【Check-in Qinghai-Gansu】9-Day Grand Loop in the Northwest
【Before the Trip】
To me, the great northwest of China has always been remote and mysterious.
This annual leave trip was actually unplanned. When I decided to go to the northwest with my colleague, to be honest, I was both excited and nervous. Thankfully, everything exceeded my expectations!
First, a photo of the four of us.
Harbin—Xining, August 28, 2020, EU2282, 18:00—22:10, 845 yuan
Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop 7-day tour, chartered car: 1300 yuan/person
Xining—Lanzhou, September 6, 2020, D766, 07:58—10:11, 55 yuan
Lanzhou—Harbin, September 6, 2020, 3U8322, 21:00—00:15, 900 yuan
August 28: Xining, Yicai Qinghang Hotel (No. 1, Bayi West Road, Chengdong District), 408 yuan/night
August 29: Chaka, Jintian Century Hotel (500m east of the intersection of Bayin Road and Xingfu Road), 308 yuan/night
August 30-31: Haixi Dachaidan Plateau Blue Holiday Hotel (No. 35, Renmin West Road), 330 yuan/night
September 1-2: Dunhuang, Bohui Wenhua Hotel (South side of Feitian Shopping Center, Shazhou South Road), 270 yuan/night
September 3: Zhangye Fulaideng Hot Spring Holiday Hotel (200m east of the intersection of Linze North Road and Linsong East Street, Ganzhou District), 300 yuan/night
September 4-5: Ibis Styles Hotel (No. 88, Delingha Road, Chengdong District, Wenjin Lidu), 215 yuan/night
The temperature difference between morning and evening in the northwest is huge. Be sure to bring colorful skirts, but when it rains it's freezing cold, so you need a heavy jacket and thermal pants.
【Expenses (per person)】
Transportation + scenic spots + souvenirs ≈ 7000 yuan
Found a map showing the loop route over these days, roughly 2800 km.
Day 1 (August 29): Xining—Laji Mountain—Qinghai Lake—Chaka Town (stay)
Day 2 (August 30): Caka Salt Lake—Crossing Qaidam Basin—Emerald Lake—Dachaidan (stay)
Day 3 (August 31): Dachaidan—Dongtai Jilner Lake—Wusute Water Yadan—National Highway 315 Internet-famous Road—Dachaidan (stay)
Day 4 (September 1): Dachaidan—Oil Town—Dunhuang Museum—'See You Again Dunhuang' Show—Dunhuang City (stay)
Day 5 (September 2): Dunhuang—Mogao Caves—Singing Sand Mountains & Crescent Spring—'See You Again Dunhuang'—Dunhuang City (stay)
Day 6 (September 3): Dunhuang City—Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geological Park—Danxia Town (stay)
Day 7 (September 4): Danxia Town—Gangshika Snow Peak—Menyuan Vast Rape Flower Sea—Xining (stay)
Day 8 (September 5): Xining—Kumbum Monastery—Xining (stay)
Day 9 (September 6): Lanzhou—Gansu Provincial Museum—Yellow River Iron Bridge—White Pagoda Mountain Park
On August 28 after work, I went straight to the terminal to check luggage and ate dumplings with my colleague. Time was just right. I didn't dare take off my mask on the plane. Arrived in Xining half an hour early. Xining Airport is very small; picking up luggage didn't take time. The driver from the chartered car was already waiting for us. He was about my age, already a father of two, dark and thin. Arrived at the hotel in 40 minutes. On this trip, my colleague arranged all the accommodation and meals. For the first time, I was the one just following along—I couldn't help but sigh: being a simpleton is truly blissful.
There were four of us: me, my colleague, and her parents. The accommodation was good, the itinerary wasn't too tiring, and we had a great time!
Day 1 (August 29): Xining—Laji Mountain—Qinghai Lake—Chaka Town (stay)
Xining is already at 2261 meters elevation. We all experienced varying degrees of altitude sickness. Woke up at 7 for breakfast, departed at 8:30 sharp. The weather was uncooperative: it rained the first day, cold and damp.
