We packed our bags this morning and are ready to march on Mount Everest! The altitude at the foot of Mount Everest has reached more than 5,000 meters. This gives me mixed joys and sorrows. Hi, I never dared to think that we could also climb Mount Everest (at the foot). Worry is that the body cannot bear the altitude sickness. In this mood, we are driving on the mountain road, the highest peak in the world. According to online information: Mount Everest, which means “Our Lady” in Tibetan, is the highest peak in the world at 8,848 meters above sea level. It is located on the border between China and Nepal in the middle section of the Himalayas, just south of Tingri County, Xigaze Region, Tibet. The peak is covered with snow all year round, a holy sight. The Mount Everest region has 4 peaks above 8000 meters and 38 peaks above 7000 meters, which is known as the third-class of the earth. We drove off at 6:00 in the morning to take a photo of the sunrise at the foot of Mount Everest. We put on thick down jackets, hats and gloves, fully armed in the cold morning, waiting patiently for the sunrise, half an hour later, the sun will not Reluctantly rising from the east, suddenly the reddishness of the snow-capped mountains was reflected, and it was fleeting. We chose the location of Mount Everest to be poor, and we were afraid of physical exhaustion, so we didn’t dare to go too close and too far away , I feel that the photo effect of Mount Everest is not very ideal. On the top of the mountain opposite to Mount Everest, an old Tibetan woman came to us. She was holding a basin in her hand. There were many ancient fossils in it, shaped like shells. According to her, this was buried underground on Mount Everest. Fossils formed over thousands of years are sold to everyone. One costs 80-100 yuan. I’m afraid it is fake, so I didn’t buy it. I regret it now, even if it is fake, what about? It is not easy for the elderly to live on the plateau, even if it is to help the poor, even if it is to buy a souvenir, alas, I don’t know how they had that idea at the time. The top of Mount Everest is covered with snow and ice all year round. The glacier covers an area of ​​10,000 square kilometers. Although we did not photograph the magnificent beauty of Mount Everest, it is also a rare experience in life to witness the true face of Mount Everest with our own eyes! At this moment, the sun was already hanging high in the sky, and we put away the photographic equipment and rushed to our place. All the girls and the driver Ali Wang (middle) took a group photo in front of Mount Everest. When we arrived at the new place of residence, we all allocated our rooms and arranged our luggage. A team of people went to the famous Mount Everest base camp to check in and shoot without worrying about the fatigue. For the sake of environmental protection, I can only go to Mount Everest Base Camp by horse-drawn carriage. This makes me happier. It has been a long time since I took a horse-drawn carriage. It’s also very interesting to feel the sound of ticking horseshoes echoing on the mountain road in the wild. . Sitting on the carriage, the wind was very strong, and a chill was blowing towards me, but this couldn’t conceal my excitement. We followed the carriage driver to sing a familiar Tibetan folk song, and the beautiful tunes were flying in the sky… The carriage drove for about an hour and a half, and finally arrived at the Everest Base Camp, the so-called Everest Base Camp, but it was a canvas tent built by the Tibetans here. Somewhat disappointed me, the excitement came down immediately, and I had no choice but to Take a picture in front of the stone stele that was erected. The stele reads in various words: “Mount Everest Base Camp, elevation: 5200m”. In the Everest Base Camp, there are attentive Tibetan girls waiting for the arrival of tourists in front of every tent, welcoming you to enter the tent and drink sweet tea. We have been running outside for so long, and our bodies have long been frozen. Drink a cup Hot sweet tea is very necessary to warm the body. After staying in the base camp for an hour, we went down to the Rongbuk Monastery residence to shoot the sunset. In the evening, everyone was photographing the sunset on the mountain outside the residence. At about eight o’clock, the teammates who photographed the sunset came back. Everyone went to a small restaurant for dinner. The small restaurant was opened by Tibetan compatriots. The environment was not very good and there were too many people. , The meal is simple, it can fill the stomach on the plateau, and there can be no too high requirements. We stayed in the inn at Rongbuk Monastery. The accommodation conditions were very poor. The room only had two small wooden beds. The quilts covered were not cleaned for a long time. Fortunately, everyone prepared sleeping bags and could get in to sleep. I looked up at a small light bulb that was flickering on and off from the ceiling of the roof. There was no electricity in the middle of the night, so I could only use my flashlight to illuminate. The night on Mount Everest was a painful experience for me. Due to altitude sickness, I felt like I was suffering all night, too sad. I couldn’t sleep all night, I had difficulty breathing, and I needed to gasp to feel a little bit better. Once I lay down, it was difficult to breathe. I could only sit or stand all night, and couldn’t lie down at all. There is no way, in the end I have to go outside to see the stars and observe the twinkling starry sky. Only in this way can I turn the pain into pleasure, so that my breathing seems to be smoother. Because of sleepless night, I will never forget it! There is another thing worth remembering in Mount Everest, and this thing makes me especially touched! The spirit of friendship is carried forward in a difficult environment! One of our teammates in the three cars is a boy from Hong Kong. He is 1.8 meters tall and tall and burly. Unexpectedly, he just got down on the way to Mount Everest. When he arrived at the base camp, he remained unconscious at night. The three male team members who were in the same room kept bringing him water, feeding medicine, picking up urine, and looking for a doctor. They were so busy that they stayed up all night. In fact, everyone has different degrees of reaction on the plateau, and many people did not know each other before they came, and the common hobbies have come together. They do their best to take care of others regardless of their personal safety. This kind of selfless dedication and friendship Spirit is worth learning! Early the next morning, everyone was panicked when they saw the poor health of this teammate, and agreed to send him back to Lhasa for treatment. Since there was no car to go down the mountain at night, they had to wait until dawn. At dawn, after we waited for the eco-car to arrive, a Tibetan compatriot helped him put him on the eco-car, and the eco-car immediately set off to run down the mountain… Later, the Hong Kong guy was treated in the hospital and recovered. He returned to Hong Kong and his physical condition improved greatly. At that time, the doctor diagnosed him as suffering from pulmonary edema. He also said that if he came late for a while, his life would be in danger. Unforgettable day and night experience on Mount Everest! I think that I don’t know if I will come here in this life. The magnificent scenery of Mount Everest is indeed unforgettable, but the body’s endurance has reached its limit, which makes me feel lingering fears every time I remember! Goodbye, Mount Everest! I have imprinted your majesty and majesty deeply in my mind……..

