Some people look serious and cold on the surface, but they are actually dirty and dirty in private; some scenery, which I have never heard of, is actually beautiful and shocking. Unfortunately, this trip to Qinghai happened to me, and you are also lucky enough to see this interesting story about exploring the beauty of Qaidam.
Graphic and text copyright: @风子大叔, WX: XingZe_Feng (without impolite people)
Routine trailer:
All photos were taken by Nikon D810 24-70mm and DJI Mavic Pro.
If there is no interest in posting selfies on Moments, then the trip will be in vain. —— Lu Xun
When my eyes grow wings...
1. The sea of gold is not the sea
When old and new friends met in Xining last night, it was inevitable to exchange pleasantries and business. After flying to Delingha early this morning and renting a car, I officially started a self-driving trip to explore Qaidam. The scenery and laughter all the way flew together, and the jokes kept going.
About 100 kilometers away from Delingha City, you can arrive at a Jinzihai with few tourists: Jinzihai Mongolian means a lake formed by golden springs. There is also a legend that a pair of golden goats came down from Yak Mountain and tasted the mellow and sweet water, so they did not want to go back to the mountain and entered the lake, so it is called Jinzihai.
There is no way to verify these legends, and they can be used as a seasoning. After all, what we care about most is the scenery here. In fact, Jinzihai is neither a sea nor a dead lake, but a continuous spring. About 80 kilometers southwest of Xiligou Town, Wulan County, the entire Jinzihai covers an area of about 0.45 square kilometers, surrounded by sand hills on three sides, and stretching water, tall reeds and nearly 100 meters of grass on the other side. The belt constitutes a magnificent scenery of mountains, lakes, deserts, grasslands, cattle and sheep.
It has to be said that water is the most beautiful thing in the world, and it attracts many creatures to stop wherever it goes. Even if it falls in the yellow sand, it also endows this place with vitality and spirituality. The friends scattered around the lively lake, some climbed up the sand dunes to overlook the panorama, and some walked along the river to find the best angle for their girls. I was alone, and I operated the drone like a tiger for a while, and the battery blinked Fifteen percent left... land in a hurry to avoid fried chicken.
Walking aimlessly along the lake with the flock of sheep in front of me, my oxygen-deprived mind wandered for a while, thinking about various nonsensical philosophical questions: For example, if I can fly, can I shoot the slow door delay in the air? Will the hairstyle be messed up? I accidentally found that the flock of sheep had disappeared, thanks to the fact that I am not a sheep herding boy, otherwise my mother's ass would definitely be blown up when I go home.
Going forward, passing through a reed slop taller than me, suddenly there is a sense of sight of another village: a small river reflecting the blue sky and white clouds walks a coquettish curve; a gray horse with a beer belly bows its head and slender Sniffing afternoon tea; a very yellow and very yellow girl squatting in an ambiguous posture... It turned out that Xiao Huihui and his group were creating, so they went up to grab the camera and took a few photos without saying a word, and finally showed the old mage Satisfied and left with a smile like that, he praised his work, completely ignoring the girl's pursuit of looking at the camera photos.
2. The no man's land of Lake Arak
Starting from Dulan County in the morning and traveling by car, there was no signal for a day, and a road leading to Alak Lake in Dulan, Qinghai was awakened.
The journey to Arak Lake is almost all gravel and mud roads, and it will pass through the pass at an altitude of about 4,500 meters. Thankfully, it is not winter and it is not raining, otherwise it will be difficult to move. Even the best weather requires veteran drivers to drive carefully, otherwise you will never know what kind of big pits, steep slopes, and water flows will be waiting for you in the next second.
Friendly reminder again: Don’t drive slowly, be careful of the road conditions. If the front car of the convoy remembers to use the walkie-talkie to inform the road conditions ahead in time, in this “no man’s land” if there is something wrong, such as a broken tire or something, then you can only cry , because many road sections have no signal, and even a rescue call cannot be made. You must be prepared, bring a spare tire, and you must be able to repair the car and change the tire.
In addition, the altitude gradually increases along the way, and the highest point is about 4,500 meters, so there will always be people who will inevitably experience high reactions. Remember to open some windows in the car from time to time for ventilation. If you are worried, you can eat some rhodiola in advance to prevent it. At high altitudes Please pay attention to your "image" when you see the beautiful scenery. Excessively exciting and intense exercise will aggravate your high reaction, so pretending to be calm on the surface, but in fact the "soothing" state of spring tide surging in your heart is the best posture.
