Today is the second day after the end of the 10-day Caucasus cultural tour of the city.

Walking on the streets of Urumqi yesterday, I saw shadows of the three Caucasian countries everywhere. I bought similar dried fruits, vintage-style clothing, crystals, and handmade silver jewelry.

Looking towards the distance across the street, I can almost see the snowy mountains of the Great Caucasus.

On that day, while on our way to Mount Ararat and the Deep Pit Monastery, our lovely guide Rose played music on the bus.

This is a song dedicated to the sacred mountain, which is ethereal, romantic, and melancholic. As the sacred mountain gets closer and closer in front of me, I am moved deeply, and words fail to express my feelings.

Due to weather conditions, Armenia sees this sacred mountain only 40 days a year, and we are lucky to be one of the 40.

We stopped in front of the vineyard, with excellent sunlight, and had a clear view of the monastery in the distance and the peak of the sacred mountain.)

Mount Ararat is a snow-capped mountain. Looking down from the monastery in the abyss, you can see the border line between Turkey and Armenia marked by a wire fence.

The vast golden plain in autumn stretches out and is also torn up at the foot of the snow mountain.

For the Armenians, the Mount Ararat is a constant sorrow.

As a docking point for Noah's Ark in legends, this mountain holds an extremely sacred status in global Christian culture.

Although the sovereignty of Mount Ararat has been assigned to Turkey since the Karlow-Byzantium Treaty in 1923, it has always been a core symbol of the Armenian national identity, regarded as their holy mountain and spiritual home.

Unfortunately, this sacred mountain is now separated from us by a border line.

On this side of the border is the famous Deep Pit Monastery, where Saint Gregory was once imprisoned; on the other side is the Noah's Ark that once saved humanity and the Mount Carmel that belonged to Armenia.

Rose, a hiking enthusiast, has just reached the top of the mountain. This is her post on social media in July.

The ancient Armenian people have their own dignity, as well as their own determination and strength to never give up.

Not only Mount Holy, there are many other things that once belonged to Armenia as well.

It covers an area of only 2.97 square kilometers and has a population of only over 3 million.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia officially declared its independence in 1991.

75% of Armenians are abroad, somewhat similar to Israel. The 2016 Oscar award film Spotlight once used an Armenian lawyer to unfold its plot.

As one of the three Caucasian countries, it may appear to be the weakest, but it actually has a very splendid history in the context of the Eurasian civilization.

From the ancient national strength, glory from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, to the sparkle of literature, art, science and invention in human civilization,

This ancient land, under the blessing of the gods, seems to possess an eternal and romantic spiritual soul.

Many people would say that in other countries, these divine churches are appreciated for their art and glory; whereas in Armenia's churches, one sees sorrow and melancholy.

We visited two of the three world heritage sites in Armenia, including not only the Deep Pit Monastery and Mount God, but also the Holy Lance Monastery and the Ganji Temple.

At 9:30 am, we entered the Zvartnots Archaeological Site known as the Armenian 'Old Summer Palace', where an airplane flew overhead just above the ruins of human civilization.

Then walked into the first church in Armenia - the Etchmiakin Cathedral built in the 4th century.

As the first country to establish Christianity as an official religion, Armenia's churches are full of stories.

Fragments of Noah's Ark are preserved in this beautiful round-top cathedral with four petals.

When we arrived, the weather was great and my friends captured the moment when light was pouring through the cross at the top of the arch.

It seems that all the sorrows are worth enduring for the moment of shining glory.

Yes, sadness is always a descriptor people use for Armenia, including me before.

I researched the history of this country and found slaughters, wars, unrest, and natural disasters.

The Ottoman genocides in 1915 still make the world feel sorrowful. In the 21st century, the region has continued conflicts with the Naka battlefield in Azerbaijan, most recently in 2023.

Armenia exists in a dilemma between countries like Turkey, Iran, Russia, and even the United States.

"90% of young men born between 2000 and 2002 are killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and every family in Armenia has lost a young man."

The rose calmly spoke the most sorrowful words to us.

However, only upon arrival can we truly understand that this place is not about sorrow, but rather about greatness and peace.

We asked the rose if Armenians are constantly experiencing anxiety and unease.

The vehicle is driving on the vast plain, and along the way, beautiful churches can be seen. This is the road to the capital, Yerevan.

The rose responded to us very quickly, with a slightly surprised expression, I am not anxious. I feel very safe because we have God.

Religion gives human beings the reason for war and the true meaning of life, as well as the strength to gain peace and freedom and the spiritual conversion. With faith, my soul can be free.

