2016 Silk Road Self-driving Tour

2016 Silk Road Tour

origin

I went to Xinjiang once in 2007. I mainly visited the Northern Xinjiang and Eastern Xinjiang Turpan routes. When I returned to Tianjin, I took a long-distance bus to Dunhuang and Jiayuguan. I was deeply impressed by the exotic scenery in the west, the beautiful scenery of Kanas in the Tianshan Mountains and the vast Gobi desert in Gansu, Xinjiang during that trip. At that time, due to time and safety reasons, I did not choose to go to southern Xinjiang and western Xinjiang. Knowing that there are different beauties there, I wanted to keep these places and come back later.

In 2012, we drove across the prairie of Inner Mongolia to Mohe, the northernmost part of China. In the summer of 2014, our family of three drove the Qinghai-Tibet Sichuan-Tibet line by bicycle, fulfilling a dream of going to Tibet by self-driving for more than ten years. In the summer of 2015, our family of three went to Hunan and Hubei by car. Since we drove to Qinghai Lake in 2007, we have driven through 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in the Northeast, North China, Northwest, and Central Plains in 2015. We have left our footprints in most of the northern part of China. Where are you going in the summer of 2016? I've never thought about this.

In 2015, I wanted to drive to Xinjiang by myself, but my wife still had a bad impression of Xinjiang people at that time, so I didn't go there because of concerns. In the spring of 2016, my son was very concerned about his studies, and he insisted on taking extracurricular classes during the summer vacation. Therefore, although my wife will be in the third year of high school, I have no specific plans for where to go during the summer vacation. Until May, my wife told me that their colleagues and teachers really wanted to go on a self-driving trip with us during the summer vacation. Let me think about where to go during the summer vacation? I didn't think about it at first, but then my wife told me twice, and said that their teacher's husband really wanted to go to Xinjiang, and asked me to make a plan quickly. So I preliminarily set three self-driving routes to Gansu and Xinjiang, to Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Anhui, and to Anhui, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu. The last two lines were omitted without any response.

Since the planned route is westward along the Hexi Corridor and Tianshan Mountains north-south to westward, it is one of the routes of the ancient Silk Road. Qiang, and then along the southern foot of the Qilian Mountains to Delingha, Qinghai Lake, and Xining are also part of the Silk Road, so I named this trip "2016 Silk Road Self-Driving Tour".

Figure 1. 2016 Silk Road self-driving tour route map

Schedule

Since the company's current vacation system requires employees to take annual vacations that cannot be taken consecutively, although I have 15 days of annual vacation, I can only take 10 days for two weeks at most at a time, plus three weekends between and before and after two weeks. Only a maximum of 16 days. So our travel plan is also formulated according to 16 days. The trip is long, and Xinjiang has a vast territory, and some famous natural, historical and cultural attractions are also to be visited. The time of 16 days is relatively tight. In order to save time, the routes for the two days before and after chose the relatively straight route between Gansu and Tianjin in the east-west direction, and because Xi'an had been to Xi'an many times before, they did not choose to pass through Xi'an, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. When I went there, I went directly from Tianjin to Wuwei, Gansu via Yulin, Shaanxi in 2 days, and returned to Tianjin from Lanzhou via Hukou Waterfall in 2 days.

Journey on the Silk Road Treading Songs, Walking the Silk Road Treading Songs

The Silk Road is a cultural road, where Eastern and Western civilizations communicated and intersected. From the Gobi desert to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, the water and soil along the way have nurtured the local people of all ethnic groups. One side of the water and soil nourishes one side of people, and it also nurtures the local characteristic music. After the Silk Road Project was formulated, it was found that there were many songs expressing the style of the Silk Road. Among them, the tune of "Silk Road" sung by Na Ying in the 2015 Spring Festival Gala had obvious characteristics of the Western Regions, and the lyrics were also written with a strong sense of history and region. This "Silk Road" was selected as the theme song of our trip. Sing all the way, let the songs deepen the memory of this trip. The playlist of the selected songs is attached (listed in the order of our route):