Of course, you don’t have to be too nervous. You can gradually adapt within a few hours. After all, our body functions will respond and adjust in time to deal with strange environments. For example, you will feel that the frequency of fang pi has increased significantly. , This should be to adjust the air pressure in your body... So don't be shy and bear it, no matter you are a soft girl or a real man, please release your sphincter muscles as much as you can, and play the clarion call of plateau self-driving.
After five hours of stop-and-go filming, I finally arrived at the yurt in Alak Lake to stop and rest. Since there was no signal on the road, it was impossible to communicate in time. The herdsmen just killed the sheep in advance but did not do it yet. They could only wait for two hours to finish. After all, it is much slower to cook on the plateau than in coastal cities in the interior. I just took the time to appreciate the Arak Lake, which is also coming "not far away".
A real old driver dares to snatch any car, no matter whether he can beat the group of children in their 70s and 80s and the group of parents behind them, no matter how funny it is to ride, after all, my acting skills have been perfected .
About Lake Arak:
Qinghai Dulan Alake Lake National Wetland Park is located in Barong Township, Dulan County, in the valley basin extending east-west at the southern foot of Burhan Buda Mountain. It is a typical plateau lake at an altitude of 4,100 meters. It is the largest in Haixi Prefecture. The freshwater lake is also the main inland huff and puff lake in the upper reaches of the Qaidam River. (Come to Du Niang to inform)
The ecology of the entire Alak Lake is very complete, and there are many rare animals distributed. We only encountered eagles, Tibetan antelopes, and of course the fat house foodie marmots only on the normal roads without going deep into the hinterland. All of this requires the keen eyes of the co-pilot to discover. After all, they have been trained to be super sensitive and alert in order to protect themselves. It is basically difficult to take pictures without a telephoto.
I don’t have a telephoto, but my eyes have wings. When I jumped up and turned the propeller quickly, as the altitude increased, the entire field of vision became wider and my mood surged. Lake Alak will have different color charms in different seasons. At this time, the river with nine bends is like thick blood, nourishing the creatures in this area. Maybe this is the meaning of "Mother River".
Abundant resources will naturally become superior pastures, and huge flocks will act as traffic police at any time, so you have to shut down the engine and wait for them to leave happily.
The real rivers and lakes are not swords, guns, swords, halberds, axes, axes and forks, but putting down. Back then, Qiao Feng and A'Zhu's greatest wish was to hunt and herd sheep in the frontier. It’s just that letting go is too difficult for ordinary people, no less difficult than asking me to put down my mobile phone and camera at this time, and I can only say a few words of “chicken soup” to accompany the photos and pretend to be literary. Thanks to Xiao Zhou Xun Yumi for appearing on the scene (actually, I took pictures in the past), today's outfit is really good, only a sword is missing, although you also bring it with you.
Friendly reminder: don’t get carried away by the retro photos above, and then plunge into the grass to imitate a triple shot, or you’ll regret it. Because there will be a lot of unknown thorny weeds inside, thousands of arrows will go through your thick clothes and plunge into your flesh. On the return bus, several friends took off their coats and pants and pulled the weeds all the way... Oh no, yes Pull out the thorns, just think about how beautiful the picture is.
In addition: When flying a drone, you must not disturb the sheep and horses, so as not to anger the herdsmen. If you want to take pictures with their horses, you need to ask for permission in advance. This is a basic respect and courtesy. .
3. Taking pornographic photos in Emerald Lake
The Emerald Lake that we are going to go to today can be said to be the highlight of this itinerary. It is definitely the day that all of us are most looking forward to. After all, it is a place for new Internet celebrities to check in. Now only a few people know it. Visually, it will be the next tea card soon. Salt Lake, but Emerald Lake is more beautiful and colorful than Chaka. There are few key people and no tickets are charged. However, there are already signs of vigorous development in the local area, and I hope it will not become the second Chaka.
The location of Emerald Lake is not difficult to find. It is about ten kilometers northwest of Dachaidan Town. This is the salt lake mining area of the former Dachaidan Chemical Factory. Dachaidan means Great Salt Lake in Mongolian, so you know that most of these "brine".
