Starting from Xining, this time the Qingan-Gansu Grand Ring Road, the general route:
D1: Lanzhou - Xining
D2: Xining - Kumbum Monastery - Riyue Mountain - Qinghai Lake (Black Horse River)
D3: Heima River - Chaka Salt Lake - Delingha Gobi along the way - Dachaidan
D4: Dachaidan "Emerald Lake" - Qinghai Yadan Devil City - Akesai (oil town) - Dunhuang
D5: Dunhuang (Mogao Grottoes, Crescent Lake) - Jiayuguan
D6: Jiayuguan——Zhangye Colorful Danxia——Zhangye
D7: Zhangye - Horseshoe Temple Grottoes - Wuwei
D8: Wuwei - Tianti Mountain Grottoes - Pingliang
D9: Pingliang - Yuncheng, Shanxi - Kaifeng, Henan
D10: Kaifeng - Zhoukou (Daxin)

D1: Lanzhou to Xining navigation display 220km, three and a half hours to arrive.

Xining, the largest city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, was still bright at eight o'clock in the evening.

Walk to the "Shuijing Lane Market", but it is actually being remodeled.

In desperation, continue to move forward to the 600-year-old "Mojia Street"

"Delu yogurt" tastes good too (old yogurt is a special snack in Qinghai)


Xining's Internet celebrity gourmet restaurant "Mazhong Restaurant"

After nine o'clock in the evening, there are still huge crowds of people, and it is hard to find one.

The taste is ok...

D2: Take a taxi to "Xining Dongguan Grand Mosque" (there is no parking lot nearby, it is not recommended to drive)

One of the four famous mosques in Northwest China (no admission fee)

The temple has the third largest number of worshipers in the world


There is a free tour guide service in the temple

The little brother explained well and was easy to understand.

So many people came in after eight o'clock in the morning...

It is about 30 kilometers from Xining to Kumbum Monastery (40 minutes by car)

"Tar Monastery" was founded in 1377 and got its name from the Great Silver Pagoda built in memory of the founder of the Yellow Sect, "Tsongkhapa" in the Dajinwa Temple.
The history of Buddhism is always full of various myths. For example, Tsongkhapa’s mother gave birth when she was grazing, and a Bodhi tree grew out of the umbilical cord blood dripping on the ground. There are 100,000 Bodhi leaves, and a Buddha statue appears on each leaf. . Later, Tsongkhapa went to study in Tibet, and his mother thought about his son earnestly and asked someone to bring a bunch of white hair and a letter from home, hoping that he would return home as soon as possible. But Tsongkhapa felt that his practice was not complete and he was determined not to return, so he drew a self-portrait and sent it to his mother, begging her to build a pagoda in the place where he was born, where the bodhi tree grew. If you meet people.

Later around the pagodas, meditation halls and temples were built. It is precisely because there are pagodas and temples that they are named "Ta'er Temple".

You can drive your car into the parking lot in Kumbum Monastery, which is quite humane.
The "Eight Tathagata Pagodas" located in the square in front of the temple are said to be built to commemorate the eight great merits of Buddha Sakyamuni in his life.

You must remember to carry the tickets with you, as each individual temple inside must be checked to enter.
"Taer Monastery" is a huge building complex, among which the "three unique arts" - "murals", "dui embroidery" and "butter flowers" are mainly distributed in the "Small Jinwa Temple", "Grand Sutra Hall" and " Ghee Flower Pavilion".

The first temple that comes into view when entering Kumbum Monastery is the "Small Jinwa Temple".

There are a large number of exquisite, delicate, layered and varied murals, which are one of the Tibetan Buddhist artworks.


"Dui embroidery" is a unique temple culture and art, which belongs to a kind of thangka - "applied Thangka" (also known as cut pile, that is, pile embroidery).

