#Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop# Measuring the World with Travel Steps

Bacon once said: For young people, travel is part of education; for the elderly, travel is part of experience.

We read books to understand the world and to shape good values and methodologies. But mere preaching often remains a castle in the air above books.

So I prefer travel—to step out, to see the mighty Yellow River and Yangtze River described in books, to witness the towering mountains and lush primeval forests, to taste the sweet spring water and fresh wild mountain mushrooms.

Thus came a trip to the northwest. I originally planned to travel alone, but the vastness of the Northwest left me at a loss on how to plan. So I dug through travel bloggers' posts and found a private guide from a local travel company. It turned out to be a right choice. According to the young guide, without a local, one could easily take detours and get ripped off. The price was around 2000 yuan, covering accommodation, transport, and tours. The guide doubled as a driver, photographer, luggage carrier 😅, and food recommender (felt like a tool, needed everywhere but cheap). He was also very warm and told us a lot about local customs and traditions.

I saw the pure Three Rivers Source, the white sky and blue pagodas, the azure lake and blue sky, the lush forests 🌲 and grasslands, and the colorful totem patterns.

In six days, I walked through alpine snowfields, saw the Yellow River and Yangtze River, visited the Mirror of the Sky, and felt simplicity and warmth. Here is the six-day itinerary:

1️⃣ Xining -- Qinghai Lake Erlangjian -- Chaka Salt Lake -- Delingha/Dachaidan

2️⃣ Water Yadan — Delingha City — National Highway 315 U-shaped Internet-famous Road — Nanbaxian — Yadan Ghost City — Dachaidan/Delingha

3️⃣ Dachaidan — Emerald Lake — Dunhuang City

4️⃣ Dunhuang Mogao Caves — Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring — Dunhuang City

5️⃣ Dunhuang — Zhangye Colorful Danxia — Zhangye City

6️⃣ Zhangye — Qilian Grassland — Biandukou — Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers — Xining

After the six-day trip, I saw the northwestern landscape I had only seen in books and online. I marveled at the ever-changing climate of the Northwest—it felt like experiencing all four seasons in one day 🌦️. But I was also amazed by its vastness, expansiveness, warmth, and unrestrained spirit—something that shocks those who have long lived in the gentle, elegant, reserved, and introverted South. I have lived in both the South and the North. When stressed, anxious, or restless, riding a gallant horse on the northwestern grasslands, shouting loudly, dancing a Tibetan dance with local lads, and gnawing on a lamb leg without worrying about appearances—all worries indeed vanish!

Indeed, the Northwest doesn't have luxurious comfortable hotels, the mild climate of the Jiangnan region, or sophisticated fine-dining restaurants and bars. But its accommodations are cozy and warm, its food simple yet delicious. Isn't that what life pursues? Warm clothes, full stomach, peace of mind, and a cozy home.

This is the simplest happiness of the northwestern people 😊, yet something many people spend a lifetime seeking but can never attain!

So why not come to the Northwest and find the most genuine meaning of life?