The sudden outbreak of the epidemic in 2020 has not shown signs of subsiding, which has brought a lot of inconvenience to people's work and life. We love to travel and have not traveled far together for a year and a half. Zaizai is also very eager to go out and relax. Considering that the epidemic only appeared sporadically in a small area, I decided to go to Hohhot, Ordos, Baotou and Ningxia in Inner Mongolia in late July. Unexpectedly, as soon as the air ticket was booked, the Nanjing epidemic broke out again, and there were signs of spreading outward, which made the originally cheerful mood a little uneasy.

Here is a summary of the itinerary:

Personnel: 3 people.

Fee: 17,000 yuan.

Mode of travel: train and car rental. 

Considering the large number of people at the big airport, I decided to choose Zhanjiang Airport to start, and then transfer to Ordos in Wuhan. I also stopped in Wuhan for a day to see how the heroic city will be in a year.

On July 23rd, I flew to Zhanjiang at 8:00 p.m. and arrived at Wuhan Tianhe Airport at 10:00 p.m. During the epidemic, do a good job of personal protection and wear N95 masks throughout the flight.

I arrived at the Ibis Hotel in Hubu Lane after eleven o'clock. It is really convenient to live here. It is very close to the Yangtze River Bridge and the Yellow Crane Tower. It takes a few minutes to walk there.

Wuhan City Day Tour

There are not many people in Hubu Alley, but there is really nothing to see and eat, just a check-in point.

The epidemic has spread to Zhangjiajie again, and it is necessary to take good protection when going out, so most of this trip is a masked hero photo.

There are several ice powders. I have never tried it. Try it. It is not good.

The Yangtze River Bridge at eleven o'clock in the evening. The lights on both sides of the strait are turned off. I heard that the lights at night are very beautiful, but it is a pity that it is late.

There are also sidewalks on the Yangtze River Bridge.

Came to the Yangtze River Bridge again the next afternoon, alas. Backlighting again.

The surface of the Yangtze River is very wide and the current is very fast. There are actually many people swimming.

Yellow Crane Tower, it is necessary to come to this fame.

The original building is under the Yangtze River Bridge, but this building has only the words "Yellow Crane Tower" to be true.

But the momentum is still there.

Of course, there are no rare treasures in the building, and modern works can still be appreciated.

Has "The Story of the Yellow Crane Tower" been selected as a text? I really don't have any impression.

 

Standing upstairs, you can have a panoramic view of downtown Wuhan and the magnificent Yangtze River Bridge.

Wuhan is famous for its crayfish, let’s eat it for lunch.

Liangliang steamed shrimp, I usually eat spicy ones, but this is the first time I have eaten the steamed ones, the shrimps are very big, it’s ok.

Wuhan East Lake, free 5A scenic spot, the lake is too big, just walk a small corner.

It feels so-so, nothing special.

 

The Hubei Provincial Museum is right by the East Lake. When you go to the door, you will know that you have to make an appointment and the appointment is full. Opposite the Hubei Provincial Art Museum, you can make an appointment on the spot.

We don't understand art, so we just watch it for fun.

Mom, how can I eat so fat?

I went back to the 1911 Revolution Memorial Hall near the Yellow Crane Tower, and it closed at 4:00, and it was exactly 4:50, and there was nothing to see.

Come all the way, why not take a picture with fellow villagers.

Cross the road and eat hot dry noodles at Cai Linji on the opposite side. Wouldn’t it be a waste of time to come to Wuhan if you don’t eat it?

Didi went to Wuhan Tianhe Airport and listened to the driver tell about the isolation at the beginning of last year. There was bitterness, helplessness, gratitude, joy and hope. It turns out that being safe is the most important thing. I sincerely hope that the epidemic will end soon and society will return to normal.

The plane took off at 9 o'clock in the evening, delayed by an hour, and arrived in Ordos at almost twelve o'clock.

Mausoleum of Genghis Khan

On the morning of the 25th, Didi went to the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, more than 120 yuan. There should be few people doing Didi in Ordos, and the taxis are also taxis. It may be cheaper to take a direct taxi.

Genghis Khan was not buried in the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, only some objects used in the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan were enshrined here.

How majestic a generation of arrogance.

 

Laymen watch the excitement and don't know much about Mongolian customs and culture, so they just walk around and have a look.

 

 

 

 

 Inside are objects used by Genghis Khan.

 

altar

The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is not big, and it can be completed in an hour. The sign of the scenic spot is not obvious, but it is actually returning to the exit on the same road.