Theme song: "Silk Road", sung by Na Ying

Interlude: "Happy Home", Chen Ming

Zhangye: "Girl in Colorful Dress", Dao Lang

Dunhuang: "Great Dunhuang", Daolang

"Crescent Spring", Tian Zhen

"Crescent Spring", Zhao Wenyu

Turpan: "The Grapes Are Ripe in Turpan", Guanmu Village

Tianshan: "Tianshan Mountains", Cui Zige

"Tianshan Totem", Dao Lang

"Rainbow Under the Tianshan Mountains", Alpha

Urumqi: "Goodbye Urumqi", Dolan

Kanas Lake: "Kanas", Gao Ying

Karamay: "Song of Karamay", Lu Wenke

"Karamay", Hiroko

Sailimu Lake: Lyric Poems of Sailimu Lake, composed by Huang Huwei

"Salimu Lake", Liang Yong

Yili: "On the Road to Yili", Dao Lang

Korgos: "Huo Cheng Goes to the End of the World", Lu Feng

Delingha: "One Night in Delingha", Daolang

Qinghai Lake: "In That Faraway Place", Dao Lang

"In That Faraway Place", Wang Luobin

Other songs: "Why Are Flowers So Red" Dao Lang

"Remembering Comrades", Lee Se Young

"Song of the Plateau", Lee Se Young

"Snow Lotus on the Iceberg", Dao Lang

"Avalguli", Dolan

"Watching the Grassland with You", Ulan Toya

"You Are an Eagle and I Are Wings", Meng Li

Theme Song - Silk Road

The bright moon of that year, according to this road,
Guanshan is dangerous, Yili faces the sunset,
How much bitter cold, how much wind and sand,
The sound of camel bells and hujia came from afar.
Still the same road, now starting again,
Thousands of miles are smooth, all the way to the end of the world,
The dream is passing through, the heart has arrived,

Splendid splendor stretches before my eyes, the myth of splendor...

2016 Silk Road Journey Narrative Poetry

The bright moon rises from the Tianshan Mountains, and the eagle soars among the clouds.

The wind blows for 20,000 miles, blowing across thousands of mountains.

On the first day, I walked 800 times and reached the edge of Yulin.

Along the three-sided road, the horse stepped out of Liangzhou.
After paying homage to Gulei Terrace, you can go to the West Corridor.
In the ancient Tibetan temple in Ganzhou, the great Buddha lay in Nirvana.
The mountains are dressed in colorful clothes, and the Danxia is colorful.
Jiayu Xiongguan is here, climb the city and look at Qilian.
The Great Wall is not blocked, and the leap is still moving forward.
The singing sand embraces the moon spring, and the rainbow reflects the sky.
Ascending the Mogao Grottoes, scriptures are stored in stone chambers.
The Buddha sits for thousands of years, watching the flying sky in the cave.

Pass through Xingxing Gorge and enter Xinjiang.
The fire in the Flaming Mountain is gone, and the old city of Gaochang is empty.
The water of Aiding Lake is still, and the low place is full of Bailiu.
Grape Valley is famous, but it is a pity that it is too prosperous.
The Tianshan Mountain runs through the east and west, and now we can see it again.
The canyon is full of fir trees and green trees, and there is no other day in the secluded back.
Suddenly you can see the grassland and the snow-capped mountains by the lake.
Gu Pan still lingers on the winding road out of the mountain.
The sky is high, Yaochi is far away, and the eagle is spinning by itself.

Overnight in Urumqi, morning sun bathed in Hongshan.

Looking for a fairyland in northern Xinjiang, you are not afraid of the long distance.
Leaving Burqin in the morning, wandering into the deep mountains.
It was only around noon that I could see the beauty.
Pure and far away from the world, his body looks like a fairy.
Looking down from the Guanyu Pavilion, the blue lake is in front of you.
Clear water flows one after another, winding among the mountains.
The water is clear, the mountains are reflected in the forest, and the crouching dragon is in the shallows.

Where the fairy turns around, it looks like a crescent moon.

Just left the beautiful fairyland, and went to the devil city.

Marvel at the power of nature, and perform magical skills with skillful hands.

Children walk on foot and walk through it.

The scorching sun increases power, Yadan looks like a painting screen.

Arrive at Jinghe in the evening and stay in Xinyuan.

If you want to go to the lake of Ai (Bi) before sunset.

It's a pity that the road is blocked for a few miles.

It is not possible to face the lakeside and look at the sunset.

The Jing River flows out of the Tianshan Mountains, flows south to the city and west.

The clear water is crystal clear, and the riverside environment is quiet.

In the early morning, we went west again and came to Sailimu.

Tianshan Naxi steam forms a lake here,

Crystal clear water, blue eyes with teardrops.

Further into Guozigou, the bridge overlooks the beautiful scenery.

Horgos City, Eurasian Bridge Port.

