I would like to express my condolences to those who lost their lives in the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day. I also wish for the earliest possible recovery of those affected and evacuated, and I sincerely hope that they would receive warm support. Two great rivers flow through China from west to east, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Both originate on the Tibetan Plateau, with the former winding north and emptying into the Yellow Sea, and the other curving south and flowing into the East China Sea. Civilization and rice cultivation were born in the basin, and both have been closely connected to people's lives. It has also had a great influence on changes in politics and history. It is impossible to talk about China without mentioning this great river. Last year (2023), when the ban on individual travel to China was lifted for the first time in four years, I traveled from northwestern Sichuan province to northern Yunnan province, and again went north to southern Qinghai and Gansu provinces for one month starting in late June in search of blue poppies. I stood on the banks of the Yellow River in Gansu province in the north, and crosses the Yangtze River in Yunnan province in the south. It is 900km in straight line distance between them, the same distance between Tokyo and Fukuoka, and the total journey was over 5,000km. On this trip, I was able to observe nearly 30 species of blue poppies, including new species that were discovered by the late Toshio Yoshida, former president of the Blue Poppy Research Society of Japan in his late-most years. I was also blessed with good weather, and was able to see mountains that are hard to see at this time of year. Enlarge the shaded area. The red line is the route in this trip. The numbers are in the places where I visited. Mt. Ze'er Shan (1) & (10) This is the mountain where I visited 10 years ago (2013) when I first explored blue poppies in China. At that time, I assent from the southeastern foothill of the mountain. This time, in search of a new species discovered since then, I followed the bikes of herders up from the Wanda Yi ethnic village in the northwest. Later on my way back from Yunnan Province, I approached again from the Yale Nature Reserve in the southeast in search of flowers that I missed to see 10 years ago. It is a limestone mountain, and near the top there is a mine that mines rare earths. A gate was set up at the entrance to the valley, and an entrance fee was collected. Previously, there was only one truck in the village, but now there are passenger cars lined up in front of each house. Photo on my way back.   Meconopsis Wandaensis Tosh.Yoshida   The yellow petals wave like frills. It is a member of M. integrifolia. In Sichuan province, there are three subspecies of M. integrifolia series, and also other three subspecies of the same series in Yunnan Province (described later).The name was taken from the place name. 　Young capsules　 　　(altitude 3700m)     Meconopsis pulchella var. melanantela Tosh.Yoshida   It blooms in the same place as M. Wandaensis above. The reference variant of M. pulchella is blooming on the opposite side of this mountain. The difference from the reference variant is that the base of the bristles are not black, and the anthers are black-purple. The length is small, about 15cm. The scientific name comes from the Latin word meaning "beautiful or cute." 　(alt. 3700m)     　 Enlarged image 　　　 White pinnacles of the Miniakonga (alt. 7556 m) mountains across the valley. Primrose (Baochun in Chinese) that heralds spring. Three weeks later, on my way back from Yunnan, I ascent again to 4000m from the south side in search of M. pulchella, but unfortunately I was unable to find it. On the way, I saw M. Wilsonii, which I had seen last time, but there were fewer of them than before.   Meconopsis wilsonii Grey-Wilson It can reach up to 2m in height. The lilac flowers are densely attached to stem in panicles. It was discovered in 1907 by Ernest Wilson, a British plant hunter known for the Wilson's stump in Yakushima island. (alt. 3660m)   Ten years ago, it took a full day to travel 350km from Chengdu to Kangding. This time, it took us only four hours to get there, and we drove even further to Luhuo County, 200km away. Thanks to the construction of expressways and tunnels carried out by the Great Western Development Project. Luhou Prefecture, which has a population of about 40,000 people, now has a fine road with three lanes in each direction. Such an excessive investment appears to be leading to economic stagnation and youth unemployment. I was able to enjoy the view of mountains ranging from 5000m to 6000m over sea level out of the car window. (Click to enlarge)   Lotus sunset mountain range Tian Haizi Shan (Ramoche) Yara God Mountain Ya'an, located 120km southwest of Chengdu, is known as the "Rain City'' because of its heavy rainfall. Thanks to this rain, high-quality tea leaves grow, and there are many famous teas such as ``Mengweishan.'' The popular butter tea in Tibet is made from tea leaves grown here and transported on the backs of men and horses along the Ancient Tea Trail. Ya'an is the starting point and a strategic point on the Chuan-Zang (Chengdu - Tibet) Highway. The main road has tow routes: one is northern course via Ganzi - Dege - Changdu - Naqu - Lhasa, and the other is via Litang - Mugang - Ranwu. : Langwu - Linzhi - Lhasa. This time, I took Chuanzang North Road to Dege, went further south, took Chuanzang South Road to Litang, and headed towards Yunnan Province. 　 