Foreword:

It is really helpful for me to study some travel notes for traveling; so this time I recorded the bits and pieces of my itinerary, hoping to bring some real and useful information to my friends, and on the other hand, to record the bits and pieces of the journey ( Because I found that I couldn’t remember the route to Qinghai Lake last time, and it’s better to have a good memory than a bad pen).

Route: Zhengzhou-Xi'an-Lanzhou-Zhangye-Jiayuguan-Jiuquan-Ejina Banner-Yinchuan-Zhengzhou

Expenses (2 people):

Fuel fee ￥2,100.00 (Free highway during National Day holidays and cheap gasoline in Northwest, #95?7.01, Zhengzhou is?7.2) 

Accommodation ￥3,652.00 (The saved expressway fees are all used for the price-increased accommodation)

Scenic spot ticket ￥720.00     

Meals ￥1,360.00 (The hotel includes breakfast, and those who get up late eat a lot; so basically eat out once a day)  

Snacks and drinks ￥500.00     

Total ￥8,032.00     

Warm tips:

1. The temperature difference between day and night in the northwest! Everyone, check the weather and bring enough clothes; (the colorful/ethnic costumes are very photogenic)

2. Very dry and very dry! Do a good job of sun protection, drink plenty of water and eat fruits; necessary hats, sunglasses, masks, sunscreen, lip balm, body lotion

3. Necessary medicines for going out: cold and fever, stomach, band-aid, essential oil

4. The prices in the Northwest are not expensive, open to eat and drink~

5. Don’t easily buy gifts and special products in scenic spots. If you really want to buy them, you can buy them in local supermarkets

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    Day1 Stay in Xi'an - All Seasons Hotel Meal - Takeaway

In order to stagger the peak hours, I drove off after get off work and arrived in Xi’an to rest and rectify. After all, the next day was a tough battle (it took 10 hours to drive to Lanzhou). Except for the Westin where I lived in Xi’an for the first time, everything was All seasons, really cost-effective. The Japanese-style decoration style is simple, elegant and high-quality. I like it very much. The service and sanitation are great. The mattress is just soft and firm. The memory foam pillows and duvet are very comfortable. The toiletries are made of essential oils. I love the smell. The breakfast is also delicious. Not bad; and the location of all season hotels is generally not bad, and it is convenient to eat and drink around. The premium double room we chose this time is only 350/night during the peak period~

Because I have been to Xi’an before, I didn’t play it; if you come, I suggest you visit it, a city with a lot of history: Xi’an Museum (free), Terracotta Warriors (recommended to find an explanation, or ordinary people can’t understand anything) around the old city, Huaqing Pool Hot springs are a must!

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Day 2 Stay in Lanzhou—Jiji Hotel Meal—Malaoliu Halal Catering (not recommended)

Basically, when I come out to play, I will choose a better 5-star hotel when I go to a hotel for leisure, and the rest are all seasons. The decoration style and facilities of all his stores are the same. It is very comfortable for those who run continuously. The familiar smell and environment make people feel warm outside~

When you get off the expressway in Lanzhou and open the car window, you will be greeted by the smell of ramen, hahaha~ It really is the capital of ramen! After settling in, go to dinner. I chose "Ma Lao Liu" near the hotel. The mutton is good, and the handmade yogurt is not sweet and delicious, but it is not so amazing that I recommend it to everyone~

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Day 3 Accommodation - Zhangye Weiye "Na" (not recommended) Zhongshan Bridge - Baitashan Park - Yellow River Mother Statue - Lanzhou Museum Meal - Mogouyan Beef Noodles (very recommended)

Lanzhou, also known as "Golden City", is an important town on the ancient Silk Road. It is the only city where the Yellow River passes through the city. It is the fifth national-level new area in my country; The ramen we all love is the breakfast of Northwest comrades. We choose the time-honored "Mogouyan"; it is highly recommended, the taste is super, the soup is delicious, the gluten is good, and the meat is firm. After entering the door, you have to queue up to choose dishes and pay, and then take the list to another window to pick up the meal. Although there are many people in the store, the efficiency is still very fast ~ BTW, the ramen is still authentic, and the peppers are indispensable; the peppers here Is it spicy or not? If you don’t like spicy food, it is recommended to order less.

