On July 9, 2021, Qi’s parents and Qi’s mother left the Tengger Desert in Ningxia with Qi Xiaobao, and continued westward. Today’s destination is Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. From Zhongwei to Xining, you need to walk a section of National Highway 338, and then turn Dingwu Expressway, then turn to Wuma Expressway, then go to Beijing-Tibet Expressway to Xining, the whole journey is nearly 500 kilometers, and return to G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway, Qi’s mother can’t help feeling: I feel like I’m still on the road in front of my house after walking so far, Qi’s father thought about it ,is not that right! We traveled all the way west, and spent most of our time on this road. The G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway is also the road we must take to commute in Beijing. In fact, it is not that we have not traveled far enough, but that this road is too long.
The Beijing-Tibet Expressway connects the two cities of Beijing and Lhasa, spanning seven provinces and municipalities directly under the central government, with a total length of 3,718 kilometers.
Holy Land of Tibetan Buddhism - Kumbum Monastery
The first stop in Qinghai is to go to Tar Monastery. Kumbum Monastery was founded in 1379. It is named after Dajinwa Temple, which is the Dayin Pagoda dedicated to Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Sect. In Tibetan, it is called "Gunben Xianbalin", meaning "The Maitreya Temple where the 100,000 lions roar to the Buddha statue". It is the activity center of Tibetan Buddhism in Northwest China. Needless to say, Master Tsongkhapa's status in Tibetan Buddhism, it can be said that without Master Tsongkhapa who founded the Yellow Sect, there would be no later Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. As a special existence in Tibetan Buddhism, Kumbum Monastery is also one of the two royal temples in China. One is the eight temples outside the Chengde Mountain Resort, and the other is the Kumbum Monastery in Xining. Its religious and political status is self-evident.
On July 10, outside the gate of Kumbum Monastery near noon, Qi Xiaobao followed Qi's mother up the stairs. The children didn't know the meaning of travel, but only wondered if there were any toy sellers in the scenic spot.
Qi's mother is used to worshiping the Buddha whenever she sees the Buddha. As for the meaning, it's out of her concern. The Tathagata Eight Pagodas lined up in a row, shining with golden light, are indeed of great background! It is said to praise the eight great merits of Sakyamuni's life, from east to west: Lianju Pagoda, commemorating Sakyamuni's birth, walking seven steps, one step with a lotus; Bodhi Pagoda, commemorating Sakyamuni's practice and becoming enlightened; To commemorate Sakyamuni's first turn of the Four Noble Truths; the Divine Transformation Tower commemorates the miracle of Sakyamuni's conquest of heretics; The disputes of the monks; the Victory Tower commemorates Sakyamuni's victory over all demons; the Nirvana Tower commemorates Sakyamuni's entry into Nirvana, which is immortal. The eight towers are full of information, and Dad Qi spared no expense in excerpting them one by one!
Turning mountains and rivers and pagodas, you can't turn your bright eyes. The moment the shutter was pressed, Qi Xiaobao's intrusion made Qi's mother's photo instantly warm. Qi's father thought that the beauty of a woman cannot be separated from the tenderness of motherhood.
Qi Xiaobao who can't stop stealing the spotlight, so let's take a mother-child photo, family love is the most beautiful scenery in the world. In Buddhist holy places, what we pray for is nothing more than that our family members, relatives and friends can live a safe life!
Buddha said: People who worship Buddha are the most beautiful! hehe! I wanted to take a photo easily, but Qi Xiaobao strode forward. We pressed the shutter randomly and chased after him. The "photographer" and "model" were not calm. This is our daily life along the way.
The Great Printing House is sacred and solemn. This is the place where Tibetan classics are specially engraved.
The two monks walked towards a towering temple, which is the Great Sutra Hall, the core hall of Kumbum Monastery.
The Great Sutra Hall is the highest authority of the religious organization of Kumbum Monastery. It is a Tibetan-style flat-roofed building with an area of 1981 square meters, 13 rooms wide and 11 rooms deep. It was first built in the thirty-fourth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1606), and then expanded several times. Finally, it was expanded into a sutra hall with 168 pillars.
No matter in terms of building scale or specifications, the Sutra Hall of Kumbum Monastery is the largest and the highest in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.
