The spring breeze in May is warm and gentle, blowing the land of the ancient city, and also blowing our hearts. The sunset red train runs to the northwest, to the desert, to exotic lands, to grasslands, to high slopes, and to mysterious and ancient places. The 3,200 yuan/per capita fee should be worth the money, and we set off at the train station square at 3:30 in the afternoon.
The first stop is the beautiful and rich Zhongwei, Ningxia. Zhongwei City is located in the central and western part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, bordering Jingtai County of Gansu Province, and adjacent to Alxa Left Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north.
Zhongwei has a long history, rich culture, rich resources, and beautiful Zhong Ling. There are many scenic spots, cultural relics and historic sites in the territory, unique world monopoly tourism resources, Shapotou, the first batch of 5A scenic spots in the country, etc.
Zhongwei is building an ecologically livable city with a total population of about 1 million. There are Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongolian, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Tujia, Korean, Tibetan, Yi, Yugu, Uyghur, Dong, Xibe, Buyi, Tu, Russian, Daur and other 18 ethnic groups. ethnic groups, among which the Hui population accounts for nearly 35% of the total population. Zhongwei City has five major religions including Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Christianity. There are many religious believers and various religious places. It is a typical area where ethnic groups live together.
The most famous local product is red wolfberry: because of its special effects of nourishing yin and kidney, prolonging life and beauty, it is known as "a gas station for men and a beauty salon for women"; it is known as "the capital of wolfberry in the world".
Zhongwei City is a land of fish and rice in the Yellow River Basin. There is a saying that "the Yellow River is rich in Ningxia, and the richest man is of course Zhongwei". The government is effectively protecting and improving people's livelihood and continuously improving people's well-being. In Zhongwei today, all buses are free, civil servants have free housing; the society is stable and orderly, and the people live and work in peace and contentment.
After arriving in the evening, the tour guide commander arranged for us to check into the hotel. Breakfast is beef ramen, pure and delicious. After that, the bus took us to the adjacent Tonghu Grassland of Alxa Left Banner. Feel the sunrise of the grassland, the boundless desert, the oasis of the desert, and the ethnic customs.
Tonghu Grassland is located in the hinterland of the Tengger Desert at the junction of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, 26 kilometers away from Zhongwei City. It is the fortress of the ancient Silk Road North. Commercial roads, lakes, oases, deserts, grasslands, stories and legends passed down through the ages, and hospitable grassland herdsmen; it is known as the "Garden of Eden" in the desert.
Afterwards, drive to the Yellow River Palace Scenic Spot located on the north bank of the Yellow River in Zhongwei City, the western city of Ningxia. Its main building is 36.9 meters high, with a pedestrian viewing ramp along the inner wall, an elevator and a viewing platform of more than 80 square meters in the middle. Under the main building of the water drop is the Yellow River Museum, which shows the history, humanity and development of the mother river, the Yellow River. It is the second longest river in China and the fifth longest river in the world. Originated at the northern foot of Bayankala Mountain in Qinghai Province, it flows through nine provinces including Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong.
The commander-in-chief of the tour guide is warm, thoughtful and quite general-like, which is still fresh in everyone's memory.
After lunch, we came to the most famous Shapotou Scenic Area. Located 16 kilometers west of Zhongwei City, it is the first batch of 5A-level tourist attractions in the country. It is the most beautiful first entrance of the Yellow River with nine bends and eighteen bends. Here, the sand embankment is towering and the river is rushing. Wang Wei wrote poems here, like poems and pictures. "The lonely smoke in the desert is straight, and the sun is setting in the long river" is undoubtedly an unparalleled description. The newly added sand boarding, bungee jumping, zip line, and cable car tourism and entertainment items add interest to the magnificent scenery. There is also a desert control scenic spot, which shows the most economical and effective sand control achievement in the world --- wheat straw grid sand fixation technology.
Swimming through Shapotou, we came to the Gaomiao Scenic Area. There is also a city park outside the gate, with towers, pavilions, small bridges, flowing water, square businesses, and a statue of Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the country. Gaomiao, as the name suggests, is a relatively tall and steep temple, mainly because the steps and stairs are relatively steep, and you can visit it for free all year round. Gaomiao is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It was first built in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, and it has become a large-scale ancient building complex in the Qing Dynasty. Gaomiao is near the train station and can be reached on foot; so after the tour, we walked to the train station and took the special train to continue westward.
