Qinghai-Gansu Loop Tour

In March of this year, March 2023, my friends and I were at the summit of Shennongjia in Hubei at an altitude of 3,800 meters. We didn't see a sea of clouds, but we encountered a heavy snowstorm. Under the live broadcast of the scenic area on Douyin, we braved the wind and snow to take a group photo next to the iconic stone at Shennong Peak. Who would have thought that less than a month after 'Braving Snow at Shennong Peak,' I would experience a 'Sandstorm at Qinghai Lake' trip — that was my April journey along the Qinghai-Gansu loop. The magnificent scenery, with land and mountains covered in snow and yellow sand, isn't it also awe-inspiring and magical? As the saying goes, 'the strange and the orthodox give rise to each other; warfare has no constant form' — I applied this to travel. The spring sandstorms of 2023 first swept through Beijing, then moved southward across the country. By the time we set out on April 12, the first wave of dust had already greatly eased. We took the Z273 air-conditioned train from Qingdao to Xining, traveling from Xuzhou to Xining for 21 hours. The names of places like Luoyang, Baoji, Tianshui, Longxi, Dingxi, and Lanzhou passed by the window one by one, evoking historical reverie along with the loess and rivers of the Northwest. At 5:00 p.m. on April 13, the train arrived at Xining Station. As soon as we stepped off, we felt an intense cold — the wind howled and sand flew, making it clear that Qinghai had not yet entered true spring. The local Zizhu Travel Agency picked us up in a white electric new-energy vehicle and took us to the Xining Yicai Kaixuan Hotel, where we were arranged a large suite — very comfortable and enjoyable, and it was a complimentary upgrade; the regular price was 700 yuan. I must commend this travel agency. I sat on the sofa in the suite, eating the salted duck eggs, baked flatbread, and peanuts I had brought, and drank a little over 100 ml of liquor. The TV was playing the movie "The Ghouls" (Nine-Story Demon Tower) on the hotel's system, and I watched intently, because in a few days we would visit the filming location of this movie — the popular Aksai Oil Town. The next morning at breakfast, we encountered hundreds of tourists reportedly organized by an insurance company, most from Zhejiang. They crowded the elevators at about the same time, causing long delays, forcing many people to walk down from over a dozen floors. On April 14, 2023, our self-guided tour of the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop officially began. We would take 8 days to cover the loop, approximately 2,000 kilometers, visiting both classic attractions and the latest trendy spots.

