Looking at the whole country, there may not be any travel route that can still attract the attention of all travelers every summer after it has been popular for so many years.
There is no route that can satisfy people’s one-stop collection of extreme natural scenery and heavy Chinese culture at the same time.
There is no route that can be always full of new ideas and always attractive to travelers of all ages.
Midsummer is here, it’s time to set off round the Qinghai to Gansu tour again~
Here, I will first send the nanny-level Qinghai to Gansu travel route:
Day 1： Xining–Riyue Mountain-Qinghai Lake-Chaka Town (Hotel accommodation)
Day2: Chaka town-Chaka Salt Lake-Emerald Lake-Big Chaidam (Hotel accommodation)
Day3: Big Chaidam – G315-East Taiji Nai’er Lake – water Yadan – Bicolor Lake – Mars camp- Aiken spring (Hotel accommodation in Mangya)
Day4: Mangya Emerald Lake – Obo Liang Yadan- Lenghu – Petroleum town – Dunhuang (Hotel accommodation)
Day5: Dunhuang- Mogao Grottoes- Singing Sand and New Moon Pool – see Dunhuang again- Dunhuang (Hotel accommodation)
Day6: Dunhuang-Jiayuguan – Colorful Danxia- Zhangye / Danxia Town(Hotel accommodation)
Day7: Zhangye-Biandukou-Qilian Grassland- Menyuan- Xining
This route is classic and full of unknown at the same time. There may be more than a few people walking by. But did you really travel them right
Representative landmark
Mars camp
Among those scenery which are popular in the Internet just by a single photo, the Mars camp in the vast Gobi Desert must have a name.
China’s first Mars simulation base is built in this densely covered landform in Yadan, the most Mars-like place on the earth. The Mars camp is designed with a sense of technology. When viewed from the sky, it is even a real space base.
There is a sleeping cabin that can accommodate 60 people, and there are also various simulation experiences. And as a traveler, the thing that gives you the most experience on Mars is, of course, “cross dress”.
The Mars Camp provides spacesuit rental services. You can change into a spacesuit and walk into the desolate and remote Gobi in the sunset. This may be an experience of being on the earth and wandering beyond the sky.
Oboliang Yadan
In the area south of QaidamuLenghu, the Yadan landform, which was formed 75 million years ago, is the largest aeolian soil forest group found in China so far, and it is also one of the largest and most typical Yadan landscapes in the world.
Only when you walk into the “Devil City” of Oboliang you can truly experience the magical craftsmanship of nature-the dense stone forest in Oberyan Devil City, the tall spire of Yadan Stone Town, is as majestic as a castle, the sunset and the Milky Way are both The coolest sight here.
However, it is worth noting that the top natural scenery is often accompanied by certain travel risks. Starting from July 12, 2021, you must rent a GPS to enter the scenic area by car. The rent is 500 yuan/car/5 hours, and the deposit is 500 yuan, which is more than 5. An additional fee of RMB 50/half hour will be charged per hour (usually about 3-4 hours for crossing a total length of 30 kilometers).
If you are interested in hiking, you can also try the newly developed hiking routes in the scenic area. No tickets are required. You can park your car in the free parking lot of the scenic area.
Boluozhuanjing Film and Television Base
The town of Boluozhuanjing in Kazakh Autonomous County has an altitude of 2,800 meters, and is experiencing strong winds all year round, lack of oxygen and water. In the 1990s, Aksai County was moved to Hongliuwan Town, dozens of kilometers away. The original old county town has long been uninhabited and has become a desolate and dilapidated city.
This place that should have been forgotten by people, but because of the filming of “Nine-Story Demon Tower”, once again entered people’s field of vision, the desolate oil town in the movie was shot here.
This almost “natural” film and television base, the doomsday wasteland style can satisfy people’s curiosity, a small town should have everything here, and the cars in the movie are also preserved. The stopped town brings a lot of mystery.
Relics of Lenghu oil base
Lenghu oil town is a relic of a contemporary town that thrives because of resources and declines because of resources. In 1958, the crude oil drilled here gushed out with huge output. Since then, Lenghu, Yumen, Karamay and Sichuan became the four major oil fields in China at that time, starting its glorious page.
