The continuation of the COVID-19 epidemic has hurt the tourism industry and people who are accustomed to traveling, and even affected the enrollment of related majors to some extent. Two years have passed since the last official trip. In the past two years, people have changed from being fearful and helpless at the beginning, to now getting used to wearing masks when going out and spraying alcohol when entering. Life has changed, but it seems to be the same as usual. I still have to go for a walk when I can, it's nothing more than a few extra packs of masks and alcohol wipes in the suitcase.
where to? This is a far more nerve-wracking problem than masks and alcohol. In fact, I was thinking about it two months before the summer vacation. More importantly, I continued to pay attention to all the news related to the epidemic in the past two years and the location of the occurrence, and tried to calculate the area with the lowest probability of occurrence of the epidemic. Statistics is of course not absolute, but probability is definitely instructive for decision-making. Excluding all borders, ports, cities with large inbound passenger flow and large population flow, there are very few optional destinations left, and the lucky finalists are Northwest China and Guizhou. I just recently watched the content of the second season of "Qiang Qiang Xing Tian Xia" about the Great Northwest and the Hexi Corridor. It is a good choice to strike while the iron is hot.
On the Gansu-Qingdao Ring Road, the scenic spots are far away, and many of them are not around the city. In fact, it is more suitable for a group of people to travel by car. However, on the one hand, there are not enough drivers, and on the other hand, driving a long-distance car is tiring and affects the view of the scenery. It is not my favorite way, and the only option is to go with a group. However, due to the convenience of entering and exiting Lanzhou and its status as a central city in the west, it is still planned to extend the stay for two days as usual.
Day1 once in a thousand years
However, man is not as good as God, and the itinerary was set on July 19. On the 20th, the once-in-a-thousand-year rainfall in Henan was out of control. As a railway hub in Zhengzhou, news of train outages began to appear on hot searches. Unfortunately, the high-speed rail from Beijing to Lanzhou happened to take the southern line, that is, it went south through Zhengzhou and then headed west to Lanzhou. Before the departure on the 22nd, the mental preparations and multiple sets of alternative plans for the train outage were actually made. After all, the same trains in the previous two days were all out of service. But on the premise of not receiving a notice of outage, firstly, it was a fluke, and secondly, the loss of early refund was too great. Of course, another option is to change the itinerary in advance but not refund the ticket in advance, betting that the high-speed rail will be out of service. If you win, you will not lose time or money, but if you lose, you will lose the full amount of two 700 yuan. I couldn't afford to gamble, so I rushed from Zhangjiakou to Beijing West Railway Station early with a fluke mentality. The wait was extremely tormented, until nearly 20 minutes had passed by and some irrational passengers had started to quarrel with the staff, when the suspension notice finally came. Fortunately, I did my homework in advance and prepared Plan B. The next step is to sit in the waiting room of Beijing West Railway Station and hold my mobile phone to operate. First of all, I checked the air ticket. The time was late, the price was extremely expensive, and the weather could not guarantee whether I could fly on time. It was also an uncertain choice, pass. So I contacted the travel agency and couldn't arrive on time and needed to change the tour date. After learning that the most recent tour date was on the 28th, I decided to change the plan of staying with the group first and then travel to Lanzhou by myself, and then meet with the group on the 28th. Then start improvising plans for the next 4 days. The first thing to consider is the situation of the train ticket. First, you must have a ticket, and second, you must ensure that you can go. In order to avoid the impact of floods, the only way is to take the northern line to avoid the rainfall area, which also means that there is no direct high-speed rail. Fortunately, there are still high-speed railways on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou and Zhanghu-Huzhou sections in the eastern section, so I rushed to Qinghe Station to take the high-speed railway, arrived in Hohhot on the afternoon of the 22nd, and then took the sleeper on the 23rd from Hohhot to Lanzhou. After finishing the journey, everything is far from over. Fortunately, I had a ticket for the return trip; I canceled the original high-speed rail, and finally got a full refund; I canceled the extended stay hotel I booked before, and re-booked the hotel for one night in Hohhot and three nights in Lanzhou; I made an appointment for the Gansu Provincial Museum And tickets to the Inner Mongolia Museum. All the work is done at the station and on the high-speed rail, with only a mobile phone, several APPs and 4G network. Going back ten years and encountering such a natural disaster, all subsequent trips may not happen. We are lucky after all, thanks to this era.
After several twists and turns, the travel time was extended, and Hohhot was unexpectedly added to the itinerary. God's will is so, if it comes, it will be safe. It's just a day of tossing and turning in trains and stations. I couldn’t buy the earliest high-speed rail tickets, so I had to get up at 4:00 a.m. and take the regular express train from Zhangjiakou to Beijing. After the high-speed rail was suspended, I took the high-speed rail from Beijing to Hohhot via Zhangjiakou, which was equivalent to a futile round trip to Beijing. When I arrived at Hohhot East Railway Station on the evening of the 22nd, I felt sleepy, tired and speechless. The destination that I could easily reach in only two hours ended up traveling for 12 hours. Even if the suspension is notified 5 hours before driving, there will be no such trouble. For a few handling fees, some monopoly industries are also fighting hard.