At the westernmost end of this trip, turn to the south of Tianshan Mountain.

Huocheng Xuncao Township, Yili Beauty Grassland.

In the evening, it was cold and rainy, and the road was difficult before dark.

Staying in Gongnaisi, the bed and pillow are stained.

But if you are a good cook, you have to taste the freshness of mutton.

The morning car is cold and foggy, and the wheels are splashed with dew.

The mountains are flat and wide, and the sky is covered with dark clouds.

The road goes far away, and the sky becomes a line.

Not afraid of the long road ahead, drive further forward.

After crossing the Chahan Nur Daban, you can see the snow-capped mountains.

The temperature is only three degrees, and the heights are extremely cold.

And quietly out of the Tianshan Mountains, Korla hit the tip.

Enter the great desert - Taklamakan.

Driving along the river, the sun is covered by yellow sand.

The water of the Tarim River, the spring of life in the desert.

Several Populus euphratica forests were born on the banks of the Shahe River.

There are hundreds of miles of yellow sand, and a company is stationed along the river.

The poplar trees reflect the setting sun, and the dusk reaches Ruoqiang.

The largest county in China, it was named Loulan in ancient times.

There is a lake called Lop Nur, the water has dried up now.

The body of the beautiful woman in the sand is kept in the museum.

The legend has passed away, three thousand and eight hundred years.

Start again in the early morning and travel to the desert (Kumtag Desert);

Yitunbulak, Xinjiang enters Qinghai.

Cross Altyn and enter Qaidam.

Close to the big desert, looking for schist in the sand.

Dongtai Jinel, Salt Lake Yinglantian.

Stretching for hundreds of kilometers, Yadan is shared by water and land.

After Xiaochaidan, I remembered two years ago,

Go to Tibet by car and walk across the Qinghai-Tibet line.

Travel thousands of kilometers a day and reach Delingha at night.

Delingha Night, by the Baiyin River,

There are poem steles, engraved with poem steles,

Haizi's poem——

"Sister, I'm in Delingha tonight."

In the early morning, we set off again, passing by Qinghai Lake.

The leisurely Qinghai Lake is as beautiful as a simple one.

Today, we have seen each other three times when we go to the South Bank.

The companion returned to his heart with an arrow, and hurriedly passed by.

The Lanzhou classics have not stopped, and Dingxi night is at the top.

Passing through Gansu and Ningshan, heavy rains follow along the Shaanxi Road.

Overnight in Hongdong City, the last stop on the return journey.

It will take sixteen days to complete the Silk Road.

Hexi four counties

In China's first geography book "Shangshu·Yugong", the country's borders are described in this way, "The east is bounded by the sea, the west is covered by quicksand, Shuo Nanji, and the sound and teaching are all over the world." It is necessary to spread the prestige and enlightenment of the dynasty to the world. In the four directions, listen to the waves of the sea in the east, and dance with quicksand in the west. The Hexi Corridor is like an ark leading from the Central Plains to the Western Regions, with the ice, snow and cloud sails of the Qilian Mountains hanging on it, crossing the sand waves of the oasis, setting off with the Qiang flute, and the spring breeze never dies.

There are two thousand miles of mountains and rivers, and five thousand years of vicissitudes. The spark of Chinese civilization lit the painted pottery in the kiln. During the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, Qiang and Rong lived here. From the Spring and Autumn to the Qin Dynasty, Wusun and Yueshi migrated and multiplied. In the early Han Dynasty, it was the residence of the Huns. In the second year of Yuanshou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (121 BC), Huo Qubing drove the Xiongnu out of Yumen Pass and established four prefectures in Hexi, starting from Wuwei in the east and reaching Dunhuang in the west. .

1. Qilian Mountain is the hero behind the Hexi Corridor

Many people know about the Silk Road, a major channel for the exchange of civilizations between the East and the West, and the famous Hexi Corridor, but few people know the contribution of Qilian Mountains to them.
Some mountains feel tall only when standing in front of her, and some mountains feel her majesty and momentum the farther away from her. Some mountains affect the climate on both sides of the mountain, and the climate changes the landscape on both sides of the mountain. For example, the Kunlun Mountains and the Qinling Mountains are mountains that divide the south and the north into two worlds. Some mountains act as barriers, while others are natural channels and bridges for communication. The Tianshan Mountains and Qilian Mountains are the mountains that serve as channels and bridges between the East and the West.