Below is the "Duixiu" distributed in the Sutra Hall. It is forbidden to take pictures inside. After a while with the staff, I was allowed to take such a picture.
The banners hanging between the pillars are embroidered with gorgeously dressed Buddha statues and elaborate auspicious patterns. Under the dim light, the light and shadow are scattered, and the embroidered patterns are three-dimensional. This is "Duixiu", one of the three wonders of Kumbum Monastery


"Great Golden Tile Hall" - the oldest building in Kumbum Temple, there is an 11-meter-high big silver tower in the hall. It is said that in the tower, the bodhi tree born from the umbilical cord blood of "Tsongkhapa" It is still growing, and the linden tree outside the temple is a derivative of its ancient branches.
Master "Tsongkhapa" is the second largest Buddha in the world except Sakyamuni.

The picture below is the Bodhi tree outside the Dajinwa Temple. When the leaves fall, the fallen Bodhi leaves will be picked up by believers.


At the beginning, the pagoda was expanded and then wrapped in sterling silver, so it was called the Great Silver Pagoda. In order to shade the pagoda, another magnificent hall was built, covered with gold, which is the Dajinwa Temple.
The resplendent and resplendent roof in the distance in the picture below (the effect of resplendent and resplendent was not photographed (helpless)) is the golden roof of the Dajinwa Temple. (In 1711, the Golden Dome was built with 1,300 taels of gold and more than 10,000 taels of silver)


"Ghee flower" is a special skill of using ghee (butter) to shape objects. It originated in the Bon religion of Tibet. According to the traditional Indian Buddhist customs, there are six colors of tributes dedicated to Buddha and Bodhisattva, namely flowers and incense. , Holy water, tile incense, fruit and Buddha lamps, but at that time the weather was cold and the grass was withered and there were no flowers, so they had to use butter to mold flowers to present Buddha, thus forming an artistic tradition.


It’s hard to imagine that these colorful flowers are actually made of ghee…

Finally, a piece of ticket information for the Kumbum Monastery is attached to end the trip to the Kumbum Monastery.
(Reminder: You can’t wear vests, shorts, short skirts, or long skirts when entering the Kumbum Monastery scenic spot. I saw tourists wearing long skirts being stopped by the ticket inspectors and asked to rent Tibetan robes to enter)

It started to rain as soon as we left Kumbum Monastery. We found a restaurant on the side of the road for lunch in this disturbing weather.


The quantity is quite enough, and the taste is okay.


The original plan was to go straight to Qinghai Lake, but on this rainy day, I had to choose "Riyue Mountain" between Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake (ticket 40 yuan, parking is free)


There is a historical story about the naming of "Riyue Mountain". According to legend, Princess Wencheng once passed this mountain when she married Songtsan Gampo. It was called Chiling at that time, and it was the dividing line between Tang Dynasty and Tubo. Standing on the top of the peak, Princess Wencheng could not see Chang'an when she looked back, and looked to the west in desolation. Feeling homesick, she couldn't help taking out the "Sun and Moon Mirror" given by the emperor when she was leaving, and the charming scenery of Chang'an suddenly appeared in the mirror. The princess was full of grief and joy, and accidentally missed, and broke the "Sun and Moon Mirror" in half, which happened to land on two small hills. The east half faced west, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, and the west half faced east. According to the rising moonlight, Riyue Mountain got its name from this.

The empty Qinghai Ancient Road Museum...

weather is getting better

Riyue Mountain is the dividing line between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau


The sculpture of the sacred cow in Riyue Mountain is said to be the patron saint of Riyue Mountain.


Passing through the Riyueshan Memorial Archway, the Princess Wencheng Temple is on the right hand side, and the Princess Wencheng Memorial Hall is on the left hand side.

The second building of the Ancient Road Museum, also known as the Princess Wencheng Memorial Hall, contains sculptures of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo.

The road that Princess Wencheng traveled to Tubo and her relatives via Riyue Mountain was called Tangbo Ancient Road.


"Princess Wencheng Sculpture"... what I hold in my hand is the Sun and Moon Mirror.

We have come here at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, and my mother and I have a slight high reaction, with purple lips, chest tightness and shortness of breath... My mother gave up moving forward, and I continued to challenge the last part of the journey.

