My trips to China have always been transactional since they are all for work. Offices, factories, brand museums, and their conferences have been the usual itineraries. Some would take us to a race track or off-road paths but for the most part it’s still concrete jungle all the way.
BYD and Denza seemed to have embraced their outdoorsy side because this time, they took us far from the city and onto new heights – almost 4,000m above sea level. I saw pandas, glaciers, and yaks that made for a memorable journey on the western side of the Big Giant.
Chengdu
The trip began in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. It’s also the home to one of the most relaxed animals in the wild – pandas! The animal has no relation to BYD or Denza which is why I truly appreciated them bringing us here to learn more about them.
Although I didn’t really learn anything. I tried to listen to our guide and the information she shared but every time I saw a panda, my mind was shouting “PANDA!” as well. Most of them were sleeping when we got there, one even had a bamboo shoot nearby. Luckily near the end of the trip, one of the bigger pandas woke up and it was hilarious to see its routine. It was looking at us, yawned a few times, scratched its body, yawned some more. All in all it took him 5 or so minutes before it even attempted to stand up – only to slide down to a lower level.
The panda is a perfect contrast to our usual work trip. It’s slow, easy-going, and takes everything in stride. The total opposite to our usual hectic schedule and on-the-dot pacing.
Hailuogou
We expected to see epic views of ice caps at the Hailuogou Glacier Park. Unfortunately, the area was foggy during our time there. What I learned was how to cope with the altitude. The deck was sitting 3,600m above sea level (ASL) – more than twice the elevation of Baguio. It was 0°C and the slightest brush of wind will send chills.
I was fine for the first half of our stay. I didn’t take an oxygen tank because my cardio has improved a bit ever since I started walking weekly. It also helped that the different decks were on the way down from the base floor. My limits were tested on our way back as the path is now upwards. The handy oxygen tank I ignored at first became my best friend. My mistake was returning the cap in a closed position while leaving my hands exposed to the air. There came a point where I had to use the oxygen but I couldn’t open it because my hands were shaking. Even when I was able to hold the cap, I couldn’t twist it open as my hands were freezing. Luckily a media brother from another country helped me with it.
The mountains gave us a bit of consolation the next morning. Before the fog returned, it gave a glimpse of its ice caps from our view at the nearby hotel. Seeing it shining against the morning sun is a scene I’ll never forget.
Tagong Grassland
If Hailuogou gave us a glimpse of what’s beyond the fog, Tagong Grassland flaunted everything it has. We saw the massive pristine landscapes they have here in the more western part of China, the extensive road network, their native animals, ice capped mountains, and the distinct Tibetan architecture on this side of the country. Only it came with a price.
Altitude sickness once again made itself apparent. You can feel it sooner here as this sits 3,800m ASL. It’s not that obvious like in Hailuogou because here, the cold air is complemented by the warm sun. “Ang sarap ng init ng araw” is something I didn’t know I’d say as someone coming from a tropical country.
You’ll feel yourself gasping for air after just 10 or so steps even on flat soil. Standing up too quickly will also induce dizziness and even laughing can be detrimental to your breathing. Sleeping at night was also hard despite having an oxygen aid by the bed. I was waking up almost every hour until my body finally settled in at around 4am, and I was able to have an uninterrupted sleep.
Another memorable moment here was during the offroad driving section. The path wasn’t closed off and it just so happened that during my turn, the yaks were on the move to another location. The herder didn’t bother giving us more space, but we also didn’t insist. We were just waiting for the animals to naturally allow us, but that took a long while. At one point, some of the younger yaks were running and will only slow down to a walk when they’re very near our car. I thought I would be left behind to pay for multiple punctured panels of an expensive SUV.
They say Tagong means ‘a place beloved by the bodhisattva’ which are beings that are enlightened in Buddhism that are helping living beings escape suffering. I felt like they truly helped me there more than my breathing troubles. On our way to the hotel that day, it was already 7pm but there was still a bit of light in the sky. We saw the other side of an ice-capped mountain with its bottom and rear covered by fog, and its back draped by the glow of the sunset. It was surreal to see such beauty in person. I’d like to think it was nature’s way of saying thank you to us.
To be honest, I was frustrated with the itinerary of this trip at first. I’ve been so used to drive, drive, and drive during these out-of-country trips that I initially found these side quests very trivial. Now that I had the time to look back, I’m glad BYD and Denza took the backseat this time around. Cars will keep improving over time as technology develops but these scenes in my mind will be vivid for a long, long time.
