After reading this guide, you can easily drive on the Northwest Ring Road

In the autumn of 2018, when I met Ken for the first time in Poland, I knew that this person should be my lifelong friend,
He is a little socially afraid, and he needs to think carefully every time he utters a word.
So it is quite suitable for the conversation rhythm of my 36-year-old uncle with mild dementia,
We have been sitting together during that journey, talking about travel, life, film aesthetics,
As if expressing itself to a gramophone,
Every vocalization can resonate, this feeling is amazing.
So after parting, we have been making appointments for the next trip,
Ken said that he wanted a road trip, which would show some freedom and individuality along the way, accompanied by all kinds of randomness and surprises, and then the two of them had a chat under the stars, just thinking about it was exciting.
Looking at China, it seems that there is no place more suitable for flying the soul than the Northwest. After discussing the destination and hanging up the phone, the two of them tacitly booked a ticket to Xining tomorrow, and then sent a screenshot of the tacit understanding to each other.
So the next night, we slept in the Heima River on the edge of Qinghai Lake, the place where I hitchhiked ten years ago.
We have all discussed it, and we will go back when we are tired, but no one thought that this is a fantasy adventure that meets in Xining and then goes deep into the vast central hinterland of Qaidam, extending to the Hexi Corridor to Yinchuan.

About this line

This route is an extended version of the traditional Qinggan Great Ring Road, which is divided into upper and lower parts. The first half is dominated by the natural scenery of Qinghai Lake and the Qaidam Basin, and the second half is dominated by the cultural scenery of the Hexi Corridor. .
??The first half departs from [Xining], passes through [Tar Monastery], circles [Qinghai Lake] and [Chaka Salt Lake], plunges into the uninhabited area of ​​the Qaidam Basin, and visits [Emerald Lake] one by one along the national highway G315 , [South Eight Immortals Yadan], [Dongtai Jinel Lake], [Water Yadan], [Xitai Jinel Lake], and then arrive at [Eboliang Mars Base] through Mars No. 1 Highway, and finally cross [Dangjin Pass] 】Come to the Taklimakan Desert and enter the [Dunhuang] oasis.
??The second half departs from [Dunhuang], visit [Mingsha Mountain] [Mogao Grottoes], pass [Jiayuguan] to [Zhangye], and look for [Camel City Ruins], [Heishuiguo Ruins], [Tianluo] along the way City Ruins] and [Mashoe Temple Ruins], then from the most American road G227 to [Xining], via [Lanzhou], and arrive at Saishangjiangnan-[Yinchuan].

PS: Two of the five most beautiful national highways in China are included in this itinerary, the Qaidam Gobi Salt Lake Landform of G315, the Qilian Mountain Snow Mountain Grassland Landform of G227, and the Sichuan-Tibet Line of G318, Qinghai-Tibet Line of G214 and G219 Xinzang line, future travel notes will be unfolded for everyone one by one.
PSS: The geological features of this trip are so diverse, you can read a little before the trip.

About 280 million years ago, crustal movement transformed the former sea into the [Qinghai-Tibet Plateau], so the majestic [Kunlun Mountains] and [Qilian Mountains] pinched from north to south formed the cornucopia of the motherland [Qaidam Basin].
The water flows to the lower place, and the vast sea evaporates in the basin to become several large salt lakes, [Qinghai Lake], [Chaka Salt Lake], [Emerald Lake], [Xiaochaidan], [Dongxitai] , all we see along the way is the sea of ​​the past.
The sea can not only form a salt lake, but also a dry place can create Yadan, so there is the Dachaidan Devil City of the Southern Eight Immortals, the Martian landform of Erboliang, and the large unnamed Gobi Desert.
Continue westward, cross the [Dangjin Pass] where the [Qilian Mountains] and the [Altyn Mountains] intersect, and you will come to the east foot of the largest [Taklamakan Desert] in China, and drive along the desert road to [Dunhuang Oasis], stop for a while Turn eastward, continue along the [Sag Gobi] of the Qilian Mountains, arrive at Zhangye, cross the Qilian Mountains again and return to Xining, follow the direction of the [Yellow River], and arrive at the golden city of Lanzhou on the [Loess High Slope]. 【Tengger Desert】Scrape the edge, and finish with a glass of fine wine in Yinchuan, Jiangnan.

The first day, Xining - Qinghai Lake

??Date: DAY1, August 20
??Itinerary: Xining -- Qinghai Lake (Heima River)
??Playing items: Xining food, Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake
??Geographical indications today: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Qinghai Lake
??Accommodation: Black Horse River Hotel
Brief description of the itinerary: At noon, the two people arrived in Xining. After renting a car, they tasted Qinghai old hot pot in Xining, then went to Kumbum Monastery, and stayed overnight in Qinghai Lake Heima River.

When we arrived at Xining Station, we found our rented car as shown on the map. It was a blue SUV with a very good appearance. It was shining brightly in the sunshine on the plateau, which made people very excited. There were no complicated procedures, and the fingers were simple Operate and unlock, it is the distance that carries our happiness.

As a young man, I still have an inexplicable support for the sharing economy. No matter it is a bubble or hype, as long as it really facilitates our life and reduces the cost of travel, then I will support it. .

The army and horses are in place, but there is still a shortage of food and grass. Xining has a lot of local snacks with ethnic characteristics, such as naturally fat and tender lamb, cool and smooth yogurt, hot and sour stuffed skin, chewy yak meat, and dog urine , Ga noodle slices, ghee tsampa, sweet fermented grains, etc. The most representative food recommended to me by local friends in Xining is "Qinghai Earth Hot Pot" located in Yinma Street, about 2km away from Xining Station.

The earthen hot pot in Qinghai is slightly different from the hot pot that everyone usually eats. The broth boiled with beef and mutton is used as the soup base and a little sauerkraut is added to enhance the taste. It is cooked food, and the top part of the ingredients is decorated with some shredded pepper and green onion for seasoning, which looks pleasing to the eye.

The taste of the hot pot is spicy, but the soup is clear and has a natural and mellow taste. The ingredients are local beef and mutton, chicken and fish on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Strong and not easy to spread.

For the staple food, it is recommended that you order a slice of steamed buns or barley cakes. Two people can eat a small pot, which is basically too much to eat. The per capita consumption is about 60, and there are also group purchases online.
After eating and drinking enough, we will go to the most representative and unmissable scenic spot in Xining - Kumbum Monastery.

In Ta'er Monastery, don't miss the debate

Before coming to Xining, the impression of Kumbum Monastery was both clear and vague. What is clear is that I have been here ten years ago, and I have long known that it was built in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism, and one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect. ].

PS: Tickets for Kumbum Monastery are 70 yuan. If you don’t enter the main hall, you don’t need tickets if you only visit the exterior.

After getting out of Xining City and taking the expressway, within a short while, the Kumbum Monastery in front of us was covered in a kindness and confusion. The coldness pervading in the air made us shiver a few times in short-sleeved clothes, but all of this was nothing. Blocking the flow of people in front of the monastery, I was almost rushed in amid the crowds of tour groups. When I went in, I saw that the huge temple was full of people and noisy, and Ken and I were solo travelers, so we couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed, so we chose a quieter place to follow.

Walking to the front of the main hall, the Dajinwa Hall, the crowds of tourists are almost impenetrable. In front of the hall, there are several thick pillars wrapped in multicolored woolen woven Tibetan blankets. When you step over the high threshold and enter, you can see the four golden plaques "Vatican Teaching and Dharma Building" bestowed by Emperor Qianlong hanging high above. The words are magnificent, and the gold-plated cloud heads, dripping lotus petals, vajra beasts and copper bells, and the "flame palm" on the roof in front of you also show a delicate and heavy atmosphere.

Since it is the main hall, it took a long time to stay in the hall. The light in the hall was dim, and thousands of butter lamps flickered with reddish fireworks. The smell of dust, mutton, ghee, scriptures, and various instruments are all mixed together. That unique breath and taste seemed to come from the depths of time, constantly eroding my skin and soul.

There are countless Buddha statues on all sides of the main hall. In the niche, Master Tsongkhapa looked down at the bustling people with his smile.

In the Great Sutra Hall, I have to say that Kumbum Monastery is one of the three unique butter flowers, which is a unique sculpture art of the Tibetan people. It is as large as a few meters of pavilions and pavilions, Bodhisattva King Kong, and as small as three to five centimeters of flowers, birds, insects and fish. The mood is realistic and lifelike. But although this butter flower is beautiful, it also has another chilling name, "cruel flower". Because lamas have to keep their hands at extremely low temperature all the time in order to make exquisite butter flowers, often after a butter flower sculpture is completed, many lamas' hands are frostbitten.

butter flower

From the first time I entered the monastery, lamas kept appearing in my sight. The oldest one was seventy or eighty years old, and the youngest was five or six years old. They were different from other places. They seemed to be very leisurely and casual. Walking, or sitting, or gathering together to chat, or carrying scripture boxes to shuttle through the academy alone, but most of them look peaceful and peaceful. Everyone knows that Kumbum Monastery has "three wonders", that is, murals, pile embroidery, and butter flowers. These are static beauty. If you want to leave some more unforgettable memories, then don't miss it every day at 5-7 pm Differentiation of scriptures.

Debating scriptures is a Buddhist term and a debate on Buddhist theories. That is to say, after the monks study the Buddhist scriptures, in order to strengthen their true understanding of the Buddhist scriptures, they use the method of one question and one answer or one question and several answers or more questions and one answer to exchange their learning experience and Buddhadharma, just like our academic discussions. It is a way for lamas to study Buddhist scriptures.

Most people in Qinghai have never really seen the debates in the Kumbum Monastery, so when I was allowed to take a close-up shot of the debates in the Kumbum Monastery, the excitement can be imagined. Like a child sitting in a big theater, ready to enjoy a Tibetan version of a classic fairy tale play, although I can't understand, but I can still appreciate the mystery.

It is very novel to see this kind of scene for the first time. If you only listen to the sound, it is more like a quarrel. They are suddenly high-pitched and passionate, and sometimes they are whispering. Each debater has a different style, some are rough, some are quiet, but they are all so focused.

One of them is sitting and lying down, and the other is standing. The standing person asks questions accompanied by high-fives, plausible words, but the sitting and lying person is often calm. I don't know Tibetan, but seeing some of them getting red-faced, I was deeply moved.
The starting point of the debate is clapping hands. Every time when asking a question, step back a few steps, flick the rosary with the right hand, put it on the left arm, step forward, raise the right hand high, and clap the left hand hard, a thunderous clapping sound resounds in the sitting room. on the head or forehead of the lama.

Clapping has two functions, one means that I am asking you a question now, please answer quickly and pay tribute to it; the other means to deter the opponent in terms of momentum. It is said that if the questioner can’t answer the question, the questioner can clap his hands or throw the rosary as a warning, and sometimes he will use his hand to hold the prayer beads on his arm to seek the support of the Buddha; the respondent should concentrate and fully demonstrate his eloquence and knowledge. In addition to responding wittily, one has to try to refute the opponent. If the respondent responds appropriately, the lamas onlookers will applaud;

When I came out of the Jingjing Institute, the cloud had cleared, and the sky above Kumbum Monastery was full of blue and blue, with white clouds like cotton flowers floating in the air. In the temple, the flags flying high, the red and white walls, and the golden pagodas are all brightly colored without exception. The sun is shining lazily, and the wind is blowing gently, which makes the temple appear a bit clear, quiet and distant.

After visiting Kumbum Monastery, we drove all the way to Qinghai Lake. On the way, we saw the sky full of stars. After a ten-year absence, we could reunite freely on the shore of Qinghai Lake. We couldn’t help but parked the car, picked up the camera and took a picture. stand up.

The next day, Qinghai Lake - Chaka Salt Lake

??Date: DAY2, August 21st
??Itinerary: Qinghai Lake -- Chaka Salt Lake
??Play items: Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake
??Geographical indications today: Qinghai Lake, Rubber Mountain, Chaka Salt Lake
??Accommodation: Hotel at the gate of Chaka Salt Lake Sky No. 1 Scenic Area (320 yuan, and there are many accommodation options in Chaka Town)
Brief description of the itinerary: At noon, the two people arrived in Xining. After renting a car, they tasted Qinghai old hot pot in Xining, then went to Kumbum Monastery, and stayed overnight in Qinghai Lake Heima River.

?? Qinghai Lake play guide:
Qinghai Lake is very large, 4,400 square kilometers, exceeding the size of many provincial capital cities, so there are many scenic spots along the entire coast, especially near the east of Xining, where most tour groups are concentrated. If you want to play something with few people and no tickets, then please go to Huxi, it is completely free.
The section from Jihaitai to Heima River is a concentrated area for herdsmen. In spring, summer and autumn, herdsmen will settle here. There are scattered yaks and sheep by the lake. If you want to experience the cultural customs, this is the most suitable place. , park the car at the herdsman’s house, communicate with them warmly, drink yogurt and then ride a horse to the lake, 60 yuan is enough.
If you want to experience the fun of self-driving on Qinghai Lake, please go to Huanhu West Road. From 2 pm to before sunset, you can see the crimson Qinghai Lake, which is as beautiful as a fairy tale.
If you want to see the sunrise of Qinghai Lake, you can live in Heima River, which is the best sunrise shooting spot on the entire lake, with white yaks, beautiful prayer flags, and all kinds of prospects you want.

Black Horse River Sunrise

I arrived at Heimahe at three in the morning last night. I knocked on the door of the inn I visited ten years ago. out of him, but he did not recognize me.

With some small disappointment, I lay on the bed, took out my mobile phone and looked at the weather forecast. It was cloudy tomorrow morning, and I was a little helpless. The sunrise that I had been looking forward to for a long time seemed to be missed.
I just didn’t expect that I woke up naturally at 6:00 in the morning. I couldn’t fall asleep anyway, so I just got up and drove the car in the faint morning light to find the sunrise spot in my memory. What if the weather changes? I comforted myself, but the emotions I had just mobilized were quickly extinguished. The sidewalk to the lake was blocked, and there was no way to go.
Then the engine started in the dark, and a Tibetan guy on a motorcycle smiled at me: "Brother, if you want to see the sunrise, I will take you to the lake, ten yuan."
I got into the car without hesitation.

??Hima River Sunrise Raiders:
Because the name of Heimahe Sunrise is too famous, the town has now become a tourist accommodation center. In late August, a room costs 150 yuan. It is said that 300 yuan needs to be booked in advance during the peak season. Otherwise, there is no room and I can only live in tents. .
After getting up in the morning, navigate to the "Tent Sunrise Area of ​​Heimahe Township" (you can also walk from the town, two to three hundred meters), and park at the intersection of the convenience road. Attractions, 10 yuan per person, 15 yuan for two people, about 3 kilometers away.

At the beginning, I was alone, but when the sky was just getting bright, the crowds by the lake were already crowded. I know that watching the sunrise here depends on character, and I want to see the truly magnificent Hei Ma He Ri It must be possible when there are clouds but not too much. The highlight of the sunrise of the Heima River is that the red sun will rise directly from the Heima River and shine on the lake.

