9-Day Qinghai-Gansu Route Tour

Pre-guide notes: Bloop! After a year, I, a poor guy, am back again. The purpose of this trip is a place I've never tried before, the great northwest, so exciting, so thrilling, especially since it's my first time setting off alone, heading to a place that has always been completely unfamiliar. Hahahahaha, crazy!

A quick aside: sticking to one thing is really, really hard, especially for a lazy person like me without principles. But persisting in something you love is a kind of faith. Maybe ten years from now, looking back at these memories, I can still recall in my mind that I was once young and wild. It's also an indelible memento for myself. Just like I've already completely forgotten my memories of trips to Hainan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Xi'an, etc., so blurry that I can't even remember how I traveled. So, after the 'Four Beauties of Henan,' I started writing travelogues, which have kept me going until now. Alright, let's begin! July 1st. Originally, four female travel companions were planned, but due to the pandemic, three canceled—better safe than sorry, haha. So for me, a person who doesn't care and is a wanderer anywhere, it didn't matter. Not wanting to endlessly delay my long-awaited northwest trip, I pulled together two guys and one girl on Weibo at the last minute to form a self-driving group, thus starting this magical road trip. Why magical? Because along this journey, you can see grasslands, gobi deserts, sand dunes, lakes, snow-capped mountains, wilderness, no-man's land... First, let me give you a taste.

July 2nd. Milk (my nickname), blessed with both beauty and a flat chest, sets off, haha. The flight was at 7:30 AM. Thanks to the pandemic, I got a discounted ticket for 298 yuan to Lanzhou. I planned to play for a day and then meet up with my travel buddies in Xining. Afraid of oversleeping, I stayed up all night in extreme excitement and headed straight to the airport. No delays, a good sign. Arrived in Lanzhou at noon. Weather: slightly cool. Then I went straight to a hotel near the train station. Accommodation was super cheap—89 yuan a night. All the accommodations on this trip were basically the cheapest I've ever stayed in. Then I had a bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles, as pictured. (A little tip: In Lanzhou, they don't call it 'Lanzhou Lamian'; they call it 'XX Beef Noodles'). Hahahaha. At 2 PM, I visited the Gansu Museum with one of the travel buddies, let's call him F. Actually, Lanzhou doesn't have many attractions. It's like our Fuzhou—when a friend comes, you can only take them to Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. Haha. We finished at 5 PM and took a walk along the Mother River (Yellow River). Then we arrived at Zhongshan Bridge, took a couple of tourist photos, walked to Zhengning Road Night Market for dinner with local specialties, cycled to see the night view of Zhongshan Bridge, and took the bus back. Summary: Lanzhou is really comparable to boring Fuzhou. Goodnight, Mother River—the Yellow River is still spectacular. Lanzhou Beef Noodles??? Feels like the only attraction VS night view.

A very famous Gansu Museum. The 'Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow' that Lanzhou taxi drivers recommend visiting. It made me laugh... July 3rd. Took the train at 9:45 AM, arrived in 2.5 hours. Haven't taken a train in a long time. My last train memory was a nightmare 20-hour journey from Xi'an to Fuzhou without a ticket, so sleepy I slept under someone's feet—a truly awful memory. Now because of the pandemic, flights from Xi'an to Fuzhou cost the same as train tickets!... Arrived in Xining, took the bus. Mobile phones are so convenient now; you can scan a QR code to ride buses everywhere. Both Lanzhou and Xining support direct scanning. F and I arrived at the hotel near Moji Street and met the other two buddies, D and G. After a short rest, we went to Moji Street at 2 PM to eat the most distinctive yogurt. It was really good (hmm, I don't know what the specialty dishes of the northwest are; anyway, I'm not used to lamb, so the four of us basically found Sichuan restaurants throughout the trip—damn, they really go well with rice!). Then we wanted to explore Xining, but D told us expressionlessly that he had checked: all temples were either under renovation or closed. So we went to Xining Museum. Oh, coincidentally, it was also closed for renovation. So we turned to the adjacent Art Museum and saw many things I remembered from childhood, plus there was a guide. That was really good. I think many places should have free guides or include such cultural understanding like the Mogao Caves later in the trip. That's later. At 4 PM, it was time to pick up the car. We went to a car rental place and rented an SUV for 234 yuan/day. Then we went to the supermarket to buy dry food, snacks, and water. Yes, water is essential. The northwest is really, really dry. Although the weather wasn't hot, it was so dry that my lips, fingers, and skin—as a southern girl used to rough conditions—cracked. So we bought several buckets of water. In the evening, we visited their night market. Since it gets dark at 9:30 PM in the northwest, we had an awkward Sichuan hotpot dinner at 6 PM. Haha, it was really awkward—we were the only table. Every dinner felt like an afternoon tea. We got to know each other briefly. Went back to the hotel at around 8 PM, tidied up at 9 PM. It felt like it should be 10 PM and time to sleep, but the sky was still bright. I found it amusing. Packed up and got ready to go. See the pictures, oh yeah.

