2021 Qinghai-Gansu Small Loop

The image above shows the complete Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop; my itinerary is the Qinghai-Gansu Small Loop within the red circle. That is, starting from Dunhuang, passing through Dachaidan, Water Yadan, Mangya, and Lenghu, then returning to Dunhuang, for a total of 5 days and 4 nights. Before starting the loop, I stayed in Dunhuang for 3 days.

A week before departure, Lanzhou suddenly reported a COVID-19 case. I wasn't worried about this single case, but because the epidemic prevention policy in Jiuquan City required anyone passing through Lanzhou's Qilihe District to report and be tested, I had to hastily change my flight, removed Lanzhou from the itinerary, and flew directly to Dunhuang. So I ended up staying one extra day in Dunhuang than planned.

Dunhuang, also known as Shazhou, this desert oasis is more modern than I imagined. Yet small details hint at its 2,000-year history, like this manhole cover on the sidewalk engraved with antique patterns.

Or this landmark sculpture, "Playing the Pipa Behind the Back."

The Shazhou Night Market is well-organized, cleaner than Xi'an's Muslim Quarter.

After drinking a cup of Li Guangji's Apricot-Skin Water, I walked to the Dang River. The Dang River flows through the city center. This Jinjiang Inn has a unique architecture, with sparkling lights on both banks, but accompanied by the summer heat, the air smelled of the river's fishy and rancid odor.

Going to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring after 7 PM can avoid being baked dry, and you can see the lights come on by Crescent Moon Spring.

After 9 PM, the sky slowly darkens. Ahead walked a young lady dressed in Apsara costume.

At 10 PM, I left the scenic area. For the first time, I saw camels walking in groups on the road. The camels had worked hard all day and finally got off duty.

I booked tickets for the Mogao Caves through a WeChat mini-program. The most classic "Library Cave" is forbidden to photograph. The story of the "Library Cave" and "Monk Wang" is famous abroad, attracting countless visitors to peer into the cave opening, which is only half a door's height.

The riverbed in front of the Mogao Caves was bone dry under the scorching sun. But in the following two days, I learned something: the similarly exposed riverbed beside National Highway G315, after just a rain that I didn't think was too heavy, showed signs of an impending flash flood.

Considering that the westward Qinghai-Gansu Small Loop would pass through Yangguan two days later, during the extra day in Dunhuang, we took a bumpy ride 160 kilometers east to Guazhou, where there are the Yulin Caves and Suoyang City ruins.

The entrance to the Yulin Caves is designed below the parking lot level, perfectly fitting the terrain.

At the foot of the caves, the Yulin River is only as wide as a stream, with clear, rushing water, and willows gently brushing the banks.

The Yulin Caves are also managed by the Dunhuang Academy, and the tour guides belong to its cultural promotion department. Because the site is farther away, far fewer tourists come to Yulin Caves. The guide lady worked with a sense of pride in promoting the culture. Among the Yulin Caves, there is a special cave whose murals depict the story of Xuanzang's pilgrimage to retrieve scriptures, appearing more than 300 years earlier than the novel "Journey to the West." If I had known in advance, I would have chosen to see it.

The second stop in Guazhou was Suoyang City.

"Dark clouds over Qinghai's mountains and snowy peaks, a lonely city gazes toward the Jade Gate Pass; through yellow sands and golden armor, we will not return until Loulan is conquered." The "lonely city" in the poem refers to Suoyang City.

The Suoyang City ruins are 50 kilometers from the Yulin Caves. Wearing a hat, sunglasses, and mask, I walked on a wooden boardwalk without a single tree's shade. Before me stretched endless Gobi, with broken walls and ruins. The sun blazed, my lips were dry, my tongue parched, and stars danced before my eyes. With the guide lady's narration, I tried to imagine the thousands of acres of fertile farmland that once existed here.

Tamarix (red willow) was the plant that left the deepest impression on me during this trip. It tenaciously survives on soil as dry as dust, showing a red color that cannot be ignored. I could only plant a Tamarix in Ant Forest.

The stupa with a huge looter's hole, the Tashi Gompa (Tarsi), though sharing the same name as the Tarsi in Qinghai, has no connection. Looking at this big hole, it doesn't seem like "looting" at all, but rather walking in boldly.

This modern sculpture named "Child of the Earth" stands right next to the national highway from Guazhou to Dunhuang, adjacent to another work called "Infinite."

When you return to Dunhuang after crossing the vast Gobi, you can better feel its legendary aura.

Yangguan, 60 kilometers west of Dunhuang city, is a mature scenic area. There are beacon tower ruins from a thousand years ago, as well as newly built watchtowers and stone carvings. You can overlook the snow-capped Dangjin Mountains.

A newly opened Dicos fried chicken shop stands at the exit. After three consecutive days of lamb skewers and braised noodle slices, and with more lamb skewers and braised noodle slices awaiting you west of Yangguan, Dicos' big sweet cone ice cream was yummy, yummy.

Crossing the 3,800-meter-high Dangjin Mountain Pass, we arrived at the basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. That night we stayed at Dachaidan Town, located on the north side of the Qaidam Basin. Measured by Huawei phone's compass, the altitude was 3,100 meters, the highest among the four accommodations on the loop. More than one person in our group experienced altitude sickness.

Starting July 4, Dachaidan Emerald Lake began charging admission, and the driver also had to pay. It was past 7 PM when we arrived at Dachaidan Emerald Lake, but still crowded. The ticket fee seemed justified.