The second stop arrived at Liuyuan Railway Station in Gansu Province. After the local tour guide picked us up, we drove for an hour and had breakfast. The bus took everyone to Crescent Moon Spring in Mingsha Mountain, and the fee was 120 yuan, 15 yuan for shoe covers, and 20 yuan for a sightseeing car. It is 5 kilometers south of the urban area, surrounded by quicksand, with dense reeds on the south bank, and a group of simple, elegant and well-proportioned buildings. Pavilions, terraces and pavilions, splendid temples, palace halls and colonnades, are located near the water. The forest is lush, the spring light and the mountain scenery complement each other, and the ancient temples and temples are surrounded by perennial incense. Accompanied by legends and stories, it adds color to the magical Crescent Lake. Eye grass and charophytes grow in the spring, and the spring is not covered by sand in spite of strong winds. The marvelous half-crescent landscape formed on the water surface is world-renowned, and is known as "one of the best scenery outside the Great Wall".
The Mingsha Mountain next to it, if the wind blows, rubs and vibrates, it will make a sound, which is as light as silk bamboo and as heavy as thunder; it is named for the sound of sand moving. The mountain is formed by the accumulation of quicksand, about 40 kilometers long from east to west, about 20 kilometers wide from north to south, and the highest altitude is 1715 meters.
After lunch, visit Mogao Grottoes, a grand group of caves that has attracted worldwide attention, integrating architecture, Buddhism, and folk customs. It is commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves. There are 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures. , The Buddhist art site with the richest content. It is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units and a world cultural heritage.
In order to protect the historical and cultural relics of the Mogao Grottoes, replica caves, murals and sculptures were built next to it for visitors to visit and take photos at close range.
After the visit, take the special train to continue westbound to Turpan.
exactly:
Looking up at Mingsha Mountain,
Overlooking Crescent Lake.
Looking at the Mogao Grottoes from a distance,
A closer look at the murals.
The third stop is Turpan City, which is known in childhood textbooks as "wearing cotton-padded jackets in the morning and gauze in the afternoon; eating watermelon with the stove in hand". This is the lowest lowland in China and the second lowest in the world; the basin floor is 155 meters below sea level. It is a prefecture-level city under the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is located in the central and eastern part of Xinjiang. It is a transportation hub connecting China's Xinjiang, Central Asia, and northern and southern Xinjiang. The area under its jurisdiction is more than 70,000 square kilometers, with a population of about 600,000.
After the Xinjiang tour guide Lili received us, he led everyone to have breakfast in a restaurant with ethnic flavors. Visit the famous Huoyan Mountain; "The mountain is not high, but there are immortals." Huoyan Mountain is located on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin. It is called Kiziltag in Uighur, which means Red Mountain. It is 100 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide at its widest point. The Huoyan Mountain is dense and barren, with no grass growing. In midsummer, when the red sun is in the sky, the atmosphere of the earth is transpiring, and the clouds of flames are burning around, it looks like a flying dragon, which is very spectacular. There are Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves here. There are 57 existing caves, more than 40 of which have murals, with a total area of 1,200 square meters. The murals are rich in content. It is one of the ruins of Buddhist cave temples. This is also the filming location of "Journey to the West", which adds a magical color; so it is called a must-visit place in Xinjiang.
Then I rushed to Grape Valley to visit. It is located 11 kilometers northeast of the urban area, about 8 kilometers long from north to south, and about 2 kilometers wide from east to west. It is a canyon under the Flame Mountain, with a population of 8972 people. The Buyiluk River flows through the ditch, the main source of water is snowmelt in the mountains. It is named for its rich grape production and is a tourist attraction in Turpan, Xinjiang.
After the visit, have lunch in a nearby large-scale entertainment restaurant with ethnic style, 200 yuan/person. Lunch is a rich buffet, with roasted camels, roasted whole sheep, kebabs, various ethnic foods, fruits, and snacks, etc. You can eat at will; Xinjiang ethnic actors performed wonderful songs and dances during the banquet, and tourists are invited to participate , the atmosphere is warm and unsatisfactory.
