"Chop through the moss and steal a piece of sky from him."
Rivers, lakes and seas, picturesque mountains and rivers, this is a trip worth skipping work to wander. After staying at home for a long time, why not steal a piece of the sky from him~
Let's go, let's steal his ten-day "Long Mountains, Chaotic Clouds, Green Mountains". Starting from Lanzhou, Gansu all the way, passing through Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Xinjiang Turpan, Urumqi, Tianshan Tianchi 10-day journey~ (although it was a journey in July 2017, but because My wife is so beautiful, I have always wanted to record it, I was procrastinating and finally finished this travel note in July two years later)
Day1: Lanzhou
On the first day, I arrived in Lanzhou in the middle of the night due to the long delay of the plane. The Lanzhou beef ramen that I was thinking about could only be eaten the next day. As a meat + pasta lover, I really like my Great Northwest. All kinds of pasta and meat are really good (I can’t help but lick my mouth in retrospect)?
Because I went to Xining the next day, I didn't have a good time to visit Lanzhou, so I feel a little regretful. but! It can be the driving force for the second time~
Day2: Xining
Xining, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the only place to pass through the South Silk Road and the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road. There are also many unique folk customs of Tibetan Buddhism along the way, which is really beautiful.
Kumbum Monastery is a well-known center of Tibetan Buddhism in Northwest China. Its name in Tibetan means "Maitreya Temple where one hundred thousand lions roar Buddha statues". Kumbum Monastery has butter flowers, murals and pile shows as its three unique features. It is really grand and magnificent. In order to respect religious culture, many places inside are not allowed to take pictures, but not only art and culture, there are also colleges for studying Buddhism, medicine, architecture, etc. You can experience a very complete system of Tibetan Buddhism in all aspects.
Kumbum Monastery is well worth a visit. Friends who are interested in religious culture can really spend a day in it, because it is really big.
After coming out of Kumbum Monastery, head all the way to Qinghai Lake, ready to watch the sunset.
However, although it is July, the night in Qinghai Lake is really cold, cold, cold? After taking a picture of the sunset, I was so cold in the wind that I had to go to the hotel and buy a big wool shawl to wrap myself up, thinking that I had to save my life to watch the sunrise.
Day3: Chaka Salt Lake
After breakfast in the morning, I looked at the beautiful scenery of Qinghai Lake all the way to the next place: Chaka Salt Lake. (By the way, it is really not cold during the day, the temperature difference between morning and evening is too big)
Chaka Salt Lake, known as the skyland, is China's Bolivia skyland. However, with the reasons for tourists to visit, the water quality will become turbid (the tour guide said: the salt in the water will be turbid if it is stepped on), so photographers who want to shoot big movies will go as early as May, At that time, there were fewer tourists, so the water quality would be clearer, and the sky was particularly pure.
I made a strategy before I came here, saying that wearing a red skirt looks the best, so I rummaged through the box to find a red skirt, and walked to Chaka Salt Lake with slippers on my feet haha.
However, the sky is not beautiful, there are too many clouds in the sky, the whole sky is blank, and the sky is reflected in a vast expanse of white.
Chaka Salt Lake also has many large salt sculptures, small salt mine carts, etc., you can experience it. But after getting into the water, there will be salt crystals on the feet. I checked my eyes, it is a salty foot hahaha.
Day4: Zhangye
The next morning, I took the train from Xining to Zhangye, which is located in the middle of the Hexi Corridor and enjoys the name of "Breaking the Arm of the Huns, Zhangye of China". In the afternoon, go straight to Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park and Binggou Danxia Scenic Area.
The Danxia landform here developed in the Jurassic to Tertiary period about 200 million years ago, and is dominated by bright red and reddish brown. It is really a brush of nature, a natural painting, so beautiful.
Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park is characterized by bright colors, while Binggou Danxia Scenic Area is famous for its unique shape and majestic momentum. Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park also has gliders, paragliders, etc. you can ride, and you can overlook the gorgeous colors of Danxia landform in the sky.
If the weather is fine, the sunlight refracts on the mountain peak at different times, and the color of the intersecting sunlight will change slightly. It can be said that it may present a different scene every moment. Many people come here to take photos of Danxia, from morning to night, under different lights. But the day I went was cloudy and sad.
Binggou Danxia is famous for its various poses and shapes. There are various shapes inside, such as turtles, camels, mushroom groups and so on. It is a test of imagination. It is really a lovely landform haha. The overall feeling is slightly similar to the mountains in Zhangjiajie.
Zhangye at night is of course gourmet. Rubbing fish noodles, Zhangye apricot skin water must be eaten!
Rubbing Fish Noodles is named after the shape of the noodles resembles small fish fry. There is a saying that goes, "If you don't go to the Great Wall, you are not a hero, and if you don't eat Rubbing Fish, you are not a Zhangye Khan."
