Ever since I watched the documentary "Mysterious Xixia", I have always wanted to go to Yinchuan and see the Xixia Mausoleum. When doing the guide, I checked the scenic spots near Yinchuan, and found that a lot of information recommended Shapotou, Shahu, and Shuidonggou. Shapotou is located in Zhongwei. It is a playground, suitable for family fun. Shahu is a place for leisure and vacation, suitable for locals to play on weekends. I think these two attractions should not be worth visiting as a southerner. In fact, Shuidonggou is still interesting. It is a site of the Paleolithic Age, but the locals built a huge park in front of the scenic spot. If you want to swim in Shuidonggou, you must first pass through this park. It is really unnecessary to waste time, so give up . Zhenbeibao Western Film and Television City, one of the three major film and television cities in China, Westward Journey, Red Sorghum, etc. were filmed here. I'm not particularly interested in this, and I don't have time in the schedule, so I gave up. The petroglyphs of Helan Mountain are a must. A friend recommended Baisikou. These two scenic spots are in the same direction as the Xixia Mausoleum, and they are arranged to be visited in one day. In addition, there are some small scenic spots in the city: Nanguan Grand Mosque, Chengtian Temple, Drum Tower, Nanmen Square, etc. can all be visited along the way. It happened that during the National Day holiday, I had some time to go to Yinchuan and only played for 3 days, which didn't seem to be enough. After thinking of Yinchuan, I rented a car and drove south to Zhongwei, Guyuan, Qingtongxia and other places, and found that these scenic spots were scattered and not very distinctive. Thinking about the best viewing period for Populus euphratica in Ejina during the National Day, but it is a 10-hour drive from Yinchuan to Ejina one way. My son can’t go with him because he is going to school, and the two of them are tired from driving. They finally decided to join the group in Yinchuan. Ejina 4 of China Travel Agency day trip.





my itinerary:

10/3: Fly from Shanghai to Yinchuan---Nanguan Grand Mosque---China-Arabia Axis---Lanshan Park

10/4: Xixia Mausoleum---Baisikou---Helan Mountain Rock Paintings

10/5: Yinchuan --- Inner Mongolia Wuhai Lake --- Aolun Prague Grand Canyon

10/6: Dengkou Town --- Ruoshui Populus euphratica Forest --- Heishui City Ruins --- Strange Forest

10/7: Juyan Sea---Ejina Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Area

10/8: Back to Yinchuan, the whole journey is in the car

10/9: Yinchuan flies back to Shanghai






10/3 D1, the air ticket from Shanghai to Yinchuan can be said to be very cheap, but there are not many direct flights. I chose Air China, which took off from Pudong at 7:05 am on the 3rd, and arrived in Yinchuan in 3 hours. Yinchuan Hedong Airport is 25 kilometers away from the urban area, about 40 minutes by car. The airport bus costs 20 yuan/person, and the taxi fare is about 60 yuan including the airport expressway toll. Obviously, taxis with more people are more cost-effective, but local taxis burn natural gas, and the luggage in the trunk can be put at most one large and one small two boxes. If there is a lot of luggage, you can put it next to the seat.


Because the reporting point of the group participation later is in the Drum Tower, the accommodation is pre-booked at the Tongfu Hotel near the Drum Tower, a local old hotel, 4 stars, in the city center, and convenient to travel. Those who arrived before 12:00, could not CHECK IN yet, left their luggage and went out to Nanguan Grand Mosque.


The Nanguan Grand Mosque is about 1 kilometer away from Tongfu Hotel, walk there, and take a look at the city by the way. On the way, we first went to see the South Gate, a fake Tiananmen Gate Tower, which was a product of the Cultural Revolution. It is said that there were viewing platforms built on both sides at that time, completely modeled on Beijing Tiananmen. After returning home, I checked the relevant information again and learned that this "Tiananmen" is actually called "Nanxunmen", and the local abbreviation is Nanmen. It was built during the Ming Dynasty. It has a bit of history and is not a copycat. The Nanguan Grand Mosque is actually not big, and half an hour is basically a good time to visit. The Hui people have great faith in Islam, and they told me that the Koran is omnipotent. There is "Niu Street" on the left hand side when you go out, there are many restaurants, and there is a night market at night, you can choose to eat. On my way to the Ningxia Museum, I went to "Guoqiang Hand-caught Lamb" for lunch. This is a chain store, well-known in the local area, and there are many people in the store. Because it was past one o'clock, the lamb neck meat and lamb tripe stalls were sold out, so I had to choose the lamb leg meat. I was very disappointed. The sand onion is unique to the local area, which is not bad. The per capita consumption is 80 yuan.


