National Day Road Trip: The Northwest Grand Loop of Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia

2016 National Day holiday. To avoid the massive traffic jams, we set off a day early, early in the morning of September 30, to begin our Northwest Grand Loop journey. A spur-of-the-moment idea, hastily gathered travel companions—just two or three days of planning—and the four of us set off, making plans along the way.

Day 1: After driving non-stop for 12 hours, we checked into Yinchuan. We found a time-honored restaurant, ate and drank our fill, and planned the next day's route.

Day 2: Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio, Sand Lake, Shuidonggou. Stayed in Zhongwei.

Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio, 35 km from Yinchuan, was built on the foundation of an ancient fortress. It is one of China's three major film studios and the only famous one in the west. Films like "A Chinese Odyssey," "Red Sorghum," and "Ashes of Time" were shot here. We took an oxcart, slowly and bumpily circling the scenic area, seeing many familiar scenes—but much smaller and simpler than on screen.

Sand Lake scenic area combines the beauty of a southern water town with desert scenery. This was my first time stepping into a vast desert, and I was incredibly excited. Entering through the gate and crossing a stretch of water and land, we suddenly found ourselves in a world of yellow sand. It was hard to understand—on one side, a lush lake with abundant water and grass; on the other, barren, lifeless desert.

Shuidonggou, known as the "Cradle of Chinese Prehistoric Archaeology," was not originally on our itinerary, but since we had extra time, we discovered it online and inadvertently stepped into prehistoric territory. At the museum, we learned about the process and achievements of five major archaeological excavations, and on the ancient Great Wall, we experienced the grandeur of spanning two provinces at once. We walked through the reed valley covered in white blossoms. Due to time constraints, we didn't boat on Hongshan Lake or see the Hidden Soldier Cave—an ancient military defense system. That night, we stayed in Zhongwei. After much deliberation in choosing a hotel, we ran into a small incident—some back-and-forth with the hotel staff—but it didn't dampen our spirits.

Day 3: Shapotou. Stayed in Xining.

We got up early and bought a lot of wolfberries at a specialty shop next to the hotel—felt they were good value and high quality. "If I'd known about Shapotou, why would I have gone to Sand Lake?" That was my first impression upon entering the scenic area. I regretted not having enough courage and strength to climb the sand slopes, so I took the dragon escalator from the Yellow River area to the desert area, rode a camel into the heart of the desert, and went barefoot, frolicking and posing in every possible way.

The Yellow River winding below the sand slopes.

Riding a camel into the desert hinterland.

During the National Day holiday—normally a peak travel period—we had come prepared for road congestion and crowded attractions. But to our surprise, the vast northwestern region of China is so immense that in this boundless desert, people seemed few and small. Throughout the rest of the trip, we didn't encounter heavy traffic or crowds (except on one stretch of the return journey), which made our journey even more enjoyable. Originally we planned to head straight for Ejina, but after reading netizens' comments that it was too hot and the leaves hadn't turned yellow yet, we changed our plans on the fly, thinking to delay a few days for the leaves to turn. So we added Qinghai Lake to the itinerary. Leaving the desert, we passed through Gansu to Qinghai and checked into Xining. After finding a hotel, we immediately headed to the snack street—I think it was called Laomo Street. The street was lined with shops, and some old, established names were quite prominent. One large one was called Mazhong Food Mansion, which had a wide variety of local delicacies. However, the overall environment on the street and inside the shops was average—which is precisely what makes it a great place to experience local flavors.

Day 4: Tar Temple, Qinghai Lake. Stayed at Qinghai Lake.

At Tar Temple, I already had mild altitude sickness—shortness of breath and a weak heart. After drinking a bowl of local yak yogurt and slowing down, I gradually returned to normal. Inside the temple, I saw monks in saffron robes, prostrating devotees, and curious tourists. Amid the noise, there was a sense of tranquility; in the bustling crowd, a solemnity. The eternal lamps in the hall flickered with a sacred glow, shrouding the Buddha statues in mystery and ethereality. I felt reverence and dared not act frivolously.