After eating our brunch, we will go for a walk in the famous classics. Zhongshan Bridge-Baitashan Park-Yellow River Mother Statue are actually together, one line, it is very convenient to visit! Zhongshan Bridge, also known as the Yellow River Iron Bridge (free of charge), was built in the late Qing Dynasty by German workers and the raw materials used in the construction were also transported from Germany. It still retains the original black iron bridge body and is the first bridge for the Yellow River; at night The lighting is also beautiful.

After crossing the bridge, you will arrive at Baitashan Park (free of charge). After climbing to the top, you can see the panoramic view of the Zhuang and Liao Dynasty in Lanzhou City. Those who can’t climb can also pay for the cableway. The White Pagoda on the top of the mountain has 7 floors and is 17 meters high. It was built to commemorate the death of Kublai Khan here; if there is enough time, it is recommended to climb it. We have not gone up because we have been to the museum and have to rush to Zhangye. Think about it next time~ hahaha

On the way to the museum, I passed the statue of the mother of the Yellow River. The statue of the mother and a baby boy symbolizes the endless growth and development of the Chinese nation! Especially on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China this year, I am filled with emotion. I am grateful to the motherland for allowing us to live a happy and healthy life!

If you drive to the Gansu Provincial Museum (free of charge), it is recommended that you park your car in the Lanzhou Central Shopping Mall opposite, there are many parking spaces and low fees; you can exchange tickets for free with your ID card, and you can also scan the QR code on WeChat. It is best to ask for an explanation when visiting the museum, otherwise you will not understand, haha~ The museum has three floors: Silk Road Civilization Exhibition, Gansu Buddhist Art, Gansu Painted Pottery, Paleontology, Red Gansu; the most famous ones are Silk Road, Buddhism, Painted Pottery, Of course, the most famous thing is our national treasure and the treasure of the town hall - Ma Ta Feiyan! It will take at least 4 hours for all the tours, please arrange your time reasonably. After shopping, there is a shop. The things they sell are really beautiful. You don’t want to miss them, especially the bookmarks. You want them all~~~ Each bookmark is created according to the prototype of the museum exhibits, which is very meaningful. ! After calming down, I chose 2: 49 yuan & 69 yuan~ Friends who are short on time can also buy them on Taobao (no discount).

Arrived in Zhangye at night and rushed to a restaurant with a high rating, but everything was sold out! Sure enough, during the peak period, we bought vegetable luncheon meat in a small supermarket near the hotel and cooked noodles in our room. It was so comfortable to bring a pot when we went out~~~ After arriving at this hotel, I found out that it was: Weiye "sodium"? It should have been before The franchise store later changed its own business. The room area is large and the decoration is not bad. It is quite clean, but it is very deserted around the new area. It is not bad to live in the city center at a price of more than 400. It is recommended to live in the urban area, and it is convenient to travel .

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Day 4 Accommodation—Jiuquan Oriental International (recommended) Zhangye Danxia Geological Park—Jiayuguan—Jiuquan Meal—hot in the city (don’t go)

The Great Buddha Temple in Zhangye City (tickets? 38) I think it is still worth visiting. It was built in the Xixia Dynasty and enshrined the largest indoor clay sculpture reclining Buddha in China. The Buddha is nearly 35m long and 8m wide. Lying alone; it's spectacular just to think about it! In addition, there are also murals of Journey to the West and a large number of Buddhist scriptures. We are short on time, and we didn’t go there because we live in the suburbs, so we still recommend that you live near the Great Buddha Temple for easy sightseeing!

In addition, Shandan County in Zhangye also has a "Shandan Army Horse Farm" that has been greatly popularized by us. I suggest that you can go to play in June and July; there is no grass in October, so we will put it next time, hahaha~ a lot Put it in the next time, it's also a thought!

