Preparatory chapter [On the road, all the way west and north! 】

Itinerary: Zhuhai, Guangzhou South, Xining, Riyue Mountain, Qinghai Lake, Rubber Mountain, Chaka Salt Lake, Ulan, Dachaidan Salt Lake, Devil City, National Highway 215, Dunhuang, Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Spring, Mogao Grottoes, Jiayuguan , The First Pier in the World, Chinese Peacock Garden, Xiongguan Monument in the World, Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, Biandukou Ski Resort, Qilian Mountain Prairie, Zhuoer Mountain, Lanzhou, Gansu Provincial Museum, Mother of the Yellow River, Zhongshan Bridge, Dazhong Lane

【Preface】

I haven't embarked on a journey for 2 years, my heart's longing, and because of a temporary rise, the journey that I just walked away, just unfolded like this.

Why choose the Great Northwest, because Zhuhai is hot at this time, I heard that the Great Northwest is very cool, and because of this, Lao Yang decisively decided to take the Qinggan Great Ring Road. So we embarked on a journey of 3,000 kilometers in 6 days.






Let's go! Because the train departed at 7:00 am, we got up and set off at 5:30 on the 29th (with the mood of getting up), and went to Gongbei Station to take the bus. Let's set off with a tired body~ Let go of work, let go of troubles, all you want is to let yourself go!


Lao Yang took the ID cards of both of us and took the whole ticket at the self-service ticket machine in one go! The high-speed rail takes 4 trips one way. Zhuhai-Guangzhou South-Lanzhou-Xining (Guangzhou does not have a direct high-speed train to Xining).

The self-service ticket machine is very convenient. (If there is a plan to change the ticket, it is best not to take out the whole ticket.)

This is a two-way ticket for one person. It is really not easy to save money. There are eight trips for the two-way ticket. Personal one-way about 1200.



It is very convenient to take a Didi taxi in the morning. It was still early when we arrived at Gongbei Station. Lao Yang is used to driving early, so we waited patiently. Gongbei Station, Gangzhen, at 6:30, all the shops are closed, and you can’t even buy a cup of coffee and milk tea. I plan to go to Guangzhou Nan to buy food.



It took an hour to arrive at Guangzhou South Railway Station, and the transfer time was 50 minutes, so I decided to have a hot breakfast at South Railway Station. The picture below shows Chaoshan beef brisket rice noodles, 38 yuan a night. I tasted it, and the taste is very ordinary. I think the food in the high-speed rail station is also a high-priced and ordinary-tasting thing.

After eating a bad breakfast, we have to plan for the next day's high-speed rail trip. So, Lao Yang Bing and I split into two ways, he bought Zhou Hei Ya, and I went to buy KFC. But goose, KFC only sells breakfast before 9 o’clock, only breakfast, so at the high-speed rail station you can see a figure running, that’s me, looking for something to eat, one minute before the ticket check, I bought bread and fruit . (Because I was in a hurry to go out, I didn’t prepare fruit the day before. Eating fruit on the road is especially suitable because it is easy to get angry, especially when taking a time-consuming transportation such as high-speed rail. If it’s not that the luggage is too heavy, I will bring the iPad)


With a single word, the 11-hour high-speed rail journey began.



He looked like he had never seen the world before: Wow, it's so fast, one hour out of the province.





At 6 p.m., the empty scenery here told us that we were approaching our destination, so excited. Because we didn't fall asleep on the high-speed rail that day, we were both very tired. There is no way, this is the way I have never seen the world.




Arrived in Lanzhou, it was not more than 9 o'clock. At this time, the Lanzhou station was empty. I ate a Dundex in a hurry. I regretted it later. I was too angry~ First impression: People in the Northwest are relatively slow , Even in this kind of chain store, the efficiency of the clerks is not high, which may have something to do with the character of the people in this place, leisurely. It takes 1 hour to transfer directly to Xining. We arrived in Xining at 10 o'clock. Master Liu came to pick us up. He felt the air in the northwest and felt cool. Zhuhai is going to be a hot dog for a while. Changed the environment, very excited, looking forward to tomorrow's trip.





　　　　　　　　　　　　　[DAY1: Newcomer, the plateau that the heart yearns for]

Riyue Mountain, Qinghai Lake, Rubber Mountain, Heimahe Township, Chaka Salt Lake, Ulan

Xining - Kumbum Monastery, Riyue Mountain, Daotanghe (Tar Monastery couldn't get in because of the traffic jam, so we left directly, the popular summer vacation, even if we went in, we couldn't walk, so our car didn't Hesitant to turn around; Riyue Mountain is the reason for not going to Tanghe River. From a distance, it is a small hill and Fengma Banner, and Daotang River is a small ditch. Our driver suggested to us that we can stay in other places for a while, Sunyue The ticket for the mountain is 60 yuan/person, and the ticket for Daotanghe is 40 yuan/person. In fact, it is not interesting. There are many more beautiful scenery along the way. Facts have proved that this is just the beginning, and there will be more beautiful scenery in the future. .)--Qinghai Lake--Chaka Salt Lake--Ulan (Su) originally planned to live in Heima River. The reason why the master does not recommend living in Heimahe: 1. No, there is only a very small possibility that you will see the sunrise on one day, and it has been raining for the past few days, so the possibility of seeing the sunrise is not high. 2. The accommodation in the small town of Heimahe is ridiculously expensive, the standard is not up to the guest house, and the room rate is more than five-star.



At 8 o'clock in the morning, Master Liu was picking us up and taking us to have a local breakfast in Qinghai. He said it was offal soup, and Lao Yang said it was mutton steamed buns~~~ It was the same for me, I didn't like it anyway, but the mutton tasted good.


So the two people who had never seen the world embarked on a journey on the Great Ring Road. The first stop, Kumbum Monastery, is very popular. Our car could no longer get in on the far road, so we decided to leave time for the beautiful scenery on the road and set off to eat yogurt on the grassland.


During the period, pass Riyue Mountain and Daotang River. Because there are too many people from a distance and the features are average, we gave up decisively. The master did not lie to us. Along the way, more beautiful mountains and more beautiful Fengma flags are everywhere.




The vast and sparsely populated Northwest is so attractive even on the highway. We went to a Tibetan family and ate yak yoghurt. The taste is not sweet, so white sugar needs to be added. I heard that Tibetans call beautiful women Dolma and handsome men Tashi.



This Dolma must have been a beautiful woman when she was young.



In the grasslands, water is not so convenient, and they all wash their hands like this. The toilet conditions are also...so be prepared.


Tibetan yurts. This is for receiving guests. Next to these yurts are Diaofang, a classic Tibetan house. There is also a yak shed behind the Diaofang.


The Fengma Banner behind the yurt was empty and began to have fun.



Before I set off, I read some ways to get along with Tibetans on the Internet. Some netizens mentioned that Tibetans are not simple now, but at least the Tibetans we met are very enthusiastic. Every ethnic group has its own customs. When going out, respect local customs and pay attention to safety. This is the most important thing. At least, this time Traveling Tibetans gave us the impression of simplicity and enthusiasm.





The vast grassland, connected to the blue sky, is like our computer desktop. In other words, this pure sky is suitable for computer desktops.



With this jump, Lao Yang jumped a little high, and he said he was dizzy...