The road to Qinghai Lake was misty all the way. Outdoor temperature was only 6°C, but that didn't dampen our spirits—we were all excited.
We had a chartered SUV. The driver sped along the winding mountain road; the fog was so thick we couldn't see the road. Anxiously we reached the top of Laji Mountain at 3820 meters. The rain kept 'moisturizing' our faces, and symptoms of palpitations and tinnitus set in.
Laji Mountain is called 'Gongmaola' in Tibetan, meaning the habitat of chukar partridges. It's a boundary between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. At the top is a temple—Zonggala Temple.
On the stone piers in front of the temple were pine branches, dates, ghee, etc., left by Tibetans—probably prayer offerings.
Crossing the Laji Mountain pass, we saw herds of cattle and sheep everywhere, and pay toilets (unified price 1 yuan in Qinghai Province).
In the distance were large patches of rape flower fields. July to August is the season for Qinghai rape flowers, but by the time we arrived, many had withered. Local herders fence off the fields and set up photo props for a fee.
The car kept driving between the Qilian Mountains and Qinghai Lake. When those place names from textbooks appeared before my eyes, the feeling was truly magical.
The Qilian Mountains ('Qilian' means 'heaven' in Xiongnu language) lie along the border between northeastern Qinghai Province and western Gansu Province. They are one of the major mountain ranges in China, composed of multiple parallel ranges and wide valleys trending northwest-southeast. The range is 800 km long, 200–400 km wide, with elevations of 4000–6000 meters. It has 3306 glaciers covering about 2062 square kilometers.
We finally arrived at Qinghai Lake before noon. We didn't enter the Erlangjian Scenic Area. After passing Erlangjian, you see a gas station; opposite it, there's a free parking lot. A 10-minute stroll leads to the lake shore for free.
Qinghai Lake is called 'Cuo Wenbu' in Tibetan (meaning 'blue sea'). Located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, within Qinghai Province, it was formed by fault subsidence between Da Tong Mountain, Riyue Mountain of the Qilian Mountains, and Qinghai Nanshan Mountain. It is China's largest inland lake and the namesake of Qinghai Province. The lake is huge; you can also cycle around it. According to legend, over 1000 years ago, during the Tang-Tubo alliance, Princess Wencheng was married to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. Before departure, the Tang Emperor gave her a magical mirror that could reflect scenes of her hometown. Along the way, missing home, she took out the mirror and indeed saw the long-lost Chang'an. She wept profusely. But suddenly remembering her mission, she resolutely threw the mirror away. When it hit the ground, a golden light flashed, and it turned into Qinghai Lake.
From afar, Qinghai Lake was a deep blue.
Along the shore, Tibetans led yaks for tourists to take photos: 20 yuan to enter the water, 10 yuan to stay on land.
Of course I took tourist photos. The yak's hair was very stiff; I was a bit scared going into the water.
It felt colder by the lake. Due to the cloudy weather, the water didn't look blue up close. The legendary Qinghai Lake left me a bit disappointed.
On the way back to the parking lot, the Qilian Mountains opposite also looked beautiful.
At noon, the driver took us to a restaurant—obviously they had a partnership. Fortunately, the prices were reasonable for a scenic area. We ordered special pit-roasted lamb, highland barley cakes, and yak yogurt. The local tea was salted tea.
The highland barley cakes were surprisingly delicious—sweet in the middle, a bit sticky (35 yuan for 8 pieces).
The pit-roasted lamb (188 yuan) was a bit spicy; the side dishes were tasty, but the meat was a bit tough—probably due to the high altitude.
Yak yogurt (12 yuan) had a thick layer of milk skin, pleasantly tart, quite good.
After a good meal, we continued on. After a while, the sky gradually cleared. We spotted a green meadow and stopped again to play! This time I truly appreciated the beauty of Qinghai Lake! The great thing about chartered car is you can stop anytime to play.
Played for an hour, then continued to Chaka Town. Checked into the hotel and went out to find food.
Dinner was this: yak bone soup. It was freezing all day, so hot bone soup warmed us up.
The chili sauce was so fragrant that you could buy some as a local specialty. This meal was very affordable—21 yuan total.