After breakfast, I went straight to Zhangye Danxia Geopark (ticket? 75). Due to cloudy weather, I went there once in 2016, and Pangpang was not particularly interested. In addition, we saw the landforms inside in the parking lot. Go in, take pictures and leave~ Those who have never been there are still recommended to go, the landscape is very beautiful and shocking; it will be beautiful and beautiful on a sunny day! The Danxia landform belongs to the red bed landform. After long-term weathering, stripping and water erosion, the red sandstone forms steep and strange rocks; it presents bright light red, reddish brown, yellow, etc., colorful and majestic! Zhang Yimou likes to learn Buddhist scriptures in the Northwest. His "Three Guns Surprise" was filmed here. Director Zhang's vision is trustworthy~ I suggest everyone go on a sunny day. It is best to watch the sunrise or sunset. It is so beautiful!

Fat Pang somehow navigated to a hidden "Qilian Mountain" on the way to Jiayuguan. As a result, we drove halfway and the road was closed, but the scenery along the way was very beautiful. You can see the Qilian Mountains in the distance, and the red ones at the bottom Danxia landform, the height is green hills, the top of the mountain is white snow; layers of colors, beautiful! The grassland on both sides of the road has no grass, and it is all fenced off with a sign that grazing is prohibited. The grassland is indeed seriously damaged. Take care of the environment and travel in a civilized manner!

We simply ate something in the car and went to "Jiayuguan-the No. 1 Xiongguan in the World" (ticket? 110). We all like to call it No. 1 in the world, haha~ Since the No. 1 pass in the world is Shanhaiguan, then we are the No. 1 Xiongguan in the world! The city walls on both sides of Jiayuguan Chengguan cross the desert Gobi, connecting the Great Wall of Heishan in the north and the first pier in the south. It is the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall. It was once called the throat of Hexi in history. It is also known as the lock and key of the frontier. Jiayuguan is the transportation fortress of the ancient "Silk Road", one of the three wonders of the Great Wall of China (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, and Jiayuguan in the west). 

Jiayuguan was built in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372). It consists of the inner city, outer city, Luocheng, Wengcheng, moats and the Great Wall on the north and south wings, with a total length of about 60 kilometers. Towers, abutments, and castles of the Great Wall are dotted all over the place. The inner city, outer city, and moat are three lines of defense that overlap and defend, forming a trend of "five miles, one tower, ten miles, one pier, thirty miles, one fort, and one hundred miles, one city." defense system. There are 14 archery towers, enemy towers, turrets, attics, and gates built on the inner wall of Jiayuguan. There are guerrilla generals' mansions, well pavilions, and Wenchang Pavilions in the Guancheng, and Guandi temples, archways, and theater towers are built outside the east gate.

A magnificent and beautiful landscape in the desert Gobi, looking at this city, imagine how many heroic spirits were buried here to defend the country against the Huns; I am filled with emotion, the happy and healthy life of the people in the city is guarded by how many soldiers we cannot see ! Salute to our country, to those who protect us! ! !

It is quite big here, and it takes at least 3 hours to visit; at sunset, the golden light scattered on the city wall is so beautiful that it seems to have crossed in a trance ~ "The desert is solitary, the long river sets in the sun" is tragic and beautiful (although it is To describe the scene of Juyanhai in Ejina, I think it is also applicable here!). When we were about to evacuate, suddenly the lights came on, it was so beautiful! Therefore, I suggest that you stay longer after shooting the sunset to take a night view!

Back in Jiuquan City, I wanted to eat hot pot. I searched for hot pot in the whole city, and the ranking was really good; but it was really hard to eat! I really can't chew the meat, no matter how long it is cooked, I can't chew it, and there is no meaty smell, and the pee beef balls are really unpalatable! Strongly not recommended! ! ! do not go! ! !