After dinner, I walked to the Ningxia Museum. No tickets were required. I wanted to ask for an explanation, but during the long holiday there were not enough people to explain it, so I had to rent an electronic explanation. There are three floors in total, divided into Ningxia history, cultural relics and other exhibition areas. The treasure of the town hall is the gilt copper bull, which is a must-see. Note that the museum is closed on Mondays.

From the museum, take a taxi to the China-Arab axis, a road about one kilometer long, with colorful lights at night, financial banks and other institutions on both sides of the road, and at the end of the road is the China-Arab Friendship Monument. Because Ningxia is a Hui autonomous region with many Hui people, it was built to strengthen ethnic friendship. Going forward from here, you can go to Lanshan Park. No tickets are required. There is a newly built local Colosseum with a fake Roman Colosseum. It is possible to take pictures to watch the sunset.


The museum, Lanshan Park, and the China-Arabia Axis are all located in Jinfeng District, a new development zone with spacious roads.

I took the bus for one yuan back to Tongfu Hotel. Fortunately, there was no taxi. The road back to the old city (Xingqing District) was under repair and there was a traffic jam. There are mostly one-way streets in the old city. There is no subway in Yinchuan, but there is a bus-only lane similar to our medium-capacity bus in Shanghai --- BRT bus lane, which can accommodate vehicles with more than 19 seats, and private cars cannot enter. Go back to the hotel and check in. On the left hand side of the door is the Drum Tower Walking Path, the most lively place in the local area. I found "Lao Mao's hand-caught lamb". After waiting for half an hour, I finally tasted the lamb neck meat. It was tender, fat, and very delicious. The soup looks very spicy, but it is not spicy, so it is worth waiting in line.


***Chengtian Temple in the urban area, I personally think you can take a look, it was built in the Western Xia Dynasty, and it was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, so you can't climb the tower. Not far from the Drum Tower is the Yuhuang Pavilion, you can take a look.







10/4 D2, in the morning, wait for the chartered driver to pick you up at the entrance of the hotel, and go to Xixia Mausoleum first, 40 minutes by car, 35 kilometers. Known as the "Pyramid of the East", there are nine tombs of Xixia emperors and many accompanying tombs. The entire cemetery has a large area, and now only three are open to the public. Basically, tourists visit Tomb No. 3, the tomb of Li Yuanhao, the founding emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty. They cannot drive in their own cars. There are shuttle buses in the park. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the entrance of the scenic spot to Tomb No. 3. Li Yuanhao created Xixia's 190-year-old foundation and created Xixia characters. He is a hero of party members and an ambitious and thoughtful leader. He is handsome in appearance, brave and good at fighting. In his later years, because of lust, he married his son's concubine, was assassinated by his own son, cut off his proud tall nose, and died in shame that night. The other two open mausoleums are far away from Mausoleum No. 3. You can rent bicycles and ride for half an hour one way. There is also an electric frequency bus to and fro, but basically they don’t run. The locals say that there is nothing interesting there, and no one goes there, dizzy. . .


Because Genghis Khan died at the hands of the Xixia people, the Mongols hated the Xixia people and massacred the city. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the history of Xixia was not even compiled, so most of the descendants did not understand Xixia. It wasn't until the 1930s, when a German pilot stumbled across the place while taking aerial photography, that historians finally found it. At that time, the entire cemetery had been robbed and excavated, leaving only "earth buns", but the momentum was still magnificent. There were not enough guides on the day, so I had to rent an electronic guide and listen while walking.


The second stop is Baisikou, which is about half an hour's drive from Wangling. On the only way to the rock paintings from Wangling, it is 5 kilometers away from Helan Mountain rock paintings. When I was doing the guide, all the materials did not mention this place. It was a friend of my husband who saw his circle of friends and reminded us to check it out. Thank you very much for this big brother. It is a place worth visiting, 2A scenic spot , no tickets. Baisikou is one of the three major mountain passes in Helan Mountain. It is the site of the original Xixia royal temple complex. There were more than 100 temples. It was a place for the royal family and dignitaries to go on vacation, relax and worship Buddha. Therefore, it was called "Baisikou" and later renamed "Baishikou". . Now only the two towers of the mountain pass are still in place in this place, and there is a small ruins area. There is a part of the mountain behind the tower that is red. This is the only red rock in this section of Helan Mountain, which is very gorgeous. The locals in this place think that it is not worth visiting at all. There is no way, the ideas are different, and there is no way to communicate. Instead, three or two tourists with long guns and short cannons come to take pictures. Because of autumn dryness to prevent wildfires, this scenic spot was closed some time ago. In order to take care of tourists during the long holiday, the relevant departments only opened it recently. Fortunately, this scenic spot was not missed.


