Daughter's Primary School Graduation Trip Part 1 ~ 2021 Summer Self-Drive Tour [Danjiangkou → Wenxian Chapter]

Every long journey stems from the accumulation of too many wishes deep in the heart that one wants to fulfill.

Actually, sometimes travel has nothing to do with your income or time;

it often depends more on the degree of persistence and determination in your pursuit.

For a long time, I have enjoyed reading travelogues from self-media creators.

Among them are successful business people, second-generation rich, and even budget travelers.

Whether their trips are luxurious or plain,

they all share one common trait:

passion and persistence for traveling!

Sometimes, no matter how tough life is,

a trip far away that hasn't been overly planned

is often the best healing remedy!

My daughter just graduated from primary school this year. This summer break should be the most relaxed in her student life. So I thought about taking her on a trip, as a kind of commemoration—a memory of her carefree and wonderful childhood, of all the elementary school days she spent, and of the more intense new stage of learning she is about to embrace.

Every important milestone in life needs to be celebrated with a sense of ritual; that way, life becomes more colorful, doesn't it?

【Route Planning】

Hefei, Anhui → Shiyan, Hubei → Hanzhong, Shaanxi → Wenxian, Sichuan → Jiuzhaigou → Huanglong → Zoigê (Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan) → Zhagana (Diebu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) → Labrang Monastery (Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) → Zoigê (Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan) → Bipenggou (Li County, Sichuan) → Chengdu, Sichuan → Chongqing → Enshi, Hubei → Yichang, Hubei → Hefei, Anhui

The route below was the initial plan, with some adjustments made in reality—

(Due to altitude sickness in high-altitude areas, city traffic restrictions, and other reasons, plus the fact that the other family's route differed from ours by three to four days, details will be explained later in the travelogue)

From July 12 to July 31, 2021, a total of 20 days.

Two families, a total of 7 people: (Family 1: two adults, one older child, one younger child + a Jeep SUV; Family 2: two adults, one older child + a Kia Forte sedan)

【Travel Guide】

Planned to experience the grasslands of Gannan, plateaus, and city scenery.

Accommodation and tickets were mostly booked in advance on Ctrip according to our itinerary, just one day or half a day ahead.

To present the travelogue more completely and make it easier for everyone to browse, I plan to divide it into the following eight chapters:

Part 1: 【Danjiangkou → Wenxian Chapter】

Part 2: 【Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong Chapter】

Part 3: 【Zoigê, Zhagana, Labrang Monastery Chapter】

Part 4: 【Grassland, Yellow River Chapter】

Part 5: 【Bipenggou Chapter】

Part 6: 【Chengdu Chapter】

Part 7: 【Chongqing Chapter】

Part 8: 【Yichang ~ Three Gorges Chapter】

Day 1:

【July 12, 2021: Hefei straight to Shiyan, Hubei ~ Wudang】

Full of enthusiasm on the first day, we drove 700+ km straight to Wudang Mountain Scenic Area in Hubei and stayed at a hotel booked online. Originally, we planned to explore the Taoist holy land Wudang Mountain in depth the next day. However, after consulting local experts in detail, the high ticket price of Wudang Mountain made our group—mainly women and children looking for a relaxing leisure trip—back off. After all, even after paying the money, the mountain was not easy to climb. Later, we decided to just take a look at the main entrance of the scenic area. But unexpectedly, after stepping into Wudang Golden Street, we saw a street about to be dismantled, a scene devoid of vitality, which gradually discouraged us from the idea of a deep tour of Wudang.

That day, we only took a short stroll around the small town where we stayed. The buildings and street shops still faintly exuded an atmosphere of Wudang martial arts and Taoism. What a pity to miss such a famous scenic spot.

Take a look at the two families on this trip—

Attachment: Wudang Mountain tourist map and cost estimate

Day 2:

【July 13, 2021: Danjiangkou Canglanghai Scenic Area】

The unexpected cancellation of the Wudang Mountain tour was quite a psychological setback for our just-started summer self-drive trip. Today, we adjusted our plan and drove 40 km back to Danjiangkou to see the dam.