The Sutra hall is spacious and bright, full of tourists.
In order to take care of Qi Xiaobao’s emotions, we have seen the more classic parts of Kumbum Monastery, and soon left the monastery to continue on. The flowers outside the monastery are in full bloom, and the flowers and plants illuminated by the Buddha’s light are different.
Encounter Riyue Mountain
Leaving Kumbum Monastery and heading towards Qinghai Lake, Guangxin Avenue connects to County Road 121, and then Shangxihe Expressway connects to Beijing-Tibet Expressway. It is still the familiar G6, but this time it is running on the plateau. Walking and walking, I found that the scenery on the road has changed, just in response to the phrase "infinite scenery is on the dangerous peak", the long-lost plateau scenery is coming, parking, taking pictures, not fun! Exit at high speed. Riyue Mountain, the first check-in place encountered on the way to Qinghai Lake.
Riyue Mountain, belonging to the Qilian Mountains, is a natural dam in the east of Qinghai Lake, with an average altitude of 4,000 meters and the pass of Riyue Mountain at an altitude of 3,520 meters. Compared with other peaks on the plateau, Riyue Mountain is not high, but it is of great significance. Riyue Mountain is located on the natural boundary line between monsoon and non-monsoon regions in my country, and is located in the overlapping area of the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The natural dividing line between the inner and outer watersheds of Qinghai Province is also the dividing line between farming civilization and nomadic civilization. It has historically been an important passage for the "Middle Qiang Road", "South Silk Road" and "Tang-Tibet Ancient Road".
At the pass of Riyue Mountain, overlooking the mountains from a bird's eye view, Qi's mother also spread her "wings", dreaming of flying in the wind.
This meadow with a sudden change in painting style has already heralded the extraordinary scenery of Qinghai Lake ahead.
Qi's mother couldn't wait to take out the artifact, the red Tibetan scarf, which was considered suitable for the occasion on the top of the green grass and green hills.
The weather forecast is that there will be rain in Qinghai Lake tonight, and the blue sky is full of clouds. Dad Qi is vaguely worried that he might encounter Qinghai Lake in the rain!
blue qinghai lake
Arriving at Qinghai Lake, there are continuous green hills on the left side of the road, and vast lakes on the right side of the road. The blue sky and white clouds, the air is fresh, the earth is moist, and it is obvious that it has just rained. Qi’s father and Qi’s mother let go of their mood in an instant. The most important thing to travel is to have a good relationship. The most wonderful thing is to have good weather. We are new here, but the good weather is arranged. Isn’t it wonderful!
The endless sea of rapeseed flowers on the side of the road was in full bloom. Dad Qi decided to stop the car and asked Qi Xiaobao, who had just woken up, to come down for activities. Qi Xiaobao jumped into the sea of rapeseed flowers as soon as he got out of the car. The day before, he was still burning at nearly 40 degrees. Roasted Ningxia, today is in the 16-degree cool Qinghai Lake, and the children are inexplicably happy from body to mood.
Qi Ma followed closely behind, and in the distance were prayer flags fluttering in the wind.
I vaguely remember a line of lyrics "I go to the wilderness, and tell the prayer flags that I miss you". Seeing the prayer flags fluttering in the wind on the plateau, Qi's father is inexplicably moved every time!
The rape blossoms by the lake turned into a yellow ocean.
The cool color system composed of lemon yellow and blue lake water makes the scenery a little cooler.
Finally arrived at the long-awaited Qinghai Lake, Qi's mother enjoyed this wonderful moment very much.
The magic of travel is that it can connect you with something unrelated in the distance, such as this lake, this mountain, this flower, this swing.
Qi Xiaobao stopped in front of the mani pile by the lake. The children did not understand religious matters, but they were very interested in the colorful prayer flags.
Qinghai Lake is called "Tuowenbu" by Tibetans, which means "blue sea". Located in Qinghai Province, northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is the largest inland lake and the largest saltwater lake in China. It was formed by the collapse of faults between Datong Mountain, Riyue Mountain and Qinghai Nanshan in the Qilian Mountains.
