Primer
At around 6:00 in the morning, Kazuhiro and I arrived at the terminal of Hongqiao Airport, and we saw Yotaro waving to us from a long distance away.
Yotaro wears a sun hat and black-rimmed glasses, looks more elegant, holds a suitcase, wears a yellow casual bag on his back, and carries a Sony SLR camera in his right hand, looking very casual.
I was puzzled and asked: Taro, why don't you carry a camera bag when you go out on a trip? Taro replied: It's good to carry it like this, I'm used to it. He whispered again: In fact, there are many camera bags at home... After hearing this, I was still a little dazed.
In the airport lobby, we soon found Mr. Wang who was traveling with us. He was carrying a large and thick black backpack. Teacher Wang is thick and strong. The four of us walked together, and we greeted each other warmly.
We met Yotaro and Mr. Wang from the tour of Gouqi Island. Later, when I proposed the idea of a long-considered Northwest tour, they hit it off almost immediately, and the trip went smoothly.
We boarded the cabin smoothly on time, and Mr. Wang happened to be sitting next to me. We were talking to each other like long-lost old friends: Mr. Wang used to be in the post-production of music. He exercises consistently every morning, so now his body is healthy and strong. He is fond of photography and traveling, and has travel arrangements almost every month, so he is very busy.
Yotaro, who was sitting by the aisle of the cabin, plugged his earphones and looked intoxicated with his eyes closed. I couldn't help but ask: What are you listening to? He replied: classical music. What tune? Mozart's. Okay! I also like classical music. Yotaro seemed very interested: he said that he has more than a thousand CDs of classical music in his collection! I said: You are a fan of classical music. We talked about the Russian composer Rachmaninov. Yotaro was full of praise for the melody of Rachman's Second Piano Concerto. I said: I prefer Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto... Kazuhiro sitting on the side couldn't help it Said that I sometimes look like Yotaro. I smiled knowingly...
Yotaro is actually his screen name. He studied and worked in Japan for many years in his early years, so he got a Japanese name, which is interesting.
After more than 3 hours of flight, the plane will land at Lanzhou Airport. From the porthole, I can see the landscape of Danxia landform, which made me feel the style of the Northwest.
At noon, we arrived at Lanzhou Airport, waited for nearly half an hour, and took the minibus from Lanzhou to Xining. The car was crowded with tourists and looked very stuffy.
We sat in the last row of the car, and we could see the scenery of the Loess Plateau and Danxia landform along the way. Teacher Wang took pictures with his mobile phone from time to time, and sent them to his wife on WeChat in time. Yotaro still closes his eyes and enjoys his classical music...
Ningxia fresh hand-caught lamb
After a four-hour drive, we arrived in Xining in the afternoon, and a group of four took a taxi to the Jinjiang Inn hotel we booked.
The hotel facilities are simple and comfortable, which is in contrast to the stay of the next few days. After a short rest, we are going to visit Xining City. Yotaro specifically asked me if I wanted to bring a SLR. I said: Take it easy, take pictures with your mobile phone!
We quickly came to the central square of Xining by taxi. It is located in the city center and is a symbol of the urban landscape. What makes us feel novel is that the square is covered with brightly colored flowers, just like the spring in the south of the Yangtze River. It is indeed a place for citizens and tourists to go sightseeing and rest.
After getting out of the downtown square, I proposed to try the local special hand-caught sheep. Yotaro agreed with both hands, and Kazuhiro was not used to eating beef and mutton, so he finally agreed.
In the taxi, the driver said that the hand-caught mutton in Baiyu Lane is the best. The mutton is tender and not smelly, and the business is booming. You have to queue up at night. We decided to go to this lamb restaurant on the spur of the moment.
We got off at the intersection of Baiyu Lane. Not far from the alley, there were crowds of people and vehicles lined up.
Entering the restaurant and smelling the smell of mutton, Kazuhiro lined up outside to pay the bill, and asked Mr. Wang to line up in the restaurant to receive the freshly cut mutton. Yotaro and I were looking for an empty table...
We ordered stewed lamb, beef, potato cubes, yogurt, etc. The hand-caught mutton fruit is well-known, the meat is fresh and tender, and the fragrance is strong, but there is no smell of mutton. Everyone was full of praise for the food, and even Kazuhiro thought it was good. Yotaro even said repeatedly: This is what I like. The taste of hand-caught mutton in Baiyuxiang is still fresh in my memory, it is really great!
Yihong suggested to visit the Dongguan Grand Mosque not far from Baiyu Lane. We came out of the mutton restaurant and walked to the mosque after 6:00 pm. At this time, the golden sunset is projecting on the silhouette of the mosque building, making it even more clear and bright.
Dongguan Grand Mosque is one of the four major mosques in Northwest China, and it is the place where Islamic Muslims worship. The architecture of the mosque combines Han, Tibetan and Islamic styles. Because it was late, we only wandered around the mosque square and saw some Muslims were having classes in the church...
After coming out of the mosque, we wanted to visit the center of Xining at night. The taxi driver drove to the commercial alley in Xicheng District. When we walked on the overpass of Wusi Street, the red dusk on the sky at this time cast a magnificent color on this northwest city.
Commercial Lane Pedestrian Street is the most fashionable neighborhood in Xining City, where there is a surge of people, personalized business hotels, supermarkets, cinemas and specialty restaurants abound...
Yotaro exclaimed in amazement: Unexpectedly, the urban landscape of Xining is beyond our imagination...
On the night before we were about to embark on a journey to the Northwest, we first experienced the modern and prosperous other half of Xining, a city in the Western Regions. It felt quite fresh.
The commercial alley is relatively close to the hotel where we live, and they are all on the same street. After we came out, we walked back to the hotel directly.
The bustling Taer Temple
At 8 o'clock the next morning, the driver of the tour told me that he had arrived and waited under the hotel.
Our group of four left the hotel with all our luggage. I booked a 7-seater business car. Although it is a four-person trip, I think it will be more relaxed and comfortable. The trunk of the car is relatively small, which feels a bit regretful. The driver said that some suitcases are enough. Fortunately, none of our suitcases are very big.
We started our first day of driving.
I sat in the co-pilot, Kazuhiro and Teacher Wang sat behind, and Yotaro sat alone in the last row, which is quite spacious.
In the car, we chatted with the driver. The driver is surnamed Liu, a native of Qinghai, a young man nearly 30 years old, with a dark face, a cowboy hat on his head, and Mandarin with a strong local accent. We call him Xiao Liu.
After more than half an hour's drive, I came to Kumbum Monastery not far from Xining City.
Originally, I had great expectations for the attractions of Taer Temple, because after all, it is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. However, its first impression is "crowded with tourists"...
The area of Kumbum Monastery is indeed very large. From the wide fan-shaped entrance square, through the Zhongshan Gate, you will come to the most iconic landscape of Kumbum Monastery: Babao Ruyi Pagoda.