The third stop is the rock paintings of Helan Mountain. In ancient times, Helan Mountain was the place where the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Uighur, Tubo, Dangxiang and other northern minorities lived, lived and multiplied. They chiseled the scenes of production and life on the rocks of Helan Mountain to express their yearning and pursuit of a better life, and reproduced their aesthetic views, social customs and life interest at that time. The management of the park is relatively good. Almost some distinctive and famous petroglyphs have distinctive signs, so you can't find them. The order of play is best to enter along the right hand side, here is the sunny side of the mountain, then cross the bridge, and go out along the shady side of the mountain, in a counterclockwise order. Most of the petroglyphs on the shady side of the mountain have been exposed to wind and rain, and are very weathered. The color is already very light, and many of them have peeled off and are incomplete. The symbol of the World Rock Art Association, "Sun God", is on a high place not far from the entrance, and you have to look up to see it. Go straight along the plank road. This is Helankou, which can lead to Inner Mongolia. The plank road in the scenic spot is over here, and you are not allowed to move forward. On the mountains on both sides of the plank road, blue sheep come and go from time to time. Their protective color is very good. You have to look carefully to find them.


Back in the urban area, I wanted to eat "Yingbinlou" hot-boiled mutton, but there were too many people, so I found an online celebrity restaurant, Huangquqiao Stir-Fried Lamb, and there were too many people on Gulou North Street, so I waited for half an hour and ordered. Braised Yellow River carp, sheep's trotters, and stir-fried lamb are all local specialties and delicious. There is a kind of dessert similar to sugar cake, which is called Tang Ma Ya in the local area. I ordered a portion, and it turned out to be a large bowl.





***Because the local car rental companies rent for a minimum of 3 days during the long holiday, I only have 2 days in Yinchuan, and the actual time of using the car is 1.5 days, so I did not rent a car and chose to charter a car. When I took the taxi on the first day, I negotiated with the driver about today's chartered car, which costs 400 yuan. The driver is quite polite, and the meter is used for the whole journey. The cost is 300+, so it is estimated that 400 yuan is the price during the long holiday, and it may be lower in normal times.

***Local specialties: hand-caught mutton (must choose mutton neck meat), braised Yellow River carp, all kinds of haggis, shallots, etc. The dishes are relatively large, and the price is not low, basically around 80-90 per capita. Local beer: Ningxia beer, there are different types, one of them is called X5, recommended by the waiter, it is quite delicious.

***The amount of local dishes is relatively large, and the price is not cheap.




Food:

1. The time-honored Lao Mao Shouzhuo (near the Drum Tower) is known as a century-old shop in the handcuffing industry. It is very popular and has many branches. The most authentic one is of course the Gulou shop in the city center. In addition, Guoqiang Handcuffs is also good, and there are chain stores. Main dishes: hand-caught mutton (sheep neck), fried haggis with flavor, wolfberry seedlings, and shallots, per capita: 80 yuan.


2. Dayue City Night Market, Niu Street, and Huaiyuan Night Market (near Ningxia University) all have night markets, most of which are barbecues, etc. I have little personal interest.


3. The snack bar "Aye Haggis" is a popular and well-known fast food restaurant. Near the Chengtian Temple Pagoda, many locals eat breakfast.


4. Yingbinlou (a famous restaurant in China) This is the only restaurant among the big brands in Yinchuan that is both popular and well-reviewed. We mainly eat copper hot pot here, and there are also special ice cream Wuren ice cubes available in summer, but cold drinks are no longer served during the National Day.


5. There is fast food available in each scenic spot. Although it is not delicious, you don’t have to worry about getting hungry.


6. The local milk and yogurt brand in Ningxia is "Xiajin". It is said that Mengniu and Yili have forcibly confiscated the cows from the farmers in the area, and then leased them to the farmers. Xia Jin is a local company in Ningxia. People in Ningxia support Xia Jin, and Mengniu and Yili products are rarely seen in the market.


