Ten years ago, a friend invited me to go to Xinjiang, and I drove around the northern and southern Xinjiang for nearly 20 days. At the beginning of May, the Tianshan Bingdaban was not yet open to traffic. This regret has never had a chance to be fulfilled. This trip is specially for the Duku Highway. The whole process took twenty days. Driving more than 10,000 kilometers. On the first day of June 10th, I set off from Beijing at 5:00 a.m., drove 950 kilometers, and checked into the Jingbian Hotel. Dinner is very characteristic of northern Shaanxi. I eat mutton, buckwheat mosh, cabbage and mashed potatoes at Luji Shuangcheng Lamb Stew Restaurant. The soup is fresh and there are no other seasonings except salt. I had yellow rice cakes and Tchacha for breakfast, which is worth tasting. I bought sesame oil stove buns and ate them on the road. I really appreciate the food here.
Mashi, the name is quite interesting.
Cabbage mash, especially suitable for Chinese appetite.
Depart at 8 o'clock the next day to Xining via Dingbian, Salt Lake, Lanzhou. 800 kilometers. Stay at Xining Yidun International Hotel for 299 yuan without breakfast. The hotel is good and cost-effective. The surrounding area of the hotel is very lively, very close to the lively area of Dashizi. On the way, the Beijing-Tibet Expressway was repaired and the 109 National Highway was bypassed for 70 kilometers. The Beijing-Tibet Expressway was patched everywhere. Once entering the Ningxia Expressway, the color turns red. It is estimated that red sand with high iron content was used on the spot. Danxia landforms are generally developed in this area, and red mountains are often seen along the way. Because I have seen the best in Zhangye, I know that it can be seen everywhere in Gansu. The rapeseed flowers just turned yellow near Xining. It is now during Ramadan, and some Islamic restaurants are closed for one month according to Ramadan. For dinner, a bowl of beef soup is 20 yuan per person, which is very affordable, high quality and low price. I bought a flatbread (bun) with a particularly strong smell of sesame oil. It only costs 8 yuan, and it is delicious. The tap water in Xining is salty, quite salty, it should be surface water, could it be from the salt lake?
A new day starts with the sound of chanting at five in the morning. Outside the window is the largest Dongguan Mosque in Xining, more than 300 meters away. The hotel sent two bowls of yogurt, which tasted very good. For breakfast, I had a bowl of milk fermented glutinous rice and eggs for ten yuan at the small shop at the door. This is the third day, along the 315 highway via Gangcha to Bird Island, the journey today is about 300 kilometers. The average altitude of Gangcha is 3,300 meters, and the population is mainly Tibetan, accounting for more than 60%. Delingha has an average altitude of 2980, which is a little higher than Golmud. It took an hour to get out of Xining to catch up with the Monday morning rush hour. The road sweepers in Huangyuan were much better than the second prize of Hebei's scientific and technological progress. Several sweepers turned vertically and rolled up dust. After the inspection, we saw Huangyu migrating in the Shaliu River. On the 26th, it will be the highest peak for spawning Huangyu going upstream. Huangyu writhing and jumping on the steps is very spectacular. Now only sporadic Huangyu cross the dam. Then the ticket to Bird Island is 120 yuan, and the scenic tour bus is 30 yuan per person. First go to Egg Island to watch the birds through the glass, and then go to Cormorant Island where the birds are singing in the dark. Bird watching is available from April to July, with the best time being May. If you come to Bird Island again, the best way to watch birds is to rent a bicycle, and you can stop if you are willing to stop there. I saw a small herd of deer on the sightseeing bus in the scenic spot. Pass Rubber Mountain (3817 meters above sea level) at 5:30, stay at Yancube Hotel in Chaka Town for 188 pairs of breakfast tonight, and eat a pot of casserole for 46 yuan for dinner. The total mileage is 2085 kilometers.
Huang Yu jumped over the dam, and the scene was exciting. He repeatedly rushed up a step, failed and tried again, fighting for the right to mate upstream.