Genghis Khan Square

The driver was still waiting outside the door, and 100 yuan sent us back to Genghis Khan Square in the urban area.

 

 

Kangbashi District of Ordos, formerly a famous ghost town in China, after more than ten years of development, has gradually gained a flow of people, and now it has finally built a beautiful city like a garden. The roads are straight and the greenery is amazing even for me, a southerner. An urban area is a 4A scenic spot.

library

museum. It's a pity that time is in a hurry, and I only missed it.

I really admire that the north can build such a garden city.

No worse than Zhuhai.

 

Only when the party adheres to the correct line can the people live a happy life.

The industrious Chinese people have created miracles one after another with their own hands.

In the afternoon, the train departs for Hohhot and arrives in the evening. In the northwest where there is little rain, it is raining heavily. Of course, the rain cannot stop our determination to go out for food.

Downtown Hohhot
plug the old street

Grandma Gerile next to the Jokhang Temple, try Mongolian food.

If you come to Inner Mongolia, you can’t eat sheep.

Fortunately, the mutton has no smell and is very fragrant.

 It's the first time I've eaten it, and I forgot the name again. It's very sweet and has no strange smell, which is okay.

The night on the old street.

Not many people.

The daytime on the old street.

There are still not many people. It seems that the epidemic has a great impact on the whole country, and people don't go out very much.

mosque

There are many Muslims in Hohhot (that's how the locals call Hohhot), so the mosque is not small.

In fact, all religions lead people to be good, and they are afraid of misleading and misinterpreting others.

 

 

 

 

Jokhang Temple

The tall bronze statue of Alatan Khan in the Jokhang Temple Square, he is the founder of Hohhot.

 The real name of the Jokhang Temple was originally Wuliang Temple. Zhao means temple, so there are many Zhao around Inner Mongolia, which means temple.

The Jokhang Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist temple, but it feels a bit sinicized to me, so let’s take a little bit from both sides.

The building is quite Chinese.

Turn around, run and run.

 

 

Touch the bull's head, catch big bulls every day! !

The white pagoda outside the temple also shows that this is indeed a Tibetan Buddhist temple.

Across the road is Jianyanshou Temple, also known as Xilituzhao. The relationship of time is out of the question.

 

The most famous snack in Inner Mongolia is siu mai, which is a must-have snack for our Cantonese morning tea. I always thought that this product was invented by my Cantonese.

Find a relatively famous Deshunyuan to try.

The portion is too big, and it is called too much. It tastes so good that you can't finish it.

Chinese Shaomai Street shows how much Hohhot people love Shaomai.

 

On the afternoon of the 26th, the train departed for Baotou.

Hohhot Station.

Baotou City

Arrive at Baotou Station in the evening.

For the convenience of travel, we rented a car next to the train station.

Roasted beef bones are very fragrant, two catties is not enough for three people, and they are sold out if they want to add more.

Dayao soda, which is the most popular drink in the two provinces of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, does not drink alcohol in Halal, which is very good.

Wetland Grassland in Saihantala City

It was already 8 o'clock in the evening when we arrived at the park, and it was not yet completely dark. It is usually around 8:30 here.

There is a large grassland in the city, and many people are walking.

 

The grass is very high. If the cattle and sheep are inside, the grass is low and the cattle and sheep will never be seen.

 

Xiangshawan

On the 27th, I went to Xiangshawan early in the morning. Xiangshawan belongs to Ordos, but it is only an hour's drive from Baotou.

 

I only bought a visit ticket, including a round-trip cable car, excluding play items, 90 yuan per person.

The cable car just climbed over a ravine and arrived at the desert area on the opposite side.

Zaizai likes to play with sand the most. He bought a skateboard for 70 yuan at the entrance, and now he can play enough.

Sand hills are difficult to climb, and they slide down immediately without using any effort. Every step requires several times as much effort as on flat ground.

 

Only Zaizai has the perseverance to climb up and slide down in a few seconds, and he still enjoys it and is full of motivation.

Tired, take a break.

The sand hills in Xiangshawan are relatively high and look very imposing.

 

 

 

Mom, you are tired, let me pull you!

This is the real ship of the desert.

There is also a play area in Xiangshawan, where you can ride camels, play surfing cars and other money-burning projects. After riding a camel once, you don’t want to look back. Surfing cars are too exciting, so you still don’t want to play (actually, there is no money!!!).