II. Tar Temple, Riyue Mountain, Qinghai Lake

A nearly new nine-seat commercial vehicle carried eight tourists plus a Hui driver, Master Ma. At a little past 8 a.m., we set off from Xining city after some delay — because the eight tourists were staying at three different hotels and needed time to gather. Among the eight, I was the only older man; the rest were all women, and six of them were under thirty, including three senior college students. With so many young people on the bus, the atmosphere was lively, making the journey relaxed. The first stop of the first day was Tar Temple (Kumbum Monastery), one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, located 25 kilometers southwest of Xining. The entire temple complex is built into the mountain, winding and undulating, well-proportioned and imposing. Under the drifting yellow sand, the golden splendor of the temple complex stirred a silent tremor in the soul. With a specially hired guide, we visited a series of scripture halls and Buddha halls, listening to his detailed introduction to the lifelike butter sculptures, the colorful murals, and the brilliant applique embroidery — these three are known as the "Three Artistic Treasures of Tar Temple." With a long history, the temple houses many Buddhist scriptures and academic works on history, literature, philosophy, medicine, and law. The annual Buddhist events, the "Four Great Dharma Assemblies," are especially lively and crowded. Out of respect for the wisdom of the ancestors, I have always taken Buddhist offerings seriously. At Tar Temple, my wife reverently offered a butter lamp at almost every Buddha hall, and my task was to pay cash or use mobile payment for the offering money. It was the low season for tourism in Qinghai, so tickets were half price for all ages, with additional discounts for those with other certificates. At the ticket center, I paid separately for a guide and invited several young ladies from the same bus to join us. Later I heard that if you hire a guide inside the temple, you can bargain for a discount, but I didn't have a chance to try. Inside Tar Temple, photography is prohibited everywhere except near the entrance. This shows one difference in the way believers express their devotion between Tibetan Buddhism and Han Buddhism. I wanted to buy some Tibetan cultural souvenirs, such as jewelry, prayer wheels, or Tibetan medicine, but the prices at the temple's Dharma objects distribution center were too high and non-negotiable, so I had to give up the idea. After leaving Tar Temple, we continued westward, feeling the road winding uphill. The winding mountain roads themselves were scenic. The roads were well-built, and Master Ma drove fast. As the altitude increased, the pervasive yellow sand disappeared, and the sky cleared to a deep blue, but the wind remained strong. After a few hours of driving, the distant snowy mountains gradually came closer, and we could see snow everywhere outside the window. At around 2 p.m., the car stopped at a high mountain pass — the Laji Mountain Pass, located at the boundary between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "First Pass of Qinghai-Tibet." Stepping out, a strong wind almost blew us away. In the biting cold, I saw a stone carving more than two meters high with the inscription "Zongka La'ze, Altitude 4188 m" in both Chinese and English. Because the wind was too strong and we feared high-altitude sickness, we all hurried back to the car and left the pass. Later, I looked up some information: "Zongka" is a place name in Guide County, Qinghai, at the northwestern end of the Laji Mountain range. "La'ze" is a structure built at a mountain pass using earth and stone, a "palace of all gods for commemorating ancestors and deities." Zongka La'ze was built about a decade ago, covering an area of 6,600 square meters and a building area of 1,700 square meters. It is known as the world's largest landscape and cultural hall, the largest La'ze complex in China, and holds a Guinness World Record. Due to the fear of strong wind, cold, and high altitude, we could not enter this huge mountain pass Tibetan cultural complex, which was quite regrettable. I wonder if the tourists from the insurance company's dozen or so tour buses, whose schedule almost synchronized with ours, actually entered the hall? Perhaps not. The commercial vehicle soon crossed the Riyue Mountain Pass. At the Riyue Mountain Pass, the wind was still strong and the weather still cold, and the tall archway-style building of Riyue Mountain shivered in the cold. But this time we chose not to leave quickly; we got off and spent more than 30 minutes, bought a few small items from local Tibetan sellers, and took some photos. At the Riyue Mountain Pass, the Tang-Tubo Ancient Road features an ancient road museum and a geographical monument of China. At Princess Wencheng Temple, there stands a majestic white marble statue of Princess Wencheng. The Sun Pavilion and Moon Pavilion on the mountain, with fluttering prayer flags, record the princess's entry into Tibet through inscriptions and murals. Countless Mani stone piles built by devout Tibetans are studded with twisted tree branches and many long arrow shafts used for blessings. After passing the Riyue Mountain Pass at an altitude of 3,500 meters, it was nearly 3 p.m. In a small town at the edge of a scenic area called Daotang River, we had a simple late lunch, then continued westward along the road through the Gobi. As we approached Qinghai Lake at an altitude of 3,190 meters, the weather turned bad again — yellow sand filled the sky, visibility dropped sharply, the car became filled with a sandy smell, and the originally smooth traffic became congested, with many vehicles pulling over to wait. Fortunately, our driver Master Ma was experienced and continued driving through the sandstorm. In the distance, hidden by the yellow sand, we could faintly see a stretch of blue water — that was Qinghai Lake. Nearby, in the sandstorm, we could also see a beautiful cycling road around the lake, where an international cycling race is held every summer and autumn. The vehicle stopped at a large parking lot — the parking lot of Erlangjian Scenic Area at Qinghai Lake. Dozens of tour buses were also parked there, showing that the charm of Qinghai Lake attracts many visitors even in the cold and sandy season. Qinghai Lake, called "Cuo Wenbu" in Tibetan, meaning "blue sea," is located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, within Qinghai Province. It is the largest inland lake in China. There are many famous scenic spots around Qinghai Lake, such as Route 66, Bird Island, Sand Island, Heima River, etc., but these were not in our itinerary. By the way, "Route 66" is a name borrowed from the famous US highway, known for the beautiful scenery along its route. Many roads in China are affectionately called "China's Route 66," either crossing uninhabited Gobi desert, or following the Yellow River through ravines, or stretching through vast green grasslands with cattle and sheep. During the low season, the gate of Erlangjian Scenic Area was open and free. We entered with the moderately crowded flow, walked about 15 minutes, passed many lakeside buildings, and went straight to the shore. At that moment, the sandstorm cleared, and the beautiful Qinghai Lake suddenly showed its full charm. Slightly black seagulls flew freely, white cruise ships sat quietly on the lake, and the deep blue lake merged with the deep blue sky — truly a sight that intoxicates even without alcohol. I picked up a few beautiful pebbles by the lake and put them in my pocket as a keepsake for the rest of my life. Other tour activities had to be abandoned. About ten minutes after we left Qinghai Lake, visitors who came out later said that the yellow sand had once again covered the lake, turning the world dim and gray. The dusk on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in April is very long. Our car continued northwest, driving through the sandstorm for nearly 150 kilometers, passing several lakes or wetlands, and seeing at least four or five tourist camps with big signs like "Sky No.1" or "Sky Mirror." Finally, we arrived at Dongchen International Hotel in Chaka Town and checked in. By then it was 8 p.m., but the sky was still not dark. Thus ended the first day — exhausted but happy and excited. Chaka Town is at 3,100 meters above sea level. Perhaps due to altitude sickness, I didn't sleep well that night; with the help of the 100 ml of Erguotou liquor I brought, I managed only two hours of sleep.

