In September 2020, the weather is getting cooler and the domestic epidemic situation is under control quite stable. There is definitely no way to go out abroad, and the demand for travel that has been held back for a long time is being released. Thinking that there will be huge crowds of people during the National Day holiday, it is better for us "retirees" to take the initiative to travel on a staggered peak.
I went to the Qinghai Ring Road in Gansu Province in 2011, and then took a special trip to Qilian Mountain. This time I went three times and three times. Our companions have never been there, and we found out from the Internet that there are many new attractions on the route that we have never been to, which is also an important reason that attracts us to take the loop again.
Thinking about the great changes in the country in the past ten years, and the theory of two mountains in these years, poverty alleviation, many places in the west will have a new look, and there will be many surprises waiting for us.
Our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Fly from Shanghai to Xining, pick up the car at Xining Airport, visit Kumbula National Park, stay at Hampton by Hilton Xining
Day 2: Xining-Delingha, visit Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake along the way, stay at Aike Quality Hotel in Delingha
Day 3: Delingha - Dachaidan, see Crook Toso Lake, Wusute Water Yardang, Dongxitai Jiner Lake, Xiaochaidan Lake, live in Dachaidan Vienna Hotel
Day 4: Dachaidan - Dunhuang, see Emerald Lake, cross Dangjin Mountain, Yangguan Ruins, live in Dunhuang Wansheng International Hotel
Day 5: Rest in Dunhuang, visit Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain, live in Dunhuang Wansheng International Hotel
Day 6: Dunhuang-Zhangye See colorful Danxia, live in Zhangye Huachen International Hotel
Day 7: Rest in Zhangye, Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, live in Zhangye Huachen International Hotel
Day 8: Zhangye-Qilian, see the autumn scenery of Zhuoer Mountain, live in Qilian Hotel
Day 9: Qilian-Xining Xianmi National Park Stay at Hampton by Hilton Xining
Day 10: Back to Shanghai
Except for the ninth day because of the weather (rainy and snowy), I didn't go to Chengxianmi National Park, please let the good weather go well in other places. Because there is plenty of time, the itinerary is not very rushed, and there are two days of rest in Dunhuang and Zhangye. The weather during the whole itinerary is neither cold nor hot, and the blue sky and white clouds are always with us. It is also a pleasant revisit trip.
I think of my travels nine years ago. At that time, I was very obsessed with SLR cameras. Every time I travel, I must bring two cameras and different lenses (but the camera function of mobile phones was not very good at that time), but now I basically only travel with a mobile phone. Done. In the process of traveling, carrying a camera is actually not an easy task, it is heavy, and it is troublesome to change the lens. As the camera function of mobile phones is getting better and better, now I don’t want to bring SLR more and more. Look at the travel, almost all the old people who carry long guns and short guns are enthusiasts in old universities, and young people are more likely to bring drones. However, some scenic spots cannot fly drones because of the helicopter project. The photos of our trip were all taken by mobile phones and drones.
The road condition of this trip is also better than nine years ago. Whether it is a national highway or a provincial highway, not to mention the high speed, there are few cars on the road and the road conditions are good. The mood of driving is also pleasant. Except for a section, there is a section of sandy soil road near Dunhuang after leaving Qinghai and entering Gansu. In fact, the expressway on the side has been built, and it is not open for some reason. Fortunately, it is only 6 or 7 kilometers, which is a tolerable distance.
All the accommodation this time was booked on Ctrip. Except for the hotel in Qilian, which was slightly worse, the other hotels were very satisfied. This is much better than the accommodation situation when I first came to Northwest. The accommodation in Delingha and Dachaidan Especially to our satisfaction.
Thinking of the first time I came to Qinghai and Gansu, places like Dachaidan, which I only knew on the map, did not expect to have good accommodation conditions at all, but now, the newly built hotels in many places can basically meet the conditions of cleanliness and sanitation , more luxurious and hotels that meet different needs. The northwest is relatively arid compared to the south of the Yangtze River. The hotels I stayed in this time have humidifiers, which is also a pleasant surprise.
The only thing that I think is insufficient is the toilets along the way, which is also due to the lack of water in the Northwest. There are still many dry toilets, and the sanitary conditions are not satisfactory. There are also environmentally friendly toilets in the scenic area, but the taste will not be so good. I hope the local government will still To continue to improve it.