After lunch, visit a nearby Uighur family and buy authentic raisins. Afterwards, visit Jiaohe Ancient City, which used to be an important traffic town on the Silk Road, the capital of Cheshiqian State, one of the 36 ancient Western Regions, and the earliest government seat of Anxi Duhufu, the highest military and political institution in the Western Regions in Tang Dynasty. The prosperous Jiaohe City in the past can still be clearly distinguished from the only remaining city foundation and broken walls. It is the largest, oldest, and best-preserved adobe-built city in the world. The city is different from other cities by excavating the earth downwards; it is also the most complete urban relic preserved in my country for more than two thousand years. Most of the buildings in the city were built in the Tang Dynasty, and the architectural layout is unique; the city is like a big fortress with layers of fortifications. , you can be condescending, control internal and external movements, and the defenses in the city are also extremely strict. Known as "the most perfect ruin in the world".
It can be said that:
Pass the Flame Mountain,
Dancing, music, wine and food.
Jiaocheng Homeland Dream,
Kanjing is the source of life.
Afterwards, visit the Karez well, the source of life. The Karez well is a very old horizontal water collection building for the development and utilization of groundwater. It has been built into the most effective and ambitious century-old project with the simplest, most economical and primitive method. It is used to intercept the underground diving of the snow water flowing down from the Tianshan Mountains to irrigate farmland and use water for residents.
The fourth stop is to drive for several hours to Fukang City, Changji to check in at the hotel. After breakfast the next day, drive to the most famous Tianchi Scenic Spot. The drizzle is slightly hazy and the cool breeze is blowing. We put on winter clothes and rain gear in summer, and we have a special feeling in our hearts.
Tianchi Lake in Tianshan Mountain was called "Yaochi" in ancient times. The moving stories passed down from ancient times to the present make tourists feel mysterious and admirable about Tianchi Lake. Located in Fukang City, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it is a natural scenic spot centered on alpine lakes. 37 kilometers away from Fukang City, it is a typical mountain-type natural landscape in the arid area of Northwest China.
The lake is 1910 meters above sea level and the deepest part is 103 meters. Reflected by the snow peaks by the lake, surrounded by spruce trees, the clear water looks like a mirror, and the scenery is picturesque; it is a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
After visiting Tianchi Lake, we hurried to Urumqi Railway Station to take a special train and continued our journey to Qinghai. The ticket fee for this trip is 260 yuan per person.
really:
Heaven invites you to come for a year,
But it is thousands of years in the world.
The Queen Mother's fairyland is here,
I hope the gentleman will return again.
Along the way, the tour guide Lily explained meticulously and professionally, full of passion and touching stories.
The fifth stop is Zhangye City, which arrived at noon after a one-night train ride. The local tour guide took us to have lunch and went directly to the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon. Tickets are 130 yuan per person. Shanhu Grand Canyon is about 60 kilometers away from the urban area of Zhangye. It is the closest compound tourist attraction in China to the city, integrating natural wonders, canyon exploration, geological scientific research, ethnic customs, and self-driving off-road. It is one of the Zhangye Landform Landscape Grand View Gardens. One of the most beautiful landscapes! Hundreds of millions of years of wind and rain have washed it, and nature has created it. The deep, peculiar peaks and colorful mountains are created and carved into beautiful and soul-stirring landscape paintings.
After seeing the Grand Canyon, I went back to the city for dinner and arranged to stay in a 5-star hotel. This is the best hotel of this trip. After eating buffet breakfast at the hotel the next day, the tour guide led everyone to visit the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot; the entrance fee and the scenic spot car charge 121 yuan. The colorful Danxia landform group is majestic and magnificent, with unique shapes and colorful colors. Within a radius of more than 10 square kilometers, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white, black and other bright colors can be seen everywhere, and the valleys and hills are gorgeous. With its interlaced lines and colorful tones, it outlines a splendid and magnificent picture scroll, just like a colorful fairy tale world. The color of the mountain is constantly changing with time and weather, and the layers are more distinct after the rain.