The weather forecast is chillingly accurate, so today's sunrise is really not magnificent, or even beautiful, but no one left, they all quietly waited for the sun to climb up from behind the dark clouds, and then through the black gap wink at us

Although it is August, the morning of Qinghai Lake is still only 9 degrees, and the weather is bad and windy, so the body temperature is even lower. This is the terrible temperature difference between day and night in the Northwest. Friends who are going to watch the sunrise must remember Bring a handy down jacket.

There are Tibetan compatriots leading a white yak by the lake, which matches the prayer flags by the lake. It only costs 10 yuan for a photo ride, which is very fair. After all, this yak is also a carefully selected lady yak. ​​It looks beautiful. Also dressed up.

In addition to yaks, another business is that you can ride a horse in a small circle in Qinghai Lake. The price is 20 yuan. It is really not expensive, but everything is without the setting of the sunrise and lacks some flavor.
The interval between the dark clouds is getting smaller and smaller, and the sun has not been able to see me. Maybe it was the sunrise that was too perfect ten years ago. This time I want to give me a comparison. I returned to the small hotel helplessly, washed Wash and eat breakfast.

After eating and drinking enough, maybe because I slept too little last night, I dozed off on the chair unconsciously. When I woke up again, the sky had cleared up, and the dark clouds that prevented me from watching the sunrise before were completely gone. After seeing the trace, people immediately became energetic, packed their luggage excitedly, and rushed to Qinghai Lake.
Because I have been here more than once, I know that there is no need to go to the paid scenic area. The section from Heima River to Jihaitai is the site of herdsmen. If you want to experience the most authentic Qinghai Lake life, you have to go here.

Along the way are herdsmen’s grazing areas. Cars can be parked next to their tents, but they cannot drive to the lake, otherwise the herdsmen will be fined. To go to the lake, they can only walk or ride horses. Horseback riding is not expensive, and it costs 50 yuan for a round trip.

We didn't intend to ride horses to the lake, but were more interested in the life of the herdsmen. After chatting for a few words, they warmly invited us to sit down. Just at this time, a sheep dealer came to collect the sheep. After getting their consent , we took pictures at will.

A group of sheep with expressionless faces looked nervously at the strangers coming from a distance, maybe they could guess their next fate.

After some fierce bargaining, the herdsmen agreed to the price of the sheep dealer, and the sheep dealer began to choose among the sheep. Every time a sheep was selected, the Tibetan children would rush in with a whip and grab the sheep by its hind legs to take it out. , There is no pain of parting from the sheep, and the money from selling the sheep is just in time to start school and pay the tuition fees.

The little master's movements are very quick, but the sheep's reaction is not slow at all. It takes four or five times before it can be successfully caught.

There was a little brother living in the tent, and we got a pack of snacks for him on the way back to the car. Unexpectedly, when my mother saw it, she warmly kept us here, and brought out a bucket of yogurt from the refrigerator, and gave it to KEN and me to ride alone. I made a large bowl and added two spoonfuls of sugar. It tasted better than any old Qinghai yogurt sold in supermarkets.

Very fresh, very mellow

The sheep were sold out. Before leaving, the host of the ranch specially performed a horsemanship for us.

Then I searched for other herdsmen’s homes along the way, and later found a family that raised yaks. The owner drove the yaks that had just finished eating grass into a large pond. One was to cool down the yaks, and the other was to let them drink enough water .

At the current prices, a yak can be sold for 10,000 yuan. This unassuming herdsman is actually a hidden millionaire.

Scarlet Qinghai Lake on Huanhu West Road

When the sun was westward in the afternoon, we left from Jihaitai and went to Huanhu West Road.
If you must choose which section of Qinghai Lake is the most beautiful, it should be Huanhu West Road where it is now. There are not so many people and vehicles, relatively quiet, and absolutely pure natural scenery. Here you can see the best angle of Qinghai Lake, which is very original.

The experience of driving on Huanhu West Road is very wonderful, and the soft light is extraordinarily warm on the body. On the gentle road, we maintained a slow speed. From time to time, the sun shines from the clouds, elongating our shadows and printing them on the grassland beside the road. The silhouette moves forward at a constant speed on the warm-colored grassland, like a flowing movie. silent.

The color of Qinghai Lake on the Huanhu West Road is also the best, with emerald scarlet color, and there is a little rainbow shadow in the sky, everything is so beautiful, and the heart is very happy.

We can't stay on Huanhu West Road for too long, we have to go to Chaka Salt Lake tonight before sunset to wait for a perfect reflection.
From Qinghai Lake to Chaka Salt Lake, the altitude will increase significantly. The scenery along the way is beautiful against the green hills. The highest point is the pass of Rubber Mountain, with an altitude of 3,800 meters.

Rubber Mountain Pass at an altitude of 3,800 meters

Sky No. 1 scenic spot without crowds

It is difficult to use one word to describe Chaka Salt Lake. When I came here more than ten years ago, National Highway 109 was just a dirt road. Few people knew about Chaka, and few people had been to Chaka. There are not so many red silk scarves and red skirts.
At that time, people in Chaka Town lived by the salt lake. I took a mining boat and entered the salt lake. I would encounter wild ducks and wild swans. The workers on the boat threw stones at them, but they ignored them.
At night, a bonfire will be raised in the middle of the salt lake, and the workers will keep warm there. Lying on the salt pile at night, you can see the Milky Way is very wide and divides the sky into two halves. People can receive my signal.
Later, the town grew bigger and bigger, and the people who came and went put a lot of hats on this salt lake - Bolivia in China, the realm of the sky. So a large number of tourists flocked in. When the weather was bad, some people said that they were deceived by the photos, which was not worthy of the name.
In fact, to Chaka Salt Lake, you really need a good weather.

There are two scenic spots on the current Chaka Salt Lake, one is the old Sky Realm, the other is the new Sky One, both have small trains, and they both see the same salt lake, but the new Sky One The advantage is that there are few people. Due to the new construction, the publicity is not so good, and there are not many tour groups. If it is the peak season, I recommend everyone to come here.

Another advantage of Sky One is watching the sunset. Because it is facing the sunset, the angle of taking pictures may be better. The following is a comparison of the prices of tickets and sightseeing cars for the two scenic spots:

The little red train is still very dazzling on the salt lake, the sun is about to set, and we have limited time so we did not follow the little train to explore more places.

But even this section of the entrance is beautiful enough.

Small train tickets are still worth buying. In such an environment, just sitting and watching the scenery is enjoyable.

We also sat down on the plank road. The silver sparkling Chaka Salt Lake is like an endless mirror, and the white clouds, green mountains and small trains are clearly reflected on the lake; we on the plank road seem to be floating in the air. under our feet. For a while, we stood there stupidly, unable to move.

Still can’t find the right words to describe the beauty of the Salt Lake. Chaka is not like the West Lake, which never needs heavy makeup, nor is it like the Lijiang River, which is smart and elegant, and it’s not like Qinghai Lake, which is agitated and spacious... ..It is nothing like it, it is only itself, clean and mysterious, she is a mirror of the sky, in this mirror, you can even see your own soul clearly.

After watching the sunset, we didn’t go to Chaka Town. We stayed at the nearest hotel at the entrance of the Sky No. 1 Scenic Spot.

On the third day, Chaka Salt Lake - Delingha - Emerald Lake

??Date: DAY3, August 22
??Itinerary: Chaka Salt Lake -- Delingha -- Emerald Lake
??Play items: Delingha, Emerald Lake
??Geographical indication today: Qaidam Basin
??Accommodation: Dachaidan Town (standard room, price 350 yuan)
?? Brief itinerary: After breakfast, depart from Chaka Salt Lake, pass through Delingha, and drive all the way to Dachaidan Emerald Lake. Because of the rain, we waited for 3 hours at the hotel.

PS: Dachaidan Emerald Lake is considered to be the most beautiful of all the salt lakes in the entire Qaidam Basin. It not only has the perfect reflection like Chaka Salt Lake, but also has as many as seven colors of colorful lakes. You can take pictures even without drones Take a beautiful group photo. At present, the Emerald Lake does not charge tickets, but with the improvement of the construction of the scenic spot and the arrival of the small train, it is estimated that the days when you can drive in and out freely are numbered.
PSS: After driving into the gate of the Emerald Lake Scenic Area, there is a straight main road. On the right hand side is a large white salt lake, which can reflect the color of the sky like a tea card. On the left hand side are small salt ponds of different colors. Continue to drive the car to the left You can see more beautiful colors when you open it deep, and it looks good no matter how you shoot it.
PSSS: For accommodation in Emerald Lake, you can choose to live in Dachaidan Town, 15km away. Many hotels here were newly built after the Northwest Line became popular. The prices are relatively expensive, basically between 300-500, but hotels There are still a lot of them, so you can choose one based on the actual situation, and you can live in much better conditions for a little more than a few tens of dollars.

I woke up naturally at 6 o'clock in the morning, but the good weather at sunset last night was gone. I originally wanted to go to the salt lake to take another sunrise, but I had to give up when it was raining. Today I have to catch up for five hours. On the way to the Emerald Lake in Dachaidan, I didn't dare to delay too much, and set off in the rain.
After crossing the Chaka Salt Lake, this is considered to have officially entered the motherland's cornucopia - the Qaidam Basin. The green grassy landform before has become the appearance of the Great Gobi. It's so dark, it has the feel of the movie "No Man's Land".

The barren and desolate Qaidam Basin has been a barren land for thousands of years, with few traces of human activities. The rich oil, coal, and various metal deposits are the business card of this "treasure bowl". The coal in Kadi, the lead-zinc mines in Xitieshan, and the potash all over the basin are all key mineral projects of the country, and many oil towns and mining towns have been built for this purpose.

The car continued to drive, and some camels occasionally appeared on both sides of the national road, which added a little vitality to the Gobi Desert. At this time, the rain just lightened up, and the car drove into the sidewalk of the Gobi Desert. Unexpectedly, the camels were not afraid of people at all, but walked towards our car He came over, apparently to beg for food.
In fact, after driving for the past two days, I still have some feelings for the rented car, and it looks all kinds of eye-catching. In the next few days, I will rely more on this little blue car in the Gobi

Goodbye, Mr. Camel, I hope to see your friend again in the desert of Dunhuang.

In the vicinity of Delingha, I also saw a conscious scenic spot sign saying "Alien Ruins". I have seen related reports in documentaries a long time ago.
There are endless rumors about aliens descending on the earth. As many news about aliens have been revealed to be false, people have begun to take a suspicious attitude towards the legends of aliens. People try to use various scientific evidence to confirm whether aliens are I have really been to the earth, and in China, the most famous one is the alien ruins in front of me.
There are all kinds of strange-shaped caves and desert circles here, which make people wonder whether this is the habitat of aliens on the earth. The most peculiar thing is that there is a large iron pipe with a diameter of 40 cm in a cave from the top to the cave. , more than a hundred meters long.
Although rusted over the years, the iron pipes are still clearly visible. There are more than 10 iron pipes penetrating into the mountain at the entrance of the cave. These iron pipes are completely consistent with the rocks. It is not like digging a hole before putting them in. Instead, the iron pipes are directly inserted into the hard rock. From the analysis of the pipe test results, the composition of the pipes is mainly iron. Supplemented by elements, the source of these 8% unknown elements is unknown, some say they are from the center of the earth, some say they are from outer space, some say they are from the deep sea, etc. In short, they are not known elements.
The original plan was to visit this site in person, but it is a pity that the scenic spot is temporarily closed due to protection.

Sudden Emerald Lake Sunset

Moving on, we arrived at Dachaidan at 2:00 p.m., but because it was raining all the time, we couldn’t go to the scenic spot, so we kept resting in the room. Before sunset, the rain subsided a little, so we still drove to Emerald Lake, thinking about it Step on the spot for tomorrow's sunrise.
Unexpectedly, as soon as we arrived at the scenic spot, the situation changed. Not only did the rain stop, but the clouds became thinner and thinner. Tonight's sunset turned out to be quite dramatic.

Because of the rain, there are basically no people in the scenic area. We are the only car driving on the main road. The lake is very calm, reflecting the sky and the earth. Driving, there is a special sense of sacredness.

Suddenly, a young couple walked in by the lake. They walked in without emotion. Maybe they were fascinated by the scenery in front of them. They looked at the direction of the sunset without moving. This picture is so harmonious, I couldn’t help but press When the shutter is set, sometimes the scenery will be monotonous, but with more people, the scenery can be set off more beautifully.

We went back to the hotel after watching the sunset, but we kept thinking about the starry sky of Emerald Lake, hoping that the clouds would dissipate quickly. Finally, at 1:00 in the morning, the sky suddenly cleared up, and I immediately drove from the hotel to come again On the main road of Emerald Lake, at that time, the sky was full of dazzling brilliance, and I finally knew why this Emerald Lake had such rich colors. It was the stars in the sky that fell into the lake one by one, turning into that beautiful the crimson color.

The lake reflects the sky like a mirror, and I especially enjoy this quiet time alone with Emerald Lake, which reminds me of the night in Bolivia's sky mirror

I waited until the Milky Way fell into the lake, and I reluctantly took the tripod and left the Emerald Lake. I will come to see you again when the sun shines tomorrow

On the fourth day, Emerald Lake-South Eight Immortals-Dongtai-Shuishang Yadan

??Date: DAY4, August 23rd
??Itinerary: Emerald Lake-South Eight Immortals-Dongtai-Shuishang Yadan
??Recreation items: Emerald Lake, Nanbaxian, Water Yadan
??Geographical indications today: Salt Lake, Yadan, Water Yadan
??Accommodation: Yadan fishermen's dormitory on the water "Desert Inn" (price 500, poor conditions but no other options)
?? Brief description of the itinerary: After breakfast, visit Emerald Lake, then take G215 through Nanbaxian to Shuishang Yadan, and live in Shuishang Yadan fishermen's dormitory.

PS: There are two roads to choose from Emerald Lake to Shuishang Yadan, one is to take G215 to go through Nanbaxian Yadan landform (also known as Dachaidan Devil City), and the other is to take G315 to go to the U-shaped road, the latter is the distance It is farther away and about 40 minutes slower, so it is recommended that everyone take the Southern Eight Immortals.

PSS: There are two best shooting times for Emerald Lake. One is the mirror reflection at sunset in the evening, which reflects the sunset sky and snow-capped mountains, which is beautiful; the other is the colorful top light at noon on a sunny day. Both are very suitable for shooting Internet celebrity portraits.

PSSS: There are no small towns on the road from Dongtai Jinel Lake to Shuishang Yadan and then to Xitai Jinel Lake. There are relatively few accommodation options. One is the intersection of G215 and G315 (7km away from Dongtai Jinel Lake). There are 2 or 3 hotels here, and then there is the real estate base of Shuishang Yadan Scenic Area. RV bases are very popular and need to be booked very early in advance. Then there is the fisherman's dormitory of Shuishang Yadan called "Desert Inn", a container house The condition of the standard room is relatively poor, there are only public toilets, and the price is 500 yuan a night, but because it is very close to the lake, you can also take pictures of the sunset and the starry sky at night, which is the only consolation. If you choose to live here, you can private message me for contact information.

