9-Day 3000km Grand Loop Self-Drive: Qinghai Lake - Qaidam - Dunhuang - Zhangye - Qilian - Menyuan - