Encountering Qinghai: A Modern and Fashionable City - Qinghai Travel Guide

Foreword: Many people ask me, where is a good place for travel photography and wedding photos without leaving the country? I thought for a while, then Qinghai or Yunnan. If you want to shoot atmospheric, natural photos, where to go? I pondered again, then Qinghai... I'll organize the places in Qinghai that are suitable for travel photography over the years, for everyone's convenience. You must be familiar with the slogan 'Great Beauty Qinghai.' As a popular travel destination every summer, Qinghai undoubtedly attracts enough attention. Qinghai, Qinghai, Qinghai... This place that haunts my dreams attracts me every year. For most people, visiting Qinghai is just a loop around Qinghai Lake. It can be done in two days or stretched to three or four days. The endless rapeseed flowers, the sapphire-like Qinghai Lake, and the Qilian Mountains, known as 'Little Switzerland,' are the regular routes for the majority.

Maybe for the northwest, the photos taken can never compare to actually standing there and feeling it. Especially when facing the endless Gobi, desert, and grassland, this feeling is like when you see a beautiful view and others can describe it as 'Sunset and lone ducks fly together, autumn water and the vast sky are the same color,' while I can only say 'Wow, so beautiful.' No words can describe it, so this might be the worst photography guide.

Attached is the GPS record of this trip:

Route and Itinerary

【Route】

D1: Xining - Kumbum Monastery - Laji Mountain - Qinghai Lake - Heima River (stay in Heima River)

D2: Heima River sunrise - Caka Salt Lake - Delingha - Dachaidan (stay in Dachaidan)

D3: Dachaidan - Yadan Landform of Nanbaxian in Qinghai - Most Beautiful Highway - Aksai - Dunhuang (stay in Dunhuang)

D4: Mogao Caves - Mingsha Mountain - Shazhou Night Market (stay in Dunhuang)

D5: Dunhuang - Guazhou - Jiayuguan - Zhangye Qicai Danxia - Zhangye (stay in Zhangye)

D6: Zhangye - Biandukou - Qilian Grassland - Menyuan - Over Daban Mountain - Xining (end of trip)

About transportation: Because direct flights to Xining are a bit expensive and time may not be very sufficient, I recommend flying to Lanzhou or Xi'an, then taking a bullet train to Xining. Lanzhou to Xining is 1 hour by bullet train, Xi'an to Xining is 4.5 hours.

【Packing】

As an inland area spanning high altitude (3000m) and basin, you must consider the alternation of cold and heat. So even though this trip was in July summer, I still needed to bring a thin down jacket. For a rough guy like me, I don't need to bring beautiful dresses like girls; everything is simple, convenient, and comfortable. So I'll list the simple clothes I brought this time: Several pairs of underwear and socks, one pair of long pants and one pair of shorts, three T-shirts, one thin windbreaker, one thin down jacket. I didn't bring an electric toothbrush, toiletries, or slippers this time. But through this trip, I suggest bringing them if possible, because the toiletries provided by the hotels don't lather well, which for me feels like I haven't washed at all... a bit awkward. Slippers are because when you go to Caka Salt Lake, it's best to have a pair of slippers.

Besides clothes, the rest are photography equipment: Sony A7M3, Sigma MC-11 adapter, Canon 17-40, 50 1.8, 70-200, Benro square filter (GND and ND), tripod, Godox flash and trigger.

This time I carried a Manfrotto camera bag and dragged a 20-inch suitcase, just enough to hold all this. Later I thought, bringing this much is just right, not burdensome. After all, when you go out to play, dragging a huge suitcase might dampen your mood. Sometimes when I travel, I don't even bring a suitcase, just a backpack - simple and convenient.

【Transportation】

Friends who pay attention to this Qinghai-Gansu loop will inevitably find information about chartered cars (car pooling). Actually, as long as you travel in the northwest or southwest, you will basically find chartered cars exist. You can see chartered cars on various travel platforms for the Qinghai-Gansu loop, Gannan loop, Northern and Southern Xinjiang, Tibet, etc. For chartered cars and rental cars, my personal suggestion is to prefer chartered cars. The chartered car for a 7-day loop has 5-seat, 7-seat, 9-seat options (all including the driver's seat), covering fuel, tolls, personal seat insurance, and the driver's accommodation. To avoid advertising, if you need Xiaoma Ge's contact information, just private message me or leave a comment. I will reply when I see it. Xiaoma Ge is very nice, drives well, chats well, and even prepared cold medicine and altitude sickness medicine, very thoughtful. Here's Xiaoma Ge's contact:

Xiaoma Ge <186-9710-0650>

【Cost and Tickets】

The total cost this time was about within 5,000 RMB. Sorry, as a lazy person, I really don't want to calculate exactly... I just want to lie down like a couch potato. Actually, when traveling, the biggest cost is transportation and accommodation. This time I added the chartered car cost, so I estimate it's also within 5,000 RMB.

About tickets:

D1 Kumbum Monastery: At the on-site mobile ticket purchase area, some people will ask you to scan their code to get a discount. Buying one ticket may not discount, but buying two tickets gets some discount: 142 for two, i.e., 71 per person. So you can buy together with companions for a small discount.

D1 Qinghai Lake: There are official and private areas. Because the lake is huge, the authorities can't fence the entire lake as a scenic spot. There are original residents by the lake, so they enclose their land and charge fees. The official price is unclear; this time we played in the private area. The fee includes lakeside and their own rapeseed flower fields. If you go with a chartered car, Xiaoma Ge can help negotiate. Normally, you can also negotiate yourself, but the discount may not be big.

D2 Caka Salt Lake: You can buy tickets via WeChat and scan QR code to enter. 69 per person. The small train is 50 per person. Personal suggestion: take the small train in and walk out.

D3 Dunhuang: If you watch 'Again Dunhuang', tickets are 298 per person. If chartered, with a few friends, you might get a discount.

D4 Mogao Caves: In peak season, you must buy tickets in advance, about half a month to one month ahead. Remember, remember. However, if you can't get tickets, you can also consider buying emergency tickets on site. It seems that on odd days in peak season, 12,000 tickets are issued daily. Normal tickets are 200 per person. Search for Mogao Caves official account on WeChat.

D4 Mingsha Mountain: You can buy tickets via WeChat and scan QR code to enter. 120 per person.

D5 Jiayuguan: Requires tickets, but we didn't enter, so I forgot the price per person.

D5 Zhangye Danxia Landform: Ticket + sightseeing car 74 per person. It's very large inside, so the sightseeing car is necessary. It seems included in the ticket...

The whole loop basically supports mobile payment, but I suggest bringing some cash, because some places are not easy for mobile payment, like renting sand-proof shoe covers at Mingsha Mountain.

-Day1,2: Xining

Well, I arrived in Xining two days early, so it's -Day1,2. Originally planned to arrive in Xining on July 1st and start the loop on the 2nd, arriving at Caka Salt Lake on the 3rd according to plan. But on June 30th, I saw a notice that the opening time of Caka Salt Lake was changed to 3 PM on that day. That is, if we entered at 3 PM, it would completely delay the subsequent itinerary. So I discussed with Xiaoma Ge to start the loop on the 3rd, which also led to me teaming up with 6 other friends. So I changed my return flight and train tickets, and spent two days in Xining.

When I first arrived in Xining, the weather was bad with showers. I stayed in the hotel for most of the day until the rain stopped. Taking advantage of no rain, I went to the famous Dongguan Grand Mosque and Nanguan Mosque. It happened to be prayer time, so I felt the power of faith.

Because of the showers, time was very limited. I hurriedly took some photos before it rained again. I had to go back to the hotel. The next day it rained all day, and heavily. I didn't bring a rain cover for my camera this time, so I just wandered around and returned to the hotel. I went to Mojiie Street in between. Honestly, snack streets in China are all similar. This one may not even count as a snack street, so not recommended.

For food, you can try beef noodles. They are really delicious. 7 RMB a bowl of beef noodles, plus an extra portion of beef (about 7 RMB), I think I could eat two bowls.

Day1: Xining - Kumbum Monastery - Laji Mountain - Qinghai Lake

On the first day of the official itinerary, because I lived in the city center and the other six friends lived near Caojiabao Airport, Xiaoma Ge picked me up first, then went to their place to pick them up. Actually, we were quite lucky. Originally they were 7 people: 5 girls and 2 boys. But one of the boys couldn't make it, so I fit in and shared a room with the other boy. After picking them up, we headed straight to Kumbum Monastery.

I once suspected this might be a photography group. Besides my gear, they also brought 2 DSLRs, 1 mirrorless, three lenses, and a drone. So later we kept taking photos, and the girls were very photogenic. I was glad to team up with them.

【Kumbum Monastery】

The weather didn't cooperate. When we arrived at Kumbum Monastery, it was raining heavily. We decided to leave the cameras in the car and just visit. So I basically didn't take any photos at Kumbum Monastery this time, which was a pity.