The first blind Asian to climb Mount Everest. Photo: InHope Pictures “It doesn’t matter if you are disabled or normal, whether you are blind or have no arms or legs, as long as you have a strong will, you can always accomplish something that others cannot ,” Zhang told Reuters news agency. Zhang conquered the 8,849m high Himalayas on May 24 with three guides and returned to the camp on May 27. Born in Chongqing City, Zhang lost his sight at the age of 21 due to glaucoma. He was inspired by Erik Weihenmayer, an American blind climber who climbed Mount Everest in 2001. After that, Zhang started climbing with the guidance of a friend, Qiang Zi. Nepal reopened Mount Everest to foreigners in April after a period of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I was still scared because I couldn’t see where I was going and couldn’t find my center of gravity, so sometimes I would fall. However, I still think that even if it’s difficult, I still have to face it. It’s part of climbing. There is difficulty, there is danger, and this is what climbing means.”

Traveling to Anhui, there must be a mountain to let our dreams linger. Even if we have not traveled to Anhui, we must have heard of the famous mountains and great mountains in Anhui. What’s more, there are “the most wonderful mountain in the world” which is famous at home and abroad for its five unique “strange pines, strange rocks, sea of ​​clouds, hot springs, and winter snow”. “Where is Huangshan. As a symbol of tourism in Anhui Province, it is also the most resounding business card for tourism in Anhui Province. Huangshan has never disappointed tourists at home and abroad, and the number of tourists visiting each year is counted in the millions. Of course, as a movable type signboard for tourism in Anhui Province, Huangshan Mountain has been a tourist attraction since ancient times, and it is the only famous mountain Dayue Scenic Area among China’s top ten scenic spots. For tourists who are a little familiar with Anhui, they will not miss another famous mountain in Anhui, which is Jiuhua Mountain in Chizhou City, Anhui Province. Together with Mount Wutai in Shanxi, Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province, and Mount Emei in Sichuan, Mount Jiuhua is known as the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It is known as the “first mountain in the southeast” and is one of the country’s first natural and cultural heritage sites. We are already thunderous with respect to Huangshan, the “No. 1 Wonderful Mountain in the World” and Jiuhua Mountain, known as the “No. 1 Mountain in the Southeast”, but there is a mountain in Anhui Province that is listed as one of the three famous mountains in Anhui with them. Because they are so famous that many people don’t know its name, it is Tianzhu Mountain in Qianshan City, Anqing City, Anhui Province. Many foreign tourists are not very familiar with Tianzhu Mountain. After all, there are Huangshan Mountain and Jiuhua Mountain in front of them, so many foreign tourists will go to them first. Tianzhu Mountain is relatively less popular. However, in the hearts of Anhui people, the status of Tianzhu Mountain is not lost to Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountain. Not only does it have many natural landscapes, but also has a profound historical and cultural heritage. There are many natural and cultural landscapes, which are not lost to Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountain. Why does Tianzhu Mountain do not lose to Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountain in terms of status for Anhui people? In fact, the reason is very simple. It is not how prominent the natural landscape is, but because Tianzhu Mountain has witnessed the development of Anhui since ancient times. It was named “Nan Yue” as early as the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and there have been cultural activities in all dynasties. Also known as Buried Mountain, Wanshan Mountain, Wanshan Mountain, Long Live Mountain, Ancient Nanyue Mountain, and Wangong Mountain, Anhui Province abbreviated as “Wan” is derived from this. Tianzhu Mountain, as the gathering place of ancient Anhui culture, is not only known as “the hometown of seven fairies”, but also regarded as the 14th cave sky and 57 blessed place by Taoism. The second and third ancestors of Buddhism and Zen resided here in Xi, which is ” The beginning of “Chinese Zen Buddhism” to the whole country is a rare mountain and great mountain where Taoism and Buddhism coexist in Anhui Province and even in China. As the hometown of Huangmei Opera and the birthplace of Peking Opera, my country’s earliest long narrative poem “Peacock Flies Southeast” and “Xiao Qiao married” two love stories, Tianzhu Mountain has therefore become a famous mountain with profound historical and cultural heritage. Tianzhu Mountain not only has a profound historical and cultural heritage, but also a unique natural landscape. It is precisely because of its long history and unique natural landscape that it is one of the three famous mountains in the province along with Mount Huangshan and Mount Jiuhua. Tianzhu Mountain, the only UHP metamorphic zone in the country with the largest exposed area and the deepest exposure in the world, has formed a unique geological wonder, presenting natural landscapes such as strange peaks, strange rocks, secluded caves, and canyons. There are thousands of peaks in the scenic area. Wanhe hides secluded, majestic and majestic, indescribable, and is famous for being majestic, strange, spiritual and beautiful. One of the three major poets of the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, known as the “devil of poetry”, left the famous piece “Tianzhu a peak to lift the sun and the moon, and a thousand cave gates to lock the clouds and thunder” for praise after his travels.

Mount Everest. Photo: Reuters Camping sites on the slopes of Mount Everest on the Nepal side have been affected by a series of COVID-19 cases since late April. The Nepal government, not wanting to cut off revenue from tourism, has yet to cancel the spring climbing season, which usually runs from April to early June, before the rainy season. According to the Xinhua News Agency , a group of Tibetan climbing guides will climb Everest and set up a “boundary” to prevent any contact between climbers from both sides. It is not clear how the divider will be set up on Mount Everest – which is only the size of a dining table, and has an extremely harsh climate. And it’s not clear whether the Tibetan guides will just put up a fence, or have to stay in the area of ​​Mount Everest to keep the divider. This is known as the “death zone”, where many people died due to lack of oxygen. According to the Reuters , the 8,848m high peak is just a small snow mound, with just enough space for about 5-6 climbers and guides. China has not allowed any foreign climbers to climb Everest from the Tibetan side since the COVID-19 outbreak last year. China on Sunday recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases, all imported cases. Meanwhile, Nepal reported 9,023 new cases on Friday – a record increase in the country.

