Qinghai, Gansu, and the Great Northwest give people the feeling of barren nature. The thousand-year-old monuments are difficult to connect with the colorful natural beauty. This time, the Northwest Ring Road self-driving completely overturned my impression of the Northwest. First, let’s see a few Take a look at the picture:
Kumbum Monastery
Qinghai Lake
Chaka Salt Lake
Haisi Huahai Grassland
xiaochaidan lake
Dachaidan Lake
crescent spring
Mogao Grottoes
Zhangye Colorful Danxia
Qilian drow
In addition to the above-mentioned attractions, the scenery along the way is also beautiful:
Thanks to the company's renovation, it was closed for a week, and only then did this instant trip. Because of the uncertainty of the renovation time, it was not until 5 days before departure that I started to book air tickets, hotels and cars. The problems encountered in hasty travel are: firstly, the air tickets are expensive, which is almost full price; secondly, there are few car models to choose from; thirdly, there are few hotels to choose from in popular scenic spots, especially in Qinghai Lake and Dunhuang. If you go temporarily, it is almost hard to find a room; finally, there is the problem of tickets for the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. It is possible to buy regular tickets more than 20 days in advance. Emergency tickets need people to arrive in Dunhuang. Use the WeChat applet to start at 6 o'clock in the morning Grab the tickets for the next day, but as long as you get up early enough and can play with the WeChat applet, you can still get tickets.
Preparations before departure:
(1) Line planning:
Fly to Xining on August 4th and fly back to Shanghai on the 12th. For the 8-night and 9-day itinerary, I chose the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Ring Road. The specific attractions include Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Dulanhai Temple Flower Sea, Dachaidan Lake, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Qilian Zall, with a total journey of 2,500 kilometers.
(2) Daily itinerary:
2018-8-4, flight HO1279, from Shanghai to Xining, arrived at 11.15 noon, Avis car rental company picked up the car to the high-speed rail station, completed the car rental procedures, went to Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake after lunch, walked and played all the way, in the evening At 9:00 (it’s just getting dark) at Thank Inn Chain Hotel (Gonghe-Qinghai Lake), Ctrip reservation website: http://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/14560715.html.
2018-8-5, departure from Qinghai Lake, travel to Chaka Salt Lake, arrive at Dulan County at 5:00 pm, Sudu Lanjin World International Hotel, Ctrip reservation website: http://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/778210. html.
On August 6, 2018, after visiting the Haisi Huahai Grassland, we set off from Dulan. The original plan was to pass by Dachaidan Lake (Emerald Lake), stay in Haixi Water Yadan RV camp, and visit Water Yadan. After actually departing from Dulan, On Xiangde Day, I got into a car accident and was rear-ended by a large truck. I was forced to live in the local area to deal with the accident. I rushed to Golmud the next day to change to a company car and continue my trip.
2018-8-7, departure on Xiangde Day, Golmud Yihi rented a car, passed Xiaochaidan Lake, Dachaidan Lake, arrived in Dunhuang at 10:00 p.m., stayed at Dunhuang Carnival Boutique Hotel, Ctrip booking website: http://hotels.ctrip. com/hotel/467412.html.
2018-8-8, 9, 8th at 6:00 a.m. on the 9th at 11:00 a.m. Mogao Grottoes emergency visit tickets. On the 8th, visit Leiyin Temple and Mingsha Crescent Spring in Dunhuang City; on the 9th, visit the Mogao Grottoes as planned, depart at 3:00 pm, go to Jiayuguan, arrive at 6:00 pm, and stay at the Millennium Holiday Hotel (Jiayuguan Guan City Fangte Phase II Silk Road Divine Painting Theme Park Store), Ctrip reservation website: http://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/19631454.html.
2018-8-10, depart from Jiayuguan, arrive in Zhangye at 11 am, visit Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot, stay at Zhangye Huachen International Hotel, Ctrip reservation website: http://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/22707.html.
2018-8-11, Zhangye came out and played all the way, arrived at Qilian Zhuoer Scenic Area at 2 pm, visited Zhuoer Mountain, stayed at Qilian Water World Wooden House Hotel, Ctrip reservation website: http://hotels.ctrip.com/hotel/19574015.html .
On August 12, 2018, we departed from Mount Qilian and arrived in Xining at 2:00 pm. After shopping, we returned the car at the airport and returned to Shanghai on flight HO1220.