Day2 Encounter Guisui
On the morning of the 23rd, go to the Inner Mongolia Museum as planned. For convenience, I booked a hotel near Wanda Plaza opposite the day before, just across the road. The shape of the museum building is very special, the roof is like a winding white ribbon. The exhibition halls are distributed on the second, third and fourth floors. There are several exhibition halls on display: "Grassland Monument", "Northern Xinjiang Birch Song", "Dawn of Civilization", "Daliao Khitan", "Ancient World", and "Border Years". From the perspective of nature and history, the exhibits fully demonstrate the process of the Huns, Khitan, Mongolia and other grassland civilizations multiplying and living, with extremely distinctive national characteristics. In addition, although there are not many exhibits of the famous Neolithic Hongshan culture, a small jade pig dragon is enough to attract people's attention. It has been a whole morning since the museum opened in the morning, but after all, it is just a quick browse. Hohhot is very close, and I will come again if I have the opportunity.
After lunch, I took my luggage to the Suiyuan General Yamen Museum. Knowing that Zhangjiakou used to be the capital of Chahar Province, I am no stranger to Suiyuan and Rehe, the administrative divisions of the same period in history, but I only know the names. Now that I have come to Hohhot, the capital of Suiyuan Province, I have the opportunity to have a better understanding of the history of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. The Suiyuan General's Office is the largest, best-preserved, and highest-ranking frontier general's office in my country in the Qing Dynasty. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was established to prevent the Mongolian Junggar tribe from invading the northwest frontier. In the past 300 years, it has experienced 74 generals, ranking first in the border officials. It has the historical value of "a general's mansion, half of the history of Qingcheng". The entrance of the scenic spot is opened at the east gate, which retains the architectural features of the Qing Dynasty government office as a whole. A pair of stone lions stand on both sides of the main entrance, and the plaque of "Monan First Mansion" hangs high inside the main entrance. The hall inside the gate is a typical courtyard with three entrances, the front is public and the back is private, and there is a small garden at the end. Just in time for the volunteers to explain, I got a general understanding of the daily life of the general's mansion. There are few free people, the transportation is convenient, and luggage can be stored. It is worth visiting when passing by Hohhot.
If you stay in Hohhot for less than 24 hours, it can only be regarded as the first time you see it, and it is not even considered as a glimpse of flowers. It is said that Hohhot is the nearest provincial capital city to me, but I have never had the opportunity to come. Since the opening of the Zhanghu high-speed railway last year, it only takes one and a half hours to go to Hohhot. However, all the conveniences are not worth an accident. This behavior was a train transfer, but it led to the first visit. Compared with Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, Hohhot gave people the biggest impression of fewer people, less vehicles, and wider roads; there are subways and Wanda Plazas, but there are no crowds, convoys, and hurried walks that are common in big cities; noisy night markets and The cheap breakfast is probably the background of this city; the contrast between the bus drivers who have strictly registered for epidemic prevention and the aunt who doesn't wear a mask and eats sesame seeds on the bus seems to reveal the seriousness and unrulyness in people's bones. It is convenient and comfortable, but not too noisy and flashy. It should probably be a city suitable for living, which is good.
Day3 hello, beef noodles
Sleeping overnight, finally arrived at Lanzhou Station at noon on the 24th. Looking at the iconic bronze galloping horse statue in the square in front of the station, I lamented the difficulty of this journey in the high temperature of 38 degrees. Take the bus to the hotel and experience the traffic jam in Lanzhou first. The first few stops were okay, but the closer to the city center, the more traffic jams, plus the forced lane change, the bus driver stepped on the gas pedal and then stepped on the emergency brake. Most people really can't drive. The ease and joy of Hohhot vanished in an instant, large-scale buses dashed left and right, and the heat and anxiety in the air wrapped up in the waiting under the scorching sun—Jincheng, in such a way, couldn’t wait to prove itself as a central city in the Northwest. status. The promised Xiongguan Mandao and the Gobi Desert still have to start from row upon row and congestion. For that bite of beef noodles, I endured it.
After several twists and turns, we finally arrived at our destination, where we stayed, ate, rested, and set off in the evening. The first stop was to visit the Lanzhou Night Market and check out the famous food on the internet. Checking the Raiders is a compulsory course before departure. The first gourmet route is Zhengning Road Snack Night Market and Nanguan National Customs Street. Starting from the west entrance of Zhengning Road, a street of more than 200 meters is densely covered with small shops and stalls, and there are so many snacks and delicacies that it is difficult to choose. Stomach capacity is limited, so we can only choose key points to attack. The legendary booth No. 44 has a must-eat cup of milk and egg fermented glutinous rice. It costs 10 yuan a cup, and you need to queue up with a number. The white-bearded old man skillfully boiled a pot of milk and fermented glutinous rice mixture. After boiling, sprinkle the egg liquid into it like making egg soup, put it in a cup, and garnish it with sesame seeds and raisins. There are only 4 cups in one pot, and everyone gets hot ones just out of the pot, which is more suitable for winter. The rich milk aroma and the wine aroma of fermented glutinous rice are perfectly blended, sweet but not greasy, the more you drink, the better. There are different opinions on the Internet about which milk egg fermented glutinous rice is authentic. There are almost ten shops on Zhengning Road, all of which are branded as "Laomajia". . The follow-up version of the legend is that due to too many imitators, the original old Ma Ye shaved his beard and now moved to another new gourmet spot, Lanzhou Old Street, which prompted him to check in at the new location two days later. This is a later story.