The Eight Treasures Pagoda was built to commemorate the eight great achievements of Buddha Sakyamuni in his life. The pagoda is plastered with white ash, the base is made of blue bricks, and the waist is decorated with scriptures. In order to shoot the Eight Treasures Pagoda and its landscape, I deliberately avoided the flow of people...
With a large number of people, we entered the Tibetan-style flat-roofed building lobby. There are silk and satin embroidery, pile embroidery and murals hanging in the hall. Tourists crowded in the lobby and walked slowly... Later, we knew that this was the Great Sutra Hall , the largest building in Kumbum Monastery, is the place where the lamas of the monastery concentrate on chanting scriptures.
After coming out of the Great Sutra Hall, Mr. Wang and Yotaro, who were separated, were no longer there. Just a few lamas from the monastery walked through the alleyway...
As the flow of people passed the Kalachakra Temple, Kazuhiro followed other tourists around the temple and turned the Kalachakra in turn.
The Kalachakra Sutra Institute is one of the four major Sutra Institutes in Kumbum Monastery. It is a place where monks concentrate on learning Tibetan astronomy, calendar and Buddhism.
With the surge of many people, Kazuhiro also got separated.
When I came to Dajinwa Temple, the corridors in the temple were full of Tibetan believers who kowtowed. Long kowtow is a pious way of prostrating the whole body.
The Dajinwa Temple is the main hall of Kumbum Temple and the oldest building. The top of the hall is made of pure gold and gilded...
The golden palace of Dajinwa Temple seen from outside the red wall of the temple is even more beautiful and majestic.
At the entrance square of the temple, the four of us finally met up. Yotaro opened his mouth and said: There are too many people... Indeed, Kumbum Monastery has left us with some regrets. If it is not in time for Sunday, or if there are few tourists, if you hire a tour guide, the effect may be completely different. But judging from the pictures posted by Yotaro and Mr. Wang in Moments later, they did indeed take some photos with a religious and humanistic atmosphere, which can be regarded as Xinwei.
On both sides of the road adjacent to Kumbum Monastery, there are a variety of shops everywhere, hanging shawls with strong ethnic customs, attracting many female tourists, but Kazuhiro seems not interested.
Walking through Riyue Mountain
After coming out of Kumbum Monastery, the direction of driving is Qinghai Lake, and you must pass through Riyue Mountain in Qilian Mountains. A mountain scenery outside the Northwest Great Wall hits my face, which especially makes me feel fresh and excited...
The car was driving along the winding driveway, over mountains and ridges. Sitting in the co-pilot, I had a panoramic view of the scenery directly in front of me, which made me yell to stop to take pictures more than once, but Teacher Wang sitting in the back row of me seemed very indifferent. In the end, the car stopped on the Panshan Highway, and Kazuhiro got out of the car a little bit reluctantly. We each looked for a camera to take pictures...
Along the way, colorful prayer flags can be seen everywhere on the hillside. As a symbol of rising fortune, the prayer flags under the blue sky and white clouds are particularly beautiful.
The driver Xiao Liu is very enthusiastic, as long as the road passes by and needs to be photographed, he is very happy to stop. Our car stopped again at a photography activity area run by local Tibetans...
We are passing through the winding mountain road...
Driving to Laji Mountain, there is a row of shops on the side of the road. There is a young stall owner who looks very handsome in a straw hat. This young man is beautiful, Yotaro admired. Then he picked up the SLR lens and pointed at the young man to shoot fiercely, and the young man who took the picture was embarrassed. After the filming, Yotaro seriously asked about the small commodities on the beach...
Laji Mountain is a branch of Riyue Mountain. Its name in Tibetan means a place where eagles cannot fly. Its uplift looks like a raised spine, so it is called Laji Mountain. There is a Tibetan monastery on the mountain, and its architectural style is quite unique. We just walked around the periphery of the temple.
When walking back from the temple, a motorcycle was across the road. The motorcycle is no longer a simple means of transportation here, it is even a tool for modern herdsmen to herd cattle and sheep.
In Laji Mountain, we continue to drive along the Panshan Highway.
We saw the mountains covered by the blue sky and white clouds, layer upon layer, rolling up and down...
I saw the hillsides all over the mountains, green grass, flocks of cattle and sheep...
In the car, Mr. Wang, who is quite experienced in travel photography, also sighed: the beautiful scenery is on the road. Yotaro responded repeatedly. I quite understand this.
Xiao Liu, who was born and bred and used to seeing the local scenery, was surprised: he asked from time to time: Is this scenery beautiful? We all laughed heartily after hearing this... But Xiao Liu also said: As long as you are on the road and you think you want to shoot, I will stop along the road.
"Beautiful scenery is on the road", this sentence has been accompanied by this journey.
We stopped at the Riyue Mountain Scenic Area, and the first thing we saw were the prayer flags and the buffalo. The white buffalo has been decorated to show the strong local characteristics and attract tourists to take pictures.
The rolling hills here, the rapeseed flowers all over the mountains, and the colorful prayer flags adorn them... constitute a pleasing picture.
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There is a scenic spot in Riyue Mountain. Because it takes some time to go up, we followed the driver Xiao Liu's suggestion and did not go.
It is worth mentioning that Riyue Mountain is the watershed between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau geographically in my country. The scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, the west side is the scenery beyond the Great Wall of the vast grassland.
Xiao Liu's car was parked on the side of the road outside the scenic spot, and when we turned around to find the car, we took a small road and took a lot of trouble. Afterwards, we found out that there is a parking lot in the scenic spot, and there is a charge. The driver may have tried to save some money, but made us travel more.
We drove all the way again, passing the Daotang River, the scenic spot that we wanted to stop at first, but the river we saw in the car was almost surrounded by fences, and it felt nothing, so we gave up to save time.
blue qinghai lake
Passing through Riyue Mountain, we went all the way along National Highway 109 on the south bank of Qinghai Lake...
Qinghai Lake is not far from the right side of our national road, and we have seen many riders riding bicycles on the road along the lake.
Viewed from the road around the lake, the azure Qinghai Lake is like a blue ribbon, with yellow rapeseed flowers, green grasslands, blue sky, white clouds, blue mountains, and colorful prayer flags dancing, forming a unique Qinghai landscape. charming landscape.
We paid to enter the local Tibetan fence, and drove for a while to the Qinghai Lake. When we entered the scenic spot, we realized that the Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Spot that we wanted to go to was far away. This made me a little annoyed and disappointed. No wonder Xiao Liu had a strong local accent , Misunderstandings caused by poor language communication...
Fortunately, Teacher Wang and Yotaro were very open-minded when facing the wide Qinghai Lake. The scenery on the south bank of the lake was not much different.