7. Ningxia's beef noodles are not inferior to Lanzhou's, and it is worth tasting. The local grapes in Ningxia are very sweet. There is a winery near Yinchuan. The owner is German. He returned to his hometown with his Chinese wife to develop and produce high-end wines. If you are interested, you can go and have a look.



OK: There is no subway in Yinchuan, and there are three districts in total. Xingqing District (Old Town) is mostly one-way streets. Jinfeng District (Development Zone), the provincial government buildings, museums, gymnasiums, libraries and other major buildings are all in the development zone. Xixia District is the farthest, Xixia Royal Tomb, Helan Mountain Rock Paintings, Zhenbeibao Film and Television City (the base of filming Westward Journey, Red Sorghum) are all in Xixia District. The bus costs one yuan, and the taxi starts at 7 yuan.



Accommodation: Accommodation in Yinchuan is not expensive, Tongfu Hotel is 4 stars, internal standard room is 380/night for long holiday, breakfast not included, check-in on the 8th after long holiday is 280/night, breakfast included. The room is fully equipped, and Xia Jin’s yogurt is delivered every day, but the room is small. It is located next to the Drum Tower pedestrian path in the city center, surrounded by shopping malls, with convenient transportation and shopping, and the overall cost performance is high.


There are also many hotels near the Drum Tower, and there are many choices. There are comments on the Internet that the vicinity of the Nanguan Grand Mosque is chaotic at night, so it is not recommended to live here. Maybe I am lucky and have not encountered any unhappy things.




*** Most of the people in Yinchuan are relatively kind, and they have not encountered any bullying behavior. The people in Northwest China are generally quite honest and kind. At the same time, the response of their service industry personnel is relatively slow, and they don't know much about the psychology of tourists. I asked what local beer they had, and they recommended Tsingtao beer. It wasn't until I told them clearly why I drank Tsingtao beer when I went to Yinchuan, and of course I had to drink local beer, that they took out the X5 in disapproval. Most of the halal restaurants here can drink alcohol, but it is best to ask in advance to save trouble. The pace of the city is slow, so that when I returned to Shanghai, I immediately felt that the car was driving so fast on the road. During the long vacation, the tour guides and explanations in the scenic area are not enough. Fortunately, there are electronic explanations. It seems that the hotel does not have enough reception capacity during the long holiday, and the waiters are too busy, and they are not in a hurry at all. They look like they have seen this situation too much and love it.








10/5 D3, this day began to go to Ejina. Report at the starting point of the tour group at the intersection of Gulou Pedestrian Street early in the morning, and first go to Wuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia. Because it takes ten hours to drive from Yinchuan to Ejina one way, most travel companies take a 3-day tour, one day to go, one day to play, and one day to return, which is very tiring. I chose this national travel agency to add two attractions here, Wuhai Lake and Aolun Prague Grand Canyon. The itinerary was changed from 3 days to 4 days, which is a little easier for people.


The first stop: Wuhai Lake is located in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia, 170 kilometers away from Yinchuan, and it takes 3 hours by car. The lake is not big, it is an artificial lake, there is nothing to see in the eyes of Jiangnan people, but the locals regard it as a treasure. Wuhai Lake is connected to the Yellow River, and the water at the junction is clear on one side and yellow on the other. The locals say: Well water does not violate river water. In the arid Gobi of Inner Mongolia, there is a lake scenery similar to the south of the Yangtze River, which the local people are very proud of. After an hour of play, go to the Grand Canyon of Olen Prague. A group meal in Wuhai City on the way.


The second stop, Aolun Prague Grand Canyon, Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, is 200 kilometers away from Wuhai City, a 3-hour drive. The gorge has a total length of 5 kilometers, integrating Yadan landform and Danxia landform, recording the changes of landform and geological evolution process for thousands of years. Walking in the scenic area, the peaks and turns, one step at a time, seems to enter a dream world. Here are a few self-driving enthusiasts who first discovered it and posted it on the Internet, which attracted everyone's attention. The local government only developed it into a scenic spot this year, so not many people know about it. We were the only group of tourists that day. The scenery here is very strange, and it is a good place to take pictures.


Stay at Dexin Business Hotel in Dengkou County at night, 90 kilometers, 1.5 hours by car. Eat in the hotel's own restaurant, group meal.

***There are several scenic spots in the Grand Canyon of Aolun Prague, we visited two of them, and if we have time, we can have a good day here.