China drew a line on Mount Everest to prevent Covid-19. Photo: NatGeo Reuters news agency, citing Chinese national media, said so on May 9. According to Beijing, it is a precautionary measure. Everest base camp on the Nepal side was hit by a spike in Covid-19 infections in late April. The Nepal government, which lacks tourism revenue, has yet to cancel spring climbing, which usually starts in April and lasts until early June, before the monsoon. It is not immediately clear how the upper boundary will be established on the small, dangerous, hard-to-navigate mountaintop and about the size of a dining table. A small group of climbing guides in Tibet will climb Everest and set up a divider at the summit to prevent any contact between climbers on both sides of the peak, Xinhua reported. said the head of the Tibet Sports Authority. A group of 21 Chinese nationals were on their way to Mount Everest on the Tibetan side, Xinhua reported. The group of Tibetan guides will set up a divider before the group of 21 arrives. It is not clear whether the Tibetan guides were the ones enforcing the separation, or whether they stayed in the so-called “death zone”, where many people have died due to lack of oxygen, to maintain this boundary no. The summit of the 8,848m-high Mount Everest is a small snow mound, with only enough space for half a dozen climbers and guides to be on it at the same time. China has not allowed any foreign climbers to climb the mountain from the Tibetan side since the Covid-19 outbreak last year due to concerns about contagion. Tourists in the scenic Everest region in Tibet are also prohibited from visiting the base camp on the Tibetan side.

Kami Rita and 11 other guides reached the summit of Everest around 6 p.m. after hours of climbing. Mira Acharya, an official with the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism, said that Kami Rita and his group were climbers of Everest this year. The climbing team fixed ropes on the icy route for hundreds of other climbers to climb to the top in late May. Last year, the routes to Mount Everest in the south, in Nepal, because of the epidemic. This year, 408 foreign climbers were issued with climbing permits. Admire the 51-year-old man who conquered Mount Everest 25 times. Kami Rita, 51 years old, first climbed Everest in 1994. Since then, he has conquered the roof of the world almost every year. He is considered as one of the Sherpa guides with expertise and good skills, contributing to the safety and success of hundreds of people to conquer the 8,848.86 meter high Everest. In addition to reaching Mount Everest 25 times, Kami Rita has conquered several other peaks among the highest in the world, including Mount K2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. He was also present at Everest base camp in 2015 when an avalanche swept through, killing 19 people. After that tragedy, he came under great pressure from his family to give up climbing. Good weather on Mount Everest only appears for a few days in May, favorable for climbers to conquer the world’s highest peak.