Successfully climbed to the summit at an altitude of 3520 meters (at this moment, I have a splitting headache)

Grass is abundant, cattle and sheep are scattered under the "sunset"...

Looking at the gradually improving weather, take the time to go down the mountain to the Qinghai Lake in your dream.

Unpredictable Northwest Weather

I finally saw the long-lost sun. The blue sky, white clouds, and grassland are like a painting... (I couldn't help but take a few more photos)


It confirms the saying "the body is in hell, but the eyes are in heaven"


After passing the entrance of "Qinghai Lake", you can go down to Qinghai Lake through the herdsman's pasture by the lake, but you have to pay a certain fee. After looking at the site of your car and the potholes in the herdsman's pasture, you finally decided to go straight. Go to "Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Spot".

But at that time, I overlooked a problem, that is, our time may be too late.


Sure enough, when we arrived at Erlangjian Scenic Area, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. Although it was not dark yet, the sun had already set, and I felt that there was no need to go in. Finally, we decided to go to Heimahe to check in and watch the Qinghai Lake Sunrise the next day. out.



Heimahe Township is the starting point of Qinghai Lake Ring Road, from which you can reach the famous Bird Island by walking 70 kilometers along the ring road. The journey from Heima River to Bird Island is known as the most beautiful section of Qinghai Lake. (Save this paragraph for next time, for the most beautiful girl in my heart)

D3: The sunrise of Qinghai Lake is at 6:00 in the morning. Get up at 5:30 and go to the lake along the route suggested by the hotel owner. The car can drive all the way in.

When I came to the lake and looked at the dark clouds, I had an ominous premonition in my heart.

Sure enough, it was not until 6:15 that Father Sun struggled to get out of the clouds.


It feels like watching the sunrise on the beach...

This angle failed to capture the reflection of the crowd (helpless)

It is about 80 kilometers from Heima River to Chaka Salt Lake. The roadside scenery on the way makes driving here a refreshing feeling...


The Chaka Salt Lake parking lot is divided into several areas. It is recommended to park in Area E, which is directly opposite the ticket office, which is more convenient. (Ticket 70, small train one-way 50), it is recommended to buy a one-way small train in the scenic area.


Crowds queuing up to take the small train (most of them are group tourists)………

It is 5 kilometers from the ticket office to the center of the lake. It is recommended to take a small train to enter and walk back. Or take a battery car to Salt Lake Square, walk to the center of the lake, and then take a small train back. In this way, you can visit the entire Chaka Salt Lake without leaving any regrets.


The battery car in the scenic spot can only reach the Salt Lake Square (below)


This is the most satisfying photo I took on this trip (it was still taken on the small train).


The picture below is the terminal station of the small train, in the center of Chaka Salt Lake, where there are a lot of tourists...


Once a tea card is mistaken for life, heaven is a passerby from now on


The gray Chaka Salt Lake...


Under the hazy sky, the beauty of Chaka Salt Lake cannot be photographed at all...

Meet tea card, meet the most beautiful self!


One-way 50 yuan small train in the scenic area

Salt Sculpture Group Scenic Area in Sky Mirror Square



The goddess of Chaka Salt Lake is named Muyao Luosangma. She is the patron saint of Chaka Salt Lake and is in charge of the most delicious food in the world-salt.


The weather is bad, there is no feeling of the mirror of the sky...


The mirror of the sky in China and the Chaka Salt Lake in the world.


The surface of "Chaka Salt Lake" has a strong reflection ability, just like a mirror prepared for the sky to freshen up, and it is called the "mirror of the sky" in China.

It is said on the Internet that the best shooting time is before 9:00 am and after 5:00 pm, but I personally feel that if it is sunny, any time will look good...
(Reminder: You can bring your own rain boots. The rent for high rain boots in the scenic area is 5 yuan, and the deposit is 100 yuan. However, you must return to the rental point to return it. It is not convenient. It is recommended to bring your own in advance.)


It is 400 kilometers from Chaka Salt Lake to "Dachaidan" in Delingha, and the whole journey is deserted.