The most distinctive feature here is that there are several horses of different skin colors, standing leisurely on the shore of Qinghai Lake, reflecting the reflection, sharing the leisurely style with tourists...
As the largest saltwater lake in my country's inland area, the broad lake surface is like the sea. Due to the high altitude, the temperature in the area, the clear water quality, and the blue sky, it forms the unique azure blue of Qinghai Lake...
Not far from the shore of the lake, he encountered a large field of rapeseed flowers. Yotaro took pictures again and again with great interest. He was not satisfied, and went into the flower fields to take close-ups. Only then did I realize that he is very interested in shooting plants and flowers.
Against the background of the broad Qinghai Lake, a black car was slowly driving along the field road. I recorded this moment with a telephoto lens. When I showed it to everyone, the driver Xiao Liu also stood up. Thumbs up, Yotaro said: This is very content and story-telling. I am so proud!
The south side of the road around the lake is full of greenery in the mountains, and the north side is the vast blue of Qinghai Lake. We can enjoy the scenery on the way: the good scenery is on the road.
I am in the co-pilot position, so I have a convenient view of photography: There is a cruise ship passing by on Qinghai Lake, which should be a passenger ship from Erjianlang Scenic Area...
In the car, I continued to use the 70-200 telephoto lens. On the road directly ahead under the backlight, the Mercedes-Benz car was covered with dust and fog, creating a special atmosphere of the road picture.
There are horses ahead, hurry up! Teacher Wang who sat behind me reminded me. On the right side of the road, there is a large expanse of lawn beside Qinghai Lake. Herdsmen ride horses and graze cattle and white sheep. It is really beautiful in the golden sunshine.
It also captured the scene of herdsmen riding motorcycles and driving cattle, and two female herdsmen in the distance were staring at them. The female herdsmen wear modern clothes, which look quite novel...
Ahead of the road, there was a golden light in the clouds. Teacher Wang said loudly: Jesus light. We got out of the car again and took a rare photo opportunity.
We drove all the way forward, and the goal was the best place to watch the sunrise of Qinghai Lake - the Black Horse River.
It was late at night when we drove to Heimahe Township, and the accommodation conditions here were relatively poor. Fortunately, we knew it beforehand, so we had to make do with it...
qinghai lake sunrise
In the early morning of the next day, Teacher Wang and I set off at 5:30. The car passed through Huanhu West Road and soon arrived at the viewing area by the lake. Into a piece: the lakeshore is full of a large number of trucks, and many tourists in the car have set up corner frames.
We each spent 20 yuan, climbed onto the tilted truck, and set up the tripod in the dark. At this time, the owner of the truck said that there would be an extra fee for the corner bracket. It is very inconvenient to use corner brackets in a small space, so we all put different corner brackets. Yotaro simply sat on the carriage, and we directly picked up the SLR and headed directly in front of the lake...
On the broad lake surface, the water waves slowly rushed to the shore with the gentle sound, and the sky on the lake surface gradually glowed with a faint blush...
The wild geese row in the distance streaked across the dawn sky in a herringbone pattern...
On the vast waters, the red sun broke through the clouds in the sky, and in the red sky, a flock of wild geese flew past again...
A round of red sun is rising, and the golden red sunshine is sprinkled on the shore of the lake and on the faces of excited tourists...
Yotaro on the side shouted excitedly: Today's filming was enjoyable! It was fun to shoot! Teacher Wang seemed very calm: I took many photos of the sunrise, which is a bit the same, but if there are some clouds, it will be beautiful! After all, it is an old photographer!
After the filming, I saw Yotaro getting out of the car carefully stepping on the plank, and Mr. Wang was trying to support him with his hands.
In the backlight of the rising sun, I saw many tourists nostalgic for watching and shooting silhouettes in the car...
When leaving Qinghai Lake and going back, there was a long queue of vehicles, waiting slowly to drive back to the hotel. After breakfast, the four of us drove to the scenic spot Chaka Salt Lake.
Salt Lake Sky Mirror
We continued to run along National Highway 109, and the scenery along the way made us feel novelty: the Qilian Mountains in the distance were rolling up and down, off-road vehicles shuttled on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, and the grassland covering the land gradually turned into sparse grass.
We have entered the Qaidam Basin and initially felt the scene of the desert in the northwest.
We arrived at Chaka Salt Lake at about 11 am, and there were already a lot of tourists queuing up at the ticketing square of the scenic spot.
It was nearly 2 o'clock in the afternoon before we entered the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area. Fortunately, the Salt Lake Scenic Area is very large. In order to learn from the experience of walking away from Taer Temple, I suggest that everyone try to keep a close range of vision.
Sitting on the small train that runs through the entire Salt Lake scenic area, I suddenly felt the unique scenery of the Chaka Salt Lake Sky Mirror, although there are a large number of wading tourists in the Salt Lake area.
In the scenic area, the small train stops at every station, a total of four stops. We got off at the last stop in the depths of the Salt Lake Scenic Area, and walked back and toured...
Chaka Salt Lake is the most influential natural crystalline salt lake in the Qaidam Basin, which is particularly crystal clear and beautiful against the backdrop of the Qilian Mountains...
Although they had to keep their distance, after a while, Yotaro and Mr. Wang wandered away and took pictures again. But fortunately, the distant view in the salt lake scenic area can be seen. Yotaro was very interested, took off his shoes, and walked slowly to the distance of the salt lake.
After a while, the four of us met again. Teacher Wang happily took a group photo for the two of us, and Ichihiro and I posed in a serious pose...
We roamed along the small train railway in the scenic spot.
Chaka Lake is like a water mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, mountains and human figures, like a pure dream: walking in the lake is like swimming in a painting...
Walking back to the last stop, various large salt sculptures of different shapes are located around the salt lake, and Yotaro in the distance is taking a close-up shot of the salt sculptures.
Originally planned to go to Keluke Lake, the driver Xiao Liu said that he could drop by the next morning.
Nearly in the evening, when we drove to Delingha, we unexpectedly stayed at the Business Hotel, which was the most comfortable hotel in the county during our trip.
Early morning at Crook Lake
I got up very early that day. After breakfast, it was just dawn when we set off. At this time, there was a little sporadic light rain. Xiao Liu said that we were very lucky, and it is very rare for the Gobi Desert to rain.
After driving for nearly an hour, we arrived at the Keluke Lake Scenic Area at 7:00 in the morning. There are few tourists in the scenic area.
Keluke Lake is a freshwater lake located in the east of Dachaimu Basin, connected with Tuosu Lake in the Gobi Desert.
Interestingly, Kazuhiro got his shoes wet from swimming in Chaka Lake, so he wore slippers and had to use an umbrella to cover it.
Yotaro went far away to enjoy Tianshui Yise alone.
