Love Qinghai Lake, dream come true Mogao Grottoes

Love Qinghai Lake, dream come true Mogao Grottoes

-----Qinghai and Gansu travel notes

Due to the epidemic, this year I have insisted on canceling all non-essential travel except for business trips. However, in late August, I suddenly wanted to go out for a walk, so I chose Qinghai and Gansu as my destinations, which is a dream come true for many years. It’s just that I didn’t expect the Qing-Gan line to be unexpectedly popular this year. Since I had no idea about the route and distance, I made up for the various travel notes and strategies of Qing-Gan travel for two days, and initially set a few points based on other people’s In the travel notes, I contacted several chartered drivers, and finally settled on one. After booking the round-trip air ticket, I hurriedly worked overtime to arrange work to ensure a smooth trip.

Our itinerary is from September 14th to September 23rd, and the Qinggan Great Ring Road is 7 days, which is also the highlight of this itinerary. Because it was a chartered car trip, and there were only us and my husband, I thought it would be convenient to arrange along the way, but I ignored the unprecedented popularity of this year's Qinggan Line. Even in mid-September, I couldn't cool down; Detailed arrangements, and it is impossible to book accommodation, I only booked the room on the day of arrival in Xining before leaving. This led to the unevenness of the itinerary and the hasty accommodation. Fortunately, the time, place and people were harmonious, and the rest were basically resolved smoothly. It is considered luck. Before the trip, I referred to and studied the travel notes and strategies of many people, and I also wanted to record my feelings and experiences and share them together. Because the photos are all taken by mobile phones, and they have not been exported and sorted out, I can’t ignore them if I find it troublesome (finally I couldn’t hold back and uploaded the photos, hehe).

Day 1: Hangzhou flies directly to Xining, arrives at noon, checks in and settles down, then goes out for a stroll, looking for something to eat by the way.

Although Xining is the capital city of Qinghai Province, there is still a big gap compared with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. It feels like a small county, but the city is clean and the vehicles are neatly arranged. There will be no bicycles or electric vehicles occupying the road. Makes you feel very comfortable. We live in Dongguan Street, relatively central, convenient for travel and eating, very close to Mojia Street. I found a noodle restaurant at an intersection in South Street and ate fried firecrackers (noodles, noodles are like firecrackers, hence the name), which was pretty good. Northwest noodles are all handmade, very chewy, which suits my taste.

After dinner, I went to see the Great Mosque on Dongguan Street. Because the epidemic is closed, I can only look at it. The Dongguan Street Mosque is the largest mosque in Xining. It is a combination of Arabic and Tibetan styles, with a slightly gray tone. At the entrance of the mosque, there are many Muslims sitting and basking in the sun. They are very leisurely and there are not many tourists. In fact, the Nanguan Mosque is not far away. We passed by after returning from the loop and saw it. It is a pure Arabic-style mosque. Although the scale is smaller than that of Dongguan Street, I prefer its pure white tone. I don't believe in religion, but I prefer the architecture of mosques, and I always feel that they are very pure. Because there are more Muslims in Xining, there are also many mosques.

Mojia Street is also not far away. To be honest, it is very ordinary, similar to the snack streets in many cities. Just look around, and find another place to eat. We only bought yogurt, Delo's. The yogurt in Xining is really good, there are many famous brands, and other restaurants and supermarkets also have it. Basically, it costs 6 yuan a box or a bowl. It is cheap and delicious, and it feels a little sweet. I ate dinner at the online celebrity shop "Yixin Hand-caught Lamb Restaurant", which is actually near the hotel where we live. It's not bad. Hand-caught mutton is their specialty. If you order mutton, don't order more other dishes. Northwest There are so many dishes that I can't eat them.

Day 2: From the ancient city of Dangar to Qinghai Lake, and then to Sky One, the beautiful scenery along the way.

The driver came to pick me up early in the morning. I originally wanted to go to the Kumbum Monastery, but this year, due to some indescribable reasons between the temple and the place, the Kumbum Monastery is very strict on the operating vehicles. If we are punished, we will not be reluctant, and plan to go by ourselves after Qingganxian returns. Because I didn't want to be empty this morning, I chose the ancient city of Dangar. This is also the plan to go after reading the reviews of Ctrip's attractions. It turns out that this choice is very wrong. The ancient city of Dangar is located in Huangyuan County, a suburban county in Xining. It is actually a film and television city. It is useless after filming a movie, so it can be ignored. It is all man-made and not an ancient city at all. , what a waste of time. The driver was also drunk about our choice of this place. He said that he had never been there, and we could only laugh at ourselves.