III. Chaka Salt Lake, Emerald Lake

The second day, April 15, 2023. We had a very simple breakfast at this hotel with decent facilities and decoration: porridge, steamed buns, cold vegetables, and one egg per person. At 8 a.m., we set off on time for Chaka Salt Lake, about 20 kilometers away. For the vast Gobi, where settlements are often hundreds of kilometers apart, this distance is "within reach." Chaka Salt Lake is located on the eastern edge of the Qaidam Basin, on the south side of Chaka Town, Wulan County. It is flanked by the majestic Wanyantongbu Mountain to the north and the handsome Wangxiu Mountain to the south. The natural salt lake is rich and beautiful. Chaka Salt Lake is the smallest of the four major salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin, but it is the most beautiful and the earliest developed. What are the other three? Readers, please look it up yourselves. My wife and I, as an elderly couple, followed the young people's choice and bought a combo ticket including admission, scenic transport, and a yacht ride. We first took the scenic train and got off at key stops. The scenic train's final stop is the central lake area. The entire salt lake surface is crystal clear and bright, almost every part could be called a "sky mirror." Walking on the Chaka Salt Lake requires wearing long booties to prevent salt from corroding shoes and pants. Renting a pair of booties costs 20 yuan, expensive but sturdy and very elastic. When putting them on, don't be clumsy and try to force your foot in; instead, take off your shoes, insert the toe of the shoe vertically into the bootie, adjust the position, and then put it on. Taking them off is the same — simple. The beautiful salt lake, the vast expanse: at a glance, a huge mirror lies beneath the blue sky, merging with heaven and earth. Tourists' figures become spirits swaying between heaven and earth, blending into this breathtaking beauty. There are some artificial sculptures and religious buildings with Mongolian and Tibetan characteristics in the salt lake. These sculptures and buildings, combined with the purity of the salt lake, are graceful and spiritual. Strolling on the lake, everyone was busy taking photos — solo, pairs, group shots, holding hands, standing on tiptoe, dancing. Our small group of eight took photos to our hearts' content, laughing joyfully. Even my wife and I were infected, forgetting everything. Finally, when we took the yacht and rushed to the exit, we were more than an hour late. The driver was anxious: "We can't have lunch; let's drive to the next stop!" The second stop of the second day was Emerald Lake, 410 kilometers away from Chaka Town. The drive took over five hours, with a rest stop at Yumen Service Area. Time was tight, and there was no other meal, so we simply had a pack of instant noodles for lunch. At high altitudes, water boils at 85°C, so the noodles cooked at that temperature are not very palatable, but there was no choice. At the main entrance of Yumen Service Area, a large mountain-shaped stone was engraved with the powerful characters "Railway Corps" in Chairman Mao's calligraphy; on the back were the words "People's Army" from Commander Zhu De. This shows that the development and construction of this area are closely related to the People's Liberation Army's Railway Corps. The China Railway Group, now active in many large projects in China and abroad, was transformed from the former Railway Corps. The five-hour drive to Emerald Lake included a section of the toll expressway from Chaka to Delingha, and another free expressway from Delingha to Xiao Qaidam. This drive was entirely through vast uninhabited areas. On both sides of the road was endless Gobi desert, with no green or any sign of life. The undulating barren slopes were evenly pitted with holes, the sky and earth were a single yellowish color, and even the distant mountains looked mysterious, resembling scenes from a sci-fi movie on Mars. The roads were still well-built, almost straight, like a sharp blade pointing toward an infinite horizon. At a little past 6 p.m., our car passed our planned accommodation for the night, Da Qaidam Town, and drove a few kilometers on a poor gravel road to reach Emerald Lake. Fortunately, there were still more than ten minutes before the ticket office closed. We boarded the scenic area bus and after about ten minutes reached the final stop of the sightseeing route. Our plan was to take the bus back from the end, getting off at key stops. Most scenic spots on the Qinghai-Gansu loop are scattered, with attractions far apart. Therefore, one ticket allows unlimited boarding and alighting at different stops. Da Qaidam Emerald Lake: emerald green, mint blue, amber yellow, milk white — the edges of the lake are milky white rock walls. Seen from a drone perspective, each pool of water is like an emerald, amber, or turquoise inlaid in the earth. The color of the water here is similar to that of Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, caused by various minerals dissolved in the water. However, the Emerald Lake clusters of Da Qaidam were formed by water accumulating in artificial mining pits, scattered on the desert Gobi, while Jiuzhaigou's lakes are nestled among lush mountains and forests, the work of nature. It was almost 8 p.m. Beijing time. At that moment, looking from Emerald Lake, the sunset was sinking into the dust on the horizon. Each "emerald" at our feet — turquoise water inlaid in the desolation — coexisted with the sky. That night we stayed at Yijing Hotel in Da Qaidam Town. The hotel interior was decent, but unfortunately it was the low season; the huge hotel building had only a few standard rooms booked, so the restaurant couldn't prepare breakfast for the next day. Instead, early in the morning, the restaurant prepared a bowl of special beef soup with rice noodles for each person, plus all-you-can-eat cornflower steamed rolls — that was a specialty in itself. However, during the peak tourist season, hotel rooms in Da Qaidam Town are very scarce. Often, tourists who haven't booked in advance have to drive 200 kilometers to Delingha for the night. In earlier years, Da Qaidam Town had been established as Da Qaidam City, later changed to Da Qaidam Administrative Committee, with a town-level administrative body. A quick glance from the hotel showed the entire town with wide, straight roads, blocks of buildings, shops, restaurants, and residential areas, all very new. Under the night sky, the town was brightly lit. Like Chaka Town we had passed, it is one of the shining pearls on the Gobi of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai. "Da Qaidam" means "big salt marsh." The town got its name from the lake. Located in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai, the area under the jurisdiction of Da Qaidam Administrative Committee is about 11,000 square kilometers, almost the same size as the entire city of Xuzhou including its counties. It is home to Han, Mongolian, Tibetan, Hui, and other ethnic groups, but the population is only about 20,000, equivalent to a large residential community in an inland city. However, don't underestimate this town at 3,100 meters altitude, firmly anchored in the vast Gobi. It is an important industrial town with abundant mineral resources, including the Xitieshan mine, where a national-level lead-zinc mine is located. The vast region around Da Qaidam and Delingha is a key national defense area. In the distant, dark, and endless yellowish-black mountains, no one knows how many Dongfeng missile launch devices of China's Rocket Force are hidden. Further west, Dunhuang hosts China's famous satellite launch base. This area is closed to foreigners; holders of foreign passports are prohibited from entering.

