Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop: Six Minus One in the Northwest

This is probably the fastest travelogue I've ever written. To quote Old Li (though I haven't paid the 'copyright fee' yet, haha): Because time flies too fast, because my memory is poor, I have to use all my effort to record every moment that touches my heart.

We planned to go to Australia, we planned to circle Xinjiang, but plans can't keep up with changes. This year's longest holiday could only be a domestic trip. Since everyone bought China Southern's 'Happy Fly' pass, we were initially worried we might not be able to redeem the long-haul tickets for National Day. We made Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C for grabbing tickets. Fortunately, the two-hour night wasn't wasted. Although there were some small hiccups, the result was still satisfactory.

(1) Total Cost: 6,000 RMB per person (excluding airfare):

1. Airfare: China Southern Airlines

2020-10-01, Guangzhou-Xining, 06:30-09:30

2020-10-10, Xining-Guangzhou, 19:10-22:00

2. Accommodation: 9 nights, 1,600 RMB per person

This National Day, the Northwest was a popular travel destination, so as soon as we decided to go, we started looking at hotels early, booking about a month in advance. Later, our driver told us that the hotels we booked for 600-700 RMB a night had doubled in price during National Day, and might not even be available. The accommodation conditions on the Northwest Loop aren't great, so after comparing, we mainly chose hotels, plus a few more distinctive guesthouses.

3. Private Car Hire: 1,000 RMB per day, plus 50 RMB per day for the driver's meal allowance

We originally planned to self-drive, but adhering to the principle of safety first, with few experienced drivers among us, we finally chose to hire a car. There are many options for car hire on the Northwest Loop. After comparison, we chose a driver recommended by a friend. For six people, we just happened to choose a 7-seat MPV. All-inclusive price, we paid a small deposit upfront, and settled after the trip.

4. Weather:

The Northwest is already very cold in October, with quite strong winds and sand. It's warm when the sun is out at noon, but gets cold quickly after the sun goes down. It's recommended to bring a thick jacket no matter what.

5. Drone: 60 RMB per day

Old Xie said that without a drone, the Northwest trip would be wasted. It turned out that the drone not only let us see scenery from different heights, but also helped us scout the way. Highly recommended to bring one!

Still adhering to the principle of safety first, after all, the youngest member of our group missed out on matsutake chicken soup due to altitude sickness and gastroenteritis in Shangri-La last year, which she regretted deeply. So we started taking Rhodiola a few days in advance, and everyone stayed healthy throughout the trip.

(2) Itinerary:

Day 1: 2020-10-01 Guangzhou-Xining

Day 2: 2020-10-02 Xining-Qinghai Lake-Chaka No.1-Chaka Town

Day 3: 2020-10-03 Chaka Town-Emerald Lake-Dachaidan Town

Day 4: 2020-10-04 Dachaidan Town-U-shaped Highway-Water Yadan-双色湖-Dongtai Jinaier Lake-Dachaidan Town

Day 5: 2020-10-05 Dachaidan Town-Aksai Oil Town-Dunhuang-Again Dunhuang

Day 6: 2020-10-06 Dunhuang-Mogao Caves-Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring-Dunhuang

Day 7: 2020-10-07 Dunhuang-Wujie Guazhou-Jiayuguan-Jinta Poplar Forest-Jiayuguan

Day 8: 2020-10-08 Jiayuguan-Rainbow Danxia-Zhangye

Day 9: 2020-10-09 Zhangye-Qilian Zhuor Mountain-Qilian

Day 10: 2020-10-10 Qilian-Xining-Guangzhou

Originally we planned to go to Mangya, but due to transportation, accommodation, and time issues, we finally gave up Mangya and added Jinta Poplar Forest.

DAY 1 Guangzhou-Xining

As someone who loves to play and wander, nothing is more important than making good use of all time to have fun. So on the first day of National Day, we took an early flight to Xining. The first day was mainly for resting in Xining. After landing, starving, we had lunch at Moji Street. The advantage of having many people is that we could order everything we wanted to eat. The hand-grabbed lamb ribs were delicious, the taste and texture of grilled lamb intestines were very special. Several friends who came to Xining for the first time fell in love with fermented rice wine (laozao). Delu yogurt still tasted the same as four years ago, and there were fried potato cakes from street stalls. Almost every day of the Grand Loop we ate lamb and yogurt. I love this life so much.