“ When I got a positive result, I was shocked. And then I realized that my adventure was over “Ness said.” My dream is to go to the top of the mountain and enjoy the scenery there “. Some climbers have tested positive for COVID-19, but the Nepalese government says no infections have been reported on Everest. (Photo: CNN) Polish climber Pawel Michalski then posted on Facebook an article “30 people have been evacuated” from the campsite and found positive for COVID-19. Some climbers are quarantined in their tents, as there have been a few confirmed cases of COVID-19 in early childhood, Everest ER, a volunteer organization that provides aid to climbers. canopy off the campsite. Nepalese government regulations prohibiting climbers from sharing photos of others without consent restricted information coming from the mountain, but rumors are spreading as more cases are reported. infected, and not just at Everest. At least 19 people have been evacuated from the climbing camps in Dhaulagiri – the world’s seventh highest peak – 345 kilometers west of Everest, according to Mingma Sherpa, president of the Seven Summits Trek Company. Seven people had a positive result and another 12 had to be tested after symptoms appeared, he added. Nepalese Army spokesman Major General Santosh Ballave Paudel said three cleaners at the Dhaulagiri campsite had COVID-19. One person was evacuated on Wednesday and the other two will be evacuated during clear weather. Climbers are worried that Nepal will close Everest again, said Lukas Furtenbach, an expedition chief. “ I guess there will be more infections ”Furtenbach told CNN from his campsite at Mera Peak, south of Everest. “ Everyone is worried about a message from the Department of Tourism that says: ‘You all have to go home’ “. Patient number 0 on Mount Everest According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, Nepal’s economy is mainly based on tourism revenue, generating 240.7 billion rupees ($ 2 billion) in 2018. Those who want to climb mountains must have a license. from the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu and the cost falls to around 11,000 USD. Many Nepalese people depend on tourism and climbing services for a living. In 2018, Nepal’s tourism industry supported more than 1 million direct and indirect jobs. After canceling last year’s mountaineering tours due to the pandemic, Nepal’s Tourism Ministry granted 408 permits to Everest climbers this year. But there will be more than 408 people making their journey of exploration stopping at the campsite and along the mountainside, followed by a climbing support team consisting of chefs, guides and geographic assistants. Phuong. This will complicate the efforts to create “bubbles” and social distance. “ The campsite is a miniature city ”, Said Alan Arnette, veteran observer, who reached Mount Everest in 2011 and now runs a climbing website. Furtenbach estimated there were about 1,200 people staying at the campsite this year. These conditions make the stretching more difficult. “ Usually there will be lots of social activities, events, campsites, groups visiting and making new friends. ”, Said Furtenbach. Now, most travel agencies are trying to maintain the “bubble” of isolation. Some Sherpas and local staff have to give up their usual habit of going home on holidays. Many expedition teams have had to travel longer distances without a break to spend as little time as possible at Everest. Some climbers have tested positive for COVID-19, but the Nepalese government says no infections have been reported on Everest. (Photo: CNN) Viruses can attack quickly Ness – the first case of COVID-19 infection on a publicly identifiable Everest – said he began to feel sick five days after the group’s trip to the campsite. “ I feel sick … I have a headache in the mountains, maybe a little fever, I don’t know, but the oxygen in my blood is very low “. “ At the campsite, my health got worse every day “, Ness said, adding that doctors finally asked to take him to the hospital and there he knew he had COVID-19. The positive results beat Ness’s three years of training for the journey, but he considers himself lucky for making a quick recovery. “ I thought if I got COVID-19 in Kathmandu, I wouldn’t get seriously ill – because I recovered very quickly after leaving the mountain. “, I said. “ But it’s terrible to be infected at 5,500 meters above sea level “. Confronted with confusion Reports of COVID-19 infections have resulted in a tense atmosphere at the Everest campsite. “ We get emails from other teams, trying to decide whether to go home or not, because it’s clear things are getting serious. “, Said