IV. Nanbaxian Yardang, Dangjin Mountain

The third day started again in cold wind. The spring of the Qinghai Gobi is truly indescribable — the temperature difference between night and day is huge. The sky was clear and the yellow sand had receded. Driver Master Ma, a Hui, was observing Ramadan, so he only brought a pile of local oven-baked flatbreads for the road, but he was full of energy. The commercial vehicle sped along the open expressway at over 90 km/h. For safety, the speed of tourist vehicles is remotely controlled and limited. After two days, we had become accustomed to the desolate Gobi scenery outside the window; the novelty had worn off. After driving for a while, we got off the expressway at a place called "Yuka," then turned south and drove for another hour to reach the Nanbaxian Yardang Devil City. Nanbaxian Yardang is a natural landform along the road, with no admission fee. At an open area beside the road, there was a camping base with a small shop selling food and water. We parked by the road, crossed a deep drainage ditch, and, guided by Master Ma, climbed to the highest point nearby to gaze at the endless yardang mounds and flew a photography drone. Looking at the desolate yardang landforms of earth and stone mounds, they seemed gentle — traces of water erosion were everywhere. Actually, the main force leaving these marks was not water but the relentless highland winds. In extremely arid regions, dry lake beds crack due to shrinkage. Wind erodes along the cracks, making them larger, turning the originally flat ground into irregular fin-like ridges and wide shallow grooves. The solid parts not eroded by wind became these towering earth and stone mounds. Under the strong highland sunlight, these mounds looked like huge flat mushrooms in various forms, or sphinx-like, or steamed buns, or pillars holding up the sky — bizarre and imposing, open to imagination. The Nanbaxian Yardang landform is located on the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The erratic violent winds, due to the strange terrain, produce eerie sounds. Moreover, the local rocks are rich in iron, creating strong geomagnetism that often causes compasses to fail, making it easy to lose direction even with modern equipment. It is considered a devil city or maze. According to true records, a poignant story occurred in the Nanbaxian area. In the 1950s, eight female geologists entered this area in search of oil resources, got lost, and permanently slept in this ancient wilderness. Thus, the place was named Nanbaxian Devil City. After leaving this eerie and imposing area, we returned to the Yuka expressway entrance and continued silently for more than 200 kilometers. The car changed direction from northwest to north, leaving Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai, and getting off the expressway again to take National Highway 215. Our car did not cross the Dangjin Mountain Pass at 3,800 meters but went through a tunnel, leaving Qinghai and entering Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. Dangjin Mountain is the boundary between Qinghai and Gansu. This stretch included a section known as "U-shaped road." The sky changed from murky yellow to clear blue, and fine sand danced like smoke, then became still. The undulating Dangjin Mountain lay ahead, with the gray highway like a sturdy ancient vine rising abruptly toward the Dangjin Pass, as if fate had no choice but to move forward resolutely. In the past three days, since leaving Xining, we had been active within Haixi Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, winding over 1,000 kilometers, equivalent to the distance from Xuzhou (between the Yellow River and Huaihe) to Shanhaiguan in the northeast. Chaka Town and Da Qaidam Town both belong to Haixi Prefecture. "Haixi" means "west of Qinghai Lake."