The entire Emerald Lake is a magnesium sulfate subtype salt lake, the third largest artificial lake in Haixi Prefecture, with an area of nearly 26 square kilometers, rich in potassium, magnesium, lithium and other elements. Due to the different concentrations of minerals, the salt bed alternates with light green, emerald green, dark blue, dark green, and wine red lake water. It looks like emeralds scattered all over the place from the perspective of the air. The locals named it because of this. It is Emerald Lake, although the name is ordinary but very vivid, it couldn't be more appropriate.
Looking at these two pictures from the sky, I don't know which island I thought they were on.
Such a beautiful sky and weather, if you don’t take some personal photos, you will be sorry for Lu Xun’s teachings. After all, I also came here through thousands of mountains and clouds. Pick yourself a few bites of marshmallows.
What if you don't feel handsome enough? It's also very simple. You can take a few black photos of your friends secretly and compare them, and your temperament will be contrasted immediately. But Xiao Huihui's pose for taking pictures is absolutely coquettish, and he is the only one around me who can compete with me in Zamabu.
Of course, men can't compare with girls. I don't know how many sets of skirts and scarves and hats are packed in a suitcase, which is definitely more eye-catching than the group of aunts with fluttering red scarves, even if the colors are not bright enough.
There are dozens of large and small salt ponds in Emerald Lake, each of which is enough for you to play for a few hours. Again, it is recommended not to spend too much time on each salt pond. If you walk a few more steps, you will find another new world. After all, every The color of the lake is completely different under the sunlight. In addition, be careful when walking down the salt pond, it will be embarrassing if you get stuck in the mud.
4. The only Yadan on the water in the world
How many roads does a person have to walk before he can be called a man? The answer is always in the wind. The road to Shuishang Yadan has many steep slopes with big ups and downs, which is very similar to American western movies, attracting many tourists to stop and take pictures. Unfortunately, the sky is not strong today. If the sky is clear, there will be some clouds. The light and shadow effect must be doubled. However, here is also a reminder to remember to pull over the car, it is best to turn on the double flash, and pay attention to the front and rear cars when taking pictures. After all, the speed of the car on this road is very fast, and above 120 is normal.
When you come to Qaidam to drive by yourself, remember to prepare enough dry food and water in the car, and try to fill up the gas station at every stop in the car. Because there is no signal, you never know how long it will be until the next supply station.
Of course, don’t forget to release yourself every time you resupply at the service station, even if there is no stock, because it is still very dangerous to stop temporarily at the high speed to piss. In order to relieve it, he said to us very seriously: "Is there any biscuits or something, I will eat some to absorb water" what? Are you stupid, and there is such a logic against the sky!
Yadan on the water is the last big attraction in the itinerary, and I am very much looking forward to it. Yardang is a characteristic phenomenon formed by the earth's soil weathering for hundreds of millions of years, and there are more or less all over the world, especially in major countries such as Northwest my country, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. It is unique in the world to have such a large area of Yadan on the water.
It is really hard to imagine that such a large body of water suddenly fell from the sky in a deserted place. Small hills emerge from the water, like small islands, with islands in the water and water in the islands. Moreover, due to the abrasive effect of wind, sand and water, the lower part of the hills is often subject to strong erosion, and gradually forms a concave shape. Under the action of gravity and erosion, it is easy to collapse and form a steep wall, forming a Yadan landform, which is very vigorous and powerful. .
Due to the high salinity of the surface water in the Qinghai area and the wide distribution of salt minerals, the Water Yardang Geopark can clearly see white salt crystals on the ground after the tide has ebbed, further verifying that "everything above No, there is everything below", the image of the Qaidam cornucopia.
The sunset on the Yadan on the water is the most beautiful, when the sun shines on the Yadan on the water, the color is golden, and the stone pillars and reflections feel like they rise into the air, like a magic castle suspended in the air. It's a pity that today's time and weather are too good, so I can only take aerial shots to interpret his beauty from another perspective. If you come next time, it is recommended to live next to the Yadan on the water. There is also a caravan base here, so that you can enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Yadan on the water.
5. Tonight I am in Delingha
It’s time to appreciate the cultural scenery of Delingha’s urban area and its surroundings. “Delingha” is Mongolian, meaning “golden world”. The Haizi Poetry Exhibition Hall is located on the banks of the Bayin River that runs through the urban area. , in order to commemorate the bond between Haizi and Delingha. The plaque on the door of the exhibition hall reads: "A poem with flowers blooming in heaven, and several people get married in the world." The inscriber is Jidi Majia, who definitely made the greatest contribution to the completion of the exhibition hall.