After lunch, we went to Dongguan Mosque. It was not open for visit during the pandemic, so we could only feel it from outside.

I haven't experienced autumn in the north for many years. Walking on the streets of Xining, everything felt amazing. Seeing candied hawthorns in a child's hand, we looked for them while walking and actually found some. We stumbled upon a pastry shop selling sugar-frosted twisted dough sticks and dried hawthorn slices. We acted like kids, buying and eating while walking, wishing this happy time could last forever. Unfortunately, we didn't buy a small cap for Old Xie.

Conditions on the Northwest Loop are tough, with long drives every day. So in the afternoon, we went to a supermarket to stock up on snacks, fruit, and water. We accidentally discovered super delicious ginseng fruit. Later, the driver brother bought us a big bag in Zhangye, which was so touching.

In the evening, to have the sweet germ (tian peizi) milk tea that my friend had been craving, we went to Xinqian Night Market. We even found the fried skewers we had been longing for, completely satisfied.

October 1st was also Mid-Autumn Festival. Old Xie and A Zhang specially brought mooncakes, and my friend brought Pu'er tea. It was a perfect and special festival.

DAY 2 Xining-Qinghai Lake-Chaka No.1-Chaka Town

We got up at six, went to Quan'ertou Zasui in the dark. This shop only serves lamb offal soup for breakfast. Old Li said she'd go if fate allowed, thinking I would wake her when I got up, but I left silently, hahahaha. Although she did come in the end.

The weather wasn't good. It was gray when we set off in the morning. It was almost 11 when we reached Qinghai Lake. At Qinghai Lake, you can rent small electric bikes to ride, but there was a long queue. You can also take a ferry to an island in the center of the lake. Considering time, we only played around the dock. The trees on the lake gave a feeling similar to the lonely tree in New Zealand.

Qinghai Lake is really big. We could see the lake along the way to Chaka. Due to the terrain, the distant lake water seemed to have a drop, as if it might pour down at any moment.

We arrived at Chaka around four. The scenery of the salt lake really depends heavily on the weather. This time we went to the new scenic spot Sky No.1, which is larger than Sky Mirror. If the weather were good, it would be very beautiful.

In the evening, while eating beef noodles, we met a funny little boy. He was probably helping his parents at the shop during the holiday, and he even played Eason Chan's songs for us. A bunch of old aunties were cracking up.

DAY 3 Chaka Town-Emerald Lake-Dachaidan Town

The drive that day was quite long. At noon, we had instant noodles at a service area and bought black goji berries. Around 2-3 pm, we arrived at Emerald Lake. On the way, we unexpectedly encountered a long line of poplar trees, very beautiful.

Just as we arrived at Emerald Lake, we saw a guy who had stepped into mud. He kindly warned us not to step onto the mudflats casually. What looks like hard ground might be soft mud. The guy lamented his shoes worth over 300 RMB. The most beautiful emerald lake is near the exit, so when you first enter, you can just stay a little while. Walk more and look more to find the most beautiful patch. We used the drone to find the lake with the richest colors. You absolutely must have a drone to capture it. The emerald lake from God's perspective was stunning. Kudos again to our scout.

Today we all wore black by coincidence, looking a bit cool.

The kang pot (hangguo) in Dachaidan was too delicious. The driver brother said he always eats at Yibula, but because we played for a long time each day, we arrived at Dachaidan at 8-9 pm, and during National Day there were so many people, so we just switched to another place. Highly recommend Kelimu Kang Pot. It's said that kang pot is a specialty of Dachaidan. The potatoes inside have a crispy layer and a soft layer, and the lamb ribs are tender.