The oil town in its heyday was a city with 10,000 people, and even had its own supermarkets, movie theaters and other entertainment facilities. With the end of the oil reclamation, residents also moved out of here, leaving only these mottled walls. Frozen the grandeur of the past.
Buildings with a sense of history, coupled with the snow-capped mountains and Yadan landforms behind them, aerial photography can well capture the full nature of nature, and every corner is also an excellent location for large portraits. You can walk around here quietly, and you can vaguely Looking back to the rise and fall of a period of history.
Shandan military horse farm
When the trip comes to an end, the Shandan Horse Farm is still worth your extra step on the accelerator. Counting from the founding of the military horse farm by Huo Qubing, general of the Western Han Dynasty, the Shandan horse farm has a history of more than 2,000 years. At the same time, it is also the largest horse farm in the world today.
Come here to watch the galloping horses and experience horse riding for yourself, which are all gameplays worth remembering. Especially in the process of herding horses, there will be two opportunities in the morning and afternoon. You can wait at the drinking place for the horses to lead the horses galloping forward to drink. The magnificence of the scene may only appear in the film and television.
There are not many tourists in the military horse farm, and the commercial properties are not strong. You can ride a horse for a whole morning at a very affordable price. If you have a longing for a horse gallop, it is better to leave the opportunity here~
Natural landmark
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake is a landmark that cannot be bypassed on the Qinggan self-driving route, and it is also the most crowded place for tourists.
As the largest saltwater lake in China, in the sight of human beings, it presents a sense of immensity, more like a sea, and there is no boundary between the sea and the sky.
The weather in Qinghai Lake is unpredictable. As the sky changes, the color of the lake is constantly changing, sometimes deep blue, sometimes light green like gems, but no moment is not beautiful.
In addition to Erlangjian, Black Horse River, Shahu and other scenic spots, the host recommends the “Qinghai Lake Cliff” this time. This is a relatively small private attraction and it is not so easy to find. You need to go to the cliff. Climb a small hill.
But when there are prayer flags swaying on the hills and Qinghai Lake suddenly appear at your feet, you will feel that the previous hard search is completely worthwhile. You can almost only hear the howling of the wind by the lake, but if you arrive before sunset, witnessing a romantic sunset on Qinghai Lake will give you a new understanding of this long-lost scenery.
Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park
Zhangye’s colorful Danxia, which has long been selected as one of the “China’s Seven Most Beautiful Danxias” and regarded it as a “handling” level, is so rich in color that it has appeared in many film and television dramas. The tourists who come here will also reach the peak during the peak season.
Like most Danxia landforms, the colorful Danxia geology is also very fragile and cannot be stepped on artificially. Five viewing platforms have been built in the scenic area. The order that ordinary travelers can experience is: Xianyuantai (helicopter experience)-Yunhai Taiwan-Fairview Terrace-Hongxia Terrace (hot air balloon experience).
Among them, there are more people on the No. 1 viewing platform; No. 2 and 3 can choose one; No. 4 viewing platform has the largest area, and Danxia has the largest area. This is an excellent spot to enjoy the sunset. Stop at the No. 4 viewing platform The time can be slightly longer.
Aiken spring
This magical landscape known as the “eye of the earth” is called Aiken spring. The best way to see its true face is to look down from the air.
Looking down at Aiken spring, the spring eye, the gushing spring water and the dark red ring sediment on the surrounding land form a strange pupil shape, like an eye embedded in the earth, shocking and profound.
Emerald Lake
There are more than one Emerald Lake in Qinghai. The first one that became popular was the Dachaidan Emerald Lake. This is the filming location for the movie A Little Red Flower. It is also a more colorful emerald lake with a yellowish and greenish tint. The water surface of different colors such as, dark green, etc., is like a string of gems scattered on the earth.
Dachaidan Emerald Lake is located near the main road of the Qinghai Great Ring Line. Small trains in the scenic area can take you to various points.
In contrast, there are many fewer tourists in the other Mangya Emerald Lake, and it is one of the largest Emerald Lakes in China, with a low level of development. The salt water on the lake is emerald green and transparent, and the salt is white and white.