【Laji Mountain】

This is a midway scenic spot. The mountain altitude is quite high. Xiaoma Ge said it's 3800m. So friends, remember not to run here, easy to get short of breath. Especially important: it's very cold on the mountain. Especially when we came, it was drizzling, so it was even colder. Remember to wear a down jacket, otherwise you'll freeze like us...

【Qinghai Lake】

Originally we thought Qinghai Lake might also be rainy and we couldn't take photos. We drove to Qinghai Lake. But just as we were approaching, we saw a patch of blue sky above Qinghai Lake. Suddenly there was hope. Indeed, when we arrived at Qinghai Lake, the weather became much clearer. Although there were still large cumulus clouds, as long as it didn't rain, it was good. As mentioned, Qinghai Lake has official and private areas. Xiaoma Ge directly took us to a private scenic area. We eagerly grabbed our camera gear and rushed to the lakeside, starting to take photos non-stop. The rapeseed flower fields blooming beside the lake were also good spots.

Tips:

1. There are official and private areas.

2. The private area includes lakeside and rapeseed flower fields. After paying, you can shoot in both.

3. If choosing private area, remember to bargain.

Basically, due to the first day's time constraints and bad weather, I didn't take many photos. We rushed to Heima River that day and stayed there. Heima River has a high altitude, so when sleeping, you can slightly raise your pillow to sleep better, so that your smart IQ can recapturate the high ground.

Day2: Caka Salt Lake

It rained that day, so we couldn't see the sunrise at Heima River. Since we didn't need to get up early, everyone slept in to recover from the previous day's fatigue and mild altitude sickness. Then we drove directly to the key scenic spot: Caka Salt Lake. Maybe we were lucky, because the weather at Caka Salt Lake was great. Originally planned to spend 2 hours inside, we ended up playing for almost 4 hours. Indeed, beautiful places always make people linger. As a popular check-in spot, naturally we took many photos. The girls put on bright-colored skirts and posed various ways in the salt lake.

Note: It's best to wear slippers to Caka Salt Lake. However, there are also rented shoe covers inside. The shoe covers are not completely waterproof, so you can't wear shoes inside, you have to wear them barefoot. The soles are very thin, and stepping on stones is quite painful.

Tips:

1. You can take the small train in and walk out, or walk to the 'Sky Mirror' and then take an electric car out.

2. If possible, bring slippers. Rented shoe covers are not waterproof and hurt feet.

Shameless selfie

Due to time constraints, we originally agreed with Driver Ma for 2 hours, but ended up playing for almost 4 hours. Actually, most of the time was wasted on the way into the lake center. Because it was peak season, the near shore was packed with people. To take photos at less crowded spots, we trudged through the water towards the lake. Also remind friends who want to go into the lake center: never walk into the black areas; those are salt pits, and you will sink if you step on them. Also, because we went after rain, the water level had risen, which also slowed our progress, causing most of the time to be wasted on the road.

Actually, there are several salt lakes in the scenic area. From this experience, I don't recommend the innermost salt lake (the last stop of the small train), because there are many bubbles floating on the lake, not good for reflecting the sky. But there is a section of abandoned railway track that is quite good.

There is a salt lake called 'Sky Mirror' which seems to be the second stop of the small train. Although there are more people, the lake surface is much cleaner, and it's worth shooting.

Tips:

1. Do not approach the black parts in the lake.

2. The water surface of 'Sky Mirror' is much cleaner.

After coming out of Caka Salt Lake, we dragged our tired steps to the next accommodation place: Dachaidan. We took some photos of the no-man's land scenery along the way, which was very vast. Dachaidan had the most expensive accommodation on this trip. A standard room was about 500+ RMB, a bit expensive.

Day3: Yadan Landform - Most Beautiful Highway - Dunhuang

The third morning after breakfast, we headed straight to the Yadan landform. This is not a scenic spot but a large landscape. Truly feel the desolation of the northwest. I won't say much, just post photos.

【Yadan Landform】

【Most Beautiful Highway】

After coming out of Yadan landform, we drove a short while to the Most Beautiful Highway. It was a bit rainy and very cold. Everyone got out of the car without thick clothes and went straight to the road to take photos. There are two roads. One side has fewer cars, but be careful of oncoming vehicles when taking photos.

【Dunhuang】

Along the way, we were having fun, posing, and taking photos. Although the sky was gloomy and it drizzled occasionally, it didn't affect our mood. After finishing at the Most Beautiful Highway, we went straight to Dunhuang. After checking into the hotel, we rested a bit. This time we stayed right next to Mingsha Mountain, less than 200m walking to the scenic entrance. From the balcony we could see Mingsha Mountain. After putting things away and resting, we went straight to watch the 8 PM show 'Again Dunhuang'. I strongly recommend everyone to watch it; it's very spectacular and touching. Ticket price 298. If there are many friends, you can get a discount. This time, Driver Ma helped us buy group tickets, saving about 20 per person. Although it may be a bit more expensive than ordinary performances, it's really worth the money. Out of respect for the performance, I only took a few photos with my phone. Actually, I had no time to take photos because the show was so great that I didn't want to be distracted. Five stars for sure.

