Traversing Qaidam (Part 1)

2020 was a year destined to be recorded in history, a year unforgettable for the whole world. Because of the epidemic, I was confined for 8 months. Though my body had not moved, my heart had already traveled far. I planned numerous travel routes early on. In early August, based on the national weather forecast and epidemic situation, I finally decided to head to the northwestern hinterland: Lanzhou - Dunhuang - Qinghai.

We flew from Chengdu to Lanzhou, stayed overnight, then flew from Lanzhou to Dunhuang, drove from Dunhuang to Golmud in Qinghai, and then entered Hoh Xil from Golmud before returning.

It happened to be just after tourism resumed. The overnight stay in Lanzhou was covered by the airline to boost consumption along the route. We had to make this contribution. Let's go and stimulate Lanzhou's economy!

Lanzhou's beer is sold in whole cans. Eating barbecue and drinking beer—how delightful! Cheers!

When in Lanzhou, how could we not eat Lanzhou beef noodles? That was our breakfast the next day. It's very different from our southern morning meals, which are mainly congee. The portion was huge, with meat too. Although it tasted great, eating meat early in the morning was still a challenge for us.

After breakfast, the airline sent a car to pick us up for the airport to start the next leg of our journey—flying to Dunhuang.

We arrived in Dunhuang around noon. The young man who picked us up took us directly to a local specialty restaurant—donkey meat yellow noodles.

Such a large bowl of yellow noodles, such large portions of dishes—we looked hesitant. Next time we order, we must order less to avoid waste.

After lunch, we went to the Mogao Caves. This was my second time here, and it had changed a lot compared to ten years ago. Many trees and flowers had been planted in the area. Where there was once nothing but yellow sand, now there was thick green shade. What amazed me most was that the dirt road from Dunhuang city to the Mogao Caves had become a two-lane asphalt road, a fast tourist route. I recalled how, back then, a dirt road was buried in yellow sand, and when vehicles passed, they raised clouds of dust. In such a scene, I understood the phrase 'disappear into the dust' from martial arts novels.

Because of the epidemic, the site management was excellent. All tourists had to wear masks. Each open cave had a guide at the entrance repeatedly explaining the contents, so that arriving visitors could learn the relevant knowledge. Visitors could not linger inside; everyone listened while slowly moving through the cave to view it.

The surface temperature in Dunhuang that day was 40 degrees Celsius. The scorching heat did not stop tourists from all over the country. Everyone queued up in an orderly manner, displaying great civility.

In the northwest, the rammed earth houses are very distinctive.

I once took a commemorative photo here, but now due to the epidemic, it's fenced off with wooden barriers, so I could only take a picture from a distance.

This is an iconic building—definitely photo-worthy.

The current Dunhuang Museum has a creative products store. Honestly, the product development is quite good, more distinctive and practical than tourist souvenirs from some inland scenic spots. Compared to pure souvenirs, I prefer practical items.

After returning from the Mogao Caves, we rested at the hotel because it was too hot outside. In the evening, we went to the legendary Dunhuang Night Market. This was also the biggest regret of our trip. For this reason, I strongly recommended to friends who traveled later that they should allocate more time to slowly explore here.

The night market usually opens around 7 p.m. Because there is a two-hour time difference from Beijing time, 7 p.m. Beijing time is actually 5 p.m. local time, and the sky was still blazing with sunlight. However, tourists from all over had already started coming to the market at this time to find food and buy local specialties. The market was orderly and bustling. Various northwestern noodles, grilled meats, and beer were mouthwatering; Gobi agate, luminous cups, wooden products, and jade products were dazzling; a variety of dried goods, fruits, and melons were everywhere. There were many kinds of grapes, and we couldn't even name them; some grape names we had never heard of. In the end, we bought a small watermelon and Li Guang apricots, planning to replenish water and vitamin C back at the hotel.

Speaking of regret, it's because we had booked tickets to see the performance 'Again See Dunhuang' at the Dunhuang Theater that evening. Since it was about to start, we had to reluctantly leave the night market without having fully explored it.

It was a grand-scale immersive play. The entire theater was built specifically for the show. The audience stands inside the theater and moves from one performance hall to another as the plot develops. The format was very innovative, attempting to recreate the historical story of how the Silk Road formed over 2,000 years ago. A thousand years, in an instant!

Historical figures came towards us, telling stories from over 2,000 years ago, as the scroll of history slowly unfolded.

Back at the hotel, we packed up for the next day's journey. Starting tomorrow, we would drive from Dunhuang into Qinghai Province, beginning our true northwest adventure.