After coming out of the ancient city of Dangar, I went straight to Qinghai Lake. There were grasslands along the way. It was an eye-opener for people who have been growing up in the south of the Yangtze River. I basically stared out the car window without blinking. I felt that every place very beautiful. In fact, there are few people on the grassland. The driver told us that there must be people where there are prayer flags or white pagodas. These people are not permanent residents, they are just for grazing, so when you see prayer flags, you usually see sheep or cattle first. Each family has its own pasture, and the cattle and sheep of each family graze and run leisurely on their own pasture, because the weather will turn cold rapidly after October, and the cattle and sheep will return to the place where they are raised. In addition, when we passed Riyue Mountain and Daotang River, we didn't get off the bus, but just took a look at it from a distance. Some scenery is actually suitable for distant viewing.

Arrived at Erlangjian Scenic Area at about 12:30. Erlangjian is a paid scenic spot of Qinghai Lake, but many people enter the lake area from other entrances, so there is no need to buy tickets. The driver took us from an opening next to Erlangjian Scenic Area to Qinghai Lake. There are no tickets here, and there are still a lot of people. Fortunately, Qinghai Lake is too big, and it will not feel crowded after spreading out. There is a large stone tablet of "Qinghai Lake" by the lake, and the people taking pictures are naturally shoulder to shoulder, which is very in line with the habits of the Chinese. We only brought our mobile phones, and we didn’t take pictures deliberately, but mostly took pictures of the sky; we were not interested in riding yaks, so we walked directly from the lake. There is a trail by the lake, and the grass near the shore is a small ditch. People standing on the trail can be reflected in the small ditch, which is very beautiful, but there are many places on this trail that are prone to subsidence, so you must walk in the middle. When I was walking along the lake, it may be that there were too many people on the side, and my foot sank. Thanks to my quick reaction, I pulled my foot out immediately, but the shoes were already covered with black sand, and they were all wet. I hurried to a safe place to take off my shoes Put the socks in the water for a while, then went to the grass to find a big rock, sat there drying the shoes and socks, very embarrassed. The sun is very strong by the lake, but the wind is also strong, so I don’t feel hot. Sitting on the rocks, I watched a group of aunts in the distance waving gorgeous silk scarves, shouting slogans, and taking pictures in various poses. Also nice scenery. Because the wind was strong and the sun was strong, the shoes dried quickly, so I put them on and went to the lake for a stroll. Qinghai Lake is very comfortable, it is suitable to bring dry food, snacks, etc. to sit on the grass and bask in the sun in a daze. The crowd has nothing to do with you, but the scenery does.

It gets dark very late in Qinghai, usually after 8:30, so it’s still early to leave Qinghai Lake, so the driver suggested that we go to Chaka Sky One. Sky One is a new scenic spot in Chaka. It is about 20 kilometers away from Chaka Salt Lake. It is similar to Chaka Salt Lake. It has not yet been fully constructed. Usually, Chaka Salt Lake is overcrowded during the peak season, and some tourists will choose Sky One. The Sky One scenic spot is not big, but it is very pure. You can take a small train at the door to enter, or you can walk in it. It takes only a few minutes. When we went, the small water train did not run, and it stopped quietly in the lake, which was very beautiful. There is a newly built hotel at the entrance of Sky One, where you can stay, but it will be more expensive, and there are no good options for eating. If you don't mind the cost, it's actually a good choice to live in Sky One at night, it's more convenient to watch the sunset and sunrise. Because we had already booked a hotel in Chaka Town, we went to Chaka Town to stay. There are many hotels in the town and the conditions are not bad, but the food is very expensive.

Day 3: From Chaka Salt Lake to Delingha, and then to Emerald Lake, the beauty is intoxicating.