PSSSS: When you arrive at Jinel Lake in Dongtai in the afternoon, you will think of watching the sunset, but the sunset in Dongtai is not good because of the lack of foreground. It is recommended that you go to Shuishang Yadan to watch the sunset, but the sun has not set when the scenic spot closes, and the venue will be cleared , where do you want to shoot? The Yadan fisherman's dormitory "Damo Inn" where we live is a good sunset viewing spot. After seeing the blue sign of "Damo Inn" on the side of the road, turn in and go to the lake after about 7 kilometers. Then go west and you will see a large piece of Yadan on the water (at this time, it is only 2 kilometers away from the gate of the scenic spot). The scenery you see is almost the same as that in the scenic spot.

I took pictures of the starry sky too late yesterday, and I didn’t get up until 9 o’clock in the morning. I went out and saw that Dachaidan on a sunny day was really different from yesterday’s cloudy and rainy day, and the whole town was much more energetic.
I went to the noodle restaurant to have breakfast, and spent 50 yuan to drive the car to the car wash to have it cleaned. Yesterday, I soaked too much water from the salt lake. If it stays for too long, it will cause corrosion to the chassis of the car, even though we rented the car , but still have such a sense of responsibility, Xiaolan will stay with us for 7 days, so we can't make it uncomfortable.
If it is your own car, it must be washed clean.

Behind Dachaidan is the majestic Qilian Mountains. In autumn and winter, this area is full of snow-white mountains. At that time, with the snow-capped mountains as the background, the salt lake will be more beautiful.

The most beautiful color in the Qaidam Basin

The first time I arrived at the Emerald Lake, I almost didn't recognize it. It was completely different from the rainy scene yesterday. The colors were so bright and eye-catching. This is the eternal love crystallization of the sea and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Countless grains of salt and countless Dripping water, gathering in the cornucopia of Qaidam, and settling down at the foot of Qilian Mountain, the scenery in front of you is so beautiful that people just want to sit down quietly.

In such a beautiful world, it will really give people the illusion of being in a fairyland.

Drive the car to the left side of the main road of the scenic spot, and you will encounter more and more colorful lakes, like emeralds inlaid between heaven and earth. In fact, emerald lakes are not formed naturally. This is the salt lake mining team of the former Dachaidan Chemical Factory. The mining area, after years of mining, formed a mine pit, and after the water accumulated, it became the beautiful Emerald Lake today. The reason why there are so many beautiful colors is that the mine contains potassium, magnesium, lithium and other metal elements and halides. Because of the different proportions of the ingredients, there will be light green, emerald green or dark blue alternately, which is the same as the color of the salt flowers in the lake. The green and radiant emerald pastoral.

In the large and small brine pools, due to the different mineral element content, the lake water presents green, blue, yellow, brown and other colors. Against the blue sky and white clouds, it looks like pieces of beautiful jade scattered in the world.

Also like God's palette, put all kinds of

The high-concentration brine in this salt pool of different sizes, shapes, and depths is called "brine" by local miners. Due to the different concentrations of minerals contained, it forms a colorful scene. When the weather is calm, it looks like a mirror. Scattered around, the color is pure and clear, and the light green, emerald green, and dark green lake water make it like emerald jade inlaid on the Gobi, and it has become a new Internet celebrity attraction.

After Emerald Lake has become an Internet celebrity attraction, there are really many people who come here, and the buses of various tour groups will never miss it. However, self-driving tourists don’t have to worry at all. You can get something like the picture below by driving a little bit. Such an exclusive scene, but you must control the speed and be careful when driving in the salt lake, because the saline-alkali road surface is not hard enough, and there may be big pits at any time that may cause the car to get stuck.

There is almost a wide road connecting the lakes and lakes. You can walk and stop along the shore of the lake to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

In addition to the blue color, you can occasionally find a small red or yellow pool like this

If it wasn't because he was going to Shuishang Yadan today, he really wanted to stay quietly in Emerald Lake for a whole day. Before leaving, Ken couldn't bear it no matter what, and wanted to stay for various reasons, but the Qaidam Basin There are too many beautiful views, and there are still more expectations ahead, so I can only start the engine and continue to move forward. I will visit again when the mountains turn white in the next winter. I think it will be a pure ice and snow world at that time.

No matter how the scenic spot is developed, I hope that this uninhabited land can always retain its original beauty. The reflection under the sky is the purest scenery in the world. These colorful lakes are the most beautiful colors in the world. Come here on a sunny day , Feel the charm of the mountains and rivers of this motherland, the scenery of China is the most beautiful in the world.

Dachaidan Devil City

"Yadan" was originally a Uighur language in my country, meaning a steep mound. During the progress of the crustal change, some areas that were originally seas or lakes, due to the uplift of the crust and the loss of water, the ground formed by the earthy sediments of rivers and lakes gradually dried up and cracked, and the wind eroded along these cracks. Tens of thousands of years of careful carving, the cracks are getting bigger and bigger, and this fragmented ground has become the Yardang landform. And this Yardang landform is often called the devil city because of its turmoil and strange shapes.

Nanbaxian, which is an hour's drive away from Emerald Lake, is such a ghost city. Before arriving, when I mentioned Yadan in the car, my mind immediately had a barren, weathered, and uninhabited scene. Although I have seen many before, But when I really came here, I was still shocked by the unique landform and magnificent momentum here.

The Southern Eight Immortals can be regarded as the starting point of the vast Qaidam Yadan landform group. Why does it have such a beautiful name? There is a touching story here.
In 1955, the construction of the motherland was in full swing, and the Qaidam Basin full of industrial treasures ushered in the first batch of developers, who shouldered the important task of rejuvenating this ancient barren land. Among these people, there are eight female geological team members who have spent their youth here in search of oil.
But the degree of desolation here is unimaginable. Even today, there is still no mobile phone signal and no one lives here. More than 60 years ago, this place can be said to be absolutely wild.
The eight female team members went deep into the desert with the determination to find oil for the motherland, and finally died here, and their bodies were found half a year later. Eight women dedicated their lives to the mining of the motherland. In order to commemorate them, people named this place: Southern Eight Immortals.

Today's Southern Eight Immortals has become a beautiful scenery that cannot be missed on the Qinggan Great Ring Road. Countless people drive past and are attracted by this magnificent mountain and river. At present, Southern Eight Immortals Yadan has not yet been developed, so there is no scenic spot control. The S210 Provincial Highway has about 60 kilometers of roads winding through the Nanbaxian Yadan, and the driving pleasure and the roadside Yadan landscape complement each other.

A few kilometers into the scenic spot, there is an observation deck where locals run a beach motorcycle business. There are several tourist buses and many self-driving vehicles on the side of the road and on the viewing platform. Most tourists stop here for sightseeing, some stroll in the Yadan group, some board the Yadan heights to look far away, and some drive directly. Follow the footprints of the predecessors and enter the Yardang landform group for exploration.

After driving into it, I found that Yadan of the Southern Eight Immortals has different and colorful shapes. Some are like endless arrays of steamed buns, stretching as far as the eye can see, with a huge lineup of mounds like steamed buns, like two armies facing each other, ready to go; some are like world-famous sculptures, such as the Sphinx, the Thinker, etc. ; Some are like various animals, such as elephants, monkeys, and pigs; others are like continuous city walls.

The entire Southern Eight Immortals will soon be included in the protected area, and it will be difficult to have the experience of driving into it in the future. If you want to come, this National Day should be the last chance. But when driving, you must follow the wheel marks of the predecessors, and don’t crush the loose soil. First, protect the Yadan landform, and second, protect your own safety. When you go deep, don’t go too far from the road.

Ken, who saw Yadan for the first time, was so excited that he couldn’t speak. He didn’t expect such beauty to exist in the world of the motherland, but in fact, this was just an appetizer. When he arrived in Erboliang, it was the whole of China. The peak of Yadan landform.

In the end, I rushed to Dongtai Jinel Lake to watch the sunset, but in fact, the sunset there is not good-looking because of the lack of prospects, and the water lacks color because it is not top light, so I hurried to Yadan on the water, but I can go to the lake When it was too far away, the mountain had already set, and there was only a little sunset glow left in the sky.

There are many fishing boats docked by the lake, and fishermen live here to raise crucian carp and hairy crabs. The salinity in this lake is the lowest in the entire Qaidam Basin, and it has reached the level that allows freshwater organisms to live.

After returning to the room and settling down, the boss said that there is still a restaurant where you can order food. I didn't expect much, but unexpectedly found that the taste is quite good, and the food is very delicious. I am really happy in this wilderness. A piece of roasted crucian carp costs 30 yuan, a piece of fried pig ears costs 38 yuan, and a piece of green vegetables costs 20 yuan. The portion is quite sufficient, and the two boys didn’t finish it. This is another benefit of spending 500 oceans to live in a container.

If it is the National Day of local tyrants, you can also try the hairy crabs, 98 yuan per catty, it is the time when the yellow crabs are fat in the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, not to be missed

Originally, ken was unwilling to spend 500 yuan to live in a container, and felt that the boss was a little bit conscious of taking advantage of others’ danger to sit on the ground and raise the price, but it was not until he saw the Milky Way at night that he shouted that the 500 yuan was really worth it, compared to emerald The starry sky of the lake is completely better than worse. It is really romantic that "you don't know the sky is in the water when you are drunk, and the boat is full of clear dreams".

At that time, I really just wanted to find a cushion to put on the beach, lie down, watch everything in front of me quietly, and fall asleep counting the stars one by one.

On the fifth day, Yadan on the water - Dongtai - Xitai - Erboliang

??Date: DAY5, August 24th
??Itinerary: Water Yardang--Dongtai Jinel Lake--West Taiwan Jinel Lake--Eboliang
??Recreational items: Yadan on the water, Jinel Lake in Dongtai, Jinel Lake in West Taiwan, Erboliang
??Geographical indications today: Yadan, Salt Lake
??Accommodation: Erboliang Mars Base
Brief description of the itinerary: Today, after watching the sunrise on Yadan on the water, return to Dongtai Jinel Lake to visit, and then go to Oboliang via Xitai Jinel Lake from Mars No. 1 Highway.

PS: Dongtai Jinel Lake, Shuishang Yadan, and Xitai Jinel Lake are all on the same highway, not far from each other. Tickets for Shuishang Yadan Scenic Spot are 60 yuan, and battery tickets are 60 yuan (but you don’t need to enter the scenic spot. Can be photographed), Dongtai Jinel Lake temporarily only charges 10 yuan for parking, and Xitai Jinel Lake is next to the road, so it is never possible to collect tickets.

PSS: After entering Dongtai Jinel Lake from the gate of the scenic spot, it is recommended that you go to the place with few people on the right hand side, where there are no crowded people, it is better to take pictures, and the lake water is clearer. Xitaijinel Lake is on both sides of the road. There are two colors on the left and right. There are a group of seagulls living on the lake. At the beginning, there is less water in the lake and more people. 10 kilometers long. Because there is no parking area on the road, everyone must pull over when visiting and pay attention to safety.

PSSS: After leaving Xitaijinel Lake, there are two roads to go to the Erboliang Mars base. One is the Mars No. 1 highway. The whole journey is full of Martian landforms, dirt roads, uneven roads, pits and bumps. The whole journey 82 kilometers, it takes 2 hours, and it feels like a sci-fi movie on Mars roaming along the way; the other is to continue on G315, most of the asphalt road plus a small amount of dirt road, the whole journey is 277 kilometers, it takes 4 hours, I recommend you choose the former, The scenery is good and it saves time, but you must fill up the gas at the gas station at Xitaijinel Lake, and replenish the food and water sources.

PSSSS: When going to Eboliang, do not enter "Eboliang" in the Baidu navigation address, it will lead you to the wrong place, enter "Mars Base", choose this one in Mangya City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, and it will be in the near future When you arrive, you can see the Erbo Liang Yadan Group on the right.

PSSSSS: Yadan in Erboliang is the most unmissable point in the entire Northwest Ring Road. Tickets are not charged at present, but accommodation is a big problem. If you go in during the day and come out in the evening, you can choose to live in Lenghu Town. There is a hotel here There are many, and the housing price is low, but the scenery during the day is really not as good as in the evening. If you want to watch the sunset and the starry sky, you can only choose to live in the Mars base in Erboliang, or spend the night in the car, because after dark, the view is limited, and it is basically impossible to drive the car from the Erboliang If you drive out, if you try to take the risk, it is easy to get lost, and there is a high probability of getting stuck in the car. If you live in the Mars base, there are two options here. The indoor single-person capsule room costs 800 yuan per person in the off-season, and the outdoor tent costs 400 yuan for two people a night. You can also bring your own tent for camping, which costs 100 yuan. /top.

The biological clock wakes me up at 6 o'clock every day. I get up from the container resolutely. I will never let down the beautiful scenery and the early morning. When I come to the lake, the Yadan on the water last night can be seen more clearly at this moment. This piece of Yardang also belongs to the Great Salt Lake of Dongtai Jinel. At the earliest time, the two lakes of Dongtai and Xitai belonged to the same lake. Tens of thousands of years ago, due to the retreat of the lake, they separated into two independent water systems. Now the supply of these two water systems depends on Snow mountains melt water.

Although it was born by the same mother, the salt content of Jinel Lake in Dongtai is only one-third of that in West Taijinel, so there are fishermen raising fish and crabs here. For a southerner, such a scene is still It seems very novel, and I am also very curious about how the crabs here are different from those in Yangcheng Lake.

Try to shoot from a high angle. Under the lens of the drone, in a light blue lake, Yadan in various poses stands in the water, reflecting beautiful reflections on the water. The water color is warm and moist like jade, and Yadan is beautiful and colorful. This strange natural landscape comes from the meticulous carving of nature, which makes people marvel at the magical creation and alienation magic of nature.

Most of the Yardang landforms that have been discovered in the world exist in extremely arid areas, so this water Yardang is so rare, and it is the only place in the world

The same principle as the land Yadan, the water Yadan is also a magnificent landscape formed by the lake water in the long-term desert and Gobi weathering conditions. Only after the Yadan style was formed, due to the crustal movement of the Qaidam Basin, the lake water from Qinghai Lake and other places flowed into the Yadan territory through the ground, forming the magnificent water Yadan landscape that we see before our eyes. .

In order to compare whether there is any difference between the fisherman's wharf we live in and the scenic spot, I went to the gate of the scenic spot to fly a no-man's land, and found that there is really no difference. But for tourists without drones, I still recommend that you go to the scenic spot. There are sightseeing cars here that can take you around from multiple angles and take more conscious group photos.

The Dongtai Jinel I saw yesterday evening was not satisfactory, far from being as beautiful as the legend said, so we turned back to Dongtai again after watching the sunrise today, wanting to see her beauty again

What is China’s Maldives, what is the real Tiffany blue, like Chaka Salt Lake, Dongtai Jiner Lake has also been hated by many netizens. Everyone says Dongtai Jiner Lake is beautiful, and I have high expectations , but all the memories about Jinel Lake in Dongtai include the emerald green mint water, and only the smile of a pure Tibetan girl. It may be that the Emerald Lake yesterday was too amazing. In contrast, Dongtai is a bit eclipsed. But if you make a list of China's lakes for a unified comparison, Dongtai is still TOP10, and you don't need to climb the mountain, it can be reached so easily by car.