After seeing the magnificent colorful world, return to the downtown hotel for lunch. During the lunch, local Yugur singers dressed in national costumes performed affectionate and melodious songs to add to the fun. The Yugu people are one of the three unique ethnic minorities in Gansu Province. They live concentratedly in Sunan Yugu Autonomous County, with more than 10,000 people. The Yugur people all believe in Tibetan Buddhism and primitive religion. They are typical grassland nomads. They live in tents and wear long robes. They mainly eat beef and mutton, buttered milk tea and highland barley wine.
The Yugur people are hospitable and simple.
After lunch, come to the mysterious and pious Tibetan Great Buddha Temple. The Great Buddha Temple was built in the first year of Yong'an in Xixia (1098). It is named the Great Buddha Temple because of the huge reclining Buddha statue in the temple, also known as the Sleeping Buddha Temple. It is an important group of scenic spots and historical sites on the Silk Road, and it is also a landmark building of Jinzhangye, a famous historical and cultural city. The ancient buildings in the temple are exquisitely carved, the ancient trees are sturdy and towering, the green grass and flowers are beautiful and shady, and the environment is clean and beautiful. The tour guide Xiao Zhang's detailed explanation allowed everyone to learn some Buddhist knowledge and exotic culture again.
Afterwards, the tour guide Xiao Zhang’s arrangement and warm and meticulous service, he has been seeing everyone off at Zhangye Railway Station.
The sixth stop is Xining City, Qinghai Province, which arrived in the early morning after taking a train overnight. Since the bus cannot travel at night, Mr. Duan, the tour guide, arranged for us to wait on the bus until 5:00 in the morning, and then drove to the hotel by Qinghai Lake for breakfast. Then charge 90 yuan entrance fee, continue to drive to Qinghai Lake, the largest inland saltwater lake in China, known as the West Sea. Located on the plateau in the northwestern part of Qinghai Province, there are vast expanses of blue waters, vast and magnificent pastures by the lake, and flocks of black cattle and white sheep are fat and strong. It covers an area of 4,400 square kilometers and a circumference of 360 kilometers; part of the lake has been closed to protect the environment. The total population of the Qinghai Lake Basin is about 90,000, of which about 70,000 are farmers and herdsmen; Tibetans account for the largest number, accounting for nearly 70% of the total population. After visiting the lake area, I came to a Tibetan family as a guest and bought some silver ornaments.
The total cost of this trip is RMB 5,000 per person, which is very worthwhile!
"Praise of Princess Wencheng":
Traveling westward for three years and thousands of miles,
The princess was homesick and shed tears.
The five thousand strong men of the Tang Dynasty,
I would like to marry Zan Wangzan as far away as possible.
Every day is hard to walk,
Hundreds of thousands of casualties and deaths.
In order to make Han and Tibet live together forever,
Scatter blood and tears before moving forward.
Spread civilization Sang Zhiwon,
Blessed and respected as immortals by later generations.
Jinzhu Mami followed behind,
The sky road was repaired to the plateau.
"Walking in the Lake with Feelings":
I have seen the southeast and the North Sea,
Today, the West Sea Lake is salty.
The clear water is slightly choppy and the breeze is blowing,
Don't compare the sea to the blue sky with him.
The salty fish is long and succulent,
Plateau anoxic cattle and sheep are healthy.
There is an ancient story about the Queen Mother,
He also trained in the navy.
Now I'm waiting around the lake,
It's a different kind of leisure.
Feeling that the motherland has a large area,
Waters is reserved but modest.
After that, return to the railway station in downtown Xining to take a special train and continue the return journey. Mr. Duan, the tour guide, also recommended some local specialties and sent them to the train station; such as yak beef jerky, milk strips and milk slices, etc. are very good. After a night's train journey, I returned to Xi'an after a long absence in the early morning; the exhaustion, eating and drinking discomfort and all the unhappiness along the way were left behind, and what was left was happiness and beauty! I wish our partners along the way a healthy and happy life! I wish the guides on the journey safe and auspicious! I wish the people of all ethnic groups along the way live and work in peace and happiness! !
It can be said that:
Ten days in a flash,
Northwest Daheshan.
Happy travels,
Healthy life.
