2021 Grand Tour—June 6: Dachaidan Emerald Lake, U-shaped Highway (6/6)
The place to go in the next 3 days is an unknown area for me, and the driving time between the scenic spots is relatively long. Fortunately, the sun in the northwest does not rest until around 9 pm, and the time to play every day is also relaxed.
Today we plan to go to Dachaidan Emerald Lake, Dongtai Jinel Lake, and finally stay at the RV camp in Wusute Water Yadan Scenic Area. Reservations for Water Yardang RV Camp and Mangya Hotel were only opened in May this year, and the itinerary for these two days was also restricted due to early booking.
It is about 410 kilometers from Chaka Town to Dachaidan Emerald Lake, and the driving time is about 4 hours. Dachaidan Emerald Lake is also a salt lake. The large and small brine ponds present different colors such as green, blue, yellow and brown due to the difference in mineral element content, just like pieces of crystal clear jade. Parking is convenient in the scenic spot, and the visitor center is complete. The service staff told us that tickets are not charged, and the sightseeing car is 40 yuan, emphasizing that it is "voluntary consumption". With such a good attitude, you must support it.
The sightseeing car took us to the farthest place, which should be next to a heart-shaped pool of Internet celebrities, but it seems a little deformed. The wind was very strong, so I quickly released the drone and managed to take a few photos. In less than five minutes, the original blue sky suddenly disappeared, followed by violent wind and rain. Quickly collect the drone and take the sightseeing car back to the visitor center.
This section of the road is not long, and you should be able to see more beautiful scenery on the return walk. The service staff said that the rain might last for a while, so we had to leave with regret.
The car drove more than ten kilometers, and it was sunny, but it could be seen that the Emerald Lake area was still covered with dark clouds. This kind of landscape with dark clouds in the east and sunshine in the west will often be encountered in the next few days. From Dachaidan Emerald Lake to Wusute Water Yardang Geological Park, you will drive southward on the Liuge Expressway for about 48 kilometers. After passing through Xiaochaidan Lake, turn to the westbound state road 315 at the Xiaochaidan Interchange and pass U on the way. Shaped highway and Dongtai Jinel Lake. From Interconnection to U-shaped highway, it is about 48 kilometers. You can find the point of interest of "U-shaped highway" on Gaode map, but Baidu does not. There are no parking and photo taking signs on both sides, but it still can't stop everyone's enthusiasm for taking pictures.
It is about 120 kilometers from the U-shaped road to Wusute Water Yadan. Jinel Lake in Dongtai is 25 kilometers in front of Yadan on the water. When it was about to arrive, I saw a black cloud in the distance in the distance, and the boundary with the blue sky next to it was very clear. I wanted to take a picture of this spectacle, but just as I opened the door, the wind blew me away, and the motorcycle riders on the road were also blown to the side of the road. It turned out to be a sandstorm, but today I have seen all kinds of extreme weather.
To stay in the Yadan Scenic Area on the Water, you need to buy a ticket of 60 yuan first, and then let you go after registering the license plate number. When driving into the Shuishang Yadan Scenic Area, I asked the security guard: "Isn't it like this every day?" "No, every three to five times." It seems that it is not easy to encounter good weather in the Qaidam Basin. At ten o'clock in the evening, through the front windshield of the RV, you can see that the outside is still "flying with flags and flags" and the dust is full. Not only can you not visit Yadan on the water, but your expectation of taking pictures of the Milky Way has once again failed.
There is a Dongtai service area in front of Dongtai Jinel Lake, and you can refuel nearby. If you want to drive to Mangya by yourself, you must fill up the gas here, because from here, you will not see a gas station until 100 kilometers before Huatugou Town in Mangya.