[2018-8-4, the beautiful Qinghai Lake, the most beautiful is on the road]
1. Attractions:
Leaving the scorching heat of Shanghai, we flew directly to Xining at noon. The temperature was moderate, with the highest temperature being only 26 degrees. It can be said to be a summer resort. Xining is only 2,300 meters above sea level, and there is no altitude sickness at all.
Due to the rush of booking time, eHi car rental company did not have the Skoda Ye Di model, so I had to choose Avis car rental company. After an accident, I encountered various troubles, so I realized that I must book a car rental company with more car rental outlets.
At 11.30 noon, I took the Avis company's transportation car. After 15 minutes, I arrived at Qinghai High-speed Railway Station. Avis's car rental point is here. The car rental procedure is simple and convenient. Later, I learned that Avis only has Xining on the Qinghai-Gansu Ring Road This site is very inconvenient.
After finishing the car rental procedures, it is very important to have lunch at the nearest supermarket and purchase food, beverages and fruits. The prices around Qinghai Lake are very expensive.
With a happy mood, I drove to Kumbum Monastery, 56 kilometers away, and arrived at 2:00 pm. The temple is too big, so I walked around and left at 4:00 pm.
Tickets for Kumbum Monastery are 80 yuan per ticket. In the environment of high ticket prices in China, this ticket price is considered moderate.
It is about 150 kilometers from Kumbum Monastery to Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area, and it takes about 2.5 hours to drive. In fact, the whole road is full of scenery, stop and go, plus traffic jams. It is almost 10 o'clock in the evening when we arrive at the hotel near Erlangjian. Fortunately, it is dark and late here, which does not affect the play.
Qinghai Lake is 3,000 meters above sea level, and some people will suffer from altitude sickness. We are all fine, except for a little tinnitus, everything is normal.
Arrive at the hotel at 10 pm, settle down, and get up at 5.30 the next morning in order to witness the beautiful sunrise of Qinghai Lake:
This is how the sun slowly climbs up to the clouds from behind the mountains on the other side of the lake, illuminating the lake.
The white clouds in the sky, the high mountains in the distance, and the endless grasslands are all dyed golden yellow by the rising sun. Only the sky and lake water are more blue in the golden world.
Snow-white yaks are eating fresh green grass leisurely in the quiet morning.
The clouds in the sky are so weird.
Our car was bathed in the morning sun like this.
Regarding the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area, the more distinctive Bird Island and Sand Island have been closed.
Erlangjian Scenic Area only has a cruise ship dock. If you don’t want to take a boat tour of the lake, there is no need to pay 100 yuan for tickets to enter.
There are many roads along the lake leading to the lake. Maybe the grassland belongs to the private territory of herdsmen, and you need to pay to enter. Generally, 10 yuan per person, the scenery inside is basically the same.
In August, the rapeseed flowers by the lake are almost at an end, only on the east side of the lake. If you come from Xining, you should go in and take pictures as soon as you see the rapeseed fields. After Erlangjian, there are basically no rapeseed fields.
The best place to watch the sunrise is the Heima River on the west bank, but it is too dark here, and a tent converted from a cowshed costs 500 a night, and the sanitary conditions are not generally bad.
2. Accommodation and Meals:
The accommodation in Qinghai Lake is famously dark, but even if it is dark, it is hard to find a room during the peak tourist season. We stayed in the Thank Inn chain hotel, the room was only 16 square meters, the quilt was really hard to say clean, and the bathroom was very small. 866 yuan a night, not including breakfast. Breakfast is always a must, 30 yuan per breakfast, rice porridge rolls, an egg and some side dishes, that's all. It is said that eating near Qinghai Lake is ridiculously expensive.
If you live in the Heima River to watch the sunrise, you will be even more speechless if you stay in a hotel. The media revealed that the tents converted from the cowshed cost more than 500 each.
【2018-8-5, Realm of the Sky, Chaka Salt Lake】
1. Attractions:
After admiring the beautiful sunrise scenery by Qinghai Lake, go back to the hotel and have breakfast, leave Qinghai Lake at about 10 o'clock, go to Chaka Salt Lake, after leaving Erlangjian Scenic Area, there are no large rapeseed flowers along the Qinghai Lake along the way, only Green grassland.