Chaka Salt Lake is suitable for going in the morning and evening, otherwise the sun will be too strong. We set off from the hotel early in the morning and went to Chaka Salt Lake. The scenic area is very large and complete. There are not too many people while walking and watching. Too many railings, in fact, there is no need to stay. It is recommended to take a small train at the entrance of the scenic spot to go directly to the central lake area. After getting off the train, rent a shoe cover and go down to the lake. There will be various surprises. Whether it is Sky One or Chaka Salt Lake, it is suitable to wear bright clothes for taking pictures, but too many people choose bright red skirts and scarves, so they can only hehe. In fact, the shoe covers are red, and you only need some red or other bright colors on your body to look beautiful and not look vulgar. So you can rent it wherever you want to go to the lake, otherwise it will be annoying to carry shoe covers. It is required to take off your shoes when wearing shoe covers, so it is best to prepare disposable shoe covers by yourself. Put on the disposable shoe covers first, and then put on the rented shoe covers, which will make you feel cleaner.

The management of the scenic spot is very good. There are shoe cover rental points everywhere, and each card point is managed by someone. It is really hard work under such strong sunlight. I hope that every tourist can consciously abide by the regulations of the scenic spot, do not litter, take pictures in a safe area, and do not cause trouble to others.

At noon, I left Chaka Salt Lake and drove to Delingha, the seat of Haixizhou government. Exhibition hall, but few tourists come. I personally feel that Delingha is still worth staying if we have enough time. We wanted to stay in Delingha for one night, but because the next day's schedule was too full, we finally gave up. There are many places built by Zhejiang people in Delingha, so you can clearly feel the taste of Zhejiang.

Coming out of Delingha, the driver deliberately detoured to the highway marked with "520" and "1431" road signs to let us take pictures. I was really confused, but I am very grateful to the driver for his hard work. Emerald Lake is a bit far from Delingha. Although there are grasslands along the way, it is more desolate than what I saw the day before. It is more Gobi, and the scenery is still charming. It was 6 o'clock when we arrived at Emerald Lake, the sun was still hanging in the sky, there were many people, and the snow on the top of the mountain could be seen in the distance. Emerald Lake is also a salt lake, greenish in color, pure and beautiful like emerald. In fact, there are more than ten large and small salt lakes in this area, which are separated by sand dunes of different shapes. Few people walk inside. Standing on the sand dunes and looking at the lake, the beauty is fascinating. It was very windy by the lake, and it was cold even wearing a down jacket. If it is not getting late, even if it is cold, I would like to go around the lakes, large and small.

The nearest place to Emerald Lake is Dachaidan Town. The accommodation is very tight, and the conditions are very poor, but the price is abnormally high. The government has made great efforts to rectify it. There may be a large hotel opening next year, and the situation should improve. So if the route is determined, the room should be booked in advance, otherwise there will be no place to live. The food in the town was not bad. The driver took us to eat at a restaurant called Ibra. The food was delicious and the price was fair, and the business was also very good.

Day 4: Sunrise and sunset, the journey is nearly a thousand miles, from Qinghai to Gansu, tiring but worth it.

Because the accommodation in Dachaidan was too poor and we couldn’t book a room, we finally decided to go to Dunhuang at night anyway, which meant traveling thousands of miles a day.

Starting from the hotel early in the morning, the Gobi is vast and uninhabited along the way, but the scenery is unique. On this day, walk through the unmanned road, watch the sunrise and sunset, and watch the bar-headed geese flying freely by the West Taijinel Lake; walk into the water Yadan to enjoy its unique landform scenery; walk on the Dongtai Jinel Lake, and see the elegance of the Maldives in China ; From Dangjin Mountain at an altitude of 3,800 meters all the way down to Aksai at an altitude of 1,500 meters, and finally arrived in Dunhuang safely with fear, ending the day's trip. The driver is very hardworking, caring, and experienced in driving. He not only allowed us to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, but also helped us take a lot of photos. At the same time, the weather was also very good. It was really lucky to see the sunrise and sunset Super good, bursting with character. On the way, I met a wolfberry garden and bought some fresh wolfberry, which was delicious. At the same time, I also learned why the black wolfberry is so expensive. It is not because of the nutritional value, but because the cost of manual picking is too high, which is 10% of the red wolfberry. More than double, the natural price will be high.

Day 5: Climb Mingsha Mountain and overlook Crescent Lake.

I finally slept in and went to the Dunhuang Museum after lunch. The museums in every city are basically must-sees. To understand history, you should start with the museums, not to mention the history of Dunhuang is so attractive. It was still early to come out of the museum, so I searched for a white horse tower nearby, so I stopped by. This can be said to be the most deceitful scenic spot I have ever been to. The ticket is 15 yuan, just a small white tower, nothing, and the environment is terrible. But the city of Dunhuang is very nice, very clean, and all kinds of signs on the streets are very clear, which makes people feel infinitely good. Have the opportunity to definitely come again!

