Road Trip from Dezhou to Xi'an, Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong Scenic Area, Ruoergai Grassland, Hukou Waterfall, and Tianhe Mountain.

I had long promised the children that we would take them out to play after their exams, but with various tutoring and specialty classes constantly going on, the trip kept getting postponed. As the epidemic seemed to be spreading again across the country, we quickly started planning a route and finally set off at the end of July.

Originally, we planned to go from Xi'an through Longnan to Jiuzhaigou, then head towards Chengdu, visiting Mount Siguniang, the back mountain of Qingcheng, Dujiangyan, the Panda Base, and the Leshan Giant Buddha, then stay in Chengdu for two days before returning. However, the epidemic situation in Chengdu was not optimistic, so we changed course and headed towards the Ruoergai Grassland instead. We had an intimate encounter with cattle, horses, sheep, and marmots, then turned to Hukou to experience the magnificent Hukou Waterfall. On the way home, we also visited a popular scenic spot in the Taihang Mountains called Tianhe Mountain, happily ending the trip—a total of 4,900 kilometers.

Let's go! Departure!

Day 1: We got up early and made the kids' favorite super-luxurious shrimp cake sandwiches, packed plenty of snacks and fruit, and set off. The little ones were very cooperative; they got up as soon as we called them before dawn. Tangdou was extremely excited when she heard we were staying in a hotel. The route was all highway with good conditions.

We booked a hotel next to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, called Tangxi. The conditions were average, about three-star level, but with great value for money. Downstairs were the fountain of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Tang Dynasty Never-Night City's popular unshakable sister. The hotel had free parking with limited spaces on a first-come, first-served basis.

We arrived at the hotel a little after 3:00 p.m., freshened up, dropped our luggage, and headed straight to the Chang'an Twelve Hours block. Tickets were 58 yuan. Traveling is a matter of personal opinion; I personally felt that the 58 yuan ticket was not worth it. It was essentially a Tang Dynasty-themed commercial area, which felt like paying an entrance fee to go to a shopping mall—quite a rip-off.

The block was packed with people, all dressed in Hanfu. Those with exquisite makeup who looked like they were part of the scene were NPCs, while the rest were tourists in various costumes. There were many shops and a few performances in the block, with queues dozens of meters long. I wasn't in the mood to join the crowd, so I wandered around and found a place to rest. Our curious little one squeezed in with the two kids to watch two performances, but their reviews weren't high. The overall decoration style was nice, but it was too crowded. With fewer people, it would be great for photos. There were places to rent Hanfu, get makeup done, and hire photographers, with prices ranging from a hundred to several hundred yuan.

We left the block around 7:00 p.m., but Xi'an was still bright. We strolled along the Tang Dynasty Never-Night City back to the hotel area and had a big meal: belt noodles, saozi noodles, roujiamo, and twice-cooked pork. Then we rested, waiting for dark to go out again, and took a distant look at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

The night of Tang Dynasty Never-Night City was entirely occupied by the kids. There was a place across from the hotel to change into Hanfu. It took over an hour to get dressed and styled. We hired a photographer and could only serve from a distance, truly realizing the importance of family status.

The next morning, we woke up and went to the Xi'an City Wall. They said the wall would be crowded, but it wasn't at all—it was magnificent. Without seeing it, you wouldn't know how wide the wall really is.

After the wall, we went to the food paradise of Huimin Street. Huimin Street is not just one street but a collection of many streets. Also, the "water basin lamb" is not a basin of lamb; in our area, it's called lamb offal soup. The old yogurt and fried yogurt on the street were both tasty. After eating and drinking, we headed to Xi'an's main attraction—the Terracotta Warriors—and checked into the Shuhan Impression Hotel, near Huaqing Palace and opposite Lishan Mountain.

When entering the Terracotta Warriors scenic area, be sure to park at the exit parking lot—it's much more convenient when leaving. There were a bunch of guides at the entrance, all claiming to be official tourism bureau guides. According to Xiaohongshu, the guides trick tourists into watching a movie in the final science museum, but I think the 3D movie is worth watching; the circular movie after that was not great. Of course, there was no value for money.

By the time we left the Terracotta Warriors, it was dinner time. We drove to the Huaqing Palace area and found a restaurant. Overpriced and bad food—I won't mention the name.

After dinner, we waited to see "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow." Remember to exchange your ticket at the west gate of Huaqing Palace in advance, then enter through the east gate.

The entire performance used the whole Lishan Mountain as a backdrop, which was absolutely stunning. You must see it—really, you must!