From Qinghai Lake to Chaka Salt Lake, there are mostly winding mountain roads, and the altitude of the mountain pass reaches 3,800 meters. There are many small scenic spots on the way, and random parking causes artificial congestion. Although it is only 150 kilometers, it takes 3.5 hours to drive to Chaka Salt Lake. It's 1.30pm.
The altitude of Chaka Salt Lake is 3200 meters, slightly higher than Qinghai Lake.
This is not a tragedy. Due to the publicity of a certain sound, Chaka Salt Lake has become a famous Internet celebrity attraction. In summer, the daily passenger flow is more than 40,000. The parking lot is seriously in short supply. Even the traffic jam and the search for a parking space took an hour. , Playing in the scenic spot for 2 hours, and then spent another half an hour leaving the parking lot. It is about 130 kilometers from Chaka Salt Lake to Dulan, and it takes a little over an hour.
Chaka Salt Lake ticket is 60 yuan, and after entering, take a 10-yuan battery car (forget about the Internet celebrity train, there are too many people queuing up) to Yandiao Square. There is a train track in the middle, and the train track cannot be crossed. The station can only go to the other side of the train track. The salt lake on the left is rich in water. Under windless conditions, the mirror effect is very good, and the lake on the right is slightly worse.
Here comes the important point, please walk on the left hand side of the train track.
Chaka Salt Lake is forbidden to go to the lake barefoot, you must wear shoe covers, and the shoe covers in the scenic area are rented for 5 yuan once, with a deposit of 100, so that you will not throw the shoe covers as garbage.
The place to rent shoe covers is at the farthest end of the Chaka Salt Lake where you can go down to the lake. The salt lake is not accessible anywhere. There are many salt caves, and you will die if you fall down.
The salt sculptures are built around a small enclosed salt lake, so that even if the condition of the big lake is slightly poor, at least this small lake can experience the feeling of a mirror in the sky.
If you take the Internet celebrity train, you will not be able to take pictures of the train reflecting the lake.
The dark color in the picture is the salt-karst cave, and if you fall into it, you will almost die.
It is said that there are more red dresses seen in Chaka Salt Lake in one day than in other places in a year. The red ones in the bottom picture are the rented shoe covers.
After leaving Chaka, we arrived in Dulan County at about 6 pm. The sky was still very bright, but we were a little tired. After dinner, we had an early rest. In fact, we should go to Haisi Huahai Grassland.
2. Accommodation and Meals:
The Dulan Golden World International Hotel is the best hotel in the area. This is not a popular tourist destination. The hotel is very cheap, only 350 yuan a night. The room is large, nearly 30 square meters, hygienic and clean, the hotel facilities are a bit old, others They are all very good, much better than Qinghai Lake.
1.5 kilometers away from the hotel is the commercial square of the county seat. There are all kinds of snacks, of course, they are all Northwest characteristics, mainly beef and mutton. Little Sheep Hot Pot and Halal Beef Noodles are good, and the price is also cheap. You can eat very well for 20-30 yuan per person.
[2018-8-6, Dulan, Haisi Huahai Grassland, and then tragedy]
It was a tragic day. After breakfast, it started to rain intermittently. Haisi Huahai Grassland is very close to Dulan County. It took half an hour to arrive. In the drizzle, I simply took a few photos and left in a hurry. It was expected to go to the Water Devil City in Dachaidan, but in the end, an unexpected car accident caused a delay in Xiangderi Town. Fortunately, the hotel in the Water Devil City can be checked out unconditionally. I lost a day of travel time, and there is also a lot of car rental fees. The nearest city to the car accident is Golmud. There is only one car rental outlet here. Avis does not have one, so I can only refund If you drop Avis and rent a new car from EHI, there will be a fee to return the car in another place.
Haisi Huahai should be a private grassland of a local herdsman, because the surrounding environment is beautiful, and purple flowers bloom in summer, it is still worth seeing, the ticket is very cheap, only 10 yuan.
Haisi Huahai Grassland is 3,500 meters above sea level, which is a bit high, and I feel a little breathless when I run too fast.
Leaving Haisi Huahai Grassland, near Xiangderi Town, due to road construction, when queuing up to pass, he was hit on the side by a big accident car behind him, two tires were scrapped, and he was forced to stay in the local area to deal with the traffic accident.
We were the first small car, and the big accident car hit a big truck in front before stopping.
Forced to stop Shande Ri town.