Gangcha Shaliu River is a step-rolling dam built for the migration of yellow carp
Cormorants of Bird Island, juvenile cormorants born this year are undergoing flight training.
Is the grass that these cormorants hold food?
Depart from Chaka Town to Dunhuang on the 13th, with a mileage of about 700. There was moderate rain when I left Chaka in the morning, I was wearing a down jacket, and the temperature was only 6 degrees Celsius. Passing through the long and narrow Keke Salt Lake, 90 kilometers away from Delingha. The high-speed network in Qinghai has been basically completed, and it is not a problem to travel 1,800 kilometers a day. Passing the Delingha toll gate is the blue Duohai, on the left side of the expressway. 170 kilometers away from Dachaidan, Keluke Lake is on the left, and it is also an alien site. When the rain stops at Xiaochaidan, pass the Yuka toll station in the Qaidam Basin at about one o'clock. Pass Qingshan Pass, 3699 meters above sea level. Entering Dunhuang territory at 3:30 in the afternoon, suddenly saw the wolf smoke in the desert. It turned out to be a whirlwind moving with upright soil pillars, just like the poem said in the desert. The temperature is 30 degrees at this time. Staying at the Estin Hotel in Dunhuang, the price of 197 yuan can be said to be excellent in both hardware and software. There is a Dingdong robot in the room, which can turn on the lights and turn on the TV under voice command. The hotel helped us book a visit ticket to Mogao Grottoes at 11:45 tomorrow, 200 yuan per ticket, payment must be made with Alipay, and an appointment must be made to visit. Dunhuang City has a population of 180,000, of which 50,000 are in the city. Go out for a walk at night. The small city is very beautiful, and the Dang River is clean and abundant, forming a scenic spot.
Dunhuang Danghe
On the morning of the 14th (the fifth day), first go to the Dunhuang Museum to understand the historical evolution, and then visit the Mogao Grottoes. First go to the electronic ticketing center to get the pre-purchased tickets with your ID card, and ask if there are still afternoon tickets on sale. Enter the theater at 11:30, and start at 11:45. First, the history of Dunhuang on wide screen. After Zhang Qian’s mission to the Western Regions, Dunhuang gradually became a trading center. Monk Tang Lezun traveled to Dunhuang and saw the golden light of Sanwei Mountain. He dug a cave here and practiced. Fang Xinshi, after thousands of years of excavation, formed a large-scale group of grottoes, which declined in the Yuan Dynasty. In 1944, Yu Youren suggested that the government establish a research institute. Change to another theater to watch a ring-screen movie and learn about the art of the Dunhuang Grottoes. Take the scenic bus to Mogao Grottoes, and a tour guide will introduce a headset for each person. I saw the first largest Buddha and the third largest Buddha in the country. I saw the reclining Buddha and several smaller caves. One of the grottoes was only opened last year. The bricks we stepped on were more than 1,000 years ago. They are very new and the patterns are prominent. It is rare. So well preserved. Visited the Dunhuang Grottoes Art Museum, next to the parking lot. Leave Mogao Grottoes at 3:30 in the afternoon to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake, and return to the hotel at 6:30. In the evening, the hotel sent yogurt, fruit and snacks. The yogurt along the way was of good quality, with real flavor, except for milk and yeast.
When leaving Dunhuang on the 15th, the odometer was 2858. A cake of mutton powder soup for breakfast is 16 yuan per person, and the mutton soup is delicious. In the center of Dunhuang, the police check for drunk driving. Beijing has never seen a drunk driving check in the morning. More than 100 kilometers to Lianhuo Expressway in Liuyuan Town, check the ID card and face recognition. Seventy kilometers to Xingxingxia to enter Xinjiang, another ID card face recognition. After passing Hami, I felt that the outside was too hot, and the display temperature was 38 degrees. After entering the Turpan area, it started to turn green, and now the car is 42 degrees outside. The staff at the gas station and rest station are Uighurs with thick eyebrows and big eyes, speaking Mandarin with a foreign taste, and you need to swipe your ID card to refuel, and only the driver can enter. At 6:30 p.m., stay at the best hotel in Tuokexun Tianshan Pearl, 280 yuan for double breakfast. It is not as good as the hotel in Dunhuang. The odometer is 3750, and the outside temperature is 46 degrees. Drink red Wusu beer produced in Urumqi for dinner.
