Pearl of the Gobi Wilderness — Western Loop Journey of Ten Thousand Miles (9)
July 23, Delingha to Dunhuang.
Delingha is the eastern gateway of the Qaidam Basin. The G0311 national highway stretches along the northeastern edge of the basin, with sparse vegetation on the Gobi hills along the way. Under the overcast sky, it appears desolate yet has its own unique charm.
G0311 National Highway 1
G0311 National Highway 2
Crossing the Qilian Mountains, we entered the Hexi Corridor. If southern Gansu is known for its lush mountains, clear waters, and vast green fields, then western Gansu is a realm of "heaven and earth in chaos, the universe in its primal state." However, the snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains nourishes patches of oases—Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye, and Wuwei—historically known as the "Four Prefectures of the Western Regions." They are like four pearls embedded in the Gobi wilderness, displaying a majestic beauty. Our itinerary covered the first three, leaving out Wuwei.
At 2 p.m., we arrived in Dunhuang.
Dunhuang 1
Dunhuang is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, at the junction of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. It is under the administration of Jiuquan City. Historically, it was an important hub of transportation between China and the West, a military stronghold, and held a significant position.
We checked into the Jingya Business Hotel. Descending from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we immediately felt the intense heat. We rested in the afternoon and visited the night market in the evening.
The Dunhuang Night Market, also called "Shazhou Night Market," is located on the south side of the east end of the Yangguan Middle Road, near the statue of the Pipa Playing Flying Apsaras. It is quite large, with distinctive local features, and is praised as Dunhuang's "night scene picture" and "romantic painting," rated as a 3A-level scenic area.
The night market has done a good job with lighting. As night fell, under the colorful lights, the place was bustling with people, lively and prosperous.
Similar to other night markets, it mainly offers food, handicrafts, and local specialties.
Various northwestern-style noodles and grilled meats are also common elsewhere. The unique dish of Dunhuang is probably "Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles."
It is called "yellow noodles" because they were originally made from broomcorn millet flour. Broomcorn millet is yellow, so the noodles naturally turned out yellow. With low yields of broomcorn millet, it is rarely cultivated now, so "yellow noodles" are now made with regular flour and peng ash. No wonder, except for being a bit yellower, there was no essential difference from Lanzhou pulled noodles.
The Dunhuang Night Market is well-managed. Unlike some messy night markets, it is clean and tidy. In their own words, the night market has become a "must-visit" for Dunhuang tourists because it is "clean, tidy, and honest."
Dinner was quite pleasant.
We originally planned to spend a day visiting the Mogao Caves and Crescent Moon Spring, but we didn't prepare well enough; we didn't book Mogao Caves tickets in advance. According to a fellow traveler from Beijing in the next room, it took him several days to get a reservation. We didn't have enough time, so we had to give up on the Mogao Caves.
Echoing Sand Mountain is located seven kilometers south of Dunhuang city, about 40 kilometers from east to west, 20 kilometers from north to south, and tens of meters high, with steep peaks. Beneath the sand dunes is a damp sand layer. When wind blows sand particles or people slide down from the mountain, the sound causes resonance in the sand layer, like music, hence the name Echoing Sand Mountain.
Crescent Moon Spring is at the foot of Echoing Sand Mountain, and they are in the same scenic area. Crescent Moon Spring is a small lake surrounded by high sand dunes, shaped like a crescent moon—nearly one hundred meters from north to south, 25 meters from east to west, and with a maximum depth of 5 meters.
Crescent Moon Spring 4
Crescent Moon Spring 5
Located in the harsh desert environment, with only a few tens of meters between the quicksand and the spring, Crescent Moon Spring has withstood the assault of strong winds and shifting sands for thousands of years without being buried or drying up. Its crescent shape remains unchanged, and the clear waves always ripple, making it known as a desert wonder.