After arriving in the capital, Yerevan, our citywalk starts from the Republic Square.

Start smiling sincerely like the local people do, passing by the National History Museum and the opera house, we see the daily smiling faces of the people.

Celeberity Kardashian, who has Armenian lineage, and renowned singer Cher are both of Armenian descent. Strolling on the streets of Yerevan once made us feel that everyone in the country is a Kardashian.

We stopped to take photos with the handsome guy, and greeted the young man live streaming with equipment. Even the cats were blessed with holy light.

In the small capital city in late autumn, no one would feel that this is a country that has just experienced a cruel war.

It is truly remarkable to see the street artists playing various instruments at the street corners and in the squares, as expected from a country that has produced numerous artists over the generations.

The musical actors promote their new play on the square of the opera house through their body language.

We took photos and they waved at us. On the pedestrian street leading to the staircase square, there are large wall paintings with beautiful and mysterious artistic expressions, which showed us the hidden talents of the city.

Along the way, one can also see various sculptures in Yerevan, with the imprint of the former Soviet Union slowly fading away. As an independent country, Armenia is gradually revealing its own romance and sharpness.

Of course, if you wander into the alleys, you can still see the familiar square and rectangular Khrushchev buildings. These visual impacts and contradictions are

In this city and in this country, history and truth are not easily erased, as they are part of our shared heritage.

In front of the Stairway Plaza, I saw the origin of "Pink Erivan".

Architect Alexander Tamanian has designed and built the major clusters of buildings in Yerevan, including Republic Square, as well as the famous Yerevan Grand Cascade.

There is a story about an architect who built these sparkling rose pink buildings as a gift to his wife to keep her in Yerevan.

He built it with rose-colored volcanic rock unique to Armenia, and the entire city glows pink under the sun's rays.

So here is also known as "Pink Yerevan".

At sunset, we climbed the grand staircase behind, an iconic Soviet-era building that is both sturdy and full of charm, with an art center on each floor.

Tourists and locals alike would choose to climb the peak before or after dusk.

The evening sun dyed the entire city a warm pink, and Mount Yararat stood quietly in the distance with clear outlines.

This photo is also interesting, the Indian guy behind us is live streaming and got featured in the frame.

In Yerevan, on a clear day, one can see the divine mountain from any angle in the city, even though it is not within Armenia's territory. Following the steps down, next to the sculptor of the architect, you can find the best ice cream we have ever ta

We describe pistachios as very pure pistachios.

Walking back to Republic Square with a bowl of pistachio ice cream in hand, I was filled with joy. The classic symphony started to sound with the music fountain, echoing throughout the city.

Even with strong winds, we stood silently and heard the most passionate emotions in the night sky.

This is the irresistible joy of Armenia, like the rich brandy produced here that is famous worldwide. As we listen to the symphony, our hearts flutter with our affection for this place, while guide Rose says she always feels lost here.

This is a girl who loves her country deeply and is disappointed with its shortcomings. She is independent and strong, with her own thoughts and judgments. She is not biased towards the government or the church. She is deeply worried about the future

For a great power, we small countries are just toys. Rose speaks excellent Chinese, and we often chat and laugh together, but when she said this, all our partners fell silent.

Before leaving Armenia, Rose and we went to Lake Sevan, the world's second largest alpine freshwater lake, and visited the nearby Sevan Monastery.

Ancient nations always have something in common. We imagine the clergy practicing here by the lake, just like our eastern monks who often choose the waterside for peace and tranquility.

The rose lies by the lakeside basking in the sun, with golden hair. I hope that the wisdom passed down through the generations of this ancient ethnic group will enable the people here to move confidently forward.

It was quite coincidental. While heading to Tbilisi, Georgia from Lake Sevan, we encountered the current Prime Minister of Armenia's motorcade, and all vehicles had to yield for a few minutes.

Everyone laughed and said, 'Perhaps in the future, Rose, this will be your very own motorcycle team.' Rose smiled and said, 'I won't start a motorcycle team, it's not interesting.' At this moment, the autumn scenery in front of us was so vivid like a

On the day we left Armenia, we witnessed history. November 1st. It was the first day of opening the land border between Armenia and Turkey. Since then, the visa stamp of Armenia no longer featured the silhouette of Mount Ararat.

One side of the chapter is about entering a place with a mysterious mountain, while the other side is about exiting and the mountain has disappeared.

The beautiful blue peak in our passports will never exist again.

What's more, this small change went unnoticed by almost the entire world except for the Armenians themselves.

Nobody seems to care. We transit quickly, looking at our passports in silence.

This article is from the WeChat public account That City.