I stayed at Jiuquan Dongfang International Hotel at night. The price of ?300 including breakfast for two is really friendly~ An old-fashioned hotel with excellent service and breakfast. However, it has been around for a long time, and the hardware facilities are a bit old~ The bedding is good, and I have to travel all day The happiest thing is to sleep beautifully, hehe~~~

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Day5 Accommodation—Ejina Banner Silk Road North Line Camp (recommended) Ejina Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Area (very recommended)

Get up in the morning and leave Populus euphratica forest when you are full. It takes about 5 hours to drive to Jiuquan. When we arrived, there was a traffic jam in the scenic spot, and it was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon when we entered the scenic spot. Play fast~~~ The scenic spot of Populus euphratica forest is very large , If you play carefully? It really takes a day to take good photos; everyone should come early. This year is relatively warm. When we went, the leaves were beautiful even before they were all yellow. I really look forward to seeing them all yellow! Wear bright colors or pure white when taking pictures, it’s better to see the contrasting colors!

"Waiting for three thousand years is only for your arrival." Hahaha, this slogan is also affectionate enough. Populus euphratica has a beautiful saying that "it will not die for three thousand years when it is born, it will not fall for three thousand years after it dies, and it will not die for three thousand years after it falls." Populus euphratica is a plant with strong vitality, resistant to high temperature, severe cold, drought, acid and alkali, etc. Even if there is water after death, it can be resurrected; in addition, the leaves are also very distinctive. It has three shapes of leaves: willow leaves and ginkgo Leaf, maple leaf ~ everyone can observe it~

The ticket price is ?240 including the bus. We bought the ticket with Ctrip one day in advance, and the coupon discount is ?10 yuan. If you can save it, you can save it~ hee hee. The scenic spot is divided into 8 bridges to play: one bridge is the scenery as soon as you enter, and the area is very large: the reflection forest, strange forest, etc. are here; the Populus euphratica tree is thick and strange in shape, very shocking, suitable for filming, here Personally, I suggest that you can leave more time to play and take pictures. Go all the way to Erdaoqiao and take a bus to Sidaoqiao. Erdaoqiao is the place to take the bus. Sandaoqiao will pass by and you can go sightseeing in the car (without stopping to drop off passengers). The famous Sidaoqiao is our national treasure. The location where Director Zhang filmed "Heroes", the Populus euphratica tree here is the thickest in the entire forest area, and it is heroic~ The area of ​​Sidaoqiao Scenic Area is not particularly large, and the Populus euphratica tree was not completely yellow when we went there. So the overall feeling that this attraction is not as good as others. Next, go to Qidaoqiao by car (Wuliudaoqiao is a homestay hotel in the scenic area, etc.). The Qidaoqiao scenic spot is also very large. The Populus euphratica here is relatively small and quite satisfactory; but fortunately, the leaves are basically yellow. Well, there is a lot of water in this area, so it is really beautiful. Everyone was very excited when they got out of the car, and turned on the crazy photo mode~ At dusk, the afterglow sprinkled on the water, the golden beauty is extremely beautiful; it seems to have a soft light filter! Here I suggest that you can stay a little longer, the Populus euphratica is beautiful enough to take pictures; the next stop is Badaoqiao. The last stop - Badaoqiao "Sand Sea Kingdom", as the name suggests, is for playing with the sand; friends with children will have fun, riding camels, sand boarding, desert off-road vehicles, etc. ~ In the evening, the sunset at the high place, the Cheng at the low place The camels in the row are really artistic; the more wonderful thing about this place is that you can see a river next to it when you go to a high place, another beautiful scene in the desert.