Before I finished buying and drinking a cup of hot milk and egg fermented glutinous rice, the sign of "Fang Ha" at the west end of Zhengning Road came into view. Although there is also the trouble of "cottage", but this one on Zhengning Road will never go wrong. In this era when milk tea brands are flooding, Lanzhou’s sweet embryo milk tea may be the most special one. Order a medium cup of classic sweet embryo milk tea and note three points of sugar, the price of 11 yuan is only a little more expensive than Michelle Ice City; and look at the super large cup like the small bucket of the lady at the next table, which is only 15, and I feel that I am at a loss up. And the most important thing is of course not the price. It can make a non-milk tea lover who gives up sweets for high blood fat drink two cups in three days. The "Northwest of the tea industry" is really different from the "Little Taipei" on the bad street. The reason why Fat House Happy Water has been prosperous for so long is that it firmly grasps the human’s addiction to “sweetness”, so conventional milk tea often maximizes the “sweetness of sugar” and “greasyness of milk” while ignoring the Whether milk tea is milk or tea. Take a sip of "Fang Ha", unexpectedly it is not sweet and greasy, and you can really taste the bitterness of the tea, the more the aftertaste becomes more obvious, the longer you drink it. Middle-aged people who drink tea on a daily basis did not have expectations for Internet celebrity milk tea, and it was a surprise to find a treasure by accident. Leaving Zhengning Road and turning to Gannan Road, there is a Squirrel Beef Noodle at the intersection. No visit to Lanzhou is complete without eating beef noodles. But in the face of the beef noodle restaurants and many well-known chain brands everywhere in Lanzhou, it is actually tangled which one to eat. After all, you can’t eat every day. No matter how much the strategy is, it is just a reference, and you can go with the situation when you come to the field. The unified standard version in the whole city is 8 yuan a bowl. Just about to lament that it was too cheap, I accidentally saw a bowl of real food just brought by the diners next to me, decisively opened a certain group, and ordered a double-fly set meal with meat and marinated eggs. After that, I went to another noodle shop. The standard version was also three small pieces of diced meat. It turned out that not only the price but also the amount of meat were unified. Tourists should still eat the set meal, the cost-effective price of 15 yuan and 8 yuan, if Beijing dares to ask you for 30+.
After eating beef noodles and drinking milk tea, we walked across Gannan Road and arrived at Nanguan Night Market. Compared with Zhengning Road Night Market, this street is slightly longer, and the content is similar. It may be because the street is slightly wider. The former has more tourists walking and eating, while Nanguan has more tables, barbecues, tea pots, and a variety of delicacies grilled on large iron plates that I don’t know. With the emergence of Internet celebrities, "reverse Internet celebrities" have also become a way for some people to express their individuality. More and more people are beginning to dislike Internet celebrity food streets and Internet celebrity night markets, for reasons such as "over-commercialization" and "all tourists, not local talents". But even if they are not from the perspective of commercial interests, few people have a lot of time, energy, and ways to search every corner of a city—for tourists, the Internet celebrity night market may be the most cost-effective choice. The night market in Lanzhou is actually not bad. It retains a lot of market flavor and fireworks, and the price is not the so-called "tourist price", which is not much different from other night markets. Compared with Chengdu, Xi'an, Changsha and other well-known gourmet capitals, Lanzhou cuisine is not inferior in terms of quality, characteristics and price. But no matter which city you go to, you can eat Chengdu skewers or Changsha stinky tofu (although not necessarily authentic), but you can hardly see milk egg fermented glutinous rice and sweet embryo milk tea. Did it also suffer from the geographical location like Lanzhou University? Maybe. Anyway, when I got home, I recreated the milk and egg fermented glutinous rice. There are really not many technical thresholds and ingredients restrictions. When I put down the bowl, I have the urge to go to the night market to set up a stall.
Day4 horse stepping on flying swallow
When visiting Lanzhou, there are two places I want to go most, Gambo and Lanta. Unfortunately, due to the epidemic, the university does not allow casual entry and exit, but the museum is still open as usual. After learning the lesson of not making an appointment in Suzhou Museum, you can only pass through its gate but not enter. After that, checking the appointment in advance has become a routine operation before travel. The door opened at 9 o'clock, and we arrived half an hour earlier, and there were already people queuing up, especially organized primary school students and parents with children. In line with the principle of staggering peaks, after entering the museum, go straight to the third floor and go straight to the Gansu Painted Pottery Museum. Sure enough, there are few people. Gambo's painted pottery hall brings together Dadiwan culture, Yangshao culture, Majiayao culture and various painted pottery pots, jars, bottles, etc. of the Bronze Age. As a diehard fan of "National Treasure", I did some homework every time I checked in to the museum, so I locked on the painted pottery vase with a human head and mouth at first glance. During the Neolithic Age 7,000-5,000 years ago, the utensils decorated by the ancients came through thousands of years of time and space, and are vividly displayed in the display cabinets. The terracotta has a bright background and clearly identifiable decorations, which are comparable to today's trendy hand-made figures. Going further in, you will see terracotta human faces and display cabinets of terracotta human faces. Extremely simple and even abstract to a certain extent, the ancients thousands of years ago completed the most primitive "selfie" with the simplest form. Regardless of natural technology or art and humanities, human beings' description of the world and themselves has generally gone through a process from simple to complex, and then from complex to simple—astronomy, geography, painting and music are no exceptions. From the ancient avenue to simplicity to today's popular minimalist style, the flow of time and space, the reincarnation of time, and the mapping through the millennium, what changes is the technique, and what is eternal is the soul.