The Lotus Hotel is only over 3,000 a night, the grade is too low, and we don't want to stay there (after all, we still have no money).

Go back to the city, go back to the hotel to take a shower, eat takeaway, and check out at exactly three o'clock.

Northern Weapons City

Zaizai likes weapons very much, it is rare to have a weapon city, so go there quickly.

 

All kinds of aircraft, artillery, tanks, and chariots are available.

All the little friends have to touch and climb. The scorching sun makes me dizzy, and the little guy is still enjoying it.

 

 

Baotou and our Maoming, two industrial cities at the start and end of Baomao Expressway, personally feel that Baotou is bigger than Maoming, and its construction is better than Maoming.

In the evening, the train departed for Yinchuan. There was no soft sleeper, only a hard sleeper.

The whole journey takes more than 6 hours, leaving Yinchuan Station at about one o'clock in the evening.

Xixia Royal Tomb Scenic Area

On the 28th, I slept until I woke up naturally, and Didi went to the Xixia Royal Tomb Scenic Area. 

Xixia Museum.

The museum introduces the history of Xixia in detail.

Xixia has only existed for more than 190 years, but it has created its own characters and followed Confucianism to fully develop its social productivity. It has also persisted in the west where there are many powerful enemies for more than a hundred years.

 

The cultural relics unearthed in the museum are also quite rich.

 Exit the museum and continue to visit the cemetery area by car.

The sightseeing bus only stops at No. 3 Mausoleum.

Mausoleum No. 3 is the mausoleum of Li Wuhao, the founding emperor of Xixia. It is the largest and best preserved.

 

 

A generation of overlords could only sleep alone in the vast desert for thousands of years, only to be accidentally discovered by later generations, almost annihilated in the torrent of history.

 

The cemetery is backed by Helan Mountain.

Zhenbeibao Film and Television City

 Xixia Mausoleum arrived at Zhenbeibao Shicheng in half an hour.

Zhenbeibao is the largest film studio in the west, and has filmed countless film and television works. Red Sorghum and Journey to the West may be the two most famous ones.

 

I also want to try the taste of being an official. 

Qing Bingjia

The Moon Gate is the main scene of the movie "Red Sorghum". Although I have seen Red Sorghum, it is too old and I have long forgotten it.

A big talk about the spider spirit of Westward Journey to the bathing pool.

It's frighteningly dilapidated, yet there's no sense of disobedience in being on camera. No wonder movies are deceiving.

 

Red sorghum filming scene.

There is also a display of brewing technology on site, and the house is full of wine.

The house where Gong Li and Jiang Wen lived in the movie.

Even if it's the Dragon Inn, I want to try it out.

 

If you are as wordy as Tang Seng, I will tie you to it too.

 

 

The film and television city is really too big. After walking for a third of the time, I was sun-drenched and tired. I really wanted to find a place to sit.

One of the most famous scenes at the end of Journey to the West.

The imitation of the two of you is too fake, you should go home and study "Actor's Self-cultivation" seriously.

Finally somewhere to stay and have a drink. "A Chinese Journey to the West" is broadcast continuously 365 days a year. It may be the only one in the world. I don't know if it has applied for the Guinness Book of World Records.

It's so good again, so good that "I hope to be ten thousand years old", convincing! 

Zixia runs all over the street, see her clearly, don't take her home by mistake.

I have watched so many movies made in such a dilapidated place, Xingzi, I only admire you.

I didn't see spider spirits when I entered.

The red willow branch barbecue at night is a scary scene, dozens of tables have to wait for their number to be called.

The mutton skewers are a bit stinky, so Zai Zai is all inclusive. The lamb chops were ok.

drum tower

The pedestrian street opposite the Drum Tower.

Shuidonggou Scenic Area

Rent a car on the 29th, Volkswagen Tange, 1,000 yuan for 3 days.

Arrive at Shuidonggou Scenic Area at 10:30. Tickets are 168 all-inclusive, battery cars, camel rides, surf cars, cruise ships, horse-drawn carriages, camel carts, tractors, you can fully experience all the means of transportation that you have never seen before. This is also the biggest feature of this scenic spot .

Shuidonggou Ruins Museum, according to the usual practice, must first enter to learn relevant archaeological knowledge.

There is also a live performance, which is very shocking.

Many stone tools from the Stone Age 30,000 years ago were unearthed in Shuidonggou.

The battery car enters, and the first stop is "Zhang San's home". The French archaeological team stayed in Zhang San's home back then, and it was later discovered that Shuidonggou was a primitive man site.