The exhibition hall is actually quite small, with only 2 rooms, most of which are Haizi’s relics, manuscripts, and video materials. . The gate here is usually not open, and visitors usually enter through the side door. There are many stone tablets standing beside the river outside the museum, engraved with Haizi's short poems, and a huge Kunlun jade bust of Haizi's head. It is hard to imagine that in a small town in the far west, people here are doing this for Haizi. One thing, really admirable.
Another impressive place in downtown Delingha is the Delingha Astronomical Science Museum, which is the first in the western region and the second in the country for mass popular science with the theme of astronomy. It was constructed under the guidance of the Purple Mountain Observatory. . Here is a ladder to space. Through various displays, multimedia touch screens, and human body sensors, you can enjoy a three-dimensional 3D exploration of the universe and starry sky. The third floor of the Science Museum will also show astronomy-related movies at a fixed time every day. It is definitely a very romantic thing to explore the universe in this dome-screen planetarium.
In addition, the Delingha Photovoltaic Museum, which is about to open, will also feast your eyes and make you full of fantasy about the future world. The petal-shaped photovoltaic generator in the picture below is the only imported high-tech product in China. It does not need to convert DC and AC through equipment, and can be used directly.
Tashi Qulin (One Tree) Temple is located about 2 kilometers west of Hagahai Town, Deling. It was built in the first year of Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 200 years. Only one sapling sprouted and grew up to this day, hence the name "One Tree Temple". What needs to be reminded is that the mosquitoes here are super big, super fierce, and super difficult to deal with. When you come to watch, you must wrap yourself carefully.
6. Travel Tips:
The following is the route from this itinerary, because the whole journey is more free and casual due to self-driving and other reasons, it is for reference only:
DAY 1. Xiamen → Xining flight in the morning, stay at Xining Fanmu Shabby Boutique Hotel
DAY 2, Xining → Delingha flight in the morning, go to Delingha Astronomical Science Popularization Museum, Haizi Poetry Exhibition Hall in the morning, go to Jinzihai in the afternoon, Sudu Lanjin World Hotel
DAY 3. Go to Dulan Alak Lake National Wetland Park in the morning and the scenery along the way, turn back to Delingha, Sumo Shangxingkong Hotel
DAY 4. Go to Dachaidan Emerald Lake and the scenery along the way in the morning, stay at Golmud Golden Shield Hotel
DAY 5. In the morning, go to Yadan on the water and the scenery along the way, return to Delingha, Sumo Shangxingkong Hotel
DAY 6, Photovoltaic Museum, One Tree Temple in the morning, Baishu Mountain Scenic Area in the afternoon
DAY 7. Return Deling → Hasining → Xiamen
Regarding pre-departure preparations:
(1) Qinghai is already a plateau, so rhodiola rosea and sunscreen are especially important. I packed so tightly all the way that my cheeks were sunburned.
(2) The temperature difference between day and night is large. Even in summer, warm clothes should be prepared, otherwise it is very troublesome to catch a cold in plateau areas. Single items such as headscarves, scarves, hats, and sunglasses will be very practical.
(3) For other certificates, toiletries, medicines, and digital equipment, just make a separate list.
About traffic:
Major cities have opened flights to Xining, and Delingha and Xining have regular flights every day. Generally, you need to stay in Xining for one night. It is most convenient to rent a car and drive yourself when you arrive in Deliha the next day. After all, the distance between each scenic spot is too far, so you can better control the travel experience by driving yourself. In addition, remember to download the offline map in advance.
About accommodation:
The hotel I stayed in this trip has been explained in the above itinerary. Here I especially recommend the Fanmu Shabby House in Xining. The whole store uses old wood to renew the new life, and the Moshang Starry Sky Hotel in Delingha is also worth recommending.
About shopping:
How can Haixi Delingha lack all kinds of meat? The taste is definitely good enough. Many people will buy all kinds of beef and dairy products to take back when they come. Of course, there is also the famous goji berry. You must know that the Nuomuhong Farm in Qinghai has the largest goji berry planting base in China and has been awarded the title of "Hometown of Goji Berry in China".
Others: Most of the warnings and reminders have been raised from the text, please read them in detail.
Graphic and text copyright: @风子大叔, Thank you for your appreciation!