Jinaier Lake District in Dongtai is located in the hinterland of the Qaidam Basin. The lake water comes from the Kunlun Mountains Hetuo Banri Snow Mountain and Buka Daban Snow Mountain. The color of the lake is different from the salt lakes I have seen before. Green, the shore is covered with white crystals, which can be regarded as beautiful.
I thought this was the end of the scenery of Dongtai. I didn’t expect to see a Tibetan girl in a red dress while walking on the shore. She turned her head and smiled at me. I raised the camera, and she lowered her head shyly to fiddle with the lake. The innocent smile that day and this salt lake have become my best memories.

In fact, traveling in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai is to witness all kinds of natural blues. It is really understandable to say that Dongtai Jinel Lake is the Maldives of China, because such mint water is really hard to find except in Sanya. Now, suddenly in the inland Qinghai, you can see such a beautiful scenery that does not charge tickets. Of course, everyone will be pleasantly surprised and excited.

In fact, it is relatively friendly to people without drones, because Dongtai is too big, and the water by the lake is not abundant, and it will look better with a low viewing angle.

If it is the rainy season with plenty of water, Dongtai should be more beautiful. At that time, the endless blue lake is definitely a blue that you will never see in the city. It is a mysterious salt lake that only belongs to nature. When you stop in front of the clear blue lake , time seems to stop flowing in an instant, and the quiet lake water makes people's thoughts soar, which is a kind of inner peace that belongs to nature.

Not far from Dongtai Jinel Lake is Xitai Jinel Lake. The two lakes that were originally connected tens of thousands of years ago have now separated. Unlike the pure emerald color of Dongtai, Xitai is colorful. This large salt lake has an area of ​​110 square meters. square kilometers, containing more than 36 million tons of potassium fertilizer, which is the best resource condition among all salt lakes in the country. At present, there are factories around the lake, and the production scale is being increased. It is estimated that in 2025, it will contract 80% of China's salt lakes. Potassium fertilizer output, that is to say, 80% of the K element supply of the vegetables and fruits on our table comes from the West Taiwan.

The salt bridge in front of us across Xitai Jiner is part of the national highway G315. The roadbed is paved with crystalline salt and has a large carrying capacity. Cars and trucks can run on it.

When in the center of the lake, looking from a high altitude, you can clearly see that there are two distinct colors on the left and right sides. This is caused by the inconsistent evaporation on both sides, which leads to the inconsistent salt content of the lake water.

The Shuangse Highway of Xitaijinel Lake is about ten kilometers long. There is no special parking area along the way, and there are many large trucks in the chemical plant. Everyone must pay attention to safety when visiting. The first section of the lake is less watery and crowded. There are still more, and you can quickly pass to the lake center area with better colors.

The Yadans along the coast are getting higher and higher, and their shapes are becoming more and more strange. Some are like tables, and some protrude like roofs, leaving a dark shadow on the ground. Sometimes they are like towers, walls, and ancient buildings. The houses and castles seem to tell people that this is the ruins of a town. Sometimes it looks like a crouching lion, a reclining dragon, a sleeping dog and some incredible monsters, like a fairy tale world. There were no trees here, and the land was marked with the marks of death here and there in light gray and rose. We entered a beautiful and strange wilderness, full of fascination.

---- "Eight Years in the Heartland of Asia" Sven Hedin

When I read the book "Eight Years in the Heart of Asia" by Sven Hedin, I became very interested in Erboliang. I was a little bit emotional. Not long after I came out of Xitaijinel Lake, I saw a road sign to Erboliang. The road marker next to it said Mars No. 1 Highway. Well, what we are about to enter is the most similar road in the world. A place on Mars - the Qaidam Yadan landform group.

This road is uninhabited, there is no supply, and there is no mobile phone signal, so everyone must fill up the gas at the gas station in Xitai, set up the navigation, buy food for the day, and prepare at least one spare tire and replacement tools in the car .
The road conditions are bumpy all the way, the driver needs to slow down, otherwise the buttocks will suffer a lot, and the tires are also at risk of blowing out. If you don’t have much outdoor experience, you must follow the ruts on the road and don’t just drive into the loose soil and cause a sinking At that time, there is no way to go to the village or back to the store, and the towing fee will be very high.
If you encounter an emergency on the road, don’t panic. Although there is no mobile phone signal, you can still call 110 for help. The people’s police will always be our solid backing.

This road is called the Mars Highway for no reason. The landform here is highly consistent with the photos and videos of Mars sent back by NASA's Curiosity rover. If you have no hope of traveling to Mars in this life, then come to Erboliang Bar.

The washboard road along the way, bumps up and down all the way, makes my brain hurt so much that I can't think. Sometimes the wheel marks are too messy, and I have to climb up the mountain to confirm whether the direction of the wheel marks is correct. This trip to Mars is full of It means taking risks, but we will never give up. We must go to the Mars base and the core of the Russian Boliang.

Although the body suffers, but the heart is still firm, and the desire for Erboliang is still strong. I would like to thank Xiaolan for her excellent performance all the way. Such difficult road conditions can be easily overcome, giving us the courage to go forward and challenge Mars, so in the Northwest car rental must not be greedy for cheap. If the car is not in good condition or the car rental company does not maintain it properly, or the car breaks down in the wilderness, it will not only delay the trip, but also bear a large amount of extra expenses.

Just like this, when we finally saw the Mars base, the two of us were almost moved to tears. It really seemed that we participated in a difficult Mars rally and finally found the finish line

When I saw the Mars base for the first time, I was really shocked. The yellow sand is long, and there is only such a building within a hundred miles. It is still a space station full of technology. How can I not like it! To be honest, every boy has an aerospace dream in his heart, thinking of going to the moon and exploring Mars, and this place is here for us

Because the size and geology are similar to the structure of the earth, humans have long planned to emigrate to Mars. The distance between the two planets is not too far, and the degree of sunlight they receive is similar. However, due to the lack of a thick atmosphere like the earth as a "protective umbrella" "The climatic conditions on Mars are much harsher than those on Earth. Overall, Mars is cooler than Earth. In the area near the equator, the daytime temperature can reach above 20°C, but the temperature difference between day and night on Mars is huge, and the nighttime temperature will drop to -50°C or even lower. Such conditions are too harsh for life.

Since all the materials need to be brought in from the outside, coupled with this monopolistic business model, it is expensive to stay inside the Mars base for one night, 800 per person in the off-season, and our August peak season price It is even as high as 1300 per person, so we had to settle for the next best thing and choose to live in a nearby tent, 400 yuan per tent, which can accommodate two people, Ken said with a smile, we are not official astronauts of the Mars base, Mostly temporary workers.

After finding a place to stay for tonight, we have to hurry up and go to Erboliang at sunset

After driving along this road, I saw a Mars Civilization Convention at the entrance, and all the place names also used the same place names on Mars. It seems that after the official development of this Russian Boliang, it may really be renamed the Mars Exploration Base.

The sun is getting more and more westward, and Erboliang is also looking better. In order to be able to return to the Mars base smoothly after taking pictures of the stars, Ken and I marked all the intersections and places along the way.

I have never liked to take photos, and I also took a photo of myself in Erboliang. Sometimes I want to be a geological explorer, but I just like the desolate and peaceful atmosphere of being in a no-man's land.

Driving in Erboliang is a matter of boldness and carefulness. Don’t rush down when you see a downhill. You must check whether the roadbed is solid and whether you can pass it smoothly. Never touch the place without ruts. It is to protect the environment. It is also to protect yourself.

The more you walk in, the more you feel like walking into a huge ecstasy array, densely packed Yadans of different shapes surround you intricately, giving you a sense of incomparable insignificance. There are no people here, but there is the most mysterious Yadan group. It has been carved for tens of millions of years to create this magnificent and breathtaking spectacle.

The lens of our drone overlooks the entire landform of Erboliang at sunset from the commanding heights, as if witnessing a vast sunset on another planet outside the earth. I couldn't help but keep pressing the shutter, truly recording the immortal scene in front of me. The small hills in the distance have different shapes and are strictly kept parallel due to wind erosion.

Sometimes the roadbed is very soft, and the accelerator needs to be increased for a small slope, but the feeling of pushing back like this is very handsome, and every time the angle is changed, the appearance of Erboliang will also change.

In fact, sometimes it is very monotonous to take a single shot of the scenery, but having a car here will give you a more sense of travel, so we used Xiaolan as a tool to embellish the scenery along the way.

As it gets deeper and deeper, the development of Yadan becomes more and more mature. It is no longer a certain type of Yadan, but a variety of Yadan types coexist. Pyramid Qiu Yadan, beacon-shaped Yadan... dizzying

Going deep to a certain point, the ridge-shaped Yadan reappeared, but the groove between the Yadan and the Yadan was not the saline-alkali mud crust seen before, but a piece of sandy land, the ground was completely deserted, and the Yadan The group seemed to be floating on a sea of ​​sand, and we dared not move on.

This is all that Erboliang can bring us. Although there are Yadan along the way, the changes of Yadan are so diverse and the layers are so rich, which is rare in the world. It can be said that this is the most magnificent Yadan landscape corridor in the Qaidam Basin. Even if it is difficult, it is recommended that friends who have time must visit this place in person and feel this rare touch.

After sunset, the good show of Erboliang was not over yet. We parked the car beside the main road and walked all the way to the depths of Yadan, waiting for the brilliant starry sky to be staged

Erbo Liang Yadan stretches for hundreds of miles, and the long wind blows by the ears at night, which further shows its mystery, roughness, vastness and isolation. No matter how wanton the northwest wind is, it still stands calmly and calmly in the vast desert, showing the vicissitudes of nature to people passing by.

The starry sky is the best decoration for the scenery at this moment. When I came to Erboliang last time, I was looking forward to being alone with it, and this time it finally came true.

Saying goodbye to Erboliang, we returned to the Mars base with memory and offline navigation, escaped from the reinforced concrete of the city, and ran all the way in the purest wilderness. Between the sky and the earth, there is only a brilliant galaxy. The carefree and free and easy after drinking.

On the sixth day, Erboliang--Aksay--Dunhuang

??Date: DAY6, August 25th
??Itinerary: Russian Boliang -- Akesai -- Dunhuang
??Playing items: Dangjin Mountain, Aksay Desert Highway, Dunhuang Yangguan, Mingsha Mountain
??Geographical indications today: Altun Mountains, Qilian Mountains, Taklamakan Desert, West Lake Wetland
??Accommodation: Dunhuang Villa
?? Brief description of the itinerary: Come out from Erboliang in the morning, have breakfast in Lenghu Town and refuel, then climb over Dangjin Mountain and arrive in Gansu. We are greeted by the eastern foot of the Taklamakan Desert. After crossing the desert road to Dunhuang , visit Yangguan and Mingsha Mountain Scenic Spots.

PS: As a traditional tourist city, Dunhuang has many attractions. You may not know how to choose them, but when you arrive in Dunhuang, you must focus on the theme of this desert border city, so the following attractions are recommended:

?? "Mogao Grottoes" is definitely a must-see. Tickets here are priced at two prices in low and peak seasons. Peak season: April 1-November 30, business hours 08:00-18:00; off-season: December 1 - On March 31, the business hours are 09:00-17:30. The following are the ticket prices and visit contents.

Mogao Grottoes implements a real-name ticket purchase system and a real-name ticket inspection admission system. You can follow the WeChat official account of "Mogao Grottoes Visit Reservation Network" and click the "Reservation Tickets" menu to log in to the WeChat official website to purchase A and B categories within 30 days. Visit tickets.

?? "Mingsha Mountain/Crescent Lake": This is also a must-check-in place in Dunhuang. Tickets are 120 yuan. The desert at sunset is beautiful. Try not to go there when it is too hot during the day. After face recognition at the door, it can be repeated within 48 hours Enter.
?? "Yangguan Scenic Spot": Tickets are 50 yuan. Those who like Dunhuang border town culture can go there. It is 60KM away from the urban area. If you come from Qinghai, you can visit it along the way.
?? "Dunhuang Museum": Tickets are free. If you feel that it is too regretful not to take a photo with Mogao Grottoes, then the simulated cave here will provide you with such an opportunity. It is only 3km away from the Crescent Spring Scenic Area, and you can visit together.
?? "Dunhuang Ancient City": Tickets are 40 yuan. This is a newly built film and television base. We are more familiar with "Detective Di Renjie" and other movies that have been filmed here. Here you can provide the service of pretending to be a star. A group of people pretend to shoot around you There will be a DV for movies in the end. In addition, because there are many sets, girls can also take pictures of the desert style here, which perfectly fits the feeling of Dunhuang.

Last night, I was really shocked by the volcanic landforms of Erboliang. I still couldn’t get enough of it when I woke up in the morning, but the road is ahead, and Dunhuang is not far away. I can only abandon the scenery behind me and bring my longing for the Hexi Corridor. and hit the road.
This is the last flat road before leaving the Qaidam Basin, with huge white windmills on both sides, and the Dangjin Pass where the Qilian Mountains and the Altyn Mountains meet is just ahead.

When the car left Qinghai and arrived at Dangjin Pass, the altitude was already 3,600 meters, the air became thinner, and Ken fell into anxiety about altitude sickness again. I hurriedly turned on the music to distract him. Jinshan is located at the intersection of the Qilian Mountains running from east to west and the Altun Mountains running from north to south. It spreads out to the south of Subei, with steep mountains and sparse vegetation.

After driving the straight national road for four days, when I suddenly came to the mountain road, there was a sense of novelty bursting out.

After passing through the no-man's land, we finally met a mountain herdsman at Dangjin Pass, who was riding a horse and driving sheep along the ridge. Seeing this scene, Ken, who had been stunned just now, suddenly came back to life. I came over, took the camera and chased after it. I stayed in the no-man's land for 2 days. Now I saw the local residents, and I had to record this node.

We met a lot of herdsmen in Qinghai and Gansu provinces during our ten-day journey. Everyone is really friendly. As long as we respect them, they will respect us. We can also experience more contact with local people during the journey. It will make the journey more memorable, just like the white sugar added to the bowl of yogurt in Qinghai Lake, it will make the taste more mellow.

When we got off the Dangjin Pass, the altitude suddenly dropped to 1200 meters. In August, the summer heat wave came again, and the temperature soared to 37 degrees. We hurriedly changed into summer clothes. We really missed the past few days in Qaidam The coolness of the basin, when we left the city of Aksai, we were greeted by the largest desert in China - Taklamakan, at this time we were on the edge of its eastern foot.

Crossing the Taklimakan Desert will experience more than ten kilometers of desert roads. There are continuous sand dunes on both sides. Driving is very technical, and the start must follow the principle of "starting first, but not second". If the first start is not successful, don't forcefully continue to try the second time, because if you forcefully continue, the tires will be very easy to "dig holes". At this time, people need to get out of the car and check to see if they need to reverse the car, or dig a little bit of sand that blocks the tires and continue to start. Don't scratch the sand with the accelerator on the spot, it will only sink deeper and deeper.

The end of this desert road is Dunhuang, which we are looking forward to day and night.