At 9:20 on the 16th (the seventh day), we headed towards Kuqa along Tuhe Expressway. Breakfast milk tea is good. Getting off the expressway in Luntai, I bought 20 yuan for one and a half kilograms of white apricots from a Uighur family on the side of the road. It was so sweet that my hands were sticky, Yakexi. Go to Populus euphratica Park and Tarim River. Walk about 70 kilometers on the desert road. The Tahe River is in the high water season, and the river course is full of yellow water. We ate at a restaurant next to the Tahe Bridge. The owner is from Anhui and the chef is from Sichuan. Staying at the Kuqa International Hotel is 138 yuan including breakfast. It is an old star hotel with very high cost performance. I booked it after seeing the praise from Ctrip. It didn't feel good to live in the most expensive hotel yesterday. It seems that how much you spend doesn't necessarily determine the quality. A total of 4460 kilometers have been driven.
Xinjiang white apricot has the highest sugar content among the apricots I have eaten. This is a tree-ripened white apricot, which is more delicious than those bought in Beijing. In addition to white apricots, there are also red and yellow apricots in Xinjiang.
Yellow apricot, the same sweetness. A circle bigger than Baixing.
The Populus euphratica Forest Park in Tarim is as famous as the Populus euphratica Forest in Ejina, and the best viewing season is autumn.
The Tarim River runs through the Populus euphratica forest, and water can be diverted into the Tarim River through governance.
The 17th (eighth day) is the most exciting section of the trip, 217 Duku Highway. It is open from June to September every year, and Osaka is frozen at other times. According to Baidu navigation, the journey from Kuqa to Dushanzi is more than 600 kilometers, and the estimated passing time is 15 hours. I woke up at six o'clock, and breakfast didn't start until 8:30, three hours later than in Beijing. Depart at 9:30, enter the Duku Highway from Kuqa, and start to see the Yadan landform along the way, and the scenery of the wind-eroded stone forest like the devil city. Entering the Danxia landform of Hongshi Mountain, the mysterious Grand Canyon of Tianshan Mountain and Hongshi Mountain are integrated. After that is the ruins of the ancient city of Age, and the Dalongchi has the reflection of the snow-capped mountains. After Dalongchi, there is a poplar forest scenic spot. After passing through the plateau grassland road, continue along the river valley. There are herds of cattle and sheep and herdsmen's yurts dotted on the green grass, which is a refreshing scenery. It was raining heavily just to pass the security check, check the ID card and face recognition. At this time, the snow-capped mountains at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain were very magnificent under the sunshine. The raindrops hit the windshield and bloomed into a flower, a beautiful visual experience. After passing the Bayinbulak Grassland, the overall feeling is like Litang. The sheep here are different from those seen in Inner Mongolia. They are either white with black heads or yellow all over. This place is a world natural heritage. Fifty kilometers later to Nalati. Then cross the Tianshan Mountains to Osaka. There are snow-capped mountains in the distance, ice and snow on the roadside, and the temperature is 14 degrees. Looking at Nalati from the height of the mountain is even more beautiful than the bottom. Nearly six o'clock, thick fog rose from the mountains, and the fog quickly crossed the river valley and filled the road. Later, after passing through a long, dark tunnel, we came out and entered Karamay territory. The fog disappeared immediately and it began to rain. There is only one small town, Qiaoerma, in the northern section. The ice and snow wall on the roadside in the northern section of Duku is still there, and a forklift is used to push the road to pass, and the temperature is 8 degrees. The canyon is narrow and steep, and the rock mass is mostly sedimentary glutenite, which is extremely unstable, and landslides and debris flows occur frequently. It is said that geological disasters are even more serious than 318. Arrive at Dushanzi at ten o'clock in the evening. The speed limit on Panshan Road is 30, and the speed limit on Yanxi Road is 80. All vehicles are basically 1-2 times faster than the speed, and we also follow the local cars. We already had a speeding ticket on the red grid line on the 13th. The speed limit in Xinjiang is very complicated and changeable, and we often speed up unintentionally. The way we summed up is to follow the bus.