Also bought a cup of special highland barley ghee milk tea, sweet and fragrant.
In the northwest, it gets dark very late; it was still bright after 8 pm. Went back to the hotel to rest early.
Day 2 (August 30): Caka Salt Lake—Crossing Qaidam Basin—Emerald Lake—Dachaidan (stay)
Altitude sickness caused us to wake up breathless in the middle of the night; sleep quality was poor.
Breakfast at 7:30, departed at 8:30. Today's highlight was Caka Salt Lake. As everyone knows, the 'Mirror of the Sky' is not much to see if the weather is bad. Fortunately, the morning was clear and sunny!
The view from the hotel window: continuous snow-capped mountains and a lake.
When we arrived at Caka, there were quite a few people. In the northwest, apart from seeing tourists at attractions and cars from all over the country on the roads, you hardly see anyone.
Caka Salt Lake (during COVID: ticket 30 yuan, normally 60 yuan; small train one-way 50 yuan).
'Caka' means 'salt pond' in Tibetan. Along with Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, and Mengda Heavenly Lake, it is one of the 'Four Great Scenes of Qinghai' and was listed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the '55 places you must visit in your lifetime'.
We checked many strategies and followed advice to buy only the one-way small train ticket to go in. This proved wise: take the train to the deepest part, then slowly walk back to the exit—a whole morning was enough.
The scenery along the small train was breathtaking—blue sky, white clouds, and snowy mountains reflected on the salt lake surface; it melted our hearts.
Here the sunshine duration is long, UV intense; be sure to protect yourself from the sun.
These little grains are salt particles.
We walked and stopped until we found a less crowded area. Rented shoe covers (10 yuan) and entered the water for photos. But be careful: there are salt holes everywhere; the light was so strong we couldn't see the photo results—just went by feeling.
Shoe covers have left and right; I put them on the wrong feet.
We started heading back around 11:00, skipping and jumping all the way. That night the altitude sickness worsened—we brought it on ourselves.
After lunch in Chaka Town, we set off to cross the Qaidam Basin.
Beef noodles: 13 yuan.
The Qaidam Basin is one of China's four major basins and the highest in elevation. Qaidam is not only a world of salt (southeastern part has many salt lakes and marshes) but also rich in oil, coal, and various metal deposits, such as Lenghu's oil, Yuka's coal, and Xitieshan's lead-zinc mine. Hence it's known as the 'Treasure Bowl'.
The car drove at 130 km/h for over 4 hours. The landscape was desolate, with low shrubs hugging the ground—like a wilderness movie. We saw many large trucks carrying wind turbine blades.
We arrived at Dachaidan Emerald Lake around 5:00. Emerald Lake was originally a mining area for the Dachaidan Chemical Plant's salt lake mining team. Because the lake water is clear and turquoise under sunlight, like emerald, it got its name. Currently it's free, but they've started building a gate. Soon it will become a paid attraction.
Emerald Lake is vast, dazzlingly green and blue—especially beautiful if shot with a drone.
We stayed that night in Dachaidan Town. My headache intensified, I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit—severe altitude sickness.
When we went to eat yak hotpot (278 yuan), I nearly fainted; I barely ate a few slices of yak meat. But the meat was very flavorful.
Day 3 (August 31): Dachaidan—Wusute Water Yadan—Dongtai Jilner Lake—National Highway 315—Dachaidan (stay)
After a night's sleep, the altitude sickness symptoms disappeared—I could jump around again. Dachaidan was much drier than previous towns; my lips were chapped in the morning. Departed at 8:00 sharp. On the way to Dongtai Jilner Lake, we saw Yadan landforms all around, vast and magnificent.
Note: The original itinerary included Nanbaxian Yadan, but after checking strategies, we found Yadan landforms everywhere along the road, no need to specifically go to Nanbaxian.
Our driver stopped at a random Yadan area for us to take photos.
We also passed the most beautiful section of National Highway 315; many people stopped to take photos, which is very dangerous.