On the way to Qinghai Lake, herds of yaks occasionally strolled on the road—only the cars had to yield to them. In October, it was already very cold here. Accompanied by snow-capped mountains all the way, we arrived at the lakeshore. There were no large fields of rapeseed flowers by the roadside, and the pasture grass had withered. The weather alternated between clear and overcast, with the wind howling. There were few tourists, but that didn't affect our good mood. Even more fortunate, a patch of rapeseed flowers that seemed forgotten came into view—as if specially prepared for us on this cold afternoon. Dark clouds gathered in the distance, a rainbow hung in the sky, a flock of birds flew in formation toward the horizon, and in front of us were the snow-capped mountains, clear lake water, and beautiful us—haha!

Yaks strolling on the road.

Accommodation at Qinghai Lake was quite limited—mostly tents and simple container houses. We chose a hotel near the scenic area that was said to be the only star-rated one, hoping to watch the stars and moon at night. But the strong wind howled all night, and even inside the room it was freezing cold, so we just closed our eyes and slept. The day before, in Ningxia, we had been wearing thin shirts and short sleeves; today, we had to bundle up in cotton jackets and windbreakers.

Day 5: Chaka Salt Lake. Stayed in Xining.

The weather was gloomy today, with the wind still roaring and temperatures very low. Even fully armed, we couldn't resist the cold. The salt lake had been quite severely damaged by human activity, and without sunlight, it didn't live up to its previous reputation. With my poor photography skills and unfavorable weather, I couldn't capture the "mirror of the sky" effect. Still, this vast expanse of lake water lay quietly here, and the walkway was paved with coarse salt crystals, giving it a unique charm. That evening, we returned to Xining and had a local clay pot hotpot. Unlike Beijing's hotpot, the pot looked like a Beijing copper pot, but the cooking method resembled a northeastern stew—all the meat and vegetables were piled into the copper pot and cooked over charcoal.

Day 6: Zhangye Geopark. Stayed in Jiuquan.

On the way, we passed the highest point of the trip—Daban Pass at 3,792.75 meters. We re-entered Gansu from Qinghai. Midway, we passed a town where villagers told us it was a great place to see rapeseed flowers, but now the season was over. We bought some honey and milk crust from a villager's home and headed straight for the Danxia Geopark. It was already afternoon, and there weren't many people. We took the scenic area's shuttle bus inside and saw colorful mountains of varying heights—whether earth or rock, they were magnificent and awe-inspiring. Scenery that doesn't belong to the human world, bestowed upon us by nature. Unfortunately, my photography skills were poor, and the photos taken with my phone couldn't capture its beauty at all. Later, a friend told me that it looks its most beautiful just after sunrise, when the colors are even more vibrant and dazzling. I just immersed myself in the scene, as if I were part of the painting. "A Simple Noodle Story" was filmed here.

Day 7: Mogao Caves, Echoing Sand Mountain, Crescent Spring, Jiayuguan. Stayed in Jiuquan.

After reading online reviews that the poplar forests in Ejina hadn't fully turned yellow yet, we added Dunhuang to the itinerary. We sped along roads that were wide with little traffic, with sparse greenery on both sides—all traces of time, probably Yardang landforms. Along the way, we passed places like Yumen (not Yumen Pass) and Guazhou, names familiar from ancient poems. Yet the asphalt roads running through them, the cars, pedestrians, and toll booths were so modern—two worlds coexisting peacefully and moving forward together.

A long time ago, I read Yu Qiuyu's "The Bitter Journey of Culture." The first two chapters introduced the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, which ignited my imagination about Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves. Standing in front of the caves, I didn't have the profound sigh of Yu Qiuyu, who was well-versed in history. I just wanted to face them quietly, listening to the wind, as if I were standing in a scene of fluttering banners, flowing long sleeves, misty clouds, and a harmonious blend of humans and immortals. Yu Qiuyu said: "Seeing the Mogao Caves is not seeing a specimen that has been dead for a thousand years, but seeing a life that has lived for a thousand years."

