"All fantasies about the Northwest are in this big ring road!" A message in the circle of friends caught my attention. It was the top of the list of "2017 Best Travel Destinations in Asia" by "Lonely Planet". I want to visit Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Chaka Salt Lake, Ejina Populus euphratica forest... and share it with my girlfriends immediately. We both made the same choice again.

The first day of the itinerary is from Shanghai to Lanzhou, the second day from Lanzhou to Xining, and the third day from Xining to Qinghai Lake. Go to the famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery - Kumbum Monastery, enjoy the Ruyi Eight Pagodas, the big and small Jinwa Temple, and watch Buddhist art up close Three unique features: murals, pile embroidery, butter flowers. I saw 18 large Thangkas (the other 18 are in the Potala Palace), exquisite pile embroidery and butter flowers, and I was very amazed! The guides accompanying the visit to the palace were very professional, and the explanations were simple and easy to understand, which gave me a rough understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

Afterwards, we drove over the Riyue Mountain, the boundary mountain range between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau, and drove past the river formed by the tears that Princess Wencheng shed when she entered Tibet. Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in my country. When we got there, it was too windy and rainy to take pictures, but we could only take in the hazy lake and mountains.

Day 4 Qinghai Lake - Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake was originally an abandoned salt field, but it was later converted into a tourist attraction. In 2017, someone posted a Douyin video on the Internet and it became popular. Now it has become a check-in attraction for travel agencies. When we went there were not too many tourists in the peak season, but the wind was very strong that day. We took a small train to the depths of the salt lake. The salt lake in front of us was not as white and wide as imagined. Many plank roads were built, and the natural ingredients were reduced. Yes, feeling a little disappointed.

The picture below is the salt sculpture in the scenic area

Day 5 Delingha - Emerald Lake - Dunhuang

Today is a great crossing from Qinghai to Gansu, enjoying the magnificent Gobi scenery of the vast desert of the Qaidam Basin along the way. Go to the miracle [Emerald Lake] in the Northwest Gobi. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau used to be part of the ocean. After long-term crustal movement, this piece of ground was raised and turned into the largest plateau in the world. There are many salt lakes and ponds, Emerald Lake is one of them. Most tourists flocked to the green Emerald Lake. We avoided the crowd and walked far away, leaving our shadows by a lake that was not so emerald green. The other side of the Emerald Lake is a vast expanse of white, sparkling with silver waves under the sunlight. This is the beautiful salt lake in my heart!

Day 6 Dunhuang

Dunhuang has gone through vicissitudes and ups and downs for several thousand years. It has walked through thousands of years of long and tortuous miles. Looking at Dunhuang, silk camel bells chanting Dunhuang, approaching Dunhuang, life has a distance and vastness!

Visit the millennium-old pass [Yumen Pass], which was established by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The current city wall is well preserved. It is the pass and post post road between the Central Plains and Western Regions.

Then go to [Yardang National Geological Park], the unique Yadan landform group complements the vast Gobi and desert landscapes, which is fantastic and spectacular.

[Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring] scenic spot. The sand mountain and spring water coexist here, and it is named Mingsha Mountain because of the sound of sand movement, and the Crescent Moon Spring is also known as the first spring in the desert in the world. The beautiful scenery of a pool of clear water and green ripples. You can also enjoy the desert sunset on the top of the mountain and feel the desolation and vastness of the northwest desert.

Day 7 Dunhuang—Jiayuguan

Go to the world's largest treasure house of Buddhist art [Mogao Grottoes], also known as Thousand Buddha Caves. The magic of Mogao Grottoes is unique in the world today. There is a grotto in the vast desert. Hundreds of caves are on the steep rock wall. Scattered and lined up, each cave is filled with exquisite patterns and Buddha statues. Mogao Grottoes is a miracle, a world of Buddha, an ocean of paintings, and a treasure house of art, which brings people full of surprises and shocks!

The scenic spot is composed of two parts: the Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center and the Mogao Grottoes Grottoes. We first watched two short films, one about the history of Mogao Grottoes, and one introducing some cultural relics. The film was very exciting and used 360° Panoramic production, there is an immersive feeling. Then visit the grottoes with a large number of murals and cultural relics. Buddha statues and flying apsaras are painted everywhere in the caves. There are seated statues as high as nine floors and small Bodhisattvas of more than ten centimeters. Hold back your breath. We visited a total of 8 caves, among which the content of cave 329 is relatively complete. The caisson of the Tang Dynasty on the top is an important reference for the study of the art of the caisson of the Tang Dynasty. A large lotus flower, the center of which is drawn in a wavy swirling shape with white arcs. The four corners of the algae well correspond to the center, and each corner of the lotus is drawn. Pomegranate patterns are added to the outer edge of the lotus. These ingenious combinations make the simple lotus gorgeous and rich. On the outside of the curtain at the outer edge of the algae well, there are also 12 flying figures painted in the sky, spinning and flying against the background of colorful clouds, and playing musical instruments such as pipa, konghou, and waist drum. With infinite reverie, it has become a masterpiece of decorative painting in the Tang Dynasty.