10/6 D4, Depart from Dengkou County at 5:00 a.m., drive for 7 hours, and arrive at Ruoshui Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Spot before 3:00 p.m., including Heishui City ruins and strange forests. This scenic spot is a bit scary. I wanted to ask for an explanation at the time. The explanation in the scenic spot has already been out, but there is no such thing at present. But you can charter a car and send an explanation. Chartered car 600/car, 18-seater medium bread, with a driver. I didn't hesitate, there was a beautiful woman in the group who made the order with me. It was only afterwards that I realized how wise my decision was at the time, and the money was well worth it. There are shuttle buses in the scenic area. If you want to charter a car, you don’t need to buy a ticket when buying tickets (the shuttle bus in the scenic area). My ticket will be wasted. It is also more cost-effective if there are more people chartering a car.



Ruoshui·Jinsha Bay Scenic Spot is located 18 kilometers southwest of Dalaihubu Town, Ejina Banner. Look at this panorama. We enter from Gate No. 1. If we don’t charter a car, we can walk along the plank road along the river, which is the inner circle. The chartered car is on the outer circle, and you can stop if you want, and the driver listens to us. The difference between the two routes is that there are fewer people in the outer circle, the Populus euphratica forest is taller and the scenery is more beautiful. Then cross the river to the ancient city of Heishui. Please note that this is a brand new one-to-one imitation of Heishui City. There are some regular programs such as hot air balloon rides, glider, and sales of tourist products. You can also climb the tower to overlook the Ruoshui River. Due to time issues, I gave up this scenic spot and asked the driver to drive directly to the Heishui City ruins. The drive took nearly half an hour, because the ruins will be cleared after 5:30.

Some people on the Internet said that it is possible to take pictures of the sunset here in Heishui City. It is estimated that it was a few years ago, but it is definitely not possible now. It is still bright at 5:30, so you can take pictures of the sunset.




The ruins of Heishui City are managed by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and the protected units are usually limited, and tourists need to make an appointment to go. The newly built Heishui Ancient City was built to divert traffic from the ruins. I didn't see this mentioned before when I was doing my homework. I didn't make an appointment. It stands to reason that I couldn't visit the site that day. But I chartered a car, and the chartered car is free of reservations. Isn’t this a surprise, the chartered car fee is too worthwhile. Only the three of us in our group went to the ruins, and the others envied us when they learned later.

The ruins of Heishui City are in the vast Gobi, and the yellow sand has piled up to the top of the high city wall. It is estimated that in a few years, the yellow sand will overflow the top of the city. By then, the ruins of Heishui City will be trapped in the desert. Since the founding of the Xixia state, the national strength has not been weak. They dealt with the Song Dynasty, Liao, and Jin to preserve their strength. In the later period, the Mongolian army always wanted to destroy him, but failed several times. In the end, Genghis Khan led his team to march at the age of 64. Unexpectedly, he was shot in the eye by an arrow from a party member, and died of poisoning that night. The Mongols kept their mourning secret, stormed Heishui City, massacred the city and exterminated the people. After this battle, the Xixia Kingdom was on the verge of destruction, and the river was diverted, and the once prosperous border city Heishui City disappeared. It is said that the Mongols later dug up the tombs of the Xixia kings even more devastatingly, just for revenge. Until the beginning of the last century, a Russian searched here with a few words in the book, unearthed a large number of cultural relics and treasures and transported them back to Russia, so that now Chinese historians want to study the history of Xixia, and they have to go to St. Petersburg View related documents.






Leaving Heishui City on time at 5:30, chartered a car and drove for half an hour to the strange forest. The sunset is around 6:40 local time, and the sunset in the strange forest is also a must-see. Populus euphratica is a peculiar tree species with strong vitality. "It will not die after a thousand years of life, it will not fall after a thousand years of death, and it will not die after a thousand years of falling." This is the best portrayal of it. The desolate strange forest, the dead strange forest, dignified and vigorous, with intertwined roots, standing in the sand sea and deeply rooted in the alkali beach. Under the slanting setting sun, it is sad and weird, interpreting the wild and ancient and magical frontier artistic conception of "the long river falls into the sun, and the desert is solitary smoke straight", which seems to be telling the bloody storm of the year. Legend has it that for the sake of the people in the city, the black general who guarded the city asked his subordinates to cut off his head and dedicated it to the Mongols, begging them not to slaughter the people in the city. But the Mongols didn't believe what they said, and the soldiers fought a bloody battle with the Mongols, all the way to this forest, and finally died here.