Dunhuang is a beautiful rhetoric, so beautiful that people can only read its sound, but cannot understand its meaning;
Dunhuang is a happy place, even gods and Buddhas make their homes here;
I can’t remember how many times I came to Dunhuang. This empty and desolate land is too lonely, too thick, and too heavy. How many stories of gold and iron horses have been buried in it, how many dead bones in search of faith, and how many camel bells of caravans have been buried?

Leaving the eastern edge of Taklamakan, we continue westward. This is the West Lake wetland that gave birth to the city of Dunhuang, and it is also an important force that prevents the desert from moving eastward.

The wetlands are bred with abundant aquatic plants, and even in winter, they are still full of vitality. Large flocks of lambs outline the beauty of the Saishang Grassland. What supports all the ecology in front of you is the intricate underground water system of the Taklamakan Desert.

It can not only raise livestock, but also station troops. In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu stationed heavy troops here in order to reject the Xiongnu, and built Hecang City on the banks of the Shule River to accumulate military supplies. The remains still remain.

Not far from Hecang City, Yangguan and Yumenguan are located at the corners. The two are offensive and defensive to each other, guarding the entire Hexi Corridor. War and marriage became the main theme.

Over the years, the Central Plains people, Huns, Persians, Loulan people, Dawan people, Turkic people and Junggar people,
They hurried along the long historical road from Hanwu to Tang Dynasty, witnessing the prosperity of one era after another and the decline of one dynasty after another.
Killings and wars have repeatedly invaded this land, and countless chapters are scattered in the unpredictable desert.

From Yangguan to Mingsha Mountain, the setting sun dyed the desert a light yellow color. At this time, the desert began to look better. The sun was not so hot, and the breeze blew past, and everything in front of me became pleasing to the eye.

At the foot of Mingsha Mountain, there is a hotel that feels like a border town called Dunhuang Villa. It is very big and bold, and it fits the desert very well. In the off-season, a room costs more than 600 yuan. There are many beautiful camera angles to live in, which is more worthwhile.

Very atmospheric and beautiful Dunhuang villa, the interior is like a palace

If you want to be economical, you can live in the Crescent Lake town next door. There are more than 100 rooms in one room, and it is clean and comfortable to live in. Another advantage is that there are many Northwest delicacies gathered here.

There is a food street in the small town of Crescent Moon Spring. On this food street, the banner of Dawan camel meat is particularly clear.
Camel meat is usually hard to find. Originally, there are few camels, and there are even fewer chefs who want to cook it deliciously. However, there happens to be one in Crescent Lake Town.

Eating camel meat has a long history in ancient China. It was Zhang Qian who brought the camel from Dawan back to Dahan. The roads are smoother, and it has become easy to eat camel meat in Chang'an City, and camel humps are a rare delicacy.
Cen Shen mentioned eating camel meat in "Jiuquan Prefect Drunk at the Banquet", "burning camel humps and cooking wild snakes, and drinking fine wine to return to Poluo".
Duan Chengshi's Miscellaneous Notes of the Tang Dynasty "Youyang Zazu" also mentioned that "General Qu Lianghan can burn the hump of a donkey's mane".

There are many ways to make camel meat in the store, and he hesitated for a while, but the boss is a straightforward person. There happened to be two girls next to him who were also worried about this, so they simply put together a table, and then the portions and prices of the dishes were halved. If there are more varieties, the price of this camel banquet will rise.
This is braised camel meat. The meat taste is similar to that of beef, but the muscle fiber is much more tender, and it tastes softer. It does not have the burning feeling of beef chunks, but it is also very tasty.

This is braised camel meat, which uses camel hind legs, and it is a perfect match with chili oil

My favorite is this secret camel meat strip. It is sweet and spicy with a delicious taste. The layering is very good. The meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, which perfectly meets my expectations

The staple food is camel meat pilaf, which is completely made in the Western Regions, and it is very authentic. I ate two bowls in one go.

Dunhuang has a high latitude, and the sunset doesn’t come until 8 o’clock in the evening. After eating, it’s past 6 o’clock, and you can walk to the desert slowly. I’m really glad that I live on the edge of the desert, which allows me to go to the desert to look at the stars. Worried about not being able to go home.

The undulating sand dunes are like golden waves, and the soft lines make it have an extraordinary charm, magnificent and gentle, desolate and majestic.

Continue to walk in, and you will see the endless sand dunes lying in front of your eyes like solidified waves. Under the blue sky, the vast desert is as vast as the ocean.
When the wind blows in the desert, the sand grains under your feet start to flow, and the moving sand flow is like the tide of the sea, very rhythmic. After the wind stops, you will find that rich textures are formed on the surface of the dunes, which are the traces of the wind.

There is still 2km from the entrance to the Crescent Spring. You can choose to walk or use a battery car, but the best choice is to ride a camel. This is the new style in the Western Regions.

Shooting in Mingsha Mountain, because deserts, hills and other scenery have relatively average reflectance and close tones, if the lighting is not particular, the resulting pictures will be very flat and lack changes.
In order to avoid this phenomenon, it is best to choose a side light or backlight angle to shoot at sunrise and sunset. At sunrise and sunset, the light color temperature is low and the color tone is warm, which makes the yellow desert tone more intense, thus making the picture more beautiful. The layers are richer.
The side and backlight angles help to express the contour lines of the characters and the background, forming light and dark undulating tones, and making the photo more three-dimensional.

If you want to shoot a good-looking blockbuster in the desert and surprise your circle of friends, then you have no choice but to come here at sunrise and sunset

The night was getting deeper and deeper, and in the evening, the thousands of tourists were all scattered. The people who stayed in the desert slowly gathered together, and chatted from all over the world. After chatting, I realized that the starry sky had already hung in the sky. into the sky.

The starry sky is beautiful tonight, so I took photos for many people in the desert, including couples on anniversaries, students on a graduation trip, retired grandpas who just bought a camera, and many people whose identities I don’t know. Although I was regarded as an old mage, I am happy, I can use my little skills to help others, and I hope those photos can make their trip a little happier.

The seventh day, Dunhuang - Guazhou - Jiayuguan - Zhangye

??Date: DAY7, August 26
??Itinerary: Dunhuang -- Guazhou -- Jiayuguan -- Zhangye
??Play items: Dunhuang Ancient City, Dunhuang Museum, Camel City Ruins, Heishui Kingdom Ruins
??Accommodation: Hotel in downtown Zhangye
?? Brief itinerary: In the morning, go to the ancient city of Dunhuang and the Dunhuang Museum to check in, then go to Zhangye along the Hexi Corridor, and visit the two Silk Road sites of Camel City and Heishui Kingdom along the way.

PS: In addition to the well-known Mogao Grottoes, there are also "Yulin Grottoes" and "West Thousand Buddha Caves" in Dunhuang. Both of them are not located in the urban area of ​​Dunhuang, and the distance is relatively far. And the most regrettable thing is No photos are allowed in the grottoes of the three scenic spots. If you want to take a photo with the Mogao Grottoes, the only option is to go to the Dunhuang Museum. There is a one-to-one simulation of the No. 45 Mogao Grottoes, which looks exactly like the actual site. It is exactly the same, and you can take pictures casually. In addition to this simulated cave, there are also 78 Dunhuang posthumous writings unearthed in the Mogao Grottoes, 410 Han bamboo slips, and 1,354 pottery, including 95 first-class cultural relics.

PSS: The Hexi Corridor is an important part of the Silk Road. The most important thing to watch is the ancient ruins along the way, not only the well-known Yangguan and Jiayuguan scenic spots, but also those unknown, but they have long been incorporated into the country. There are many ancient city ruins in key cultural relics protection units, such as Xuanquanzhi, Suoyang City, Camel City, Heishui Kingdom, Tianluo City, Horseshoe Temple, etc. Those who are interested in history can go along the Hexi Corridor to see them one by one. , but if the time is limited, you can choose a key tour. These ancient city ruins all have one thing in common, that is, they do not charge tickets for the time being, open management, and can enter 24 hours a day, but when entering, please be sure to take care of cultural relics, and never carve and scribble, because these are Chinese culture that cannot be copied treasure.

PSSS: Regarding our choice, we chose Yangguan and Hecang City in Dunhuang area yesterday, Xuanquanzhi, Camel City and Heishuiguo on the way to Zhangye today, and we will take the most American road G227 to visit tomorrow. Tianluo City and Horseshoe Temple, a total of 7 ruins, full of cultural influence.

The title of the exhibition of Dunhuang history and Silk Road cultural relics is "the city where Huarong meets". There are not many places in China that can be called cities. Today, Dunhuang is definitely not qualified, but in the long history, Dunhuang is indeed qualified. Moreover, the four-character expression of "Hua Rong Renhui" is quite accurate. "Hua" does not need to be explained too much. "Rong" refers to the Yuezhi people, Huns, Turks, Tubo people, Uyghurs, People from Khotan and people from various countries in the Western Regions and Central Asia

The most glorious period of Dunhuang was the most prosperous dynasty on the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, but in other historical periods, Dunhuang was still an important border town

The most eye-catching thing in the entire museum is the simulated cave of No. 45 special cave. The No. 45 special cave was excavated in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. There are 7 painted sculptures, 4 murals and thousands of Buddhas on the top of the cave. One shop, one Buddha, two disciples, two Bodhisattvas and two heavenly king statues are the most exquisite Tang Dynasty statues in Mogao Grottoes.

The statues in this cave are masterpieces of statues in the Tang Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes, and they are the most realistic group sculptures in Mogao Grottoes.

The Avalokitesvara Sutra painted on the south wall is based on the general gate of Avalokitesvara of the Lotus Sutra. The pictures are rich in plots, vivid in description, ingenious in composition, and exciting. They are all true reflections of the real society and are image materials for studying social life in the Tang Dynasty.

The Guan Wuliang Shou Sutra on the north wall continues the typical triptych composition of the Mogao Grottoes in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The picture is complete and colorful, which is not easy.

I stayed at Dunhuang Villa last night, and the TV was broadcasting the restored high-definition version of "New Dragon Inn". Those familiar faces were still there, and it was still the retro and poetic martial arts world in the lonely smoke of the desert, and the border town full of yellow sand. , the melodious and desolate sound of Qiang flute is like a paradise for men's pride.
The charming gold inlaid with jade, the tender and introverted Qiu Moyan, the energetic Zhou Huai'an, and the border town inn that will always stay in the desert.

I feel like my heart is about to burst, and I want to find such a place in Dunhuang, but I didn't expect that there are people who have the same idea as me.
This place is called the ancient city of Dunhuang.

The ancient city of Dunhuang is a film and television base artificially built in the later stage. Movies such as "Detective Di Renjie", which we are more familiar with, were filmed here. Here you can even provide the service of pretending to be a star. DV, in addition, because there are many sets, girls can also take photos of the desert style here, which perfectly fits the feeling of "New Dragon Inn".

Clothes and props can be rented on site, 50 a set. If you are not confident to take a good photo yourself, you can also hire a photographer in the store. It is not expensive, and a set is only 100.

Because they are all set for movies, so the filming is still very cinematic. Girls who love beauty, please don’t miss it. This is the feeling of the desert border town you want.

The wind of the desert is chasing the historical changes in the Hexi Corridor, from Zhang Qian’s journey to the Western Regions, Huo Qubing’s two fierce battles in the Hexi Corridor, to Emperor Han Xuan’s establishment of the Protectorate of the Western Regions; It is difficult to learn from Nalanda; from the establishment of the four towns of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty, the newly built Tang Yumen Pass and the opening of the Silk Road branch of the Tianshan North Road, to the Song Dynasty and its failure to manage the Northwest Silk Road, the country was doomed to perish. Everything about the Hexi Corridor has been engraved in my heart.
And the "Old Cities" buried deep in quicksand are the only witnesses of these historical events. With them, I can see the magnificent history of Hexi.
Thousands of years later, people should sit down calmly and listen to each ancient city tell the stories they cherish in their hearts. Those people and things that have gone away are not our past.

After leaving Dunhuang, the car drove straight to the southeast. At the end of summer, everything is bleak, Qilian Mountain looks more lonely and handsome, and the Hexi Corridor is hidden under the vast blue sky, presenting a desolate scene. Bathed in the soft sunshine, go westward in the lonely desert; look at the mottled Great Wall of Han Dynasty, and pursue the melodious camel bells of the ancient Silk Road. This road is the "Silk Road" that connects Chinese and Western civilizations.

There are many relics on this road, and Xuanquanzhi is one of them. The relics are located in the Gobi desert 1.5 kilometers south of Tianshui Jingdaoban on Andun Highway. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, it was a major reception and transfer station for personnel and mail between Anxi and Dunhuang. It is 56 kilometers east to Guazhou and 64 kilometers west to Dunhuang. It is the earliest post post site discovered in my country so far.

The Xuanquanzhi site is a small square castle with a gate facing east, surrounded by tall courtyard walls with a side length of 50 meters, and a turret protruding from the dock in the southwest corner.

This Han Dynasty site was discovered in 1987. Since 1990, cultural relics and archaeologists have carried out a two-year excavation work on it. More than 35,000 bamboo slips have been found in the site, and there are more than 23,000 with characters. The number is astonishing. First, most of the bamboo slips are collected in the Dunhuang Museum we visited in the morning.

Soon after passing Xuanquan, I went to Guazhou. Because it is rich in honeydew melons, it was called Guazhou in the Spring and Autumn Period. In the later Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi defeated more than 3,000 people of Galdan's subordinates in Bulongji, Anxi, and renamed it. "Anxi" means "stabilization of the Western Regions", which entrusted the hope of calming down the chaos in the Western Regions. It has been used until 2006, and now the name of Guazhou has been restored.
Passing by the Guazhou service area, you can take a break inside and buy a few boxes of cut melons to enjoy on the road. The price is really cheap, 2 yuan a catty, 10 yuan to buy a big box, the taste is very good.

After passing through Guazhou, we did not go to the newly renovated Jiayuguan because of time. It is a place that everyone is familiar with, and we want to introduce you to some unpopular and fun places that do not charge tickets, so we put the next destination Arranged for the camel city with a history of two thousand years.

Back in time and space, there used to be a post-horse galloping on this ancient road, whipping the setting sun;
We used to communicate with each other on business trips;
There used to be frequent wars and dynasties changing;
In the past, forests were luxuriant and food was plentiful, and domestic animals were prosperous.
Vicissitudes and prosperity, loneliness and hustle and bustle, the past of history is like a cloud of smoke, leaving only fragments of memories that have gone away.

Camel City used to be the ancient capital of Beiliang and an important town in the Tang Dynasty. When you drive the car under the city wall, the history of more than two thousand years suddenly rushes forward, with bursts of enthusiasm and a little desolation. Although the ancient city has experienced several historical ups and downs, and now there are only broken walls and ruins standing impressively, the extraordinary prosperity of that year can be judged from the generous city walls and grand scenes.

If you have to find the most wonderful memory among the many ruins in the Hexi Corridor, it must be the Camel City in front of you. It became an ideal place for people in the Central Plains to avoid chaos during the Qianliang period, and enjoyed the reputation of "the country of toasts".
In 385 A.D., a camel team consisting of 20,000 camels was stationed in the city, and it formed an indissoluble bond with camels. Later, Lu Guang, the owner of the camel team, established Houliang in Hexi; Duan Ye, a scholar, was instigated by the general Juqu Mengxun and raised his banner to rebel in 397 AD. As the birthplace of the Beiliang regime, Camel City officially entered the stage of history and became what people call the "Old Capital of Beiliang". In 400 A.D., together with the other five Hexi counties, Li Hao, the prefect of Dunhuang in Northern Liang, was elected as the champion general and founded Xiliang.