A replica of a primitive house.

I'm also going to be a crazy primitive.

 

All the soldiers listened to the order and immediately attacked to drive the enemy back to the Mongolian grassland.

Ming Dynasty Great Wall.

 

 

Outside the Great Wall is the territory of the Mongols.

 

After leaving the Great Wall, we stepped into the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia.

To paraphrase Zaizai's words, I have walked for a week and have not yet left Ordos. How big do you think Ordos is?

It's time to ride a camel again.

Then there is the surf car.

The sand dunes here are not counted, there is no slope, but the car is big, and it is very exciting to rush, and the excitement is not enough to make up the sound.

Return through the Great Wall and enter the reed marsh.

Southerners have never seen such tall and large reeds.

The site of the archaeological excavation.

 

The sky is clear and bright, and people are in the painting.

 

Yuanyang Lake.

 

It's time for the cruise ship again.

The water of the lake is clear, and water birds are flying everywhere.

 

 

 

The carriage enters the stage.

The coachman sang folk songs all the way, and everyone laughed and laughed all the way.

 

who are you?

Brother Camel has been waiting for a long time and can't wait to set off.

The cave for Tibetan soldiers was built in the Ming Dynasty. If the enemy attacks, it can be transferred from the ground fortress to the ground.

 

 

The cave is dark and full of traps.

Outside the cave is Hongshan Fort, the palace of the Ming garrison.

Finally, I took a luxury tractor back to the parking lot, and the whole tour was finally over, which lasted almost five hours.

Wuzhong District

The journey continued and arrived at Wuzhong at 4:00 pm. The first stop was to visit the Yellow River Tower, but for some unknown reason, it was closed. Just look across the shore. 

 The Yellow River Tower is magnificent, and it is a pity not to enter it.

 Guoqiang grabs dinner, the most famous chain restaurant in Ningxia, this is the headquarter of the restaurant.

 The signature dish is hand-caught lamb chops, which are fragrant, tender and smooth, without any smell. 

 Needless to say, there were too many dishes.

 Stay at Wanda Upstairs Hotel that night.

Qingtongxia Yellow River Grand Canyon Scenic Area

 On the 30th, go to Qingtongxia Yellow River Grand Canyon Scenic Area early in the morning.

 

First of all, understand the construction of water conservancy projects in Ningxia from ancient times to the present. It turns out that it is the water conservancy miracle created by the working people of the millennium with the hands of the working people, which makes Ningxia have the reputation of "the south of the Yangtze River". 

 

 It's not the first time I've come into contact with the Yellow River, but this is too yellow, it's almost a red river.

 

 Qingtongxia Water Conservancy Project, built in the late 1950s, integrates multiple functions such as flood control, irrigation, and power generation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Take a cruise to visit a section of the Yellow Sea, located upstream of the dam, the river is calm.

 It takes more than ten minutes to reach the 108 Tower.

 

 These towers look small from a distance, but they are still tall when you climb up.

 

 

 

 

 It took less than 3 hours to go back the same way and go out of the scenic spot.

Zhongwei Route 66

Continue to Zhongwei. Recently, Route 66 has become an Internet celebrity attraction, so let's follow suit. After going out of Zhongwei city to Shapotou, after a few kilometers of national highway with many huge trucks, turn to the highway along the Yellow River. The whole journey is asphalt road, and the road condition is very good. The scenery along the way also has parking spots, so you can stop and play at any time.

 Come in close contact with the Yellow River.

 

 

 There are a lot of people who come to check in on Route 66, and many of them come with professional photography teams.

 In fact, it is just an ordinary mountainous road, definitely not as good as the U-shaped road of Qinghai National Highway 315.

 

 

 

 It was more than 6 o'clock after the check-in was completed. I originally booked a desert room to watch the sunset today, so I'm afraid it will be delayed.

Tengri Star Desert Camp

After passing through Shapotou, we arrived at Alashan, Inner Mongolia, where we parked in the special parking lot of the camp, and took a shuttle bus into the hinterland of the Tengger Desert.

  

 The cabin I stayed at that night cost 1,000 yuan, with air conditioning and a bathroom (unexpectedly, the bathroom can only wash hands and go to the toilet, there is no shower, and I have to go to the public bathroom).

 The room was fine and clean. 

 Put down the luggage, hurriedly climbed up the sand dunes, just as the sun was going down, the time was 19:59. 