Adrian Ballinger, an expedition leader who withdrew from the Everest expedition because of concerns about COVID-19. “ I heard the guide, the Sherpas and one of the helicopter companies talk about how many COVID-19 rescues they were doing. “, I said. As the rumors swirled, concerns also increased due to the lack of in-site test kits. “ We hope the government will confirm cases, keep things transparent, maybe even send a support team to the campsite to do mass testing to find the super people. infection “, Said Furtenbach, head of the expedition. “ I think every travel agency will be happy to pay for this. It will probably save the climbing season, because it would be risky to have more and more infections causing this season to end sooner. “. A sign encourages those outside to stay away from the camp. (Photo: The Washington Post) Everest ER, an aid service run by the Himalayan Rescue Nonprofit, wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday that there have been reports of nagging coughs during this climbing season. . “ This year has been a difficult year due to the COVID-19 pandemic “, Said Everest ER. “ We cannot afford rapid on-site tests at this time “. Talking about the Seven Summit Treks expedition at Everest, Mingma Sherpa said his group has departed from Camp 2 and is expected to arrive at Camp 4 on Thursday. “ If we run the Covid-19 test among climbers, some of them will probably be positive for the virus. But until now no one has any serious health complications except the common cold and cough “Mingma said. Lukas Furtenbach at the beginning of the journey to conquer Mount Everest. (Photo: CNN) Seven Summit Treks Company has 130 customers registered to climb Mount Everest this spring. According to CNN, many Everest climbers do not want to talk to journalists about the COVID-19 situation because they fear they will be denied a climbing license in the future. This has made it more difficult to estimate the number of people infected, and rumors continue to circulate, even among mountain climbing groups. “ I know people who used to have COVID-19, those infected have come to Kathmandu and now they are recovering, and I know there are people who have not had any cases in their camps. “, Says Arnette, describing his conversations with climbers in recent weeks. “ We were all trying to figure out what was going on and we were all confused “, He added. Ethical issue Of all the parts of the world that are facing COVID-19, Mount Everest is probably the worst. “ Everyone’s respiratory system is having difficulty and overactive, so it is much more susceptible to upper respiratory tract disease. ”Said Ballinger, the head of the expedition. Climbers face an intense physical warfare with every step of the mountain, he said. “ You cannot sleep in the highlands, so you will feel tired for many days without sleep. You cannot eat, because the digestive system is considered unnecessary because anything you put in your stomach makes you feel nauseous. “, I said. Persistent coughing spells that are so common during journeys at Everest – known as the Khumbu cough, named after the valley leading to Everest – make detecting COVID-19 especially difficult. “ Your entire body is working to the limit, so the virus will be a real threat to your health and even life. “, expedition chief Furtenbach said. And evacuation can become more dangerous once the teams have left the campsite and continue on up. “ If the weather worsens and someone begins to have complications, evacuating without a helicopter would take days and be very dangerous. ”, Said Furtenbach. For now, however, the spirit for the journey is still intact. “ Everyone was delighted “, Furtenbach said.” We had customers who waited for two years and it was their life’s dream “. Furtenbach’s team brought their own COVID-19 test kit to Everest and regularly checked team members. (Photo: CNN) But Nepal and its neighbor India are being engulfed in a dire second wave of COVID-19. Nepal recorded the highest number of cases per day on Wednesday. So some climbers are also considering whether or not to continue. “ I think we’ll start to see some climbers leave because they only feel they are doing it morally wrong, when the Kathmandu outbreak was too strong. ”Ballinger predicted. “ The villagers are sitting there with thousands of oxygen tanks “. “ If more and more cases come to a campsite, the authorities in Nepal will have to do something about it “, Added Furtenbach, again proposing an early end of the climbing season. “ I think they tried to do the right thing, they tried to save the climbing season. But maybe that’s not the right thing to do “.