Dongtai Jilner Lake is located in Golmud City, within the Qaidam Basin. It is a large lithium deposit dominated by brine, which creates its stunning blue color. Currently it's also a free attraction (online Maldives). Cars need to pay 10 yuan parking fee.
Dongtai Jilner Lake wasn't that beautiful; its color changes with seasons, so everyone sees a different view.
Then we headed to Wusute Water Yadan Geopark (ticket 120 yuan, shuttle bus round trip 60 yuan).
We first had lunch in the park—still noodles. My northeastern stomach was starting to protest.
Entering the park, we took the bus to the deepest part, then got off stop by stop on the way back. Because the Jilner Lake water level rose, gradually submerging the northern Yadan groups, creating a unique water Yadan—magical and mysterious. It's said that water Yadan is a unique sight worldwide.
Under the sunlight, the water Yadan looked golden; the stone pillars and reflections seemed to rise into midair like floating magical castles.
A pirate ship attraction—actually a replica ancient ship.
If you could come during sunset, you'd see the magnificent 'West Sea Fleet'.
After a day of travel, we returned to the hotel. But on the way back, we passed Little Qaidam Lake. Wow, this lake amazed me more than anything on this trip!
In the vast northwest Gobi, Little Qaidam Lake looked like an oasis. We could see greenery from afar; the lake water was clear blue, clean enough to see the bottom. Half-man-high reeds grew on the shore, swaying in the breeze, forming a stark contrast with the vast Gobi Desert opposite.
This lake gave me much comfort. We sat there in silence for a long time.
In the evening, we ate local barbecue: roast lamb ribs (90 yuan per jin) were incredibly delicious, no gamey taste.
Roasted naan—crispy and fragrant.
Lamb skewers—tender and juicy.
Roast lamb ribs—oh my!
In the previous days, due to altitude sickness, I didn't dare drink alcohol. Today feeling better, I couldn't resist showing off.
Wheat porridge cooked with salted pork—quite fragrant.
A quiet town, the sunset's afterglow—tomorrow would end our Qinghai journey and we would enter Gansu.
Day 4 (September 1): Dachaidan—Oil Town—Dunhuang Museum—'See You Again Dunhuang' Show—Dunhuang City (stay)
Departed at 8:00 for Dunhuang. Passed through a no-man's land, had to get out of the car for security check before entering Gansu.
We bought some Hami melons earlier—they were quite sweet.
Finally arrived at Oil Town (ticket 30 yuan, electric cart 10 yuan) around 11:00. Oil Town is located in the old county seat of Aksai, Jiuquan, Gansu. It was once a bustling oil town. The movie 'The Ghouls' filmed there. Because of oil, the town was built from scratch; from bustling to ruins, traces of human existence have merged with nature.
Riding the electric cart, we were jolted through flying sand and dirt. Actually, it wasn't necessary to buy the cart ticket; walking wasn't far.
This is China's most mysterious ancient town. It has no name, only a prefecture-level code: 404. Oil Town was once very prosperous, isolated in the Gobi Desert, yet it had its own administrative institutions, hospital, kindergarten, school, and even a vinegar factory. The town is small, basically one main street. They set up a few weird-sounding monsters—somewhat inappropriate. Spent half an hour and left.
Lunch was noodles again. Finally in Gansu, we could taste the famous local apricot-peel water.
Yellow sand everywhere—even the direction arrows were bold.
On the way to Dunhuang, the itinerary originally included Yangguan Pass. But I checked: only the Beacon Tower remains from the original site; everything else was rebuilt. We weren't interested, so we canceled that and headed straight to Dunhuang City.
Our hotel was right next to Shazhou Night Market, with an excellent location—we could see Mingsha Mountain from the window.
At 3:00, it was still early, so we immediately booked the Dunhuang Museum (free).
The museum's exterior is distinctive—shaped like the walls and beacon towers of the Han Dynasty Great Wall. Inside, it feels like entering a cave complex; walls and corridors mimic ancient grotto corridors.
Exhibits fall into two categories: one focuses on Mogao Grottoes art, including a replica of the undeveloped Cave 45, showing the musical cave style. There are also some Dunhuang manuscripts (the famous 'Dunhuang Documents'), very precious. The other category features Silk Road culture, with Northern Liang stone pagodas, portrait bricks, etc. The most unusual nationwide is the unicorn brick, which is the museum's treasure—don't miss it.