Coming out of Keluke Lake, driving along the highway, I saw the "Alien Ruins" soon. The car stopped by the road, and I got off alone to take a few photos around the ruins. I only saw someone setting up a stall here to sell some stones. There were few tourists and it seemed very lonely.
It is said that there are alien ruins on the south bank of Tosu Lake, like a pyramid-like cliff, there may be more than one ruins. The driver, Xiao Liu, may be driving here on the way, and the landscape is just beside the expressway.
Crossing National Highway 315
We drove into the long-awaited National Highway 315, and gradually started the exciting crossing of the desert in the Northwest Basin...
Driving westward along National Highway 315, you can see the Qilian Mountains in the distance. At this time, the mountains with rich layers look extraordinarily majestic and majestic...
The straight National Highway 315 undulates with the change of the terrain, which is majestic and spectacular. The driving car goes up and down like a roller coaster, which is novel and exciting. Gradually, I saw the endless Gobi Desert, and the scene of Yadan landform appeared in front of my eyes...
We were shocked by the sight in front of us again: National Highway 315 really cannot be expressed in words.
We immediately asked Xiao Liu to stop again, and came to the middle of the road. It was really a good scene on the road...
I used a long lens of 200 to record the joy of Kazuhiro beside the wilderness road.
Sitting in the co-pilot, I not only used the SLR, but also used the video of my mobile phone to shoot the 315 National Highway while driving...
At this moment, Yotaro, who was sitting in the back seat, looked rather dull, because he found out that his ID card was lost last night, which would bring inconvenience to the accommodation in the following trip, and affected his interest to some extent.
While driving along the way, there were a group of tourists in front of us, who were about to pose for a big movie in the middle of the road. The driver Xiao Liu seemed to be rude, honked his car horn, and stepped aside when he saw our car. It's funny to see this scene! But this straight and tall highway landscape really aroused our interest. Xiao Liu said that he will go through this section of the road when he returns this afternoon, and he will have time to stop and take pictures.
We parked the car in the area where the Yardang landforms are concentrated. Ichihiro, Teacher Wang and I got out of the car. Yotaro looked at the weather and said: There is no sunlight, forget it and stay in the car!
As soon as he got out of the car, he felt the harsh wind, and Kazuhiro couldn't help covering his hat with his hands.
Teacher Wang and I walked into the endless Gobi desert on foot...
The Qaidam Basin concentrates the landscape of Yardang landforms and is the longest Yardang landform group in the world. It is the deposit of lakes tens of millions of years ago, which were separated from the water body due to geological movements, during which the crust condensed by salt and sand was eroded by wind. Strange landforms, erratic gusts, undulating terrain and strange sounds, plus the rock contains strong magnetic iron, which makes the compass fail, so it is called the mysterious ghost city.
Walking alone in the deserted Gobi feels like walking on the surface of an alien planet, and the various landforms and ravines are all over the place, like the vicissitudes left by time.
Here, I can personally feel the wilderness, vastness and vastness of no man's land. At the same time, I also experienced the supernatural power of nature weathering: majestic and precipitous, magnificent and ancient, desolate and magnificent...
The winding road runs through the entire Dachaimu Basin, passing through the Yardang landform group in the uninhabited area...
On the road leading to Yadan on the water, we stopped again, and the strong wind was still blowing at this time.
The bright sunshine filled the land of the Gobi desert, and Yotaro's face showed a happy smile again.
While driving, Kazuhiro excitedly said that the uniquely shaped mounds on both sides of the road looked like little turtles and little frogs...
The unique Yadan on the water
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, we came to the fascinating water Yadan, because the scenic spot has just been developed, and some parts of the scenic spot are still under construction, and we walked a certain distance from the temporary parking lot to the scenic spot.
When you see hills with different shapes floating on the lake from a distance, you will be amazed by the wonders of the land in the desert.
The water Yardang landform is due to the rise of the water level of Lake Jinel, which gradually submerged the Yardang landform group on the northern edge, forming a unique water Yardang in the world.
In the scenic area, a camel is lying on the edge of the lake, which looks novel and interesting.
At this moment, Yotaro seemed particularly interested, taking pictures of the strange landscape on the lake.
Excited Kazuhiro danced on the shore of the lake.
The calm teacher Wang set up the angle frame again, and took a time-lapse exposure on the lake.
We climbed up on the mound and marveled at the sight in front of us: it looked like the "ocean" in the endless desert, and it looked like Qiandao Lake in the northwest, a magnificent and magnificent scene...
The same is the uncanny workmanship of nature, majestic and steep. If the landform of Yardang in the desert is simple and desolate, but Yardang in the water is beautiful and magnificent...
Looking at this unforgettable Yadan on the water again...
Get out of Yadan on the water, return on National Highway 315, and cross the Yadan landform group in the desert again on the way.
During the driving, we kept paying attention to the straight section of Gaotu that we passed in the morning. Because we were driving back, we specially asked Yotaro, who was sitting in the back row, to observe the landscape behind us... Finally, we found it. Mr. Wang was very sure that it was this section of road. .
After we got off the bus and walked back for a while, the picture in front of us was so spectacular! National Highway 315 is comparable to Route 66 in the United States...
Yotaro and I purposely took pictures here.
We are back to the undulating desert area we drove in the morning. The loess is mixed with sporadic grass plants, bringing vitality to the desolate Gobi...
The excited Yotaro greeted us after the filming.
Dusk at Little Qaidam Lake
Going east on National Highway 315, I saw a large lake on the highway. Xiao Liu said that it was Xiaochaidamu Lake, and suggested that we stop and have a look.
The car was parked on the road, and we walked towards the lake together. The shore of the lake felt very close, but it was far away. Stepping on this large piece of saline-alkali wasteland, the yellow soil is covered with a layer of white salt frost, and the tire ruts of the ravines form a rough wilderness.
Approaching the lake, the clear and translucent lake quietly ripples slightly on the beach...
At this time, another ray of light appeared in the clouds above the lake, and at this time, Mr. Wang and Yotaro were seizing the opportunity to capture the rare light...
Finally, we went all the way north along Provincial Highway 314. It was already 8:30 in the afternoon, and it was only at dusk when the sun set. We drove all the way towards Dachaidan town where we stayed at night...
The accommodation conditions and environment of Dachaidan can only be huh. The most impressive thing is that the hotel has no main entrance. You enter the car repair shop by going around, and enter the hotel by climbing the stairs on the outer wall with your luggage.
The most beautiful road in the Northwest
We drove at about 8 o'clock in the morning this morning. We first drove along the expressway, then drove to the Xisha Line Highway, and headed north towards Dunhuang, Gansu. At this time, the blue sky was exceptionally clear.
On the second side of the road, the Yadan landform with different ups and downs has gradually disappeared, while the exposed orange-red rocks on the side are dazzling under the blue sky.