Nepal reopened the spring mountaineering season in early April after closing mountaineering activities for a year. However, just a few weeks later, at least one mountaineer has been diagnosed with new crown pneumonia.

The climber’s name is Erlend Ness, from Norway. He was diagnosed just last Friday and is currently in hospital isolation. He is not sure where he contracted the virus, but it is very likely that he contracted it in a tea shop in the Khumbu Valley under Mount Everest.

Erlend Ness feels unwell at base camp

While preparing for the climb at the base camp, he experienced intense discomfort and difficulty breathing. On April 15, a helicopter took him from the base camp and taken him to the hospital in Kathmandu. Fortunately, he purchased new crown insurance in advance, including the rescue cost.

“Not many climbers used masks.” He recalled to an Associated Press reporter. According to a report by the mountaineering website Explorersweb, all climbers currently in the base camp have undergone two new coronavirus tests before leaving Kathmandu.

A Sherpa in his team has also been diagnosed with the new crown.

Erlend Ness in the hospital

In response, a senior mountain guide Austrian Lukas Furtenbach warned that Nepal should immediately check all climbers, guides and Sherpas and take safety measures. The virus is likely to have spread to hundreds of others and is now on Mount Everest. Spread among climbers camped in the base camp.

“We now urgently need to conduct large-scale testing in the base camp. Everyone must be tested, each team must be quarantined, and no contact between teams is allowed.” Furtenbach said. “Start now, otherwise it will be too late.”