The picture above is Cave 329, a picture downloaded from the Internet

Cave No. 61 is also known as "Wenshu Hall". The most representative mural in this cave is the huge picture of Mount Wutai on the west wall, which is the largest picture of landscapes and figures in Dunhuang murals, and also the largest panoramic historical map. This picture is 13 meters long and 3.6 meters high. It depicts in detail the terrain of mountains and rivers and social customs in a radius of 500 miles from Zhengding, Hebei Province in the east to Taiyuan, Shanxi Province in the west. There are more than 170 buildings of various types such as city walls, temples, towers, pavilions, pagodas, thatched huts, and bridges drawn in the picture, which are very precious historical materials of ancient architecture. Photos are not allowed in the cave, so I downloaded pictures from the Internet.

Listening to the explanation, there are currently more than 3,000 pieces of cultural relics collected by 44 museums in 11 countries around the world. This number is enough to shock the people of the country.


Standing in front of the three pictures, I was full of thoughts. When I learned that the best-preserved caves are not open to the public, I felt relieved rather than regretful. Let’s preserve some ancestral cultural treasures for the descendants of the Chinese nation!

After lunch, head to Jiayuguan City and visit the western end of the Great Wall [Jiayuguan City Tower]. Because of its dangerous terrain, majestic buildings, and strategic importance, it is known as "the grand pass of the world" and "the key to the frontier".

"The most majestic pass in the world": Jiayuguan Tower

Day 8 Jiayuguan—Ejina Banner

On the way to Ejina, visit [Xixia Black Water City] This is the most complete and largest existing ancient city site on the Silk Road. It is an important military castle and defense fortress established by the Xixia Dynasty on the northern border. There used to be a large oasis around Heicheng, but the water source began to dry up after the middle of the 14th century, and what we see now is the ruins of the isolated city in the sand sea.

The ancient city in the scenic spot is rebuilt by imitating the isolated city. We took a sightseeing car to a remote place to see the ruins of an isolated city in the desert. Unexpectedly, we saw that it was surrounded by iron fences in the distance. According to the management staff, tourists climbed on the city wall the day before and stepped on some places. I took the camera The lens was inserted into the gap of the barbed wire to take this photo. The lens was concave, and the photo was blurry. When I came back, I found that the scenic spot was still leaving there. I was helpless and speechless! The picture below is taken by me through the fence

The mysterious [Strange Forest], in the strange forest are a group of dead but immortal Populus euphratica trees, which spread their teeth and claws in the setting sun, grotesquely. I feel that the names of Heishui City and the strange forest are very familiar. It turned out to be mentioned in the game "Sword and Fairy" that I played many years ago, but it has become a memory in a blink of an eye.

The dead tree pictured below came back to life

Day 9 Ejina Banner

Go to one of the three largest Populus euphratica forests in China [Echina Populus euphratica Forest], which is the hometown of Populus euphratica and the residence of the desert. Populus euphratica has a saying that "it will not die for a thousand years when it is born, it will not fall for a thousand years after it dies, and it will not die for a thousand years after it falls", and it is called a hero tree by the world. Back then, Zhang Yimou filmed the movie "Hero" here.

From Erdaoqiao to Qidaoqiao, the Populus euphratica forest has green in yellow, yellow in green, or light green, light yellow, deep yellow, patchwork and colorful. If it is a few days later, it will be a golden piece. When the wind picked up, there were layers of ripples in the water, and the reflection of Populus euphratica forest was looming. If there is no wind, the golden Populus euphratica forest and the quiet river reflect each other, and I don’t know how many people will be intoxicated. When we arrived at Badaoqiao, the sun was scorching, and we saw no Populus euphratica in the desert. I didn’t see the spectacular scene of Populus euphratica in the desert that I was looking forward to in the TV series "The Woman of Populus euphratica", what a pity!

Day 10, Ejina - Zhangye

Go to Zhangye, enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Hexi Corridor along the way, and visit Zhangye [Colorful Danxia] on the way. The Danxia here is colorful, and the hilly landform is undulating. The beauty of nature is astounding! Within a radius of more than 10 square kilometers, various bright colors such as red, yellow, orange, green, blue-gray, gray-black, and gray-white can be seen everywhere, decorating countless hills in a colorful manner.

The colors shown in the two photos below under different lighting are also different. Where does the white flat-topped stone look like in the distance?

Zhangye Danxia is mainly composed of red gravel, sandstone and mudstone. It has obvious imprints of arid and semi-arid climate. It is unique in cross bedding, steep walls and colorful. It is a natural scenic spot dominated by natural scenery. . We took the bus in the scenic spot to enjoy the scenery on the viewing platforms one by one. The endless view is very spectacular.

Day 11, Zhangye - Qilian Mountains - Xining

Along the way, enjoy the beautiful scenery of [Qilian Mountain Grassland]. This is one of the most beautiful grasslands in China. The mountains and rivers are picturesque, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the summer is like spring. We did not stop in the grassland due to time constraints.

This road passes through Lanzhou, Xining, Qinghai Lake, Dunhuang, Yadan, Mogao Grottoes, Ejina Banner, Danxia, ​​and Qilian Mountains; this road walks through the ancient Silk Road to explore the traces of history; Shock with the mind!