It is said that there is the largest artificial freshwater lake in Asia, the water source of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, and a national first-class water source protection area—the Danjiangkou Reservoir. Formed after the Danjiangkou Dam was completed and began storing water in 1973, the reservoir spans Hubei and Henan provinces, consisting of the Hanjiang Reservoir area and the Danjiang Reservoir area. The water area of Danjiangkou Reservoir reaches 1,022.75 square kilometers, with a storage capacity of 29.05 billion cubic meters, and is known as the "Heavenly Lake of Asia."

We were looking forward to witnessing the grandeur of the Danjiangkou Reservoir!

However, today's experience was a process from disappointment to surprise. At first, we followed the GPS to the reservoir area, seemingly driving into a park zone, and it felt like we could sense the reservoir from there. But as we drove around the park, we didn't see any other tourists. The vast park seemed abandoned. Relying on the two fathers' sense of direction, we tried to drive to the edge of the reservoir but couldn't find the right way. The more we drove, the more it seemed we were leaving the scenic area. After complaining about Hubei's tourism, we turned back and decided to go into the empty park and see if we could walk closer to the water.

We parked and walked into the park. After a long while, we saw a few tourists ahead who seemed to be searching as well. We approached and asked; indeed, they were also looking for the cruise terminal. We felt like we had found our group and together we eventually found the Canglanghai Visitor Service Center. There were slightly more people there (though still just a few). We didn't care if the number was enough for the cruise to depart; we bought tickets along with them. After all, after the disappointment of not visiting Wudang Mountain yesterday, we finally had a place to spend money today!

Of course, this cruise turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our 20-day self-drive trip. So surprises often come after anxiety!

The beauty of Danjiangkou Reservoir cannot be captured in just a few pictures. Check out the video below; maybe you can feel it more vividly~

Day 3:

【July 14, 2021: Heading to Hanzhong, Shaanxi】

Arrived in Hanzhong that night. Due to a sudden weather change, the large outdoor performance "Tianhan Legend" we planned to watch had to be canceled and tickets refunded.

Day 4:

【July 15, 2021: Heading to Wenxian, Sichuan】

Today we traveled from Hanzhong → Guangyuan → Wenxian, winding through mountains all the way, experiencing worries about falling rocks and mountain torrents. Only later did we learn that this was the same mountain road that rescue teams used during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Oh my, although there were wildflowers blooming along the roadside and the tranquil Qingmuchuan Ancient Town in the rain, the whole journey was full of heart-pounding moments—truly a torment!

However, some roads, if you don't accidentally tread on them, you might never experience in a lifetime. So, no matter how helpless and distressed you felt at the time, it becomes a valuable life experience.

Ahead was the legendary Cloud Mist Mountain, truly shrouded in mist!

It was from here that we truly began a beautiful yet worrisome day~

Leaving Qingmuchuan, we decided to keep moving forward. It drizzled all the way, and our hearts were hanging. Though the mountains were beautiful, we dared not linger on this single mountain road any longer, fearing that any mishap could cause an unexpected delay. We just wanted to get to a well-connected city as soon as possible!

Arrived in Wenxian, which belongs to Longnan City, Gansu Province, and is the southern gateway of Gansu. It is said to be a resting spot for many self-driving travelers. After checking in, we quickly ate dinner to calm our nerves!

Unexpectedly, Wenxian, a small county town surrounded by mountains, is densely packed with buildings one after another, almost like every inch of land is precious. It felt a bit messy, perhaps due to ongoing renovations, but we were amazed by its congestion and its brilliant night scenery~

Early on the morning of July 16, after breakfast, we were about to begin the next leg of our trip—Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong.

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Actually, I personally feel that every trip is a great opportunity for both children and adults to grow and bond. Whether you travel alone or with family or friends, only when you leave your familiar life circle and enter a completely new and unfamiliar environment can you discover aspects of your personality or behavior that you usually overlook, such as timidity, stubbornness, tolerance, or hidden selfishness...

Children learn to get along with others and grow in new environments—an experience they can never gain if they are locked at home without stepping into the outside world. For adults, it is the best touchstone to judge and filter who in this life is worth spending time with and accompanying for a while. Therefore, I love traveling far with my family, cherish every connection and beauty encountered on the journey, and carefully record every bit of it, so that in the future we can savor the joys and sorrows we experienced.

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【Thank you all for following Vicky's travelogue. Updates will continue......】