This trip to Northwest China took two days to make a strategy. This is already a very mature route. You only need to make a few changes in your travel itinerary and design a good accommodation point. In addition, I have paid attention to the routes in this area before, and I am relatively familiar with it. This trip is nearly 3,000 kilometers and takes 8 days, with an average cost of more than 3,000 per person. First up the itinerary:
From Zhengzhou to Xining, D2023 (239/seat) stops at Xi'an and transfers to D2689 (232.5/seat) to Xining. The return ticket is tight, and the sleeping berth K1310 (32.5/seat) with the prefix K is reserved. Lanzhou transfers to K1028 (272.5/seat) ). After arriving in Xining on the evening of the 31st, on the 1st, we went around Kumbum Monastery in Xining City, on the 2nd we picked up the car and left, and started to take the Great Ring Road. This time, I rented a Buick GL8 automatic transmission 7-seat commercial vehicle through Xining Duotu, with a total of 5108 yuan for 8 days and a deposit of 10,000 yuan. The following is a review of the self-driving on the Grand Ring Road in several links.
1. Attractions and accommodation
Day 1 (8.2): Xining --- Riyue Mountain --- Qinghai Lake
Riyue Mountain, ticket 35, child ticket 20, belongs to the Qilian Mountains, located in the west of Huangyuan County, Qinghai Province. In the first year of Shengui, Emperor Ming of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 420), monk Song Yun traveled westward from Luoyang to seek scriptures, and he went to Tianzhu via Riyue Mountain. Later, Princess Wencheng went to Tubo via Riyue Mountain to make a marriage alliance.
At present, Riyue Mountain has important geographical significance. It is the boundary between monsoon and non-monsoon, the boundary between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the boundary between the outflow area and the inflow area.
After visiting Riyue Mountain, passing the Daotang River, we arrived at the long-awaited Qinghai Lake. The green grass and rapeseed flowers on both sides of the road, together with the mountains and white clouds in the distance, the scenery began to be beautiful. We did not go to the Erlangjian Scenic Area. I walked on a herdsman's trail, paid 60 yuan directly, and a car of people walked towards Qinghai Lake. Enter the first round of crazy photo mode.
In the evening, I stayed at the "Heimahe Lake Zhongyue Inn" which is very close to the lake. The accommodation conditions are average, it is a bed room, and it is relatively clean. The dinner is delicious, but the location is very good. It is backed by the mountain, and it is just outside The sea is much better than living in Heimahe Town.
Day 2 (8.3): Qinghai Lake Sunrise – Chaka Salt Lake
The next morning, I woke up early, but unfortunately it was cloudy, so I saw an incomplete sunrise. I set off at 8:00 and arrived at Chaka Salt Lake in about two hours. I drove 5 more until 3:00 in the afternoon. I arrived at Dachaidan Jingjing Guest House in an hour, ate some ramen and went to sleep. The conditions of the guest house are not good, but there are everything you need, you can take a bath and wash clothes. This is the most tiring day. I get up early in the morning and have tea. Kasalt Lake is a long walk and a long drive in the afternoon. Tickets for Chaka Salt Lake are 70 for adults. Separate fees are required for sightseeing trains and shoe covers rental. There are many people. This self-driving trip was very lucky. When we visited the Chaka Salt Lake, the sky was clear and the clouds were long. After the visit, as soon as we got in the car, it started to be windy and dark, and the rain poured down.
Qinghai Lake Cloudy Sunrise
Chaka Salt Lake
Walking all the way, I saw the most spectacular double rainbow in a large ring, but unfortunately I didn't take pictures. Only a few pictures of the sunset were taken.
Day 3 (8.4): Water Yardang Geopark -- South Eight Immortals Yardang Devil City
Depart from Jingjing Guest House in the morning, drive for 3 hours, and arrive at Shuishang Yadan Geological Park. The adult ticket is 120. It is a worthwhile trip. The landform changes along the way are very rich, and I am impressed by the uncanny workmanship of nature. It is still about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Departure, 1 One and a half hours later, we arrived at Nanbaxian Yadan Devil City. Tickets were free, and we stayed overnight at Ruiyi Business Hotel in Lenghu Town. The prices in Lenghu Town were relatively high, almost the most expensive night in these 8 days, and the conditions were average.