Mt. Laozhe Shan (2) Meconopsis wengdaensis Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun A blue poppy found by the late Mr. Yoshida at Laozhe Shan Pass in 2016. The height is 15-30cm. Flowers are borne 2-3 in racemes. The flowers have 4 to 8 petals and are highly variable. The leaves grow at the base and have few bristles. It grows in wet places such as streams and among shrubs and bushes. 　　 The name of this flower comes from the name of the growing area, Wengda County, where Mt. Laozhe Shan Pass is located. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 (alt. 4150m) I saw several other types of blue poppies at this pass.   Meconopsis racemosa Maxim Height 20cm-50cm, anthers yellow. It is distributed from northern Sichuan to Gansu and southern Qinghai. This family includes M. horridula and M. prattii, which are adjacent to each other and difficult to distinguish between them. 　　　　　　(alt. 4150m) Racemosa means racemes, but while racemes normally bloom from the bottom, this species flowers from the top. In addition, flower stalks usually emerge from the leaf axils of the main stem, but in this species, flower stalks emerge directly from the stems. From that point of view, I don't think "racemosa" is an appropriate name for this species. 　Meconopsis integrifolia subsp. integrifolia Franch. This ia the type subspecies of M. integrifolia. The leaves of this family are long and narrow, and the edges are entire (no serrations). Distributed from northern Sichuan to Qinghai and Gansu provinces. There are many of this species around Chuan-Zang North Road, but if you go south to Chuan-Zang South Road, it will be replaced by the subspecies M. souliei The flower on the right was seen about 1 km away near the Pass, and its leaves are long and vigorous, making it appear to be a different subspecies.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　(alt. 4150m) It looks like a red lantern hanging down. Red is the most favorite color of Chinese people. Meconopsis punicea Maxim M. punicea is the only crimson flower in the blue poppy world. This is a popular blue poppy commonly seen in northern Sichuan province.   Along Chuan-Zang Road from Ganzi to Deokgek, there are rocky peaks that make you wonder if you're in the Swiss Alps. (Click to enlarge)    Kawarori (alt. 5992m unclimbed peak)   Zhuodala Shan(alt. 5690m)    Gongga Mountain Group (alt. 5688m)    Que Er Shan (alt. 6168m) 　 Mt. Dege Haizi Shan (3)   　Meconopsis prattii Prain A mentioned above, it is difficult to distinguish it from M. racemosa. If I had to guess, the anthers are white and the buds are densely packed. The habitat is south of M. rakemosa's and north of M. rudis, which will be described later. It was named by D. Prain, a British botanist who was active from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. He originally studied plants in India and Nepal, but he received specimens from AR Franchet, a French researcher who was studying plants in Yunnan Province, and began a comprehensive study of blue poppies in India, Nepal, and China. A person who named more than 20 species of blue poppies. (alt. 4370m)   Meconopsis trichogyna Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun  Although the height is low at 15 to 20 cm, the flower size is larger compared to the height, with a diameter of 5 cm. One flower per stem (scapose), with one flower attached to the scape (flower stem) that emerges from the ground, but there are also plants with fused stems. It grows in gentle grasslands where the wind blows through. Trichogyne means trichotillomania or fertilized hair in English, but it is unclear what it refers to this species. 　　　　　　　　　 (alt. 4590m) Mt. Dege Heizi Shan Pass is the first pass that branches north from Chuanzang North Road and enters to Yushu in Qinghai Province. There are countless mountains called Haizishan in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, probably because their tops are flat and wide like the ocean (Hai means sea). Yaks and cattle are grazed in these areas. A tunnel is dug under the mountain pass, making it easier to pass, but the road through the mountain pass was abandoned, and as it was not repaired, there are cave-ins and slope collapses everywhere, making it more difficult to observe the blue poppies.   There is an Institute of Printing where Tibetan scriptures and medical books are printed using wood blocks. The sutras printed on Lungta are made here. We descent south along the Yangtze River, parting ways with the Yangtze River at Baiyu County, entering Ganbai Road to take a course back to Ganzi. After driving for about an hour from Dege, we reached the Yangtze River (called Jinsha River in this area). The murky water that had carried soil from the Tibetan Plateau was flowing. Tibet is on the other side of the river. The word ``西蔵 Xizang'' is written in red on the large rock. Nobody can cross the river without permission to enter.   Ganbailu Pass/Zhuodala Pass (4) Mt.Jianzi Wan Shan/Mt. Kezila Shan (5) Meconopsis inaperta Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun It is similar to M. psilonomma and M. huanglongensis seen in Huanglong, a world heritage site in northern Sichuan province, but this species has several scapes out of one stem - racemes type. The flowers are almost closed. 　　　　　　　　　　　