On the third day, after waking up, we split into two groups: I took my parents and Tangdou to explore the alleys for food, while my wife brought Xiaopangle back into Huaqing Palace to watch the live performance of the Xi'an Incident. They said it was an immersive show and very exciting, but I think even the most exciting show can't compare to the aroma of our roujiamo and belt noodles.

After eating, we picked them up and headed to our next stop, Longnan. Because of the epidemic in Chengdu, we abandoned the original Hanzhong-Guangyuan route and instead went to Longnan to rest and recuperate, saving our energy for the highlight of the trip—Jiuzhaigou. In Longnan, we stayed at the Jingu Hotel. The rooms were decent value, parking was convenient, and the location was good. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant; I recommend the braised oxtail, which was excellent.

Longnan is located in the southeastern part of Gansu Province, at the junction of the Qinba Mountains, the Loess Plateau, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It borders Shaanxi to the east and Sichuan to the south, commanding the strategic passage of the three provinces, and is known as the "Key to Qin and Long, Throat to Ba and Shu" and the "Jiangnan of Long." Longnan is also one of China's main production areas for Chinese medicinal herbs and olives, earning it the titles of "Millennium Medicine Town," "Natural Medicine Depot," and "Hometown of Chinese Olives." Since the main attractions of Longnan are concentrated in Wen County, and Wen County seemed to have medium-risk areas, we didn't dare to wander around. We just rested there for one night and then set off for Jiuzhaigou.

On the fourth day, after waking up and packing, we set out on the provincial road to Jiuzhaigou. It was a winding mountain road with no highways—all national and provincial roads. After numerous turns and braking, I managed to make my wife, who never gets carsick, vomit uncontrollably. None of us wanted to sit in the back row; whoever sat there would throw up. In the end, Old Man Tian endured it the best and lay down in the back, soon snoring.

We finally arrived at the Jiuzhaigou scenic area in the afternoon and checked into the Ximu Mountain Residence Hotel. After dropping our luggage, we went directly to the Jiuzhaigou Eternal Love scenic area. It was small but lively, with good interactivity, and we watched the Jiuzhaigou Eternal Love performance.

Next to Ximu Mountain Residence was a restaurant called Jiuzhaigou Fish House, where we had dinner two nights in a row. The first night was cold pot fish, and the second was stewed chicken with pine mushrooms. Both were delicious, highly recommended, and affordable. I didn't take photos of the food, so use your imagination.

On the fifth day, after waking up and eating, the hotel sent a car to take us to the entrance of Jiuzhaigou scenic area. Very nice—it saved us from driving and finding parking, and it was free!

The entire Jiuzhaigou scenic area is shaped like a Y, divided into three sections. Tour groups go straight to the innermost part, but we chose to start from the outermost section, Shuzheng Valley, perfectly avoiding the group crowds.

After finishing Shuzheng Valley, we went to the Changhai area and visited the Five-Color Pond.

Finally, we went to the Primitive Forest area. It was a natural oxygen bar, refreshing and invigorating. A light drizzle fell, and everything was lush green. Borrowing Xiaopangle's catchphrase: "Really not bad!"

After leaving the forest, we took the scenic area bus. The rain got heavier as we passed Arrow Bamboo Lake and Panda Lake, and by the time we reached Five Flowers Lake, it had almost stopped. Rain in Jiuzhaigou comes unpredictably—remember to bring rain gear. But it comes and goes quickly; you can just take shelter for a while.

From Five Flowers Lake, we took a bus directly to Jiuzhaigou's most famous Nuorilang Waterfall group.

After leaving the scenic area, all our phones were dead. We took a taxi back to the hotel for 20 yuan. The driver was very enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that he took the wrong road. Dinner was stewed chicken with matsutake mushrooms—very tasty...

Day 6: The theme was Huanglong Scenic Area. After an hour of mountain driving from the hotel, we reached Huanglong. On the way, we encountered a lavender farm where the kids played for over an hour before agreeing to leave.

At Huanglong, we hit the jackpot—grabbed a great parking spot. Happy, we entered the scenic area.

Huanglong is famous for its "four wonders": colorful ponds, snow-capped mountains, canyons, and forests, plus streams, ancient temples, and folk customs, making it the "seven wonders." The scenic area consists of Huanglong Gully, Danyun Gorge, Mouni Gully, Xuebaoding, Xueshanliang, Hongxing Rock, and Xigou. The main attractions are concentrated along the 3.6-kilometer Huanglong Gully, which is filled with travertine deposits arranged in terraced fields. It is renowned for its rich flora and fauna, earning it the titles "World Wonder" and "Earthly Fairy Pool." It was listed as a World Natural Heritage site in 1992. In addition to alpine scenery, you can find various forest ecosystems, limestone formations, waterfalls, and hot springs. Many endangered animals live here, including giant pandas and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys—none of which I saw, but I did see quite a few squirrels.