2. Accommodation and Meals:
Because I was forced to stay in Xiangderi Town and stayed near the traffic police team, the hotel had nothing to say. I took a taxi to Golmud the next day, and the Yihe outlet was at the train station. The car accident delayed me for a day, and my lunch was also local. The beef ramen was a bit of a deal-breaker.
[2018-8-7, change the car and move on, missed Danxia on the water, what you can’t miss is the big and small Chadan Lake]
After dealing with the traffic accident, we took a taxi to Golmud early the next morning, and then rented a car from EHI Company at Golmud Railway Station to continue our journey. Due to a one-day delay, we had to or skip the Water Devil City (Shuishang Danxia).
Instead of driving by yourself, you can take pictures of the roads on the Gobi Desert.
Xiangde Day to Dunhuang, 850 kilometers, departs at 9:00 am, arrives at Golmud at 11:00, rents a car, has a simple lunch, departs at 12:00, goes west all the way, walks and plays, and arrives at the Dunhuang Hotel at 11:00 pm.
Starting from Golmud, it takes about 2.5 hours to drive to see a large pale emerald lake, which is next to the expressway. The expressway here is not completely closed. There is a dirt road that can go down to the lake and play by the lake. After taking pictures , Only when the map is positioned, I know that this is Xiaochaidan Lake, not a scenic spot, and of course there are no tickets.
The picture below is a dirt road with no road, and the highway is not far from the utility pole.
The water of the lake is crystal clear.
There is an abandoned Tibetan Mastiff by the lake.
Newly rented Hyundai Tucson, brand new, even the plastic protective film in the seat has not been torn off.
Leaving Xiaochaidan Lake, after passing through Dachaidan Town, enter Dachaidan Lake (Emerald Lake). This is a free version of the mirror of the sky. Because it is a salt mining area, the road is full of potholes caused by heavy trucks, and the car with a low chassis drives It was a bit of a struggle to get up, but luckily we rented an SUV.
The lake is also divided into two. There is water on the right side of the road, and thirsty salt mines on the left side. The white salt bed, blue sky and white clouds, are very different.
There is water in the salt lake on the right, and the feeling of the sky is coming.
The altitude of Dachaidan Lake is only 2,800 meters, and I feel refreshed.
Leaving Dachaidan and entering the barren Gobi Desert, the Liuge Expressway runs through the entire desert, but the last 10 kilometers are still under construction, dilapidated and dusty. Fortunately, I rented an SUV. Leaving the desert and entering the mountains is very dangerous. The legendary Jiucheng Demon Tower was filmed here, and the checkpoint before entering Dunhuang artificially caused long-distance congestion.
【2018-8-8,9, Dunhuang, Desert and Oasis】
Although I only checked into the hotel in the middle of the night, I had to get up on time at 6 o'clock the next morning in order to get the emergency ticket for the Mogao Grottoes. As long as I can get up early, there is no problem buying the ticket.
Dunhuang is less than 1200 meters above sea level, so it is very comfortable to sleep at night. Had to wake myself up with the alarm clock for that ticket.
After buying the ticket and having breakfast, take the bus at the door to Mingsha Crescent Spring. The hotel is 5 kilometers away from the Crescent Spring. There are too many tourists, self-driving traffic jams, and parking is inconvenient. It is best to take the bus and leave at night Crescent Lake, the road congestion is unimaginable, it is better to walk back to the hotel.
There is a temple less than one o'clock in the Crescent Lake, called Leiyin Temple, and I always feel that it has something to do with Journey to the West.
At the end of the road is a huge sand mountain. Deep in the sand mountain, there is an oasis and a pool of clear water, which is the legendary Crescent Spring.
When I came to Dunhuang, what I have to say is the climate. In Qinghai, all the way here, the temperature is between 15-25 degrees, which is very comfortable and cool. In Dunhuang, the temperature during the day directly reaches above 35 degrees. Climbing sand at this temperature The mountains are simply unimaginable, so the most frequent time to visit the Crescent Lake is after evening, when the sun goes down in the desert climate, and the temperature drops directly below 25, which makes the body feel much more comfortable.
The ticket for Crescent Lake is 120 yuan. There is a portrait collection system at the exit of the scenic spot. After the portrait collection is completed, you can leave the scenic spot. In this way, within 3 days of purchasing the ticket, you can enter the scenic spot multiple times for free.
I bought a ticket in the morning and took a look at the scenic spot. It was too hot, so I went back to the hotel to sleep in a cage.
Camels in the sunset.