There are a row of tourists' cars parked beside the driving road, and we are no exception. Looking up at the hillside opposite the road, there are indeed many tourists. We also climbed to the hillside and looked into the distance. The magnificence of the Gobi Desert is another spectacular sight...
The golden sunlight in the morning reflected the long silhouettes of Yotaro and I.
Kazuhiro was dancing on the top of the mountain, looking very excited.
The clear and blue sky, the spectacular and endless Gobi, the straight and beautiful road... In the car, Mr. Wang was talking, and Yotaro didn't bother to listen to the earphones. We laughed and talked all the way, immersed in the excitement of novelty and joy.
This road leading to Dunhuang, Gansu, crosses the vast desert of Yimapingchuan, and enjoys the reputation of the most beautiful road in Northwest China.
I was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, and I had a panoramic view of the Gobi and the road ahead.
At the same time, I also paid attention to taking a group photo in the Gobi desert, so I stopped in front of a wide desert, and the four of us walked straight to the depths of the Gobi desert.
When we were looking back to take pictures, we saw Xiao Liu happily looking at us with his arms stretched out. This posture was like an American cowboy. Mr. Wang and I coincidentally took pictures with a telephoto lens.
I spread my arms, looked up at the sky, embraced the nature, embraced the Northwest, embraced the boundless Gobi Desert...
Xiao Liu took a picture of us with his mobile phone. Although Mr. Wang was a bit reluctant, the four of us put on cool poses as much as possible...
Kazuhiro holds a suitcase as a prop and poses in the middle of the road
We drove all the way north. On the right side of the road is the rolling Qilian Mountains, while on the left side of the road is the endless desert...
We are about to drive to the territory of Gansu. At this time, the weather is gray and gray, and the white kinetic energy windmill on one side is particularly eye-catching. In front of the driving window is Dangjin Mountain. It is the connection between Qilian Mountain and Altun Mountain, and also the junction of Qinghai and Gansu. The place.
When Jinshan was 3800 meters above sea level, we were driving on National Highway 215 of Panshan Highway in Dangjinshan, and it was raining heavily at this time.
After a while, the rain stopped, and the sky gradually cleared up again. At this time, we had entered the Aksay area in Gansu.
Abandoned town of Aksai
The small town of Aksai was built due to its rich oil production. It was not in the 1990s, but it has been relocated for unknown reasons. So far, this empty town has been sleeping for more than 20 years. Because of the broadcast of the movie "Nine-Story Demon Tower" where the scene was filmed, everyone knew that there is a place in the Hexi Corridor that can be used for outdoor shooting and tourists can explore.
The small town of Aksai used to be a filming base, and dilapidated vehicle props were set up on the ruins, including off-road jeeps, motorcycles and tilted buses, giving visitors a dramatic feeling of western cowboys.
After coming out of the small town of Aksay, I continued to drive along National Highway 215, and the railway bridge across the valley in front of me was spectacular, which reminded me that my country's infrastructure engineering forces are indeed world-class.
After passing through the Ajin Mountains, drive along the flat road to Yangguan Scenic Area.
The ancient city sung by literati in the past dynasties
When we arrived at Yangguan Scenic Area, the sky was clearer and even felt a little hotter, and the grand antique architectural landscape in the scenic area felt a strange feeling. At this time, Yotaro didn't even pick up the DSLR, and what he was interested in was the natural landscape.
We first came to the Yangguan Museum, where there are many ancient weapons, daily necessities and other cultural relics on display, which made us understand the history and culture of Dunhuang better.
Yangguan is the throat of China's ancient land transportation to the outside world, and it is the pass that the South Road of the Silk Road must pass through. Wang Wei, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, made Yangguan famous all over the world with his farewell song "Going out of Yangguan from the west without an old friend".
The camels in the scenic area add the characteristics of the west to the scenery of Yangguan, recalling the scene of the ancients leading a row of camels in the Western Regions for business transport.
Yotaro never tires of taking pictures of the silhouettes of watchtowers and camels.
On the earth-red hillside in the distance, stands the only relic of Yangguan, the beacon tower of the Han Dynasty. Due to the weathering of thousands of years, a small bump appeared. In order to get close to this relic, I walked hundreds of meters alone to take a picture of the distant view of the beacon tower. Looking far away here, the vicissitudes of life are boundless. Throughout the ages, whether you are doing business in the Western Regions or taking an expedition, you will rest in the Dunhuang area before going west to Yangguan, and then cross the boundless and uninhabited desert. At this time, I can better understand the feeling of "going out of Yangguan in the west without an old friend"...
Not far from the beacon remains, there is a pavilion for people to rest.
On the hillside of the Beacon Tower, there is a promenade of inscriptions lying across the building. Not far away, there stands a stone tablet engraved with "Yangguan Former Site", which marks a thousand-year-old city buried by quicksand...
The golden sun shines on the earth-red hillside. An ancient wooden cart seems to be left on the mountain. Kazuhiro is standing on it and waving a red scarf in a serious manner, which is extraordinarily eye-catching under the blue sky and white clouds. Not far away, the winding fence around the antique beach adds a beautiful line to the vast desert.
The four of us stood on the hillside, and the golden sunset slanted the long figure, which was different from the cool pose beside the desert road in the morning, but it was a unique photo. On the other side, the undulating hillside in the distance is turned golden by the setting sun, majestic and majestic under the blue sky and white clouds...
A horse stands quietly on the golden sand dunes; a gazebo stands quietly on the hillside of the left toe under the setting sun. We may be able to appreciate the loneliness and desolation of Yangguan in the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei's writing...
When we were about to leave Yangguan, the setting sun dyed Yangguan golden. It was a beautiful scene, and the four of us took another snapshot.
When we returned to National Highway 215, when the sunset in the west fell to the horizon, the moon in the east had appeared in the clouds. It was really novel to see this scene on the vast land of the northwest. It was already nine o'clock in the evening.
We drove to Dunhuang City at about ten o'clock in the evening. After staying in a city-level hotel, I immediately enjoyed the feeling of being tall, because compared with the relatively simple hotel I stayed in a few days ago, I felt particularly comfortable and warm. Although the hotel changed the room we reserved before, after negotiation, they changed it in time to meet our request.
Treasures of the Gobi Desert Mogao Grottoes
It was relatively late the next day, because the visit to the Mogao Grottoes scheduled on the official website was at 11 am. It also just made up for the sleep I needed to wake up early and travel exhausted the previous few days.
We drove to the Mogao Grottoes Film and Television Digital Center first, and we had to queue up to get tickets before watching. Taking this gap, Xiao Liu drove Yotaro and the others to Dunhuang Railway Station to reapply for temporary ID cards, and came back just in time to watch the movie. There are two digital images. The ultra-wide digital film tells the origin and history of Mogao Grottoes.
