Itinerary: 3 nights in Dunhuang + 5 days and 4 nights Qinggan small ring road
The picture above is the complete Qingan-Gansu Great Ring Road, and my itinerary is the Qingan-Gan Small Ring Road in the red circle. That is, starting from Dunhuang, returning to Dunhuang after passing through Dachaidan, Shuishang Yadan, Mangya and Lenghu, a total of 5 days and 4 nights. Before the departure of the ring line, stay in Dunhuang for 3 days.
D1~3 Dunhuang--Guazhou
A week before departure, Lanzhou suddenly reported a case of COVID-19. For the only case of the new crown, there is no worry at all, just because Jiuquan City’s epidemic prevention policy stipulates that anyone who passes through the Qilihe District of Lanzhou must report for inspection, so I had to change the flight in a hurry, removing the itinerary of Lanzhou and going directly to Dunhuang , so I stayed in Dunhuang for one day longer than originally planned.
Dunhuang, also known as Shazhou, this desert oasis is more modern than I imagined. Small details remind it of its two thousand years of history. For example, this sidewalk is engraved with antique pattern manhole covers.
Or this landmark sculpture, Bouncing Pipa
The Shazhou Night Market is well managed and tidier than the Huimin Street in Xi'an.
After drinking Li Guangji apricot skin water, we walked to the Dang River. The Dang River flows through the city center. The buildings of this Jinjiang Inn are unique, and the lights on both sides are bright, but with the high temperature in summer, the air is filled with the smell of rotting river water.
After 7 o'clock, go to the Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Scenic Area, you can avoid being roasted and dry, and you can also see the lights on the side of the Crescent Spring.
After nine o'clock, the genius slowly dimmed. Walking in front was a young lady in Feitian costume.
At ten o'clock, leave the scenic spot. For the first time, I saw camels walking in groups on the road. The camels finally got off work after a hard day.
Booked tickets to Mogao Grottoes through the WeChat applet. The most classic "Scripture Cave" prohibits photography. The stories of the "Scripture Cave" and "Wang Daoist" are well-known overseas, attracting countless tourists to look at the cave that is only half the height of the door.
The riverbed in front of the Mogao Grottoes did not have a drop of water under the scorching sun. But in the next two days, knowledge has increased. The riverbed next to the G315 National Highway is also exposed. Only one rain, which is not too heavy in my opinion, shows the scene of a mountain torrent.
Considering that the Qinggan small ring road heading west two days later will pass through Yangguan, so we stayed in Dunhuang for one more day than originally planned. We bumped all the way to Guazhou, which is 160 kilometers away to the east, where there are Yulin Caves and Suoyang city ruins.
For Yulin Cave, the entrance is designed below the level of the parking lot, which perfectly fits the terrain.
The Yulin River at the foot of the grotto is only as wide as a brook. The water is clear and swift, and the willows caress the banks.
The Yulin Grottoes are also managed by the Dunhuang Cultural Research Institute, and the guides are affiliated to the Cultural Promotion Section of the Institute. Because the distance is relatively long, there are far fewer tourists coming to Yulin Grottoes. The sister of the guide has a sense of pride in promoting culture when she works. There is a special cave in Yulin Grottoes. The murals are about Tang monks learning Buddhist scriptures. It is more than 300 years earlier than Journey to the West. If I knew it before I went, I should choose to take a look.
The second stop in Guazhou, Suoyang City.
"Qinghai Changyun dark snow mountain, the lonely city looks at Yumen Pass in the distance, the yellow sand wears gold armor in all battles, and Loulan will never be returned until it is broken." The "solitary city" in the poem refers to Suoyang City.
The ruins of Suoyang City are 50 kilometers away from Yulin Grottoes. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and a mask and walk on the wooden plank road without a shade. In front of you is the boundless Gobi, with sections of ruined walls. The sun is shining brightly, the lips are dry and the eyes are starry. Under the guidance of the narrator, there used to be tens of thousands of acres of fertile land here.
Red willow is the plant that impressed me the most during this trip. Surviving tenaciously on dry, dusty land, it presents a red color that cannot be ignored. I can only grow a red willow in the ant forest.
The Buddhist pagoda that has been robbed with an extra-large hole, Kumbum Monastery, although it has the same name as Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai, the two are not related. Look at the big hole in front of you, it doesn't mean "stealing" at all, it's obviously going in openly.
This modern sculpture called "Son of the Earth" is just beside the national road from Guazhou to Dunhuang, and there is another work called "Wuji" next to it.
Dunhuang, when you come back here again after crossing the vast Gobi, you can feel its own legendary color even more.
D4 Yangguan--Dachaidan Emerald Lake, stay at Dachaidan
Yangguan, 60 kilometers west of Dunhuang City, is a mature scenic spot. There are beacon sites thousands of years ago, as well as newly built towers and stone carvings. You can overlook the snow-capped Dangjin Mountain.
A new Dexter opened at the exit. After three consecutive days of mutton skewers + stewed noodles, and West out of Yangguan, there are more lamb skewers + stewed noodles waiting for you, Dexter’s big ice cream cone, yummy, yummy
Crossing the Jinshan Pass at an altitude of 3,800 meters, we came to the concave "basin" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Dachaidan Town, where we will stay tonight, is located on the north side of the Qaidam Basin. The altitude is 3,100 meters measured by the compass in Huawei mobile phones. It is the highest point among the four accommodation points on the ring road, and more than one person in our team suffered from altitude sickness.