According to research, Crescent Moon Spring does not dry up during droughts because there is a spring at the bottom of the lake. It is not buried by quicksand because of its unique topography and peculiar wind direction—when the wind blows, sand moves from the bottom of the mountain to the top, not from the top down. Thus, it is called "the First Spring in the Desert," praised as "one of the best scenery beyond the Great Wall," and listed among China's "Top 40 Tourist Attractions."
On the high ground next to Crescent Moon Spring is a group of ancient buildings. They complement each other, adding a sense of mystery and elegance.
Echoing Sand Mountain next to Crescent Moon Spring offers activities like mountain climbing, sand sliding, and camel riding—best left to the younger crowd.
We continued towards Jiayuguan, and after 120 kilometers, we reached Guazhou (Melon Prefecture).
Guazhou 1
It is often said that the melons of Guazhou are sweeter than those of Hami. After a roadside feast, we personally verified that the reputation is well-deserved; this place really should be called Melon Prefecture.
Guazhou 2
Another 140 kilometers ahead, we arrived at Yumen for lunch.
Yumen 1
It is said that the old town of Yumen has become a "ghost town" due to the depletion of crude oil, with housing prices as low as 28 yuan per square meter—less than one ten-thousandth of a good location in Beijing. However, the new town of Yumen is quite beautiful.
Yumen 3
After another 130 kilometers, we arrived at Jiayuguan in the afternoon and stayed at the Super 8 Yingbin East Road Hotel.
Jiayuguan is a prefecture-level city without subordinate districts, located in northwestern Gansu. It is the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, known as the "Key Town of the Hexi Corridor" and "Lock of the Frontier."
July 25: Visited the Jiayuguan Pass and the First Pier of the Great Wall.
This was my second visit to Jiayuguan; I had already seen the pass last time. So we split up: one group went to the pass, and the other went to the "First Pier."
First Pier of the Great Wall 1
The First Pier of the Great Wall, also called the "Taolai River Pier" because it is built on a cliff more than 50 meters high by the Taolai River, is located at the western end of the Jiayuguan Great Wall, 7.5 kilometers north of the pass. It is the westernmost beacon tower of the Ming Great Wall.
First Pier of the Great Wall 2
The pier is built of rammed earth, now remaining about ten meters high. Its base is square, 14 meters wide. The interior is also square, 6 meters per side.
First Pier of the Great Wall 3
The soil on both sides of the Taolai River is hard and unique. The riverbanks are vertical and towering, as if cut by a knife, resembling a cliff. In ancient times, the river was turbulent and roaring, blocking the way to the Qilian Mountains on the opposite side, so the Great Wall ended here. The choice of location for the First Pier makes one marvel at the wisdom of the ancients.
First Pier of the Great Wall 4
The First Pier was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It was the most important among the 39 beacon towers under the jurisdiction of Jiayuguan, responsible for transmitting military information from the south of the pass and the Qilian Mountain passes.
First Pier of the Great Wall 5
The First Pier echoes the "Old Dragon's Head" at Shanhai Pass in Hebei, forming the head and tail of the Great Wall "dragon."
First Pier of the Great Wall 6
First Pier of the Great Wall 7
The scenic area's "Historical and Cultural Experience Hall of the First Pier of the Great Wall" is built underground, allowing visitors to learn about the history and culture of the First Pier while keeping the above-ground "original ecology." A creative design.
First Pier of the Great Wall 8
Jiayuguan Pass
Jiayuguan Pass is located at the northwestern foot of Jiayuguan Mountain, named after the mountain, and built in the Ming Dynasty. The pass covers an area of more than 30,000 square meters, with a strategic location and magnificent views. It is the largest pass along the Great Wall and in the country, known as the "First Grand Pass under Heaven," on par with Shanhai Pass at the eastern end of the Great Wall. (For completeness of information, some photos are from my previous visit.)