The 360-degree circular screen shows the artistic treasures in the Mogao Grottoes, mainly the remaining historical murals and statues. This modern digital image realistically restores the texture effect, which is very impressive.
There is still a distance between Mogao Grottoes and the image digital center. When we drove to the Mogao Grottoes, we saw another vast scene of the Gobi desert. On the unpretentious hillside, there are treasures of culture and art spanning thousands of years.
Walking into the main road of the scenic spot, you can see the tall and towering poplar trees beside the road. It really shines in your eyes, and you really sigh that there is really an oasis in this Gobi, and it contains a strong vitality.
Under the guidance of the Mogao Grottoes guide, we lined up one by one and visited eight caves in total. Each group visited two caves representing different periods, including the reclining Buddha and the nine-storey Buddha statue. The weather in Dunhuang was hot that day, and the tourists lined up with umbrellas, feeling the hot sun, which made me feel uncomfortable (later I learned that it was a type of altitude sickness).
In the dark and mysterious cave (tourists are forbidden to take pictures), the guide introduced the architectural structure of the cave through the pointer of the laser pointer, and told the stories and history and culture behind each mural and Buddha statue...
The Mogao Grottoes were first built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After many dynasties, they were not discovered until the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the late Qing Dynasty... Mogao Grottoes is a large-scale grotto temple with murals as the main part and statues as the supplement. It is the largest existing, The most abundant Buddhist art site.
After thousands of years of excavation, the Mogao Grottoes are hidden in the cliffs and become a holy light that protects the Hexi Corridor. The monks’ yearning for the Buddhist world, the common people’s desire for a peaceful and prosperous age, and the craftsmen’s pursuit of artistic attainments are faintly unfolded in these more than 700 caves... This is a piece of green pill, a spiritual green pill about faith and art .
After visiting the grottoes, we visited the Mogao Grottoes Cultural Relics Exhibition Center and the Dunhuang Academician Exhibition Hall in the scenic area. At this time, Yotaro had the desire to buy the Mogao Grottoes art album, and later learned that he bought it online, which shows his preference for paper art albums.
When I left Mogao Grottoes, it was nearly 5 pm, and when we drove to Mingsha Mountain, we were passing through the city gate of Dunhuang City.
Symbiotic Sand Mountain and Spring Water
Xiao Liu drove the car to the vicinity of the Mingsha Mountain Scenic Area. The four of us came to the scenic area and lined up at the camel riding spot without exception. We also wanted to try the experience of riding a camel in the desert. Although there were many tourists, it seemed a bit chaotic.
We walked into the corner of Mingsha Mountain, and the rolling desert was much bigger than I had imagined. This is another magnificent scene of the Gobi Desert, although it is located in Dunhuang City.
The camel team in the desert, this kind of familiar scene in the movie, I saw it with my own eyes. Although the tourists lined up in a line and walked along the fixed route, I was still surprised and excited. Teacher Wang and I Involuntarily, I hurriedly chose an angle and started shooting.
We came to the starting point of the camel ride, we each rode on the camel, Mr. Wang and Yihong were in front of me.
Holding the rein in my left hand and the SLR camera in my right hand, I was riding a camel up and down. I tried to take a picture with one hand, but I couldn’t compose the picture because of the shaking. camel…
A group of camels in formation, led by one person in front, slowly move forward against the dark background of the tall Mingsha Mountain, accompanied by light sand, although there is no golden sunlight projection, they are still as beautiful as ever. painting…
After riding the camel, we separated from Mr. Wang and Yotaro. Although Mingsha Mountain and Yuequan Lake are both in the scenic area, there is still a distance to walk between them.
The Yuequan Pavilion overlooking from a distance stands gracefully in the golden desert, which indeed has a strange and unique landscape. Once you walk into the courtyard of this desert oasis, you feel sorry: there are too many people...
At this time, the sun is setting, and there are dense crowds of people looking at Mingsha Mountain. Tourists climb up the mountain, and they can overlook the Crescent Moon Spring and enjoy the sunset scenery at the same time.
Crescent Spring is known for its unique scene of "coexistence of mountains and springs, symbiosis of sand and water". According to investigations, Crescent Moon Spring is a remnant river, and there are still undercurrents and springs underground, and the spring water still gushes up to this day. And because of the terrain, the sand flows up the mountain when the wind blows, so the Crescent Moon Spring will never be buried by the sand. Therefore, it is known as the wonder of the desert.
At that time, I wanted to climb to the top of the mountain to watch the sunset, and it took me a lot of effort to climb to the middle of Mingsha Mountain. At this moment, the sun was about to set, so I pressed the shutter: Yueyue Pavilion was still faintly visible in the sunset...
In the scenic spot, after a lot of twists and turns, the four of us finally met. They all captured the pictures they wanted during their respective trips. At sunset, Mr. Wang even climbed to the top of Mingsha Mountain. Yotaro seemed more than excited. Unfortunately, he accidentally dropped the camera on the sand on the back of his camel. Fortunately, it didn't affect the shooting, but he felt a little distressed.
I remember that the four of us wandered around Dunhuang City that night and had supper.
Jiayuguan in the Hexi Corridor
We set off at 6 o'clock this morning, and at dawn, we were already on the highway in Dunhuang City.
We headed east along the national highway in the Hexi Corridor. At this time, the red sun directly in front of the driver burst out with brilliance. This was the first time I saw a sunrise on the wide expressway.
About 1 hour's journey came to Guazhou, which must pass through. Hami claws and other special products placed by merchants are concentrated on the side of the road. Guazhou has been an important merchant town in the Hexi Corridor since ancient times, and has the reputation of "the hometown of honeydew melons in China". We bargained with great interest, bought a few melons, and the boss gave a cooked claw, which made us quite satisfied.
I spent most of the day on the road, and the car was already driving on the G30 national highway. The driver Xiao Liu still played the melody of local folk songs in the car. We talked and laughed all the way, and Yotaro plugged in his headphones from time to time and listened to his classical music quietly.
We came to Jiayuguan City at noon. After lunch, we walked directly to Jiayuguan City. The bright sunshine of this day seemed to be unable to open our eyes.
Standing on the wall of Jiayuguan city and looking out from the railing: under the blue sky and white clouds, the rolling Qilian snow-capped mountains in the south are vividly visible, and the vast Gobi desert is in the east...
In a sense, this itinerary revolves around the Qilian Mountains. National Highway 315 passing through the Gobi desert in Qinghai, with the Qilian Mountains to the north, and now passing through the Hexi Corridor, you can still see the Qilian Mountains in the distance, the difference is that it is to the south of us.
Jiayuguan is the westernmost pass of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. It was historically known as the throat of Hexi. Because of its dangerous terrain, majestic buildings, and the impregnable fortifications against powerful enemies in the northwest, Jiayuguan got its name "the most powerful pass in the world".
