The Hexi Corridor in the northwest has always been a dream of my girlhood. The yellow sand here has blown through 5,000 years and witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations. Only when you have really been here and walked into the uninhabited Gobi can you experience the desolation that will never see the end.
【Itinerary】A very classic Northwest Grand Loop
Day1: Shanghai→ Xining
Day2：西宁→塔尔寺→原子城→茶卡
Day3：茶卡盐湖→可鲁克-托素湖→ 德令哈
Day4：德令哈→南八仙→西千佛洞→玉门关→ 敦煌
Day5: Dunhuang →Mogao Grottoes→ Mingsha Mountain→ Yadan Devil City→ Dunhuang
Day6：敦煌→嘉峪关→张掖七彩丹霞→张掖
Day7: Zhangye → Jin Dynasty Ancient Tomb→ Horseshoe Temple→ Qilian → Menyuan
Day8：门源→ 西宁→上海
[Transportation]
It is recommended to start from Xining, and the road cost and fuel cost are about 2K for the whole journey. Because I got up late, I drove some night mountain roads on the way. It was already 7 o'clock when we came out of Zhangye, and we only saw a night view of the magnificent Biandukou (but we didn't see anything). I hope my friends don't learn from us, it's still quite tiring to drive on the mountain road at night. After all, in the mountains where you can't see your fingers, the air conditioner is not easy to use when the car windows are fogged up, and you don't dare to park casually, it's really scary.
【Residence】
The accommodation conditions along the way are OK, if you are going out to 5 stars, or advise you to give up this trip. At least in a few places, the accommodation is not up to your standard right now. Most of the time we stay in chain hotels. Since it is not the peak season, the average is around 200 a night.
【Clothing】
The temperature difference between day and night is large, so it is better to bring thick clothes. At noon, the sun is very sunny, and the sunscreen clothes and hats are put on, otherwise it will be black like me and black 2 shades. Also, be sure to wear a mask or face towel to prevent sand. The wind blows up a mouthful of sand. Girls with long hair remember to bring a headband, the wind is really strong.
【Eat】
Do you like meat? Do you like spicy food? Do you like noodles? Welcome to the Great Northwest Healthy Diet? Haha, it doesn't exist! Meat and meat please eat well! What you need to pay attention to may be to drink more water, but you must drink water in moderation with a plan. Let me explain this. Northwest The climate is drier than for students in the south. It's important to stay hydrated to prevent constipation. On highways and mountain roads, please calculate the distance to the next resting point, drink too much water properly, it is really troublesome to find a toilet, don't ask me how I know.
【Fees】
6,000 per person (including airfare, hotel, tickets, car rental)
【Some other tips】
1. The camera must have a dust cover
2. Mogao Grottoes need to be booked in advance, and the number of caves that can be visited in the off-season and peak season is also different.
Mogao Grottoes visit reservation network:
You need to arrive 30 minutes early to queue and watch two digital videos before you take the bus to enter. Please refer to the website above for specific fares.
High season time: 04/01-11/30 Low season time: 12/01-03/31
D1: Shanghai-Xining
We arrived in Xining by evening flight. It was already midnight when I arrived in Xining, and I went to pick up the car after getting off the plane. It's a pity this time that I didn't leave half a day to visit Xining in the itinerary. If you have enough time, you can consider flying to Xining during the day, take a walk around the city, go to see the Dongguan Mosque, and you can also go to see the Beichan Temple. Repaired or not.
D2: Xining - Taer Temple - Atomic City - Chaka
The next day is the official start of the journey~ It can be said that I was very excited, I slept at 12 o'clock the day before, and I got up at 5 o'clock on the first day. After eating a bowl of hot beef noodles downstairs at the hotel, we set off.
The first stop is Taal Monastery, the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Ta'er Monastery is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism in China, founded in the Ming Hongwu ten years, because it has a tower first, and then there is a temple, so it is called Ta'er Monastery. The ghee flowers and murals and pile embroidery here are very famous, so it is best not to miss them.
In addition, it is forbidden to take pictures in the hall, and for some believers who come to worship, I think it is better not to take pictures in front of others.
If you come to Taer Temple to play, be sure to ask early, when we went out from the temple at 10 o'clock, there were already a lot of people, and the parking lot was blocked for a short time when it went out. It is recommended that everyone can park a little farther away and walk into the scenic spot.
Out of Ta'er Temple, we drove to the atomic city on the grassland of Jinyintan. This is our country's first nuclear weapons research and development base, where the continent's first atomic bomb and the first hydrogen bomb were born.
It now looks no different from the smaller towns in other places.
In addition, if you walk into a small post office in the town, you can reach the underground command center of the year, and you can also visit it.
In addition, Qinghai Lake is also very close to Qinghai Lake, so many people will also stay in the town for one night when they travel around Qinghai Lake.
