From the Northwest to the Southwest
D1 Gather in Lanzhou - Gansu Provincial Museum, Dunhuang Art Gallery, Zhongshan Bridge, Baita Temple
Lanzhou is a major city in the northwest. During the Qin Dynasty, it belonged to Longxi Commandery. In the Western Han Dynasty, Jincheng County was established in present-day Lanzhou, under Tianshui Commandery, and later Jincheng Commandery was set up. 'Jincheng' means 'impregnable fortress'. Due to the cancellation of the Friday evening flight to Lanzhou, I arrived at noon on Saturday, rendering the ticket for the Gansu Provincial Museum (which I snatched at midnight) invalid. This was my third visit to Lanzhou, and I still couldn't make it to the museum, which was a bit disappointing. Let me use photos from other group members as a supplement.
The hotel is right next to Zhengnin Road Night Market. At noon, I visited Hongfeng Longyan nearby. The most impressive dishes were 'Three Ways to Eat Lily' and the Yellow River Carp, which received unanimous praise.
In the afternoon, I first visited the Dunhuang Art Gallery. The exhibits are replicas, but the explanations were very detailed. Even if you've been to Dunhuang, it's still worth a visit.
After that, I met up with the group at Zhongshan Bridge. Lanzhou, along the Yellow River, has a bit of a fresh and clean vibe.
I climbed up Baita Temple for a quick visit.
In the evening, I checked out the popular restaurant Axiya. It was really hard to make a reservation, and we finally got one at the Xizhan branch, which is far from the hotel. To be honest, although the lamb at Axiya was good, it wasn't amazing. What impressed me were the sweet fermented grains, milk and egg fermented rice soup, some vegetarian dishes, and the soft pear that resembles frozen pear from Northeast China. Also, the Guhezhou liquor was cheap and tasty.
Back at the hotel, Brother Tao just arrived with his family, and our 17-person group finally gathered. We visited Zhengnin Road Night Market for a late-night snack – it was all meat, meat, meat.
D2 Lanzhou - Linxia: Liujiaxia Reservoir, Yellow River-Tao River Confluence, Bingling Temple Grottoes
Linxia, named for its proximity to the Daxia River, was an important town on the southern route of the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it was called Hezhou, and during the Tang Dynasty, it was a key garrison against Tubo. The Guhezhou liquor we drank last night is produced here.
In the morning, we set off from Lanzhou and arrived at the confluence of the Yellow River and Tao River.
At noon, we reached Liujiaxia Reservoir for a simple lunch.
In the afternoon, we headed to Bingling Temple Grottoes. We took a speedboat from Liujiaxia Reservoir upstream along the Yellow River, flanked by spectacular stone forests.
Dinner was at Dawu Hand-Grasped Food City, featuring halal specialties. Many local dishes were the first time I saw them, but unfortunately, I forgot the names.
In the evening, we strolled through Bafang Shisan Alley. Brick carving is a specialty of Linxia.
Leaving Linxia, we stepped from the second-step Loess Plateau onto the first-step Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We had lunch at a small roadside restaurant, and the Hui girl was very beautiful.
After lunch, we arrived at Gahai Scenic Area. Maybe it was past the season, so the scenery was average.
Gahai is less than 3500 meters in altitude, but Brother Bazi, who just returned from New Zealand, experienced altitude sickness.
At the entrance of Namo Grand Canyon is the Gerdi Temple, said to be the only temple where one can see the living Buddha's flesh body. The temple enshrines the flesh body of the Fifth Gerdian Living Buddha. Upon entering, we happened to meet a Tibetan family carrying butter oil to pray. After the ritual, the monk introduced the flesh Buddha to us tourists. The Fifth Living Buddha was born in 1681 and passed away in 1775 at the age of 74. It is said that the body received no preservative treatment, yet after more than 200 years, the muscles remain elastic. Previously, his nails and hair grew miraculously, and senior monks had to cut them. Unfortunately, during the Cultural Revolution, to protect the body, Tibetans buried it in the grassland for 18 years. When dug out, it had not decayed, but hair and nails stopped growing. The hall was dim, and the monk used a flashlight to show us. The flesh body is enshrined in a stupa, with lifelike features and color, which is amazing. Out of respect for local beliefs, no photos were taken inside.
Following the Bailong River upstream with babbling water, my son loves such places.
After a twenty-minute walk, the view suddenly opened up.
Every time I go to the plateau, I look for the expressive marmot. This time, I finally caught one.
In the morning, we visited Saichi Temple. The Tibetan guide Sonam explained many stories about Tibetan Buddhist temples, white stupas, and paintings.
At noon, we went to Zoigê Flower Lake. In late August, there were no flowers, but fish and birds were leisurely and mirrored each other.
During the hike, I was gasping for breath, stopping frequently to avoid a fast heart rate.
