Know Before Traveling
1. About the itinerary: Xining-Chaka has newly opened a special tourist train~June 1st-August 25th, arrives in 4 hours, goes directly to the entrance of Chaka Scenic Area, departs from Xining at 8:00 am, and returns from Chaka at 4:00 pm Xining, one day back and forth. See the figure below for details.
(Cebu, Egypt, Cambodia, Vietnam, Puzhehei, Hunan, Changbaishan, Xi'an, East China, Lushan, Guizhou, Chaoshan... for more super practical travel notes, click the blue word "Save" to see all~)
2. Documents: If you have a senior ID card, you must bring it. Many scenic spots have discounts for those over 60-65 years old; Zhejiang ID card tea card Salt Lake is free of charge, just go to the ticket office to apply. The tour guide card must have an itinerary to be exempt from tickets.
3. Clothes: We went to the Qinggan Great Ring Road + Gannan this time. The temperature in mid-June was 8°C-30°C, so we brought all spring, summer, autumn and winter, and specially bought a 24-inch suitcase. It is very necessary to know the local temperature before departure. This time I think the clothes I brought are very suitable, so I will tell you for your reference:
(1) One piece of jacket: very necessary! Windproof, rainproof and coldproof can be said to be the most worn piece of clothing on this trip.
(2) Thin down vest: worn inside the jacket, it is very warm. And thin and light, it will not be heavy and take up space.
(3) Thick trousers + loose mid-thin trousers: one for different temperatures, and a pair of long johns can be added, which can be worn in loose mid-thin trousers if necessary.
(4) Some short-sleeved and long-sleeved thin clothes: replace them daily, or wear them in hot places.
(5) Red dress: Take pictures in deserts and salt lakes. Do not wear short skirts, it is inconvenient to ride a camel.
(6) Pajamas: one set for summer and one set for autumn and winter. Some places are still quite cold at night, and there are only electric blankets.
(7) Others: masks (necessary for going to the desert), thin sweaters, neck covers (anti-wind, sand and cold), scarves (warmth + concave shape), hats (sun protection + concave shape), waterproof and non-slip shoes, plastic sandals (tea cards) If necessary, you can also wear it when you take a shower in the hotel), sunglasses (necessary for traveling to the west).
No matter what kind of clothes, it is best to have bright colors. It looks better when photographed, and in case of rainy weather, bright clothes can also brighten the photo. As shown below:
4. Tickets: It is best to take an eco-car or a small train when buying tickets for some scenic spots, while others are not necessary. These will be told to you when the attractions are introduced below. Everyone can go to the local area and dig it out to have a look.
5. About eating: Must eat in Lanzhou ~ Milk and Egg Fermented Glutinous Rice Shop: Located in Zhengning Road Snack Street, "China on the Bite of the Tongue" specially introduced it, but there are too many copycats and it is difficult to identify. This time I stayed in Lanzhou for three nights, went to the snack street three times, lined up three times, and ate at three restaurants, namely: No. 68, No. 44, and Duji Dessert. Duji's other desserts are okay (we'll talk about the food later, but the fermented glutinous rice is so-so). Focus on comparing No. 68 (the so-called authentic - "A Bite of China" refers to this) and No. 44 (we prefer).
I specially photographed the two chefs so that everyone can recognize:
There are quite a lot of people queuing up for both of them, and the line of No. 68 is longer and the waiting time is longer. In addition, if you eat snacks (barbecue/haggis etc.) near No. 44, you don’t have to wait in line, and the store will send you milk fermented glutinous rice immediately~
In summary: I prefer No. 44 (this time we lined up three times to eat this restaurant)
6. Anti-aircraft and medicine: the whole journey is below 4,000 meters, and the highest point is about 3,800 meters. Generally, the driver guide will explain the altitude to everyone in advance, but there is no need to worry too much, because there are many vegetation along the road and sufficient oxygen. As long as you don’t run vigorously, you will have no problem jumping around. If you are really worried, you can prepare chocolate in advance, or sell beef jerky along the way (the yak jerky here is delicious, 50-70 a catty) these high-calorie foods. In addition, you should bring some regular medicines (cold medicine, pain reliever, band-aid, gastrointestinal medicine, carminative oil, motion sickness medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, etc.)
7. Bring dry food: Sometimes the road to the scenic spot passes through the seminary within a limited time, or the drive is relatively long and passes through no-man's land. It is necessary to prepare biscuits and buns in advance. If you encounter seasonal fruits, for example, this time we just encountered "Li Guangxing" and local peaches on the market, it is also good to buy some to eat along the way.