We mainly visited the inner city and Guancheng of Jiayuguan. There are also two scenic spots on the ticket: the Cantilevered Great Wall and the first pier, which are several kilometers apart, and it will definitely be too late to go again. We can only feel dissatisfied and helpless with this bundled consumption of tourist attractions.
We drove nearly 600 kilometers in the Hexi Corridor, which was the longest day of the 8-day tour. Been on the road most of the day. It was already past 5 pm when we arrived at Zhangye Geopark.
nature's palette
The North Gate Square of Zhangye Geological Park is very wide, clean and large, and it feels that there are not many tourists. The geological museum and visitor center buildings with modern design are located on both sides of the square, giving people a completely new visual impression.
Take the bus for sightseeing in the scenic area from the north gate, and get off at the designated place in a few minutes. The scenic spot is much larger than originally imagined. The shuttle buses that pick up and drop off tourists continuously in the scenic spot are managed in an orderly manner, and it seems that there are not many tourists.
We walked up the steps and came to Observation Deck No. 1: Zhangye’s Danxia landform has long been heard, and now we are still shocked by the uncanny workmanship of nature when we watch the real scene with our own eyes.
When we change the angle, it is another scene of blue-gray tones.
The bus shuttles in the scenic area drive on the winding road, embellishing the scenic spot of Danxia landform a lot.
We came to the viewing platform No. 2, which has the highest terrain and needs to walk more than 600 steps. The Danxia landform we saw is also the broadest and most imposing...
Zhangye Colorful Danxia is located at the northern foot of Qilian Mountain. It is one of the areas with the largest and best-developed Danxia landforms and the most abundant landforms in China. The formation of Danxia landform is due to the long-term weathering, stripping and water erosion of red sandstone, coupled with the influence of the natural environment, forming a majestic and majestic natural landscape with cross bedding, vertical joints, colorful colors.
Soon we arrived at the No. 3 viewing platform in the scenic area. Looking at it at a glance, against the background of the backlight, the bare brown mountain is covered with a golden outline, which looks extraordinarily fresh and natural...
Under the setting sun, Hiroko holds up a red scarf, which is particularly eye-catching against the background of colorful Danxia landforms.
On the other side, the multi-patterned rocks seem to be dyed a piece of golden yellow, and dense tourists can be faintly seen on the edge of its shadow.
In the distance, brightly colored hot air balloons are rising slowly, dazzling in the golden sunset. This is the location of the No. 4 viewing platform to be visited.
The setting sun dyed the colorful Danxia into golden red. It was a magnificent and gorgeous scene. Yotaro who was on the side kept praising that we had a good weather.
Observation Deck No. 4 is the best place to watch the sunset, and it is also the place to fly hot air balloons. Against the background of two huge landing hot air balloons, a little girl cheerfully broke into the camera.
At the end of the sunset, the whole colorful Danxia was dyed more intensely and redder, which is really amazing...
As the sun sets, the blue sky gradually turns golden, and the hot air balloon in the silhouette rises again. On the other side, the colorful Danxia shrouded in twilight shows a soft charm.
At this time, I changed into a small white lens of 70-200: the viewing platform at the top is surrounded by dense tourists, watching the sunset in the scenic spot.
At the same time, compose the pictures of the local shapes and textures of the colorful Danxia, to capture the last moment of the Danxia landscape...
It was past ten o'clock in the evening when we returned to the hotel inn. The hotel is very close to the Zhangye Geological Park. At first glance, it is known that it is a service community with overall planning and design. This is another impression of Zhangye.
The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, and I took a few photos with my mobile phone in the hotel community.
I met Huahai
We set off again around 7:30 in the morning. We drove south along National Highway 227, and met a large sea of flowers on the road.
This large sea of flowers was planted by locals and has attracted many tourists. In the Qilian Mountains under the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, the sea of flowers looks extraordinarily fresh and beautiful.
There are also piebald cattle and colorful houses for embellishment nearby...
There is a sunflower planted in another place in the sea of flowers, and it is quite new to see such a scene under the Qilian Mountains in the northwest.
Continuing to drive along National Highway 227, we encountered a large green barley field, and we stopped involuntarily.
Just like the last time he met the rapeseed field on the edge of Qinghai Lake, Yotaro slapped the barley again.
What's interesting is that in the large barley field, there is a small house with a red roof, which seems to be specially built for photography, but what is puzzling is that there is a barbed wire fence in front of it, and you have to take pictures through the barbed wire mesh. Teacher Wang is holding a 400 The telephoto should be no problem.
There are many horses in the highland barley fields, and it is also a different experience for tourists to ride in this vast and green pastoral.
We continued to drive along the national road. The original Biandukou viewing rapeseed is here. Since it is already mid-August, the yellow rapeseed has gradually disappeared, and replaced by a large field of highland barley...
Cattle on the highway
We drove to the winding mountain road again. At this time, I realized that we were crossing the Qilian Mountains again. This seems to be a familiar scene, and this road section is the border between Gansu and Qinghai.
We turned to the west along Provincial Highway 223, headed towards Zhuoer Mountain, and entered the territory of Qinghai Province. At this time, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and the Qilian Mountains in the distance appeared rich in layers under the overcast clouds.
Seeing the spire of the temple on the hillside, it looks golden and dazzling under the rolling dark clouds.
At this time, he saw a herd of cows beside the road, so he asked Xiao Liu to stop on the side road. Yotaro and I got out of the car. At this time, Mr. Wang, who was sitting on the car seat, said: What is there to shoot about the cow. Yotaro responded: In extreme weather, it may be possible to make a big movie. At this time, a group of buffaloes were passing through the trail. Faced with such a scene, Mr. Wang still got out of the car and took pictures, although he didn't take pictures of the cattle.
It finally rained, and still with showers.
Under the Qilian Mountains in the rain, it is even more charming...
In the car, I saw a magnificent temple, which is the Arou Da Temple. Xiao Liu said that he would go back and pass by tomorrow, and then go to the monastery on the way.
The rain stopped, and we got off the car near the Arou Dasi, just in time to see a large herd of yaks preparing to cross the highway.
Trucks on the highway could only slowly stop to give way. But the buffaloes walked past in a row in an orderly manner. The fauna grazing in the grasslands of the Qilian Mountains have also adapted to serve as modern highways.
I also saw herders riding motorcycles driving a herd of buffaloes on the highway.
We continue to drive along the provincial highway towards Mount Drow.
In the hazy sky, a group of white clouds enveloped the mountain peak, and the drow mountain is getting closer and closer to us,
Passing through the Panshan Highway made us experience the feeling of getting better...
The majestic Drow Mountain
It was nearly 6 pm when we arrived at the Zhuoer Mountain Scenic Area, and we took the shuttle bus in the scenic area directly to the scenic area.