IV. Scenery along the road, Oil Town, Yang Pass

Travel itself is a landscape. This saying especially suits the Northwest. On the third day of the journey, from Da Qaidam in Qinghai to Dunhuang in Gansu, this was the toughest section of the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop — about 800 kilometers, especially the hundreds of kilometers of uninhabited area in the Qaidam Basin, a 6-hour crossing with no gas stations, no water or food supplies. Lunch was eaten in the car, and restrooms were found outside. Other than tall power transmission towers, the view was only desolation and dark mountains. Once we passed through the Altun and Dangjin tunnel groups, we crossed the Dangjin Mountain (the junction of the Qilian and Altun ranges), leaving the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Qinghai, transitioning from the vast Gobi to the desert of Gansu, entering the western end of the Hexi Corridor. The long tunnels of Dangjin and Altun, plus the 47-kilometer continuous winding downhill devil road after the tunnels, were an astonishing engineering marvel in my eyes. The Altun Tunnel alone is 7.5 kilometers long, the Dangjin Tunnel 4.4 kilometers — together 12 kilometers. And that's not all: connecting the two tunnels is the 2.67-kilometer-long Dabategou Grand Bridge over the mountain gap, plus the extremely long downhill comparable to the distance from Xuzhou to Pizhou. This 60-kilometer stretch of road opened my eyes. Finally, this miraculous road section ended. As soon as it ended, we exclaimed loudly: before us appeared tall sand dunes. Under the still-strong afternoon sun, the desert undulated with sharp contrasts of light and shadow. We entered Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County, Gansu. 27 kilometers south of the county seat lies the film base Aksai Oil Town — a city that rose due to oil extraction and was abandoned when the oil dried up. At its peak, nearly 200,000 people lived there; later it emptied and was deserted. If you don't understand what it feels like to be abandoned, just look at these ruins. We took a horse-drawn open carriage to slowly tour the desolation. But the horse in front was just for show — the carriage was actually an electric vehicle. Aksai Oil Town: empty except for wind, sand, and faded yellow plants. Office buildings, auditoriums, dormitories — all were broken walls and ruins. Wall slogans from that era still showed traces of red. The monster props from the movie "The Ghouls" still clung to buses, roofs, and tank turrets. A town that rose and fell in an instant became known to the world because of a movie, now a popular check-in spot. This temporal magic is like a life story, evoking deep sighs. By then it was past 2 p.m. We left the scenic area and had a lunch in a restaurant on the edge of Aksai County. I ordered dumplings, while the others ordered stir-fried dishes and rice. No one ordered beef noodles or other soup noodles. I think the choice suited our appetites. Next, around 5:30 p.m., we arrived at the Yang Pass scenic area. "The guesthouse is green, the willow is new; beyond Yang Pass, there are no old friends" — this is the Yang Pass mentioned in the ancient poem. The scenic area is large, but apart from the beacon tower ruins and the pass site, everything else was rebuilt in recent years. Yang Pass is located 70 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang in the Hexi Corridor, in a place called "Antique Beach." A saying goes: "Enter Antique Beach, never return empty-handed." It is not unusual to pick up ancient coins, weapons, ornaments, or pottery shards there. This treasure site is now off-limits, but the scenic area simply separates it from visitors with ropes. The poem says: "Beyond Yang Pass, there are no old friends." Actually, Yang Pass was one of the important passes on the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty was the first to open the door to the Western Regions, creating the Silk Road and ushering in a new era of economic and cultural exchange between East and West. Middle school history textbooks describe Zhang Qian as an outstanding diplomat, traveler, and explorer of the Han Dynasty, known as "the pioneer of the Silk Road," "the first Chinese to open the country's eyes to the world," and "the Oriental Columbus." That is a very high evaluation. I used to think Zhang Qian was a civil official, but at Yang Pass, his statue shows him riding a war horse in armor. So I was mistaken. After leaving Yang Pass, Master Ma said: "If we go west another 200 kilometers, we'd reach Xingxing Gorge in Xinjiang, entering the Turpan area. But we have turned southeast to start the return leg of the loop." We passed the Dunhuang Ancient City and the Great Wall ruins but did not stop. Around 8 p.m., we arrived in Dunhuang city and checked into the Aisiding Hotel. At that time, the sky over Dunhuang was still bright. For three consecutive days, we had been active at altitudes exceeding 3,100 meters. For me, over 65 years old, three days at high altitude, plus an average of 400 kilometers of driving daily, and unfamiliar high-altitude food, I was exhausted. To my relief, Dunhuang is only 1,139 meters above sea level. I glanced at the altimeter on my phone and felt a wave of relief, my whole body comfortable.