I took a few shots with my Huawei Mate 20 Pro. No filters, all original photos of Emerald Lake in its natural state.

From Dachaidan Town to Dongtai, there are two routes: one passes the popular U-shaped section of G315, and the other passes through the South Eight Immortals Yadan. We chose the U-shaped highway.

This Yadan landform was visible from the side of the U-shaped highway. The driver said it is actually connected to the South Eight Immortals Yadan. If you go deeper into it, doesn't it look like you're going on an archaeological dig?

Dongtai Jiner Lake was very unfriendly. They dug a trench several kilometers long, as tall as a person, along G315. Maybe you could hike a few kilometers to bypass it? We only glimpsed it from the car. Indeed, it had a unique Tiffany blue color. Qinghai's mini Maldives was kept hidden; if you want to see the Maldives, you'll have to see the real one.

After a short drive past Dongtai, we reached our accommodation for the night, Water Yadan, at 3 PM. The sun in the northwest is so intense that we first hid in the RV and only went out after 6 PM to take the scenic area's electric cart.

The Yadan islands in the water were spectacular, not at all like the two small stones in my photos.

The starry sky was vast, but without a tripod, I could only capture a pitch-black mess. Growing up, I had only recognized the Big Dipper's big ladle shape.

From G315, we turned onto Mars Road 1, at marker 95.

After a bumpy washboard road, we arrived at the Mars Camp. The distant ridge was the Eboliang we would visit in the afternoon. We brought our own food and ate lunch in the car.

A lake within the Eboliang Yadan.

The geyser in the Eboliang Yadan that I had been longing to see.

The Devil's Eye. The wind howled past, making me forget it was midsummer July.

The boiling sulfur spring leaves the ground barren wherever it flows.

This year, two elevators were added, so you can get a view without a drone, at 30 yuan per person.

Mangya's Emerald Lake produced the most striking photos. Whether sunny or windy, we could capture clear reflections.

Lenghu to Dunhuang is 240 kilometers. The Bolo Zhuan Jin film studio provided a good rest stop.

1. In Dunhuang, we stayed at the Dunhuang Mountain Villa. Overall, it's recommended.

The facilities were a bit old, and the sewer had some odor despite renovation, but the hotel was very distinctive. Breakfast and service were among the best in Dunhuang, and its location near Mingsha Mountain is highly recommended.

Another hotel near Mingsha Mountain, the "Dongyi" in a style reminiscent of the Bird's Nest Collection (Feiniaoji), was in soft opening, with prices also on par with the Bird's Nest, starting at 2000+ per night.

2. In Dachaidan, we stayed at Baike, which did not include breakfast, but you could buy fried dough sticks and congee downstairs. This hotel had no obvious gimmick but offered good value for money. Recommended.

3. At Water Yadan, we stayed at the RV camp inside the scenic area. Within 200 kilometers, this is the only place offering decent accommodation. If you want to stay, book early without hesitation; at least the shower water was hot and strong enough. When checking out, an aunt came to clean. I asked if they changed the bedding, and she replied, "We don't change them." Those were her exact words. Interpret as you will.

4. In Mangya, we stayed at Huatugou Xigang Aviation. The sewer smell at this hotel cannot be described as just "a little." Try another hotel; this one is a complete minefield.

5. In Lenghu, we stayed at Guoyou. Lenghu has very limited options, and Guoyou is probably among the better ones. The first-floor rooms seemed to have been renovated in April this year. Not sure what materials were used, but once the window was closed, a pungent renovation smell filled the room. This trip made me wonder if I had a dog's nose, as I couldn't escape the fishy river smell, sewer odors, and renovation fumes. But the biggest complaint at Lenghu Guoyou was the shower water: you had to let it run cold for a full 5 minutes before hot water came.

Some people say that if you choose the Qinghai-Gansu loop, you shouldn't be picky about accommodation. I disagree. The Qinghai-Gansu loop deserves better accommodation to match such beautiful scenery.

Zhangye, meaning "spreading arms," a name given by Emperor Wu of Han that exudes authority. From this, the Hexi Corridor was incorporated into Han territory. From Menyuan to Zhangye, you can cross the Qilian Mountains through Zhuoya Mountain and see snow-capped mountains and grasslands. I will take the route from Menyuan to Zhangye another time if I have the chance.

Because the roads to Eboliang and the Devil's Eye were not good and unreachable by minibus, but I considered that if I skipped these two spots on this trip, it would be hard to add them later. So I asked the driver to take a Toyota Prado to cover these two points. In the end, I think Eboliang and Mangya's Emerald Lake were the highlights of this trip.

Travel Diary Index:

1. Itinerary: 3 nights in Dunhuang + 5 days 4 nights Qinghai-Gansu Small Loop

2. Days 1-3: Dunhuang - Guazhou

3. Day 4: Yangguan - Dachaidan Emerald Lake, stay in Dachaidan

4. Day 5: U-shaped Highway - Dongtai - Water Yadan, stay at Water Yadan

5. Day 6: Water Yadan - Xitai - Eboliang, stay in Mangya Huatugou

6. Day 7: Devil's Eye - Mangya Emerald Lake - Lenghu Town, stay in Lenghu

7. Day 8: Abandoned Lenghu Oil Base - Bolo Zhuan Jin Film Base - Dunhuang, stay at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport Hostel

8. About Accommodation

9. About Itinerary Considerations

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