After the show, I went straight back to sleep to recover energy for the next day's fun.

Day4: Dunhuang - Mogao Caves - Mingsha Mountain - Shazhou Night Market

Remind again: friends who want to go to Mogao Caves must buy tickets in advance, especially in peak season. Search the official account on WeChat to pre-order tickets. Mogao Caves have time slots. This time, because we didn't coordinate well with the other friends, our times were different. Their 6 people had the 11 AM slot, I had the 12:30 PM slot. After entering, we first watched two movies. Honestly, after watching 'Again Dunhuang' the day before, these two movies were tasteless. Especially the second spherical screen movie, made me sleepy. Most people around me fell asleep. The first movie gave a general overview of Mogao Caves, the second was a digital exhibition of several special caves. Due to some reasons, many special caves in Mogao Caves are no longer open, but you can learn about them online. The movie soundtrack was also like a lullaby. If you don't care much, you can skip these two movies. Watching them takes 1 hour. After the movies, take the scenic shuttle bus to the site, about 20 minutes. When you arrive, you see the panoramic view of Mogao Caves. Line up at the entrance. The visiting method here is to provide a guide, each guide leads about 20 people, each equipped with an earpiece. The guide speaks into a microphone, which goes directly to each visitor's earpiece. So you must stay close to the guide, otherwise if you fall behind, you won't hear the explanation and will have wasted your visit. Honestly, this guide spoke very well and in detail.

Another thing: each guide's group takes a different route, but each group will visit 8 caves. The advantage is that it greatly avoids crowding. The disadvantage is that you can't choose which caves to visit. Maybe if you come in again, you'll have the same route or a different one. But basically after one tour, you can get a good understanding of the culture and content of Mogao Caves.

Tips:

1. Buy tickets in advance.

2. You can skip the movies.

3. Guides are randomly assigned; stay close to the guide.

No photography is allowed inside the caves, so I just took a simple picture of the outside scene with my phone.

It took about 1 hour to tour inside Mogao Caves. After finishing, return the earpiece to the guide. If you want to buy some souvenirs, you can continue to follow the guide. I didn't go this time, but the companions did and bought some scarves, etc., which were quite pretty. After the entire Mogao Caves visit, we went to the car to the entrance. The entrance to Mogao Caves and 'Again Dunhuang' from the day before are basically close, not far apart.

【Mingsha Mountain】

After returning from Mogao Caves, we rested at the hotel. It was around 4 PM. Because summer days in the northwest are long, it won't get dark until about 9 PM. So at 4 PM the sun was still very strong. We chose to rest and go to Mingsha Mountain around 6:30 PM. Note: although the sun is still strong at 6:30 PM, it seems ticket sales stop around 7 PM. I'm not sure if there is a time limit for entering the park. So it's best to buy tickets and enter between 6 and 6:30 PM.

Entering Mingsha Mountain at 6:30 PM is still sunny, so sunscreen is essential. I just wore my windbreaker. The sand at Mingsha Mountain is very fine. Be careful not to drop your phone or camera on the sand; they easily get sand inside. If possible, just put a plastic bag over them. A waterproof and sandproof camera cover is even better. It's best to bring only one lens, because changing lenses is inconvenient and if sand gets in, the loss outweighs the gain.

There are sand-proof shoe covers for rent, 15 RMB, no deposit required. These shoe covers are better than those at Caka Salt Lake; you can wear shoes inside, and the protection is good. At least I ran and jumped inside without getting sand in my shoes. Alternatively, you can wear slippers directly, but be careful: if you take off your slippers, you must keep them safe, because if they get buried in the sand, it's hard to find. The girl who teamed up with us took off her slippers to play in the sand, and it took a long time to find them again.

Tips:

1. Summer days are long; entering around 6:30 PM is suitable. Later may miss the ticket purchase and entry time limits.

2. Keep your phone and camera safe; if possible, use waterproof/sandproof covers.

3. Sand-proof shoe covers are available for rent; you can wear slippers, but keep them and other small items safe to avoid losing them in the sand.