The East Hall on the third floor is the Gansu Buddhist Art Exhibition. In addition to "Qiang Qiang Xing Tian Xia", before the departure, I also cramped my feet and made up for the documentary "Hexi Corridor". When it comes to the typical representatives of Buddhist culture in Gansu, grotto art cannot be avoided, and the previous understanding basically only stays in the impression that Gansu has the second of the four major grottoes in China. But through "Qiang Qiang" and the documentary, we know that the grotto art in Gansu is far more than Mogao Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes. The former visited the Bingling Temple Grottoes, the Horseshoe Temple Grottoes and the Jinta Temple Grottoes, while the latter told the history of Tan Yao's excavation of the Tiantishan Grottoes. It is a pity that none of the above-mentioned grottoes are included in this itinerary, and we can only glimpse the leopard in the small exhibition hall of the museum. Although I don't like to drive a long-distance car, there are too many temptations to remind me of the necessity of driving in the Northwest. There will be a long time in Japan, and there will be a period later.
Going down to the second floor, the highlight of the middle hall is naturally the Silk Road Civilization Exhibition Hall in Gansu Province. The top cultural relics also make this exhibition hall the most popular. The bronze galloping horse of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which is firmly in the C position, stands in the most conspicuous position. There are many onlookers, and the photo effect is not good. As the pattern of China's tourism logo, the shape of "horse stepping on flying swallows" is very familiar. And when it really stands in front of your eyes, the viewer will be really impressed by its muscular figure and galloping momentum. Compared with the bronze heavy vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it was only after I saw the real thing that I realized that the Tianma was so small. However, its insufficiency in size cannot conceal its innate aura of 1.8 meters. Against the background of the array of horses and horses behind it, the scenes of previous legends staged in "National Treasure" emerge one by one. Come" seems to linger in my ears, and a long and magnificent picture scroll of the great era is slowly unfolding. A generation of emperors stretched the arms of the country, fought south and north, and worked hard to govern, showing the domineering power of the empire; the young general made martial arts and military might, and the Huns were not destroyed. All of these are condensed on a light, dynamic and elegant bronze object, lamenting the ingenious craftsmanship of the ancients, grateful for the endless life of Chinese civilization, and leaving an immortal mark for today's people to search for pulse.
On the other side, a replica of the picture bricks of the post office and a group of picture bricks of various colors are displayed in the showcase, and the scene of the post post more than 1,600 years ago is laid out on top of the bricks. The messenger holds the token, and the fast horse soars into the air, with a few strokes, concise and freehand, vividly depicting the picture of the postman's prancing horse galloping. It is considered to be the image material of the earliest ancient post post discovered in my country, and it has also become the symbol of China Post today.
Another group of national treasures corroborated with the picture bricks of the post envoys are the Xuanquanzhi Han Bamboo Slips. It is just a work log of a frontier post station. The content may be trivial, but it vividly lays out a historical picture of politics, economy, military, diplomacy, culture, nationality, society, border customs, and daily life in the Han Dynasty. Combined with the story of the third episode of the documentary "Hexi Corridor", "Stay Station", the small bamboo slips have witnessed the grandeur and grandeur of the prosperity of the Silk Road, and have also become important materials for modern people to study the historical origin of the Silk Road. Not far away, another set of wooden slips placed in a transparent tube is low-key and introverted. When you get closer, you can see that it is the famous "No. 1 slips in the world" - "Rituals" slips. The bamboo slips are too small and placed in a tube. In fact, the handwriting on them can't be seen clearly, but there are many high-resolution large pictures on the Internet for careful study. I don't know much about ancient classics, but I can see that the font is already a typical simplified official script, and most of the characters can be understood. The reason why Chinese civilization has lasted for five thousand years without interruption largely depends on the continuity of writing. The slips and slips of these records are precisely the important evidence of the evolution of writing and history, society and civilization.
In addition, in the Silk Road Museum, you can also see a number of important cultural relics such as the five-fold relic letter of the Dayun Temple and the glass lotus holder of the Yuan Dynasty. Looking all the way down, tired but also very enjoyable. There is an article on Zhihu "Gansu Provincial Museum, a museum underestimated by the public" mentioned that in terms of fame, Ganbo is indeed slightly inferior to Guobo, Obo, Shanbo, and Yubo, but after you come, you will be with The author agrees. Especially after reading frontier poems, watching documentaries, and walking through Danxia, desert, Gobi, and plateau, looking back at the photos of these cultural relics, there is always a shock of traveling through history and being in touch with the ancients.
I spent a morning in the museum, tired and hungry, but unfortunately it rained as soon as I went out at noon. I ran across the road in a hurry, and the Lanzhou Center was opposite, and I could take a stroll when I was full. The light rain kept pattering, dispelling a lot of heat, so I decided to continue to the next destination. A few bus stops came to the sculpture of the mother of the Yellow River, which contrasted with the Baita Mountain and the rolling Yellow River behind it, showing the broadness of maternal love and its long meaning. Holding an umbrella against the light rain, I strolled along the banks of the Yellow River. For the first time in my life, I saw the mother river that gave birth to Chinese civilization. Before we met each other, I had no lack of impressions of the Yellow River—from textbooks, documentaries, and music works. But when I saw her for the first time, the shock and excitement at that moment turned into a sigh, "So this is the Yellow River." Even though the Yellow River flowing through Jincheng does not have a big gap, even though the era of "the wind is roaring and the horse is screaming" is far away, her innate skin color and momentum still endow her with the vigor and vitality of "far above the white clouds". heavy. On a summer afternoon, sitting under the canopy by the Yellow River, drinking a cup of Lanzhou's characteristic "Three Paotai", watching the Yellow River rushing eastward to the sea in the rain, the little girl actually had a faint empathy for Li Taibai.
