Why choose Mengganning?

When I had breakfast with Mr. Niu on the weekend, the documentary "Hexi Corridor" was coming to an end. I thought about it and decided to go to the Northwest for the National Day!!! Don't worry about South Asia or the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, just go to Mengganning ~~ Ding Dong!!! Successfully brainwashed by this documentary!!!

The plane arrived in Yinchuan to welcome our first meal, the reception banquet for my sister and brother-in-law. It was the first time I ate mutton from the Northwest. The mutton was served first on the table, and then the bones of the sheep. We were a bit hungry and hungry. , The fragrance on the teeth and cheeks makes me who grew up in the south of the Yangtze River have endless aftertaste. This big meal also laid a solid foundation for our 2,300-kilometer journey in the next 8 days.


"Ejina Banner" Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Area was a bit disappointed, but was shocked by the Populus euphratica forest dying of thirst in the "Black City"

"Pullar euphratica can live for a thousand years without dying, die for a thousand years without falling, and fall for a thousand years without dying."

Populus euphratica forest must be seen in Alxa. Ejina euphratica forest is one of the only three remaining places in the world. It grows in the desert. Because of its amazing ability to resist drought, wind and sand, and salt and alkali, it can tenaciously survive and multiply in the desert. Therefore, it is praised as the "Desert Hero Tree".



After driving to Ejina Banner in Alxa League on September 28, we were greeted unexpectedly by "mosquito swarms". As long as you are outdoors, you will be besieged by hundreds of mosquitoes. Local residents said that mosquitoes swarmed because of rising temperatures, so try to wear long-sleeved trousers and wrap yourself tightly. After entering the Populus euphratica Forest Scenic Area on the 29th, I was a little disappointed. On the one hand, all the Populus euphratica was just yellowed, not as golden as the legend says, and it might not be the right time. On the other hand, the entire Ejina Banner is covered with Populus euphratica forest, and the so-called scenic spots are just tourism products planned based on natural landforms. Thinking about it, Zhang Yimou is still very good. A "Hero" brought fire to the entire Populus euphratica forest and revitalized a piece of tourism.

From the "Hero Tree" in the desert to the dead Populus euphratica forest in the "Black City", it is only a short 30 kilometers away. In the early 1990s, excessive water use in the upper reaches of the Heihe River and irrational development by humans greatly damaged the ecological environment on which Populus euphratica depended for survival. 2,000 acres of dead Populus euphratica "corpses" are everywhere, known locally as the grave of Populus euphratica.

If you go to the "Black City" of Dalaihubu Town, the most worth seeing is the strange forest. The rot resistance of Populus euphratica makes a large number of dead Populus euphratica trunks still stand upright on the Gobi desert, forming a sad landscape with strange shapes. It is an educational destination, but the 200 yuan ticket is really not cheap. Friends who travel poorly can drive eastward along Hangtian Road from Dalaihubu Town, and you can see Populus euphratica with "dead corpses everywhere" on the side of the road .

Leaving Dalaihubu Town, the provincial highway driving from Hangtian Road to Jiuquan was full of wind and sand. The desertified environment has led to large areas of desert and Gobi, dotted with vegetation, and sand holes left by cars passing by. What is left for us humans to think deeply?

An important town on the ancient Silk Road, the hinterland of the Hexi Corridor — Zhangye

Located in the colorful town 2 kilometers away from Colorful Danxia

Zhangye is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Heihe River, the second largest inland river in China. It is the transportation fortress starting from the east of the Silk Road and the hinterland of the Hexi Corridor. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Huns in the north became stronger. Huo Qubing marched into Hexi and defeated the Xiongnu. The Italian traveler Marco Polo stayed in Ganzhou for a year on his way to Shangdu. In "Marco Polo's Travel Notes", he described the prosperity of Zhangye, the scale of the city and the magnificence of religious temples. Where Zhangye was in the Qin, Han, Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties, it is comparable to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

A bowl of special noodles in Linze County, Zhangye


Leaving Jiuquan and arriving at the colorful town in Linze County, Zhangye, if you want to see the colorful Danxia sunrise, it is a good choice to stay in the town the night before. It is also very pleasant to stroll, eat, look, and look in the characteristic town in the evening. After watching the historical sitcom "Back to Zhangye" at night, I wrote "Dream Back to Zhangye" in Moments. Through the performing arts of modern people, the story of Zhangye's millennium legend is narrated, and it is also the peak handed down epic of returning to Zhangye and re-walking the Silk Road. In each transitional chapter, the actors rose from the center of the auditorium, which not only shortened the distance with me, but also allowed me to experience the charm of immersive drama.