Warning: just go to the plateau, you have to get used to it, you can’t run and jump~~~~~

Here, popular science about the matters needing attention on the plateau:

1. Just entering the plateau, do not overeat, so as not to increase the burden on the digestive organs, so that they can adapt to this environment well. It is best not to drink and smoke.
2. Eat more vegetables, fruits and other vitamin-rich substances, and drink plenty of water, the more the better, as long as you can bear it.
3. When you first arrive at the plateau, you should not walk quickly, let alone run, let alone do physical labor. It is best to spend half a day completely resting and resting. On the first night, you should go to bed early and get more sleep. This one starts with getting off the plane. Many people feel self-righteous when they get off the plane without any altitude sickness. As a result, the symptoms only appear at night, and it is too late to regret it.
4. When you first arrive at the plateau, you must prevent colds caused by cold. Cold is one of the main causes of acute high altitude pulmonary edema. The temperature difference in the plateau is very large, and it is easy to catch a cold and catch a cold. At this time, you must remember that it is better to be hot than cold, and wear more clothes.
5. The travel itinerary after entering Lhasa is very particular, not blind. First go to the places with low altitudes, and then to the places with high altitudes.
6. Once altitude sickness occurs, there is no need to panic. Targeted treatment should be given depending on the degree of the reaction. If the reaction is low, you can take resting measures, drink more water, and exercise less, and it will disappear or weaken after a period of time; if the reaction is severe and affects sleep, you can take some medicines to help treat it; if the reaction is too severe, you can go to the hospital The hospital provides treatment, infusion, medicine, oxygen inhalation, etc. Lhasa has very good hospitals and doctors who specialize in the treatment of altitude sickness, and better hotels also have very good infirmaries in this area, which can provide services in this area; if I couldn't stand the torture of altitude sickness, so I had to take the earliest flight back to the mainland. The general situation can be relieved immediately.
7. It is often said that someone died in Tibet due to altitude sickness. In fact, the real cause of death is usually the outbreak caused by altitude sickness. Therefore, patients with colds, heart, lung, brain, liver and kidney diseases, severe anemia or high blood pressure are generally advised not to enter Tibet, because they are afraid that these diseases may be caused by altitude sickness.
8. Try to choose a hotel with better conditions to stay in, so that you can have a good living environment and get a comfortable rest. This can relax you psychologically and physically, and help you overcome altitude sickness. In addition, try to open the window when sleeping to let the air circulate, and sleep as close to the window as possible.
9. Choose better tourist vehicles, such as high-end off-road vehicles or loose imported vans, to make the journey more comfortable.
10. Commonly used drugs to prevent altitude sickness: Rhodiola, Jigan Tablets, glucose, etc., start taking them two days before entering the mountain, and keep taking them on the way, which can effectively prevent altitude sickness.
11. It may not be direct, but I believe it is also useful. It is to prevent dryness, especially lip balm and sunscreen for sun protection. If you insist on using it every day, it can effectively prevent the loss of water and increase the body's resistance.



After leaving the grassland of Zhuoma's house, it was already noon when we arrived at Qinghai Lake. After eating a meal around Qinghai Lake, we started to play.


The herd of yaks on the side of the road are all raised by Tibetans. Sorry, when I see yaks, I think of beef jerky...



We did not enter the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area, but on the road leading to the scenic area, they are all Tibetan pastoral areas. We entered from a Tibetan pastoral area and went to the lakeside of Qinghai Lake. Cost: 10 yuan for a car (the driver is awesome). We chose this place because the rapeseed flowers in this Tibetan pastoral area are relatively lush, because it is close to August, and many rapeseed fields are gone. If you want to see the vast rapeseed fields, you can choose to go to Menyuan in mid-July. . Of course, during this trip, in Biandukou, we also saw a large area of ​​rapeseed flowers in the mountains, and we look forward to the follow-up.



Before getting out of the car to have fun, you must apply sunscreen first, but Lao Yang didn't listen, and his neck became red the next day~~~hehe~~~



There is an advantage in the Tibetan pastoral area, there are not many people, of course it is relatively scenic. There are quite a lot of people by the lake in Qinghai, it’s summer vacation~





Rapeseed flowers bloom by the Qinghai Lake, and you can see the beautiful scenery at a glance. For the fast-paced city life, such beautiful scenery can heal the tired heart, believe it or not?



Lao Yang, who jumped up, forgot that he was still dizzy~~~





The white skirt is really suitable in the rapeseed field. In this environment, simple jeans and a white T look good. I like Lao Yang wearing a white T.



After all, it is summer vacation, and there are still many tourists. If you want to find a place with few people, you must go deep into the flowers.





It is estimated that every pastoral area is similar. Apart from extracting oil, the biggest benefit of growing rapeseed is probably tourism. Master Liu joked: There is no waste oil here, because there is a lot of oil that can be used~~~



Pass through this shed built with the wind horse flag, you can reach the Qinghai Lake.



This color, under the light, makes people can't help fiddle with the shutter.





Fengma flag: Fengma flag is a custom handed down from the age of ancient Xiangxiong. "Tibetans believe that the patron saints of the mountains in the snowy Tibetan areas and the great rivers and plains are the gods of praise in the sky and the gods of the year on the ground. They often ride wind horses to patrol the snow-capped mountains, forests, grasslands, and canyons to protect the tranquility of the snow-covered tribes. Peaceful, resisting the invasion of monsters and evil. Fengma flag is also known as Neima flag, prayer flag, etc., or transliterated as Longda, Longda, which refers to the prayer stone or the top of the temple or the top of Aobao in the Tibetan Buddhist area. There are often erected banners with eight-character mantras, six-character mantras and other mantras written on cloth strips of various colors, tied into strings, and erected with wooden sticks. Because a wind horse is painted on the cloth strips, it means that the prayers are spread by wind horses. Everywhere, so it is named "Wind Horse Flag".




After arriving at Qinghai Lake, there is a breath of scenic spots, because there are more people.



This girl, please pay attention, this is not Hada~~~


Qinghai Lake is called "Cuowenbu" (meaning "blue sea") in Tibetan. Located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, within the territory of Qinghai Province, it is the largest inland lake and saltwater lake in China. It was formed by the collapse of faults between Datong Mountain, Riyue Mountain and Qinghai Nanshan in the Qilian Mountains.

Qinghai Lake is 105 kilometers long, 63 kilometers wide and 3196 meters above sea level. It is the largest inland lake and saltwater lake in China. It is located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in the northwest of Xining City. It is located at 99°36′～100°16′E. between 36°32′ and 37°15′ north latitude. The lake is surrounded by four majestic mountains: Datong Mountain in the north, Riyue Mountain in the east, Qinghai Nanshan Mountain in the south, and Rubber Mountain in the west. These four mountains are all between 3600 and 5000 meters above sea level. Qinghai Lake covers an area of ​​4,456 square kilometers, with a circumference of more than 360 kilometers around the lake, more than twice the size of the famous Taihu Lake. The lake surface is long from east to west, narrow from north to south, and slightly oval. The average depth of Qinghai Lake is more than 21 meters, the maximum water depth is 32.8 meters, the water storage capacity reaches 105 billion cubic meters, and the lake surface altitude is 3260 meters. It is about 200 kilometers away from Xining. There are nearly 30 large and small rivers in the lake area. There are two sub-lakes on the east bank of the lake, one is Gahai, with an area of ​​48 square kilometers, which is salt water; the other is Erhai, with an area of ​​8 square kilometers, which is fresh water.




It was rare that there were no tourists, so we immediately asked a handsome pot to take a group photo for us.



This handsome pot, British, is very humorous. When I took pictures of him, he only had one pose, and I kept urging: next pose ~answer: i am english~ (the rumors that the British are rigid and rigid are true)



By the lake in Qinghai, Tibetans are pulling a yak, which is very beautiful and looks very docile. So we bargained, 30 yuan for 2 people. Just rode on the water for a while.



I thought that Qinghai Lake is not as good as the sea, and there are no fierce waves. When I think of Racha Island, the waves on the south beach make people awe of nature. There are also waves in Qinghai Lake. Although they are not particularly fierce, they are enough to make people stop. Only Qinghai Lake on the map is calm. We respect nature and love nature.





Lao Yang is playing in the sea again, hey, you young man, please let this yak go.



The water in Qinghai Lake is very cold, and almost no tourists go down to play in the water. So when the yak stands in the water, there will be no tourists in the mirror.



A must have for every attraction ----- hot air balloons! ! ! ! !



After leaving the Tibetan pastoral area, the master took us to the mountain to see the panoramic view of Qinghai Lake. Sure enough, from a high position, it is very beautiful to see the entire Qinghai Lake connected to the mountains, the color is blue and green.



The impression of Qinghai Lake is that there are mountains in the distance, connecting with the sky. my country's great rivers and mountains, the charm that cannot be seen on the territory, must be experienced by walking.

It turns out that this place is known to many people, and many self-driving cars park here to watch the scenery.