The endless, misty Qinghai Lake is more like the sea. Standing on the shore, except for the absence of ebb and flow waves, looking at the blue sea and sky, it does meet the definition of the sea.
Perhaps because we sensed our piety, from the moment we arrived at the lakeside, the sky over Qinghai Lake cleared away, and the mountains washed by the rain were clearly visible. Against the backdrop of the blue sky, the lake showed a sapphire-like translucent color, and the afternoon sun Swaying its unique magic power, everything is so pure as far as the eye can see.
The lake water is crystal clear, and the bottom of the lake is full of large and small pebbles. Clearness and purity are the common characteristics of holy lakes on the plateau, such as Yanghu Lake and Namtso Lake in Tibet, and Qinghai Lake.
The scenery of lakes and mountains without dead ends, no matter how you take pictures, it is a beautiful photo!
Qi Xiaobao, who is in the microcosm, also has an indescribable feeling about this rare vastness, very excited!
Qi Xiaobao, who played with Baolai, came out this time with an extra ability to cooperate with playing handsome and taking pictures.
The most beautiful lake, the most beautiful time, the most beautiful you, everything is just right.
I turn all the prayer wheels just to touch your fingertips.
There are many red-headed gulls looking for food on the lake. In summer, Qinghai Lake has become a paradise for migratory birds. Looking at these little creatures, Dad Qi couldn't help feeling: They fly around, we come and go, life is just encounters again and again, we are each other's protagonists, and we will also be each other's passers-by.
Dad Qi is rarely seen on camera, looking at the scenery of lakes and mountains, he is not calm anymore. Under the appearance tamed by time, there is still a moving heart. Who hasn't been handsome in youth? Come on, shoot! shoot! shoot! Shoot bricks!
Take Qi Xiaobao back to the hot air balloon to satisfy the curiosity of the children. The heat is steaming above the head, the cool breeze is blowing under the feet, the hot air balloon rises into the sky, and the Qinghai Lake has a panoramic view.
Look at the holy lake from another angle, and envy the bird's perspective.
The evening sun makes the quiet lake more charming.
Leaving Qinghai Lake, thick cumulonimbus clouds are sweeping in front of us. It seems that heavy rain is coming! Let's go, let's chase the rain!
I have never seen such a strange scene before, so I quickly picked up my mobile phone to record this magical scene. Perhaps the plateau is too vast, and it can be clearly seen even when it rains dozens of kilometers away. The scene of dark clouds rolling forward to wash the earth , just like a huge intelligent car washing machine, rolling towards the earth, quite shocking!
Our car quickly rushed into this "automatic car washing machine". The abundant rain was full of momentum, and the visibility ahead plummeted. We had to slow down the speed, turn on the width indicator lights, and let the heavy rain wash away. Qi's father said to Qi's mother, this is the courtesy Qinghai Lake gave us, to wash away the dust of the journey for us, and let us move forward lightly.
The heavy rain receded slowly, and a ray of sky ahead showed a golden light, as if we were traveling through a tunnel of time and space.
Going forward, the heavy rain stopped, and the road here felt clean and dry. It seemed that it had never rained. The magic of the plateau, we learned it after a single rain.
Looking back at Mu Ran, the direction we came from, a gorgeous rainbow stretched from the lake to the sky, we were full of emotion and moved! Qinghai Lake greeted us with full makeup, but we can only come and go in a hurry!
On National Highway 109 under the setting sun, Dad Qi was attracted by the beauty of the setting sun in the rearview mirror. He couldn't help being tempted to stop and took a beautiful photo of the car. The car, the nearby roads, and the mountains in the distance are integrated into one picture , there is no sense of incongruity at all.
National Highway 109 has a long section along the shore of Qinghai Lake, with beautiful scenery along the way.
Mirror of the Sky, Chaka Salt Lake
It was close to ten o'clock in the evening when we arrived at Chaka Salt Lake, where we stayed. We had dinner in the town. Although it was ten o'clock in the evening, the time in the northwest was at least two hours later than that of Beijing. For the people in Chaka Town, 10 o'clock was just genius wipe black. The must-eat food in Chaka is "Penggu Mutton", a kind of local mutton, potato chips, onion and cumin, which are braised and roasted in a pot. I'm a little tired today, and I can't take pictures when I'm hungry.