After the visit, we strolled around the city, walked in the night market, and found a place to eat.
Famous local: Liu Hongxing Apricot-Peel Water. Li Guang apricots are available June 25 to July 10—said to be extremely delicious.
Dunhuang specialty: donkey meat with yellow noodles.
Local Yumen grapes (10 yuan per jin)—thin skin, sweet flesh, melts in the mouth, truly delicious. In the following days, we kept buying these grapes.
At 8 pm, the driver picked us up to watch 'See You Again Dunhuang' (298 yuan per person). This series is worth looking forward to.
The venue is in front of the tourist distribution center, about 12.5 km from the city center, in the same square as the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. Slightly different: the venue is underground. Following spiral stairs, turning every 10 meters, you gradually descend into the venue, as if progressing through history, peeling away the millennium-old veil to dream back to Dunhuang's glory. After entering, the first performance has no seats; there are runways about 2 meters wide and 1 meter high in the middle and on both sides. Visitors can walk between the runways to watch, enhancing the visual impact and making you feel like you're witnessing grand scenes of history.
The first scene: over a thousand years, historical figures walk toward us from the center stage and then return to stand on the sides. Wrapped in glory yet weathered by time, they seem to carry poignant stories. After all figures move to the sides, the narrator calls roll: 'Huang Lin—present! Huang Jiawen—present! Quan Guoli—present!' Each 'present' awakens a historical figure and evokes memories sealed for millennia. Roll call ends, lights dim, and suddenly rain pours like curtains on both sides. Each figure strikes a unique pose, each pose seeming to contain emotion and expectation. Then the background music begins: 'A moment, just a moment, a dream, dreamed for a thousand years!' A thousand years in an instant. Somehow, I didn't experience their stories but felt their sorrow.
Following the staff's guidance, we entered another venue for the second act, which mainly depicts the Daoist Wang Yuanlu's actions and deep repentance regarding the Mogao Caves. Watching the millennia-old scriptures stolen, the exquisite murals destroyed by foreign powers—thousand-year-old Mogao, I glimpsed your splendor, but also witnessed your sorrow.
The third act is the most iconic. It takes place in the same venue as the second act but on a different stage. The performers connect hands to form a bridge; we watched the graceful figure of the flying celestial maiden, feeling her reluctance to part. We were heartbroken and at a loss. Indeed, we failed to protect the historical scriptures, letting ignorance miss the glory.
The fourth act: guides lead visitors into different rooms, each holding 20-30 people, but the story is the same: the stories of several ladies depicted in the murals. The room has a three-layer design; visitors are in the middle. Through transparent glass below, you see the ladies in rouge and powder. Looking up, you see drifting yellow sand, with someone a thousand years later digging through sand to trace history. For lighting reasons, photography was prohibited here.
The fifth and final act is the most visually stunning in terms of lighting and stage design. The guide leads us to the auditorium to sit. The opening depicts the development of the thousand-year Mogao Caves and Silk Road, along with historical figures. The beautiful lighting and stage effects fully enhance the atmosphere—grand and magnificent, yet conveying the vicissitudes of history. I won't spoil too much. In this 90-minute show, every viewer will have a unique emotional experience—sorrow or awe. But I felt the rise and fall of a glorious era and the feeling of helplessness.
Dunhuang—through a thousand years, listening to your sorrow, my skin covered in goosebumps.
Back in the city, we strolled in the night market and bought some local specialties for friends.
Bought savory scallion beef pancakes, northwest tripe, Harbin beer, and drank until 2 am in the hotel.
Day 5 (September 2): Dunhuang—Mogao Caves—Singing Sand Mountains & Crescent Spring—'See You Again Dunhuang'—Dunhuang City (stay)
Couldn't get up in the morning. The uncle and aunt bought us local breakfast: tofu pudding, soy milk, wraps, tea eggs—very rich.
The highlight today was the Mogao Caves, a place I had always longed to see.