8. Other things to bring: a small amount of cash (wechat Alipay can be used in most local areas, but some places have no signal or only accept cash, 300 yuan per person is enough), sunscreen (you must apply it at any time when you go to the plateau, even if it is cloudy Also apply it), moisturizing and repairing mask, pillow towel (even if the hotel pillows are not changed), travel hot water bottle (I bought Rongsheng’s portable hot water bottle, it is super easy to use, I use it every morning, I don’t need to cook it myself at the hotel), Xiaofeng Hair dryer (suitable for babies who need to wash their hair every day, because a small number of hotels do not have hair dryers), towels, and eye masks (especially in summer, when it dawns very early).
Play strategy
[Great Transportation] It is the most cost-effective to fly from Zhuhai to Lanzhou, and the air ticket only costs 580 yuan. It is almost half cheaper than flying to Guangzhou. We booked a ride in Guangzhou in advance and went directly to Zhuhai Airport. The two spent a total of 200 yuan. The catering at Zhuhai Airport is surprisingly reasonable, and you can eat very well for 35 yuan.
[Destination Participation] For the two loop routes (Ganqing + Gannan), we all joined the group at the destination set on Ctrip, 3-6 people in a small group, and we were very satisfied. Before departure, I also wrote a handwritten itinerary:
Another advantage of the small package group at the destination is that you can meet different friends. This time we met friends from Liaoning and Hunan, and we had a great time~
1. Qingan-Gansu Ring Road (Qinghai + Gansu)
(1) Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Area
It takes 5 hours to arrive at [Qinghai Lake] from Lanzhou, and the scenery along the way is very good.
After arriving, you can scan the QR code to buy tickets. The original price is 90 yuan, and the QR code is 87 yuan. The small train is 20 yuan for two trips (not recommended), the large cruise ship is 140 yuan (one way to go back by bus, it takes about an hour, not recommended), and the speedboat is 100 yuan (20 minutes round trip, not recommended).
We came here 5 years ago, and there was an extra sea fairy
Over the past five years, the rocks within reach have been facing us across the sea.
Come out of Qinghai Lake and arrive at [Jinyintan Grassland], the ticket is 20 yuan, it is not recommended to go in, but you can go up and have a look at the statue of Wang Luobin next to the parking lot. This is the birthplace of "In That Faraway Place".
(2) Chaka Salt Lake
[Chaka Salt Lake] Tickets are 60 yuan, Ctrip 59 yuan, Zhejiang ID card is free. The ticket office will recommend you to buy a set ticket. If you are in a hurry (3 hours of play time), you can buy it and take the small train back and forth; but if you have 4 hours, it is not recommended to buy it, because there are better ways to play, and the whole set only costs 139 yuan , see the illustration below.
The shoe cover deposit is 100 yuan a pair. Pay attention to the time when you play. We spend too much time on the wharf in the middle of the lake, so we don’t have time to go into the sky.
About shoe covers: Salt Lake is not an ordinary lake, it is full of coarse salt, which is very knocking on the feet. I wore sandals for the first time, and the salt had worn out my feet, so I quickly rented a shoe cover. It should be noted that the shoe cover is water, so it is best to wear it with sandals instead of cloth shoes or daily wear. Wear your shoes, or you'll get soaked.
In addition, you must wear sunglasses, the salt lake is white, and the sun is very dazzling.
(3) Emerald Lake
It is still under construction and no tickets are required. [Emerald Lake] As the name suggests, the lake really falls into the mortal world like an emerald. There are two lakes side by side, one is like emerald and the other is like uncut jade.
Emerald Lake is worth a visit, the scenery is very beautiful. After it is built in the future, it is estimated that the tickets will not be low.
Coming out of Emerald Lake is a very, very, very beautiful road, known as [the most beautiful road].
Along the way, I will go to a [Petroleum Town] where the ticket is 20 yuan, and the place where "Jiucheng Demon Tower" was filmed. To be honest, it is not very recommended to go, but there are some ruins.
(4) Yangguan
Go west out of [Yangguan] without acquaintance. The ticket is 50 yuan, and the eco-car is 10 yuan back and forth. It is recommended to buy it.
It is obligatory to explain, and it can be given to 40 people, and the whole process takes 1-1.5 hours. It is good to listen to the history of Yangguan and feel the majesty of the ancient beacon tower.
