Baicaopo Nature Reserve: Soma Flower on High Mountains
 

Azalea, which is also named "Soma", means auspiciousness and beauty for Yi people. In Jinyang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, there is a flat and vast alpine meadow - Baicaopo. Baicaopo Nature Reserve is the largest area of wild azalea in Liangshan Prefecture, with a total coverage of nearly 67 square kilometers (100,000 mu) and as many as 50 species of azalea. Every year from early spring to midsummer, different varieties of azaleas open one after another from low to high altitude, making Baicaopo a destination for flower viewing.

Between the vast sea of flowers and wetland scenery of Baicaopo, there is a mountain with an altitude of 4,076 meters, named Lion Mountain. Down the side of the mountain lies a huge rock, and from a distance, the rock can be seen with thick eyebrows and sunken eyes, collapsed nose and closed lips, which is very similar to an ape. What an uncanny craftsmanship of nature!

In the summer, when the weather in the plain city is hot and muggy, this mountainous area is cool and pleasant. If you choose a clear day to climb Lion Mountain, you can not only see the Soma flowers blooming along the way, but also see the undulating peaks like ink paintings and the sea of clouds as mysterious as a fairyland. With the high altitude of Lion Mountain, it is worthwhile for travelers to visit this place not only in the cool and pleasant summer, but also in the winter when the snow is breathtakingly beautiful.