Optimistic about the sunset, you can walk for 10 minutes or take the shuttle bus to Gate 2 to leave the scenic spot. There are a lot of people queuing up for the shuttle bus. We chartered a car without this trouble, and the car took us directly to the exit. Stay with the group in Dalaihubu Town (referred to as Dazhen) that night. There is no bus from Dazhen to the strange woods in Heicheng. After inquiring about it, a chartered car round-trip costs about 120/car.





10/7 D5, get up at 4:00 in the morning, set off to Juyanhai to watch the sunrise at 5:20, drive for one hour, and the sunrise time is 6:50. Tickets for Juyanhai are valid within 5 days. Go straight along the boardwalk, walk directly to the deepest lake, find a good location, and watch the sunrise. There are also many people on the dirt slopes and small bridges next to the plank road, but the scenery by the lake is better. Wear a down jacket, it's windy and cold. The air quality in Ejina is very good, the sky is very clear, and you can often see perfect sunrises, which is great. In addition to watching the sunrise, Juyanhai is also a good place for bird watching. Bring some bread and steamed buns and throw them into the air, attracting migratory birds to fly over, hurry up and grab the camera, the effect of the shots is very good.





After the sun came out, most of the tourists left immediately. In fact, they can take a walk for a while. Juyanhai in the early morning also has a special beauty. This is the place where Su Wu herded sheep. Sitting by the lake, imagine Su Wu's proudly standing body holding a battle. This was once the battlefield where Wei Qinghuo Qubing expelled the Huns and became famous. The great poet Wang Wei stayed here for a period of time, and left behind a famous sentence through the ages: "The solitary smoke in the desert goes straight to the long river and the sun falls into the sun". The Turghuts, who once served as the guards of Genghis Khan, are the largest ethnic minority in the Juyan area. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, this tribe migrated to the Volga River Basin. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, 160,000 Turghuts overcame many difficulties despite the obstruction of the Russians. to date.



Leave Juyanhai, go to Ejina Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Spot, drive for one hour.

The second stop: Ejina Populus euphratica forest is located in Ejina Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. When you arrive at the bank of the Ejina River, you will arrive at the kingdom of Populus euphratica.


A bridge is the entrance to the scenic spot.


Relatively speaking, Erdaoqiao is full of primitive features. The waterways here are wide, and there are scattered yurts and stretching sand dunes as a foil, so it is a good place for photography, and the reflection is also very beautiful. As night falls, all the lights of Erdao Bridge will be lit up, and under the reflection of the river, it will be quiet and beautiful. Those who like to take pictures of the starry sky and star trails can wait here, and the stars in the sky will smile at you. Badaoqiao is optimistic that the ferry will return here after sunset, and you can take pictures.


At Sandaoqiao, red willows grow very luxuriantly, and everything you can see is red, so it has the reputation of "sea of ​​red willows". In the lens, red and yellow complement each other, reflecting a colorful world. You are basically on the ferry during this section.


The Populus euphratica forest in Sidaoqiao is known as the "Hero Forest". The forest area is also the largest, and the various heroic "feats" of Populus euphratica are breathtaking. It is the place where Zhang Yimou filmed "heroes".


Wudaoqiao is full of huge Populus euphratica, growing in the desert, a natural growth forest, and this section is also on the ferry.


Liudao Bridge has endless leaves of Populus euphratica. Occasionally, a flock of sheep passes by, and the scenery is different. This section is still on the ferry.


Qidaoqiao is an original ecological home that combines Populus euphratica forest, desert, wetland and herdsmen.


Badaoqiao is on the edge of the desert. Climb to the sand hill to take pictures of the sunset and camels. It is best to backlight, and the effect is very good. The sand hills here are easy to climb. I was afraid of climbing and climbed to the top of the mountain in a short while. There is no need to borrow shoe covers, the sand here is very fine, so it doesn't hurt your feet.

It is recommended to enter the scenic spot from the west gate, obtain the scenic spot guide map album at the tourist service center, and then visit the Ejina Populus euphratica forest scenic spot in turn according to the guide map, and finally take the ferry back to the exit after watching the sunset at Badaoqiao.


Recommended ways to play: One Bridge—Erdao Bridge (Pulphus euphratica in water)—Sidao Bridge (lunch)—Eight Bridge (desert sunset, sandboarding, camel riding)—back to a bridge The Jingjiao bus connects and runs throughout the day, and the Jingjiao bus fee is included in the ticket.