 In just five minutes, the salted egg yolk disappeared into the sand dunes. It seems that there is still some luck!

The little friend turned on the sandboarding mode again.

 Time and time again, young people are really tireless.

 

 You stand on the sand and look at the scenery, and the people watching the scenery look at you on the sand.

 In the evening, there are barbecues, performances, bonfire parties, and fireworks shows. The programs are rich. It's a pity that the epidemic has continued to spread in recent days, and the three of us will not join in the fun.

 

 At twelve o'clock, Zaizai climbed the sand mountain more than ten times, and fell asleep early due to exhaustion. We finally had a chance to enjoy the world of two people. We climbed up the sand hill again, and there was silence all around. We just sat quietly on the sand and looked up to see the sky full of stars. I remember seeing so many stars only when we were young in the countryside.

 I am old and suffer from insomnia. I wake up naturally before 6 o'clock and go out to watch the sunrise again.

 

 The sun rose slowly at 6:05.

 In just over ten minutes, the light filled the earth.

 

 

 The tenacious little animals in the desert don't know how they survived and where there is something to eat.

 

 

 

 

 

 On the 31st, return to Zhongwei after breakfast, passing through Tonghu Grassland Scenic Area on the way. 

 Take a few photos as souvenirs.

 Is it so sparse that it deserves to be called a grassland?

 Camels can be seen everywhere and cross the road at any time, so driving in Alxa is really a great chance to hit a camel, be careful and slow.

Shapotou Scenic Area 

Shapotou is the last scenic spot of this trip today. Most people in Shapotou enter from the Yellow River area. We just passed the gate of the sky at the entrance of the desert area in Alxa, so we chose to enter from here.

 

 Photovoltaic power generation is located along the road in Ningxia. The sunlight here is quite sufficient, and the sun is too high every day. People are almost turning into Africans.

 There are very few people at the entrance of the Sky Gate, and there may be more staff than tourists.

The big ticket for Shapotou Scenic Area is 80 yuan, the transportation car is 40 yuan, and you can reach the Yellow River area and return to the desert area for 120 yuan. The medical police are also free, which is unexpected, and it is a pity that they did not bring their documents.

 During this trip, I played two major desert scenic spots once. I really vomited from playing with the sand, so I gave the sand board to the children last night, and it was easy to play. Today, I will not play with the sand, and I will be a clean and handsome man.

 The epidemic has dealt a fatal blow to the tourism industry. The camel fleets are sparse, and 90% of the camels are sleeping.

 There are not many people surfing.

 I had just arrived in the Yellow River District by car from the desert area when the phone rang. The owner of the Yinchuan Airport Inn called and told me that there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a nearby hotel.

 The Yellow River turned a big bend in front of the scenic spot.

 

 

 Take the super long escalator down to the bank of the Yellow River,

 There are too many people on the super high sand slide, forming a sunken sand track. The speed of sliding down is super slow, and many people are still stuck in the middle of the mountain.

 Our main purpose is to experience the sheepskin raft. 120 yuan per person, take a sheepskin raft and come back by speedboat.

 

 The water of the Yellow River seemed to be calm, but after five people sat on the small raft, it shook violently and was a little scary.

 Take a few minutes to fly back to the original pier.

 Goodbye Shapotou.

 Goodbye Yellow River.

Take the sightseeing car and return to the Gate of the Sky. The itinerary of the confirmed cases of the new crown in Yinchuan was also announced online. I felt cold when I saw it. He went to Shuidonggou on the 29th, and we did the same. Looking back carefully, he was earlier than us. Arrived in more than an hour, and left the scenic spot early, our time did not overlap, it is impossible to meet. But fear and worry are inevitable. I want to change my ticket and fly home immediately, but I can't make it back to Yinchuan in time. Feeling dizzy, he drove back to Yinchuan and returned the car, hid in the hotel and never dared to come out again. After a sleepless night, I rushed to the airport at 5:00 on August 1st, took a flight at 7:00, and arrived in Guangzhou at 10:30. I wore an N95 mask the whole time, and I didn't even dare to drink a sip of water.

Transfer to the bullet train and return home safely in the afternoon. They didn't even have contact with their family members. The three of them were isolated on the first floor for seven days. During this period, they only went out to check the nucleic acid three times. Finally, the nucleic acid was negative on the 21st. The heart that had been hanging in the air for many days finally landed.

There are joys and sorrows in traveling, but of course everything in the world cannot be perfect, this is life!