The Tianshan Mountains and Qilian Mountains run across the east and west, and they not only block the connection of the deserts on the north and south sides of the mountains. The Tianshan Mountains separate the Taklamakan Desert in the south of the mountain from the Gurbantunggut Desert in the north of the mountain, and the Qilian Mountains also block the Danbajilin Desert and the Qaidam Basin desert in the south of the mountain. More importantly, their snow-capped mountains and glaciers with an altitude of 4 to 5 kilometers provide inexhaustible water sources for the south and the north of the mountain, so that the Silk Road and the Hexi Corridor, which were originally deserts, are connected by oases, like a series of oasis. Beautiful necklace made of pearls.

The Qilian Mountains are the main source of water in the Hexi Corridor. The snow and glacier melt water on the mountains have become the source of the three major water systems of the Heihe River, Yanghe River, and Shule River and 56 inland rivers. All the rivers flow into Zhangye like blood vessels and veins. The plains have enriched a large area of ​​farmland and oasis, making Ganzhou, an important town on the Silk Road in history, a beautiful place in the south of the Yangtze River.

Zhangye Ganquan and Dunhuang Crescent Moon Spring have not dried up for thousands of years because of Qilian Mountain.

The Qilian Mountains are composed of several east-west mountain ranges, with snow peaks, glaciers, lakes, forests, grasslands, Danxia...the topography and landforms are diverse, and there are rich species of flora and fauna. In short, the Hexi Corridor must go to the Qilian Mountains. You can go to Qilian Mountains, Zhangye Danxia, ​​Qinghai Lake (Qinghai Lake is also a descendant of Qilian Mountains) and other national nature reserves, Shandan Army Horse Farm...all in Qilian Mountains.

2. Buddha arrives in the west and Ziqi comes in the east, where religions communicate and collide

The Hexi Corridor, where many ethnic groups coexist, has different customs and habits. Religion has become the spiritual bond of social peace. They get comfort in their respective worship and abide by the binding code of conduct. In Wuwei, there is Leitai Temple, the holy land of Taoism in the northwest, and Kumarajiva Temple, which commemorates the great virtues of Buddhism. This is especially true in Zhangye City. The Temple of the Horse and the Pagoda are dedicated to local gods. Ganzhou also built a series of five pagodas inside and outside the city based on the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The Nine Palaces and Eight Diagrams of Taoist heaven and earth have the same effect. Therefore, the urban monuments in Wuwei and Zhangye must be seen.

The Mogao Grottoes are one of the typical representatives of the eastward spread of Buddhism.

3. Heihe has made a millennium oasis and witnessed the ancient civilization of Zhangye

On the vast Gobi Desert in Jinta County, Jiuquan, a silvery glacier stretches in front of you. The riverbed is three or four miles wide, and Diwan City on the opposite bank is low and small. This is already the lower reaches of the Heihe River, the second largest inland river in China, known as Ruoshui in ancient times. This area is a plain full of farmland, and the river is also very wide. The river flows slowly, sometimes converging into pools, sometimes scattered into swamps, and it is difficult to distinguish the river. There is a large wetland in the north of Ganzhou City, the lake is clean and green, and the golden reeds sway slightly in the wind. The Heihe River nurtures the largest oasis in the Hexi Corridor.

Oases are often formed by inland rivers. The inland rivers in the Hexi Corridor are divided into three major water systems: the Shiyang River, the Heihe River and the Shule River, which respectively nurtured the cities of Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. Among them, the Heihe River has the largest amount of water, forming the largest and most fertile oasis, so it has always been said as "Golden Zhangye" and "Silver Wuwei". Every year, the total runoff of the sub-water system in the eastern part of the Heihe River is about 2.475 billion cubic meters, which is the main force shaping the Zhangye oasis in the middle reaches and the Juyan ancient oasis in the lower reaches.

Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve is a typical type of inland wetland and water ecosystem in desert areas, spanning the three counties of Ganzhou, Linze and Gaotai in Zhangye City. There are many types and numbers of rare migratory birds and waterfowl in the area. Every spring and autumn, flocks of migratory birds travel thousands of miles to the Heihe Wetland to rest. In the core areas of the reserve, Tiancheng Lake, Mingtang Lake, Dahuwan and other places, there are spectacular scenes of 50,000 to 60,000 birds of various kinds gathering together.

Looking for the ancient city of "Black Water Country", looking at the quicksand everywhere, I suddenly returned to the historical source of Zhangye.