Jiayuguan Pass 1
Jiayuguan Pass consists of the outer city, inner city, and barbican (jar-shaped defense). The outer city extends 8 kilometers north to connect with the Heishan Hanging Great Wall, and 7 kilometers south to connect with the First Pier.
The inner city is in the northwest corner of the outer city, with a perimeter of over 600 meters and a height of 9 meters. It has the "Guanghua Gate" in the east and "Rouyuan Gate" in the west, with turrets at the four corners, enemy towers in the middle of the northern and southern walls, and horse ramps leading to the top inside both gates.
Inside the city, on the north side, is the General's Mansion (Youji Jiangjun Fu), a Qing Dynasty building.
Outside both gates of the inner city are barbicans. Outside the east barbican are buildings such as the Wenchang Pavilion, Guandi Temple, and a theater.
Outside the west barbican is a convex-shaped outer city, with a gate tower hanging a plaque reading "Jiayuguan," the main gate of Jiayuguan Pass.
Both scenic spots are not large. After visiting, we met up at Jiuquan Park as agreed with two cars.
Jiuquan, located 20 kilometers east of Jiayuguan, is the largest city in Gansu in terms of area. In ancient times, it was called "Suzhou," from which the "Su" in Gansu (Gansu's abbreviation is Gan, but the historical name Suzhou is noted) comes. Actually, Gansu's "Gan" comes from Ganzhou (Zhangye), and "Su" from Suzhou (Jiuquan). The text says: Jiuquan City.
Jiuquan Park is located in the eastern part of Jiuquan city. With a history of over 2,000 years, it is a comprehensive park combining classical gardens, natural lakes, cultural recreation, and entertainment.
According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Huo Qubing led a campaign against the Xiongnu in the west and achieved a great victory here. The emperor bestowed imperial wine as a reward. Huo Qubing, believing the credit belonged to the entire army and that there was too little wine for many people, poured the wine into a spring to share with his soldiers. Thus, the spring was named "Jiuquan" (Wine Spring).
The spring still exists today, and the garden buildings have been repaired and well-preserved, making it a must-visit for tourists in Jiuquan.
In the park is a memorial hall and statue of Zuo Zongtang, the builder of the park.
The flower beds on the west side of the park are beautiful.
At noon, we left Jiuquan for the Zhangye Danxia Geopark.
Zhangye Danxia Geopark
Zhangye Geopark 1
Danxia is a geographical term. In the 1930s, Chinese mineralogist Feng Jinglan saw red sandstone layers at Danxia Mountain in Renhua County, Guangdong, which had formed unique landforms through long-term weathering and water erosion. He named them "Danxia layers," and the term has been used ever since.
Zhangye Geopark 2
Zhangye Geopark 3
The Zhangye Danxia Geopark, located at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, is one of the "most beautiful seven Danxia landforms" in China, the cream of the crop, and a filming location for many movies and TV shows.
Zhangye Geopark 4
Zhangye Geopark 5
The geopark stretches 40 kilometers from east to west and 5-10 kilometers from north to south. The mountains and hills display a brilliant riot of colors. Its vast area, majestic momentum, spectacular scenes, unique shapes, and dazzling colors are rare in the world, turning this arid, barren land into a tourist attraction that draws tens of thousands of visitors daily.
Zhangye Geopark 6
Zhangye Geopark 7
Shuttle buses within the scenic area stop at four viewing platforms. Visitors can get on and off freely, with a ticket price of 20 yuan per person. Climbing to the viewing platforms, you can get a panoramic view of the landforms and colors from above.
Zhangye Geopark 8
Zhangye Geopark 9
The geopark is 40 kilometers from Zhangye city. We arrived at 6 p.m. and checked into Ruian Boutique Hotel.
Zhangye, named from the phrase "extending the arm of Zhangye to connect with the Western Regions," is located 207 kilometers southeast of Jiuquan. In ancient times, it was called "Ganzhou," from which the "Gan" in Gansu comes. Zhangye 3