He complained that only members of his team were still following the epidemic prevention guidelines, washing hands as usual, keeping a safe distance, doing virus tests every few days, and wearing masks. But the other climbers in the base camp didn’t care, and often invited people from other teams to parties.

Nepal’s economy is heavily dependent on Mount Everest climbing activities. According to the Kathmandu Post, the Nepalese government earns 4 million U.S. dollars each year by issuing Mount Everest climbing permits. According to data from the Nepal Mountaineering Association, 80% of Nepalese income comes from mountaineering activities and the tourism industry surrounding it. In 2019, 54,000 were directly employed by climbers who came to Mount Everest, including cooks, drivers and Sherpas who assisted in climbing.

Mount Everest is the “food and clothing parent” of many Nepalese

The traditional spring mountaineering activities start in April, and about 40 mountaineering teams come to Mount Everest at this time each year. And last year, due to the new crown epidemic, Mount Everest was closed, which was also a heavy blow to Nepal.

This year, after Nepal announced the resumption of spring mountaineering, hundreds of climbers are expected to try to reach the summit. The Nepal Immigration Department stated that all travelers entering Nepal must present a negative test report for the new coronavirus within 72 hours, or a certificate of completion of the new crown vaccination. Tourists from countries with variant strains need to be quarantined at the hotel for an additional 10 days.

(This article is from The Paper. For more original information, please download the “The Paper” APP)

Mount Everest may no longer be immune to COVID-19. Photo: DW Even the highest peak in the world is no longer immune to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There has been at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 from a base camp on the southern edge of Mount Everest in Nepal. After suffering from high-altitude cerebral edema syndrome (HAPE), this person was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the capital Kathmandu, tested and diagnosed positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus. The members of the group immediately had to undergo quarantine. A mountain climber with COVID-19 is identified as a Norwegian citizen. He said he may have been infected during the climb from the foot of the mountain to the main camp mentioned above. It is reported that at least three people in the climbing crew were infected with SARS-CoV-2. For its part, the Nepal Tourism Board intends to deny this, saying that the incident is still under investigation and that information about the infection is just rumors. As of April 21, Nepal has granted licenses to 377 individuals who want to climb mountains and conquer Mount Everest in 2021, only slightly less than the record number of 2019. With a population of 30 million, Nepal has recorded approximately 285,000 cases and 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. At the end of March, the government loosened restrictions on tourists. To gain entry, international travelers only need to present a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 or a PCR test negative for SARS-CoV-2 within 72 hours of arrival. If an additional negative test is performed at the capital airport, the traveler is free to travel in Nepal.

What’s in Jiujiang, Jiangxi?

There are Mount Lu, the “first mountain in Tianshan” recommended by Bai Juyi, as well as many historical sites, such as Xunyang Tower, Suojiang Tower, Bailudong Academy and so on.

There is also a place called Yanshuiting Scenic Area in Jiujiang, which looks like a turtle floating on Gantang Lake from a height, connected to the shore of the lake through the Jiuqu Bridge. Crossing the Jiuqu Bridge, it feels like Duan Yu, the leading actor of “Tian Long Ba Bu”, suddenly learned Ling Bo’s microsteps.

Gantang Lake is located in the urban area of ​​Jiujiang, not far from the rolling Yangtze River, Yanshuiting Scenic Area is on the north bank of the lake, and Xunyang Road is connected to it by the Jiuqu Bridge. According to legend, the famous Dongwu general Zhou Yu once trained navy here. Later, he joined forces with Liu Bei to defeat Cao Cao’s army in Chibi. The commanding platform was in front of Yanshui Pavilion, guarding the beautiful Gantang Lake day and night.

The scenery of Gantang Lake is no less than that of West Lake in Hangzhou. Dianjiangtai is part of the Yanshui Pavilion Scenic Area, but the Yanshui Pavilion opposite is actually located on two small islands, but the area of ​​Dianjiangtai is even smaller.

