Diqing Tour (2) - Yunnan Golden Monkey National Park

Leaving Shigu Town, we followed the Jinsha River upstream. The river water was clear, the valley was lush with greenery, and the newly paved asphalt road on the secondary highway was smooth and easy to travel. The valley alternated between narrow and wide, making the journey pleasant and enjoyable. After driving about 100 kilometers, we arrived at Tacheng Village in Weixi County and checked into Tacheng Hotel. Staying in Tacheng Village was to ensure an early start the next day to visit the Yunnan Golden Monkey National Park and meet the mountain elves. The park opens at 8:00 AM. We took the park's tourist bus to halfway up the mountain and then hiked for about 40 minutes to reach the monkey viewing point. Before we could catch our breath, the Yunnan golden monkeys, jumping up and down and moving left and right, had already captured the attention of all visitors. One golden monkey sat on a tree trunk, picking tender branches and sucking the sap, while the sound of camera shutters clicked away below. The monkey seemed oblivious to the presence of people. The monkeys' playful movements were agile, and their foraging behavior was nimble, making visitors' eyes dart around to keep up. To catch a glimpse of the golden monkeys, there are only a little over two hours in the morning. After enjoying the delicacies prepared by the park staff, they become hard to find. Leaving Tacheng for Weixi County, we traveled 100 kilometers along the Xiangwei Line, leaving the Jinsha River Gorge and entering the Lancang River Gorge. Under the blue sky and white clouds, Weixi County is situated on a hillside, with various specialty restaurants and fashionable shops. On the surface, there is no sign of the unique characteristics of the Lisu ethnic group. We had a simple meal in the county and then hurried along the Dewei Line to Cizhong Church in Yanmen Township, Deqin County. If not for the time constraint, we could have detoured to Tongle Village, home to over a hundred households, to see the ancient Lisu mountain village. Along the way, we saw the under-construction Wunonglong Hydropower Station and Lidi Hydropower Station. The two dams already stood tall in the mountain stream, locking the Lancang River, and their power generation operations were imminent. Although these two hydropower stations may not rank among the top in the country, they are still grand projects with impressive momentum.