4. Drones are prohibited due to helicopters and paragliders.

【Shazhou Night Market】

We came out of Mingsha Mountain around 9 PM, hungry, so we went straight to Shazhou Night Market. Shazhou Night Market has various food stalls. As a northwest specialty, barbecue is essential. We chose a barbecue stall near the intersection and started eating. But it was really expensive. 7 people didn't drink alcohol and didn't eat much, but it cost nearly 700 RMB. The taste was okay, not particularly good but not bad. If you don't care much, you don't have to eat here. But you can experience it. During the meal, we occasionally encountered flash mobs promoting 'Again Dunhuang', people dancing around you, which was interesting.

After eating, we went straight back. Originally, I planned to shoot the starry sky because the northwest sky is relatively clean with less pollution. So I brought a tripod. But the first few nights were cloudy. Tonight suddenly cleared up. I took the opportunity to try shooting the starry sky. Honestly, I'm not good at star photography and never did it before. The result looked strange, but at least I saw the Milky Way with my own eyes for the first time, which made me happy.

Day5: Zhangye Danxia Landform

More than half of the itinerary was over. I felt a bit sad thinking it was about to end. On the fifth day, the focus was on the Danxia landform. We passed by Jiayuguan, but according to online reviews and Driver Ma's opinion, it wasn't very anticipated. So we didn't go to Jiayuguan in the end. We just hung around at the entrance. The 'First Pass Under Heaven' bell tower is inside the scenic area, not visible from outside, so we didn't take photos. We went straight to Zhangye Danxia landform.

【Zhangye Danxia Landform】

This scenic spot, unlike the Yadan landform, is enclosed. But the place we stayed was next to the edge, which we could stand on and look, but it was not high, just small slopes. You can't see the full view. So after checking in and eating something, we went in. There is a time limit here, so don't be too late. But if you haven't finished visiting on the same day, you can register your fingerprint at the exit and re-enter the next morning (exact time forgotten), but you need to pay for the shuttle. Other than that, nothing special. Because there are helicopters, drones are still not allowed.

After entering, we need to take a shuttle bus. There seem to be 3 or 4 routes, but the stops are the same, just different entrances/exits. I remember there are 4 stops. I entered from the north gate, so according to the staff, the third stop has the widest view, the fourth stop has the most beautiful view. I'm not sure, so friends can ask the staff.

Tips:

1. The ticket probably includes the shuttle fee.

2. Different routes; among the stops, one has the widest view, one has the most beautiful view. Ask the staff.

3. There is a time limit. Staff will clear the area in the evening. Estimate 1-2 hours to play. But you can register your fingerprint and re-enter in the morning.

4. Drones are prohibited due to helicopters and paragliders.

Post a panoramic photo that can cure a stiff neck; better viewed on phone.

Well, after shooting, we went out to eat and watch the World Cup. Although this travelogue is written after it ended.

Day6: Qilian Grassland - Xining

On the last day of the itinerary, it was mainly about returning. We passed by Qilian Grassland along the way. Besides grassland, we also saw many rapeseed flower fields. So we took some photos to wrap up. The companions were exhausted from posing for days and didn't have energy to shoot anymore; they basically slept in the car.

Extra itinerary - Lanzhou

At this point, the 6-day, 5-night Qinghai-Gansu loop ended. Because I changed my tickets, I changed to three days after the loop. Since I was already in the northwest, I decided to go to Lanzhou. After all, it's only 1 hour by bullet train. I came to Lanzhou to taste authentic Lanzhou beef noodles. I won't go into details about Lanzhou. I went to Zhongshan Bridge and Baita Mountain Park. From Baita Mountain Park, you can overlook the entire Lanzhou city, which is very spectacular. The night view of Zhongshan Bridge is great, but unfortunately Baita Mountain Park closes at night, so I couldn't shoot the city night view, which was a pity.

A bonus: This Lanzhou pulled noodles are not authentic. Authentic Lanzhou pulled noodles never have such thick meat. The authentic Lanzhou noodle masters have excellent knife skills, cutting meat as thin as a cicada's wing, continuous, and in one piece. So this is not authentic.

Conclusion

A trip along the northwest loop gave me many feelings. If you don't come to the northwest, you don't know how vast and beautiful China is. Less urban disturbance and noise, more spaciousness and atmosphere. More importantly, away from smog and dust, returning to nature's beauty. There are grasslands, Gobi, deserts, and starry skies. Unlike the places where we grew up, here we realize our insignificance and humility. Finally, many thanks to Driver Ma for the carefully arranged journey. He was a very considerate chartered car driver. Next time I go to Qinghai, I will look for Driver Ma again. Give him a thumbs up!

Although this is a conclusion, it is actually the beginning of another journey.