In the vast desert, that one spring—lively, tranquil, with clear water where fish could be seen. That one ancient willow—watching visitors come and go, chanting ancient and modern tunes. Originally there was an ancient temple, which was destroyed and rebuilt. A spring in the sand is already wondrous; that the sand doesn't bury the spring and the water is clear makes it even more miraculous.

On the way back to Jiuquan, we passed Jiayuguan but it was already past visiting hours. We could only take a look from outside the gate, missing the chance to see the "First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven." Jiayuguan is the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall and a key fortress on the ancient Silk Road.

Day 8: Heicheng Ruins, Strange Wood, Poplar Forest. Stayed in Ejina.

After returning from Dunhuang, we were still hesitating about whether to go to Ejina. Looking at the map, it was less than 400 km away, but the estimated travel time was 8–9 hours. Since it was already the end of the holiday, we were afraid we wouldn't have enough time. While we were deliberating, a traveler at the next table overheard us and told us that they had just returned from Ejina. Although it wasn't a highway, the road conditions were quite good and wouldn't take too long. That convinced us to go.

From Jiuquan to Ejina, we took the Spaceflight Road. Excluding the time spent at scenic spots, it took about four hours (we weren't sure about speed limits, but we sped all the way). We passed the Satellite Launch Center. On the vast Gobi, there was only one road winding through. We watched the sunrise, enjoyed the wilderness, and listened to the wind.

First stop: Heicheng Ruins. Heicheng is the most complete and largest ancient city ruins on the ancient Silk Road. We walked in. Amid the drifting yellow sand, the city wall, a mosque, and a chapel stood in the wilderness. The wind howled, the sun was blinding, and sand grains hit our faces, making it nearly impossible to open our eyes, let alone take photos. It was hard to imagine that this place was once fertile with water and bustling with people...

Second stop: Strange Wood. A large area of dead poplar trees. Poplars: live for a thousand years, stand for a thousand years after death, and don't decay for a thousand years after falling. The dead branches twisted upwards, like struggling arms before death—resisting, striving, yet helpless... Desolate, terrifying—better to go see the living trees.

Third stop: Poplar Forest. It was already the last day of the National Day holiday, but the leaves still hadn't all turned yellow. Some were golden, some yellow-green. The water reflected the blue sky, white clouds, and yellow trees. There weren't many tourists in the scenic area, which felt very pleasant. We walked, looked, and took photos—by the streams, under the trees, in the forest—leisurely and happily.

At that moment, I could only say: Water is the source of all life.

After finishing the day's sightseeing, without the hustle and bustle, we bought a car trunk full of Hami melons from an elderly couple's roadside stall. Being able to sell off their remaining fruit at the end of the holiday was a fitting end to their season's hard work. Most people had already left, so there were plenty of vacant hotels. We found a relatively clean one and checked in.

Day 9: Return journey. Shortly after leaving Ejina, we encountered a stretch of winding dirt road with many heavy trucks. Traffic came to a standstill. With the help and guidance of a friend, we gradually got the convoy moving again. Here, I have to proudly mention the people from Beijing. After being stuck for over an hour without knowing what was happening, we got out of the car. Together with another group of Beijing friends in another car, we braved the dusty wind to gradually straighten out the convoy and clear the road. Otherwise, who knows how long we would have been stuck. Looking at the other trapped cars and people, they seemed dazed and not at all anxious, as if it didn't concern them. Due to the traffic jam, we couldn't make it back to Beijing that day, so we stayed overnight in Baotou and specially treated ourselves at the Little Sheep headquarters. The next day, we returned to Beijing, shared the Hami melons with family, and let friends enjoy the beautiful scenery in photos.

As I savor writing this travelogue, some scenes have already faded. The feelings I had while appreciating the scenery can no longer be relived. But some small details still pop into my mind—the laughter and songs along the way, the playful banter, the mutual encouragement, and the care we had for each other. Time never returns, but may all of this remain as beautiful as it once was!