Dunhuang is still hot during the day, so we set off to Mingsha Mountain at around 5 o'clock. Naturally, there are many people, and there are many people riding camels. I rented shoe covers at the entrance and followed the big team to climb Mingsha Mountain. It was really a climb, but because there were so many people, I was not tired. It just took too much time to stay. Crescent Moon Spring on the mountain looked darker. Sitting on the sand hill watching the instant sunset is very spectacular. It gets dark around 9 o'clock, so you can sit on the mountain for a long time, watching the illuminated Crescent Lake, and if the weather is good, you can also watch the starry sky.

The sand in Mingsha Mountain is very fine and does not stick to your feet. You can also wear sandals or slippers without renting shoes. It is quite comfortable to step on the sand directly. But be sure to do a good job of sun protection, the ultraviolet rays are too strong. Going down the mountain is much easier than going up the mountain. You can go down quickly with a slight lift of your back foot, and you can go down in less than 10 minutes.

Day Six: Mogao Grottoes, here I come.

Mogao Grottoes is an indispensable part of all my itineraries, and today I finally came to realize my dream. Tickets were set at 8:45, I entered the venue early, followed various procedures to see 8 caves, went to 3 more caves, and finally found Wang Yuanlu's Taoist tower to relieve my resentment.

After coming out of Mogao Grottoes, I went back to my room to rest after eating a bowl of noodles, and went to Dunhuang Night Market (Shazhou Night Market) at night. The Dunhuang Night Market is very large, it is really worth a visit, it is very well managed, everything is clearly priced, and the prices of similar items are uniform, and the prices are more conscientious. After I left Dunhuang, the driver told me that the dried fruit in Dunhuang was good. At that time, I thought it would be troublesome to buy it in Qinghai. I knew I would buy some raisins and bring it back.

Day 7: Eating melons in Guazhou, looking at Jiayuguan from a distance, the most magnificent pass in the world, and watching colorful Danxia in Zhangye.

This day is another arduous task, with a journey of more than 700 kilometers. Arrive in Guazhou at noon, and eat some melons in the service area. It is really sweet, and the special products are relatively expensive, so it is not worth buying. After leaving, drive to Jiayuguan. There are not many historical sites here, so I just went around and went to the Great Wall Museum to have a look and then left. The weather was not particularly good that day. It was cloudy when we arrived at Colorful Danxia, ​​and it was the only cloudy day these days. There are so many people in Colorful Danxia, ​​and almost every viewing platform is densely packed. Because it is cloudy, the colors are not so bright, but it is still very special. Many travel notes think that only No. 4 viewing platform is the most beautiful, but it is not the case. Each viewing platform has its own characteristics, and it is worth stopping to watch. Observation Deck No. 1 is the smallest, but the color of Danxia is very distinct; Observation Deck No. 2 and No. 3 are larger, more spectacular and imposing; Observation Deck No. 4 is the most beautiful, but also has the most people and is too crowded.

There is accommodation in Qicai Town, but it doesn’t look very good, and the driver is from Zhangye, so we went to live in downtown Zhangye at night, and had dinner at Luo Fatzi Noodle Restaurant. Zhangye’s noodles are delicious and cheap.

Day 8: The weather is not good, so I regret to leave Zhangye.

The original plan was the seven-day Qinggan Grand Ring Road. On the eighth day, I should return from Zhangye to Xining. Since the driver is from Zhangye, he did not pick up the business in Xining. There are indeed no scenic spots worth stopping along the way from Zhangye to Xining this season. , so we discussed with us that we would take the train back to Xining by ourselves, and the cost of the last day would not be counted, and we agreed. At the same time, the driver also suggested to us that if some friends do not choose to travel in summer in the future, they can stay in Zhangye on the ring road and then leave from Zhangye. It is not necessary to return to Xining.

Originally, we planned to go around Zhangye city, and Zhangye National Wetland Park was near the hotel. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we had to give up and didn't go anywhere. I feel very regretful. I plan to take the bullet train back to Xining after having lunch in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant sells Zhangye rubbed fish noodles. It looks good and is delicious. You can try it. Seeing the appearance of the noodles, I guess it should be named after the small fishes in the noodles, right? Search Baidu, sure enough.