Water Yardang Geopark
Yardang Devil City
Day 4 (8.5): Yangguan Ruins – Crescent Spring Mingsha Mountain
Starting from Lenghu, we arrived at the Yangguan ruins in about four hours. The road was almost entirely deserted and there was no scenery, so we were quite tired. Yangguan is the throat of foreign land transportation in ancient China, and it is the pass that the South Road of the Silk Road must pass through. It is located near Antique Beach in the southwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. It was set up in the Western Han Dynasty, so it was named because it was in the south of Yumen Pass. Together with Yumen Pass, it was the gateway to the Western Regions at that time. After the Song Dynasty, due to the gradual decline of communication with the West and land, the pass was abolished. On the way to Yangguan, I saw a snow-capped mountain, walked through the Panshan Highway Dangjin Mountain, passed two checks by the police, passed a sand dune, and finally arrived at the destination. However, because the group was not very interested, they did not buy a ticket to enter. They walked around the door, took a few photos, had lunch, went to the toilet, and continued on their way. We entered Crescent Moon Spring in Mingsha Mountain around 4:00 pm. The weather was extremely hot and there were so many people. We didn’t start driving to the hotel until 8:00 pm. Because of repairing the car's air conditioner, I had a late rest. Fortunately, I was free and able to sleep until 8:30. Speaking of which, the hotel that night was really remarkable. Dunhuang Jintongluo Holiday Hotel is located in an inconspicuous alley, but the decoration is magnificent and the price is not expensive. 194/room is the best accommodation in the first four days one night. Sincerely feel happy!
Snow mountains and picturesque mountains along the way
Day 5 (8.6): Dunhuang Film and Television Ancient City – Yumenguan Ruins – Han Great Wall Ruins
The ancient city of Dunhuang Film and Television is an unplanned tour, the ticket is 34, there are many house structures in various martial arts novels, and there are many stills. Because it is a film and television city built according to a fictional structure, I am not very interested in it, but I just wandered around listlessly before preparing to withdraw. The next scenic spot is to Yumen Pass and the Great Wall of Han Dynasty. After arriving at the destination, Teacher Xu and I went in to see if it was worth visiting the park. After looking at the map, the tickets were not expensive, so we decided to go in immediately. Visited the ruins of Xiaofang City and the Great Wall of Han Dynasty. my country's Han Dynasty, awesome!
Dunhuang Film and Television City
Yumenguan Ruins
Great Wall Ruins of Han Dynasty
After visiting the Great Wall of Han, we drove for 5 and a half hours to Jiayuguan, passing through Guazhou. The rest stops along the way were all selling cantaloupe, which was very sweet. One of us bought 5 cantaloupe and some dried fruits. We planned to eat one cantaloupe a day. Proved very wise. The 6 of us in a car ate until we got on the train. It is said that Jiayuguan’s accommodation for this night is quite good. Jiayuguan Home Inn, each room includes breakfast for one person, the breakfast is not bad, and the price is 254/room.
Day 6 (8.7): Jiayuguan Ancient Great Wall – Binggou Danxia
On the sixth day, the itinerary was relatively tight. We set off at 8:00 in the morning. In the morning, we saw the ancient Great Wall of Jiayuguan. In the afternoon, we drove for nearly 3 hours to Binggou Danxia Scenic Area. , 135 for the third-level human room.
Group photo of all staff
Jiayuguan Ancient City
Binggou Danxia
Day 7 (8.8): Binggou Linhai – Drow Mountain
From the seventh day, the itinerary was very easy. Originally, only one scenic spot was arranged, Binggou Linhai. This scenic spot is still under development. It is fully open and has no tickets. However, due to the abundant time and the distance is not too far Far away, everyone went to Zhuoer Mountain again, without buying a ticket, and watched the scenery on the nearby mountain, so they also came here for a visit. Go directly to the picture:
First appreciate the two people who eat melons on the way
Binggou Linhai
Drow Mountain
Speaking of which, the last night’s accommodation was a toss, because the booking was late and all the rooms were full. Ctrip booked 4 times in a row to be considered a success. The good thing is that I didn’t end up living on the street. Qilian Yingjun Apartment, although a bit more expensive, the farmhouse is very New, worth it.
Day 8 (8.9): Qilian Prairie – Xining
It's the last day, and with a feeling of reluctance, I want to end this trip. Passing through the Qilian prairie, the sun shines on the white clouds and reflects on the green grasslands and mountains. The scenery is pleasant. We found a place to take beautiful pictures. The last madness.
2. episode
a. Minor ailment
On the first day in Xining, I had obvious altitude sickness and felt dizzy in general. The next day, I had to go to Qinghai Lake. My child had diarrhea at night, low-grade fever, weakness, and could not eat. As a parent, I was particularly hesitant. I have heard of many cases of accidents caused by colds on the plateau, and I am very worried. The car was delivered at 8 o'clock in the morning, and the owner of the car dealership was called at 7:30 to explain the situation. After meeting, the owner of the car dealership said, this child is not from altitude sickness, and the lips are usually white when the altitude sickness is severe. Some emergency medicines for altitude sickness. After listening to his words, I felt relieved a lot. The nearby pharmacy took Huoxiangzhengqi water, cold medicine, an anti-inflammatory drug for enteritis, oxygen, glucose and rhodiola rosea (none of which were used). After taking three meals of medicine, I feel fine and beautiful. It was also a false alarm, which almost ruined the unfinished trip. But the end result is great. In addition to viewing the scenery and taking pictures, the children have finished reading Zheng Yuanjie's thick book "The Legend of the Big Bad Wolf Rock", and listened to several English stories, which is also very rewarding.