V. Mogao Caves, Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Moon Lake

Dunhuang Aisiding Hotel is a four-star hotel with good facilities and service, and a rich breakfast. It is considered relatively upscale locally. On the morning of April 17, 2023, we drove to the Mogao Caves early. In today's itinerary, the Mogao Caves and Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Moon Lake were among the highlights of this Qinghai-Gansu loop tour, marking that we were halfway through. We used our ID cards at the self-service machine to pick up the tickets we had booked two weeks earlier on the Dunhuang Mogao Caves website. There were so many visitors that we lined up for dozens of meters at the entrance — this was the most crowded attraction in days. Another crowded spot was Erlangjian Scenic Area at Qinghai Lake, where even the blowing yellow sand couldn't dampen visitors' enthusiasm. The Mogao Caves ticket includes two large-screen films and a guide for the cave visits. Photography is not allowed inside the film theaters or the caves. The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are world-famous, giving rise to Dunhuang Studies, which spans religion, history, archaeology, dance, calligraphy, painting, and many other disciplines. The ancient saying "live by the water" refers to the Dang River in Dunhuang, which gave birth to Dunhuang and then to the Mogao Caves. Dunhuang Studies is a comprehensive discipline focusing on Dunhuang manuscripts, Dunhuang cave art, Dunhuang theory, and also including Dunhuang history and geography. It covers Dunhuang theory, history of Dunhuang studies, Dunhuang historical events, Dunhuang language and script, Dunhuang popular literature, Dunhuang children's books, Dunhuang cave art, Dunhuang and Sino-Western exchanges, Dunhuang murals and music-dance, Dunhuang astronomy and calendar, and many other aspects. It is a comprehensive subject for research, excavation, preservation, and preservation of cultural relics and documents in the Dunhuang area of China. The Mogao Caves, a Buddhist sacred site built over about 1,600 years, have 735 caves discovered, of which more than 200 are well preserved. Of course, the caves are opened in rotation. Even in the low season, there were long lines. Each group can only visit 8 caves, four of which are mandatory, and the other four change daily for protection and research. In the peak season, there are even more people, and only 6 caves are open daily. Even during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when visitor numbers plummeted, only 10 caves were open daily. Among the 8 caves we visited was Cave 16-17 (the Library Cave), where tens of thousands of scripture scrolls were once taken away. Another was Cave 96, the tallest cave in Mogao, with the nine-story building attached to the cliff being the iconic structure of the entire site, at 33 meters high. The last cave we visited was the Reclining Buddha Cave, No. 158, with a giant reclining Buddha 16 meters long and nearly 3 meters high, representing the state of Shakyamuni's nirvana, liberation from reincarnation, and transcendence of life and death — most people understand it as the scene of his parinirvana. I won't describe the other caves here; frankly, I can't remember them. But I did remember two things the guide said: "The caves were all built by wealthy people at the time, who acted as cave patrons and donors." Another: "In the caves, any statue that is lively and flowing is from the Tang Dynasty; any that is stiff and rigid is from the Song Dynasty." To be honest, although many tourists come, a considerable number come only out of curiosity, satisfied just to see what it looks like. In our guide's group of 20, several people dropped out after visiting only a third of the caves. In most people's eyes, the caves are all similar — Buddha statues and colorful paintings — so seeing one is enough. Our group of eight was all attentive until the end. The best parts were saved for last: the nine-story building cave and the reclining Buddha cave were arranged at the end. Tourists who left early missed them. It was the fourth day of the trip, and it was noon again. The car drove directly to the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake scenic area. Following driver Master Ma's suggestion, we ate some snacks in the car instead of lunch. The distance was short. The scenic area has electric sightseeing cars and also offers camels led by guides. The long line of tourists riding camels up Mingsha Mountain looked like a real desert caravan from afar. Three young women in our group bravely took camels, slowly climbing the dunes step by step to the top of Mingsha Mountain, experiencing the feeling of the ship of the desert. They said afterward that it was okay, but the camels kept defecating and sneezing, and they couldn't get used to the camel smell. Mingsha Mountain can also be climbed on foot; the scenic area has rope ladders laid on the steep slopes for convenience. The sand peaks of Mingsha Mountain undulate, with ridges as steep as knife edges. When people slide down, they hear the rumbling sound of sand grains rubbing and rolling. Crescent Moon Lake is as green as jade, lying quietly in the depression between two sand mountains, like a maiden resting at noon, half-covered, half-curled, as serene as the moon. Mingsha Mountain is at the edge of the Kumtag Desert in Gansu. Deep in the sand mountains, around the middle section of the 40-kilometer-long Mingsha Mountain, there is an excellent camping spot where you can watch the stars at night without any light interference. The travel agency had arranged for camping, but when we asked for opinions the night before, the young women in the group unanimously opposed it, so the opportunity was given up. That night we checked back into the Aisiding Hotel in Dunhuang. At night in Dunhuang city, the Dang River flowed, lilac flowers were hazy. The famous Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market was brilliantly lit and bustling. I bought two braised pig trotters and a bowl of special noodles, and drank a little over 100 ml of local high-proof liquor. I saw goblets made of luminous stone (night-light cups) on the stalls but didn't dare ask the price.