DAY 4 Dachaidan Town-U-shaped Highway-Water Yadan-Shuangse Lake-Dongtai Jinaier Lake-Dachaidan Town

Considering the large crowds during the holiday, the driver brother first took us to the farthest Water Yadan, then turned back. The U-shaped Highway, as an internet-famous spot, was really crowded. For safety, we just looked from afar by the roadside. The distant scenery was also nice.

Water Yadan is definitely worth visiting. The landscapes we saw every day in the Northwest were different. Walking in the desert, I felt like a drop in the ocean. In front of landscapes formed over ten thousand or a hundred million years, humans are so insignificant.

The driver said it's best to eat at Water Yadan that day, as there's no other place to eat. Inside Water Yadan, there are buffet and instant noodle spots before 2 pm. We unfortunately missed the meal time, so we had to survive on ice cream from the entrance and snacks from the car. The driver even shared his chicken frame with us, so touching.

2020 LV partner cover!

Shuangse Lake wasn't as stunning as expected. Maybe it was the weather, but we couldn't see the color difference between the two sides. However, by the lake, we met a group of little 'snobs' that swarmed when they saw food and flew away when there was none.

By the shore of Dongtai Jinaier Lake, it was so comfortable. We strolled together on the shore at sunset. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the lake, as if it would last forever.

DAY 5 Dachaidan Town-Aksai Oil Town-Dunhuang-Again Dunhuang

This day was mainly about traveling. We passed by the Aksai Oil Town film base, which felt desolate and ruined. The road was very natural, and every passing vehicle kicked up a layer of dust.

After checking in at Dunhuang, we had an hour of rest, leisurely making a cup of tea.

We booked the performance 'Again Dunhuang' at 7:30 pm in advance. Several friends strongly suggested watching 'Again Dunhuang' before visiting Mogao Caves. Before the performance, we were curious about its format, and online introductions were scarce. The immersive viewing experience left us only with awe and a Buddhist mindset. Only by experiencing it in person can you feel its brilliance and wonder.

A thousand years is just a moment.

In the evening, we visited Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market, very lively. A Zhang again set a flag to eat fruits she hadn't tried. We went from fruit stall to fruit stall, buying delicious grapes and gourd dates that were expensive but really sweet. We had a super large cup of sweet germ milk tea, and also had the worst meal in the Northwest. Thankfully, we remembered the driver's heartfelt advice: 'Consume rationally,' hahahaha.

DAY 6 Dunhuang-Mogao Caves-Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring-Dunhuang

On the previous day, we asked a taxi driver for food recommendations. He recommended Xiajia Hezhi and Daji Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles. Strongly recommend Xiajia Hezhi. On the first day, the queue at the door was already long. To rush to Mogao Caves, we almost gave up, but we persisted a bit. It was really, really delicious, so on the morning we left Dunhuang, we went again decisively.

After watching 'Again Dunhuang' the day before, we felt awe and curiosity when visiting Mogao Caves. Tickets for Mogao Caves must be booked a month in advance on the official WeChat account. We bought Category A tickets that allow visiting 8 caves. There are also special caves tickets available on site. Many online friends said the special caves are worth seeing, but because our reserved ticket time was late, we only got tickets for the 11:30 slot. So after visiting eight caves, it was already 3 pm, and we couldn't make it to the special caves tours at 11:30 and 14:30, so we had to give up. Hope to come again.

After Mogao Caves, we reached Mingsha Mountain in about half an hour. Many people climb Mingsha Mountain in the evening to watch the sunset, and the best angle to see Crescent Spring is from the mountain. There are two specially built pathways on Mingsha Mountain to help visitors climb. It's best, best, best to use the pathways. We were in a hurry, so we chose to climb the sand directly, but got exhausted halfway and gave up, watching the sunset from mid-slope.

DAY 7 Dunhuang-Wujie Guazhou-Jiayuguan-Jinta Poplar Forest-Jiayuguan

After eating Xiajia Hezhi again, we set off happily. Wujie is next to the Son of the Earth, said to be a large public art installation created by a professor from the Sculpture Department of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts. The group members took photos of Wujie.