Delingha along the Gobi Desert

Arrive at Dachaidan "People's Hotel" at ten o'clock in the evening

D4: Set off to the "Emerald Lake" ten kilometers away
Emerald Lake is the general name of the local people for the many colorful salt brine pools in Dachaidan Lake in Qinghai Province. It is still in the state of preliminary development and free opening.


The road conditions are not very good, this is the entrance of "Emerald Lake"...


Taking advantage of the sun, snap a few photos...

Just took two pictures, the weather turned from sunny to cloudy (helpless)...

run bro...

The original ecological scenic spot can be entered by car. Maybe in the near future, it will be the same as the Chaka Salt Lake (the visitor center is already being built at the entrance)......

The salt lake is as colorful under the cloudy sky

Sunny days should be even better...

"Emerald Lake" is located in this beautiful city, with Qinghai's own style, as clean as the sky and as clean as the sea.


"Dachaidan Town" is about 100 kilometers away from the Yadan landform of the Southern Eight Immortals in Qinghai.
Nanbaxian Yadan Devil City can be seen in the no-man's land on both sides of the road, and no tickets are required.

Southern Eight Immortals Yadan Devil City

It may not be as good-looking as the Yadan landform in Gansu. After all, this is the Yadan landform in Qinghai that is free of charge. (The Yadan landform on the Yumenguan side of Gansu Province is charged)


I can't help but spread my wings and fly high...


After visiting Yadan Devil City, it was past three o'clock in the afternoon. Yadan Devil City is 360km from "Yangguan Ruins" and 370km from Dunhuang City. It takes about six hours to go no matter where you go. Ben Dunhuang.


Feel free to rely on pleasure and happiness to drive on your own!

On the way, we passed "Aksai County" - the only ethnic minority autonomous county in Gansu Province with Kazakhs as the main body, and one of the three Kazakh autonomous counties in China.
("Petroleum Town", where "Nine-story Demon Tower" was filmed, is here)


From Aksai to Dunhuang, you will pass through a large desert, and you can drive the car to the edge of the desert.

Uninhabited...beautiful scenery


We stayed in this desert for nearly an hour...

Find your original self in the vast desert!

Mom is still good at playing...

It's nine o'clock in the evening and the sun hasn't set yet

Arrive in Dunhuang at ten o'clock in the evening - "Bounce Pipa Sculpture" is the most graceful dance in Dunhuang art.


Dunhuang Night Market - also known as Shazhou Night Market, is the largest night market in Dunhuang, known as Dunhuang's "Night Scenery" and "Sentimental Painting".


D5: "Mogao Grottoes" - Class A tickets can be reserved on the WeChat public account "Mogao Grottoes Visiting Reservation Network" one month in advance. We arrived at the Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center at 9 o'clock in the morning. Class A tickets can only be reserved After two o'clock in the afternoon, there is no choice but to buy a B-type ticket to enter the scenic spot. (Plan to depart for Jiayuguan in the afternoon)


Mogao Grottoes Class A tickets can visit 8 main grottoes, including the digital performance of "Millennium Mogao Dream Buddha Palace". Type B tickets can only be purchased on-site and can only visit 4 grottoes.


"Mogao Grottoes" - one of the four major grottoes in China, is also the largest and richest Buddhist art treasure house in the world.


There are separate ticket gates for Category A tickets and Category B tickets

"Nine-story building" - the tallest building in Mogao Grottoes, the building is 45 meters high and built on the cliff. It is located in the middle of the Shangsi Grottoes in Mogao Grottoes. Inside is the world's largest indoor mud tire sitting cross-legged. Statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva.


Comments from foreign tourists - "Seeing Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes is equivalent to seeing ancient civilizations all over the world."


Looking at the nine-story building

Tips for self-driving tour of Mogao Grottoes: direct navigation to the "Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center" (parking fee 10 yuan), the only way to enter the Mogao Grottoes scenic spot is to buy tickets at the "Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center" and then transfer to the scenic bus .

It is about 15km from Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center to Crescent Spring Scenic Spot (Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Spot Ticket 110 Yuan, Parking Fee 5 Yuan)


"Crescent Moon Spring" is famous in the world for its "desert spectacle" and is known as "one of the best scenery outside the Great Wall".


Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring are twin sisters in the Gobi Desert.
It has the feeling of "Mingsha Mountain is pleasant, and Crescent Spring is refreshing".

"The First Spring in the Desert"

Mingsha Mountain embraces Crescent Spring, and Crescent Spring is nestled next to Mingsha Mountain.
Spring, summer, autumn and winter never give up and never leave, and the wind, frost, rain and snow are deeply cherished.

Climbing the wooden ladder of Mingsha Mountain


The magical Mingsha Mountain and the intoxicating Crescent Spring


Mingshashan is a strong northwestern man, and Yueyaquan is a passionate woman. Mingshashan is embracing this bright-eyed and white-toothed woman with thick arms, and they guard their love together... ………


Crescent Lake to Jiayuguan 370km, four and a half hours to reach the destination.

I ran into a stray dog ​​downstairs in the hotel, fed it two ham sausages, followed me back and forth, really wanted to take it away...

(A person treats a dog for a meal, and the dog follows the person for a lifetime. If you don’t ask for more blessings, people and dogs walk together.)

D6: "Jiayuguan" - Known as "the most majestic pass in the world", one of the three wonders of the Great Wall of China (Shanhaiguan Pass in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, and Jiayuguan in the west). Tickets 110, parking fee 10 yuan


"Tianxiaxiongguan" stele published in the Qing Dynasty

The largest pass on the existing Great Wall is also the largest pass in China.


"Guandi Temple" - moved from the inner city to the present place at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty.

"Chaozongmen": It means "loyalty to the imperial court and loyalty to the monarch.

"Guerrilla General's Mansion" - also known as Guerrilla Yamen, the place where guerrilla generals guarding Jiayuguan in Ming and Qing Dynasties handled military government affairs.


Interior view of Jiayuguan

Customs outside...

The main entrance of Jiayuguan, also known as "West Gate"

Spread your wings and fly high outside the customs... (smile)

Jiayuguan to "Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geological Park" is 220km, about 3 hours by car.

"Zhangye Danxia Geopark" is one of the areas with the largest and best Danxia landforms and the most abundant landforms in China. (ticket 75 yuan)

There are three entrances to the scenic spot: North Gate, West Gate, and East Gate. The North Gate is the main entrance of the scenic spot. It is equipped with a large parking lot, and the food, accommodation and transportation are relatively complete. We choose the north gate to enter

The scenic bus will take tourists to the four viewing platforms in turn. The first viewing platform that the scenic bus at the north entrance arrives at is No. 3, but the driver does not stop, just reminds you, and then goes directly to No. 2 viewing platform. It is "Qicai Xianyuan Terrace".


There is a helicopter flight experience area here

"Qicai Yunhai Terrace" is the original No. 1 viewing platform

Personally, I think the scenery here is the most beautiful (don’t spray if you don’t like it)


Zhangye Danxia Geopark is the only complex area of ​​Danxia landform and colorful hilly landscape in China.

There is a VR experience officer here, 50 yuan for two people, who can experience the Danxia landform in 360 degrees.

Mom is very interested in this new thing (smile)

"Qicai Jinxiu Terrace" is the original No. 5 viewing platform

Silk Road (pictured below), the original picture of the photo is bright and beautiful, but I don’t know why the color has become dim after uploading.

I especially like this picture (Chibi Great Wall)

Strange and dangerous spirit is beautiful and picturesque

"Colorful Rainbow Terrace" is the last viewing platform of this trip, and it is also the original No. 4 viewing platform (this is the best viewing place in the scenic spot, where you can watch the sunrise and sunset)

A touch of water color rouge in the world


The original image of the photo is brightly colored, but after being uploaded to the platform, it turns dark automatically... (Crazy)

Can you see the shape of the "Potala Palace" in front of you in the picture below...

Observation Deck No. 4 is where you can register for a second entry ticket. After registration, you can come in to watch the sunrise for free the next day.