Since this is the corner of Panshan Highway, many cars pass by up and down. A lama rolled down the window when driving by and nodded to us, very friendly and enthusiastic. I have heard a saying: If you are lucky, you will become a lama~



We stood on the railing, and under these conditions, the panorama is very good.



Along this staggering road, we left Qinghai Lake and headed towards the Heima River. The altitude is getting higher and higher, and the temperature is getting lower and lower. Arriving at Rubber Mountain, the altitude is 3817. In fact, I don’t have any high anti-reflexes. Maybe as the altitude changes, I feel a little tinnitus from time to time in the car. When I got off the car here, it was already very cold, estimated at 12 degrees, and the wind was blowing hard on my face.





Many self-driving tourists stop here to rest. The toilets here (built in the wild) and horseback riding are all charged. I don't know why the grassland here is full of potholes. It may have rained in the past few days, and there is still muddy water in the pits. At this time, the sun protection clothing can no longer meet my requirements for warmth, it is so cold~~~~





Lao Yang is fiddling with the scarf charmingly~~~



In fact, I wanted to find a place with the best altitude to stop and take a good look at the stele, but I was on the road all the way, and I was embarrassed to ask the master to stop. This stele is about to become a graffiti stele, let’s have a look~~~





Leaving Rubber Mountain, we are near Chaka Salt Lake at 7:00. The master said that there may be too many people during the day, so it is not recommended to enter the Chaka Salt Lake. In our itinerary, Chaka Salt Lake is one of the places we are most looking forward to. Fortunately, we insisted on going, otherwise we would regret it, regret it. Chaka Salt Lake, also known as Chaka or Dabson Nur, is a salt lake located near Chaka Town, Ulan County, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. "Chaka" is Tibetan, which means salt pond, which is the salt of Qinghai; "Dabuxunnur" is Mongolian, which also means salt lake.



Tickets: 70 yuan. Free for tourists with registered permanent residence in Zhejiang......

It turns out that Haixi Island in Qinghai Province, where Chaka Salt Lake is located, was built with aid from Zhejiang. In order to express its gratitude to Zhejiang for aiding Qinghai, the tourism department of Haixi Prefecture issued an announcement that tourists from Zhejiang (with valid certificates) can visit Chaka Salt Lake free of tickets, and All star hotels will give the greatest discounts to Zhejiang tourists in terms of accommodation.


Lao Yang has always longed for Bolivia, because there is a "mirror of the sky" there. As the famous Chaka Salt Lake in my country, it is imperative for us to do so.



Along the road into the q scenic area, there are white flowers, empty and bright.

At 7:45, we rushed to the ticket office to buy tickets, in time to catch a glimpse of the mirror of the sky at sunset.


Chaka Salt Lake is very large. The area and depth of the lake are obviously affected by the seasons. The area of ​​the lake in the rainy season can reach 104 square kilometers, which is equivalent to more than ten times that of Hangzhou West Lake. The area of ​​the lake in the dry season is significantly reduced. The lake is of brine type. There is a rock salt layer at the bottom, generally 5 meters thick, and the thickest part is 9.68 meters. The Mayana River, which is more than ten kilometers long, flows into the southeast bank of the lake. Other water flows into the salt lake are small and mostly seasonal.


The auditorium of the salt factory was originally a mining factory.


Wind horse flag, wind horse flag. Here you can see the largest wind horse flag on the road, fluttering with the wind, it is very beautiful. When it was close to night, the temperature dropped again, but it could not stop our yearning for the mirror of the sky.




There is an observation deck for viewing Chaka Salt Lake, where you can have a panoramic view of salt sculptures, lake water, and distant mountains.



When we arrived at the viewing platform, it was already 8 o'clock. There were not many tourists here. While we were walking towards the center of the salt lake, more tourists were walking out.



It's a pity: we arrived a little late, and the light here is too good. If we can go in the morning, the direct sunlight and reflection can be a bright mirror.


The small train was used to transport salt in the past, but now it is used for sightseeing, and the ticket for the small train is 100 yuan, but I think it is more interesting to walk around by myself (the real road for tourists is not long, so there is no Necessary to take a small train).



When we walked along the railway, we found a big surprise: the sun is setting, and the afterglow in the distance, if we can catch the last light, maybe it can satisfy our longing for the mirror of the sky! So without further ado, we took off our shoes and socks, put them on the shore and walked down, shivering, it was so cold. The beauty of this time is really not fully recorded by the camera. And at the Chaka Salt Lake at 8:30, there are very few people, and the lake is cold, and there are no tourists as crazy as us.



At this time, the sun had already set, and the afterglow left in the sky happened to show a touch of red. With the help of the faint afterglow, we see a silhouetted version of the mirror of the sky. Although it is not as bright as others have seen, this silhouette version of the sky mirror surprised us.



There are some black holes in the salt lake. This kind of black is mud. When walking in the salt lake, avoid black holes, because those places are relatively deep. At that time, a tourist was looking for slippers with a mobile phone flashlight. It is said that a slipper was "eaten" by the black hole.





We have understood the silhouette version of the mirror of the sky.

Leave us some regrets, see you next time, can you see your beauty during the day?




In this way, the icy lake, the faint afterglow and the high spirits of us, this day's trip ended at Chaka Salt Lake, and we didn't leave until 10 pm. Another surprise in Chaka Salt Lake due to limited camera conditions: the Milky Way. The Milky Way here is particularly clear. Lao Yang gave me knowledge about the Milky Way, pointing out the Big Dipper, Sirius, and constellations. All of a sudden, I admire him so much. Under the funny skin, there is still a little bit of knowledge.






In the plan, the accommodation for this day is in the Black Horse River. Because it was raining in those few days, the chance of seeing the sunrise was very small, and the accommodation conditions in Heimahe were poor and expensive, so we got on the car and rushed to Ulan. When we arrived in Ulan Anton, it was close to 12 o'clock. The first day of the big loop itinerary ended with the tired body lying down.





　　　　　　　　　　　[DAY2: Emerald Lake and Yadan Devil City, the beauty of non-scenic spots]

Ulan--Crossing the Qaidam Basin--Dachaidan Emerald Lake--Qinghai Yadan Devil City--Crossing the no-man's land highway--Dunhuang (Su) because it rained at night, it is very cold in Ulan in the morning if you wear a skirt of. I heard that today I’m going to a place called Emerald Lake, but this is not its scientific name. This lake belongs to a salt lake in Dachaidan, because it contains minerals (probably ferrous iron) and shows a green color. This lake cannot be found on Baidu, because it is neither a scenic spot nor a famous tourist place, but a salt lake in a mine.


We walked through the mine, and the road was very bumpy. We sighed: If the road is built, it is estimated that there will be a lot of people coming here.



Because of the bad weather, it rained, making the chilly air cold. After much hesitation, we decided to take off our shoes and go into the water. Under this kind of sky and light, the color of Emerald Lake is already pure and slightly green. If the weather is fine, it will be even more beautiful.


We heard people say: These two young people are too hard. Yes, it's pretty crazy, while you're still young.






I can’t feel the mirror of the sky in Emerald Lake: 1. The lake is not big, and it doesn’t extend to the mountains and sky in the distance. 2. There are many sand piles around the lake, so that the view is not empty. 3. The water of Emerald Lake is so deep that I only dare to walk in the white area, because when I walk in, I can see that although the green water is crystal clear, and with refraction, it is estimated to be 2 meters deep. The difference between this lake and Chaka Salt Lake is that it is of different depths, there are places where you can dive, and there are also very deep places, which is daunting.





Although there is no mirror of the sky, the rain is still dripping on the lake, but it is rare that there are not too many tourists here, and we are also having fun in the Emerald Lake~~~~~~~~




Now I call you Emerald Lake, but I don’t know if I will see you in the future, whether you are still pure and emerald green.





But we will not forget the beauty we met with you in this place.