The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, are located southeast of Dunhuang city. Construction began during the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Eastern Jin dynasty and lasted for a thousand years until the end of the Yuan dynasty. They contain a vast number of murals, caves, and artifacts, making them a world-renowned Buddhist art site.
The current Mogao site consists of the Mogao Digital Exhibition Center and the Mogao Caves themselves. Tickets are combined: Category A (238 yuan) allows visits to 8 caves and includes two digital films; Category B (100 yuan) allows visits to 4 caves. No separate tickets. Reservations are required online, and you visit at a scheduled time.
After picking up tickets, you must go to the Digital Exhibition Center first (you cannot go directly to the caves, or you won't be allowed in). Watch two 20-minute films: one called 'Millennium Mogao' introduces the history and culture of the caves, helping visitors understand them better. The second, 'Dreamy Buddha Palace', is a dome-screen film showing many caves that are not open to the public, very impressive.
After the films, take the shuttle bus to the caves. We bought Category A tickets, which include a guide. We were led in groups. Each guide shows different caves. The Mogao Caves are famous for their murals and sculptures, truly spectacular.
Mogao Caves exceeded my expectations. I thought caves would be small, but no. As a local temple, Mogao includes caves dug by monks for meditation and also family caves funded by local donors, who could have portraits of family members painted inside. So cave sizes vary.
The guide carries a key and locks each cave after the visit.
All cave doors were funded by Run Run Shaw and are made of aluminum alloy.
The Nine-Story Pagoda actually contains a seated Buddha statue 35.5 meters high—the largest Buddha in Mogao, third largest in China after the Leshan Giant Buddha and the Rongxian Giant Buddha. In the Tang dynasty it was called the 'Northern Great Statue'. The guide said it was built after Wu Zetian ascended the throne, modeled after herself, implying she was an incarnation of Buddha to calm public opinion.
Inside the caves, everywhere are paintings of Buddhas, flying celestials, musicians, fairies. Some statues are as high as nine stories, others as small as ten centimeters. They are numerous and varied. The caves are very dark; the guide uses a special cold light flashlight to illuminate. We visited 8 caves: 29, 332, 340, 292, 61, 71, 96, and the Library Cave. Several caves had statues restored during the Qing dynasty; the unrestored ones had facial features oxidized black. Regrettable—heartbreaking.
On May 26, 1900, the Library Cave was discovered. The Daoist Wang Yuanlu, while cleaning sand, accidentally found it and unearthed over 40,000 Buddhist scriptures, social documents, embroideries, silk paintings, and ritual implements from the 4th to 11th centuries. But local wealthy people didn't recognize their value, and the corrupt Qing government failed to protect them. Consequently, a large number of Dunhuang manuscripts and relics were taken away by foreign 'expeditions' and scattered worldwide. The remaining parts were transported to Beijing and stored in the National Library. The murals and statues also suffered damage.
After visiting the caves, the guide led us to a bookstore selling related books; many were out of print. I bought one. In the restoration exhibition hall, they restored 8 closed caves and showed the process of making statues—quite educational.
We returned to the hotel around 2 pm to rest, planning to go to Mingsha Mountain later when it wasn't so hot (sand burns!).
Departed at 6:00 for Mingsha Mountain (110 yuan). Here, sand dunes coexist with a spring, long known as a 'desert wonder' and one of Dunhuang's icons. You can climb the sand dunes to overlook Crescent Spring and watch the desert sunset, experiencing the vastness and desolation of the northwest.
Activities include camel riding, sand sliding, grass sliding, desert motorcycles, archery, helicopter tours. I was tempted by the glider (480 yuan), but no one else wanted to join, so I rode a camel (100 yuan for about 40 minutes).
Camel riding was fun and not scary. The handler takes photos for 20 yuan each (optional).
Dismounting was a bit scary; the camel's knees seemed sturdy—it didn't limp.
We had bought shoe covers in advance, so no sand got in. Renting on site is possible but quality is poor.
After the camel ride, we rushed to climb Mingsha Mountain to see the sunset. But climbing in sand is exhausting. We only made it halfway; the sun was about to set, so we just sat on the sand and watched the sunset.