The train travels through the mountains of the Danxia landform, and it must be an interesting experience to travel by train.
The mountains in one picture have so many colors, black, white, brown, yellow and gray.
Dalongchi, there are two small lakes on the Duku Highway, the green water is like a mirror, and there is another one called Xiaolongchi.
Xiaolongchi
There is still a lot of snow on the Tianshan Mountains that has not yet melted. This is where tourists take pictures on the snow.
Crossing the Ice Osaka, the snow on the side of the road is several meters high. This is the passage pushed by the snow plows. It may not be possible until July when the snow melts naturally and meets the traffic conditions.
The starting point of the Duku Highway on the side of Dushanzi
On the 18th (the ninth day), head to Yining. The starting mileage is 4996 kilometers. In the morning, I bought a large naan for 5 yuan. The main meals along the way were roasted naan and beer, served with Xinjiang apricots or other fruits. On the way, a large truck on the opposite side of the road overturned and occupied the road. I waited for more than an hour. During the waiting period, there was a large truck carrying melons on the road, and I bought a cantaloupe. In the afternoon, the ticket for the 90-kilometer circle around Sailimu Lake is 70 per person. I used to just pass by the south side of the lake in a hurry. This time I took the road around the lake. But the photo quality is not good due to lack of sunlight. There is a traffic jam when entering Yining, and it may be the peak at 8:00 pm. The newly built Guozigou Bridge is very spectacular.
On the 19th (the tenth day), go to Jieyou Princess Lavender Manor. You can smell the fragrance of lavender in the car as soon as you arrive in Huocheng. The lavender here is world-famous. The ticket for Jieyou Princess Lavender Garden is 34 yuan. The Lavender Festival opened on the 17th. Today is the third day of the opening, and there are many tourists. After that, go to the Yili General's Mansion in Huiyuan Ancient City, the ticket is 67 yuan. Go to the Yili River Scenic Area again, which is the same place as the last time.
The Lavender Museum introduces the plant properties, utilization value, and developed products of lavender, and of course also sales.
There is a canteen in Lavender Manor where you can take a rest, drink Xinjiang brand beer to see lavender, beer is like water
The General's Mansion built in the eighth year of Guangxu is now a national key cultural relic protection unit. The post of General Yili was appointed in the 27th year of Qianlong.
Red apricots and baked naan are must-haves every day.
Depart for Kalajun at 9 am on the 20th. The starting mileage is 5643. Departing from S220, the road is being repaired on the cross-ridge section, and the road is pitted and dusty, and the road is almost always under construction. Live in Junhu Hotel, booked on Ctrip. Kala Jun was originally a military horse farm of the People's Liberation Army, and it was handed over to the local government in 2005. Tickets plus a tourist bus are 175 yuan per person, and parking is 10 yuan. It feels expensive and unkind, and you need to travel long distances to beautiful places.