But memory can only appear in memory after all, whether it is a king or a loser, it is only a page in the book. Only the painted portrait bricks unearthed from Wei and Jin mural brick chamber tombs around Camel City are left, so that future generations can touch this period of history.
If you want to see the unearthed painted mural bricks, you can go to the "Gansu Provincial Museum". The mural bricks panoramically reflect the oasis farming, Xisai herding, transportation, singing and dancing feasts, ancient myths and other aspects during the Han and Tang Dynasties. The social life is a vivid history of the development of Hexi.

Seeing the broken walls and ruins, the prosperity of the past has long passed away. The wind and sand razed the prosperity to the ground, and the dry grass, sand and stones and ruined walls became the masters here. Deep in history.

"The old man is no longer there, but the old city is still there." Maybe this is the reason for the sadness of Camel City.

The Heishui Kingdom ruins are the closest to Zhangye, but it is quite difficult to find them. We searched back and forth on National Highway 312 in Mingyong Township, Ganzhou District. When we were about to give up, we suddenly saw the words "Heishuiguo Site" written on the construction site on the right. We drove straight along the small path, and finally saw what we were thinking about. old city.

The ruins are divided into two places from near to far, and there are remains of villages nearby. Following the fine sand, I gently stepped onto the city wall, fearing that I would disturb the sleeping Heishui Kingdom. Compared with the preservation of the previous ruins, there are only vague figures outlined by the dilapidated city walls in Heishui Kingdom, most of which are weathered and buried in yellow sand, and the planning of the city can no longer be seen clearly. I am glad that I came here at such a time, there are no tourists, and under the blue sky and white clouds, only we and the hometown of Blackwater are staring at each other.

As far as the eye can see, it is just like the general who guarded the city back then. Heishui country is connected to Zhangye in the east; Jiuquan in the west; along the Heihe River, it goes north to Juyanhai and enters the Inner Mongolia Plateau; it crosses the Qilian Mountains in the south and enters the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Heishui Kingdom is in such a key position, not only a link on the east-west passage of the Hexi Corridor, but also an important border town to ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road.

In 121 BC, the second year of Yuanshou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhangye County was established, taking the meaning of "Zhang Guo's arm is tucked in to communicate with the Western Regions". Afterwards, large-scale relocation of people began, garrisons were stationed in the fields, and agricultural production was developed, which promoted the prosperity of economic and cultural communications between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.
Local people call it "Old Ganzhou" or "Black Water Country". But even after searching through the historical books, there is still no record about the "Black Water Country".

There are three theories about the name of Heishui Country. One is that it got its name because of the change of local dialect. The ancient city of Heishui Country is located on a large river beach in Heihe River. Due to the low-lying terrain, there is a lot of stagnant water. The local people called this area "Heishui Nest", and after a long time, it was called "Heishui Country" by false rumors.
The second is named after "Black Hungarian". Legend has it that the Heishui Kingdom was built by the Huns. Because the Huns had dark skin, foreigners called them "Black Huns" and called the city they built "Heishui Kingdom".
The third is named after the Heihe River. The Heihe River originates from the Qilian Mountains and is the largest river in the Hexi Corridor. It is named after the black sand carried by it when it floods. The area around Heishuiguo used to be an endless swamp lake. As the lake gradually dried up, a flat plain with abundant water and grass was formed. Because it is close to Heishui River, it is named Heishui Country.
Personally, I am more inclined to the third statement.

Heishuiguo, the ancient city named in the name of water, is so classic even though it has been mottled and decadent, although the yellow sand of the years has long covered her face, although the dust of history has deprived her of prosperity, along the endless flow of memory , you can still see the seasons living in it, the river squirming under your feet, you can still feel the fatigue and happiness in the depths of the countryside shaded by green trees, and you can still feel the ancient wind greeting the vast world far away

The ruins of the ruins of Heishuiguo lengthened its desolate back, and also lengthened my strands of thoughts. Those incomplete piers, walls, and fragments of bricks and tiles all over the ground used to be palace walls and high courtyards, which are magnificent. The past has passed for thousands of years, and the prosperity has long been a thing of the past, and it has turned into a rich imagination in my mind, ethereal poetry, lingering emotions, swaying flowers and algae, and Zhuo Ling's vast ink. Floating freely in the vast world.

The remaining rammed earth shows that there used to be very high-standard buildings here. The outline of the temple building can still be seen now, and the pagoda is located in the middle of the west end of the temple. This is a covered bowl stupa, which is composed of a rammed base and adobe body. Coins of the Song Dynasty and 8 pieces of iron container rims were unearthed in the body of the tower, one of which has an ancient Mongolian inscription on it. .

"Historical Records Dawan Biography" records that after most of the Yuezhi people moved westward, "the rest of the minorities who could not go, Baonanshan Qiang, named Xiaoyuezhi".
The Duke of Guishuang, who moved westward, founded the Kingdom of Guishuang, which later became a large country across Central Asia and the northwest of the Indian Peninsula. Buddhism, which prevailed in Chinese history, was first passed down by the Kingdom of Guishuang of the Great Yueshi in the Eastern Han Dynasty. entered.
Xiao Yueshi belonged to the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty also transferred the Yuezhi people to fight in the Western Regions.

The battle that took place at the foot of Yanzhi Mountain in the Hexi Corridor was an epoch-making battle in Chinese history, which is recorded in detail in history books. King Zhelan was killed, King Luhou was beheaded, and the captain and Xiangguo of King Hunxie were captured. From then on, the city of Zhangye came into being.
The greatest achievement of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in his life was to completely change the offensive and defensive relationship between the Central Plains and the Huns. "Anyone who offends me will be punished even if he is far away!" This resounding sentence that penetrates history and the spirit of the great man floating in the sky of China originated here.

Zhangye, a city in the northwest, has the blue sky and white cloud Longshou Mountain in the north, the snow-capped Qilian Mountains in the south, and the corridor plain formed by the impact of the Heihe River in the middle. The center of the plain is the largest existing Drum Tower in the Hexi Corridor - Zhenyuan Tower.
It was first built in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, and it has been standing in the center of Zhangye for hundreds of years. Watching people come and go, personnel changes, it still guards the world. Let the world change, it stands resolutely, let the world focus on it and forget it.

After watching the Drum Tower, we didn’t have a serious meal all day. We were so hungry that we came to the most famous Ganzhou Night Market in Zhangye. On this Hexi Corridor, there is never a shortage of lively night markets. Zhangye Ganzhou Market, Jiayuguan Fuqiang Market, Dunhuang Sandbank Market. Walking along the ancient Silk Road and visiting the bustling night market, it seems that you can get a glimpse of the prosperous scene of the year.

The most popular dish in Ganzhou night market is called Chaobala, which is named after the action. It uses cast iron ladles, and the chopped lamb tripe, intestines, hearts, etc. are served with seasonings, chopped green onions, and garlic sprouts. Or coal is used as fuel, stir-fried over high heat, and ready to eat when cooked.

The emerald white lamb tripe, tender green peppers, and fiery red lamb heart make people want to eat at first glance, and then the boss who is in charge of the spoon grabs shredded onions, shredded peppers, garlic sprouts and garlic cloves on it, Then sprinkled red chili noodles like a goddess, the fire became hotter and hotter, the flames spread from under the iron plate, whistling up, lingering, the white lard melted in circles with the heat of the iron plate, Oily mess.

Stir-fried Bala and a can of kiln soda, it is the most delicious meal at midnight in midsummer, sweating profusely. In addition to Fried Bala, Zhangye Night Market also has some local delicacies that you should not miss:

Rubbing fish noodles:
Zhangye's fish rubbing noodles are snacks made of fine soybean flour, shaped like small fish, white or red in color, served with seasonings and side dishes, just like small fish in a bowl. It tastes cool and delicious, which not only satisfies the hunger, but also quenches the thirst. It is an authentic summer snack.

Small meal:
The soup in "Xiaofan" is boiled with chicken broth or beef bone soup, seasoned with pepper and ginger powder, and water starch, which has a certain viscosity. It is served with yellow beef slices, vermicelli, tofu slices, noodles After the noodles are boiled in water, pour the delicious soup stew ingredients. The noodles in the soup are like rice grains with distinct grains. A few slices of chewy beef on top of the stewed soup will instantly increase your appetite. Serve a bowl warmly in the morning, with a strong aroma of pepper, attractive color and fragrance, and make people sweat from the nose. There are strict specifications in terms of materials, production and food matching.

The eighth day, Zhangye - Horseshoe Temple - Qilian Mountains - Lanzhou

??Date: DAY8, August 27
??Itinerary: Zhangye -- Horseshoe Temple -- Qilian Mountains -- Lanzhou
??Playing items: Horseshoe Temple, the most American road G227
??Geographical indication: Qilian Mountains Prairie, Loess High Slope
??Accommodation: Hotel in downtown Lanzhou
Brief description of the itinerary: Depart from Zhangye in the morning, pass through the ruins of Tianluocheng to visit the Horseshoe Temple, and then go to Xining and then to Lanzhou along the most American road G227.

PSS: Zhangye’s scenic spots are distributed as follows. There are Colorful Danxia Scenic Spots and Horseshoe Temple in the suburbs, and there are Dafo Temple and Bell and Drum Towers in the city. Due to time constraints, we can’t visit them one by one. I chose to visit the Horseshoe Temple, which is smaller and more suitable for the culture of the Hexi Corridor.

PSSS: The Horseshoe Temple is very large, and the scenic spots are scattered. After buying the ticket (70 yuan), you can drive in. The more classic ones are the Thousand Buddha Caves and the Thirty-three Days Grottoes in the main scenic spot.

PSSSS: G227, the most American road from Zhangye to Xining, is indeed well-deserved of its reputation. It is so beautiful that it makes people feel relaxed and happy. There are many points worth stopping along the way. It takes about 4 hours to walk all the way to the rape flower field in Menyuan (early July to mid-August). If you have enough time, it is recommended to spend two days on G227, go to the Zhuoer Mountain in the Qilian Mountains or the Shandan Army Horse Farm, stay for one night, and then continue south the next day.

Out of Zhangye City, head towards Minle County in the direction of Qilian Mountain. The scenery of the northwest countryside along the way is also pleasing to the eye. The fields are freshly harvested wheat and lush sorghum. On both sides are the houses of the Yugu people. The scenery gives people a sense of ease and comfort.

Walk along this ancient country road for 40 minutes, and you will come to the ruins of Tianluocheng

Tianluo City has stood on the Hexi Corridor for more than a thousand years. During these long years, Jinchang City, Guazhou City, and Kuyu City have all been its names. Tianluo City prospered in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and was abandoned in the late Ming Dynasty. The well-preserved urban layout, military defense system, and agricultural irrigation and water conservancy system all prove its glory. Tianluo City has been silent for five hundred years, during which a British Hungarian named Stein visited it, laying the foundation for the study of its past.

Now it seems that this is just an inconspicuous small village, located in a remote place, with no geographical advantage at all. But in history, Tianluo City once assumed the role of a frontier fortress, and it is also the channel through which the second largest inland river in China - the Heihe River, dredges to the Juyan Sea.

A city or a small country is also very vulnerable. Birth and death, Jianli was destroyed, and Jian was destroyed. Because of the diversion of the river, Tianluo City gradually disappeared in history.

The Horseshoe Temple Grottoes are the third largest grottoes in the Hexi Corridor after Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes. The grottoes are all suspended on the cliffs. It is conceivable that the precipitousness and the difficulty of digging at that time are also the biggest attraction of the Mashoe Temple.

After buying tickets, drive in from a narrow and winding mountain road, less than one kilometer is the first scenic spot - Thousand Buddha Caves, on the bare stone walls, except for four or five cornices embedded in it, the rest of the caves are placed Among the stone walls, there are innumerable sights, dotted here and there, like sand swallow caves all over the stone walls.

If you walk less than 100 meters, you can pick up the steps and go up, that is, when you are close to the stone wall, look up, and there are stone steps on the left and right sides. Strolling along the corridor on the left, you can see that most of the Buddha statues in the caves are either destroyed, incomplete, or newly built. Only the murals in the cave of the third Buddha, which are relatively clear, resemble the style of the murals in the Mogao Grottoes. In fact, walking on the corridor, looking up and seeing the eroded murals, the densely packed caves on the rock wall, and the faintly numbered temples, the scale is shocking.

The Masti Temple Grottoes have a history of more than 1,600 years since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, going through the Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Song (Western Xia), Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republic of China.

From the Thousand Buddha Caves, we drove several kilometers to find the mysterious Horseshoe Temple. It was so easy to park the car in an open area. Along with the flow of tourists, we walked counterclockwise along a paved path. When we reached a high pass, Fang felt suddenly enlightened. As far as the tourists can see, when they look back suddenly, they can see that there are faint corridors, cornices and caves on the loess-like rock wall.

The Thirty-Three Heavens Grotto carved on the cliff is the highest point of the Mashoe Temple. There are a total of 21 caves on the upper and lower seven floors. They are arranged in the shape of pagodas on the cliff more than 100 meters high. , with great momentum. Standing at the foot of the mountain, I seem to see the monks hanging their bodies in the air with ropes, digging out the cliff niches with their lives and blood. The sound echoing in the valley is a tribute to the Buddha, and it is the heartstring played by the Xitian Paradise.
The countless Buddhist niches on the cliffs have condensed the painstaking efforts and wisdom of many generations. In the long history, how many sages with lofty ideals have interpreted their lives on the cliffs of the Horseshoe Temple and poured them into the grottoes in order to promote Buddhism. They have used their lives to build a unique and beautiful cultural landscape, allowing future generations to trace their footprints and seal them up. Eternal admiration.

To enter the grottoes, you must enter from the entrance of the "Thirty-Three Days Grottoes" and climb two hundred and one stone steps. I started climbing from the bottom and took about twenty minutes to climb to the top. The stone steps are very narrow, and can only accommodate two people walking side by side at most, and one person needs to pass sideways at the narrowest point; the stone steps are very steep, the steepest point is about 70 degrees, and each step is very high (the highest is about Half a meter) need hands and feet to climb to the top. The whole process of climbing has to go through a dark grotto without sunlight, and then turn around 180 degrees on the hanging ladder, do a "kite turn over" and walk through the ladder, and finally arrive at the 33-day grotto.

There are 21 caves in the Thirty-Three Days Grottoes. There are Buddhist halls in the caves and corridors outside the caves. There are as many as forty-nine Buddhist niches in the caves. The Buddha statues are exquisitely carved, colorful and lifelike. .

For the Horseshoe Temple, if it is simply regarded as a Buddhist temple, it is meaningless. In fact, the existence of the Mashoe Temple Grottoes has its special cultural significance. Not only is it also a treasure of grotto art in my country, but it is also the embodiment of Wei and Jin culture in the real society. It can be regarded as a relic of Wei and Jin culture.