Finally, I took a car back to a bridge. There were too many people. I had to wait for 30 minutes. It is recommended that the scheduling of the scenic spot be better. After all, most people are at Badao Bridge at this time. It is best to transfer the car in advance~ We left the scenic spot at 8:30 and spent nearly 5 hours playing; the time was still a bit tight, we mainly took pictures of the scenery, and we didn’t have time to take good pictures of the characters. Many people queued up to take pictures of the particularly beautiful scenery, so we had to give up. The overall feeling is still a scenic spot worth visiting~

The hotels in the urban area are really too expensive. According to the reviews, the environment and facilities are all unsatisfactory; we chose the "Silk Road North Line Camp Hotel" which is a little farther away. It is about 30 minutes' drive from the Populus euphratica Scenic Spot and is located in another Populus euphratica Scenic Spot , here mainly to see the strange forest, the ruins of Heishui City; the ticket is ?180. The hotel does not include tickets, and we can’t enter the scenic spot~ We encountered a strange forest on the way to the Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Spot, so we didn’t go here. Friends who have enough time suggest that you can still play here and Juyanhai of. Is the hotel? 1049 cabins with two breakfasts included. It is very distinctive. The facilities are very good, it is hygienic and clean, and the level of toiletries is quite high. There are also RVs available here, which is really unique, haha. Populus euphratica forest is the best period in the first half of October, with many tourists and few accommodations; so the price has skyrocketed by more than 5 times.

Because it was too cold, we went straight to the hotel to cook noodles! Go straight to Alxa tomorrow.

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Day6 Accommodation—Li Feng (good) Alxa—Heroes Club Meal—Iron Cap Barbecue (Super Recommended)

The Alxa League is composed of: Alxa Left Banner, Alxa Right Banner, and Ejina Banner. Banner means "county" in Mongolian. Alxa's hero meeting in recent years is really famous. I saw a lot of cars to participate in this large-scale event along the way. When we arrived, the event just ended. Although there was no big excitement, we also felt the enthusiasm of off-road enthusiasts on the road. All kinds of modified cars are really shocking. The good Rolls-Royce and Bentley are changed into Bigfoot. I am so envious of the happiness of the rich! 

The road from Ejina to Alxa is really easy to drive, the road is wide and there are few cars, and the view is invincible! There are endless deserts on both sides. From time to time, there will be sandy slopes, camels, small rivers, and rocky landforms in the middle~ the most beautiful scenery is on the road! When I was about to arrive in Alxa, I encountered a small surprise "Jilantai Salt Lake" and saw a large white lake from a distance. I suggest that you can turn in and have a look. There are no tickets; you can also visit the process of salt mining. .

Only members can enter the Alxa Heroes Association during the event, and there are labels on the car; it seems that the membership fee is about ?120 and needs to be purchased in advance; there are music festivals, motorcycle shows, drone shows, fireworks, etc. After watching the video, it was really exciting~~~ We were already dismantling things when we went. Although Shengjing was not there, we still saw some vehicles speeding in the desert; I could feel the excitement of the drivers. What is worth mentioning here is that everyone should really care for our environment when they come out to play. What is very heartbreaking is that there are a lot of garbage in our desert, all kinds of fruit peels and confetti, and even diapers. . . We urge everyone to carry a garbage bag with you and pack your own garbage. There are many garbage cans on the side of the road to throw away.

Strolled around and returned to the urban area and chose the very popular "Iron Hat Barbecue". The small store has a very good business. We waited for about 20 minutes at 8:40. The most distinctive thing here is the meat. Apart from eating, there are "iron hats". It is said that the Mongolian soldiers had to go to war for several months, and they used the iron hats as cooking utensils on the way. The boss was inspired by this to open such a barbecue restaurant. It is really his wife who has local characteristics! It is more meaningful to integrate history, culture and local customs while eating barbecue! The barbecue here is different from ours in Japan and South Korea. It is a bit like frying and then putting it aside for continuous heating and roasting. The meat is very tender; the pork belly here is really delicious, you must order it! This meal is recognized as the most beautiful meal we have eaten in the Northwest!