Day5 Yellow River First Bridge
I came to the Yellow River again early in the morning, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Yellow River had changed into a new outfit. After a rain the day before yesterday, Huang He put on a long brick red dress. It turns out that light makeup and heavy makeup are not just the patent of West Lake. This time the target is Zhongshan Bridge. At the foot of Baita Mountain, an iron bridge with the typical style of the early 20th century spans the north and south banks of the Yellow River. Although it is restored and rebuilt, the original trapezoidal steel frame has become a curved shape, but it still has a distinct artistic style and characteristics of modern Chinese architecture, which is easily reminiscent of the Waibaidu Bridge in Shanghai and the Jiefang Bridge in Tianjin. Of course, as a Zhangjiakou native, when I see such an iron bridge, I will naturally think that my city also had an iron bridge "Tongqiao" built during the Republic of China, but it was demolished in the 1990s and became a favorite of many citizens. "It's difficult to calm down." So whenever I go to a city and see a similar iron bridge, it will evoke childhood memories. A river and a bridge make the soul of a city and record the lives of the people. As time and space flow, the lucky ones are always left behind. Cherish the small fortunes of the present and leave a thought for the future.
Walk across the Zhongshan Bridge, come to the foot of Baita Mountain, climb up the stairs, and the goal is the northernmost Yellow River cableway. It is a good choice to climb the mountain while it is not too hot in the morning. Standing on the mountain, you can have a panoramic view of the Yellow River and the entire Lanzhou City, with the best view. One morning, I watched the scenery all the way, and saw brave people challenging the zipline. It was already noon when we arrived at the Yellow River cableway, and we were exhausted, so we just flew down the cableway and jumped over the Yellow River, watching the red river rushing by under our feet, which is indeed a rare experience.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, I was hungry, walked 500 meters, turned to Muta Lane, and "looked back" at the store. The store is small, and the seats were still tight at 1:30 in the afternoon, and two groups of people quarreled over it. The cashier lady recommended three kinds of stuffed skin, signature meat pie, gray beans and spicy. The quantity is not very large, you can try a few more, and the price is not bad. To be honest, they are all delicious. It is said that you still have to come to the Northwest to eat delicacies such as stuffed skin. Whether it is Xi'an or Lanzhou, it will not be too bad to find any one. If you eat too much spicy, take a bite of sweet gray beans, slow down and eat again, it's a perfect match.
After eating and drinking enough, cross Zhangye Road and come to Dazhong Lane. According to the strategy, there are many time-honored brands in this food street. It is really not a wise move to visit when you are full, so you can only enjoy your eyes. Mazilu Beef Noodles, Duji Desserts, and Ma Dongqing Jincheng Noodles are all there. I couldn’t eat them anymore, but I still couldn’t resist buying another cup of "Fang Ha".
Carrying milk tea, take the bus to Wuquanshan Park. Wuquan Mountain and Baita Mountain are located on both sides of the Yellow River, facing each other from the south and the north. The distance and thickness of an ancient city are born between the mountains and rivers. Climbing two mountains a day is a bit overwhelming, but fortunately, Wuquan Mountain is relatively gentle, and it is more like a fitness park for the whole people. Citizens can be seen singing and dancing everywhere, full of fireworks. Although it is afternoon, the vegetation on the mountain is lush, and it is not too hot to drink milk tea and go shopping in the park.
Day6 Lanzhou Old Street
Since I have to go to Lanzhou New Area to report to the group in the afternoon, I only have half a day to hang out. After a late sleep, start from the Yellow River Tower, head east along the south bank, go south to the Yintan Yellow River Bridge, and walk all the way to Lanzhou Old Street. Resembling old streets + commercial fashion complexes are similar projects in many cities. It is indeed an unavoidable choice to create an online celebrity block that young people like to promote leisure tourism consumption. It's just that, as the team guide said later, Lanzhou Old Street was born at an untimely time, and it was about to open just in time for the new crown epidemic, which caused many brands to fail to enter. I first passed the east gate and found it was sealed, and mistakenly thought it was not open, so I turned to the south to find an entrance. Only half of the stores are open normally, and not all of them are open. The east quarter of the block is simply empty. It is not a holiday, there are not many people shopping, but it will not be too deserted. If you don't want to look at the heads of people, the experience is actually not bad. After shopping around, the overall feeling is not bad. Judging from the food brands that have settled in, the positioning is relatively clear. If a higher occupancy rate can be achieved, it should be able to attract more tourists. Sitting in another version of the legendary "Zhengning Road Laoma Milk and Egg Fermented Rice" shop door, drinking a glass of milk and egg fermented glutinous rice that is not so sweet compared to the night market at Zhengning Road, with a bit of reluctance to bid farewell to Lanzhou Sorrowful, hoping that the epidemic will pass quickly and the world will get better soon.
At noon, I ate spicy hot pot in Lanzhou Old Street. The amount was huge, and I only ate half of it. I packed it and even settled for dinner. In the afternoon, the travel agency will send a car to pick you up and check into the hotel in Lanzhou New District. It was an hour's drive, and when we arrived, it started to rain, and it was still heavy at one point. I don't know if it's because of the rain, or because it's further north or because of the terrain, it's a lot cooler when I come to the new area. Not to mention the heat dissipating, I still need a coat to resist the wind. This day is mainly for rest and preparation for the upcoming journey of the Qingan-Gansu Great Ring Road.