That oasis in the desert.
The sand in Mingsha Mountain is very soft. When you step on it, you will sink and slide directly. Climbing up from the original sand dunes is almost a half step back from the previous step, which consumes a lot of energy. Therefore, the management of the scenic spot built wooden stairs on the sand dunes, so that you can climb the sand hills. It's the same as ordinary mountain climbing. The picture below is a mountain climbing trail with dense crowds.
There are too many people, artificially causing flying sand and rocks, and the feeling of dust.
At dusk, or at sunrise, the correct way to open the Crescent Spring is to climb high and overlook the Crescent Lake.
At 9 o'clock in the evening, after dark, tourists began to leave the scenic spot in large numbers. The only road leading to the city was extremely congested, and it was better to walk than to take a car.
The next day, sleep until you wake up naturally, according to the visit time on the ticket, line up at the Mogao Grottoes Digital Museum 2 hours in advance, and transfer to the scenic bus to Mogao Grottoes.
The Mogao Grottoes were built next to this dry river, surrounded by desolate Gobi and desert.
The iconic nine-story pagoda contains a beautiful and tall Buddha statue. It is strictly forbidden to take pictures in the Mogao Grottoes.
The murals exposed to the outside can vaguely see the gorgeous pen and ink of that year.
We left Mogao Grottoes at 3:00 p.m., and arrived at the next stop at Jiayuguan. Unfortunately, Jiayuguan’s scenic spots closed at 5:00 p.m. to thank visitors. At this time, the sky in the northwest was still bright and sunny, and it would be completely dark until 9:30 p.m. Take a look at Jiayuguan from outside, even if you check in.
2. Accommodation and Meals:
I stayed at the Carnival Boutique Hotel in Dunhuang. I stayed at the Carnival Boutique Hotel for 2 nights. It is on Mingshan North Road in the city center. There is a bus stop at the door, which is very convenient. Going south along the road, you can reach Crescent Moon Lake 5 kilometers away, which is very convenient. Big bed room, the room is not big, more than 20 square meters, clean and tidy, the bathroom condition is also good, 700 a night, no breakfast, no free parking. Breakfast costs 30 yuan per person, and parking is 10 yuan a day. The parking space is relatively tight. The Chinese restaurant tastes good and the price is cheap, 70-80 yuan per person. The food is very good. I spent my lunch and dinner here in Dunhuang for two days.
I stayed at the Millennium Holiday Hotel in Jiayuguan, free breakfast, few varieties, full of food. It is very close to Jiayuguan, only 1 kilometer away, and you can walk there. The hotel is very new, with large rooms, good conditions, clean and comfortable, and free parking. The price is also very affordable, 295 yuan a night.
[2018-8-10, Zhangye, Colorful Danxia, the most colorful mountain range]
Jiayuguan is just passing by. Dunhuang in front represents the history and culture of Gansu, and Zhangye in the back is the most beautiful natural landscape. It starts at 9 o'clock and arrives at Zhangye Hotel a little after 11 o'clock. After lunch and check-in procedures, go to Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geological Park.
Colorful Danxia is only 1,800 meters above sea level, so you can run as much as you want.
Tickets plus traffic tickets in the scenic area are 74 yuan per person, which is very valuable in China.
large scallop
All living beings and Buddhas
Colorful screen
Colorful clouds, under different light conditions, feel different.
There are a total of 5 viewing platforms in the scenic area, the first three are still cloudy, and the last two started to rain. Without sunlight, the color of the mountain is not so bright.
It started to rain, and the raindrops fell on the camera.
Little Potala Palace
tortoise
After leaving the scenic spot, the sun peeked out from the clouds, and a rainbow hung in the sky.
2. Accommodation and Meals:
I stayed at the Zhangye Huachen International Hotel, which is located in the city center, surrounded by complete businesses, and life is very convenient. Due to the late booking, the hotel only has family suites, but the price is not very expensive, 999 per night. After coming to the hotel, you can upgrade to the most luxurious suite for free. The equipment is advanced, clean and hygienic, the service is very good, and the price is also very affordable. Super cost-effective, you should stay in this hotel when you come to Zhangye. Free breakfast, the breakfast is very rich, and the ramen is better than the professional ramen shop outside. Free parking, but the parking space is a bit tight. The Chinese restaurant tastes good and the price is even more affordable. All in all, this hotel is the most satisfactory hotel in our trip.
living room
bathroom
Queen Room
two-bed room
feel at home
The suite can accommodate 4 people and includes 4 breakfasts. It is a bit wasteful for us to live.
