Self-driving in Sichuan (Thirty-two): Crossing the Hongyuan Grassland

On the morning of July 8, 2024, at 10:00 AM, we drove out of Songpan County and entered Hongyuan County. The Hongyuan Grassland is vast, with unique natural landscapes and rich resources, known as the 'Golden and Silver Beach' of the plateau. This area was also a place where the Red Army passed during the Long March. To commemorate the Red Army's passage through here, the State Council named it Hongyuan County. Our car sped along the Jiuhong Grassland Scenic Road on the grassland. Whenever we encountered a unique landscape, we would photograph it. There were not many cars along the way; occasionally, we would see one or two cars parked by the roadside, and I would always curiously look around to see if there was any scenery worth seeing. At 10:15, I saw a side road extending to the right of the Jiuhong Grassland Scenic Road. There were several tents set up on the grass beside the side road, with many people active there. I drove the car off the road and parked on the grass. The herdsmen immediately approached us, recommending their handmade yak jerky and dairy products. One woman even asked if we wanted to ride a horse. While everyone was hesitating, it started to rain heavily, with large raindrops pelting down. We hurriedly got back into the car and drove away. At 10:34, we entered a viewing platform by the Jiuhong Scenic Road, where we could photograph the beautiful scenery of the nine bends and eighteen curves at the source of the Maiqu River. Because it was raining heavily, I only got out of the car to take a photo and then quickly got back in. Only Juanjuan ran to a high platform on the other side of the viewing platform to take some long-distance photos.