Today, when we touch the chisel marks left on the stone wall of the cave again, we can’t help but feel a little bit of emotion and admiration in our hearts. We admire the perseverance and perseverance of the ancients. Compared with our people today, How many people can bear it? Not to mention the super-intensive labor, the mere suffering is unbearable for ordinary people. But it is because of them that these grottoes and Buddha statues have established a landscape that cannot be bypassed as domestic grotto art, and have become a miracle that we admire today!

It is a pity that when the dynasties changed, and later when the northern warlords separated, how many caves and other buildings were destroyed by the war, how many structures and temples suffered heavy losses, and the Buddha statues and murals in the caves were completely destroyed. It is impossible to count, but the most tragic in reality Even the ancient buildings outside the grottoes have basically disappeared.

The Millennium Horseshoe Temple stands quietly at the foot of Qilian Mountain. With the picturesque scenery, like the Ma Lian in the deep mountains, it always exudes an elegant fragrance, allowing travelers who have visited her to sow in the depths of their souls. The indelible flower of memory...

Farewell to the Horseshoe Temple, even if you say goodbye to the Hexi Corridor, I think I can't finish reading and talking about everything about the Hexi Corridor. If I have to tell the reason why I like it, it should be that the Gobi Desert has the freedom I want, and only here can I put my soul.

After coming out of the Horseshoe Temple, we plunged into the Qilian Mountains. The first stop to meet us was Biandukou. This is a peak pass that runs through the north and south of the Qilian Mountains. It is a dangerous pass called "Dadouba Valley" by the ancients. At an altitude of more than 3,500 meters, it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and it is also one of the important passages for merchants to pass.

This 28-kilometer-long Grand Canyon has historically been an important passage for going south to Hehuang and north to Ganliang. .

In midsummer, the Biandukou Grand Canyon is covered with golden wheat waves on one side, and green rapeseed that has just been seeded on the other side. It really feels like "people are swimming in the middle of the painting".

There is a paid scenic spot in Biandukou, but the most beautiful section is not in the scenic spot. Enter "Shandan Army and Horse Field" in the navigation at the gate of the scenic spot, and you can walk two kilometers to reach the magnificent scenery in the picture above. It is as if you are driving. Admiring oil paintings.

Seeing the scenery in front of me, I am even a little envious of the locals in Biandukou.

Cross Biandukou and continue on. The altitude also increases a little bit. The entire Qilian Mountains are covered with blue meadows like oil paintings. This road can take you to Xining in 5 hours. Many people are willing to spend two or three days. Time to enjoy it slowly!

Now I am in the Great Northwest, but it is not so like the Great Northwest. There are clear springs, forests, and golden wheat waves along the way; but it is also in the Great Northwest, with Gobi, desert, and snow-capped snow-capped mountains along the way. The scenery is so beautiful diverse.

About 1 hour from Biandukou, you will enter Qilian Mountain Grassland, one of the six grasslands in China. Every July and August, the Qilian Mountains connected to the grassland are still covered with silver, but the grassland is full of blue waves. Horses, cattle and sheep are dotted among them.

Standing on the grassland, the breeze blows, which will make people feel like returning to the original and dreaming.
It used to be the pasture of Huns, Tubo, Uyghur and other ethnic groups as well as Mongolian King Kuodan Khan. For thousands of years, despite the change of countries and the competition of heroes, the natural scenery here remains the same.

"If I lose Yanzhi Mountain, my married woman will be colorless; if I lose Qilian Mountain, my animals will not rest." If you don't visit the place in person, you really can't understand the desolation and despair in the hearts of the Huns.
In the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to attack the Xiongnu and capture Yanzhi Mountain and Qilian Mountain. The Huns sang this song in sorrow.

Grasslands, white clouds, flocks of cattle and sheep, snow-capped mountains, herdsmen and tents smoking from cooking constitute its beautiful picture scroll. Driving on the road across the prairie, the sky is vast and wild, looking at the herds of cattle and sheep on the mountains and grasslands, the simple scenery has become an enjoyment.

The herdsmen's houses at the foot of the mountain have a beautiful scenery compared to a 5-star resort. If you have enough time, you really want to stay here

The clouds are like strands of silver thread wrapped around the grassland, elegant and leisurely. After the sun comes out, the dense fog will disappear without a trace, and the endless pastures on the grassland will be golden, and the breeze will present a scene of turbulent flowers rolling forward like the tide. The white clouds in the deep blue sky complement each other with the green grassland and the herds of cattle and sheep, which is a unique grassland scenery on the plateau.

Continuing on from the Qilian Mountain grassland, the next stop is Gangshika Snow Peak, but today’s clouds are a bit annoying, covering the snow peak tightly

Gangshika Snow Peak covered by clouds, we don't want to waste time here, the sunset is approaching, we continue to move forward, want to take pictures of today's sunset in the 10,000-acre flower field in Menyuan.

Although we missed the golden light at sunset, and even though the rapeseed flowers in Menyuan have been harvested, the colorful flower fields still gave us a lot of surprises. If we can arrive half an hour earlier, this is a good place to make a big movie. In fact, China's rural areas are not worse than Hokkaido, but they lack packaging and publicity.

After taking the last photo at the Daban Mountain Observation Deck, it was getting dark, and we started our journey honestly, to Lanzhou, there are still more than five hours away, in order to have a bowl of Lanzhou Ramen tomorrow morning, Must fight.

The ninth day, Lanzhou - Yinchuan

??Date: DAY9, August 28
??Itinerary: Lanzhou -- Yinchuan
??Playing items: Zhongshan Bridge, Baita Temple, Lanzhou Ramen, Gansu Provincial Museum
?? Geographical indication: Yellow River
??Accommodation: Hotel in downtown Yinchuan
??Itinerary brief: After eating beef noodles, we visited Zhongshan Bridge, Baita Temple and Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, then departed for Yinchuan (5 hours by car)

PS: The authentic Lanzhou beef noodles are so delicious that it makes people want to cry. Now I am still drooling when I go home and write travel notes, so I can’t miss it when I arrive in Lanzhou. After consulting many friends in Lanzhou, I came up with a few Beef noodle restaurants that will never overturn, you can choose nearby, Qilihe Ma Anjun Spicy Beef Noodles, Beibinhe’s Wumul Beef Noodles, and Beibinhe’s Anbo’er Beef Noodles.

PSS: In my eyes, Lanzhou has two identities. One is the end of the Hexi Corridor, and the other is the Golden City on the Yellow River. Therefore, there are two key points for sightseeing in Lanzhou. One is the key cultural relics of the Hexi Corridor displayed in the Gansu Provincial Museum. One key point is the customs along the Yellow River, and the scenic spots along the Yellow River include Zhongshan Bridge (free), Baita Mountain (free), Yellow River Cableway (45 yuan per person), Yellow River Mother Sculpture (free), Waterwheel Garden (ticket 20 yuan), Sheepskin rafts (80 yuan per person), the latter two are closed due to the rising water this year, and the dry season in autumn and winter may resume.

Beef noodles are not only a local snack, but also a record specimen of Lanzhou's urban culture, a living proof that precipitates historical memories, so whenever someone mentions Lanzhou, even if she owns the Yellow River Iron Bridge, Lanzhou University, "Reader's Digest", Yan Jun, Zhang Weiwei, Ma Bufang, but when all outsiders hear the name of this city, they will still say the same sentence in unison: "Oh, Lanzhou Ramen."

Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants are scattered in every corner of Lanzhou. I have carefully observed that no matter where I go, there must be a beef noodle restaurant within a radius of 100 meters.

There are many choices on the menu of every beef noodle restaurant. My friends in Lanzhou told me that when ordering, you must be calm and calm, and call out very calmly: "One noodle, one meat, and one egg." Inadvertently show that you are a local, because this is the most classic combination in the entire beef noodle family tree, and Lanzhou people affectionately call it-meat and eggs.

After ordering the noodles, take the receipt and go to the ramen master. You will usually be asked about the thickness of the ramen. Many new words make people confused. In fact, ramen has two shapes, one is cylindrical, and the other is flat. body.
The thinnest type of surface in the cylinder is called "capillary", which is about as thick as the dragon's beard vermicelli, and the upper part is "two thin". As the name suggests, the diameter of the second thin is about twice the thin; "Three thin", if you take it for granted that the three thin is three times the thin, then you have completely missed the sense of humor of the ramen master. The actual situation is that the diameter of the three thin is between the thin and the second thin. About 90% of Lanzhou people will choose one of the three types of thin, two thin, and three thin when eating beef noodles.
The flat and long noodles are flattened and then elongated. From narrow to wide, they are divided into "leek leaves", "thin wide", "wide", and "big wide".

A local who knows how to eat beef noodles will definitely rush in the morning rather than late, because the noodles made in the first pot of thick soup in the morning are the best, and the subsequent soup will become weaker due to the continuous addition of water, and the taste will also weaken.

After pouring the soup, the soup master sprinkles diced beef, minced coriander and minced garlic into the bowl with an elegant posture like floor exercises, and finally pours a large spoonful of bright red chili oil and hands the noodles to you inside. If you happen to be a person who does not eat coriander, garlic sprouts, or chili and tell the master in the window these requirements, he may freeze on the spot and burst into tears.

Then go to the cold dish stall to get a good tendon meat and a marinated egg. Then I couldn't wait to throw them all into this bowl of noodles, and the noodles and soup blended in harmony, delighting the taste buds.

The landform characteristics of Lanzhou are referred to as two mountains and one river. There is Gaolan Mountain in the south, Baita Mountain in the north, and the mother river winding like a jade belt in the middle. If you are interested in climbing Baita Mountain, on the top of the mountain, overlooking Lanzhou, it will be a new perspective.

The mountain is not very high, and you can reach the top of the mountain in half an hour. The dazzling white pagoda on the top of the mountain was built in the Yuan Dynasty to commemorate a Tibetan Sakya lama who died in Lanzhou when he went to Mongolia to meet Genghis Khan. Chic, the bottom is a vase-style, and the top is a pavilion-style brick tower. 　

If you feel that climbing the mountain is too tiring, you can actually drive to the top of the mountain, but we knew it too late at the time.

At the foot of Baita Mountain is the Zhongshan Bridge, known as the first bridge of the Yellow River. This name has a history.
Before the Ming Dynasty, Lanzhou people had to rely on sheepskin rafts to cross the river. It was not until the Wanli period that Lanzhou finally had a bridge.
It is a pontoon bridge made by connecting multiple wooden boats. The whole bridge will shake with the waves.
But at that time, people in Lanzhou rushed to tell each other that they had such a bridge, and they were very excited. It is named "Zhenyuan Floating Bridge". And it has been used by Lanzhou people from 1385 to 1909, and it has been used for more than 500 years.
And the big iron pile that fixed the pontoon bridge has become a commemorative plaque, which is permanently protected for future generations to look up to.

In 1909, the history of Lanzhou City opened a new page. Because in this year, a steel bridge replaced the Zhenyuan pontoon bridge. The bridge was originally named "Lanzhou Yellow River Iron Bridge". In 1928, it was renamed "Zhongshan Bridge" in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
It's just that no matter whether it is the ancient pontoon bridge or the later "Zhongshan Bridge", they are all known as "the first bridge on the Yellow River", because they are all the first on the Yellow River.
So far, the first steel bridge has been built on the mother river that raised the Chinese nation.

This September, happens to be the 111th anniversary of the completion of the iron bridge. I approached it with many tourists, walked through it, and admired it with my heart.
Whether it is its piers, bridge deck or bridge frame, it is still as strong as ever. The original craftsman's promise was fulfilled. More than a hundred years have passed, and it has been safe and sound.

Today, there are more than a dozen bridges connecting the north and south of Lanzhou, and no one in Lanzhou will be affected by the Yellow River passing through the city. Each of the bridges built after the Zhongshan Bridge is very wide, strong and advanced.
But in Lanzhou, it is impossible to have another bridge that can exceed the value of Zhongshan Bridge, which will make us think of so many past events and produce so many emotions when we see it.
This iron bridge, 234 meters long and only 7.5 meters wide, has become a shining landmark in Lanzhou City because of its unusual life experience.

The most surprising thing about Lanzhou in summer is that I can’t feel the heat of summer. The line of Binhe Road is refreshing and pleasant, and the dense humidity is blowing on my face. It all benefits from the breath of the Yellow River. Along the tree-lined path along the Yellow River, Bathed in the refreshing coolness, it is very comfortable to walk in a car.

Going down this road, you will experience the Yellow River cable car, you will experience the statue of Journey to the West, and you will experience the simple but great sculpture of the Yellow River mother.

The sculpture of the Mother of the Yellow River symbolizes the indomitable mother of the Yellow River who nurtures the Chinese nation. As time goes by, more than 30 years have passed in a flash. She quietly watches the city change with each passing day and people come and go; Unchanged, mother's smile freezes into eternity.

The purpose of the museum is to allow us to find resonance and historical identity through pieces of cultural relics. This requires us to have a certain amount of knowledge storage before we can find resonance. A little bit deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, at this time, it's time to go to Gambo to open the national treasure.

Gansu Provincial Museum is a classic Soviet-style building. Compared with the construction of new museums in many museums across the country, Gamble has adopted the method of repairing the old museums. Although it is less imposing, it does not affect its status in my heart at all.
Entering the building, we can get a visitor guide at the entrance, and we can find that the first floor is a temporary exhibition hall, and the second and third floors are basic exhibitions. Ganbo currently has "Gansu Silk Road Civilization Exhibition", "Gansu Painted Pottery Exhibition", "Gansu Paleontological Fossil Exhibition", "Dinosaur Exhibition Hall", "Yellow River Ancient Elephant Hall", "Solemn and Wonderful Appearance-Gansu Buddha Statue Art Exhibition", " Red Gansu—Towards 1949" seven basic displays. So Gamble is a museum that pays equal attention to natural history.
But today, we only talk about history, so the focus is also on the three exhibition halls of "Gansu Silk Road Civilization Exhibition", "Gansu Painted Pottery Exhibition", and "Solemn and Wonderful Appearance-Gansu Buddha Statue Art Exhibition".

The first is of course the "Gansu Silk Road Civilization Exhibition".
The name of Gansu Province comes from the ancient Ganzhou and Suzhou, both of which are located in the Hexi Corridor.
Ganzhou is the city of Zhangye today, and Suzhou is the city of Jiuquan today.
Gansu, located in the eastern section of the Silk Road, is the gateway to the West in ancient China, and it is also the main road and one of the most active areas for East-West exchanges.
This exhibition is based on the history of the development of the Silk Road, mainly showing the evolution of civilization and the exchange and integration of politics, economy and culture during the development of the Silk Road in Gansu from the Bronze Age to the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

The three-dog new-cover painted pottery square tripod comes from the Huoshaogou site. The "dog-shaped" sculpture on the square tripod is one of the earliest dogs in domestic cultural relics. It has been around 4,000 years ago, and there are three tripods in one tripod. The cultural dog is shaped like a single Tao Chi, and there are two more.