Day 9: There is a pagoda first, and then a temple. The history of the Kumbum Monastery actually comes from the piety in the heart.

After returning to Xining, the sky was fine again, and we went to Kumbum Monastery by ourselves. Kumbum Monastery does need to be explained, but the explanation is really expensive. We took a group from Jinan, Shandong. As the daughter-in-law of Shandong people, it shouldn’t be an exaggeration, right? But still a bit guilty, ha ha. Although the explanation is rubbed, but I still want to complain, the level is really not good, and it is very perfunctory, so it seems that it is wise to rub the group, haha.

There are three wonders in Kumbum Monastery, duixiu, ghee flowers, and murals. They are indeed beautiful, but you need to walk slowly to have a feeling for Kumbum Monastery. The photos of Kumbum Monastery are really not good, it is really not available, huh, huh.

The original plan was to go to the Qinghai Provincial Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was under renovation and closed, so it was a pity that I couldn't go there. In the end, I bought some special products at the specialty shop next door to the hotel and sent them home, saving me the hassle.

The last dinner in Xining went to the nearby Yajun, but it was not good.

Day 10: Go home and fly back to Hangzhou.

Before going to the airport, I still didn’t forget the breakfast in Xining, and queued up to buy dog ​​pee and yogurt. Dog watering urine is actually highland barley pancakes, which are very fragrant and delicious. You can add eggs, bean sprouts, etc. I think it tastes better without adding them.

postscript:

The 10-day itinerary is coming to an end soon. Traveling is not only to release the mood, but also to practice and purify the soul. There are actually many feelings along the way. The beautiful scenery along the way is overwhelming. No matter how good the camera and technology are, I choose to carry it with my heart. Qinghai, Gansu and other regions are vast, sparsely populated, and the continuous improvement of infrastructure is really difficult. It can be seen that the strength and various efforts of the country and the government for the development of the west, and the improvement of the lives of the people in the ethnic minority areas have not come easily, and they can really feel their gratitude to the party and the government. I hope that all friends who travel to these areas will abide by the rules, leave no garbage, and reduce pollution.

Finally, I would like to share some travel precautions, hoping to help everyone.

2. Regarding the itinerary: this needs to be arranged according to the time, first determine a few points to go and then plan the route. I personally think Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Sky One, Chaka Salt Lake, Emerald Lake, Dongtai, Xitai, Water Yadan, Dunhuang, Colorful Danxia are all worth visiting, and you can choose according to the time.

3. Regarding basic necessities, food, housing, and transportation: Qinghai has a large temperature difference between day and night, so it is necessary to prepare more clothes; in terms of diet, beef, mutton and pasta are the main food, but some dry food and water should be properly prepared on the road, and only dry food can be eaten in sparsely populated places; accommodation conditions in many places Not good, the peak season is very tense and it is unreasonably expensive, but the government is also rectifying and reforming, which has achieved a lot of results, and the construction will get better and better. According to this experience, you should book a room that can be canceled in advance, and prepare with multiple hands, so as not to have no place to live; a chartered car is a more suitable choice, and the car must have ample seats. If the seat is too full, it will be very tiring. The choice of the driver is very important. Our driver this time is really good. He is very caring, not deceitful, and has sufficient driving experience. The room recommended to us is cheaper than the one we booked online; the hotels we found were also at reasonable prices.

4. Regarding sun protection and anti-drying: Qinghai and Gansu areas have sufficient sunshine, very strong ultraviolet rays, and are prone to sunburn, so you must pay attention to sun protection; secondly, it is also very dry, so you should bring enough moisturizing skin care products, especially hand cream, I use it every day I feel super uncomfortable in my hands, and regret not bringing Vaseline jelly.

5. About altitude sickness: Usually there will be some reactions in the first two to three days, but they are not serious. Usually there will be headaches. I took various medicines, and I only took Sanlitong twice in the end, and the others were useless. But after returning to Hangzhou after the trip, I was dizzy every day, as if I was drunk, and I was still dizzy for almost a week. Checked it, is normal, may be drunk oxygen. Don't catch a cold, be sure to keep warm.

Originally, I just wanted to write a simple summary, but I recorded it as a running account, so let's make do with it.