In terms of diet, for us non-meat eaters, there are relatively few choices. Most of the diet here is mutton and beef. Of course, it is very satisfying to eat what we like, but it is more painful for us. Fortunately, there are other options in various places. You can even eat Jiangsu and Zhejiang restaurants in Delingha and Qilian counties, and seafood is available downstairs in the hotel where you live in Xining. With the development of logistics, vegetables and delicacies from all over the world can be eaten. Of course, the beef noodles in Northwest China must also be tried.
Below are photos of each attraction.
Kanbula National Forest Park is a 1.5-hour drive from Xining for free
This park seems to be in an unmanaged state now. When we entered, there were no tickets, no tourist facilities, and everything was in a state of desertion. The car can drive in all the way, there are several viewing platforms, and you can see the Lijiaxia Reservoir. The uniqueness of this park lies in the combination of the Danxia landform and the clear water of the Yellow River. The impression of the Yellow River water has always been turbid, but here you can see the clear Yellow River water, the green lake water and the Chuhong mountains complement each other, and it is even more amazing when the sun is shining.
Qinghai Lake
We didn't enter the scenic spot, but just drove by along the lake around Qinghai Lake. We can overlook Qinghai Lake from the car. There is no need to spend money to enter the scenic spot. Without the background of rape flowers, Qinghai Lake is a bit monotonous. If there is no commanding height, the photos taken will not look good. There are still some scattered rapeseed flowers on the side of the road that were circled by the locals as props for shooting. I don’t know that rapeseed flowers can still bloom so late. We stopped temporarily on a free viewing platform, and we can walk down to get close to Qinghai Lake. There are many water birds soaring on the water.
Chaka Salt Lake ticket 160 yuan (including small train round trip)
When I came to Qinghai in 2011, Chaka Salt Lake was not as hot as it is now. At that time, we went to the Mohe Salt Farm, where the car could drive all the way in without people, and the sun-dried salt was piled there, crystal clear in the sun.
Today is different from the past, Chaka Salt Lake is said to be comparable to Bolivia's Uyuni Salt Flat. But in fact, this sky is very affected by the weather and light, and the perfect photo can only be taken with brightly colored clothes as a foil. Helpless, none of us in our group are willing to be models, and we don't like to take portraits, so we can only find some passers-by to take pictures casually. The crowd in the scenic spot was turbulent and there were a large number of people arguing to grab a seat on the small train. According to the regulations, they were not allowed to enter the lake with bare feet to take pictures, but many people simply ignored the regulations and let themselves go freely. Not in a good mood to play anymore. It is a nice and quiet salt lake. It is estimated that the main business now is tourism rather than salt production. It is no longer the salt lake in my impression.
So, is it a good thing or a bad thing that a scenic spot is developed?
crooktoso l.
These are actually two lakes, Crook Lake and Toso Lake. They were free when they came here, but of course they have been circled as a scenic spot and charge a fee. In fact, they have been seen from a distance on the road. It is on National Highway 315. On the side, those who like bird watching can come here to find a quiet place. What makes these two lakes special is that Crook is a freshwater lake, while Lake Toso is a saltwater lake.
East-West Taijinel Lake Free
Go from Delingha to Dachaidan, and then turn to National Highway 315 at the intersection of National Highway 215 and National Highway 315, which is less than Dachaidan. The beautiful scenery along the way comes into view one after another. There are Xiaochaidan Lake, Wusute Water Yardang, East-West Taijinel Lake, Internet celebrity U-shaped highway, and Yardang landforms that can be seen everywhere. We drove all the way to Xitaijinel Lake, and then slowly returned to Dachaidan on the same road.
Xitaijinel Lake must be beautifully photographed by drones. Looking down from the air, it seems that a road has split the water surface. The lake water presents different colors on the left and right sides of the road. The color of the lake on one side is darker, while the other side is light. green. There are many waterfowl and wild ducks on the lake. They don't seem to be afraid of people. When they hear someone approaching, they approach them one after another, as if they want to beg for some food. The wind around the lake is very strong, you need to pay attention.
After looking at Xitai Lake and then looking at Dongtai Lake, it seems that it is not so amazing. It is only on the side of the road, and the lake is not as good as Xitai Lake.