Day7 Over the mountains and across the mountains to meet the sea of flowers
The first destination on the itinerary was Zhuoer Mountain Scenic Area, but due to the rain and damage to the roads, I temporarily changed to Menyuan to see rapeseed flowers. Depart from Lanzhou New District early in the morning, go south along the Lianhuo Expressway, turn to the Beijing-Tibet Expressway to the west, enter Qinghai Province, and then turn to the Ningda Expressway to the north, passing Haidong and Xining, the driver is too hard for more than five hours. . For the passengers, the excitement and curiosity of seeing the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for the first time greatly offset the fatigue of the journey. Along the way, we passed the Heiquan Reservoir and crossed Daban Mountain. The rising altitude caused some people to have a slight reaction. But there are no scenic spots along the way, but there are scenery everywhere. It is no wonder that people who drive by themselves are flocking to it. July is the season when the plateau meadows are blooming green. The sky is high and the clouds are clear, and the climate is cool, which forms a huge contrast with the noisy and hot city. It is also a grassland landscape, but it has a completely different style from Hulun Buir Wind Blowing Grass Low. The green carpet is dotted with black and white spots. It turns out that the cattle and sheep in the mountains and plains are enjoying the noon meal. Coupled with the occasional Tibetan-style tents or yurts of herdsmen on the roadside, it seems to be a glimpse into the daily life of nomadic ancestors two thousand years ago.
It was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the Baili Rapeseed Blossom Scenic Area. The coolness of the plateau infiltrated the body and mind the moment we got off the bus, and a thick cloud was clearly discernible not far away. Put on a thicker hoodie, bring an umbrella, and be fully prepared, then plunge into the sea of golden rapeseed flowers. Rapeseed flowers in the south bloom in spring as early as March and April, but rapeseed flowers in the plateau don’t come until July. Different seasons have the same vitality. Being in the sea of flowers, climbing high and overlooking the snow peaks of Qilian Mountains, unloading all the fatigue, getting close to nature is the most refreshing. A gust of wind blows, dark clouds overwhelm the environment, and the mountains and rains are about to come, but the tourists are reluctant to part; after a while, the wind and rain are blowing, and the crowds scatter and hide. Fortunately, the torrential rain lasted only for a while, and then it fell quickly. When we reached the foot of the mountain, it almost stopped. The flowers after the rain are more fresh and beautiful, and I want to take them away, but I can't bear to break the branches, leaving only the image, I hope the moment will last forever.
Leaving the sea of flowers, driving to Zhangye, crossing the Qilian Mountains, and encountering Biandukou. As the only way in and out of Gansu and Qinghai in history, Zhang Qian traveled westward to fulfill his mission, Huo Qubing wiped out the Xiongnu, and his voice shook Hexi. The scene is magnificent, echoing between Qilian Xuefeng. Walking the path of the ancestors, but it is not like the dust of history; stepping on the fertile soil of Hexi, today's Ganzhou has long gone away from the slaughter. Only this small gorge has been silently waiting for thousands of years; watching the soul-stirring history and the peaceful and leisurely wandering of today's people.
Day8 Colorful Danxia Walking in Xiongguan
In the early morning of Zhangye, the sky is clear. Going to see Danxia made geologists very excited. Although not proficient in geology, Zhangye Danxia must have been famous for a long time. What's more, when I watched the Gansu chapter of "Aerial Photography of China", I was already impressed by the colorful colors and majestic momentum, and I vowed to come here to find out the truth. I have coveted it for a long time, and I never forget it; only after traveling thousands of miles will there be an echo. I came to Zhangye Danxia Geological Park early in the morning, and it can be seen outside the scenic spot. When you enter the scenic spot, you have to take the bus in the scenic spot. The area is really not small. The typical hills are like mountains but not high, stretching into stretches. Hundreds of millions of years of vicissitudes, wind blowing and water erosion, accumulation and precipitation have created a colorful and layered appearance. It is too stereotyped to say that it is "the uncanny workmanship of nature"; it does not seem to be vivid enough to describe it as "overturning the palette". A three-dimensional picture scroll is unfolded, and people walk through the picture, which is so beautiful that words are exhausted. Standing on the viewing platform, taking pictures in no hurry, and repeatedly shouting "WOW", I was so shocked that I couldn't close my mouth for a while, and I was so excited that I didn't see anything in the world. It is a pity that it is not after the rain, nor the morning glow and sunset, nor the blessing of millions of lenses and top photographers. Although the most primitive and authentic Danxia is not as gorgeous and bright as in the documentary, it is a bit more back to nature without makeup. In the end, I bought an expensive cultural and creative ice cream and harvested hundreds of megabytes of beautiful images, and I was satisfied.