The affordable glass boat is only 20 yuan per person, and you can experience the “suspension” and the game above the water. It is more suitable for travelers who want to experience the dreamy scenery of Emerald Lake in depth~
Highway landmark
National Highway 315
This national highway 315, starting from Xining, Qinghai, and ending in Kashgar, Xinjiang, is more than 3,000 kilometers long and runs through half of the country’s uninhabited areas. It is known as the most “lonely” national highway.
In Qinghai, this road connects many beautiful and magnificent natural landscapes in Qinghai. The desert road along the way, coupled with a sunny day, is an invincible scenery for every kilometer.
Moreover, the U-shaped highway that “can be driven into the sky in one breath” is along the road, but the main point here is to remind everyone that standing in the middle of the road to take pictures is absolutely undesirable dangerous behavior! There are a lot of large trucks on this highway, which is easy to cause accidents, and the U-shaped highway is only a small section of the national highway. The scenery along the road is very beautiful, and there is no need to get together here.
West Huanhu Road
West Huanhu Road of Qinghai Lake must also be a strong competitor for the title of this beautiful landscape highway.
The natural scenery here is natural and pure. You can see the Qinghai Lake with the best angle, and few people disturb it. Along the road, you can see groups of yaks, sheep and flying prayer flags, and enjoy the magnificent sunrise on the Bank of the dark horse river.
National Highway 227
The S204 Provincial Highway, with a total length of more than 400 kilometers, is a highway that passes through the Qilian Mountains and reaches Zhangye, Gansu. It passes through meadows, canyons, and plateau passes. The natural scenery is constantly switching between beautiful and cold.
The most beautiful time of this highway is when Qinghai enters summer, there is no need to go to a special scenic spot. There will be large golden rape flowers and sunflowers on both sides of the highway from time to time, blooming enthusiastically, and forming picturesque together with the distant mountains. So beautiful.
Cultural landmark
Dunhuang
Everyone knows about Mogao Grottoes. This huge treasure house of Buddhist art still contains 735 caves. It has long become an unmissable stop on the emotional circle, and it is even hard to find a ticket during peak seasons.
Now, at the foot of the Sanwei Mountain opposite the Mogao Grottoes, some of the caves have been imitated in the restoration proportions. Don’t miss this place if you are still interested.
As a good complement to the Mogao Grottoes, the architect Cui Kai presided over the design of the Dunhuang Museum, which is also worth visiting. The building’s shape and color blend with cultural symbols such as the Great Wall, Fengsui and ancient castle-like buildings.
There are more than 10,000 cultural relics in the museum, and a large number of precious stone carvings and clay sculptures connect the history of Dunhuang. It is a good place to understand the ancient civilization of Dunhuang.
The most experienced performance in Dunhuang is “See Dunhuang Again”.
This show uses a large number of important historical figures to string together the history of Dunhuang, and put together a thousand-year-old scroll in the theater. As the plot progresses, the audience must move with it, and the distance between the actors and the audience is also broken. The audience watched their joy, anger, sorrow, and joy beside the ancients, making people more moved by the ups and downs of this land.
Jiayuguan
Jiayuguan is the “No. 1 Pass in the World”. The walls on both sides of the pass traverse the Gobi Desert. It connects with the Black Mountain Suspended Wall in the north and the world’s first pier in the south. One, “Hexi Throat” refers to this Xiongguan.
Jiayuguan’s dangerous terrain and magnificent architecture are the site of many important historical events. Standing on top of this majestic Guancheng, I could personally feel the feeling of “a lonely city and ten thousand renshan mountains”, and a sense of majesty can’t help but spontaneously arise.
Wuwei
Wuwei was called Liangzhou in ancient times, and its presence in the Qing-Gan ring road is actually far less powerful than in places such as Dunhuang. However, this ancient city with a long history actually has important reasons to go for visit.
Wuwei is named after Huo Qubing’s expedition to Hexi. It has a history of more than 2,200 years. The cultural symbol of Gansu Province, “Horse Stepping on Flying Swallows”, is the Leitai Han Tomb unearthed in Wuwei. In addition, there are also important cultural heritages such as the Tiantishan Grottoes, all of which are worth visiting.
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