Qilian Mountains, colorful Danxia.
Silk Road, Hexi Corridor.
Zhang Guo's arm is tucked in, so as to pass through the Western Regions
— Qin Li "Dream Back to Zhangye"


Colorful Danxia panorama


Danxia sunrise



Danxia Second Landscape


The third landscape of Danxia



I drove from Qicai Town to Qicai Danxia at 6:30 in the morning, preparing to watch the sunrise at 7 a.m., only to find that the sky had lit up after I went out. Although I drove for 15 minutes, I was still a little rushed. In the quiet morning, after watching the sunrise, I left the poem "The Heart of Tranquility" in the circle of friends after feeling it.

wait for the sunrise,
Straight to see the sun.
skyline insolation,
My heart shines.
—Qin Li's "An Yin's Heart"

According to the official information of Colorful Danxia: The Danxia landform is an isolated mountain peak and steep strange rocks formed by red sandy conglomerate stripped by long-term weathering and erosion by flowing water. The Danxia landform here developed in the pre-Jurassic to Tertiary period about 2 million years ago. The landform in the Colorful Danxia Scenic Area has the characteristics of large area and bright colors, and is deeply loved by photographers.



Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon Peak

The Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is our unplanned landing site, but it also shocked us by the vastness of the country. It is about 60 kilometers away from downtown Zhangye, which can be described as "comparable to the Grand Canyon of the United States". Its geological structure belongs to the red layer landform, with an altitude of 1500 to 2550 meters. Going down the mountain road to the bottom of the valley is very steep, giving you a feeling of adventure, which is completely different from the usual feeling of climbing a mountain. From the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain, I wanted to try to take the ladder, but it was the peak of the tour, and the management staff said that it would take an hour to wait, so I had to give up. Since we arrived at the canyon at close to four o'clock in the afternoon, the manager said that it would take 2 hours to walk through the Grand Canyon, so we were a little rushed. Therefore, it is recommended that friends who go to the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon can stay for about four hours, so that they can have fun.



Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon along the road


Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon bottom

Ningxia Zhongwei appreciates the elegance of the mother river

After visiting the Great Buddha Temple in downtown Zhangye, we drove back to Zhongwei in the evening. I booked a homestay near the Yellow River on Ctrip. The plan is to get up early to see the Mother River, and then enter the Tengger Desert. The Yellow River has a drainage basin of 397 kilometers in Ningxia, almost half of which is in Zhongwei. The constant flow of the river is more rapid than mine. I wanted to see it and left, but I was attracted by the colorful stones by the river. I picked up a lot and prepared to take it back to Suzhou for worship, haha!

By the Yellow River in Zhongwei

stones by the river

Two days and one night Tengger desert first experience

Marching to Tengger after leaving the mother river is also the journey we are most looking forward to. Tengger Desert is located in the southwest of Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Tengger Mongolian means Changshengtian (the god of all things), which means the vast quicksand is like a boundless sky. Our ambition is to hike through Tengger in three days, and finally, considering the comprehensive factors such as weather, time, and body, we decided to experience the desert in two days and one night. It is National Day, most tourists enter Tengger from Shapotou. Under the leadership of "Teacher Lu with rich experience in leading desert teams", we entered the Tengger Desert at the junction of Ningmeng and Mongolia, which is 9 kilometers away from Tonghu Prairie. The day before entering the Tengger Desert, it rained in Zhongwei. Fortunately, there was not a single drop of rain in the desert for two days, but it rained again on the night when we left the desert. It's still a beautiful day, and it's good for those who are caring. Because of the rain, the sand is sticky and feels a bit muddy, which can be regarded as a special experience.


I care more about campsites than desert trekking and desert games. There are three camps in our camping site. Mr. Lu’s camp is located in the Tengger Desert at the junction of Ningmeng. No. 800 meters away, it is a higher level, it can be regarded as a five-star hotel in the desert, with all kinds of equipment, deluxe double room, family room, standard room...



Mr. Lu prepared authentic lamb kebabs for us in advance, and the barbecue started after 8 o'clock in the evening (really the best I have ever eaten), and a movie was played in the tent, so we grilled kebabs with camping friends. At night, we lit a bonfire , watching fireworks, chatting about life, and constantly asking questions with curiosity, I feel like an elf who broke into other people's lives. Due to the limited sanitation conditions in the desert, during the two days in the desert, he had to "walk through mountains and rivers" to go to the toilet 800 meters away, and he had to solve it on the spot at night.


During the trip to Mengganning, driving more than 2,300 kilometers by car, for nine days and eight nights, I stayed in rooms with different styles for eight nights, from yurts, farm yards, to tents, hotels... Self-driving experience the desert and Gobi, crossing Helan Mountain, looking at Qilian Mountain, and enjoying Tranquility and pride in the openness and uncontestedness; walking in the ruins of the ancient desert city, shuttling between the valleys and woods, thinking about the traces of history, exploring the geographical boundaries; walking let us understand the value of life, the vastness of the earth, The warmth of humanity.




All the way to Simon Ganning, the desert Gobi dominates the screen.
Zhang Qian, Han Wu still hears, "One Belt, One Road" is my generation's journey.
— Qin Li's "Interjection"


The timetable of the Northwest trip is only for the reference of travel enthusiasts. If you have better suggestions, you are welcome to criticize and correct:

September 28: Arrive in Yinchuan from Hefei

September 29: Arrive in Alashan Ejina Banner

October 1: Ejina Populus euphratica Forest, Black City + Strange Forest

October 1: Pass through Jiuquan and arrive at Colorful Town

October 2: Colorful Danxia and Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon

October 3: Dafo Temple in Zhangye City, drive to Zhongwei

October 4th/5th: Tengger Desert

October 6: Hefei transits to go home