The gilt bronze base in the shape of a tiger biting a sheep, although it is a cold bronze, is perfectly expressed in details. Especially the shape of the tiger's head, the craftsmen of Qin State 2500 years ago used very exaggerated means to highlight the tiger's head, which occupies almost one-third of the entire sculpture, while the shape of the tiger's mouth occupies the entire area of ​​the tiger's head. half of. It can be seen that the craftsmen in the pre-Qin period had very superb casting skills.

glass lotus cup
The history of glassware production in my country can be traced back to the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, but until modern times, due to the long-lasting porcelain industry, it also hindered the development of the glass manufacturing industry to a certain extent. Even in the early Qing Dynasty, glass tea sets were rare. Therefore, as soon as this set of glass holders was unearthed, it attracted the attention of the cultural and museum circles.
So where did this set of exquisite glass holders come from? There is a view that the production of glass tea sets in my country is relatively late, and the technology is also very rough, but the craftsmanship of this set of support cups unearthed in Xujiaping is extremely exquisite, so this set of support cups is likely to be produced in Central Asia.
Since the Han Dynasty, the cultural exchanges between China and Central Asia have been very close, and the exchange of materials has become a habit. Wang Weixian is also a Mongolian bureaucratic family, and it is easier to obtain high-quality goods from outside the region. Therefore, there is a possibility that this set of holders was introduced from the West. sex.

Qin Dynasty Gold Ornament

In the early 1990s, the tombs of the early Qin State in Dabaozi Mountain, Lixian County, Gansu Province were robbed on a large scale. Early Qin Culture Research Project. Although some of the stolen cultural relics have been recovered, a large number of Dabaozi Mountain’s precious cultural relics are still lost overseas.

In 2015, 32 gold ornaments from the Qin Dynasty in the Spring and Autumn Period originally collected in the Guimet Museum in France were successfully recovered and returned to China. It is worth mentioning that. Among the 32 cultural relics returned in the first batch, except for the 4 bird-of-prey-shaped gold ornaments, the other 28 were returned to China free of charge after returning the original donor Dai Dian by the Guimet Museum.

The return of the lost cultural relics in Dabaozi Mountain is a typical case of my country's first successful pursuit of cultural relics.

CCTV has a documentary "Gansu Ancient Stories: A Thousand Years of Grief at the Tomb of the Duke of Qin", if you are interested, you can watch it

Of course, the most shocking thing in the entire Silk Road Pavilion is the guard of honor in the Leitai Han Tomb.
After the Zhenbao Island incident in 1969, the whole country prepared to dig air-raid shelters, and the Leitai Han Tomb was discovered during the digging of air-raid shelters. At that time, people's awareness of cultural relics protection was generally not strong. After the tomb was discovered, the members of the commune packed most of the funerary objects in the tomb and stored them in the warehouse of a brigade of the fresh commune, preparing to sell the copper by the catty to the supply and marketing cooperative in exchange for farm tools. Later, the main bronze wares were recovered by Dang Shoushan of Wuwei County Cultural Center. There is no scientific record of the arrangement of carriages and horses. Gamble didn't take these unearthed objects as a big deal.
In 1971, when Guo Moruo went to Gansu to visit the unearthed relics of Shakyamuni’s real body at Dayun Temple in Jingchuan, he happened to see the flying swallows on horses in the guard of honor in the warehouse, and he was very appreciative. After Guo Moruo's propaganda and influence, Wuwei's chariots and horses guard of honor became famous all over the world.

There is a horse stepping on the back of the bird in the formation of chariots and horses, which means that it is a real "sky horse", which implies that the entire guard of chariots and horses is a procession that travels recklessly through the sky. .
When the Bronze Galloping Horse was unearthed, there were still pink, red, green and other colored paintings on the horse's face. Due to human reasons, it was not preserved, and no detailed records were left.
The "National Treasure Archives" series program produced by CCTV has a special introduction to copper galloping horses. If you are interested, you can watch it

The colored sculptures of the Tiantishan Grottoes sit on a Buddha and wait on a Bodhisattva.
The sitting Buddha in the middle is quiet and peaceful, and the Bodhisattvas on both sides are elegant and dignified. According to the introduction, the Tianti Mountain Grottoes are the best statues in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. They belong to the typical works of "rich muscles and beautiful bones" in the Tang Dynasty. The statues of the Tang Dynasty in the Gaoku Grottoes are equally famous, and because they are relatively small in number, they are even more precious. If you squat down and look, you can also see the Buddha statue smiling at you.

Gansu painted pottery has lasted for more than 5,000 years from the Dadiwan culture 8,000 years ago, through Yangshao, Majiayao, Qijia, Siba, Xindian, and Shajing, forming a splendid development history of painted pottery. . Among them, the painted pottery of Majiayao culture is unparalleled in other regions in terms of quantity, type, production level and artistic achievement, reaching the heyday of painted pottery art.

Many ancient civilizations were nourished and multiplied by great rivers, and the endlessly surging Yellow River gave birth to great ancient civilizations. The main Neolithic culture in the Yellow River Basin is characterized by painted pottery. The gorgeous and exquisite Gansu ancient painted pottery is the most brilliant part of the prelude to the Yellow River civilization.

A painted pottery vase with a human head and mouth, Early Yangshao Culture

Among the early human head sculptures of the Yangshao Culture that have been unearthed so far, the most exciting one is the painted pottery vase with a human head and mouth in the Gansu Provincial Museum.
Unearthed in Dadiwan, Qin'an, Gansu Province in 1973, this vase with a human head created a dignified, elegant, simple, and generous image of a beautiful woman, reflecting the ancient ancestors' artistic expression techniques that originated from reality and transcended reality. It is a representative work of Dadiwan Yangshao painted pottery, and it is also an outstanding work of art integrating painted pottery, sculpture and modeling in the prehistoric period of our country.
Among the thousands of pieces of pottery unearthed at the Dadiwan site, there is only one painted pottery vase with a human figure. This artifact may be related to ancestor worship in primitive religions, or the "ancestor god" worshiped by matrilineal clans.

The Gansu Buddhist Art Exhibition is a collection of 147 Buddhist cultural relics carefully selected by the Gansu Provincial Museum from the rich collection. Taking time as a clue, it is divided into "Buddha and Dharma Eastward Spread", "Hu Feng Han Rhyme", "Flourishing Sanskrit Music", and "Flowers Falling into the World" , "Calyx with Brilliance", and "Dunhuang Relics", spanning the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms to the nearly 1,700-year history of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fully displaying the colorful Buddhist culture of Gansu

Gansu is located in the eastern section of the ancient land Silk Road, which is the "throat" and "gateway" from the Western Regions to the Central Plains. As a necessary place for the spread of Buddhism from the Western Regions to the inland, Buddhist art in Gansu blends with traditional Chinese art here, and then spreads to the inland. Therefore, the Buddhist relics and related works in Gansu are extremely rich in preservation and precipitation. Both the artistic connotation and the level of drawing and production are extraordinary and important, and they have a very important position in the history of Chinese Buddhist development. Thanks to the favorable location, Buddhist relics have become one of the collection features of Gansu Provincial Museum.

Statue of One Buddha and Two Bodhisattvas, Northern Wei Dynasty.
The Buddha statues in the Wei and Jin Dynasties have the typical characteristics of "beautiful bones and clear images". This is because Chinese Buddhist statues in the Wei and Jin Dynasties gradually began to digest the strong sensuality and sexy features of Indian Buddhist art. The value of human nature began to be shown. The Indian Gupta-style tulle-fitting Buddha statues were significantly reduced in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were transformed into neutral, and the producers tried to express them with idealized images. Religious eternity beyond sensual lust.

Painted Sculpture Sitting Buddha and Attendant Bodhisattva
Originating from the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, it was shaped in the Tang Dynasty, and its style has changed from that of the Buddha statues in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, from delicate to graceful, reflecting the unique cultural temperament of the Tang Dynasty.

The Western Wei Dynasty threatened to serve the Bodhisattva.
With the evolution of Buddha statues from the Sanskrit style to the Han style in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the characteristics of Chinese art and cultural connotations began to appear. The bare-shoulder or open-shoulder gown has changed into the loose-clothed, wide-sleeved and high-shoes style of the Central Plains gentry, but what really embodies the characteristics of Sinicization is the cultural content and temperament, showing the well-dressed, handsome bones and clear image of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. , style of the Six Dynasties.

After visiting the Gansu Provincial Museum, I have a deeper understanding of the Hexi Corridor. This is the penultimate day of the Northwest Great Ring Road, and there is only Yinchuan, the last stop in the itinerary. Grape wine luminous cup, if you want to drink pipa, immediately remind me, yes It's time to go.

Day 10, Yinchuan - go home

??Date: DAY10, August 29
??Itinerary: Yinchuan -- Chongqing
??Playing items: Najiahu Mosque, Changyu Moser XV Winery, Lao Mao Shou
??Accommodation: Home
?? Brief description of the itinerary: Originally planned to visit Huixiang Cultural Park, but missed it due to the upgrading and renovation of the scenic spot, so after visiting the Najiahu Mosque, we went to Changyu Moser XV Winery to visit and taste wine, and enjoyed the time-honored Yinchuan Old Mao hand for lunch .

PS: At first, our Yinchuan tour was planned to focus on the two exotic customs of the French wine culture in the south of the Yangtze River and the Islamic culture of returning home, so the attractions we planned to visit were Chateau Changyu Moser XV and the returning home in Yongning County, Yinchuan. Township Cultural Park, so I drove to Yongning County last night to live, but in the morning I found out that the Huixiang Cultural Park was in a state of demolition due to upgrading and renovation, and the main buildings are under construction and renovation. With the resumption of opening to the public, only the Najiahu Mosque remains in Yongning County. It is suggested that you can change the scenic spot to the Tomb of the Western Xia Dynasty. It is recommended to go in the afternoon. It will be more beautiful at sunset. When we rushed there, it happened to be raining heavily, so we had to give up visiting.

PSS: Chateau Changyu Moser XV is a French-style chateau that looks like an old castle. It also includes the tasting of two red wines and a souvenir of a bottle of 100ML brandy.

1.5 kilometers west of Yongning County in the south of Yinchuan City, there is an antique building with emerald tiles and cornices in the south of the famous Huizhuang-Najiahu Street. This is the famous mosque in Northwest my country-Najiahu Mosque The Great Temple was first built in the third year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1524), with a history of 489 years. It is also a national key cultural relic protection unit.

This is a traditional medieval architectural temple. The temple is rectangular in shape. The courtyard is composed of a gatehouse, a worship hall, wing rooms and a bathing hall, forming a typical ancient Chinese courtyard building layout. The gatehouse is very spectacular. The upper wall is a group of overhanging eaves with an antique structure, horizontal columns, bucket arches, vertical lotus columns and exquisite brick carvings reflecting the Islamic style, which increase the luster of the wall.

The rise and fall of Chinese wine culture is inextricably linked to the Silk Road. Wine was introduced from the Silk Road during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, flourished due to the Silk Road during the period of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and was lost to oblivion during the Ming and Qing Dynasties due to the seclusion of the country. , and at present, with the prosperity and rejuvenation of the motherland, wine culture is blooming everywhere under Helan Mountain.

The vast valley between the Yellow River and the Helan Mountains has proven to be the most promising grape producing area in China. It is irrigated by the Yellow River, has sufficient sunshine, and the sandy soil on the Gobi Desert is rich in minerals. It is an excellent grape growing area. One of the best wine grape producing areas, so if you search for wineries on the map, you will find dozens of wineries located here, and Changyu Moser XV Winery is one of them.

The winery covers an area of ​​up to 1,300 acres, so you can't see the boundaries of the winery when you look around on the ground. If you look down from the perspective of a drone, you will find that the castle is in the center of the park, surrounded by a large area of ​​green vines. In addition, it is located in the outskirts of the city, and there are no redundant modern buildings nearby. From a distance, it seems like Xanadu is average.

European wines place great emphasis on terroir. The natural conditions of the Yinchuan wine region are similar to those of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Toscana and Napa Valley. Helan Mountain has unique climatic conditions. It is located in the inland area and is close to the Gobi Desert. The annual rainfall is less than 200 mm, so mildew and other disasters hardly occur, and pesticides are rarely used. natural advantage.

In the underground wine cellar, due to the need for storage, you can obviously feel that the temperature has dropped a lot. Although it rains today, the outside of Yinchuan in August is still more than 20 degrees, but the inside of the wine cellar is estimated to be only 10 degrees, and there are Gusts of cool wind.

Walking along the signs is like walking in a mysterious maze. It reminds me of the experience of visiting wineries in the Loire Valley in France. It feels exactly the same.

Passing through the area full of wine barrels, you come to a public rest area that looks like a movie scene, and the dark and charming colors are fascinating.

Here you can taste two wines produced by the winery. I thought they were table wines for young people when I looked at the packaging, but the quality turned out to be quite good. , two bottles of 88 yuan, if you have the habit of drinking red wine at home, you might as well bring two.

August is the fruiting period for grapes. There are still edible grapes for sale in the winery. The taste is very sweet, comparable to chocolate, but the price is also relatively expensive, 88 yuan per catty.

The supreme ruler of the Tang Dynasty loved wine very much and promoted it vigorously, prompting the extensive planting of grapes from the capital to the north and south of the river.
With the introduction of advanced wine-making techniques from the Western Regions, barbarians and barbarians spread all over Chang'an, and folk restaurants can be seen everywhere. Enjoying wine is no longer the privilege of princes and nobles, literati and celebrities, and literati and even ordinary people have the honor to taste it.
From princes and aristocrats to literati, from aristocratic women to orchids in wine shops, and all kinds of poets and artists are the main force of gatherings and feasts, and how can there be good wine? In this way, the passionate poetry and wine culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty was created in the world of alcohol intoxication.
The wine culture on the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty witnessed the historical process of the mutual influence of the East and the West in economics, politics, culture and social life, reflecting the warm, confident and inclusive spirit of the Chinese nation.
But now that great powers are rising, wine culture is once again prevalent in the motherland.

If you want to find a restaurant in Yinchuan to experience local delicacies, then the Lao Mao Shou Zhuo located next to the Bell and Drum Tower can be said to be the best choice. Lao Mao Shou Zhuo was founded in 1888 and has been passed down for five generations. It embodies the Northwest mutton culture The essence and connotation of the store are also included in the century-old store of "Ningxia Intangible Cultural Heritage".

The hand-cooked mutton and copper-boiled mutton here are both excellent. Ken is from Guangzhou. We were worried that he would not be used to eating mutton with his hands, so we chose copper-boiled mutton, which is more acceptable to southerners.

In Yinchuan, the locals have a habit of eating mutton and drinking eight-treasure tea, because eight-treasure tea is an indispensable topic when talking about returning home culture. The eight ingredients generally include wolfberry, longan, raisins, red dates, and dried fruits. , rock sugar, sesame, tea leaves, etc. Whenever there are distinguished guests, Babao tea is a treat. With mutton, it can also achieve the effects of raising qi, tonifying deficiency and nourishing blood.

When ordering meat, you must not miss Ningxia Tan sheep. Ningxia's unique soil, climate, and water quality conditions make the mutton of Ningxia Tan sheep fresh, tender, mellow, nutritious, refreshing and attractive, and ordinary mutton is incomparable.

Ningxia Tan sheep is also a Chinese geographical indication product and one of the five treasures of Ningxia.