(Ganbailu Pass, alt. 4180m) The next day, I also saw this flower at Mt. Kezila Shan. (Photo on the right) 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Alt. 4300m) Meconopsis aprica Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun Before arriving in Ganzi, Mt. Zhuodala Shan towers. After passing through the tunnel and entering the old road leading to the pass, I found a flower standing on a grassy slope. White flowers (Bistorta, Polygonaceae) spread out like a flock of sheep with Swiss-like mountain range in the background. The flower looks like a Heidi of the China Alps. (Mt. Zhuodala alt. 4600m)       Meconopsis quintuplinervia Regel This species is very close to the aforementioned M. punicea and sometimes - very rare, naturally interbreeds with M. punicea and produces M. xcookei, which was first created as a garden variety in the UK, and then the wild variety was discovered after it was named. The name comes from R.B. Cooke, who created the garden variety. It is very hard to find the difference between quintuplinervia and xcookei. (Alt. 4450m, behind is the south peak of Mt. Zhuodala)     Photographed in Huanglong, Sichuan Province in 2016➡ 　Meconopsis integrifolia subsp. integrifolia Franch On the foot of Mt. Zhuodala, there is a colony of M. integrifolia subsp. integrifolia, type species, which are in full bloom. M. inaperta and M. integrifolia do not open flowers widely, which may prevent pollination. That's not the case. In the high mountains, where temperatures are low, insects are provided with shelter from the cold, and when the weather gets warmer and sunny, they are sent off with souvenirs of pollen. 　When you open the petals a little and take a peek...　 (Click to enlarge) 　　There are two honey bees inside. At this place, I was interested in Liliacea and Gentianacea. Lilium lophoporum Thunb. Tip of petals are like a bird's beak. Only insects that can pass through this gap may access the nectar and transmit pollen. When the pistil matures and the flower reaches its peak, the tip opens and everyone is welcome. (Mt. Jianzi Wan Shan Alt. 4400m)  　　 (Click to enlarge)  Gentiana sp. It is a species similar to Gentiana nipponica seen in the alpine mountains of Japan. The nectar marker is a blue line. Species name unknown. (Ganbailu Pass, alt. 4180m) To the south of Litang lies a lush floodplain, where horses graze. However, after crossing one pass, the scene changes to a desolate plateau of glacier beds. The town of Litang stretches north of the floodplain. Large boulders remain on the land once covered by glaciers. 　 Mt. Wuming Shan Pass (6) Mt. Wuming Shan Pass (alt. 4718m) is a gentle mountain pass on the border between Daocheng and Xiangcheng. Currently, a tunnel runs under the pass. Meconopsis lancifolia subsp. xiangchengensis Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun There are two different types in one species, one is in racemes with hairy leaves (left) and the other is scapose type with hairless leaves (right). It has clearly different characteristics when it has one flower (scapose) and no hairs on the leaves. While the difference in efflorescence between racemes-type and scapose-type may not be so important in taxonomy because there happens to scape sticking together, the existence of hair or bristle seems to be more critical because of indicating a difference in the growing environment. Further research and consideration is required. (click on the image to enlarge) 　 Left: alt. 4550m　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Right: alt. 4730m     （alt. 4730m)       Shangri-La (Xianggelila) in Yunnan Province (old Zhongdian) is a famous place, but there is another copy-cat Shangri-La in Sichuan Province. This is Xianggelila township (formerly known as Ri Wa) in Daocheng County, the southernmost prefecture of Sichuan Province. To the south of this there is the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area, in which there locates famous mountains such as Xiannairi (6032m) and Yangmayong (5958m), and is a major tourist destination. Also the provincial government is putting effort for promotion. The park could only be toured by bus run by the tourism authorities, so I gave up on looking for flowers. The distance from here to Xianggelila in Yunnan Province is only 100 km in a straight line, but there is no well-maintained road, perhaps out of rivalry of two regions or the provincial government's sense of territory. I think that if a route were created to connect these two regions, it would become more attractive as a tourist destination, but that is probably not the case in China. For this reason, we had to overcome the rough roads of Mt. Daxue Shan Pass. It took us all day to reach Shangri-La. Mountains of Daocheng Yading. The peak on the left may be Xiannairi. Cirque below Mt. Daxue Shan Pass 　 Mt. Daxue Shan Pass (Hong Shan) (7) The usual route from Litang in Sichuan Province into Yunnan Province is to cross Mt. Wuming Shan Pass from Daocheng County to the west side of Mt. Daxue, and enter Xianggelila in Yunnan. But this time we took the route that crosses Mt. Daxue because there is a blue poppy here that I had never seen before. Like other roads, a tunnel had penetrated beneath the pass and the pass road became abandoned. A large fallen boulder blocked the path, which making it impossible for us to proceed and forced us to retreat. Although I couldn't find the flower I was looking for, I did find another blue poppy. 　