Silk Road Journey - Urumqi - Flame Mountain - Jiaohe Ancient City - Grape Valley - Karez Well - Tianshan Tianchi - Dunhuang - Jiayuguan - Lanzhou

I entered Xinjiang for the first time in May 2012. I participated in Ctrip's Silk Road Tour. Individual travelers join groups, and when they arrive in different cities, some people will join and some will leave

Day1 Urumqi Grand Bazaar
Arrived at Urumqi Airport at 3:00 pm on May 7th. The person who came to pick up the plane was Mr. Liu, a Han Chinese. According to the arrangement, we lived near Hongshan Park, and there was a (Su-style beef noodle) shop not far away. We were 18 at the time. RMB/bowl, only clear soup, no raw meat, feels a bit expensive

In the evening, Mr. Liu drove us to the Grand Bazaar, and arranged for a large-scale Uyghur performance at 7 p.m., as well as a rich buffet. When Mr. Liu left, he told us to take the "transformer" back to the hotel after the show ended. Foggy water, I later found out that it is Urumqi's means of transportation --- BRT

Urumqi Grand Bazaar

Uighur performance

Day2 Jiaohe Ancient City. Flame Mountain. Grape Valley. Karez. Sugong Tower. Ancient Uyghur Village
At 9:00 am on May 8th, we gathered at the KFC near Hongshan Park. Because of the time difference, the stores in Urumqi did not open until 11:00, and there were almost no pedestrians on the street.

Jiaohe Ancient City

Flame Mountain

Grape ditch

Karez

Sugong Pagoda

Uighur Ancient Village

islamic church

carpet weaving

Day3 Tianshan Tianchi. Hanwang Palace. Kazakh yurt
On the morning of May 9th, I took a car to go to Tianchi Lake in Tianshan Mountain. The car went up the Panshan Highway. The scenery along the way was like daytime.

On the way to Tianshan Tianchi

Tianshan Tianchi

Going up the mountain and going down the mountain are different ways. On the way back, I saw Xiaotianchi

Tianshan Tianchi Return

Kazakh yurt

Kazakh embroidered blanket

Kazakh song and dance

Kazakh wrestling

Day4 Dunhuang. Mogao Grottoes. Mingsha Crescent Spring
On May 10th, I took a train overnight from Urumqi to Liuyuan. Arriving in the early morning, there were many minibuses soliciting passengers when I left the train station. It took about 3 hours to drive to Dunhuang
Along the way, the endless Gobi Desert outside the window, not a single pedestrian in sight

Mogao Grottoes

Mingsha Crescent Lake

Dunhuang is a small but beautiful city, I watched a performance at the Dunhuang Grand Theater at night

Dunhuang Street View

Dunhuang Grand Theater

Dunhuang dragon dance

Day5 Jiayuguan. Xiyuguan Great Wall Museum
On May 11, take a minibus from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan

On the way from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan

Xiyuguan is a city of immigrants, and 80% of the population is from outsiders. The city feels a bit chaotic. Near the train station, garbage can be seen everywhere, and the photos are all gray and hazy.

Xiyuguan

Before leaving Jiayuguan, pass by the Great Wall Museum

Xiyuguan Great Wall Museum

Take the train from Jiayuguan to Lanzhou in the evening, there is a snow scene outside the window

Jiatianguan Railway Station

On the way from Jiayuguan to Lanzhou

Day6 Lanzhou. Yellow River Iron Bridge. Yellow River Mother and Child Statue. Yellow River Drift. Lanzhou Waterwheel Park. Journey to the West Statue. Lanzhou Intangible Heritage Museum

Lanzhou, May 12

Yellow River First Bridge

yellow river rafting

Yellow River Mother and Child Statue

Lanzhou Waterwheel Park

journey to the west image

Lanzhou Intangible Heritage Museum

After finishing the 6-day Silk Road trip, now I think the schedule is too tight