D3：茶卡-可鲁克湖-托素湖-德令哈
At the beginning of May, Chaka is still a dry season, and apart from the water that is forcibly irrigated by a pump outside, there is hardly any water surface to be seen further inside. Of course, you can't shoot the realm of the sky or anything...... Crying and crying. Friends who like to take pictures should go cautiously.
There is a small train in Chaka, but it is recommended that you walk along the tracks and walk along the tracks to the depths, where there is a section of abandoned railway. There are fewer people here.
Although I didn't see the good scenery I was expecting in Chaka, the scenery of Koluk Lake-Tosu Lake was eye-catching.
The two lakes are very close to each other, and the Koluk Lake is an outward lake where the water of the Bayin River stays in the lake and flows into the Tosu Lake.
The amazing thing is that although the two lakes are close to each other, they have completely different features.
Koluk Lake is a freshwater lake, the lake is calm and clear, and the water of the Bayin River makes the soil at the bottom of the lake fertile, and there are many fish species that live. You can see a lot of locals fishing here.
Lake Tosu is a typical inland saltwater lake, with salt scabs on its shores and erosion of even the roadbed. It is surrounded by the vast Gobi Desert. The lake is vast and the waves are splashing.
There is also a trail leading to an alien site near Lake Tosu. The road is blocked, and the car can't drive in, and you can walk about 5 kilometers to reach the scenic spot.
D4 South Eight Immortals - West Thousand Buddha Cave - Yumen Pass - Dunhuang
After a one-night stay in Delingha, we woke up early in the morning and our itinerary for today was very intense. Driving almost all day today, on the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin, there will be two attractions along the way. One is the famous Water Yadan, we drove over the road was in a traffic jam, and at this time there was only a traffic jam on the Qinghai Expressway. After understanding, it was found that it was the beginning of the Yadan Scenic Area on the water, and only one car could pass, and the cars entering the scenic spot began to line up. Considering that it was the dry season, we were really short of time today, so we had to give up, so we turned around and drove directly to another scenic spot - the South Eight Immortals.
Driving on the highway, you will see a small sign indicating that there is Nan Eight Immortals ahead.
The Yadan forest here is the largest wind-eroded soil forest found in China so far. In 1955, eight female geologists entered the area in search of oil resources. On the way back, they lost their way in this devil's city, and slept forever in this eternal wasteland. In honor of them, it is called the "Southern Eight Immortals". The good news is that their sacrifice was not in vain. I still see the rig on the side of the road.
In order to prevent the tragedy from happening again, barbed wire fences are barricaded along the way. We can only stand on the small hills on both sides of the telling, looking at the land from afar.
This section of the road is actually very long, we set off almost at 6 o'clock in the morning, drove for nearly 6 hours, and finally arrived at the West Thousand Buddha Cave. Of course, we got off the bus halfway and took a lot of photos, haha. There are only a few places to refuel on the road, so it is recommended that you prepare food and water and fill up your tank before you go. The road conditions are very good, so don't worry.
The West Thousand Buddha Cave is named because it is located in the west of the Mogao Grottoes, and according to the Dunhuang testament, the excavation time of the West Thousand Buddha Caves should be earlier than the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. The murals and Buddha statues in it should be similar to the Mogao Grottoes system. The West Thousand Buddha Cave is named because it is located in the west of the Mogao Grottoes, and according to the Dunhuang testament, the excavation time of the West Thousand Buddha Caves should be earlier than the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. The murals and Buddha statues in it should be similar to the Mogao Grottoes system.
There are not as many tourists here as the Mogao Grottoes, so it is recommended that you can come here to watch it first. The free docent here is also a researcher at the Mogao Grottoes Research Institute in Dunhuang. The young lady who gave our team leader even explained in Mogao Grottoes two days ago. So their explanations are also very professional. Compared with the docents of the Mogao Grottoes, their explanations are more detailed and sufficient. And it also added a lot of knowledge to us about the Mogao Grottoes. Leave the front line and take a walk around the party river and feel the warmth of the party, haha.
Next we headed to the famous Yumen Pass. "Why should Qiang Di complain about the willows, the spring breeze does not pass the jade gate. "How many people yearn for this majestic but desolate and lonely scene in the northwest because of Wang Zhilian's poem? But what I love more is Ban Chao's "The minister does not want to go to Jiuquan County, but wishes to be born in Yumen Pass".
Yumen Pass was first established by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty when he opened the road to the Western Regions, and was named after the road when the Western Regions imported jade. According to the "Hanshu Geographical Chronicle", Yumen Pass and another important pass, Yangguan Pass, are both located in Longle County, Dunhuang County, both of which are the administrative offices of the Duwei and are important places for troops. At that time, the Central Plains and the Western Regions were indispensable for traffic through two passes, which were important military passes and Silk Road traffic arteries during the Han Dynasty.