Successfully reaching the summit, I enjoyed a panoramic view of rolling mountains and winding rivers – magnificent!
In the afternoon, we entered Huanglong Scenic Area. The cable car has limited use; sightseeing depends on legs. Hiking, hiking, and more hiking – today I walked 26,000 steps (not on the plain). Body in hell, eyes in heaven. The colorful travertine pools are like a fairyland on the Jade Pool.
To have a full day at Jiuzhaigou the next day, we rushed to the Jiuzhaigou entrance for accommodation. The altitude here is under 2000 meters, so we could enjoy some drinks. Barley beer was refreshing and crisp. Poor Brother Bazi still hadn't recovered.
Early morning, we entered Jiuzhaigou. It's no exaggeration to say 'Return from Jiuzhai without seeing water.' The emerald green lakes and varied waterfalls are truly unique. But it was very tiring – 34,000 steps today. I strongly recommend training your physical fitness before coming. No more words, just pictures:
We stayed overnight in Songpan. Songpan, anciently called Songzhou, was named for the many pine trees in the valley. In the Tang Dynasty, a garrison was established, known as the 'Gateway to Western Sichuan', a frontline against Tubo. The hotel had strong ethnic characteristics, with nice decorative hangings on the wall.
Beside the hotel is a square where people started dancing Guozhuang before dark.
Following the Min River, we arrived in Chengdu. On my last visit to Chengdu, my wife scolded me for years because we missed a few signature dishes at Darong and Lili. This time, she finally got what she wanted.
Early morning, we headed to Sanxingdui. Even though I've seen it countless times on TV, it was still stunning.
After Sanxingdui, we rushed to Shuangliu Airport, and the holiday ended.
Travel Notes:
1. After my son's high school entrance exam, my wife ordered me to make up for the primary school graduation trip that was delayed for three years. During summer vacation, we needed to satisfy requirements such as few people, beautiful scenery, good accommodation, and escaping the heat, while also catering to our son's love for adventure and my wife's love for food – it wasn't easy. After multiple comparisons, we chose a customized route from Lanzhou to Chengdu.
2. Bingling Temple Grottoes are located on the cliffs on the west side of Dasi Valley in Jishishan, about 40 kilometers southwest of Yongjing County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. They were first carved in the early Western Jin Dynasty (around the 3rd century AD) on the cliffs on the north bank of the Yellow River in Dasi Valley, formally established in the first year of Jianhong of the Western Qin (420 AD), with four layers. The guide said the earliest carvings predate the Tiantishan Grottoes, the ancestor of grottoes. Although not as exquisite or grand as the four major grottoes, they have many characteristics. Unfortunately, the group members were not very interested in the grottoes and did not visit the special caves.
3. D3 Linxia - Langmusi: Gahai, Gerdi Temple, Namo Grand Canyon
4. In the afternoon, we arrived at Langmusi. Langmusi Town is a small town under Luqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. A small stream flows through the town. Although less than 2 meters wide, it has an impressive name: 'Bailong River'. The north bank of the stream is Langmusi, and the south bank belongs to Zoigê County, Sichuan. Two Gelugpa monasteries – the Gansu side's 'Anduo Dacang Langmusi (also called Saichi Temple)' and the Sichuan side's 'Gerdi Temple' – face each other across the 'river'.
5. On the way back, we met a group of young locals playing frisbee.
6. In the evening, we tried Tibetan hotpot at Amara Tibetan Restaurant, and I drank several cups of Tibetan salty milk tea. Afterwards, we visited Brother Bazi at the health center. Poor guy went to the town health center for oxygen as soon as we arrived in Langmusi.
7. D4 Langmusi - Tangke: Saichi Temple, Zoigê Grassland, Flower Lake, Nine-Bend Yellow River
8. In the evening, we arrived at Tangke Township, where the Yellow River makes its first bend. The viewing platform is on the top of the mountain, accessible by elevator. Brother Tao, Xiaohui, Brother Dong, my son and I wanted to challenge ourselves and hike up.
9. D5 Tangke - Jiuzhaigou: Huanglong Scenic Area
10. Early morning, we left Tangke for Huanglong Scenic Area, gradually descending from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the edge of the Sichuan Basin. We passed through Chuanzhusi Town for lunch and started eating Sichuan cuisine. The first dish, garlic mashed pork, was very much to our taste.
11. D6 Jiuzhaigou - Songpan: Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area
12. D7 Songpan - Chengdu: Free time
13. D8 Chengdu - Sanxingdui - Return: Sanxingdui Tourism Information Hotel Index Strategy Index Air Ticket Index Website Navigation Tourism Index Cruise Index Enterprise Travel Index Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendship Links Enterprise Gift Card Procurement Insurance Agency Agent Cooperation Hotel Franchise Destination and Scenic Area Cooperation More Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hotspots Contact Us Jobs User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Publicity