Due to limited time, we had to rush to Yadan Devil City, and we left reluctantly. I brought a bottle of mineral water to wash my feet, got in the car, and put on a jacket decisively. I don’t want style, I want temperature. It's so cold~~~~~ Later we found out that the salt on the car body slowly, the master said that we can only go to Dunhuang to wash the car. I ran into a herd of wild camels on the road. Watching them from a distance, they didn't hide. If they approached, they would run away. My curiosity is how camels can avoid the rain in rainy days. The master's answer: They will go to the distant mountains to shelter from the rain. (The problem is that the Gobi Desert is endless, and there is no so-called mountain...)


It is also rare that there are no cars on this section of the road, and there are desolate no-man's land on both sides, with camel thorns far and near, and the only creatures that can be seen are camels.


Standing in front of this road sign, these numbers are simply unreachable in the south, but here, it is a matter of a few hours. I am Greater China with its vast land and abundant resources.

At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Yadan Devil City.

"Yadan - Uighur language, the original meaning is a mound with steep walls, which is a kind of wind-eroded landform in dry areas." According to 75 kilometers west of Yumen Pass, there is a typical Yardang landform community, about 25 kilometers long from east to west, and about 4-5 kilometers wide from north to south. Dunhuang people commonly call it Devil City, so temporarily name it "Yadan Devil City in Yumen Pass". . This Yardang landform community far exceeds the scale and shape defined in the dictionary. Its individual and overall scale is large and its shape is so strange that it is rare in the world. Its height ranges from four or five meters low to twenty or thirty meters high, and its length and width range from a dozen meters to several hundred meters; the whole looks like an ancient medieval city. This special city has city walls, streets, buildings, squares, churches, and sculptures; its images are vivid and lifelike, which amazes the world.


Yadan landform now generally refers to a wind-eroded landform in dry areas. The ground formed by the soil-like sediments of rivers and lakes, after weathering, intermittent water erosion and wind erosion, forms wind-eroded mounds and mounds arranged alternately with the prevailing wind direction. Wind-eroded depression (trough) landform combination.

Qinghai Yadan Devil City is not a scenic spot. We stopped on the side of the road and went straight to the sand dunes.


Because it is empty and dry, the wind here is very strong, making it difficult to open your eyes.



Regarding the Yadan Devil City, the regret this time: I didn’t go to the Water Devil City, because I arrived in Dunhuang to stay in the evening, so I could only stay in this Qinghai Yadan Devil City.













Facing the hills of these Yardang landforms, we can't help letting ourselves go. If we were on the plains, we could still dance for half an hour. However, we are quite tired these days, and we get dizzy after a few dances. If there is a next time, resolutely take the plane, the high-speed rail time is too long.


Climbing up the hill, the wind is stronger, and the devil city here is generally not high, which is different from the shape seen on the Internet. It is said that the most beautiful Yadan landforms in China are all in Xinjiang, and the yearning for Xinjiang arises spontaneously.

Unexpectedly, in any place, the sun protection clothing of this color is very conspicuous. And Lao Yang's sun protection clothing is constantly hitting the shirts in major attractions. It seems that everyone loves Decathlon~~~haha~~~~




After staying in Yadan Devil City for about an hour and a half, we started on the road again. Destination: Dunhuang. (The plan was to stay in Dachaidan that night, but because the hotel prices in Dachaidan town were ridiculously expensive, the master decisively took us straight to Dunhuang. PS, the master will really save us money.) The hotels on the road are average, but relatively The scenic spot has already been calculated, and we have all planned it. If the accommodation conditions in Dunhuang are not good, we will book a hotel by ourselves~~~~ The master told us that the accommodation in Dunhuang will be in the inn under Mingsha Mountain.


On the way to Dunhuang, all the way through the no-man's land, there are only camel spines in the distance, and no signs of animals can be seen. Seeing the empty desert, Lao Yang immediately asked the driver to stop to take pictures of the panoramas. Mobile phones are actually very powerful.



There is an episode here: In order to save 80 kilometers, our master asked his brothers from his team to take a shortcut with us. Because there is a small swamp, I was afraid that it would sink, so I called a commercial vehicle to go with us. According to his experience, 2 cars are guaranteed. Of course, the subsidence did not happen, and it was just in case, but it was the first time I encountered the crossing of the swamp. It's novel, but it's a very small swamp. No surprises and no dangers!


【Highway after the rain--rainbow, spinning, jumping, eyes closed】

In the Northwest, the beautiful scenery is often on the road, and the road is listed as a separate itinerary because it is so beautiful. Location: On the way from Qinghai Yadan Devil City to Dunhuang. Focus on it, name: 215 National Highway!

National Highway 215 (or "National Highway 215", "G215 Line") is a national highway in China, starting from Hongliuyuan in Gansu and ending at Golmud in Qinghai, also known as Hongge Highway, with a total length of 641 kilometers. This national road passes through Gansu and Qinghai 2

provinces.

According to CCTV reports, the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has recently summarized ten more dangerous road sections based on the statistics of traffic accidents in recent years. The section from 231 kilometers to 256 kilometers of National Highway 215 is listed.

The weather was not good that day, there were dark clouds in the distance, and the light was naturally not strong. It is not clear from the photo how the road is winding in the distance






In fact, the temperature at that time was quite low, because as long as there was no sun in the Northwest, it felt quite cold, and it was even colder when it rained.


Lao Yang's Jordan has a sense of sight.



He just likes the desert and the Gobi. Along the way, whenever he sees the Gobi, he is excited.



In fact, it is very dangerous to take pictures on the road. If you see a car from a distance, you should avoid it. Our aim: safety first!



So we practiced shooting techniques here, and the master looked at us with a face that had never seen the world, probably very speechless.



It is said that this section is called the Gedun Highway. From my understanding, Golmud to Dunhuang.




Passing through Qingshan Pass, we are ready to enter Gansu.

Encountered a herd of wild camels again. At this time, it started to rain, and we drove in the rain. I don’t know how long we walked, but when we suddenly looked out the window, did the color of the sky surprise us? The even bigger surprise was that a double rainbow appeared in the sky! (Higher rainbows are less visible)

In the city, it is rare to see a rainbow after the rain. Beside this road, there is a Gobi land, vast and endless, without any shelter, and a colorful arch bridge stands in the sky.







I heard that the probability of seeing a rainbow in the northwest is high, but I didn't expect it to be so beautiful.


The air after the rain is amazing, and the sky after the rain is breathtaking.



Even if there is a cloud, it can't stop its pure, palpable feeling



Lao Yang and I were having fun on the road~ We dislike each other’s poor photography skills, but under this beautiful scenery, taking pictures casually is a blockbuster~~~



He loves Gobi, meditating on the dry ground. What do you think in your heart? Is it a major event in the universe?



After the rain, the sun came out and shone on my face, making me feel completely black.



We are all progressing in the process of disliking each other's photography skills, so don't dislike me anymore, okay~~~





Two 2B youths who are crazy about playing on the road, the master probably sighs at this moment: I really have never seen the world!

From the rear-view mirror of the car, the sky in front is different from the sky behind. Different directions have different weather and different scenes.

After finally crossing the 3,800-meter Dangjinshan pass, the road began to spiral downward, with countless hairpin turns, and the end could not be seen at a glance.


From time to time, there are emergency ramps on the side of the ramp to prevent brake failure, and the top is tires, which has gained a lot of experience.

Along the way, I saw that the Xinqing Railway was under construction, and there was also a section of the railway on the viaduct. The supporting pillars had been submerged in sand. I was thinking, if this continues, the railway will not be submerged. It was still raining heavily on the road. If it was still raining in Dunhuang the next day, we would not be able to go to Mingsha Mountain. I prayed that the next day would be sunny.







[DAY3: Desert and Milky Way under the bonfire]

Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring--Eat Roasted Whole Lamb--Watch "See Dunhuang Again"--Camping in Mingsha Mountain


Early in the morning, we went straight to Mingsha Mountain after we got up, because it rained last night, the air of this day is very good, the desert sand is very comfortable to step on, cool, and does not burn our feet at all. Crescent Moon Spring is located in the Crescent Spring Scenic Area, known as Shajing in ancient times, and commonly known as Yaoquan. It is located at the northern foot of Mingsha Mountain, 5 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.