Arrive at the former site of Yangguan. People who used to pass here are equivalent to going abroad. Looking at the road ahead, it is really a bit bleak.
On the way, the guide will recommend everyone to buy customs clearance certificates, 30-60 yuan per copy. The font used is the big goose font below - because the stroke at the back is very similar to the tail of a goose.
(5) Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring
Tickets are 110 yuan, and you can enter the park multiple times. If you have never ridden a camel, it is recommended to buy a package ticket of 160 yuan, including tickets (110 yuan) and camel riding (100 yuan, cash only), which is a lot of money. Sightseeing cars are not recommended. It is actually very close from [Crescent Lake] to the door, and it takes only 20 minutes.
If you don't ride a camel, after entering the door, follow the direction marked on the ground on the edge of the desert and cross the desert to reach Crescent Lake.
It takes about 50 minutes to ride a camel. It is best to wear long pants or a long skirt and wear a neck mask. The hat must have a windproof rope, otherwise it will easily scare the camel if the hat blows off.
Like Chaka, there are also shoe cover rentals here, but it is not recommended, because sand will still enter, and it is very comfortable to walk barefoot in the desert.
On Mingsha Mountain, you can play your own small universe and take pictures in various concave shapes.
Because we want to watch the sunset, we registered face recognition at the exit, so that we can enter the park multiple times within three days~
It gets dark here after nine o'clock in summer, and we have witnessed a different version of Crescent Lake from the daytime.
Of course, you can also watch the large-scale performance "Encounter Dunhuang" in the evening, 298 yuan. Two of our group members watched it, and they came back and said it was very good, and it was the kind of close contact with the actors.
(6) Mogao Grottoes
[Mogao Grottoes] is on the other side of Mingsha Mountain, very close to each other.
[Mogao Grottoes] is a gift from the travel agency. It is divided into Type A and Type B tickets. The difference lies in the number of caves to see. Because we have registered a lot in advance and it is not the peak season, we can arrange a class A ticket (worth 238 yuan).
After walking down so many scenic spots, the gameplay of Mogao Grottoes is the most scientific in my opinion.
First of all, arrange to watch two movies, about 20 minutes each. Learn about the past and present of the Mogao Grottoes and the stories that represent the caves. Then take the bus to the entrance of the cave. The guide distributes the explainer and explains to us one by one according to the established route. The A-type ticket can enter 8 holes.
There are more than 700 caves in Mogao Grottoes, and there are more than 300 Buddha statues. Each guide has a different route, which is also to protect the grotto from being exposed to people as much as possible. So this time and next time, different guides can see different grottoes~
(7) Zhangye Colorful Danxia
I have been to Danxia Mountain this year, and I thought [Zhangye Colorful Danxia] would be nothing to see, but I found it completely unexpected. This is simply a masterpiece of color in nature! Amazing!
And the ticket + eco-car (must sit) here is only 74 yuan, which can be said to be very conscientious.
The way to play is very simple. There are a total of 4 viewing platforms. Take the bus to go one by one, and play one after another. Each viewing platform is not far away, just a few minutes' drive.
I like the second and third viewing platforms the most. The picture below is the second viewing platform:
The third viewing platform is the most spectacular, and you may also see hot air balloons:
The fourth viewing platform is the most colorful, and it will be even more beautiful if there is sunlight.
(8) Jiayuguan
The worst point of the whole journey, the ticket is 110 yuan, and the battery car is 10 yuan (not recommended, in fact, the distance is very close), the area is not large, it is just a city. I specially rented the explainer for 15 yuan and found that it was very watery, and the content was all literary, so it would be better to have a tour guide.
The city has a stage, Guan Gong Temple, and a fort. The historical allusions heard by the tour guide are quite interesting. For example, in the murals on both sides of the stage, a monk peeping at the woman with bare breasts on the opposite side is actually exaggerating the way and belittling the Buddha at that time.
The round hole under the city wall: use a stone to buckle it before dispatching troops, and the crisp sound indicates that you will win this time. In fact, it is also a kind of self-comfort.
One brick: The artisans who built the city accurately calculated how many bricks were needed, and one extra brick was placed here.
On the horse road, people walk while walking on the horse. When the enemy invades, you can also push down rolling stones from above.
Summary: The Qingan-Gansu Grand Ring Road is more than 3,000 kilometers long, with beautiful scenery along the way. There are natural scenery, but also human history, it is worth a visit. The most recommended attractions are: Chaka Salt Lake, Emerald Lake, Zhangye Colorful Danxia.