The scope of the ruins of Yumen Pass is very large, and the scenic area is open to the ruins of the Han Great Wall around the small square pan city, the big square pan city and the danggu sui. After buying tickets for the scenic spot, you can see the small square city along the passage.
Most people will just stay here. But don't miss the other two spots. Because, the scope of the big square city is much larger than the small square city at the entrance! This is Dafang Pan Castle.
In addition, the Great Wall of Han is also well worth seeing, and you can almost directly feel the traces of time flowing on it. At that time, outside the Great Wall, it was not our territory, and this mound, in order to protect our people, still stands after thousands of years of wind and rain erosion, and still tells people about the magnificence and prosperity of the desert Xiongguan.
To get to the other two attractions, you can take the shuttle bus from the scenic spot, or buy a ticket and let the staff guide you. After an intense day's journey, we finally arrived at the legendary and desirable Dunhuang. The night market in Dunhuang is quite famous, we are tired of the day, and we can finally have a good meal.
D5 Dunhuang - Mogao Grottoes - Mingsha Mountain - Yadan Devil City - Dunhuang
Today is almost the highlight of our trip. Before entering the scenic area, every visitor will be asked to watch two short films to learn about the history of the Mogao Grottoes. There are also historical exhibitions of Mogao Grottoes in the scenic area, where you can learn about the past and present life of Mogao Grottoes. Mogao Grottoes was built in the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, after the Yuan Dynasty, Dunhuang stopped opening the caves, and gradually fell into disuse. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, a cave of Tibetan scriptures was discovered that shocked the world. Unfortunately, soon after the discovery of the cultural relics in the cave, Western explorers came one after another and plundered a large number of cultural relics in the cave by unjust means, causing an unprecedented catastrophe in the history of Chinese culture. It is forbidden to take pictures inside the Mogao Grottoes, so I didn't bring a camera. There are no pictures here that you can see. After leaving the Mogao Grottoes, we came to Mingsha Mountain, an Internet celebrity attraction. It is recommended that the friends who come here do a good job of sun protection...... Because the sun is really big...... Very sunny.
It was noon, and I almost walked to the crescent moon spring without an umbrella, and then I felt like I was about to suffer from heat stroke. So my trip to Mingsha Mountain can only stop at this beautiful Crescent Pavilion. At the end of the day, we still have time to go to Yadan Devil City for a ride.
D6 Dunhuang - Jiayuguan - Zhangye Colorful Danxia - Zhangye
Day 6 itinerary was honestly a little disappointing. Because Jiayuguan is not fun at all. Although it is known as "the world's first Xiongguan", the entire building of the castle tower is newly built. For those of us who are used to seeing historical monuments along the way, it was a bit disappointing. However, the colorful Danxia in the afternoon is very beautiful.
D7 Zhangye - Jin Dynasty Ancient Tomb - Horseshoe Temple - Qilian - Menyuan
There are many lost ancient cities and tombs on this Silk Road. We often drive on the road and find an old-looking wall on the side of the road, and then go over and find that it is a ruin. This ancient tomb of Wei and Jin was actually found on the map when we were driving, and then took a detour to see it. This tomb complex has a burial tunnel that is accessible. Once inside, the staff will give you an explanation. It can be said that it is very intimate. Out of the ancient tomb, we will go to the last attraction of this trip, the Horseshoe Temple.
Horseshoe Temple is also called Puguang Temple, built in the Beiliang of the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, has been more than 1600 years ago, he and the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, the Yulin Grottoes of Anxi are called the three major art treasure caves of the Hexi pagoda resort.
We crossed the Qilian Mountains and arrived at Menyuan at night. In the Qilian Mountains at night, the night view is really beautiful. You can calm down and take a picture of the starry sky or something. I didn't bring a tripod with me, though, and ...... Down...... The outside temperature is about 0°C, so please be prepared to take pictures of the cold. The Mengen rape flowers are also not in bloom this season, so there are no tourists.
D8 Menyuan - Xining - Shanghai
The last day's journey was almost on the way. This time it was an 8-day trip, but the actual time to play was only 6 days.
It's still quite stressful to walk a loop in 6 days. Therefore, it is recommended that two people who can drive take turns to drive. Otherwise it will be too tiring.
Let's summarize a few regrets:
1. Chaka is a dry period, and I don't see the realm of the sky.
2. Time relationship, the Yulin Cave of the three major grottoes in Hexi did not go.
3. There was a traffic jam in Yadan on the water, so I didn't go.
4. Didn't climb Mingsha Mountain.
Overall, it was a relatively complete trip.
Finally, I would like to conclude this travelogue with the sunset over my favorite northwest.