Zhangye apricot skin water is also addictive. The color is beautiful amber, the taste is sweet and sour, and it produces body fluid and quenches thirst. It's so good that I'm bored with a bottle, and I want to have another bottle. After my mother came back, she couldn't forget this apricot skin water. She bought apricot skin water online, but it was not as good as drinking it in Zhangye. Friends who have the opportunity to go to the Northwest must drink a few bottles haha!
Day5: Jiayuguan
The next morning, it took about three and a half hours by car to arrive at Jiayuguan, the "No. 1 Grand Pass in the World".
The city walls on both sides of Jiayuguan's Chengguan pass across the Gobi Desert, connecting the Great Wall of Heishan to the north and the first pier in the world to the south. It is the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall. Because of the dangerous terrain, it is known as the throat of Hexi. Living in a place where the heroic feelings mentioned by countless ancient poems was concentrated, I was really excited. I felt like a general who was going to go to the Gobi to defend my family and the country haha.
Jiayuguan is very large, consisting of three lines of defense: the inner city, the outer city, and the moat. You can walk around for a long time inside. There are also cannons, turrets, and hidden compartments for crossbows on the towers. It may be that my self-entertainment skills are very good. Standing on the tower, I have rehearsed countless thrilling battles in my mind hahaha. There is also a very interesting one. When going up the tower, it is divided into a human path and a horse path. You can take a walk to see the horse path and experience how strong the ancient horses can run to such a high tower. The horse path is actually quite steep.
On the other side of Jiayuguan is the Gobi, where you can experience the bleak feeling of being outside the pass. It may be that I have too much emotion. When I saw the desolate Gobi outside the high city walls of Jiayuguan, countless ancient poems flashed in my mind, "Go north to the tall buildings to meet the wilderness, and the desert is like a palm."
Jiayuguan, awesome, one of the must-go places in life~
After that, I went to the Suspended Great Wall and the No. 1 Pier in the World. It may be that my energy has been exhausted in Jiayuguan. Without the strength to climb the hanging wall of the Great Wall, the first pier in the world is a bit boring.
Day6: Dunhuang
The drive from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang is relatively long, about 5 hours. Our driver and tour guide is from Dunhuang, so we chatted about customs and customs along the way and then slept for a while, 5 hours is still very fast. The road to Dunhuang is very monotonous. There are two roads one way and one way back. Next to it is the desolate Gobi. There is nothing, and no one talks. It is really easy to get sleepy. The driver also talked about the Yadan landform of the Gobi, the Gobi adventure tour, etc. (Since my mother took me to Yubeng, I feel that my spirit of exploration has been ignited. I am actually very interested in Gobi hiking, and I really want to go to Yadan Devil City)
At noon, we finally arrived - Shazhou Dunhuang!
Then, I ate a very, very delicious Dunhuang must: yellow noodles with donkey meat. I was taken to a particularly delicious yellow noodle shop with donkey meat by an old local driver. Then I added a portion of donkey meat in sauce and donkey meat on fire, and ate them all. It is worthy of being "dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground". It's so delicious that I want to cry! ?
After eating and drinking, I lay down in the hotel. Because I will go to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring later, in order to avoid the heat of Mingsha Mountain at noon, the recommended time to play is generally after 3 pm.
At about 4 o'clock, we entered Crescent Bay of Mingsha Mountain. I didn't bring a camera because I went to play in the sand. There are many fun items in it, such as glider, camel riding, sand boarding and so on. Like a small sand play park. I didn't take any photos because my hands were dirty playing in the sand.
I took a glider. In fact, this crescent moon is really small when viewed from the sky. The spring water in the desert is really amazing. Then I also rode a camel. My mount is a camel that likes to overtake and does not take unusual paths.
In the evening, I went to see a live performance called "Seeing Dunhuang Again". The performance is still very distinctive, the whole process is standing, walking into each scene, the experience is great. On the way to the show, the driver gave us Li Guangxing from home. It was really sweet and delicious. It is worthy of Dunhuang on the tip of the tongue!
Day7: Mogao Grottoes
Came to Dunhuang, isn't it just to get a glimpse ofIs the Mogao Grottoes a great collection of Buddhist art and culture? The texts I have read in Chinese textbooks since I was a child will be vividly displayed in front of my eyes, and I am excited again.
Before entering the Mogao Grottoes, I will go to the spherical theater to watch the documentary of Mogao Grottoes. I have to say that the current technology is too advanced, and the spherical theater has 10,000 likes. It's like flying into the various caves of Mogao Grottoes in person. Buddha statues, murals, and colors are displayed in front of you. People have to admire this collection of artistic architecture and Buddhist culture.