The ancient city of "Heishuiguo" is 17 kilometers northwest of the center of Ganzhou District. There are two buildings in total, located in the north and south of National Highway 312. According to archaeological confirmation, the ancient city of the south was built after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, while the ancient city of the north belonged to Seoul. Undoubtedly, the "Black Water Country" area was the center of Zhangye's early civilization. "Heishui Country" is an ancient oasis with an area of ​​about 30 square kilometers. Perhaps due to the diversion of the Heihe River or human activities, it has led to desertification. Around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the ancient city of Bei was abandoned in the desert.

3. City Profile

Wuwei City was named after the talented and generous Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to demonstrate the "martial arts and military power" of the Han Empire. Located in the central part of Gansu Province, at the eastern end of the Hexi Corridor, it is adjacent to the provincial capital Lanzhou in the east, Jinchang in the west, Qilian Mountain in the south, and Tengger Desert in the north.

Wuwei, known as Liangzhou in ancient times, was once the hub of the famous "Silk Road" in history and one of the four counties in Hexi. Wuwei City enjoys a superior location, bordering Lanzhou in the east, Xining in the south, Yinchuan and Inner Mongolia in the north, and Xinjiang in the west.

Wuwei is "the capital of China's tourism symbol (horse stepping on flying swallows to come out of the land)", "China's famous historical and cultural city", "China's wine city", enjoys "historical witness of Tibet's inclusion in China's territory", "hometown of Chinese wine", It is known as "the only place of origin of white yak in the world" and "hometown of Chinese ginseng fruit".

Zhangye, named after "the arms of Zhang Guo, connected to the Western Regions", is located in the middle of the Hexi Corridor. It was called "Ganzhou" in ancient times, which is the origin of the word "Gan" in the name of Gansu Province. It is known as "the land of mulberry and hemp" and "the land of fishing and rice". Native products include green onions, apple pears, Wujiang rice, red dates, hair vegetables, silk road spring wine, etc.

The Yugurs are the only ethnic minority in China who live concentratedly in Zhangye.

Zhangye City is an important town on the ancient Silk Road, an important route of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge, a famous historical and cultural city in the country, the second largest inland river in the country, the Heihe River, and a commodity grain base in Gansu Province. The reputation of "Wuwei". Zhangye has the largest military horse farm in Asia, a national wetland reserve approved by the State Council, and the Zhangye National Geological Park, which was rated as one of the "Ten Amazing Geographical Wonders of the World" by the American "National Geographic" magazine.

Zhangye has a long history, splendid culture, beautiful natural scenery and unique cultural landscape. There is a poem in ancient times that says "If you don't look at the snow on the top of Qilian Mountain, you mistake Zhangye for Jiangnan". There are Dafo Temple, Wooden Pagoda Temple, Tuta Temple, Xilai Temple, Horseshoe Temple, Zhenyuan Building, Shanxi Guild Hall, Minqin Guild Hall, Heishuiguo Ruins and other places of interest in the city. Ganzhou got its name because of the flowing Ganquan at the foot of Ganjun Mountain, which forms a natural water flow in the city, with lush reeds and flying reeds. Thousands of years later, the unique landscape of "half city with reeds and half city temple, willows on three sides and lake on one side" is still preserved.

Jiayuguan, Jiayuguan is located at the western end of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province. It is the first pass at the western end of the Ming Great Wall and the traffic hub of the ancient "Silk Road". 6 kilometers southwest of Jiayuguan City, it is located in the middle of the narrowest valley in Jiayuguan. The west end of the Great Wall dominates, and it has been the first pass in Hexi since ancient times. Jiayuguan City is located in the middle of the narrowest valley in Jiayuguan, on the highest Jiayu Mountain. The city walls on both sides of the city pass across the Gobi desert. Jiayuguan is famous all over the world for its dangerous terrain and majestic majesty. It echoes Shanhaiguan, the "first pass in the world" thousands of miles away, and is famous all over the world.

Dunhuang City is a county-level city managed by Jiuquan City in Gansu Province. It is located in the northwest of Gansu Province. It has always been an important town on the Silk Road and a famous national historical and cultural city. Dunhuang is surrounded by the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the vast Taklamakan Desert in the west, and the jagged Beisai Mountains in the north. Heritage Mogao Grottoes and the location of Yumen Pass and Yang Pass on the border of the Great Wall of Han Dynasty, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring. In recent years, a large amount of Dunhuang jade has been discovered, and its quality is second only to Hetian jade.