You must try the yogurt. It's really delicious. July 4th. We agreed to set off at 8 AM every day without rushing. So on the first day of the big loop, my first impression: I regretted bringing a small suitcase because it was so cold. 12°C during the day, only 9°C at night, plus strong winds. I wasn't in good shape on the first day. I wore a little white skirt, and something embarrassing happened: I got exposed (i.e., my underwear showed)! Lucky for me, I have a thick skin, otherwise, what could I do? Hahahaha, even now thinking about it is funny. Thank goodness F was easygoing and helpful. Thanks to this brother two years younger than me, who was gentlemanly all the way and took many beautiful photos of me and G. Also thanks to D, the driver, a silent, reserved soldier guy who still managed to lighten the mood and ease my embarrassment. Over 2,500 km of road, the scenery was magnificent. Actually, the scenery on the northwest route is mostly along the road, though half the time I was sleeping, haha. Getting back on topic, the planned route for the 4th: morning small loop around Qinghai Lake - Chaka Salt Lake, stay in Chaka Town. A few hours' drive around Qinghai Lake, China's largest saltwater lake, covering about 4,500 square kilometers. So you can't finish it in one day, kind of like Lugu Lake I visited before. We drove a small loop, passing a field of rapeseed flowers and my favorite lavender field—so beautiful. We got out and took five hundred photos in a frenzy! As shown. I bought a cape on the spot but took it off because it was hot. We kept stopping and taking pictures, having a great time. Overall, Qinghai Lake is very pretty. We didn't go to the most popular scenic spot but played around the periphery. Then around 6 PM, we arrived in Chaka Town and booked a hotel called Tianzhijing on the spot. We found our first Sichuan restaurant on this trip, wolfed down our meal, and slowly walked back to the hotel. After changing, D said he would take us for a drive to watch the sunset. So we went to a wind farm area with few cars and started taking highway-style photos, as shown. The sunset was really beautiful. I'm super grateful to photographer F for taking those pictures. I secretly thought: thank goodness I finally decided to bring Old Chen's SLR despite all my hesitation, haha. It got dark at 9:30 PM. Went back, sorted out, and rested. Pictures: Qinghai Lake is so beautiful. Around Qinghai Lake, blooming rapeseed and lavender fields. Highway-style photos.

Crazy showing off??

Qinghai Lake where sky and water merge.

My favorite: the eye-catching slippers and casual outfit can't stop a Sagittarius's innate love of freedom and showing off, haha.

Passing desert.

Scenery along the way and big windmills.

View from hotel window: I photograph you, you photograph her, he photographs her.

So many money walking around (referring to yaks/sheep).

That horse is so handsome. Is that you, White Dragon Horse?

July 5th. The weather was still cool in the morning. Today I wore a dress bought three years ago. When going to the northwest, you must wear bright colors and bring sunscreen, body lotion, hand cream, face masks, band-aids, and a thermos—a lesson learned the hard way. We found a breakfast shop selling soymilk, steamed buns, and dumplings. What a big difference in eating habits between north and south. I wasn't used to it. After a bowl of soymilk, we set out for today's plan: first Chaka Salt Lake - Emerald Lake - stay in Dachaidan. In the morning, we went to the popular Chaka Salt Lake (Internet-famous spot), taking an electric cart in. Because of the pandemic, there were few people, and the weather was good with strong sun, so the photos of Chaka came out beautiful. But seeing it in person was a bit underwhelming. Some attractions become overhyped and lose their original charm. In contrast, free places are more back-to-basics (I don't know if that's the right term, haha). At the scenic spot, we encountered local customs: a group of people scattering paper. We found it curious, watched for a while, then left. We drove for a while and arrived at Emerald Lake at 4 PM. Before it, there was a beautiful stretch of yellow water—very scenic, pristine, few people, like a painting. We went into crazy photo-taking mode. See pictures. Milk's visitation. These shoes look good, but they hurt my feet... Salt sculptures. Chaka vs. Emerald Lake—both original photos, so beautiful!