From July 4th, Dachaidan Emerald Lake will start to collect tickets, and the driver brother will also collect tickets. It was more than seven o'clock when we arrived at Dachaidan Emerald Lake, and there were still many tourists. Tickets are well received.
Take my HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO to scan a wave, no filter, all are original photos of Emerald Lake without makeup.
D5 U-shaped road--Dongtai--Shuishang Yadan, Sushuishang Yadan
There are two roads from Dachaidan Town to Dongtai, one passes through the U-shaped G315 of the Internet celebrity, and the other passes through Nanbaxian Yadan. We chose to take the U-shaped road.
This piece of Yadan was seen standing on the side of the U-shaped road. The driver said that it is actually connected with Nanbaxian Yadan. Going deep into it is not like going to archaeology.
Jinel Lake in Dongtai is too unfriendly. Along the G315 national road, a trench as high as a person was dug for several kilometers. Maybe it can be reached by walking a few kilometers to the enemy's rear. We only looked at it from the car. It is indeed a unique Tiffany blue. The Qinghai version of Little Maldives is not allowed to be read in the boudoir, and those who want to see Maldives have to go to the original version.
I passed Dongtai with one kick of the accelerator, and arrived at Shuishang Yadan, the accommodation point tonight, at 3:00 pm. The sunshine in the northwest is really too enthusiastic, so I took shelter in the caravan first, and I went out to take the battery car in the scenic spot after 6 o'clock.
Yadan in the water is quite spectacular, definitely not the appearance of these two small stones in my photo.
The sky full of stars, because there is no tripod, can only be photographed in such a pitch-black piece. Since I was a child, I have recognized the big colander of the Big Dipper.
D6 Shuishangyadan--Xitai--Eboliang, Sumangyahuatugou
Cloudy West Terrace
Turn from G315 to No. 95 Monument of Mars No. 1 Highway
After a section of washboard road, we arrived at the Martian camp, and the mountain ridge in the distance is the Erbo Liang we will go to in the afternoon. Bring your own dry food and eat lunch in the car.
The lake in Liang Yadan, Russia
The fountain in Liangyadanli, Russia, which I want to see
D7 Devil's Eye - Mangya Emerald Lake - Lenghu Town, Su Lenghu
The devil's eye, the wind whistling past, making people forget that it is midsummer in July.
Wherever the surging sulfur fountain passes, not a single blade of grass grows.
There are two more elevators this year, and you can get an overview without aerial photography, 30 yuan/person.
The Emerald Lake in Mangya is the best place to take pictures. No matter whether the weather is clear or the lake is windy, you can take clear reflections.
D8 Abandoned Lenghu Petroleum Base--Boluo Zhuanjing Film and Television Base--Dunhuang, Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport Guest House
It is 240 kilometers from Lenghu to Dunhuang, and Boluo transferred to the film and television base just to take a rest.
About accommodation
1. Dunhuang is located in Dunhuang Villa, which is generally recommended.
The facilities are a bit old, and the sewer still smells after renovation, but the hotel is very distinctive. The breakfast and hotel services rank high in Dunhuang, and the location next to Mingsha Mountain is even more recommended.
Another Feiniaoji-style "Dongyi" near Mingsha Mountain is in trial operation, and the price is also on par with Feiniaoji, 2000+ per night.
2. Dachaidan stayed in Baike this night, without breakfast, but you can buy deep-fried dough sticks, porridge, etc. downstairs. This hotel has no obvious stalks, good value for money, and is worth recommending. .
3. Shuishang Yadan lives in the caravan camp in the scenic area. Within a radius of 200 kilometers, this is the only one that can provide basic and decent accommodation services. If you want to live in it, don’t hesitate as soon as possible. At least the water for bathing is still hot enough. When checking out, an aunt happened to come to clean and asked her if she would change the bedding. The aunt replied: "We don't change it". The original words are so, it depends on how you understand it.
4. Mangya lives in Huatugou Xigang Airlines. The sewer smell of this place cannot be described as "a bit". Try to choose another place. This place is completely overwhelmed.
5. Lenghu lives in Guoyou. Lenghu has limited options, and Guoyou should be regarded as one of the better ones. The guest rooms on the first floor seem to have been redecorated in April this year. I don't know what materials were used. When the windows are closed, there is a pungent decoration smell. This trip made me wonder if I have a dog's nose. I can't seem to get around the rotten smell of the river, the smell of the sewer, and the pungent smell of the decoration. But the biggest problem with Lenghu Guoyou is the water in the shower. It takes a full 5 minutes of cold water to welcome hot water.
Some people say that since you have chosen the Qinggan Ring Road, you should not be picky about accommodation, but I don't think so. Qinggan Ring Road deserves to be done better, so as to live up to such a beautiful scenery.
Considerations about the line
Zhangye, which means open arms, was named by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty as Baqi. Since then, the Hexi Corridor has been included in the territory of the Han Dynasty. From Menyuan to Zhangye, you can cross Zhuoer Mountain and see the scenery of snow-capped mountains and grasslands. In the future, if there is a chance, I will still take the route from Menyuan to Zhangye.
Because the road conditions of Erboliang and Devil's Eye are not very good, the van can't reach them, but considering that if these two points are abandoned in this route, it will be difficult to make up for other itineraries in the future, so I asked the driver to drive. Toyota PRADO, step on these two points. In the end, I feel that the Emerald Lake of Erboliang and Mangya is the essence of this route.