Crescent Moon Spring is nearly 100 meters long from north to south, and 25 meters wide from east to west. The spring water is deep in the east and shallow in the west, and the deepest point is about 5 meters. It is one of the "Eight Views of Dunhuang" and was listed as a national scenic spot in 1994.



Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Scenic Spot is located 5 kilometers south of Dunhuang City, with a planned area of ​​212.86 square kilometers, a scenic area of ​​76.82 square kilometers, and a core area of ​​12.79 square kilometers. Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring are twin sisters in the Gobi Desert. It really has the feeling of "Mingsha Mountain is pleasant, and Crescent Spring is refreshing".

We have the habits of the elderly: 1. Wake up early; 2. Be sure to take a nap; 3. Only drink plain water when going out, which is still warm.

I entered the scenic spot after 7 o'clock in the morning, so there were not many people.


Crescent Lake is surrounded by high sand hills with a small crescent-shaped lake in the middle. Mingsha Mountain will make a sound on a sunny day or when someone slides down the mountain, so it is called Mingsha Mountain. There is also a strange phenomenon here. Because of the terrain, when the wind blows, the sand does not go down the mountain, but flows from the bottom of the mountain to the mountain. , so the Crescent Moon Spring will never be buried in the sand, and it is known as the wonder of the desert.






You can ride camels here, 5 camels are a team, the price is 100 yuan per person, if you need to take pictures, you need to add 20 yuan. Because entering the scenic spot is relatively early, and there are few people, it doesn't feel like a scenic spot when you walk around. A group of camels passed by, and a person who was like a tour guide wanted to take pictures of tourists, but the person who led the camels stopped him, and he had to pay another 20 yuan to take pictures. Personally, I think this is too domineering. Camel riding is a consumption item, and taking photos casually does not harm the health of the camel. If it is a tip, it must be voluntary. Many tourists say that the 20 yuan charge is unreasonable .





We didn't ride camels, and we were so energetic early in the morning that we wanted to climb Mingsha Mountain by ourselves.

The first mountain is quite high and steep. A wooden ladder is laid in the sand in the scenic area, and you can climb up the ladder.



Behind is the Crescent Lake. Early in the morning at Mingsha Mountain, there were not many tourists. But we still decided to go over the first mountain and go behind this mountain.



Because of the rain, the sand is very cool and comfortable to step on. I think it is luck. After all, before coming here, someone reported that the sand is very hot. We originally wore hole shoes into the scenic area, and when we climbed up the mountain, we simply took off our shoes and went barefoot.



This is the backside of the first mountain, and there are not many tourists here facing the Crescent Spring.



The winding mountain behind seems small, but it takes at least 2 hours to climb to the peak of the mountain behind.








After 9 o'clock in the morning, the sun gradually rises. In places like deserts where there is no shade, sun protection is more important. Focus on sun protection.

Scarves, sun protection clothing, hats, sunscreen, all of which are indispensable.




We took a panorama before deciding to continue climbing the mountain behind. The first application was in Tha Pae Gate, the open place is especially suitable for playing like this haha~~~



Here is the peak seen on the back of the mountain just now. We walked along the peak and walked all the way to the high place.


I met a young man by chance and asked us to take pictures, and of course we also asked him to take pictures for us. After reaching the mountain, the mobile phone has almost no signal.





The vast desert, no tourists, and the blue sky, everywhere you shoot, there is a sense of sight.



The long-lost journey is another fun.







The camera is not slanted, the slope is really steep. Unexpectedly, it will roll down.


When I first entered the scenic spot, there is a place to rent shoe covers. The shoe covers here are uniform orange and reach knee height. The sand resistance is really first-class, but it is really not good-looking. You don't need to think about it if you love beauty. In fact, it's quite comfortable to step on the sand with bare feet. PS, the premise is that it has rained.






We walked up the peak, and found strangely that the peak was clearly in front of us, but we still couldn't reach it, so that we were still going up after 11 o'clock. I put forward my opinion: If I go further up, I will not even have the strength to go back. Someone has to give up the obsession to go up. Under the noon sun's rays, the sand under my feet has begun to become hot. It's hard to imagine how hot the sand would be the next day if it didn't rain the day before.



Sit in the desert and pay tribute to Sanmao!



Sitting on the top of the peak, you can see the small mountains. Mingsha Mountain is not big, there are a few high mountains, and there is a desert in the distance. Other than that, it is an oasis: Dunhuang.



The attire for going down the mountain is as follows. If possible, I don’t want any inch of skin to come into contact with the sun, because it’s too hot.


The inn is transformed from a local dwelling, it is near the scenic spot, and the conditions are average! We arrived at the inn after 12 o'clock, washed up a bit, and set off to eat roasted whole lamb with the guests of the master team.



This one is roasted by a farmer's own. A whole sheep costs 1080. Generally, it is recommended to eat with more than 10 people. The lamb is roasted. It doesn't look big, but when you eat it, you can't finish it.




The meat is very tender, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.



The standard drink at this place is apricot peel water.



The master helped us book "Encounter Dunhuang" at 3:30 in the afternoon, so we took a short rest. The inn was too noisy. After a morning in the desert, it was difficult to fall asleep. There were other guests playing cards in the corridor. Helpless~~~~


"Encountering Dunhuang" is a large-scale real-life performance project and an important part of the construction of the Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Innovation Zone. It will become another international tourist card for Dunhuang after Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake.





The choreography is novel and creative, the actors are dedicated, and because it is moving, the whole performance process conveys to the audience the process of the disappearance of Mogao Grottoes, how Wang Yuanlu sent away the treasures of Mogao Grottoes, and how much significance this cultural treasure house occupies in Chinese culture . After reading it, I was very shocked. I felt sorry for the treasures that were sent away, and felt sorry for the Bodhisattvas and flying statues that are still abroad. Fortunately, there are a group of people who are working hard to protect cultural relics.

It has both visual and emotional impact, but the fly in the ointment is that the content is a bit short. All in all, a show worth seeing, unlike the "Impressions" series.




Here I would like to introduce Dunhuang by the way. In my heart, Dunhuang is a place with fragrance, the fragrance of culture. Dunhuang City is a county-level city managed by Jiuquan City in Gansu Province. It is located in the northwest of Gansu Province. It has always been an important town on the Silk Road and a famous national historical and cultural city. Dunhuang is surrounded by the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the vast Taklamakan Desert in the west, and the jagged Beisai Mountains in the north. Heritage Mogao Grottoes and the location of Yumen Pass and Yang Pass on the border of the Great Wall of Han Dynasty.

Dunhuang has an ancient and long history. The word "Dunhuang" first appeared in "Historical Records Dawan Biography", Ying Shao in the Eastern Han Dynasty explained "Dun, Daye; Huang, Shengye", which means grand and brilliant. In history, Dunhuang used to be the hub of transportation between China and the West, the key to the throat of the Silk Road, an international city in foreign exchanges, and an important military town in the Western Regions. It occupies a glorious chapter in the long scroll of Chinese history.


After watching "Seeing Dunhuang Again", I passed the vineyard on the way back to the inn. I picked it and tasted it. It was a bit astringent. Later, the boss picked a few bunches of more ripe grapes for us. Back at the inn, we are going to camp in the desert at 7 o'clock. The so-called desert camping means that some outdoor shops contract a piece of the back mountain (Singing Sand Mountain) to camp in tents for tourists. I don't know if we reported this one badly, it feels terrible. 1. The small yurt at the back, we don’t live here, but a very small tent; 2. We agreed to have dinner at 9 o’clock, but it was delayed until 10:30; 3. Food, boiled vegetables and various only Meatballs without meat; 4. Distribute tents at 12 o'clock and sleeping bags at 1 o'clock (for those who have played in Mingsha Mountain for half a day during the day, they can sleep when they fall down, but the desert at night is too cold) Therefore, it is not recommended Go camping, or if you want to go camping, find a reliable store!



Fortunately, we also gained something in camping: 1. Played a round of sand motorcycles and sandboarding; 2. Lao Yang took pictures of the starry sky, and the tripod played a role.





In fact, after a morning of playing with sand, I don’t really want to play at dusk, so just go for a walk on the sand.