***Each bridge is divided independently, and the ticket will be checked when entering the door, so the ticket must be put away, and it cannot be lost. If you make up the ticket, you will pay the full fare. It is said that tickets are one-time and cannot be re-entered, but someone in our group successfully entered Erdaoqiao twice, so please ask more.

***Ejina Scenic Area is privately contracted, and the ticket check is very strict, and tourists are guarded like thieves. When I entered the park, the gate guard actually asked me for a parking ticket. It was strange that whether I had a parking ticket had anything to do with him. Our group members told him that we were in a group, and he asked where the tour guide was.

***The best spot for shooting sunset: Heishuicheng, the strange forest, the best spot for shooting sunrise: Juyanhai Badao Bridge, the reflection of Erdao Bridge, Populus euphratica forest is more beautiful in the afternoon.

***Personally, I feel that the Populus euphratica forest in Ruoshui is more beautiful, with tall trees and cultural attractions, so it is worth visiting. If time is limited, it is entirely possible to only visit Ruoshui Populus euphratica Forest. Ejina Populus euphratica forest is purely a natural landscape, because it is more famous because of Zhang Yimou's "endorsement".

***There are a lot of mosquitoes in Populus euphratica forest, especially Qidaoqiao, so bring mosquito repellant.

Some people in the *** group couldn’t stay any longer after shopping for 2 hours, saying that they had seen Populus euphratica, and then took a taxi back to the hotel by themselves, and the taxi cost more than 20 yuan. I really don't understand why these people come out, it's better to watch TV at home.

***In fact, one more scenic spot can be added here, Ceke Port. After Juyanhai came out, go directly to Ceke Port, which is 35 kilometers away. It is a border port between China and Mongolia. There is a market where old Russians and Mongolians do business. Please shop carefully. Shopping is not the main thing, border crossings are to be visited. Then return to Populus euphratica Forest in Ejina around noon, and visit the Populus euphratica Forest all afternoon, the time is still enough. Because I was with a group, there was no arrangement in the itinerary, so I couldn't go there. It's a pity.


In the evening, I stayed at the same restaurant as yesterday and had a group meal.











On 10/8 D6, I got up at 5:00 a.m., departed at 6:00 a.m., faced the sun, and returned to Yinchuan. I also saw the sunrise in the car. After walking a section of Jingxin Expressway and a section of Provincial Highway, I took the expressway again and passed Sanguankou, one of the other three major mountain passes in Helan Mountain, and arrived at Yinchuan Drum Tower at 8:00 pm. The road conditions are good, but you can't drive fast, the speed limit is very severe. The roadside scenery is monotonous, the driver gets tired easily, and saw several rollover accidents along the way.


This day is 10/8, already after the long holiday, I came to the Yingbin Building again, as expected, there were a lot fewer people, and I ordered the copper hot pot with mutton, which tasted very good. It's a pity that there are no big ice cubes with high online reviews, and the waiter asked me to invite them early next year. Continue to stay at Tongfu Hotel in the evening, and walk there, about one kilometer.




10/9 D8, got up early and ate the hotel's buffet breakfast, the ingredients were rich and fresh. At 10:40 in the morning, the spring and autumn flight flies to Hongqiao. Arrived at the airport more than 2 hours in advance, because there is no free luggage allowance, I bought a luggage ticket online for 120 yuan (10KG). According to Spring and Autumn Regulations, luggage tickets can be purchased online 2 hours before departure, and can only be purchased on-site within 2 hours. The amount is purchased online. 1.5 times. Another small box that I think can be carried with me was told to buy a luggage ticket of 60 yuan (5KG), but the official website kept making mistakes. After several twists and turns, it was already 8:42, and a boy who looked like an official next to me, Said that my attitude was sincere, but it was only 2 minutes away. In the end, they let me check in for free. The drama was reversed, thanks to Spring Airlines. The reason for choosing this flight: I have to go to work on 1.10, and I want to go home and rest in Shanghai early. 2. There is only this one direct flight in the morning, and it flies to Hongqiao, which is close to home. Most of the flights in the afternoon are transfers, and there are direct flights in the evening, but they all go to Pudong Airport, and they all arrive in Shanghai around 11 o'clock, which is too late.


The Spring and Autumn flight was very punctual and even landed at Hongqiao Airport 10 minutes earlier. The 7-day "Xixia Quest" is over, and I finally returned to my warm home at 2:30 in the afternoon, a successful trip.








PS:

1. The weather in Northwest China is dry and the sun is very strong. Drink plenty of water, eat more fruits, bring body lotion, and do a good job of sun protection.