I stayed at the Lavande Chain Hotel at night, which is considered relatively good in Alxa; during the holiday period? 680 a night without breakfast, which is still a bit expensive; the waiter said that it would cost more than 1,000 a few days before the National Day. Sure enough, the toll we saved made us feel The hotel earns. The hotel is a bit old, but what is more distinctive is that Lavande is equipped with smart devices: electric curtains, Bluetooth speakers in the whole house, and bathroom speakers that automatically sound after the bath boils, and stop when the water is turned off. One button turns on the light and one button turns off the light. It is quite convenient to use ; But I still prefer the whole season~~~

Depart Yinchuan tomorrow 1

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Day7 Accommodation - All Seasons Hotel (recommended) Tour - Drum Tower Meal - Xiaoyeliang Hand Grab (recommended)

Alxa is a 2-hour drive from Yinchuan. We went around to the Yellow River Ancient Ferry Tourist Area. After looking at the project, we found that it was very similar to our Yellow River Beach in Zhengzhou. It was mainly for playing facilities (the ticket package seems to be 240), so there is no Going to go straight to the hotel, but after the peak period, this time I booked the full season at the Drum Tower in the city center? 190 including double breakfast. Yinchuan is mainly used as a passerby, so I didn’t play much. The more famous scenic spots include Helan Mountain (because of the time and the wrong season, I didn’t go there, the Tomb of King Lanling (not particularly by the way), and the famous Zhenbei Fort Western Film City—the classic masterpiece of Westward Journey is here! (Did we not go by the way?), Changyu Winery (I really want to go to this place, you can taste wine and learn about red wine; you must go next time), We mainly visited two points in the urban area: Drum Tower and Chengtian Temple Tower.

After the hotel rectified and rested, we went to the Drum Tower on foot - Yinchuan's century-old key protected cultural relics, antique. It is located at the intersection of the pedestrian street in the city center and is similar to our Erqi Tower. If you live nearby or go shopping and eating nearby, it is recommended to go there. There is no need to go to the scenic spots. After strolling, I went to eat. I walked to the famous Xiaoyeliang Handcaught. I recommend it. I must order the handcaught mutton. It is very delicious, not smelly at all, tender and delicious, and Babao tea is also Ningxia's specialty, so big Gaiwan, sweet, delicious! I went back and bought some eight-treasure tea as gifts for relatives and friends~

The northwest is sparsely populated, the climate is dry, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. You can basically bring a thin down jacket in October; we still like it here, the air is good, the environment is clean, and the city is quiet. Walking at night is very comfortable ~

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Day 8 Tour Chengtian Temple Pagoda - Return to Zhengzhou

The breakfast in the whole season is pretty good, even if you are full, you won’t be hungry for most of the day~ The weather is super good, let’s go play—Chengtian Temple Pagoda is the prototype of the tower in the hands of the king of Lituo Pagoda in Journey to the West. It was built in Xixia, The tower is 64.5 meters high (I have to feel the wisdom of the ancients, it is as high as a 10-storey building ~), and the earthquake and war in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties did not affect him; The prototype was reconstructed to this day. It is located in the center of Yinchuan, very close to where we live. The entrance fee is ?10. If you want to climb the tower, you need ?20~ It seems that the price of the national day ticket has increased. We didn't go up, but went into the yard for a walk. The greenery is very beautiful. The tower It's still quite shocking, and the breath of history is blowing in the face~ It's a pity that several Buddhist temples in the park were not opened, and I don't know why. This ticket is still a bit tricky, after all, the tower can be seen from the outside!

Goodbye, Yinchuan~~~ This trip to the Silk Road in the Western Regions has come to a perfect end here!

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If you are not in time for the holidays, I suggest that you come to play in June-July~ the grassland is green and the sky will be more beautiful; or around October 15th, the Populus euphratica forest will be all yellow, golden and beautiful!

Tips: The evening in the northwest is really beautiful. The sunset glow is layered on top of each other, the sun is very red, and the surrounding area is surrounded by an endless and vast horizon. It is really magnificent! Friends who stay in bed and can’t see the sunrise must seize the best time to take pictures!

Finally, I look forward to seeing you again next time. I hope this travel note can give you some useful information; I wish you all a good time~