Zhuoer Mountain has a fixed tour route, and tourists can visit the entire scenic spot along the wooden plank road of the scenic spot. Fortunately, there are not many tourists during this time period.
As a branch of the Qilian Mountains, Zhuoer Mountain is also a Danxia landform. The exposed red sandstone of the mountain is set against the undulating green and yellow vegetation. The scenery overlooking the south has the beauty of the south and the grandeur of the north. The unique and magnificent natural landscape of Drow Mountain.
We walked on the wooden plank road in the mountain, and the scene of Zhuoer Mountain also moved with people. Between the mountains, the tumbling clouds add a charming elegance to the majestic and magnificent scene...
At this time, there was a shower of rain in the scenic spot again, and a strong wind blew up. We had to buy rain ponchos at the Zhanqiao Pavilion. Fenghuotai is the highest scenic spot in Mount Drow. Even though it is windy and windy, I also want to visit it once. Teacher Wang and Kazuhiro were waiting for me on the bridge pavilion, while Yotaro was lagging behind and acting alone!
The wind was blowing and the rain was falling, and I walked along the boardwalk on the top of the mountain step by step alone. Looking back, the winding plank road is entangled in the undulating mountains, and it looks beautiful and magnificent in the misty wind and rain...
Finally boarded the beacon tower. The infinite scenery is on the dangerous peak, and what you can see from the top of Zhuoer Mountain is another scene: layers of mountains, the red color of the exposed ore and the green grass of the mountains constitute a spectacular screen.
Looking at it from another angle, the fertile fields under the mountain are beautiful, like the scene in the south of the Yangtze River, and there is a sudden enlightenment...
There is always some satisfaction in climbing to the top of Drow Mountain. The scenery was still beautiful when going down the mountain, although it was still raining lightly.
At the Plank Road Pavilion, I found Teacher Wang and Yihong who were waiting for me. At this time, the rain stopped and the sky gradually appeared golden.
After the rain, Drow Mountain looks extraordinarily fresh and beautiful...
Teacher Wang and I changed the telephoto lens at the same time, just like when we were in the Colorful Danxia, to catch the part of the shape of Mount Zhuoer.
If we say that the colorful Danxia is colorful and tough, but the Zall Shandanxia is soft and beautiful, with smooth lines...
Prairie with cattle and sheep
Early this morning, we returned along Provincial Highway 302, passing Arou Da Temple on the way.
Arou Temple is the largest Gelugpa temple in Qilian County. The temple is small in scale and located on the continuous Qilian Mountain grassland, but it presents peace, simplicity and tranquility.
On the highway, the meandering river reminds of the Daotang River of Riyue Mountain, while the undulating snow-capped mountains in the distance look extraordinarily majestic and majestic in the emerald green grassland.
On the way, we met a large herd of white sheep grazing on the grassland. Yang Tailang and I approached it curiously. This scene naturally reminds me of the movie "Chicken Feather Letter" I watched when I was a child.
I also met a group of sheep slowly crossing the highway, and I photographed almost the whole process.
Modern sheep are not alarmed at all when encountering vehicles running on the road, and have fully adapted to it.
Yotaro, who has photographed the flock of sheep, is naturally very interested and satisfied, waving the SLR, in the background of the snow-covered mountains in the distance.
The sheep and cattle grazing on the grassland have their own territory, and the periphery is fenced with fences for general management.
We went south along National Highway 227, heading towards Xining.
On the expressway, an open grassland was found again, and many tourists wandered in the lawn to play and take pictures. Seeing this scene, we got out of the car involuntarily.
Being in the vast blue-yellow grassland, Hiroko couldn't help being very interested, and Yotaro took advantage of the situation to take a group photo for us.
The prayer flags that can be seen everywhere in the prairie, Yotaro looked up from the prayer flags is a new way of shooting.
The brand-new yurts located in the grasslands are inlaid with beautiful color patterns, which may be a way to attract tourists. Along with the nearby colorful prayer flags, they constitute the elements of the regional characteristics of the prairie under the Qilian Mountains.
In the prairie there are horses for tourists to ride, and there is a little pony in the distance. I approached it step by step. The little pony seems to be unrestrained in the prairie, ignoring anyone approaching it, and it concentrates on lowering its head Grazing, I use the camera to look at it, and I always feel that grazing with my head down is the most elegant posture of a horse.
We continued to drive along National Highway 227, under the rolling Qilian Mountains, white sheep dotted on the vast prairie.
Driver Xiao Liu, who was wearing sunglasses, was concentrating on driving and chatting with us in strong Qinghai dialect from time to time.
On the road, I met a flock of sheep and a horse strolling unhurriedly.
We stopped again on a large open prairie. In a puddle in the distance, a herd of buffaloes were wading through the water.
Not far away, a pair of horses leisurely among them...
I used the lens again to capture the leisurely posture of the horse.
On the prairie, the owner of the horse is indispensable to ride the horse with the young tourists. In the distance, Mr. Wang used his 400 telephoto lens to capture the movement of the horseshoe.
A young local rider looked at us curiously and excitedly on a horse.
When we got back to the car, I saw Xiao Liu wearing a cowboy hat with his arms on the car door, looking at us with a smile.
View from Daban Mountain
We have already driven to Menyuan in Qinghai. Although it is mid-August, it seems that the bright yellow rapeseed fields have disappeared, but the large barley fields beside the national highway are filled with a combination of green and golden colors.
On one side of the road, the villages and trees in the distance look very warm in the fields of green trees; on the other side, the distant mountains are surrounded by white clouds, and a slender train is moving slowly at the foot of the mountain...
We entered the winding road in the mountains again, and stopped at the viewing platform of Daban Mountain.
Dabanshan Observation Deck is an open space next to the highway, and it is one of the scenic spots in Menyuan. Although the viewing period of rapeseed flowers has passed, the sight in the distance is majestic and majestic. The main peak of the Qilian Mountains, Gangshika Peak, can be seen in the changes in the clouds.
Looking at the scene in the distance: the majestic and undulating mountains, the winding road, under the rolling white clouds, the light blue mist floats like a ribbon... It is truly beautiful!
This is the last stop of our journey. The four of us almost left Daban Mountain in the Qilian Mountains with a feeling of saying goodbye. Continue along National Highway 227 towards Xining.
On the way, we contacted the local taxi driver and bid farewell to Xiao Liu, the driver who accompanied us on the 8-day tour. That night, four of us took a chartered car to Lanzhou …
end
In the travel notes I wrote intermittently for several months, I inadvertently discovered that we traveled about 3,000 kilometers this time, and we could hardly leave the majestic and magnificent Qilian Mountains. Driving on the undulating Qilian Mountains, and really feeling the surprise and excitement of "good scenery on the road" along the way... Thank you friends who patiently read the entire travel note, and look forward to more exciting discoveries next time.