Qi Xiaobao was very excited about the bubble house in the Sky One Hotel, but it was too dark when we arrived and we could hardly see anything.
In the early morning of July 11, the weather was fine. Qi's father woke up the yelling Qi's mother, and was stunned by the scenery outside after going out! Going out is the mirror of the sky, and the morning sky is almost a mirror image under the clear reflection of the salt lake.
The sky is getting brighter and the scenery is changing. Every second here has a different scenery.
The Bubble House is built along the water, with a romantic appearance and a complete set of facilities inside. One big bubble is followed by a small bubble. The big bubble is the bedroom, and the small bubble is the bathroom.
The sun climbed up to the mountains in the distance, shining light behind the outline of the peaks, and the salt lake and the bubble house were instantly dyed golden. The morning here is golden.
This scene made Dad Qi feel extremely emotional! The magic of Chaka Salt Lake can be seen in the first ray of sunshine in the morning!
In Papa Qi's mind, after years to come, his impression of Chaka should be frozen in the beauty of this moment!
Although Dad Chenxi has already seen the graceful tea card, and has seen the most beautiful appearance of the tea card, he still needs to play the card. After breakfast, we will go to the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area!
Across the mountains and seas, there are still crowds of people! I can’t help but sigh with emotion in my flourishing China. When Qi’s father and mother walked the Sichuan-Tibet line 6 years ago, it was often difficult to see other tourists for a whole day. This time on the Northwest Ring Road, there was a constant flow of traffic and shadows of people.
To enter Chaka Salt Lake, you need to wear shoe covers. Qi Xiaobao put on shoe covers that are several sizes too big, and staggers forward on the salt lake. He looks cute. Yes, we are here to be funny, haha!
Since I'm here to check in, of course I have to put on a pose
It's just that today's weather is messy in the wind no matter how you shoot! Since Mama Qi stepped into the salt lake, her hands have never left the top of her head, because without human intervention, her beautiful hair will become disheveled!
"Why is the stronger the wind, the more violent my heart is?" This line of lyrics is very suitable for today's tea card. Those girls all rolled their arms and legs, marching forward bravely, one after another, just to take a photo of the sky in the sexy dress mirror! This completely convinced old comrades like Dad Qi.
Unconvinced by the old Qi's mother, she desperately tried to keep her youthful dignity in the wind! He used his nirvana, and played Swan Lake in one scene, but accidentally exposed his age!
Qi Xiaobao ran around Qi's mother, splashing water everywhere, today's clothes are enough! Being able to tread water without restraint, for children, the joy in this is beyond the comprehension of adults!
Leave a photo! A punch card should look like a punch card.
Not all salt lakes are flat, some of them may be pits subsided from the surface, with a faint blue color, like devil's eyes quietly watching people coming and going. Think of a sentence: When you stare into the abyss, the abyss is also staring at you! The imagination is scary, retreat quickly! Ha ha!
Let's take a group photo, and the photo you got in exchange for sunburned skin should also be posted in the sun, so that it can play a little value.
The "outrageous" Dachaidan Emerald Lake
Moving on, today's accommodation is Dachaidan Town, more than 200 kilometers away, away from Qinghai Lake, and the desolate style of the Northwest is more obvious. From Chaka to Dachaidan Town, you need to take the Chade Expressway to connect with the Dexiao Expressway. Most of the area here belongs to no-man’s land, and most of the sides of the expressway are desolate wilderness. Unlike the eastern region, most of the highways here have no guardrails. They may be uninhabited within a radius of 100 kilometers, and there is no need for protection at all.
On the barren land, there is a kind of wild flower that blooms gorgeously, and I can't help but admire it from the bottom of my heart! I parked my car and saw Fangyan. It was this kind of unknown wild flower, clump after clump, fluttering in the wind on the shoulder of the road.
To go to Dachaidan, you need to cross the Qaidam Basin, which is the northern end of the Qaidam Basin. This road basically has a clearer impression of the Qaidam Basin. The seemingly barren and desolate saline-alkali land is actually a cornucopia rich in minerals. After reading that sentence on the Internet, I thought it was a bronze, but in fact it was a king. This is the "hidden" Qaidam.