VI. Guazhou, Battlefield, Rainbow Danxia, Jiayuguan

April 18, 2023, the fifth day of this Qinghai-Gansu loop tour. After breakfast, our car set off again, leaving Dunhuang for Jiayuguan. On this stretch, we entered the vast Gobi again, still desolate — it was hard to see any signs of human activity besides vehicles on the road. "With wine of grapes and goblets of luminous jade, the lute urges us to start" — Jiuquan, a prefecture-level city in Gansu named because "there is a spring under the city, and its water tastes like wine," is the hometown of Dunhuang art. Jiuquan is a magical place; hearing its name fills one with mystery. Just the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, plus the Mogao Caves, attracts countless tourists to drive there. The road from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan is over 370 kilometers long, taking more than five hours, passing through the area of Guazhou County under Jiuquan's jurisdiction. On Guazhou County Road 270, despite the gray sky and long drive, there were many artificial sculptures along the way, breaking the monotony of the yellow desolation: the statue of Emperor Wu of Han, the "Earth Child" sculpture, the "Boundless" sculpture group, the "Gobi Ark," etc. — all of which we passed in haste. They were all shining highlights of the Guazhou land. At a rest stop in Guazhou, we got out to buy some local specialty foods and got to taste the famous Guazhou honey melon for free. This rest stop is a designated area for tourists to buy local products, with a large parking lot that can accommodate over a dozen buses. Along the way, we saw many signposts for memorial halls of the West Route Army of the Red Army. The Hexi Corridor was once a purgatory of blood and fire. When the West Route Army was defeated in the Qilian Mountains, places like Linze, Gaotai, Niying Camp, and Gulang all bore the marks of their battles, inscribing the light of history. Everyone in the car was tired, and Master Ma was also tired. When we arrived at Jiayuguan Pass, we could only stay for an hour. Everyone else went to a restaurant for lunch, giving up the visit to Jiayuguan Pass. Only I hurriedly walked into the towering city wall, and after an hour, returned on the sightseeing car on time. Inside Jiayuguan Pass, it was similar to the Yanmen Pass I had visited before: inner and outer cities, barbican, Guandi Temple, and the pass gate. As our geography textbooks say: "The Great Wall starts at Shanhaiguan in the east and ends at Jiayuguan in the west." Jiayuguan is the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall. Most of the pass buildings date from the Ming Dynasty, imposing and magnificent, crossing the desert and Gobi — truly the "First Great Pass Under Heaven." This western section of the Ming Great Wall, over 600 years old, stands on the pass facing west, with the endless Gobi desert stretching before you, a spectacular sight. From Jiayuguan to the Rainbow Danxia in Zhangye, it is 216 kilometers. We drove for three hours and arrived at the north gate of the scenic area at 4 p.m. Zhangye Rainbow Danxia covers an area of 50 square kilometers, with three entrances: east, west, and north. The routes and scenic spots differ depending on the entrance. We entered from the north gate and visited four viewing platforms in order: the Fairy Terrace, the Cloud Sea Terrace, the Splendid Embroidery Terrace, and the Rosy Cloud Terrace. Entering Zhangye Rainbow Danxia, the first impression is that the hills in front and in the distance are completely barren, yet ancient and elegant, as if they had just been pulled out of a dye vat, or were wrapped in layers of colorful silk in red, yellow, white, and black. Waves of hills connect with ridges, like rolling waves, dazzling in their brilliance. According to the scenic area's promotional materials, Zhangye Rainbow Danxia is known for its "bright colors, interwoven layers, majestic momentum, and grand spectacle." It is an extremely dazzling pearl, adding a gorgeous stroke to the Silk Road tourism belt in western China — enchanting, magnificent, breathtaking, a must-see for a lifetime. The Rainbow Danxia scenic area is located in Niying Village, Linze County. Near the scenic area, there are many modern hotels of various sizes, row upon row. As night fell, we drove another 40 kilometers and, as planned, checked into a five-star hot spring hotel in Zhangye city — a deluxe upgrade package arranged by the travel agency. That night, we rested fully and slept until we naturally woke up. The next day's breakfast, of course, was also very good.