Sandboarding is especially suitable for children to play, it seems that all children have no resistance to sand.









I was really tired at night, but Lao Yang was able to get up at 2 o'clock to take pictures of the starry sky. I admire him for being a man! I admire the ability to shoot such a starry sky with a mirrorless camera!

























Woke up at 6am the next morning and I wanted to get the hell out of there and never camp again! never! ! !

If you want to shoot desert starry sky, you can. You can enter Mingsha Mountain at night, and you can go back to the inn to rest after taking pictures of the starry sky at night.






[DAY4: Cultural Treasure House Mogao Grottoes, Surprise Inn Peacock Garden]

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes--Jiayuguan (Suite)


We could have been less tired, because of camping, we dragged our very, very, very tired bodies to Mogao Grottoes. Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as Thousand Buddha Caves, are located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. It was first built in the pre-Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms. After the construction of the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Xixia, Yuan and other dynasties, it has formed a huge scale, with 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and clay. With 2,415 colored sculptures, it is the largest and richest Buddhist art site in the world.


Because I didn't book tickets one month in advance, I can only buy emergency tickets and can only visit 4 caves. (Personally think it is enough) Reasons why you must go to Mogao Grottoes: 1. It is a holy place for Buddhist art; 2. You can see murals and statues one less time, and every breath hurts them and accelerates their oxidation speed. As a Chinese who has traveled far away, he should visit our art treasure house.




Visiting process and precautions: Go to the Mogao Grottoes Reservation Center to pick up the tickets (you can also pick up the tickets at a ticket collection point in the city center), then go to the Mogao Grottoes Film and Television Center after picking up the tickets, check the tickets, and take the scenic bus to Mogao Grottoes after watching the movie Visit the physical caves of the Gaoku Grottoes (it takes about 20 minutes). After the visit, take the shuttle bus back to the film and television center and leave on your own. During the visit to the physical caves of Mogao Grottoes, it is not allowed to take pictures, pay attention to the order when visiting.


Visiting experience: 1. It may be because of the summer vacation. When waiting for the bus in the digital center, there are huge crowds of people. Tickets at 9 o'clock, it is the turn to take the bus at 10:30. 2. It is easy to sun, it is best to bring a sunshade, because when queuing up to visit the cave, many places are exposed to the sun. You also need to bring water, you can't buy water in the visiting area. 3. Line up, line up, line up, every time you enter a cave, there is a long, long, long line. After camping the night before, I was physically and mentally exhausted to the limit. This kind of queuing made people want to go back halfway, but they couldn't go back. Several caves are connected.





We hurriedly finished the visit, and immediately rushed to the place where we took the bus, returned to the digital center, went to have lunch and then got on the bus to sleep. At noon, it was settled at a farmhouse diagonally opposite the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center. Each person only ordered one portion of noodles. The truth is, their speed... makes people feel that they don't want to make money. However, the noodles in Daxibei are really delicious, and the simple bowl of noodles is not chewy and very fragrant! ! !


After eating, we hurriedly took out the blindfolds and left Dunhuang. During the journey, we urgently needed to catch up on sleep and were exhausted by camping.





After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, we will soon arrive at Jiayuguan. Master Liu joked that it is better to turn left and go to Urumqi. . . .



Jiayuguan is the starting point of the western end of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. It was first built in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372). After 168 years of construction, it has become the most spectacular pass along the Great Wall. Located 5 kilometers west of Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, it is also a transportation fortress on the ancient "Silk Road".


Tickets: 120 (including the first pier of the Great Wall and Tianxia Xiongguan, you must buy a package ticket, not allowed to buy separately.) BA king clause~~~ We did not enter the scenic spot. First, it was very late when we arrived at the first pier of the Great Wall. Second, After the later transformation, it was no longer the original appearance, and suddenly lost interest.





Leaving the first pier of the Great Wall, we are looking for food in the city. I have to say that Dianping is reliable!


The drinks in the halal shop are all like this, green tea with red dates, the taste is quite special!





Wild onions, the taste is very fresh, but today's wild onions are relatively old.


Braised mutton, first-class, the mutton is very fragrant and delicious, the noodles below are super delicious, so I added 2 servings of white noodles, and I really fell in love with Northwest noodles.



I arrived at Zhonghua Peacock Garden after nightfall. This place is really nice, spacious, in good condition, clean, and makes people not want to go out to play after staying.








[DAY5: Lingering in Jiayuguan, looking at the colorful Danxia]

Chinese Peacock Garden, Jiayuguan, Tianxia Xiongguan Monument, Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park


First of all, take a look at the rooms of Peacock Villa. Because the luggage is messy, I didn’t take a full picture, but the facilities are all available.

There is a peacock fan hanging in the lobby, it is very beautiful.


The cup in the room is a distinctive purple sand cup.



Green plants are placed in the room, which is rare.



Buffet breakfast is also included. The egg below is a peacock egg, which tastes very fragrant, a little like a tea egg.



Open the window, there is Gesanghua, an antique window.



When we got up in the morning, we went to visit the Peacock Garden. We first went to the breeding area. Different kinds of peacocks, such as white peacocks, green peacocks, blue peacocks, etc., also explained the place of origin. . . . I ran into an aunt who picked up peacock eggs. The peacock eggs were about twice as large as eggs. She wouldn't let us touch them, saying they hadn't been sterilized yet.


Under the guidance of that aunt, we went to find the peacock flying area.


Passing by the children's playground, if you bring children, it is the most suitable place to play.


Next to the flying area is a windmill garden. From this windmill garden to the end, there is a shop called Hongyan Inn. It is said that the room is tatami.


The entire Peacock Garden, no matter where you go, is the cry of the peacock. It turns out that the cry of the peacock is so loud. Here, you can see peacocks spreading their tails, courting and fighting at any time without waiting. Children will have a lot of fun here. Many tourists brought their children to play early in the morning, and at 10:30 there was a performance of a thousand peacocks flying, because we still wanted to go to Xiongguan in the world, so we gave up watching the performance.

When the young male peacock opens its tail, the color of the screen is bright green and dense. In contrast, older male peacocks are sparse and dull in color.



Peacocks are not afraid of people, and this male peacock keeps circling in circles, as if asking us: Am I beautiful? !



Before going to Tianxia Xiongguan, let’s take a look at Taihe Mountain Villa where we originally wanted to live. This is an inn transformed from an ancient official residence. It is really antique when you walk in. The pillars still retain their original appearance, old but still charming.


When he arrived at Jiayuguan, Lao Yang said that as a man, he must come and see the grand pass of the world.




Tianxia Xiongguan Monument

More than a hundred meters outside the Guanxi Gate, there is a stone tablet of "Tianxia Xiongguan" published in the Qing Dynasty. In the 14th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1809), when Li Tingchen, the commander-in-chief of Suzhen, inspected the defense of Jiayuguan, he saw that there were Qilian Snow Mountain in the south and Heishan Mountain in the north. An eternal memory for future generations.




We walked along the city wall outside the scenic spot, my brother said, this is the place where men should come. . . . .





When it comes to today's itinerary, I said that I want to calm down for a while.



When we arrived at Jiayuguan, it was already close to lunch time, so sun protection was especially important in the scorching sun, even if we dressed up like this, it was not an exaggeration.



I ate Master Sheng's white chopped chicken near Jiayuguan, and then continued on my way to Zhangye. After three o'clock in the afternoon, I arrived in Zhangye. Before going to the hotel, I passed a field of marigolds. It is said that people here plant marigolds for medicine.



In addition to the mountains behind the Danxia landform, it is especially beautiful.

It was only 4 o'clock after arriving at the hotel. We decided to go to the colorful Danxia, ​​so we raced against time and bought tickets to enter the scenic spot (75 yuan per person). Precautions for ticket purchase If you want to come back to see it the next day, explain to the conductor when you buy the ticket, and she will help you to type a stamp for the next day, otherwise you will have to buy the ticket again the next day, remember. The conductor will not take the initiative to remind, I just don't know this information, and finally went in to watch the sunrise the next day and bought another ticket.