[2018-8-11, Qilian Zall, emerald green grassland, white cloud sea, blue sky]
Except for the rugged mountain road near the Liuge Expressway near Dunhuang, the previous trips are all on the wide and flat expressway. From Dunhuang, there is no more expressway. They are all shuttled between the mountains, over the mountains, and the beautiful scenery is in the deep in the mountains.
From Zhangye to Qilian Zall, the 200-kilometer journey takes nearly 4 hours in normal driving, which shows that the mountain road is long.
From Dunhuang to Zhangye, the overall environment is the Gobi and desert. After leaving Zhangye and entering Qinghai again, the green grasslands and long white clouds appear in front of you. Of course, the altitude has also begun to rise. Qilian Babao Town is 2,700 meters above sea level. The highest point of Zhuoer Mountain is 3100 meters above sea level.
There are beautiful grasslands along the way, the white ones are sheep, and the black ones are yaks.
On the way, I passed the Arou Da Temple.
Depart from Zhangye at 9:00 in the morning and arrive at Qilian Babao Town at 2:00 in the afternoon. It began to drizzle until the rain stopped at 3:30 in the afternoon. The hotel is at the foot of Zhuoer Mountain. It only takes 10 minutes to drive there. After the rain, you can climb the mountain in the sea of clouds , Reaching the top of the mountain, the sky clears up, and the blue sky and white clouds are another beautiful scene.
The gate is relatively simple, and the rain has not completely stopped.
sea of clouds after rain
The highest peak on the opposite side, Niuxin Mountain, is completely submerged in the sea of clouds.
Zhuoer Mountain is also a Danxia landform. Of course, the color of the mountain is not as rich as that of Zhangye.
There is a beacon tower built on the top of the mountain, and there are people on it, so there is no need to climb up.
On the opposite side is one of the Qilian sacred mountains, Niuxin Mountain, and Babao Town is located at the foot of Niuxin Mountain.
Niuxin Mountain, known as "Ami Dongsuo" in Tibetan, means "God of the Mountains" and "Mountain of Zhenshan".
Niuxin Mountain is 4667 meters above sea level. Even if the sky is sunny after rain, white clouds always wrap around the top of the mountain, and the entire mountain peak is hidden or visible.
Facing Babao Town, there is an auspicious pagoda on Zhuoer Mountain, which can be seen from a distance on the way into Qilian Babao Town.
Clouds and mountains work together perfectly to form a volcanic eruption scene.
When going down the mountain, Niuxin Mountain finally exposed the top of the mountain. Zhuoer Mountain is not big, but the altitude is relatively high, and there are too many beautiful scenery. The lack of oxygen in the high mountain and the temptation of beautiful scenery can only slow down, and it takes about 4-5 hours to go back and forth.
Qilian County has always been known as "Oriental Little Switzerland". The most beautiful place here is Zhuoer Mountain. Zhuoer Mountain, also known as Tianjing Qilian, this scene can only be seen in the sky, but it came to the world for some reason.
Zhuoer Mountain belongs to the Danxia landform, which is composed of red sandstone and conglomerate. It is called "Zongmuma Glazema" in Tibetan, which means the beautiful ruddy queen. The construction site of the Zhuoer Mountain Scenic Area project is located in Babao Town, Qilian County, close to the Babao River and across the river from the holy mountain Amitongsuo (Niuxin Mountain) in the Tibetan area. Legend has it that Zhuoer Mountain and Qilian’s Zhenshan Mountain—Ami Dongsuo (Niuxin Mountain) are a pair of affectionate couples, silently waiting on both sides of the Babao River, and jointly protecting the mountains and rivers of Qilian.
2. Accommodation and Meals
The Babao River is at the entrance of the hotel.
When staying at Qilian Water World Wooden House Hotel, outside the window is the red mountain of Qilian Zhuoer Mountain. Free upgrade to a big bed suite, the room is very large, 45 square meters, 583 per night, the room is clean and tidy, the bathroom equipment is average, the sewer is not very smooth, it takes a long time to drain the water after taking a shower, free parking, free breakfast, breakfast is very simple, The Zhuoer Mountain Scenic Area is very close to the hotel, and it takes only 10 minutes to drive there, which is very convenient. The location of the hotel is inaccurate, and you have to keep in touch with the shopkeeper to get there by car.