When visiting the grottoes, various commentators lead a team of people into the caves to explain. Unlike other places, the commentators of Mogao Grottoes are really full of enthusiasm for the culture and art here. They are familiar with every cave they explain and exchange their opinions with tourists. It is not simply to let tourists understand the stories of each cave, but to guide tourists with our love for Mogao Grottoes culture, so that we respect, understand and are willing to protect Mogao Grottoes. The commentator of our team also likes to ask questions, and the quizzes are always in progress, trembling. .
The beauty and magnificence of Mogao Grottoes cannot be described in words. With admiration for the wisdom of ancient skilled craftsmen, I feel that my IQ is worrying.
Mogao Grottoes are worth remembering for a long time, until... I went to eat Huyang stewed pancakes!
Now the name of Shazhou Dunhuang has been ranked below Dunhuang on the tip of my tongue in my heart. Why is the food in Dunhuang! in this way! tasty! Under the leadership of the old local driver, we went to eat Huyang stewed cakes. It is simply a gluttonous feast of mutton, served with apricot skin water, it is so delicious! The large piece of lamb has a strong and warm taste, and it is paired with a thin dough, which is gentle and smooth to wrap the hot and unrestrained lamb, and the lamb soup is completely integrated into the dough, without the smell of lamb. Full marks, I give full marks! Served with a bottle of apricot skin water, it is sweet and sour and delicious. boss! Can I have another plate~?
After eating and drinking enough, I reluctantly said goodbye to Dunhuang. Because I’m going to go to Turpan by train soon, I’m starting to talk about Xinjiang on the tip of my tongue hahaha~
I have to say, Turpan is really, really hot. This time, the driver and tour guide in Xinjiang is an enthusiastic guy of the Hui nationality, who drove us to start a passionate journey in Huozhou~
Day7: Turpan, Xinjiang
Jiaohe Ancient City is the largest and best-preserved native building in the world. It is really amazing to be able to build a city with earth. Due to the dry climate and little rain in Turpan, the city seems to have remained intact in the abandoned Yuan Dynasty.
An earthen city with no shelter under the hot sun on Huozhou is really courageous. There are some rooms in Tucheng that are open to visit, and the interior is very, very cool (I don't want to go out). This is a very large city, and the former prosperity can be vaguely constructed by imagination.
Then I went to Karez Folk Custom Garden and Grape Valley. In the hot summer, of course I want to eat grapes to relieve the heat.
Karez is an irrigation system that develops and utilizes groundwater. Rainwater or water from the melting snow on the mountains in spring and summer moistens the hot island of fire along the Karez. It is a very powerful project! There is a lot of knowledge about the groundwater irrigation system in the Karez Folk Garden, and you can also visit the underground channels, which is quite fun.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, we went to Huoyan Mountain?. Huoyanshan sells eggs in sand nests, and I, who was already dazed by the heat, seemed to be the hard-boiled eggs baked in the sand.
The scenic spot of Huoyan Mountain is actually a bit monotonous, but in order to experience the heat, I still came to check in. I took this picture in a hurry and hid in the underground viewing area. My mother was in good spirits and ran out for a stroll, and she was convinced later. There should be some bronze sculptures of Journey to the West characters outside.
When I came out of the Huoyan Mountain, I collapsed in the car and set off for Urumqi. Along the way, there are many discarded tires on both sides of the road. Are they all hot and burst? Poor tires.
When I arrived in Urumqi at night, I was refreshed again. Mutton skewers, big plate chicken, grilled naan, am I coming?
Not much to say about the well-known Xinjiang famous dish, Dapan Chicken. The essence of this time in Urumqi is roasted naan! It's the kind that is randomly placed on the street, and you put your money in a small box and pack the naan by yourself. It is very fragrant and delicious. It was so delicious that my mother was fascinated by the naan, and finally took five naan before leaving hahaha.
Day 9: Tianshan Tianchi
Today's itinerary is very easy. I went to Tianshan and then visited the Grand Bazaar.
Tianshan is to take a bus for a section first, and then climb a section up the mountain. In fact, you can climb up, but you are too tired (lazy). It was cloudy again when I went there, but I really realized the beauty of "heavy mountains and mountains". You can take a boat tour of the lake or take a walk along the lakeside trails. If you take a boat, you will stop at the sides of various mountains, and there will be pavilions on the mountains that you can climb up to watch. But I was lazy, so I didn't go (hands on hips confidently).
After getting off the Tianshan Mountains, I went to the Grand Bazaar. In fact, I have no interest in this kind of market. So, I went with my mother again! buy it! Naan~~~?
Day10: Go home
Playing for 10 days in a row, traveling across three provinces is actually a bit tiring. But it's really worth a visit! The travel notes I wrote two years later, I can’t remember many details of the trip at that time, I will try my best to keep notes as I play in the future.
To sum up, Northwest cuisine is my favorite (yellow noodles with donkey meat, stewed Huyang cake, apricot skin water! Recommended by all stars), and the places I strongly recommend are Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Dunhuang. I love Daxibei and will definitely come again in the future!