Snow-capped mountains along the way.

Emerald Lake. Then we went to Emerald Lake. Its visible area isn't big. We had clear weather, and the colors were green like jade. A great place for photos. Summary: I think it's no less than Chaka. I heard they're planning to charge entrance fees, so go experience it while it's still free.

Does the background look fake? Haha, I should have worn bright red clothes. Around 8 PM, we checked into Dachaidan People's Hotel. It was my favorite among the casually booked hotels, the cheapest and nicest. The hallway had a dedicated clothes-drying area. Opposite the door was a beautiful lake. The best part: when I opened the curtains, the mountain view outside was stunning. See for yourself.

Dachaidan is small, about the same size as our Shangbai Town (thinking about living in a small city with loved ones, slow pace, opening a small shop, doing what you love—how romantic, much better than rushing around in a big city every day). After checking in, the four of us slowly strolled around town and finally found a Sichuan restaurant for our first meal of the day. Why? Because most of the time on the road, you can't go out of your way for lunch. So remember to stock dry food in the car. Plus, Sichuan food really goes well with rice. I can't help envying our Sichuan compatriots. After wolfing down again, we went back to the hotel to wait for sunset. Then washed up and slept after 9:30 PM. Goodnight.

July 6th. Staying at the same hotel because today we're doing a separate small loop around Dachaidan. Route: National Highway 315 - Dongtai Jiner Lake - Nanbaxian Yadan Landforms. Same routine: set off at 8 AM after a breakfast of delicious steamed buns, soymilk, and fried dough sticks. This northwest trip was really worth it—the sights were refreshing. When we reached Jiner Lake, I was amazed. It was so beautiful. The scenery in Sanya and Yunnan I've seen before was also beautiful, but this lake water was stunning—I didn't want to leave, haha. Eventually, we reluctantly left. We stopped and took pictures along the Yadan landforms. In the evening, we returned to Dachaidan. Dinner was still Sichuan—delicious, haha. Then we strolled the town again and went back to the hotel to rest. Pictures: I've started uploading photos randomly—too many photos, I'm in a daze. We kept stopping to take photos, so we got a ticket for parking violation. If you're not familiar with the roads, you can easily get ticketed. So be careful. Very spectacular. Remember to bring red clothes. National Highway 315 is a must-drive—a place that needs no filters. Continuing crazy posing... Internet-famous spot. Great weather. Jiner Lake is also extremely beautiful—just 10 yuan parking fee. Seems like not as good as the online pictures. The person on that hill is me—so small. Yadan landform scenery.