At noon, we passed a service area in Guazhou. Friends recommended that Guazhou has many delicious fruits. The service area had many shops selling dried fruits, where you could taste freely. We spent a long time eating, buying, and taking a series of photos with uncontrolled expressions.

We arrived at Jiayuguan around 1-2 pm. We were more interested in the poplar forest, so we just glanced at Jiayuguan from outside and headed straight to the poplar forest.

The poplar forest is huge. Taking the shuttle bus to Jinbo Lake is the core scenic spot of Jinta. The weather was not good that day, but walking into the poplar forest was still stunning. We met a group of uncles from a photography association who were very interested in our drone, surrounding Old Xie to ask questions. They said they were waiting for the night light show. We were initially interested, but then we saw the group leader's photos of colorful lights from previous years, and thought, 'Ah, forget it.'

We left the poplar forest at around 7 pm, pitch black. To catch the last shuttle bus out, our group of six ran all the way, couldn't find the station, and finally found a car parked in the dark with the help of a stall owner. Gosh, thrilling. In the parking lot outside the scenic area, only our car was left.

We had been craving Jiayuguan's Yanjing BBQ after watching 'Flavorful Origins'. We were worried we'd have to queue like at other internet-famous shops, but maybe because we arrived at Jiayuguan at 10 pm, there were few people. It was really, really delicious. All the barbecue was first dipped in lamb fat, said to lock in moisture and make the meat crispy outside and tender inside. When paying, we saw the boss and chatted with him. Asked why he didn't join online review platforms, he said in a slightly dismissive but proud tone, 'Oh, I don't bother with that.' Loved it.

Too bad ZZ ordered takeout at the hotel. This should be one of the 'three major regrets' along with not going to New Zealand and not eating matsutake chicken.

DAY 8 Jiayuguan-Rainbow Danxia-Zhangye

Around 11, we arrived at the west gate of Danxia. After a quick bite, we bought tickets and went in. It seemed most people had already returned home, so there weren't many tourists. There were shuttle buses between each viewing platform. Just follow the signs. Everyone appreciates beauty, so we spent the whole time discussing whether the beret guy or the beanie guy was more handsome. ZZ was captivated by the beanie guy's aura and even scrutinized the beret guy's skin. Thumbs up! We even unexpectedly ran into a colleague.

Our hired driver was from Zhangye, so he invited us to his home for homemade spicy lamb trotters, lamb head, and big plate chicken. It was so delicious! The big plate chicken had a very special flavor. The driver thought we couldn't eat that much noodles, so he left out some noodle skins and vermicelli, but we finished everything cleanly. That evening, we were not only hit by delicious food but also by the driver's generosity. Sigh.

DAY 9 Zhangye-Qilian Zhuor Mountain-Qilian

In the morning, the driver took us to eat the local specialty beef rice (niurou xiaofan). I also got to try the 'ho guo' (糊锅) I had seen before, locally called 'hu po'. The design of the high and low stools was great; we all sat in a row at the door eating. At that moment, we were locals.

We stopped and went along the way. Under the sun, Zhuor Mountain was fresh and peaceful. Climbing up, we could see distant snow-capped mountains. Walking toward the sunset, it was dazzling but attractive. After the sun went down, it quickly got cold. We, originally waiting for a group photo, quickly snapped a few shots and rushed down.

The face masks we bought in Dunhuang finally came in handy. Every time we looked at the photos, we laughed to death. If going with friends, you absolutely must buy them; this joy is incomparable.

DAY 10 Qilian-Xining-Guangzhou

The drive from Qilian to Xining took about five to six hours. On the way, we found a straight road to take the road photos we had been longing for, saw snow-capped mountains, ate milk skin (naipi), and said goodbye to the cattle and sheep. Maybe we stopped too many times, so we were rushed to get to the airport in Xining. The driver even got off to see us off. Hope to see each other again in Xinjiang next year!

Time flies quickly. A hundred million years, a thousand years, ten days, one day—all are just a moment.

Photographer No.1: Zhenzi

Photographer No.2: A Zhang

Producer: Old Li