Meconopsis rudis Prain It is very similar to M. prattii seen in Sichuan Province, but the base of the bristles on the leaves is black. I have also seen it on Mt. Shike Xueshan and Mt. Zhugu Shan in Yunnan Province. Isn't it rude to call such a neat flower "rude"? (Click to enlarge) 　(Mt. Daxue Shan alt. 4140m) 　Enlarged the leaf part I visited Xianggelila in 2014, and at that time there were many burnt ruins left from a huge fire six months earlier. When I visited the following year, the town was crowded with reconstruction efforts. This time, the city was completely renovated and a high-speed rail station is under construction (it opened in December last year and can be reached in three hours by direct train from Kunming) Wide road with 3 lanes on each side New high-speed railway station   There is a wetland called Napahai to the west of Xianggelila, which is registered under the Ramsar Convention and is a paradise for waterfowl. Last year it was a severe drought, and the pond had shrunk by half. As a result, it widens grassland where horses and sheep are grazing. Thanks to Ramsar Convention near-by cliffs were cut to widen roads, which makes the blue poppy colonies almost disappeared. Meconopsis zhongdianensis Grey-Wilson M. zhongdianensis is a racemes type similar to M. prattii and M. rudis. But unlike the latter species whose scapes come out directly from the stem, the scapes of zhongdianensis appear in the axils at the lower stem. (Click to enlarge) M. prattii and M. rudis may originally have had scapes coming out of the axils, but their leaves may have vanished in the process of the evolution. Future research on the racemes type of blue poppy is awaited. (Napahai alt. 3280m) M. rudis and other blue poppies bloom on the top of Mt. Shike Xueshan, which is 1,200 meters above of Napahai. We went to the ropeway station to look for blue poppies at the top of Mt. Shike Xueshan (4449m), but the gate was closed. Later I heard that the company went bankrupt due to customers decreased by corona virus. It is good for the flowers not to get trampled. But I missed the chance since I have no energy to climb 1200m, so I changed my destination to Bigu Tianchi (Blue heaven pond). Once again there was another misfortune, the tire went flat on the way and we had to be retired. Furthermore it started raining and it turned into an uneventful day. The blessing of my misfortune was that I was able to reunite with my "freckle girl.'' 　Nomocharis forrestii Balf.f. Dark pink spots like freckles appear on the light pink petals. This species is now included in the genus Lilium. I have previously exhibited a photo of this flower under the title "Chinese Betty.'' This is because I remember that Betty in the junior high school English textbook "Jack & Betty'' had freckles on her face. (Entrance to Bigu Tianchi, alt. 3330m) Pujin Langba (8) From Xianggelila, we drove northwest along Route 214, crossed the Jinsha River (upstream of the Yangtze River), crosses the watershed with the Lancang River (Mecon River), and entered a long cirque just before Deqin. There were some sleep slopes that our SUV couldn't climb, so we got out of the car and pushed our way up. When the sawtooth-like ridge approaches... Below the triangular pyramid there is the pass we headed. 　Meconopsis speciosa Prain Among the blue poppies, this is the closest to sky blue. The leaves are deeply pinnated (Deeply lobed leaves. The bristles are black.) The appearance that blooms in a tiny meadow of desolate scree looks like the elegance of a “beauty in a demonic world.'' Speciosa means "beautiful" in Latin. In Chinese, it is called “Meili (beautiful) Lulonghao(blue poppy).'' It seems that everyone feels the same feeling when seeing this flower. 　　　　　　　　(alt. 4710m) A subspecies of this species, Caudriana, can be found in Seti La, Tibet, 300 km west from here. It is shorter in height than this species, and the leaves have shallower notches. Caudriana was named after Lord Cawdor, patron of the British plant hunter Kingdon-Ward. 　　　　　　(Photo taken in 2019) Meconopsis speciosa subsp. caudriana Kingdon-Ward It takes 3 hours to ascend the pass. The target flower should be here. Carefully climb up the path that looks easily to crumble. I arrived at the place that my predecessor had recorded...I couldn't find it. When I searched around, I just found some young leaves that looked to bloom next year.I walked along the crumbling scree in search of flowering plants. Then, after ascending about 20m, I found one with buds that was about to open on the steep slope. Flowering would be a week ahead. There's no time to wait. Put my finger in the bud and push it open little by little. Meconopsis uniflora Tosh. Yoshida, B. Xu & Boufford Before the late T. Yoshida recorded it as a single species, it was registered as a variety of M. integrifolia. Uni means "single" in Latin. As the name suggests, it only produces one flower on one stem (as you can see, it is in such a harsh environment that it can only produce one flower). This is the biggest difference from other integrifolia species. 　　　　　(alt. 4920m) After taking this picture, while changing lenses, I accidentally dropped the wide-angle lens (with which I took this picture). The lens rolled down the cliff and broke into pieces. Was it punishment for forcing the flowers to open? I would like to visit again just at the right time to see the flowers blooming naturally. I went down the scree looking for the lens that had rolled down. I couldn't find the lens, but I did find a blue poppy. Meconopsis lancifolia subsp. eximia Grey-Wilson Like M. speciosa, it takes root in a tiny grassland in the scree. As Japanese proverb says "Kill the enemy of Edo in Nagasaki" (means hit someone where they least expect it), I did find a flower that I could not find at Mt. Daxue Shan Pass. (alt. 4840m) There are other blue poppies in this cirque. 　Meconopsis sulphrea Grey-Wilson It is a flower relating to the integrifolia series, but its characteristic is that the style of the pistil is long. The flowers are open horizontally so resemble M. integrifolia subsp. souliei. 　　　　　(Alt. 4470m) M. sulphrea is also seen at the Seti La in Tibet, 300 km west from Yunnan as same as M. speciosa. Yunnan and Tibet might be close neighbors in ancient times. 　　