It was still early in Dachaidan Town, but the continuous journey made the family of three feel a little tired, so they took a rest early after dinner.
On July 12th, under the sapphire blue sky, the Emerald Lake, more than ten kilometers away from Dachaidan Town, is so beautiful that its name is true. The family was deeply attracted.
One second, Qi Ma, who was exhausted from the journey and looked decadent, was fully charged the next second, ready to fight! This is probably the magic of the beauty!
Emerald Lake is rich in minerals. Waters with different mineral composition and content will show different colors, some are like blue gems, some are like emeralds, and there are dotted lakes of all sizes, each with its own style. , the beauty is unbelievable, it is really hard to find the right words to describe it, so let's be more violent! It can be said that the beauty here is "outrageous"!
No matter how beautiful the scenery is, Qi Xiaobao is only addicted to a small puddle.
Blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, lakes, everything is beautiful!
The characteristic of plateau scenery is that the brightest colors are intertwined in the most extreme way, without any excess, but you don't feel abrupt, the picture style is bright, the contrast is strong, but it is still harmonious. It appears that the artist is Fauvist!
Qi Ma is also an artist, standing there is a work of art.
Qi Xiaobao joined the ranks of creation and played with clouds to perfection.
The sun turned on its full horsepower, illuminating the mountains, rivers and lakes in vivid colors. Even Qi's mother was like thickly applied paint. The painter Qi's father immediately thought of was Van Gogh if he could use color like this.
At the same location, different people have different interpretations, because the beautiful scenery is the protagonist of the picture.
Emerald Lake belongs to the magnesium sulfate subtype salt lake, covering an area of 15 square kilometers. It is a virgin land with undeveloped original scenery and one of the most representative scenic spots in the area.
Emerald Lake is backed by the Qilian Mountains. Qilian Mountain, which has been famous since ancient times, is located in the northeast of Qinghai and the west of Gansu. The Qilian Mountains are composed of several parallel mountains and wide valleys running from northwest to southeast, with an altitude of 4,000 to 6,000 meters. It is connected to the Altun Mountains at the Dangjin Pass in the west, to the Yellow River Valley in the east, and connected to the Qinling Mountains and Liupan Mountains, with a length of nearly 1,000 kilometers.
The snow mountain behind the Emerald Lake is Daken Daban Mountain in the Qilian Mountains, with an altitude of 3,633 meters. The top of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round, which complements the emerald green Emerald Lake.
Blossoming white clouds are suspended above the lake, as if they are nostalgic for the reflected shadows. It seems that the white clouds also love beauty, so they are reluctant to leave.
The beauty of symmetry under the mirror suddenly has a sense of science fiction. All the light converges in one line, just like traveling through time and space. Does it reproduce Star Trek?
Qi's mother stopped for a long time. This dreamlike scenery is indeed breathtaking and yearning.
This beautiful place, of course, stimulated Qi's father's desire to create, actors please take their place!
Stars move, time travels
Break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly, dancing lightly
Walking in the courtyard, the clouds roll and the clouds relax
Qi Ma, who had a great time, has very simple requirements. With beautiful photos, the trip is worthwhile.
The ultraviolet rays that exploded at noon did not stop the enthusiasm of the girls. At the emerald lake at an altitude of 3190 meters, the girls even had a concave shape! Qi Xiaobao has fully adapted to the high altitude, even when he crossed the 3870-meter rubber mountain pass two days ago, he didn't feel any discomfort.
It is very appropriate to say goodbye to Emerald Lake and the west section of the Qinghai Lake Ring Road. Our west section of the Qinghai Lake Ring Road starts from the lake and ends at the lake.
The blue sky and clear lake water on the plateau are the most impressive in the itinerary of the western section of the Qinghai Lake Grand Ring Road in the past few days. It can be said that Haixi is a veritable realm of the sky and a unique mirror of the sky.
Continue to the Qinghai Lake Ring Road, the next stop is the eastern section of the Qinghai Lake Ring Road, the Mogao Grottoes Silk Road nostalgia, Yangguan instead go to the Hexi Corridor.