Zhangye Danxia Geopark is located at the northern foot of Qilian Mountain, 30 kilometers south of Linze County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province. A typical representative of the palace-shaped Danxia, ​​it has high scientific research and tourism value.


The film "The Sun Also Rises" directed by Jiang Wen, Zhang Yimou's "Three Guns Surprise", and the TV series "Detective Di Renjie (Part 3)" directed by Qian Yanqiu all use this scenic spot as the location for filming. Sightseeing locations: Colorful clouds (single inclined mountain), monks worshiping Buddha (sandstone rock hill) [Viewing Platform No. 1], monkey watching the sea (folded wings) [Viewing Platform No. 1], big scallop (sandstone rock hill) Hill) [Observation Deck No. 1], Colorful Screen (Colored Hills) [Observation Deck No. 2], Mountain of Swords and Sea of ​​Fire (Single Inclined Mountain)


We enter from the north gate and get off at each stop to visit. The mountain is not high. After climbing the mountain, we can see the colorful Danxia landform in an all-round way.











It was cloudy and windy that day. We went to 4 viewing platforms and returned to the north gate.







The whole tour process takes 2 and a half hours, which can only be regarded as a simple tour, not an in-depth tour.



It was past 7 o'clock when I left the colorful Danxia scenic spot. I continued to look for food on Dianping. I found a Shanxi pockmarked noodle restaurant. It was really reliable. I focused on it. Their Roujiamo was delicious, delicious, delicious! ! ! ! The outside is crispy and the meat is fragrant~~It is indescribable, I have never eaten such a delicious Roujiamo.


The conditions of the inn I stayed in were also very average, a family-style hotel. We live diagonally opposite the kitchen, coming in and out, noisy!







[DAY6: The vast Qilian Mountains prairie, beautiful scenery on the road]

Leaving Zhangye at 7:30 in the morning, heading towards Biandukou and the Qilian Mountains prairie. Buying watermelon on the side of the road costs 40 cents a catty, 40 cents... It is said that it was just picked in the morning. Indeed, it is still a little ice when cut open, and it is a melon that has been beaten by dew. Pressed sand melon, sweet and refreshing, if you have a cold body, it is recommended to eat less, just taste it.


There are watermelon fields everywhere on the road, and I couldn't help but get out of the car to have a look.


This young man, please let go of that melon and let me come......


The roadside from Zhangye to Biandukou is full of flower fields, such as sunflowers, Gesang flowers, Lupine flowers, marigolds, and rapeseed flowers. When you are in the flower fields, you will feel relaxed and happy.



The beautiful Gesang flower, also known as Gesang Meiduo, is widely debated about what kind of plant it is. In Tibetan, "Gesang" means "good times" or "happiness", and "Mei Duo" means flower, so Gesang flower is also called happiness flower, which has been entrusting the Tibetan people to look forward to happiness and auspiciousness for a long time beautiful emotions. Just like flower in English, it represents all beautiful flowers.

The flower fields on the roadside in this area are all charged, 10 yuan per person. And this family's flower field is particularly diverse, including sunflowers, Gesang flowers, and marigolds.



It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and we arrived at Biandukou, where the rapeseed fields and wheat fields are free. There are endless yellow rapeseed flowers and green wheat fields moving with the wind. It was the first time I saw such a large-scale rapeseed flower field, so we jumped here excitedly.






In such a vast world, apart from the sky and distant mountains, there are rapeseed flowers. If possible, I really want to roll around here~ haha~~









Someone, don't dislike my photography skills anymore, I think I take good photos. Right, the capture was just right.





When you don't want to be concave, you just want to enjoy this world quietly.


The wheat field, the immature wheat field is so green, as the wind blows, it forms waves of wheat waves, reminding of Li Jian's "Wind Blowing Wheat Waves"!


After passing Biandukou, you will arrive at the Qilian Mountains prairie. The average altitude of the Qilian Mountains is between 4,000 and 5,000 meters, and the long and wide glaciers formed by the snow on the high mountains are magnificent. Therefore, the temperature here is relatively low, even if the sun is shining brightly, it feels cold.


The charge for horse riding here is 100 yuan per person. In fact, I don’t think it is necessary to ride a horse. It is an experience. In fact, I rode to the sign and didn’t ride back. Because we decided to walk to the sheep.





Why do the horses here have short legs?





It is very dangerous to stand on the horse's buttocks. Generally, the horse will kick after being frightened, so it is generally safer to stand next to the horse's head.


The holes in the grassland were made by pikas.



Although pikas belong to the order Lagoda, they are different from ordinary rabbits and belong to the family Pikaidae. In fact, it is a mouse on the plateau. The first reaction of the Cantonese: Natural and pollution-free, it must be delicious to eat... Actually, it is quite cold at this time, after all, it is near the snow-capped mountains.


My brother said, come on, let's do a side-by-side jump!



As I walked, there was a group of brown horses tied here, which seemed to be horses used to drive sheep. Some other tourists said that it lost its temper just now and was not allowed to touch it. I saw Lao Yang stepping forward and gently stroking its cheek, it seemed to enjoy it, probably because of Lao Yang's gentleness moved it, its face leaned over and asked to be touched~~~~



A beautiful horse with a shiny coat.



I also learned to touch it at school, and it didn't resist me. Hi Sen~





There is a flock of sheep in the distance. When I see someone passing by from a distance, I can't get close at all. It doesn't matter. Looking at the flock from a distance, it looks like a bunch of cotton candy.







Lao Yang, lie down~~~







As long as the sun is out, the light is great and it's not that cold. I can't imagine the rainy days here and the temperature in winter.



After playing for about an hour, we had to leave. Because the high-speed train went to Lanzhou at 8 o'clock in the evening, we had to hurry back to Xining.



On the way, I passed a mountain foot, full of sheep, I really wanted to take one back. Halfway through the road, you can see the snow-capped mountains from a distance. Gangshika Snow Peak is located in Menyuan Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai Province. It is 5254.5 meters above sea level. It is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Qilian Mountains. Like a jade dragon, it is also the head of the mountains in Menyuan.


It was suddenly cloudy, so I couldn't see very clearly. This place belongs to Menyuan. At the beginning of August, the rapeseed flowers in Menyuan had already withered, so the wish to see the rapeseed flowers in Menyuan came to nothing. Fortunately, the rapeseed field in Biandukou satisfied us.




We are about to end the journey of the Grand Ring Road. Thanks to the master for taking care of us all the way to ensure that we can complete the journey safely and happily. I have to mention that I almost missed the experience of the high-speed rail: we returned to downtown Xining at about 6:15, and the high-speed rail from Xining to Lanzhou departed at 7:30. Maybe because it was a small weekend on Friday and the rush hour, the short road seemed very long. Seeing that the high-speed rail station was right in front of me, but the traffic was jammed and I couldn’t turn it in, I was so anxious that Master Liu jumped in line all the way. Seeing that there was still half an hour before the departure time, Master Liu galloped forward, and said handsomely: "Even if it violates the regulations, you must be delivered on time", and we successfully caught up with the high-speed rail. Powerful, reliable!







[DAY6: Lanzhou shopping, eating, shopping]

Gansu Provincial Museum, Mother of the Yellow River, Zhongshan Bridge, Dazhong Lane

I booked the high-speed train from Lanzhou to Guangzhou South in the early morning of August 6th, and I was able to stay in Lanzhou for a day on August 5th.

Lanzhou, referred to as "Lan", is the capital of Gansu Province, an important industrial base and comprehensive transportation hub in Northwest China. It is said that taxis are the business card of Lanzhou, but my experience tells me that fairy tales are all deceptive. On the evening of August 5th, we arrived in Lanzhou after 9 o'clock. We are used to eating late, and we can accept the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau to find food. However, we waited for a taxi at the high-speed rail station for an hour and a half. Hundreds of people were seen waiting in line for a taxi. First impression: there are few taxis. Accommodation: It is recommended to live near the Zhongshan Bridge, because it is close to the sights to visit and there are many places to eat. After playing for so many days, we ended up living in a place far away from the high-speed rail station and the city center (Student Yang, what do you think? Just kidding, I don’t expect you to book a hotel in the future, huh), And the conditions are really bad. I still want to live in a decent chain hotel.