With white walls and black tiles, flowers and trees supporting the sparseness, the Yanshui Pavilion scenic area surrounded by water exudes a strong southern charm. The layout between pavilions and courtyards is elegant and ingenious, not only has the beauty of details similar to Suzhou gardens, but also because of the waterscape. It has a sense of atmosphere that Suzhou gardens do not have.

Enter the scenic spot from Xunyang Road through the Jiuqu Bridge on the water, but you see the lake, the pavilions are reflected on the water, and the breeze is coming, which is not full of poetry.

In the Tang Dynasty, the great poet Bai Juyi came to be an official in Jiujiang, which was still called Jiangzhou at the time. He once went on a boat to look at the lake and mountains at the place where Yanshui Pavilion is now. In the autumn night, I sent guests to Huanpukou. I felt the sound of the pipa and learned the twists and turns of the player’s life story. I wrote the ancient masterpiece “Pipa Xing”.

Looking closely from a height, the small island where Yanshui Pavilion is located is not only like a big turtle, but also like a moon. The Northern Song Dynasty philosopher Zhou Dunyi, who wrote “The Story of Ailian”, named it “Dip Moon Island”. The name “Soaked in the Moon Pavilion” originated from the phrase “If you are drunk and happy, you will be goodbye. Don’t be soaked in the moon in the vast river.”

Judging from the order of construction, the first building in Yanshuiting Scenic Area was Dianjiangtai, followed by Dianyue Pavilion, and then Yanshui Pavilion.

There is a stone stele on one side of the garden with the whole poem “Pipa Xing” on it. After more than a thousand years, the artistic conception in the poem is still clear.

After Zhou Dunyi’s death, his son guarded his tomb from Hunan to Jiangzhou, and built a Yanshui Pavilion on the embankment of Gantang Lake. The Soaking Moon Pavilion and the Yanshui Pavilion went through several rises and falls during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The current scale was formed during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, and the Jiuqu Bridge was built in the middle of the last century.

There are two pedestals with the shape of a hidden sword and a stone box on both sides of the bridge at the junction of the Moon Island.

Why is there such a design? What is the intention?

According to historical data, the ancient Jiujiang area often encountered armed and slaughtered cities and bandits. From the current point of view, it is mainly because Jiujiang has an advantageous geographical location and belongs to the “soldier battlefield.” In the eyes of the ancient Yin and Yang family, all this is in harmony. Lushan Shuangjian Peak is related.

From a distance, Lushan Double Sword Peak is like two sharp swords facing the county town. The stone chisel implies hidden swords, just to put away the edge of the “double swords”.

The core buildings of the Yanshuiting Scenic Area are all located on Sommer Island. The main building is turned into the Zhou Yu Historical Relics Exhibition Hall. Various cultural relics are displayed inside, and there is a statue of Zhou Yu in the middle.

In practical terms, the name of the Soochow who died young will lay the foundation for Wei, Shu, and Wu to divide the world. Without him, the story of the Three Kingdoms would be another version.

The first building on Sommer Island is Yanshui Pavilion, followed by Chunyang Hall, Wuxian Pavilion, and Guanyin Pavilion.

The Chunyang Temple is dedicated to Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals. It is said that he used to be an official in Xunyang before he became an immortal, and he was deeply loved by the local people.

The Wuxian Pavilion was built to commemorate Tao Yuanming, Wang Yangming, Zhou Dunyi, Bai Juyi, and Li Bo. Any one of these five is a well-known master.

A Yanshui Pavilion scenic spot, condensed countless historical stories and folklore, fortunately I did not miss it.

The beauty here is both on the outside and on the inside.

Travel Tips: Jiujiang citizens can visit for free with valid certificates. Foreign tourists can enter the scenic spot after spending 20 yuan to buy tickets. The Jiuqu Bridge or shore viewing is free. Jiujiang Road 29 and 102 pass through Yanshuiting Station. If you take the high-speed rail to Jiujiang Station, you can walk about 560 meters after exiting the station and take the 105 Outer Ring/53/108 Road to Yanshuiting Station. Drive or take a taxi and follow the navigation prompts to walk.