On the 21st (the twelfth day), take the S237 to Zhaosu. Departure 5845. On the way to Zhaosu, it is nice to see a small amount of rapeseed flowers. When we arrived at the visitor center, a little girl enthusiastically introduced Zhaosu's tourist attractions to us. Went to the grassland stone man scenic spot, a ticket of 20 yuan per person, the scenic spot itself is the grassland, along the pebble path to the end is the grassland stone man, the age of the stone man is still a mystery, the more tenable statement is around the Tang Dynasty Stone carvings left by the Turkic tombs at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. The stone figures are not big, the tallest one is less than two meters, and the surface is severely weathered. The stone crowd is a rare historical relic in this area, which is of great value to the study of ethnic history in this area. It is very interesting that all stone figures are facing east, which must have a profound meaning. Parking here is free, and a picnic campsite is being built, and it may be an RV campsite in the future. After having lunch in the parking lot, go to Gedeng Monument (76 regiments). The monument is on the border between China and Kazakhstan. Tickets are 30 yuan per person. The Gedeng stele is named after Gedeng Mountain. In the 20th year of Qianlong’s reign, the Qing army put down the Mongolian Junggar rebellion and completed its achievements here. In the 24th year of Qianlong’s reign, a stele was erected to record the achievements. This stele is the westernmost Qianlong imperial pen, with more than 200 characters, which is of great significance. Come back to eat at Zhaosu County Food Street, and then walk along Zhaoyi Highway S237. The scenery is not comparable to that of Duku Highway, but it is not bad. Stay at Baibaihe Hotel in Chabuchar County at night.
Behind the Gordon Stele Pavilion is Kazakhstan
Gedeng Stele Pavilion standing proudly on Gedeng Mountain
The Gedeng stele in the stele pavilion has inscriptions in four languages: Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan. The stele was made with imperial brushes from thousands of miles away, which shows the greatness of this achievement.
Frontier Watchtower on Mount Gedon
From Turpan to Kuqa, take the Duku Highway to cross the Tianshan Mountains, enter Yili through Sailimu Lake, and then take Nalati along the 218 and 217 Duku Highways to intersect with the Gongnais River, and continue to Loulan in the southeast. The full experience of the library.
The Educated Youth Memorial Site in Zhaosu was established earlier than Liangjiahe
On the 22nd (the thirteenth day), the start is 6150 kilometers. Go east along 218, pass Nalati, turn 217 south to Bayinbulak Erjin Duku. Today's sunny and rainy scenery is very different. After seeing the Jiuqu Wetland landscape in Bayanbuluke, return to 218 and continue eastward to Gongnaisi. The whole way is along the stream line. The river is rushing and winding from east to west. It costs 260 yuan per room to stay at Tianbao Hotel in Gongnaisi Forest Farm. There are few large tunnels throughout the 217 and 218, and the road grade is not high. They always turn around along the mountain, bringing the fun of self-driving.
The starting mileage on the 23rd is 6570. Cross the Chahan Norda Ban, with an altitude of more than 3,000. When I was approaching Korla, I got on the G3012, but I was driven off the highway for only 2 yuan toll. The traffic on the road was congested for at least 10 kilometers. Stayed in the standard room of Bosten Hotel for 387 yuan and double breakfast. The waiter helped to wash the clothes and brought watermelon and drinks. It may be the best hotel here with super good service.
Departure at 9:15 on the 24th (the 15th day), the odometer is 6898. On the desert road of National Highway 218 from Yili to Ruoqiang, there is a vast expanse. After passing Korla, the PM2.5 pollution here is 395, Beijingers are not afraid. There are crop canals, and there are reeds between the crops, and some reeds actually grow to the sand dunes. This is the Jiang River, and there are many reeds overwhelming the sky. After passing the thirty-fourth regiment, there are many poplar trees along the road. The Tarim River can be seen in the Argan service area (150 kilometers away from Ruoqiang). . On the road, I drove off the road to see Populus euphratica forest. The seemingly flat and solid sandy ground was easy to cover the car. Even with four-wheel drive, I couldn’t get out in the sandy ground. There was no one around, and no cars passed by. They all came out under the wheels, and never dared to drive on the sand again. When it was 87 kilometers away from Ruoqiang, the Populus euphratica forest suddenly disappeared, and the yellow sand on both sides of the road suddenly lost its vitality. We are approaching Ruoqiang County. There are wetlands and lakes along the roadside. The scenery is beautiful and there are many water birds. It is about 10 kilometers away, which is suspected to be in the south of the Yangtze River. It is reminiscent of a section of road in Wuhan East Lake. Compared with the previous yellow expanse, it seems to have changed the world. Stay at the hotel in Ruoqiang County for 160 yuan for double breakfast. During dinner, I heard from the boss that the lake was formed by diverting water. In order to save the Populus euphratica forest, I bought water from the upper reaches, so there is only water along the Tarim River along the way. Ruoqiang is the largest county in Xinjiang and the smallest in population.