July 7th. Departed at 8 AM to drive to the Oil Town and then Dunhuang Crescent Moon Spring. Arrived at Crescent Moon Spring at noon. Had a reasonably priced instant noodle meal inside the scenic area, haha. This scenic spot was one I'd always wanted to visit. After playing, I found it wasn't worth the trip—just a photo spot, developed because a movie was filmed there. Finished in an hour, then headed to Crescent Moon Spring. This section was the toughest—about 5-6 hours of driving. By the time we reached the hotel, D looked exhausted. After a short rest, the four of us decided to ride camels at Crescent Moon Spring. Ticket price: 100 yuan, valid for 2 days. We went straight to the camel area. I felt sorry for the camels—they work so hard every day. But they are really smelly and poop while walking, haha. Hard to bear. At first, the ride was okay, but midway, the group stopped for photos (20 yuan each). Exhausting—too hot, even at 6 PM. The hour-long camel ride passed with a pretty bad experience. When I got off, my butt hurt so much (bruised the next day). Too tired to love, haha. Thank you, Mr. Camel. We continued and saw Crescent Moon Spring from below. Amazing—a crescent-shaped spring in the desert, very beautiful. The night view of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring was the highlight. After a quick glance, we decided to come back tomorrow because we had booked the performance 'See You Again Dunhuang' at 8 PM. Ticket price: 298 yuan, a bit expensive in my opinion. The reason: this performance was completely different from usual formats. Over 1.5 hours, it was stunning, with professional actors. The story basically covered the history of Dunhuang—not boring. However, the crowd was a bit large, creating a rushed feeling. We exited at 9:30 PM while it was still light, amusing everyone. At 10 PM, we drove to Dunhuang Night Market. Finally, we felt like we were in a big city, haha. Dunhuang Night Market, I think, has fairly good food among all night markets and has a local flavor. We each found something we liked to eat. We returned to the hotel at 11 PM. Accommodation was super cheap—60 yuan per night. Washed up, went to bed at 2 AM. If not now, when to pose? Missed the forced perspective—unfortunate. Can't stop. Ticket 25 yuan. Learned this pose from the girl who just finished shooting. Still posing for souvenirs under the scorching sun—a common female affliction. The first spring. The first group photo of DGFC. Too many photos—already uploading randomly. Crazy camel photos. Wild camels on the highway.

July 8th. Departed at 10 AM today for the long-awaited Mogao Caves. Tickets must be booked online several days in advance; you can't buy them on the same day because they are timed and limited. Price: 258 yuan. A bit expensive, but includes a guide and the shuttle bus. I think this is well done here. Last time, I went to Longmen Grottoes with the 'Three Beauties of Caihong' and there was no guide, so I didn't understand anything and just wandered around. I think scenic spots should automatically include guides to save asking everyone's opinion. For example, the Xi'an City Wall and Terracotta Army were chaotic—crowds everywhere, just seeing the sights and leaving. Brief introduction to the Thousand Buddha Caves: built during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, expanded through subsequent dynasties: Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, Yuan, forming a huge scale with 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 painted clay sculptures. It is the largest and richest Buddhist art site in the world. We visited several large caves, many of which were locked with doors. To protect the artifacts, there were no lights inside, and it was very dark. Many murals had oxidized. Some of the Buddhist caves are definitely worth seeing and listening to guides. The most impressive were the Reclining Buddha (under renovation) and the Giant Buddha—truly masterpieces. Hard to imagine the endurance, spirit, and faith of ancient people. After an hour of guided tour, we had free time. Took a few crazy photos and headed back. Found a new hotel nearby and had the latest lunch of the trip—really hungry. Still Sichuan, haha. At 6 PM, went back to rest for over an hour. Departed at 7 PM for Crescent Moon Spring to see the sunset, night view, and stars. Climbing the high sand dune was exhausting, but when we reached the top, the sun was just about to set. It was 9 PM, still bright. We took a few sunset photos and sat quietly waiting for the sun to go down. Even though many people were waiting together, I thought of the line from 'Amélie': 'The best moments are often those with beautiful scenery but no one to share them with.' So sentimentally, I murmured to the invisible user: 'I will wait until we meet.' -- Separator. The night was cool and breezy. We sat quietly until dark, then joked and fooled around on the way down. Went back to the city and visited Dunhuang Night Market again for supper. The four of us from different corners of the country had become more familiar and comfortable with each other, from the initial awkwardness. Returned to hotel at midnight, sorted photos, and rested. Goodnight, Dunhuang. Above: original appearance; below: restored. Every cave is locked. This seven-story pagoda is a must-photo. Camel returning after carrying visitors. Thank you, please poop less, especially when I'm on top. Dunhuang Night Market—food is really good, lots of people, lively. Finally feels like a big city. Actually, when traveling, I'm not very particular about food—some local cuisines I can't get used to. Crescent Moon Spring. 'See You Again Dunhuang' theater—worth watching, a must-see on this trip. Night market. 'Lone smoke straight in the desert, sunset over the long river.' Sunset.