We took the bullet train from Zhangye back to Lanzhou, it took 4 hours. If we had to take the train for at least 6-7 hours, and we had to cross the Qilian Mountains, the weather was bad. Two of our group members had to go back to Zhangye and take the bullet train because of the heavy rain.
2. Gannan
There are many routes in Gannan, ranging from 3-6 days. For reasons of time, we chose 4 days. If time is enough, it is recommended to add Seda and Lianbao Yeze.
(1) Milarepa Buddhist Pavilion
If you don't go upstairs, you don't need a ticket, and it costs 20 yuan to go up.
(2) Guomang Wetland
Into the summer, all the way to the grassland.
[Guo Mang Wetland] is a free attraction, the altitude here is a bit high, so don't jump around. The weather is beautiful, it was sunny when we came, but it was raining when we were about to leave, so the scenery was not as good as before.
(3) Zagana
A small mountain village like a paradise.
Stayed in Zhagana that night, divided into 1 village, 2 villages, 3 villages and 4 villages. We stayed in the small inn and cabin in village 2. The view from the restaurant:
There is no charge for entering the village. The next day we went to the mountains to play, and we charged 40 yuan for the round trip of the eco-car. There is only a toilet at the entrance, and there is no toilet along the way. I asked the locals and replied: Just go~~^_^
Play route: Take an eco-car to the terminal, walk to the waterfall, return the same way (because it is raining, otherwise we will continue to walk in) to the station (a line of sky) - take a bus to Laohuzui - get off - walk to Fairy Beach Observation Deck, go down the mountain from the other side to the entrance of the scenic spot.
(4) The First Bend of Nine Twists of the Yellow River
This is my favorite and most memorable point. The only small disadvantage is that the water here is yellow, so the tour guide will let us go to the supermarket to buy buckets of water first, and use it for drinking.
Tickets are 50 yuan, and escalators are 50 yuan (it is recommended to buy, otherwise it will be hard to go up the mountain at a high altitude). The insurance is voluntary for 5 yuan, and you must make it clear to the conductor, otherwise she will count the insurance for you.
The sun is just right, let's walk along the wooden plank road along the lake.
Encounter a few chubby groundhogs~
and waterfowl
The weather in the prairie changed as it said, when we were still fantasizing that we might be able to see the sunset. Suddenly dark clouds covered the top and it began to rain heavily. We walked to the elevator in the rain, hoping that the rain would stop soon.
The escalator is very long, and the sky is slowly getting brighter, but it is still raining heavily. I was a bit disheartened, but when I got to the top, I saw this!
rainbow!
And slowly, a second rainbow appeared
Facing the wind, drenched in the rain, I shivered a little from the cold. But the heart is extremely excited, and tears are about to come out~ The sun always comes after the storm, and the rainbow is the biggest gift to us on this journey! I have no regrets in this life~
People also discovered the rainbow (yes, I was the second to discover it), and flocked to it, I was so excited to make a video and vibrate. I suddenly found that my companion was in another direction, so I walked over and found another scenery~
So peaceful and peaceful, I stood there quietly away from the crowd, as if I felt the long-lost tenderness from my mother.
The sky gradually cleared up, but was soon covered by dark clouds. I am as sensitive as a child to capture even the slightest change of light and shadow, and I feel inexplicable joy.
Just when I was about to leave, I actually saw the double rainbow come again!
The sky was getting darker and the wind was getting stronger and stronger. The wet clothes just now made us feel cold, so we bought a cup of milk tea and went down the mountain from the plank road. End this spiritual journey.
(5) Flower Lake
On the way to Huahu Lake, the scenic spot [Little Yellow River Jiuqu], free of charge, surprised us.
[Huahu] Tickets are 105 yuan (including the eco-car, which is also a must), insurance is voluntary to buy, if you don’t buy it, you have to tell the conductor clearly~
The way to play is to take an eco-car to the depths of Huahu Lake, and then make a big circle along the wooden plank road, the whole journey takes about 2 and a half hours. Go back to the drop-off point and return by car.
Huahu Lake is a wetland with many small wild flowers and many cute animals. For example, the little fat mouse who is not afraid of people~
wild duck~
There are also various water birds inhabiting~
The weather was bad when we went, I think it must be beautiful if the blue sky and white clouds~
(6) Geerdi Temple & Langmusi Temple
This is the junction of Gansu and Sichuan, [Gerdi Temple] is Chuan Temple, and [Langmusi Temple] is Gan Temple.