VII. Biandukou, Daban Mountain, Museum's Thangka

April 19, 2023, the last day of our Qinghai-Gansu loop tour. The commercial vehicle drove along National Highway G277, also known as the Xi-Zhang Highway, the historical southern route of the Silk Road, the Xi-Ping-Zhang-Ye Road. This ancient road, over two thousand years old, has experienced many vicissitudes. That day, we would continue southeast, traveling through the Hexi Corridor and the Biandu Grand Canyon, then ascend again to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau without entering Qilian County, but crossing the Qilian Mountains to climb higher. Along the way, we would visit the Qilian Grassland and the Gangshika Snow Peak range along National Highway G227, pass through the Menyuan rapeseed planting area, cross the Daban Mountain, and finally return to Xining. After leaving the Hexi Corridor and entering the western highlands in mid-April, the altitude gradually increased, and the weather was no longer as warm as in Dunhuang and Zhangye. Spring was still cold, and sand and wind returned. Passing through the Biandu Grand Canyon, through the car window, under the blackish hue, the towering and steep Qilian Mountains were split east-west by a canyon as if cut by a knife. Driving up the narrow canyon road, with rocky cliffs on both sides, the river shallows outside occasionally gleamed white, with remnants of ice and snow still visible. Some temples flashed by. Another thing that must be mentioned is crossing Daban Mountain — a tens-of-kilometers stretch of mountain road that made one tremble. The roads up and down Daban Mountain were cut along the mountain, with ups and downs, winding and twisting, seemingly endless. Moreover, it was a two-lane road with many large trucks going in both directions. Vehicles constantly met dangerously at curves, and at sharp turns you couldn't see if oncoming traffic was coming — truly heart-stopping. The passes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, i.e., the mountain passes, are sacred places. Many passes have Mani piles made of stone and wood, and prayer flags fluttering against the blue sky. I gazed at the harmony and tranquility here, feeling that I was no longer a passing traveler but willing to undergo a spiritual cleansing. One of the passes we stopped at was Jingyangling Pass. Jingyangling Pass belongs to Ebao Town, Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture, Qinghai, and is the boundary between Menyuan and Qilian counties, with an altitude of 3,767 meters. Ebao Ancient City and a temple dedicated to Princess Yang Lihua (sister of Emperor Yang of Sui) are not far downhill from the pass. Another pass we stopped at was Daban Mountain Pass, the highest point of which is 3,940 meters. At 3,800 meters, there is a dedicated observation deck and parking lot. Before reaching Daban Mountain Pass, we stopped for lunch in Qinghai Menyuan County at a small town called Qingshizui, at an altitude of 3,000 meters. Our car stopped for 40 minutes at the Daban Mountain Pass observation deck. Looking into the distance from the pass, the distant snowy mountains revealed a kind of mystery. The highway traced beautiful S-curves, one after another. Daban Mountain has the highest tunnel in China. After the tunnel opened in 2017, tourist buses no longer needed to go over the pass at 3,940 meters, improving safety and shortening the route by 5 kilometers. Now only small and medium-sized vehicles go over the highest Daban pass, offering a unique view. After crossing Daban Mountain Pass, the road was all downhill, winding all the way. In the morning when we ascended, the rushing river flowed cheerfully on one side; now descending, the right side was a thousand-foot cliff, the valley bottom invisible. Several accident vehicles that had fallen off the cliff were hanging halfway down the precipice, truly breathtaking. As a local folk song says: "Of all dangers, none surpass Daban." Master Ma was so familiar with this dangerous road that he kept the speed at around 80 km/h without slowing down, making me very nervous. I often held my breath, feeling that fate had to take its course. When the road leveled and villages appeared, we had officially crossed Daban Mountain. I found my palms sweaty, showing how tense I was. The countless towering mountains we had passed all belonged to the Qilian range. The Qilian Mountains, stretching more than 800 kilometers from east to west, connect the Altun Mountains at one end and the Qinling Mountains at the other, spanning Qinghai and Gansu provinces. Along the way, we frequently saw signs for "Qilian Mountain National Park." Creating and managing such a huge national park — what a vision! This desolate and vast Qilian is completely different from the delicate natural scenery of Jiangnan, truly living up to the "grand" of the Great Northwest. The car entered Xining at 7 p.m. Xining was still cold with strong winds and sand. We checked into the Jin'an Hotel, which I had booked. Thus, the Xining Zizhu Travel Agency that had served us throughout completed all its work, and our small traveling group disbanded. Thank you, ladies! Another day dawned, April 19, 2023, the last day and the last item of the Qinghai-Gansu loop tour: visiting the Xining Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum, which I had arranged myself. This magnificent museum charges an admission fee. The museum has five floors. On the top floor, the fifth, is the world's longest thangka, the museum's greatest treasure. The complete name of this thangka painting is "The Grand Panorama of Chinese Tibetan Culture and Art." It is 618 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, with over 700 thangka images, more than 3,000 different applique patterns on the top and bottom borders, covering over 1,500 square meters. It tells 183,000 stories, which would take 4 years to narrate orally. This masterpiece combines brilliance and solemnity; its grandeur is incomparable. Below each section of the painting are explanations in both Tibetan and Chinese. Among the descriptions of Tibetan culture and its view of the world, one part I remember roughly says: "Ancient Tibetan religion believed the world was divided into three parts: heaven, earth, and underground. Heaven was inhabited by the 'Tsan gods,' earth by the 'Nyen gods,' and underground by the 'Lu gods.' The Tsenpo (monarch) came down to earth from heaven via a heavenly ladder and later returned to heaven via the same ladder." I can't remember the rest. The eight-day trip ended. On the return train, I met a tour group organized by an investment platform from Nanjing, traveling back to the same starting point. With many people chatting, it was very lively. The train raced through the night, taking me back home. The string of place names I had passed on the way out now replayed like a video rewinding, passing before my eyes. The magnificent and colorful Qilian Mountains, the boundless Gobi, the fluttering multi-ethnic customs — all quieted down in my heart, slowly quieting down. I don't know why, but as I wrote the last few sentences, the battlefields of the West Route Army of the Red Army kept pounding in my heart — Linze, Gaotai, Niying Camp, Gulang, and also Xingxing Gorge in Xinjiang, the final assembly point of the West Route Army, which was close but we didn't go. To the ancestors who shed blood for the strength of the nation and the well-being of the people — you are as eternal as the mountains! This is all I can write about my Qinghai-Gansu loop tour. I haven't written for several years, and I feel my brain is duller; I barely typed the words. Thank you to those who read these words. If there are any mistakes, please correct them. Friday, May 19, 2023.