Meconopsis rudis Prain 　 Mt. Ma'er Shan (9) After staying overnight in Lijiang, a world heritage site, we headed to Mt. Ma'er Shan, the southernmost tip of this flower search. The regions around Lijiang, was the place where French missionary Delavey and British plant hunter Forrest were actively collecting plants from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Many blue poppy type specimens have been collected here. Meconopsis lancifolia subsp. lancifolia Franch. ex Prain Type subspecies of M. lancifolia. The above-mentioned xiangchengensis and eximia belong to this species. However, it is difficult to say which subspecies comes first from a phylogenetic point of view just because the name was given first. Lancifolia means lanci (spear) folia (leaf) and refers to the shape of the leaves that are long and pointed. This species seems to prefer places with little moisture, such as under cliffs or on ridges with exposed soil. 　　　(alt. 3670m) I found something unexpected here. A meconopsis that I gave up on searching in Daocheng Yading. 　Meconopsis lijiangensis Grey-Wilson It belongs in integrifolia series, but the style is shorter and the basal leaves are broader than the neighboring M. sulphurea. 　　　　(alt. 3800m) Wind power generator towers stand on the ridge of Mt. Ma'er Shan and there is a tank training range of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on its hillfoot. A soldier standing at the gate happily let us through when we asked to pass for searching blue poppies. (Mt. Ma'er Shan viewed from Dali. The lake in the foreground is Erhai.) It is approximately 550 km from Dali to Mianning, where Mt. Ze'er Shan is located. This is the longest distance covered in one day on this tour, but thanks to the highway, it only takes 6 hours to get there. On the way, I saw Mt. Luzhi Shan, which I accent 10 years ago. I stayed at a hotel in the prefectural capital, and as seen in most other prefectural capital, there were many 30-story high-rise apartment buildings. At night, there were only a few windows with lights on. The next day, after searching at Mt.Ze'er Shan, we drove to Ya'an in which arrived just before midnight. Mt. Jiaojin Shan (11) Sichuan province is a hotbed of earthquakes. The Sichuan earthquake occurred in 2008 left more than 70,000 people dead or missing. 10 years ago, three months before we visited, an earthquake occurred with its epicenter in Ya'an, killing more than 200 people. In Baoxing, near the epicenter, a school collapsed and students were trapped under it. Passing through Baoxing, we headed towards Mt. Jiaojin Shan. Traces of the landslide were still visible on the cliffs on both sides of the deep valley. According to our guide, the reason of the frequent earthquakes occurred in this area is because a dam was built upstream of the river, and the accumulated water seeped into the limestone underground, making the fault slippery. Some experts point out that the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred through a similar process. This road and the pass are also sacred places for the Communist Party. In 1934, the Red Army (Eighth Route Army) led by Mao Zedong and Zhu De, who abandoned Ruijin and began the Long March, crossed the Dadu He River, crossed over the winter Mt. Jiaojin Shan Pass and stuck in the wetlands in Hongyuan incurring many casualties, and then finally flet to Yan'an in Qixi Province to make a comeback. The places of suffering become holy places. Red stars are embedded in the side wall of the mountain road, and a monument stands at the pass.       Meconopsis balangnesis var. atrata Tosh. Yoshida, H. Sun & Boufford    This species is endemic to Mt. Jiaojin Shan. The type variant, Meconopsis balangnesis, can be seen at Mt. Baling Shan Pass, about 20 km east from here. Both are: 　1. Stamen anthers are double ring-shaped 　2. The base of the bristles is black　　　 The difference is that the petals of the type species are blue, while this species' petals are dark purple (as the species name suggests as afro = dark). There are also blue-purple individuals as shown in the photo on the right above. 　　　　　　　　(alt. 4130m) (Photo taken in 2013. Click to enlarge) Meconopsis purpurea Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun It is not named as purpurea because the petals are purple, but because the center of the anther is dark purple. (Click to enlarge) This species can be seen on Mt. Balang Shan. (alt. 4150m) Meconopsis integrifolia subsp. souliei （Fedde） Grey-Wilson A subspecies of integrifolia series. The type subspecies introduced earlier has globe-shaped flowers that bloom upward, but this subspecies has shallow, dish-shaped flowers that bloom sideways or diagonally upward. The habitat is distributed south of the reference species. The subspecies name was given to Sauley, a French missionary who carried out missionary work and plant collection in northwestern Yunnan Province. He was killed during the Lamaist riots in the early 20th century. It blooms earlier than other meconopsis species, and the fruit appears in mid-July, but fortunately it remained in bloom because it was on a north-facing slope. On this tour, I have been able to observe five species among the seven integrifolia series. The remaining two species are M. pseudointegrifolia and M. sulphurea var. gracilifolia, both of which grow in Tibet, and I saw these two species during my trip to Tibet. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(alt. 4110m) There was also a colony of M. punicea on patch near Mt. Jiaojin Shan Pass, but we were unable to photograph it this time due to no parking space. The soldiers of the Central Red Army who were retreating would have been cheered if they saw these red flowers. (However, they could not have seen the bloom because it was winter when they passed through) 　　 Mt. Siguniang Shan (12)  Descending the mountain pass we entered Siguniang Shan Town. Ten years ago, it was a deserted village with only two hotels and a few medicinal herbal shops along the road, but now there are hotels and restaurants lined up along the road, potato fields across the river have been turned into a huge outdoor activity center and bus terminal, and there's even a disco and nightclub along the cliff-top path. It had been transformed into a major tourist destination. On weekends, the village of several thousand people swells to tens of thousands. Thanks to the tunnels dug under the Mt. Balang Shan Pass, coupled with the spread of motorization, it is possible to reach from the metropolitan Chengdu in just a few hours. There is a picture of China becoming richer here. A high-speed mountain railway is currently under construction from Dujiangyan. In a few years, it will be as crowded as Shibuya and Harajuku where famous Japanese spots for young people. 　Changes over the past 10 yearsPhotographing the same place       The reason why I visited Mt. Siguniang Shan again 10 years later... I watched a TV program aired on October 23, 2021 with the title of "Demonish Mountain Ridge and Paradise in the Sky - China, Miniakonga & Mt. Siguniang Shan". My eyes were glued to the blue poppy appeared at the end of the program. A blue poppy with black bristles. I had never seen this type of blue poppy before. I soon contacted Mr. Okawa, a resident of Siguniang town, who supported the filming team, and asked him to arrange the expedition for the following year. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit China the following year in 2022 due to China's corona virus countermeasures. And last year, I was finally able to go out. Image of aired flower (Click to enlarge) Together with a local guide who accompanied the filming team, we rode horses up the Changpinggou Valley, a valley on the west side of Mt. Siguniang Shan. After crossing several times, we arrived at a hut for herders. The next day, we ascent 800m up to our destination, Yangmantai. 　　on horse Changpinggou hut　 Yangmantai (Looking at the map, Yangmantai is a 5,666m peak, but locals call the plateau at the foot of the mountain so) And then.....        (Enlarge the capsule) (Enlarge the leaf)   (alt. 4320m) There are sparse black bristles on the surface and underside of the leaves and on the young capsules. It must be the blue poppy I saw on TV. I said I have never seen a blue poppy with black bristles before, but I decided to take a closer look, including the species I have seen on this tour. Then, M. speciosa has black bristles on its leaves (mentioned above). In addition, in M. balangensis and M. rudis, the younger bristles coming out of the black clumps at the base of the bristles on the leaves have been slightly mixed with black ones, and the skin of the buds has black bristles. The leaves of this species are oblong and have an entire margin, which are close to the lancifolia series. The flowers are scapose-shaped and grow on a single stem. On the other hand M. speciosa is in the Acreata series, and M. balangensis and M. rudis are in the racemosa series, and both have flowers in the racemes type, with multiple flowers per stem. Judging from the difference of the appearance, this species does not seem to be M. speciosa, M. balangensis, or M. rudis. However, as I ascent further up...I found a blue poppy with none-black bristles (see photo below). The size and flower color are almost the same as the above species with black bristles. Both are scapose type. The difference is the color of the bristles and the shape of leaf which has undulate edge. Is this a different species or just an individual difference? Or does it turn black as it matures? If they are the same species, “color of bristle'' cannot be used as a classification criterion. The color of the flower is variable and is not a key factor in classification, so the color of the hair or bristle may bleach or change as it matures. Is this also the case with this species? This is a big question for me, an armature botanist.  (Enlarge the capsule)      (Enlarge the leaf)   (alt. 4470m)   Now, I found the following four species within 200 km from Mt. Siguniang when I looked at species with scapose-shaped leaves and entire edges, excluding hair color.  M. henrici Mt. Zhedou Shan M. pleurogyna Mt. Mengbi Shan  M. huanglongensis Huanglong M. sinomaculata Huanglong Among them, M. huanglongensis and M. psilonomma var. sinomaculata are excluded because they have only one scape emerged. Also, M. pleurogyna is excluded because of its white anther. The rest is M. henrici, but the shape and color of the capsules are different.  Capsules of M. Henrici Obovate with dark green streaks. There is little bristles.   Based on the above considerations, this species seems to be a new species (or a new subspecies or variant). But that alone does not make it a new species. To be recognized as a new species (academically), samples must be collected, the shape described in detail based on the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, and published in a specialized journal. Blue poppies are not an endangered species, but foreigners are not allowed to collect them in China. For this reason, it is necessary to collect samples in collaboration with local researchers. If I can find a local partner, I would like to visit again. As the late Mr. Yoshida had not explored this area, this area is unknown territory for blue poppies despite its popularity. There were also flowers like this. These are unlike M. balangensis the base of the bristle is not black and the anthers of the stamens are not double.It appears to be a subspecies or variant. (alt. 4610m) 　Mt. Siguniang Shan From the front to the left:　 　Mt. Daguniang (alt. 5335m), 　Mt. Erguniang (alt. 5454m) (in the clouds), 　Mt. Sanguniang (alt. 5664m), 　Mt. Siguniang (alt. 6250m), In 1981, Doshisha University's team of Japan made the first ascent from the southeastern ridge.     