b. Car repair
There were two mistakes in this car rental. The first one was that the car was not fully filled up when we delivered the car in advance. When we picked up the car, the oil was almost bottomed out, and it took a long time to go around the city to refuel; The air conditioning system is out of balance. We estimate that the high probability is that Qinghai is too cool. The car does not need the air conditioner for a long time, so the hardware is not strong enough. However, in the two days before and after the trip to Dunhuang, the weather was still very hot, and it was a waste of two repairs For a long time, we endured a period of sweltering heat in the car.
c. Accommodation
During the peak tourist season, it is still necessary to book a room in advance. On the last day, due to the late booking, the accommodation was very tight. The good thing is that Ctrip has a good service attitude and has been providing help. In the end, we even paid a small price difference. In the peak tourist season, I used to be price-oriented and chose the price of 350+. The most expensive one has stayed at 1,000 for a night, but the fact is that the most expensive hotel is not as good as the usual price of around 200 hotels. Last time I booked late, the hotels around 350 yuan were all gone, and there were only two options left, super high-priced ones and low-end priced ones. Due to being cheated, I tried a hotel with a rating of 4.5 or higher and a lower price this time. It turned out to be very correct. Most of these hotels are newly opened. In order to win praise and praise from customers, they gave very low prices, but Live all the way down, live more comfortable. Quite a deal!
d. checkpoint
Every time you travel by car, you will always encounter something new. For example, this time, when you enter and exit Dangjin Mountain, you have undergone strict anti-terrorism inspections, and soldiers will stand in front of your car with live ammunition. Except for children, all people in the car must take their ID cards to the checkpoint to scan and pass the customs. In the past, I only heard that the control is very strict, but this is the first time I have encountered it.
e. The train is late
The return ticket booked on the night of the eighth day departed from Xining to Lanzhou for transit. Unexpectedly, the weather was not good, it started to rain, the train was slow, and it arrived at Lanzhou Station more than half an hour late. I was very anxious at the beginning, fearing that I would not be able to catch up with the transit The train, squeezed at the door, wanted to rush down as soon as the door opened, and then the flight attendant directly told me to refund the ticket, it must be late. It's already past 11 o'clock at night, and Ctrip can't buy any tickets to Zhengzhou. What should I do after the ticket is refunded? There is no seat left in the car, how can I survive a long night? Difficult to advance and retreat, we sent a person to negotiate with the captain, to no avail. A second person was sent to negotiate with the driver, but to no avail. In desperation, we collectively decided not to get out of the car, so we went to their dining car to spend the night, so that we could sit, and the children could lie down on the seat, and insisted on arriving in Xi'an the next morning. So, a group of 6 people went to the dining car compartment in a mighty manner. The captain was sitting in it. Getting ready to get off." Then Miao Miao, who was accompanying her, started recording, and the steward next to her tried to stop her. The bus captain asked for our transfer ticket, picked up the phone and started contacting, first tried to ask if there was any bus to Zhengzhou, but to no avail, then contacted our transfer bus to see if we could press it for a few minutes, and wait for the bus to arrive A total of more than a dozen passengers in the sleeper car who were delayed finally made it! Excited, we panted and followed the ground liaison officer to run around the platform next door. Fortunately, we got on the train! Afterwards, if there is any misfortune among various factors, it is estimated that we will be on the streets.
f. violation
When I got off the train, before I got home, I received a message from the Qinghai car dealership that it violated the regulations.
[Qinghai Traffic Police Corps] Your small car Qing A***** was recorded by traffic technology monitoring equipment at 200 meters from Yuya Road, Gansu Province, 200 meters to 36 kilometers from Yuya Road, at 12:20 on August 6, 2018 The illegal act of 'driving a motor vehicle other than a medium-sized or larger passenger and cargo vehicle, a school bus, and a dangerous goods transport vehicle, exceeding the prescribed speed by more than 20% but not reaching 50%' (score 6 points). Please accept the processing within 30 days from the date of receipt of this notification. 【Qinghai traffic police】
If you ask the car dealer to help eliminate the violation, it will cost 1,400. In addition to the 300-odd repair fee paid on your behalf, you will have to pay him more than 1,000, which is really unreasonable. In the end, I found my old classmate, and it was my old classmate, who was very helpful. I deducted 6 points from my driver's license and helped pay the fine, which was finally the end.
To sum up, this journey is full of various experiences, which really echoes the old saying: Traveling thousands of miles, reading thousands of books! Because the 6 people have a clear division of labor, each performs their own duties, and they are humble to each other. In addition, their personalities are bursting together, and the journey is extremely joyful.