Attached are three tourist routes of the scenic spot:
North gate: (the main entrance of the scenic spot)
Colorful Xianyuan Terrace (No. 2) - Colorful Yunhai Terrace (No. 1) - Colorful Jinxiu Terrace (No. 5) - Colorful Xia Terrace (No. 4)
Simon:
Colorful Yunhai Terrace (No. 1) - Colorful Jinxiu Terrace (No. 5) - Colorful Xia Terrace (No. 4) - Colorful Xianyuan Terrace (No. 2)
East Gate: (This entrance is farthest from the core scenic spot)
Colorful Xianyuan Terrace (No. 2) - Colorful Yunhai Terrace (No. 1) - Colorful Jinxiu Terrace (No. 5) - Colorful Xia Terrace (No. 4)

It is about 40km from Zhangye Danxia Geopark to downtown Zhangye, an hour's drive.
Zhangye (known as "Ganzhou" in ancient times) - one of the "Four Counties of Hexi" in the Hexi Corridor, an important town on the ancient Silk Road, has a strong Buddhist culture.

D7: "Great Buddha Temple" - a landmark building in Zhangye, a famous historical and cultural city.

It used to be the Xixia Temple and the only existing Xixia Temple in China.

Inside the temple is the largest existing indoor reclining Buddha in China, which is the Nirvana statue of Buddha Sakyamuni.


There is a 33.37-meter-high earthen pagoda behind the temple, which is one of Zhangye's five-element pagodas. A small pagoda is built at the four corners of the first and second-floor pedestals, which is unique in style and rare in China.

The "Wooden Pagoda Temple" across the street from the Dafo Temple is actually called Wanshou Temple, but the wooden pagoda is more famous, and it is the only wooden pagoda among the two remaining five-element pagodas in Zhangye.


The wooden pagoda was first built in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and has been repaired in successive dynasties since then. The original pagoda was destroyed in the late Qing Dynasty, and it was rebuilt during the Republic of China. (It is not recommended to climb the tower, the ticket is 25 yuan, and there is nothing on it)


"Xilai Temple" was first built in the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty

No entrance fee, ten minutes walk from Muta Temple.

In the afternoon, I went to Mati Temple. The navigation from Zhangye city to Mati Temple showed 60km, but roads were being built everywhere around Mati Temple, and the map of Gaode was not updated in time. Finally, I used Baidu to go around a big circle for two and a half hours before I went to Mati Temple to sell tickets. place.

(Ticket 74 yuan, parking fee 10 yuan, you can drive the car into the scenic spot)


"Horseshoe Temple" is also called Puguang Temple - so named because of the horseshoe prints left by the legendary Tianma drinking water here.

The Masti Temple Grotto Group has a history of more than 1,600 years. It consists of seven grotto groups: Shengguo Temple, Puguang Temple, Thousand Buddha Cave, Jinta Temple, Upper, Middle and Lower Guanyin Caves.

Three hundred meters into the gate is the first scenic spot "Thousand Buddha Caves"


The building in the middle of the cliff needs to be climbed up through the inside of the mountain, which is very thrilling

This is the cave that connects the two Buddhist caves, and only one person can pass through. There are small holes on the cave wall for rock climbing.

Although it is a bit dangerous, to see the true Buddha must go through thousands of difficulties and dangers. I just sigh how the ancient skilled craftsmen carried the huge Buddhist niche into the mountain.

There are large and small Buddhist niches scattered on the cliffs in the distance. At the beginning, there should be a Buddha statue in each niche, which is also the origin of the name of Thousand Buddha Caves. However, after thousands of years of natural weathering and man-made destruction, it is difficult to see the complete Buddhist niches. , It is also impossible to experience the spectacular scene of Thousand Buddhas Manshan. (have no choice)


From the Thousand Buddha Caves to the "Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes" in Puguang Temple, you will pass through the "Hall of King Gesar"
According to legend, King Gesar is the incarnation of Master Padmasambhava. He spent his whole life as a soldier, punished evil, promoted good, and promoted Buddhism. He is a hero that the Tibetan people are proud of.