Leave Zhangye in the afternoon, head west along the Hexi Corridor, pass Jiuquan, and arrive at Jiayuguan. At the westernmost end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, the "No. 1 Grand Pass in the World" stands on the Gobi desert. Strolling on the Xiongguan Pass, looking around the vast Gobi, overlooking the snow-capped mountains, thinking about the past and the present, can indeed inspire people to recite poems and compose Fu. No wonder there have been many excellent works in frontiers since ancient times, and the classics have been passed down for thousands of years. It's a pity that today's people have lost their literary talents, and they can only recite to echo the feelings of the ancients. Reciting a song "Qin Shi Ming Yue Han Shi Guan" and reciting a passage "If you don't break Loulan, you will never return it", Wang Changling's lofty ambitions seem to travel through time and space against the backdrop of Xiongguan, echoing in his ears. Today's "Grape and Wine Luminous Cup" reminds me of "how many people fought back in ancient times", from the expansion of the territory by the emperor of the Han Dynasty, to the opening and win-win of the "Belt and Road" today, only a common destiny can achieve prosperity.
Day9 Honeydew melon leg of lamb Mogao Grottoes
Another morning, depart from Jiayuguan and continue westward to Dunhuang. Accompanied by Gobi Yellow Sand and Qilian Snow Peak, the long drive is a bit monotonous, but not boring. Near noon, passing through Guazhou, tasted "Guazhou honeydew melon" at the service area, it was indeed sweeter than the one bought in the supermarket at home, so before leaving, I took another box to continue eating. Arriving in Dunhuang at noon, each table had a roast leg of lamb. For me, who rarely eats lamb and never had hope for group meals, the leg of lamb tasted good, which was indeed a small surprise. In the afternoon, come to the Mogao Grottoes, a must-see place in Dunhuang. Compared with the previous visit to the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, as the first of the four major grottoes in China, the painted murals of the Mogao Grottoes are indeed the most distinctive and artistically valuable. But probably because of the need for protection, there are many restrictions on visiting Mogao Grottoes. Even the B-type tickets that can only enter four caves need to be booked one month in advance. If you are not with a group, you may not be able to make an appointment during the peak season superior. Even if I was lucky enough to make an appointment, the 3-hour stay, the actual time to enter the cave is very little. Limit the flow of queues, release people batch by batch, and queue up to enter the cave. The explanation is from the outside, and you are not allowed to stay after entering. You can’t take pictures if you follow the rules. If you don’t take a closer look, the administrator is already urging. One-way passage, you can't turn back, and the four caves are quickly completed, as if you have seen it, but you seem to have seen nothing. No photography is allowed, and there is no video record for repeated aftertaste. As a person who loves traveling and cultural heritage, I understand the importance of protection, but if it is a top-level cultural relic whose protection significance is far greater than development and display, it may be an acceptable choice not to open it. Today, with such advanced technological means and communication methods, the production of programs such as "National Treasure", or the use of 3D laser scanning to restore an online virtual exhibition hall, can give viewers a more comprehensive and in-depth appreciation experience. However, the current model is not conducive to the protection of cultural relics and makes tourists feel that it is not worth the ticket price, so it is unnecessary.
Day10 I am in Delingha tonight
I came to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring early in the morning and saw the desert with my own eyes for the first time. The deserts seen in the media are more from the perspective of aerial photography, because they are so high up that they cannot appreciate their own insignificance. Standing at the foot of the sand dunes and seeing the stretch of the towering sand slope, a sense of awe emerges from the shock. Sure enough, the early morning was fine, the wind was not strong, and as the sun rose higher and higher, the wind became stronger and stronger, and the yellow sand danced all over the sky, covering the sky and blocking out the sun. Even so, it is said that this is still a good weather in Dunhuang, not to mention sandstorms. I, who grew up in the northwest of Beijing and was influenced by sandstorms since childhood, sighed that there are mountains beyond the mountains of the world. The tourists seem to be surrounded tightly, but they still can't stop the fine sand, and they are all disheveled without exception. But even so, people who have never seen the desert are still in high spirits, riding camels, sand boarding, and sand motorcycles. Especially for children, it doesn't matter if you don't need shoe covers or anything, spinning, jumping, and rolling all over the ground are much more enjoyable than the small sandpit in the park. Although Crescent Lake has its scientific causes, it is a surprise to see a bay of shallow water in the desert. Although changes in water volume have always affected the size of the crescent in history, it has been growing continuously for thousands of years, like a pearl embedded in the desert, creating a rare and unique landscape.
So far, the trip from east to west along the Hexi Corridor has been successfully completed, and then it is time to turn around and enter Qinghai southwards, and then head eastward to Delingha. This is the longest section of the journey. The bus travels on the Liuge Expressway and crosses the vast Gobi desert in no-man's land. After embarking on this journey, I discovered that although there is also the Gobi Desert in Gansu, only when you come to the Gobi Highway on the plateau can you experience the vastness and desolation of the Northwest more deeply. The sky is high and the clouds are clear, the wind is clear, like a deadly poison, it lures those who are used to the hustle and bustle to embark on a journey of redemption to purify their souls. Probably only in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will you feel that desolation is also a kind of scenery. Even the highway under your feet is a special existence. I am used to seeing viaducts, bridges and tunnels in plains and mountainous areas. This is the first time I have seen a high-speed highway that is level with the ground. There is a simple and rough distance between the uplink and the downlink. There is no artificial physical isolation. A U-turn that should be possible to turn around. After a 5-hour drive, we arrived at Dachaidan Emerald Lake at 6:30 in the evening. Said it was evening, because of the time difference, the sun was still high. It is said that it is a newly developed scenic spot. On the eve of catching up with the fees, tickets are free, but there are so many people, including groups and self-driving cars, the parking lot is large enough, and there are really many cars. The reason for the epidemic was that the entry procedures were cumbersome and the management staff was insufficient, which made it very chaotic at one time. But in fact, it is good to enter the scenic area, there are many tourists, but fortunately, the area is large enough to avoid crowds. This is also a typical salt lake. The current open area is not too large. It can be regarded as a mini version of Chaka Salt Lake. Qinghai Salt Lake is everywhere, and there are "sky mirrors overturned by God" everywhere. The real scene is indeed beautiful, but objectively speaking, it is true that taking pictures is better. Especially when you have a good camera, and unconventional viewing angles and aesthetics. I personally think that it is better to leave the realm of the sky to the sky, and any creature that appears on the scene will be suspected of messing in. That's right, I want to use it as a computer desktop!