Wild Ducks on the Yili River
On the 25th (the 16th day), the departure time is 9:30, and the mileage is 7345. Leaving the county along 218, the road was closed for 1 hour after a military exercise. Walk along 315 out of Ruoqiang for 100 kilometers and cross Nvguo Bridge. There is a lot of wind and sand here, and it rustles on the car. As far as the eye can see is a vast Gobi. The outside of the car is 37 degrees. The hot wind blows through and feels like entering a dryer. After crossing the No. 4 and No. 3 bridges in Lop Nur, turn left at No. 2 bridge S235 in Lop Nur, and we will go straight to Lenghu. There is a large lake with light blue water near Dos, and there is an oil field kowtow machine on the roadside. Crossing the cliffs and entering the desert and Yardang landform area, the yellow sand sweeps across the road like water. There are very few cars on the road, occasionally a big truck passes by, and most of them go to the road of Golmud at Mangya. I boarded S305 at 6:00 p.m., and have traveled 500 kilometers so far, taking eight and a half hours. 50 kilometers away from Lenghu Lake is the Erboliang Yadan Landform Scenic Spot. Nine kilometers away from Lenghu Town, enter the Yardang Landform Area to take pictures. The Yardang Landform here is the largest original ecology in Asia, and its official name is Lenghu Yadan . The resident population of Lenghu Town is only a few hundred people, and only one street is very deserted. It costs 140 yuan to stay at Chuanjia Hotel in Lenghu Township, regardless of breakfast, and a bowl of noodles for breakfast is 12 yuan.
On the 26th (the seventeenth day), the journey was 7,985 kilometers. When I left the town, I encountered the strictest inspection since I traveled, and almost confiscated the fruit knife. There are basically no cars on the S305 road. There is a Sugan Lake 180 kilometers away from Dunhuang, which is a saltwater lake. It costs 10 yuan to park. There are so many mosquitoes here that you run away, and there are so many mosquitoes in Lenghu Town for some reason. At 11 o'clock, turn over the present mountain, enter Dunhuang on the red grid line, and then get on the G3011 expressway, so far
The average fuel consumption of the line is 7.8. Living in Zhangye, I saw the Bell and Drum Tower originally called Jingyuan Tower in the city, imitating the construction of the Bell and Drum Tower in Xi'an. Living in Brilliance International Hotel is 305 yuan per room without breakfast, and you can see the snow-capped mountains from the window.
Have you tried it? A kind of noodle dish called Yuyu, with beef soup and sauce, it’s delicious.
On June 27 (the 18th day), the start was 8840 kilometers. Take National Highway 227 towards Menyuan, and the snow mountain is always on the right side of the road. After crossing the Erboling pass in the Qilian Mountains, at an altitude of 3685, I feel short of breath. Pass through Ebao Town to the west, Qilian River Valley to the south, and head towards Menyuan Xining. There is Yong'an Ancient City 25 kilometers away from Menyuan Huahai Scenic Area. The scenery in this area is similar to the alpine grassland in the southern section of Duku Highway, but it is much inferior to Duku. Looking at the Haomen River from the viewing platform, the rapeseed will enter its full flowering period on July 15. Climb Daban Mountain and stay in Dingxi.
Started at 9520 on the 28th. The speed limit of Lianhuo in Gansu section is 120 kilometers. If you want to practice cornering skills, please come to Lianhuo. The scenery from Tianshui to Baoji is good, and you can have your own lunch at Taohuaping. There are many tunnels from Tianshui to Baoji, and the scenery is like the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi. Live in Jiexiu Vienna Hotel.
On the 29th (the twentieth day), the departure mileage is 10531, and there are still 630 kilometers to go home. The entire journey took 20 days and traveled 11,161 kilometers.