Crescent Spring lies at the foot of Mingsha Mountain, surrounded by sand dunes. Due to the terrain, wind blows sand uphill rather than downhill, so the spring never gets buried. It's known as the 'Eye of the Desert'.
My college friend came from Guazhou to see me; we hadn't met in seven years. Late at night we ate Braised Lamb with Flatbread and drank some highland barley wine. Hazy and tipsy, we chatted about the past—a wonderful time.
Day 6 (September 3): Dunhuang City—Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geological Park—Danxia Town (stay)
We chatted until 3 am last night. Luckily, today we didn't have to go to Jiayuguan, so we could leave later. Set off at 10:00 after a KFC breakfast. Said goodbye to my friend and headed straight for Zhangye. When passing Guazhou, we had to buy melons to pass smoothly (many can guess the trick).
After a day's drive, we arrived at Zhangye around 5:00, having taken several naps. Dinner was KFC in the scenic area.
Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Area (ticket 74 yuan, electric cart 20 yuan) is the only area in China that combines Danxia landforms with colorful hills. It was rated by Chinese National Geography as one of China's seven most beautiful Danxia landforms.
Danxia landforms belong to red-layer landforms, formed by long-term weathering and water erosion of red sandstone, creating isolated peaks and steep cliffs. They develop in red sandstone and conglomerate layers from the Jurassic to Tertiary periods, typically with vertical joints. Danxia Mountain in northern Guangdong is the most typical, hence the name 'Danxia landform'.
Zhangye Danxia is mainly composed of red conglomerate, sandstone, and mudstone. Visitors see thousands of cliffs and mountains in bright red and reddish-brown, especially under sunlight, forming a colorful and magnificent landscape.
We entered and exited through the North Gate. First took the electric cart to No. 2 Xianyuan Terrace Viewing Platform—average but with vivid colors. Then we went directly to the most spectacular No. 4 Yunxia Terrace without stopping at other stops.
The Danxia at sunset was brilliant and beautiful.
In the evening, we stayed at a hot spring hotel. Our northeastern stomachs couldn't take noodles anymore, so we ordered Sichuan food.
Soaked in the hot spring in our room—wonderful. Highly recommend this hotel.
Day 7 (September 4): Danxia Town—Gangshika Snow Peak—Menyuan Vast Rape Flower Sea—Xining (stay)
Departed at 10:30. Today we passed Gangshika Snow Peak, with wild little blue flowers everywhere. Elevation again; the tightness in my chest returned.
Lunch was Xinjiang mixian noodles—noodles again.
Continued driving. At Menyuan's vast rape flower fields, we didn't get out. The rape flower season was over. After 7 days of chartered car, we were physically and mentally exhausted. A distant view was enough.
Arrived in Xining at 6:00 pm. The charter ended.
We took a short break then went to dinner at Yixin Lamb Handgrip Restaurant, featured on 'A Bite of China'. At this restaurant, you first find a seat, then order at the counter. Short on staff, basically self-service; the queue was scary.
We were stuffed. Planned to walk back to the hotel. On the way, we bought local yogurt from a white-bearded Hui grandpa—only 3 yuan per bowl.
Walked 40 minutes back to the hotel. Tomorrow we could finally wake up naturally.
Day 8 (September 5): Xining—Kumbum Monastery—Xining (stay)
Woke up naturally at 9:30; it was raining outside. We lazed in bed until after 12:00 before deciding to go to Kumbum Monastery. Took a taxi (84 yuan, 40 minutes) to the monastery (ticket 70 yuan).
Kumbum Monastery has a history of over 400 years and is one of the most important monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug school (Yellow Hat sect). It is also the birthplace of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school. According to the guide, Kumbum's status in Tibetan Buddhism is higher than that of the Potala Palace.
Kumbum Monastery is clearly different from Han Buddhist temples in layout: it is not symmetrical along a central axis. The monastery is a complex of many halls, scripture halls, pagodas, and colleges irregularly distributed on a small hill. Visitors follow a free-form route rather than a straight central path.