The hotel is very close to the urban area. It takes 5 minutes to drive to the Pedestrian Square. There are all kinds of supermarkets and restaurants. The yak meat here is very authentic and the price is very cheap. There are also black wolfberry and highland barley products, which are worth buying.
【2018-8-12, the end of the holiday in the mountains and mountains】
From Qilian Zall to Xining is the most arduous section of the loop tour. From Qilian to Menyuan, the road is fairly flat. There are large tracts of rapeseed flowers planted in Menyuan. The most beautiful season is mid-to-late July. We Passing by here, although it is late, some traces can be seen vaguely. There is also the famous Gangshika Snow Peak near Menyuan, with an altitude of 5254.5 meters. It is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Qilian Mountains. A jade dragon is also the head of the mountains in Menyuan. From Qilian to Menyuan, you can see the majestic appearance of snow-capped mountains all the way. If you come to Qinghai in July, you can stay in Menyuan for at least one night to enjoy rapeseed flowers and Weiwei Snow Mountain.
The Qilian grassland scenery all the way.
When you arrive at Menyuan, you can vaguely see the beautiful scenery of rapeseed flowers.
From Menyuan to Xining, you have to cross Daban Mountain at an altitude of 5,248 meters. Due to the construction of the Daban Mountain Tunnel, you only need to climb to an altitude of 3,800 meters. Many require careful driving. Climbing to the top, there is a viewing platform overlooking the panorama of Menyuan.
The typhoon crossed the border. The flight that was supposed to arrive at 00.30 am on the 13th was delayed by the typhoon until 9 am. Fortunately, everything went well. Despite the twists and turns, the Northwest Loop self-driving was quite satisfactory.
Practical strategy
1. Temperature:
Scenic spots in Qinghai, including Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Dulan Grassland, Big and Small Chadan Lake, Qilian Zall, etc., the temperature in early August is between 16-26, a bit cool in the morning and evening, and generally very comfortable.
Dunhuang has a typical desert climate. It is very hot at noon, above 35 degrees. It is suitable to go out to the scenic spots in the morning and evening. It is better to hide in the hotel at noon to escape the heat.
The temperature in Zhangye is much better than that in Dunhuang, similar to Qinghai.
2. Altitude:
The elevation of scenic spots in Qinghai is 2300 meters in Xining, 3000 meters in Qinghai Lake, 3200 meters in Chaka Salt Lake, 3500 meters in Dulanhai Temple Huahai Grassland, 2800 meters in large and small Chaidan Lakes, and 2700-3100 meters in Qilian Zhuoer Mountain.
All scenic spots in Gansu are low-altitude areas, so there is no need to worry.
3. Road:
Most of the entire ring road is a wide expressway or national road. The rugged mountain road has the section from Qinghai to Dunhuang, then from Zhangye to Zall, and from Zall to Xining, especially from Zall to Xining. It is necessary to cross Daban Mountain. Local vehicles are almost ignoring traffic rules, please drive carefully.
4. Diet:
Beef and mutton are the main food in Northwest China. Except for Qinghai Lake, other places, even hotel restaurants, are cheap and affordable. The specialty meals are of course beef ramen and roast lamb. Yak yogurt is especially recommended, it is very delicious. The local watermelon is super sweet, 80 cents a catty, super cheap, but it is a bit too big to finish.
5. Specialties:
There is no doubt that yak meat is the most recommended. In Sichuan and Yunnan, most of the yak meat you buy is probably ordinary beef. Only in Qinghai, it is all authentic yak meat. It is very delicious. It is recommended to buy the brand of Hoh Xil. The cheapest to buy in town.
The second is yak yogurt, which is the cheapest to buy in Xining.
There is also black wolfberry, which is also cheaper to buy in Zall Babao Town.
6. Cost:
Because it is a temporary trip, the air tickets and hotels are the most expensive, and the traffic accident caused the car to be changed. The per capita cost of this trip is about 15,000, so I am not afraid of the reference value, so I will not list them one by one.
7. Tickets for Mogao Grottoes:
Ordinary visit tickets must be purchased more than 20 in advance, and you can see many caves; otherwise, you can only get emergency visit tickets one day in advance after arriving in Dunhuang, and there are only 4 caves. Emergency tickets can generally be bought, there is no need to buy scalper tickets online, it is very deceitful.