Lanzhou Shijia Hotel sounds very cultured. It is next to Northwest Normal University. However, the conditions of the goose are really not flattering. On the left side of the intersection when you leave the hotel in the morning (Lipei Square), there is a beef noodle shop. In fact, the soup base is very good, with a strong beef flavor, and you don’t need to add so much chili. Brother~~~ It’s the first meal in Lanzhou, and it feels good. I called a Didi Taxi, but the driver didn't know the way, so I set off for the Gansu Provincial Museum.

It is free to visit the Gansu Provincial Museum. It is closed on Mondays. Visitors can exchange their ID cards for visiting tickets. There are only 600 tickets in the morning. It is recommended to go early. So Lao Yang went to exchange tickets, and I was queuing up to enter, but I was not in a hurry, there were not many people, maybe because I went early.


The Gansu Provincial Museum includes: "Gansu Painted Pottery" exhibition hall, "Gansu Silk Road Civilization" exhibition hall, and "Gansu Paleontological Fossils" exhibition hall. The focus of our trip is to come to the Gansu Provincial Museum to see the "Horse Stepping on a Flying Swallow" that we once asked us to recite in full! Did the little friends collapse when they heard that the full text was recited, did they? Well, it's just around the corner. In a glass cylindrical tube, you can take pictures, but you can't turn on the flash.

Horse Stepping on a Flying Swallow, a bronze ware of the Eastern Han Dynasty, unearthed in 1969 from the Leitai Han Tomb in Wuwei City, Gansu Province. Unearthed from the tomb of Zhang Jiang, the military chief guarding Zhangye during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his wife. We stayed a little longer in the Silk Road exhibition hall, then went straight downstairs and left the museum with a clear goal, the statue of the Yellow River Mother. There are many taxis waiting besides the museum, right, taxis should wait for passengers. There are too many people in the statue of the Mother of the Yellow River. We couldn't squeeze in to take pictures, so we could only look at it from a distance. Go east along the Yellow River Mother Statue and you will reach Zhongshan Bridge.

The Yellow River, the second longest river in China. Because the middle section of the river flows through the Loess Plateau of China, it carries a large amount of sediment, so it is also known as the river with the highest sediment content in the world. The seemingly calm river is actually quite turbulent.


Zhaqu originated from the Chahasila Mountain in the Bayan Har Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai Province. In fact, there is no shortage of water in the northwest, but it cannot store water. Once the reservoir is built to store water, the downstream people will be dry. Our country is not rich in fresh water resources.


Weeping willows are on the river surface, adding a touch of green to the Yellow River.





From the picture below, you can see the turbulence of the river, and the roads along the river are quite primitive. If it is modified, it will definitely increase the viewing experience.



Before I knew it, I came to Zhongshan Bridge. Lanzhou Zhongshan Bridge is commonly known as "Zhongshan Iron Bridge", "Yellow River Iron Bridge", and formerly known as Zhenyuan Bridge. It is located at the foot of Baita Mountain in the middle section of Binhe Road in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. It is known as "the first bridge on the Yellow River in the world".


I planned to go to the "Reader" magazine again, but because I was too tired and sleepy, I decided to find something to eat first. There is a public alley near Zhongshan Bridge, and there are many gourmet shops in it. Through Dianping, we went to find the long-known Ma Zilu Beef Noodles.



Pay the bill first, and then line up to get the noodles. There is a long line. Lao Yang is in charge of getting the noodles, and I am in charge of finding a seat, because there is really a shortage of seats. Noodles, I was watching from the side, forgive me, I am afraid that the seat I received soon will be taken up... The taste, I think it is similar to the beef noodles for breakfast, I really can't taste anything special, it is so famous , is it overhyped, but we finally tasted it. The exhaustion of many days seems to explode, we go back to the hotel to catch up on sleep! ! ! After waking up, I bought delicious peaches in the fruit shop, the local peaceful Baifeng peaches, and leisurely took the bus to Dazhong Lane for lunch. We should really book a hotel here.

There is a Masan Halal beef restaurant next to Mazilu Beef Noodles. We met locals who thought they were locals, and enthusiastically explained the food to us: 1. To eat beef and mutton, you should find a shop with the surname Ma; 3. Duji bean ash, a time-honored brand, their old man makes better food.


Hand-caught mutton, 48 pounds. Mutton steamed buns are also delicious. It was raining outside, so we ate and drank in the store, and later we ordered barbecue skewers. The roast lamb waist was only 10 yuan, and the lamb skewers were 2 yuan.



Beef tendon meat is 80 pounds per catty, and it supports vacuum packaging for take away and SF Express delivery.



Northwest standard drink: apricot skin water.



After eating the meat, we don't forget to eat gray beans.

Gray beans are cooked slowly with peas and jujubes. Of course, the heat and ingredients are not that simple. This tan treat tastes great because the peas are stewed soft, and gray beans are a nutritious snack, especially for winter because of the ingredients.




Seeing that the rain had stopped, we walked over to Zhongshan Bridge to take a bus. We were pleasantly surprised to see the night view of Zhongshan Bridge. Because of the rain, it was suddenly very cold. We didn’t stay long, so we hurried back.






【Practical strategy】

On the day of the return trip, we put our cameras and mobile phones aside and had a good rest. After all, the next day was a frustrating Monday. Moreover, after being away from home for many days, my little one is still waiting for us at home, thinking of this, I feel like returning home.

During this week’s itinerary, I saw the great rivers and mountains of the motherland, the simplicity of the people in the Northwest, and the charm of Northwest cuisine, which made me look forward to the Populus euphratica forest in Ejina, the Gannan Line-the back garden of Tibetans, the Qinghai-Tibet Line, and the Sichuan-Tibet Line. wait for us.

Preparation:

1. Select Transportation. The flight ticket from Zhuhai to Xining was more than 2,000. It was a hot summer vacation. We decided to choose the high-speed rail at the cost of taking a long time on the high-speed rail. If you have children, it is best to fly.

2. Sun protection: Ultraviolet rays are very strong, so sun protection is very necessary. Sun protection clothing, sunglasses, hat, scarf, sunscreen (a bottle of Jinan Sunscreen, a bottle of Urban Doctor Spray, both 50+, be careful not to bring it on the plane), lip balm (very dry)

3. Other supplies: camera, toiletries (our habit is to use our own toiletries outside), water bottle (replenish water at any time), mobile phone camera charger, tripod (because we want to take pictures of the starry sky, we will bring a pair of tripods not far away) , dry paper towels and wet paper towels (very convenient when there is no place to wash your hands), cash and bank cards (although there are many online payment methods, but we almost ran out of cash when we arrived in Zhangye, it is practical to bring more cash), fruit (whether it is the high-speed rail It’s still an airplane, we all like to eat fruit on the way, not snacks like potato chips, not angry, healthy.)

4. Rent a car. This time, a certain master took us to fly the whole journey of the Grand Ring Road. An experienced driver is very important to walk in the northwest. 1. Safety, you will contact other cars to go through the swamp; 2. Beautiful scenery, know which places are worth visiting Look at the beauty. 3. To prevent being slaughtered, we buy things, and our masters also help to bargain. 4. There are many sections along the way to measure the speed, and the land is vast and rich, and the time on the road is very long. If you drive by yourself, you will not only be tired, but also easy to violate the rules.

5. Time spent. The Qinghai-Gansu Grand Ring Road took 6 days, with a crazy distance of 3,000 kilometers. We spent a total of 9 days, 1 day for the high-speed rail to Xining, 6 days for the Grand Ring Road, 1 day for Lanzhou, and 1 day for returning to the city. 6. Cost. The most expensive thing is transportation, including round-trip high-speed rail and car rental costs. The total cost of 2 people is 15,000 yuan, and the per capita cost is 7,500 yuan. 7. Diet. I have to praise Dianping again, it is reliable. Especially in a city like Dunhuang, if you want to eat authentic mutton, Dianping's recommendation is very reliable.


PS, welcome to watch my other travel notes.

[Encounter----Encounter with the Pure Land] Walking the road of Gannan and Sichuanbei

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