Mt. Mengbi Shan (13) This mountain is also the sacred place for the Communist Party March along with Mt. Jiaojin Shan. There elects a bronze statue that wasn't there when I passed by 10 years ago. The tunnel is currently under construction, but even after completion, the pass would likely remain in place for pilgrims to the sacred site, just like Mt. Jiaojin Shan. 10 years ago, I didn't have enough time so that only ascent the hill with Tarcho on the opposite side of the mountain. This time I had plenty of time, so I aimed for the summit of Mt. Mengbi Shan (alt. 4,470m). At that time the leader of the group, the late Mr. Yoshida said, “There are no blue poppies on this mountain.'' But I found 　M. punicea If the Red Army had passed through in the summer, flowers would have been greeted with waving flower petals. 　　M. integrifolia subsp. souliei These two flowers are useful indicators when looking for blue poppies. This is because it is easily noticeable from a distance, and if this flower is found, it is highly possible to find other Meconopsis nearby (because the place is an appropriate environment where blue poppies grow). As expected... it happened to be 　Meconopsis pleurogyna Tosh. Yoshida & H. Sun 10 years ago, I saw this species on Mt. Yanggong Shan 60 km north of Mt. Mengbi Shan, and at that time its name was M. barbiseta. In the world of blue poppies, species names and classifications often change. This is because there are few researchers in this field, the subject is not easily accessible, and cultivation is difficult. And the biggest reason may be that it's beautiful, but it doesn't make money (not useful to people). 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(alt. 4250m) I flew the drone because the weather was nice and I didn't have to worry about being spotted by police. Click here and enjoy your walk in the air. 　 Mt. Sanchi Shan (14) From Ma'erkuang we took the highway and headed north along the Long March Road. On the way, we crossed the Chazenliangi (alt. 3830m), the watershed of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Different from steep watershed, it is a gentle hill. An observation deck is set up for sightseeing. South of the watershed (Yangtze River side) North of the watershed (Yellow River side) The upper reaches of the Yangtze River are still rising due to the influence of Himalayan mountain-building activities, with a series of sharp rocky peaks carved by rain and glaciers. On the other hand, the Yellow River basin is less affected by mountain building activities, so erosion occurs in its old age, creating rolling mountains, plains, and wetlands. The white bridge girder is an expressway under construction. The road branches from the Long March road at Hongyuan and passes through Aba County, home to huge Tibetan temples and fields of bright yellow rapeseed, before entering Qinghai Province. Although there were some traffic jams due to expressway construction, we arrived at Jiuzhi, Qinghai Province in about 4 hours. This is a speed that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago. In order to save time, we decided to start exploring flowers which is planned in the next day and headed straight for Mt. Sanchi Shan Pass. We arrived at the location recorded by the late Mr. Yoshida, but it was under an expanded road. I looked for around, but I couldn't find any plant or even last year's dead ones. Blue poppy seeds are tiny and is carried by the wind, so I went up to the slope above the road where the wind blows from the valley. The meconopsis I'm looking for is small and hard to see in the shade of bushes, so I looked for red M. punicea and tall M. integrifolia. There were many punicea, and beyond them were the rocky peaks of the Nianbao Yuze (alt. 5,369m). I searched for about 2 hours... I finally found one. It was sadly trampled by a yak. 　Meconopsis barbiseta C.Y. Wu & H. Chuang Very similar to M. sinomaculata (mentioned above), a variety of M. psilonomma distributed near the Minshan Mountains (including Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong) near the border with Gansu Province. Like M. sinomaculata, there are dark purple blotch at the base of the petals. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　（alt 4110m) While I was photographing the flower, the mud at its base collapsed and it fell down, so I interpreted it as a good idea to take it home with me, and made it into a specimen. I couldn't see any other barbiseta here and the sun was still high, so I ran west to see Mt.Nianbao Yuze closely. Unfortunately, the gate was closed, but we were able to enjoy the view of the rocky peaks that towered over the grassland. White tents could be seen dotting on the grassland, in which Tibetan people were enjoying picnic and grazing their cattle. Although the government is moving to settle the population, the grasslands are their spiritual home town. 　