Leaving Dachaidan Emerald Lake, I rushed to Delingha non-stop. It was already past ten o'clock at night when I arrived at the hotel. I didn't eat dinner, and I didn't take a bath under the advice of the tour guide. They said that it is easy to catch a cold when taking a bath in the plateau at this temperature, so I fell asleep with the sand of Dunhuang on my pillow and accompanied by Haizi's poems. There is no poet's sentimentality, only the fascination of first meeting the plateau. I was in Delingha that night, the night wind was clear and the years were quiet.
Day11 Sky Mirror
In the early morning, continue to embark on the journey, along the Chade Expressway, passing by Gahai, all the way eastward, and arrive at Chaka Sky No. 1 Salt Lake at ten o'clock in the morning. This is not the old scenic spot of Chaka Salt Lake, but a new scenic spot that has just been opened for two years. But in Chaka Salt Lake, the landscape should be similar. Take the sightseeing car in the scenic area to browse along the lake, stop at different stations for a closer look, and you can see the salt mining car in the distance. Due to the different concentrations and depths, large areas of salt lakes present different colors of white, blue, blue and green, like scattered pieces of jade. Although not as extreme as under some filters, the calm lake surface combined with the pure sky and snow-like salt can indeed create an ethereal illusion like a fairy tale. On the roof of the world, the beauty of Salt Lake lies in its uniqueness; after traveling to many places in China, I am afraid that only the sky and lake water here can present such a fairyland together.
Leaving Chaka, take National Highway 109. Before arriving at the scenic spot, Qinghai Lake has already appeared on the side of the road. Geosciences have long admired the name of China's largest inland lake and largest saltwater lake, and now they finally see their true colors and get their wish. The bus drove for a while before it actually arrived at Erlangjian Scenic Area of Qinghai Lake. When leaving, it took a long time to see the lake. Qinghai Lake is really big, so big that it was mistaken for the sea. The first impression I saw was "blue, really blue" - deeper than the sky on the plateau, clearer than the distant sea. This kind of extreme blue temptation is probably one of the few people who have searched all over China. The last time I was hit by a blue color directly to the soul was when I encountered the South China Sea in Kenting, Baodao. When you enter the scenic spot, you can observe the lake water at a closer distance. When the scene of sparkling light, vast mist, and flocks of gulls and geese appears in front of you, you will feel more like the seaside. Avoid the crowds, stand by the lake, and enjoy the sunny afternoon on the plateau—there is no humidity and heat, only the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. This situation makes people feel an urge to build a small house by the lake, with French windows and a terrace, where you can spend an afternoon in a daze.
Day12 Faith and piety
Arrive in Xining the night before, and head to Kumbum Monastery early the next morning. Because I don't believe in religion and don't know the relevant etiquette rules, I personally have always been in awe of religious places and rarely go there on my own initiative. Even with the itinerary of the group, I try my best to pay attention to the rules, not to take pictures indoors, and not to take pictures of the clergy and their ritual activities. The tour guide explained the history and allusions of the temple during the drive, exaggeration and deification in religious legends are inevitable. However, the more you don't believe, the more you respect. On the contrary, some people who enter the temple worship and offer incense every time they get up, they pick up their mobile phones and take pictures endlessly, completely ignoring the warning sign of "do not take pictures". And the monks probably have long been accustomed to these ignorance and ignorance, there is no correction, no obstruction, and there will be no conflict. This is probably also the advancement of "My Buddha's Mercy" in the new era. According to the guidance of the tour guide, in different main halls, we found the pile embroidery, murals and butter flowers, which are known as the "three wonders of art" of Kumbum Monastery. Some differences in the above. And for the first time, I saw with my own eyes the scenes of all kinds of devout believers kowtowing. The shock that the real picture brought to an atheist could not be understood no matter how many videos they watched. Maybe we should all believe in the power of faith, and this kind of trust has nothing to do with whether there is a god or not.
Leaving Kumbum Monastery, saying goodbye to Xining, the bus headed east all the way back to Lanzhou, ending this journey of poetry and distance. The itinerary of more than ten days summed up the twists and turns, and the journey was full of dust. Go to the plateau, cross the Gobi, listen to the rolling of the Yellow River, and see the vast desert. Cross the long river of history along the Hexi Corridor, and go around the Qilian Snow Mountain to have a panoramic view of today's northwest. Along the way, blowing the wind blown by Han Wu Tang Zong, walking the road walked by Zhang Qian and Chang Hui, reuniting with history, and embracing each other for thousands of years, it is not only a walk in space, but also a walk in time. The unique natural environment has created the most natural landscape in the world; the special geographical location has interpreted the joys and sorrows of all living beings. When I saw Hexi for the first time, I was full of expectations; I was pleasantly surprised and regretted halfway. When we meet again in the future, we will definitely complete it; we will live up to history and years.