After Huanglong, we drove directly to the Ruoergai Grassland. The winding mountain road suddenly opened up into a vast grassland with blue sky and white clouds. Cattle, horses, and sheep were everywhere, along with piles of their dung—it was refreshing and liberating.

In the evening, we found a small villa on the grassland to stay in. We watched the sunset from the small courtyard and actually managed to photograph the Milky Way with our phone at night. It had been so long since we'd seen so many stars.

After dinner, the hotel started a bonfire party, and we joined in the wild dancing until everyone started getting altitude sickness, then we returned to the hotel lobby to breathe oxygen and sleep.

As for the hotel conditions, I think the grassland people have a different understanding of "villa." The so-called villa was actually just a bungalow built on the grassland. It wasn't cheap, with no value for money, and don't expect much in terms of amenities. We had beds to sleep in and blankets to cover us—that was fine. Each bed had an electric blanket. The nights on the grassland were really cold.

Day 7: After waking up and having breakfast, we packed up and left the grassland. Because two of the kids, who are usually as strong as little oxen, continued to show symptoms of altitude sickness and urgently needed to get to lower altitudes, we drove along the grassland towards Hukou. I think the beauty of the grassland isn't in the scenic spots but in the landscapes along the way.

The marmots on the grassland were big and fat. Unfortunately, all the snacks had been eaten...

After driving through the grassland and mountains, we finally got back on the highway and sped all the way to Baoji, where we got off the highway to stay at a hotel. With poor eyesight, I never drive at night.

Day 8: We woke up naturally, had breakfast at the hotel, and continued towards Hukou. Who would have thought that the entire Qinglan Highway had no service stations with fuel? This forced me to barely make it to the Wazijie toll station in Huanglong County on my last drop of gas, waiting for rescue. Pig Yangyang laughed at me mercilessly. Attached is an embarrassing photo.

From then on, I always fill up at every service station—once bitten, twice shy, so I won't be laughed at again.

With a full tank, we checked into the Holiday Hotel next to the Hukou Waterfall scenic area. Inside the waterfall area, there was a Guanpu Pavilion; supposedly, you could see the Hukou Waterfall from the hotel, but rooms were hard to come by, so we settled for a nearby hotel with decent conditions. After checking in, we took a walk to the ancient ferry crossing, then returned to the room, set up some drinks and snacks, and started drinking with my dad.

Day 9: After breakfast, we went to the Hukou Waterfall scenic area. I always thought we were going to the Shanxi side, but when we entered the scenic area, we realized we were on the Shaanxi side. Well, each side has its own merits—we made do. Only by getting up close can you truly appreciate the grandeur of the Yellow River Waterfall. It was well worth the trip.

The scenic area is not large, and the Yellow River was in flood, so we finished visiting in about an hour.

After leaving the scenic area, we could have made it home before dark, but the little one absolutely refused, insisting on staying at a hotel with a bathtub. Since we were also tired from driving, we changed course to the Taihang Mountains and checked into the Wanfeng Hotel in Xingtai, which claims to be the best hotel in Xingtai. It was five-star, with complete facilities and good conditions. The front desk staff were very attentive. The hotel had a swimming pool, but Tangdou didn't bring a swimsuit, so she had to go back to the room and soak in the bathtub.

Day 10: We woke up and had the hotel's buffet breakfast. The breakfast was average—nothing special, just mediocre. They even charged for one child's meal—a thumbs-down, not up to five-star standards.

After getting ready, we headed to the last scenic spot of the trip: Tianhe Mountain.

The combo ticket cost 178 yuan, including the entrance fee and two sections of rafting. Definitely buy it—super fun.

After entering the scenic area, you can take a golf cart for 20 yuan round trip to the uphill entrance. We chose the water route to go up, lined with streams and waterfalls. The kids could play in the water and had a great time. Following the water route to the top, you could choose either a zip line or a mountain slide to reach the first section of rafting—a glass-bottomed rafting track that twists and turns, quite interesting.

After the glass rafting, we directly boarded the second section of rafting.

After finishing the rafting, we could take the golf cart directly to the exit.

P.S.: For the double-section rafting, don't bother buying raincoats—they're useless; you'll definitely get soaked all over.

Thus, the entire trip came to an end. Due to the epidemic, we didn't get to visit Qingcheng Mountain, Dujiangyan, or the Panda Base, which the kids had been longing for. That was a bit of a regret. However, the change in route allowed us to experience the vastness of the grassland and the grandeur of the Hukou Waterfall. Looking forward to next year's trip...