Click here for an aerial view. In the evening, when we returned to Jiuzhi and went into a restaurant to have dinner, a beggar came in and went around the table. When I looked at him, I saw a tag with a QR code hanging from his neck. It shows that to give alms, please take a picture of this QR code with your smartphone and transfer the money. I am surprised at how far digitalization has progressed in China, and at the same time I am also concerned that private information such as videos and conversation data from smartphones is being collected by the government. Without a smartphone, people cannot pay at stores or eateries, making it difficult to carry out daily life. Here is the world of G. Orwell's “1984''. The next day, relying on information from a member of the Blue Poppy Society in Japan who said, “I saw a lot of M. barbiseta on the road from Jiuzhi to Gansu,'' I changed my plans and headed north. An expressway is under construction parallel to the national highway, the mountain slopes are carved out, valleys are filled in, and tunnels were being dug into the mountainside. I searched with eyes as big as saucers through the car window, but I couldn't find a single flower. The blue poppies, which are sensitive to the environment, probably disappeared because the water flow changed due to construction. At last we reached the border with Gansu Province, on the banks of the Yellow River. The ocher-colored water brought from the Tibetan Plateau was flowing without stopping. (Click on the image to start the video) After crossing the bridge and marking a step into Gansu province, we headed back to Chengdu. On the way, I stopped at Mt. Yanggong Shan to look for meconopsis, but the road to the pass was closed and I was unable to reach it. Thanks to the Great Development of the West, transportation has improved significantly and it is now possible to reach destinations in a short amount of time. However, due to the opening of the tunnel, the old pass road became obsolete, making access to blue poppy even more difficult. Additionally, the blue poppy itself is on the verge of extinction due to environmental changes caused by road construction. I sincerely hope that we are not the last generation to have seen blue poppies.

Thank you for watching until the end.

★Thanks and report: Thank you for your cooperation in the calendar charity

★The Noto Peninsula Earthquake: Request for cooperation with charity

★Blue Poppy books: Memorial collection of Toshio Yoshida “Walking together” In stock

There are some stocks in the memorial collection of Toshio Yoshida, former representative of the Blue Poppy Society in Japan. If you are interested, please apply by E-mail (matsunaga*insite-r.co.jp * replace @). The price is 2,000 yen (shipping included, no overseas shipment available) (Cover) Click here for table of contents . B5 size, 140 pages. Top (newly described species) Bottom (research group records) Click to enlarge

★You can do it too against <Russian army invasion of Ukraine>Resistance and support

Cold winds from Siberia are blowing into the earthquake affected areas of the Noto Peninsula, and snow is piling up. Ukraine is even colder than that. The counteroffensive has not yielded as expected, and even the democratic nations of Europe and the United States are becoming tired of providing support. Moreover, North Korea began sending large quantities of artillery shells to Russia and using them in battlefield and urban attacks. If Trump is elected in the US presidential election in November, there is a possibility that the military aid that has been continued so far may come to an end.
I have also been participating in the fight by reducing my electricity and gas usage in order to reduce the use of Russian-produced energy, but due to this year's heat, my electricity usage in August exceeded last year. However, as a result of my efforts, I could significantly reduce usage for the year compared to last year, and achieved my goal. The future reduction battle may be as tough as the battlefield in Ukraine, but I would like to continue my fighting by making frequent switch-offs.


I will continue our reduction efforts until the Russian military withdraws or Japan stops importing Russian LNG/crude oil.

★Information: Performing the Noh play “Takasago.''
I have performed 5 Noh plays so far. The first one is Shura Mono (samurai fighters) “Tsunemasa'', the second is Kazura mono (young female) "Kakitsubata'', the third is the Genzai mono (currently living person) “Aoi no Ue'', and the fourth is Kirinou mono. (end play) “Toru'', and the fifth one was Oni mono (demon) “Yamamba''. The only one that remains is the one called Waki Noh. This Waki-Noh is an auspicious play that is performed after “Okina'' (Old Man), in which a god appears. "Takasago," "Yoro," "Yumiyawata," "Oimatsu," "Kamo," and "Chikubujima" fall into this category.
"Takasago" is a popular song that is often sung at weddings and other occasions. In the first half stage, the spirits of the pine trees of Takasago and Sumiyoshi appear as an elderly couple and praise the harmony of the couple and the auspiciousness of the pine tree. In the latter half, a young god, Sumiyoshi Myojin appears and dances to pray for peace and prosperity.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of their marriage, and I will play to express my gratitude to wife for long supporting me.
　　Date and time: Friday, May 3rd (holiday) around 5:00 pm
　　Location: Sendagaya National Noh Theater, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
I will inform of the detailed schedule as the date approaches.


　Norikazu Konparu, the head of Konparu school (Photo: Seiichiro Tsujii)

Related pages (past China flower travel records)
China's blue poppy(Japanese)
Blue poppies of Tang and Tenjiku(India)(Japanese)

Previous seasonal flower issue
Go to the seasonal flowers page

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2024.2.7 upload
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