2. From the third day onwards, I wake up early and sleep late every day. I get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and eat dinner after 8 o'clock in the evening. Back to Yinchuan on the 6th day, the bus departed at 6:00 a.m. and arrived in Yinchuan at 8:00 p.m., staying in the car all day. From dark to dark, this is normal in the northwest.


3. The road conditions in Inner Mongolia are very good. There are very few vehicles on the expressway. Half of the distance is taken. The Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway was built for 7 years and opened only last year. The scenery on both sides is very good. It is known as China’s Route 66. Many places have interval speed measurement , very strict. But it's also very monotonous, and drivers get tired easily after long-distance driving.


4. Ejina has only 21 days of viewing period each year, starting from the end of September to mid-October. Only when the weather turns cold and the temperature difference increases, the leaves will start to turn yellow, but there must be no wind, otherwise the leaves will all fall and the trunk will be bald immediately. The best viewing period is generally during the long holidays. In 10/3 of last year, Populus euphratica forests all turned golden yellow. The weather is warmer this year, and on 10/8, the leaves were only half yellow. My friend went to Ejina on 10/12, and what he saw was a golden world. So time is difficult to grasp, it depends on personal luck.


5. During the National Day, the local temperature is basically 5-24 degrees, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is large. You must wear a down jacket to watch the sunrise. Short sleeves can be worn during the day in the sun. Sisters must wear red skirts, the photos are beautiful, and the white and blue dresses are also very beautiful. Try not to wear white shoes, and don’t wear new shoes. In the desert Gobi area, sand is easily brought into the shoes, but the sand here is fine, so you don’t need to shake your feet, just shake it out.


6. Since there are only 21 days of viewing period in a year, you can only wait for a year if you miss it. Ejina, a usually quiet town, is crowded with people at this time, and they all come to see the Populus euphratica forest. Although many hotels have been built, the restaurants and hotels are still full, and of course the prices have doubled. Therefore, the accommodation must be booked in advance, and the meals are only full.


7. There is water and food supply in the scenic area, and the price is acceptable. The road to the northwest is long and the scenic spot is large. It is normal not to be able to eat on time, and it is necessary to carry dry food.


8. It is said that the local law and order is a bit chaotic, I have not encountered it, anyway, everyone should be careful.


9. Hami melons are very small, one yuan per catty, basically 3-5 catties each, so there are 3 for 10 yuan, very sweet and fragrant. My husband and I take one every day and carry one back.


10. There are only two routes to Ejina: train and car. The train from Hohhot to Ejina departs every day. It is the closest to Jiuquan, Gansu, and it takes 3 hours by car. However, to get to Jiuquan, you usually have to go to Lanzhou first, and Lanzhou is still far away from Jiuquan. It is most convenient to enter from Zuoqi in Inner Mongolia, because there are many shuttle buses from Yinchuan to Zuoqi. In addition, Wuhai Linhe in Inner Mongolia also has shuttle buses to Ejina, and these places are relatively close to Yinchuan. Therefore, there are more people entering Ejina from Yinchuan. Air tickets from Shanghai to Yinchuan are much cheaper than those to Lanzhou. Because I have passed the line of Jiayuguan in Lanzhou, this time I want to see the Xixia Mausoleum and the rock paintings of Helan Mountain, so I chose to enter Ejina from Yinchuan.


11. Ejina Populus euphratica forest and Ruoshui Populus euphratica forest are not very far away. If you have time, you can visit both scenic spots. These two styles of Populus euphratica. Maybe it’s because I visited the Ruoshui Populus euphratica forest first. My impression is that the Ruoshui Populus euphratica forest is more beautiful.


12. After entering the border of Inner Mongolia, I have encountered inspections one after another, ID verification, and sometimes need to swipe my face. Non-Chinese citizens must declare their identity in particular.


13. In the future, if you can travel independently, you should try your best to travel independently. You still can’t enjoy yourself with the group. This is the reason why I have always been reluctant to go with the group. This time it is really helpless. If you are free to travel, it is recommended to Ruoshui Populus euphratica Forest-Heishui City Ruins---Strange Forest Scenic Spot for one day, Juyanhai---Ceke Port and Ejina Populus euphratica Forest for one day, so the schedule is more generous.


14. The whole journey is 7 days, and the per capita consumption is 6,000 yuan, excluding shopping.



Have a nice trip, take it all home with the world's best wide-angle lens --- eyes! ! !