July 9th. Woke up, dressed up, applied sunscreen, etc. Headed to Zhangye, passing through Jiayuguan. Only D bought a ticket (100 yuan) to go in. The three of us walked around the outside. Finished in about an hour. I wasn't very interested in this spot, haha. Arrived at Qicai Danxia Town around 5 PM. It seems many places come alive because of a scenic spot—a small town's food, lodging, and travel depend on such an attraction. Took a break and found another Sichuan restaurant to eat, hahaha—Sichuan all the way. The shop owner told us we could take a short walk to the back mountain to see beautiful Qicai Danxia scenery. The area was not crowded, the environment was good, and any photo could be a raw background. We climbed to the back mountain and quietly waited for sunset again. No wonder so many people like fishing or watching slow-moving things—it calms the mind. Details aside, see pictures.

Little sister G.

Can't miss portrait photos—I dress up and put on makeup every day, why not leave memories? Who is this statue? I forgot. On the highway, we encountered walking money again—little sheep. Met a couple in their 60s cycling the loop route. After chatting for a while, I couldn't admire them more. Indeed, 'You are still your elder.' Hotel room—60 yuan per night, super cheap, with free breakfast and a big package of red dates. Town scenery. Another beautiful sunset. Local specialty—apricots, delicious, but shipping was expensive. Companion D bought 150 yuan worth and paid 150 yuan for shipping, haha.

July 10th. Routine: departed at 8 AM for Qicai Danxia Scenic Area. Ticket: 74 yuan (including internal shuttle), reasonable. The scenic area wasn't as breathtaking as the pictures or as colorful as in other travelogues. Maybe because we were visiting at noon. I heard it's better in the evening when colors are more distinct. After tourist-style sightseeing, we drove all the way to Zhuor Mountain, passing through Qilian Grassland. Seeing herds of sheep and cattle on the mountain slopes, I really wanted to know their owner, haha. Every place we passed was beautiful. Finally, we arrived at Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Fields. I've never seen such a vast expanse of rapeseed flowers—truly pleasing to the eye. Started crazy photo-taking! Finally, we drove west all the way back to the starting point. (PS: Experienced the longest pee of my life—I felt like I was going to collapse.) Returned to the hotel—stayed at the worst hotel of the trip, the most frustrating few hours. Even now, I'm still angry when I think about it. Hmph ? Still, I have to upload pictures. Goodnight, Xining. Mobile phone vs. SLR effect.

Today also needs portrait photos, haha. View outside the car window—'where the grass bends, sheep and cattle appear'. Menyuan rapeseed flowers are famously beautiful. Took five hundred pictures furiously. The scenery along the road looks like a backdrop. The difference between mobile phone and SLR is huge, especially for landscapes. So if you have an SLR, bring it. Little F taught me how to use the SLR, but I forgot again—aging is tough.

July 11th. Overcast, drizzly, a bit cold. Departed at 10 AM for Xining Kumbum Monastery (Tar Temple). Possibly the most disappointing scenic spot of the trip. The entrance was chaotic with cars and pedestrians mixed. Inside, there were parked cars in every solemn place. According to the guide, there is everything here—many people spend their whole lives inside. Indeed, I saw a company, a nursing home, a school—haha, like a world apart. Although it left a poor impression, I still visited seriously and even bowed devoutly. After all, I am a Buddhist believer. Finally, we left quickly. Arrived in the city at 2 PM. At the starting point, I had a bowl of yogurt with little G, said a reluctant goodbye, and had a pleasant chat with the taxi driver. One thing I'm good at is avoiding awkward silences, so I usually chatter to fill the air. Then took a private car to the airport, posted a few emotional moments on WeChat Moments—trip over. Thank you, D for driving, F for taking photos, and lovely G. Nice to meet you all. Thanks for your hard work. Finally, pictures. Encountered a monk drawing well water. A dog that has attained enlightenment—dog says: 'You're the one talking about yourself??' A scarf that accompanied me for ten days. Lucky to see a sunset in the sky at 9 PM. The view from the ground and from above is different.

Alright, farewell my great northwest. Total expenses: accommodation + round-trip airfare + food + scenic spot tickets + car rental, gas, tolls, etc., around 4,200 yuan. Finally finished writing at 12:45 PM on July 24, 2020. The main reason is that there were too many photos this time... I'm exhausted. The Qinghai-Gansu route is truly worth visiting—extremely beautiful. I don't know when I'll get the chance to go on the Sichuan-Tibet route. If my life can only be like this, I'm content with it. Next stop: the three northeastern provinces, to be determined. Milk.