But there are no tourists here, so I guess they all went to the Thirty-Three Days Grottoes. The advantage of having fewer people is that you can drive the car directly, avoiding the pain of running around... (smile)

The most worth visiting in the Mati Temple Scenic Area is the "Thirty-three Days Grotto" in Puguang Temple

According to the Buddhist scriptures, the top of Mount Sumeru is Indra, and the four peaks in the four directions have eight heavens each, and eight gods live there, that is, four or eight thirty-two heavens. , is a kind of supreme state practiced in Buddhism.
According to Buddhism, anyone who does good deeds and accumulates virtue can be reincarnated as Indra. With their bold imagination, the ancients dug the thirty-three days in the human world in Mati Temple in imitation of the thirty-three days in the sky. It was the first time to connect the world with the sky. The thirteenth day reaches the thirty-three days in the sky, playing games with the gods.

The "Thirty Three Days Grotto" has seven floors and 21 caves. The lower four floors are dedicated to various Buddha statues, the seventh floor is dedicated to Green Tara, the sixth floor is dedicated to White Tara, and the fifth floor is the most mysterious place. The seven-star wisdom sword is said to be the sword of Manjusri Bodhisattva in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but the fifth and sixth floors are not open to the public, so there is no chance to see it.

The topmost attic of the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes in the picture below, the Saved Buddha Cave, enshrines the statue of Green Tara Bodhisattva in the cave, which is also the main Buddha in the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes.


(All we can visit are the first to fourth floors + seventh floor in the picture)

grotto entrance

It is the only grotto in China where the plank road is built inside the mountain.

The steps in the picture below lead directly to the seventh floor

The "Horseshoe Hall" at the foot of the grottoes is where the legendary horseshoe prints are preserved.

The treasure of the town temple "Horseshoe Print"

The Thirty-Three-Day Grottoes passed Shengguo Temple on the way down the mountain, but it was still not open...

This time we visited the "Thousand Buddha Cave" and the "Thirty-Three Heavens Grotto" in the North Temple of Mati Temple. These two places are also the most important scenic spots in the scenic spot. open. The Jinta Temple Grottoes were also abandoned due to time constraints, and will be explored next time.
A grotto, a world; a cave, a piece of history. If there is a chance, I will visit the Horseshoe Temple again!

The Masti Temple Grottoes are 300 kilometers from Wuwei City, four and a half hours, and arrive at the destination at ten o'clock in the evening.
"Wuwei" - one of the "Four Counties of Hexi" in the Hexi Corridor, the third largest city in Chinese history, and the birthplace of Matafeiyan.

D8: I took a taxi to the "Hai Zang Temple" early in the morning. Fortunately, I didn't drive. All around the temple are being demolished and road repaired. The taxi went around several times before coming in.

"Hai Zang Temple" is one of the relatively well-preserved ancient buildings in the Hexi Corridor, and is known as "the crown of the Northwest Brahma Palace".

In front of the mountain gate stands a wooden archway with four columns and three rooms, with four big characters "Hai Zang Zen Forest" written on it.
In the past, whenever the sun rose in summer and autumn, a wisp of green smoke could be seen from a distance under the southeast eaves of the archway, rising and disappearing from time to time, commonly known as "Smoke Willow hidden in the sea".

Three sticks of incense to the Buddha, wishing will come true

Haizang Temple, built in Jin Dynasty, has a history of more than 1700 years.

Before setting off to the "Tiantishan Grottoes", the first accident of this Northwest self-driving tour occurred. (found in a hotel parking lot in Wuwei)

There is such a long nail on the tire, and 20 yuan to repair the tire.

It is 60km from Wuwei to the "Tiantishan Grottoes".

There are few tourists in the scenic spot, and parking is more convenient.

"Tiantishan Grottoes" - was built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, about 1600 years ago. It is the representative of early grotto art in my country, and also the source of Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, known as "the originator of grottoes".

Arhat Cave

Buddhism, which was introduced to China along the ancient Silk Road, created brilliant grotto art in the Hexi Corridor.