Wusu Te Water Yardang ticket 60 yuan (not including battery car)
Wusute Water Yadan is located in Duck Lake between Dongtai Jiner Lake and Xitai Jiner Lake, about 240 kilometers west of Dachaidan. It is unexpected that there is such a large lake in the vast desert in the northwest that it can be connect them. The image of the Yardang landform in the water is like a huge sea fleet, which is very spectacular. We did not take a battery car to go deep into the hinterland of the scenic spot. It is said that there is still nearly 17 kilometers to go inside. If time permits, this place should be worth spending a day to play slowly.
Xiaochaidan Lake Free
Xiaochaidan Lake is very close to Dachaidan Lake. It is on the edge of National Highway 215. There are also many water birds on the lake that are not afraid of people, waiting for tourists to feed them.
I have seen many lakes along the way. There are fresh water but most of them are salt water lakes. The color of the lake water is really amazing. The scenery on the road also makes people who have lived in the city feel fresh. A national highway 315, because of the ups and downs of the terrain, the national highway presents a U-shaped appearance, which attracts tourists to take pictures boldly in the middle of the highway, and frightens the drivers.
Emerald Lake is currently free
Emerald Lake is 12 kilometers away from Dachaidan, and it is named because the color of the lake is as clear and green as emerald. In fact, its scientific name is Ike Qaidam Lake, also known as Da Qaidan Lake. It also belongs to the saltwater lake, and the current scenic spot is free. But I have seen that the parking lot has been repaired and the small train is ready. It is estimated that there will be a fee in the near future. When we play, we can drive in by ourselves and drive one-way along the planned route.
This lake is also beautiful under the vision of drones, and our group feels that it is better than Chaka Salt Lake. As long as the light angle is right, this place can also be the realm of the sky.
Dunhuang
We finally came to Gansu. Mogao Grottoes and Mingsha Mountain are famous scenic spots. Needless to say, we have been there nine years ago, so we will not go again this time. According to my friends who have been there, the current attractions have been planned better. For example, Mogao Grottoes will let you watch a digital movie first to understand some historical content of Mogao Grottoes, and then there will be guides explaining different caves according to the different categories of tickets you bought.
Zhangye
Colorful Danxia is the most famous scenic spot in Zhangye, and we have already been there, so I won’t repeat it here.
In fact, what I want to recommend is another scenic spot in Zhangye:
Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon ticket 130 yuan (not including camel riding)
Its slogan is "comparable to the Grand Canyon of Colorado". When I first came to Zhangye, I didn't find this place. According to the people in the scenic spot, it was discovered in 2012, and then it was just developed in 2014. At present, it has only developed all the scenic spots. one tenth.
There are three routes to choose from in the scenic area. We chose the shortest and most dangerous route on foot. The other two routes are easier but slightly longer. You can ride a camel or take a car instead, which of course costs more.
The route we chose needs to climb two vertical steel ladders of nearly 60 meters. 60 meters seems to be okay, but it feels like climbing 200 meters! Don't force yourself if you are physically weak, there is still a very narrow stretch of sky, even if you are too fat, some people will not be able to squeeze through.
It is best to enter the scenic spot after 4 pm, when the light is the best and most suitable. Of course, the scenery will be much inferior without the sun. We just visited the Grand Canyon of Colorado in the United States last year. If we really want to compare, then I think they both have their own merits.
Drow Mountain ticket 80 yuan
Go east along National Highway 227, heading towards Qilian. National Highway 227 is one of the most American highways in China. Of course, it is the best during the rapeseed season. The golden Qilian Mountains in autumn are also very beautiful. Wait until you turn to the province of Qilian County Dao 302 is even more amazing.
Zhuoer Mountain Scenic Area is located in Qilian County. You can climb all the way up along the plank road. On the viewing platform, you can see the red Danxia landform and overlook the snow-covered Niuxin Mountain. The Tibetan name of Niuxin Mountain is also A Midonso.
The last part of our itinerary was to go to Xianmi National Park. It was raining when we set off from Qilian County in the morning, and then there were snowflakes. Everyone agreed that we should not go to Xianmi National Park in such weather conditions, so we went directly Back in Xining, the autumn scenery all over the mountains and plains along the way has a different kind of beauty in the rain, snow and fog.
This ten-day trip allowed me to see a more beautiful Northwest than before. There are still many places in Haixi Prefecture (such as Aiken Spring in Mangya) that are worth visiting again.
