the outside world. It has been found that protecting the beautiful natural landscape of Jiuzhaigou is far more important than harvesting forest resources to create wealth. Therefore, Jiuzhaigou seized the opportunity to take the lead in "time to operate", and became one of the earliest national nature reserves established in the embryonic stage of modern Chinese's awareness of nature protection.
Jiuzhaigou
At this time, the Four Girls Mountain was still kept in the "purdah", and it was not known what the "nature reserve" was.
Siguniang Mountain, the four sisters of "born of one mother" are very famous in China and even the world today, and its name is resounding today: it is a world natural heritage, a national scenic spot, a national geopark, a national nature reserve, one of the top ten mountaineering mountains in the country, and the Oriental Albis Mountain...