The reservoir in front of me is the Huangyang River Reservoir built in the late 1950s to solve the water problem of the downstream population, and the Tiantishan Cave site is just in the reservoir submerged area. (Some cultural relics were damaged due to relocation)

At this point, the main itinerary in the northwest has basically come to an end, and most of the itinerary for the next two days is on the road.

(Mainly because my mother celebrated her birthday on July 1st, and we were still in the Tiantishan Grottoes on the 29th. In order to get home on the 1st, we had to rush as fast as we could... (helpless))

The journey from Tiantishan Grottoes to Pingliang is nearly 600 kilometers, seven and a half hours. Arrived in Pingliang at ten o'clock in the evening...

The buffet breakfast in this hotel is very rich...

Pasta is still a favorite

this pastry is delicious

I didn’t expect to have Zhangye’s most famous gourmet breakfast here—“Beef Rice”. The beef is tender and refreshing, and the gnocchi is extremely smooth and tastes particularly good.

I forgot what the following two are called... anyway, they are delicious

Originally, I planned to stay in Pingliang for a day to climb "Kongtong Mountain", but I had to give up in order to hurry...

D9: Depart directly from Yuncheng, Shanxi after breakfast, to Jiezhou Guandi Temple, 540km, seven hours.

Arrive at the parking lot of Guandi Temple in Jiezhou at 4:30 p.m. The parking fee is 10 yuan. (Scenic spot ticket 60, 53 if bought online one hour in advance)

"Jiezhou Guandi Temple" is the largest palace-style martial arts temple in existence, and is known as "the ancestor of Guan Temple" and "the crown of martial arts temples".

Together with "Guanlin" in Luoyang, Henan and "Guanling" in Dangyang, Hubei, it is called the three major Guandi temples in China.

The representative building is "Spring and Autumn Building".

Emperor Qianlong appointed "brave"

Emperor Xianfeng's Royal Book "The People of the World"

"Guandi Royal Garden" - a northern style and royal style classical garden rebuilt on the site of the back garden of Guandi Ancestral Temple.

At this point, the three major Guandi temples in China have finally been assembled.

From Jiezhou Guandi Temple to Kaifeng, Henan at 6:30 p.m., 380km, five hours, arrived at the hotel reserved in Kaifeng at 11:30 p.m.

D10: Return to the hometown of Zhoukou early in the morning, the whole journey is 110km, one and a half hours by car.

The journey of several days was tiring but full of joy, hard but endless aftertaste, and there were too many things worth remembering forever. The thick and light-colored Qinghai Lake, the Chaka Salt Lake in the mirror of the sky, the colorful Emerald Lake, the mysterious Mogao Grottoes, the fantastic Mingsha Mountain, the majestic Jiayuguan, and the colorful Danxia. In short, the Northwest is spectacular, poetic, fantastic and colorful...

Every journey is a brand new beginning, meeting different people, seeing different scenery, tasting various delicacies, and experiencing various customs.
One flower, one world, one step at a time, only when you meet the scenery you have never seen before, can you experience the state of mind that you have not experienced. Walking in the northwest and the vicissitudes of life can always give people a moment to re-recognize themselves, and let the soul live peacefully in this pure land...

Update some photos of the Northwest Great Ring Road: (Xi'an-Tianshui Maijishan Grottoes-Lanzhou)

Terracotta Warriors

National Treasure-Level Cultural Relics: The Bronze Horse-drawn Carriage of Qinshihuang Mausoleum

Bronze Chariot No. 1

Bronze Chariot No. 2

Xi'an "Town God's Temple" - one of the three major Town God's Temples in China

Xi'an Huifang Street

Huajue Lane

Da-Yan Tower

"Da Ci'en Temple" at night

Datang Everbright City

Da Ci'en Temple

Daxingshan Temple

Tianshui Maijishan Grottoes

Lanzhou "Zhongshan Bridge"

Baitashan Park

Night view of Zhongshan Bridge

Zhongshan Bridge at one o'clock in the morning

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

National Treasure in Gansu Provincial Museum - "Horse Stepping on Flying Swallow"

Yellow River Mother Sculpture