Tickets for both temples are 40 yuan. Different styles. [Gerdi Temple] The main scenery is a bit like Switzerland
There are also believers living on the mountain opposite the temple.
[Langmusi Temple] Resplendent and magnificent
Ascend to see the whole picture of Langmusi (town)
Spotted a smiling fawn with stars in its eyes.
You can also watch the sky burial in the morning.
Regarding sky burial, my personal opinion is not to watch it. It's like when people bury their relatives, they don't want outsiders to be there. And I have checked the information, the process may make people feel uncomfortable, and it does not happen every day, and the time is not sure, sometimes it may take a day. So after we summed it up, we chose not to watch it.
It’s a little regretful this time, I didn’t ask for an explanation. It is said that Langmusi’s explanation is worth listening to, 100 yuan a time, and it’s not too expensive to share among several people.
Then popularize the next little knowledge point, Langmusi is a place name, not just a temple. The street view of Langmusi is very distinctive:
(7) Labrang Monastery
The large monastery is also a famous Buddhist academy in Tibetan areas. Tickets are 40 yuan, and there is a free obligation to explain. But it is relatively simple.
The Buddhist chains here are worth buying, and they are all consecrated. I bought a string of rosewood beads for a hundred dollars, it’s really good~
Summary: My favorite in Gannan is Jiuqu Yellow River First Bend and Zhayana. It is also a good choice to come here if you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism. It should be noted that the altitude of Gannan is above 3000, and the accommodation environment is relatively not so ideal. You should still keep warm~
Food
On the incoming plane, I met a girl from Lanzhou who enthusiastically recommended local delicacies to us.
(1) Ramen (Ambor’s is more famous, but we couldn’t find it. We ate Mawude and Shajia’s, it’s delicious~)
The price of local ramen is not expensive, and the ordinary ones are less than 10 yuan.
(2) Milk and egg fermented glutinous rice (this has been discussed in detail in the first part) 10 yuan a piece
(3) Sweet embryos and gray beans (eat at Duji Desserts) cost a few dollars a bowl
(4) Ruaner pears (depending on the size, 10-15-20 yuan each) are cold and delicious in summer.
(5) Three Paotai (a bit like eight-treasure tea, the more you drink, the more fragrant it is)
(6) Apricot peel tea and apricot peel water
(6) (Yak) Yogurt
(7) Lily
The city of lilies in Lanzhou City, the lilies produced are fresh and sweet.
(8) Various delicious meats
There is a "Dunhuang Story Humanities Hall" in Dunhuang. Don't go there. Although the environment is very good and has a lot of cultural heritage, the products and services are really not very good~
It is very interesting to weigh the bones with the meat, and to calculate the price of the meat after eating the bones.
Back to Lanzhou!
stay
The hotels I stayed in this time: Lanzhou Yaou Hotel (very good location, very close to Zhengning Road Snack Street, good room facilities, newly renovated, but a deposit is required), Xihai Zhenhaibei Hotel (older, no elevator, but Very close to the snack street), Delingha Yunhu Hotel (the newly opened facilities are very good), Crowne Plaza Dunhuang for two nights (about 3 stars), Jiuquan Longding Business Hotel (there is a big supermarket next to it is very convenient), Zhaga The Thumb Inn (a cabin without an elevator, but the scenery is very good), Tangke Yunji Jinzhao Hotel (without an elevator), and Langmusi Lijing Hotel (without an elevator).
In fact, living along the way is pretty good, as long as you prepare your mind and supplies in advance, it’s fine~ The most important thing is to live here and see the scenery is very good~
last word
Thank you for coming here~ Finally, I would like to say a few more words.
1. Scenery is on the road, especially in the Northwest. If you can't sleep, you can't sleep. If you fall asleep, you miss a lot of beautiful scenery.
2. Go to play early, don't delay!
Whether it is the changes in Qinghai Lake in the past five years or the increasing commercialization of tourist attractions, they all remind us: If you want to come, hurry up. The farther you go, the scenery changes. In addition, there is another reason, come early while you are young. We used to go to Tibet to reach more than 5,000 meters without any response. This time, we felt a headache when we came to 3,800 meters. It’s really old~
Summary: This time, including the large traffic, our journey is close to 9,000 kilometers, a total of 12 days. I have encountered blue sky and white clouds, and trembled in the heavy rain. Missed the sunset, but harvested the rainbow. Perhaps this is the wonderful thing about traveling, so that you never know what you will gain and feel in the days to come.
May we return as teenagers.
Details of this fee
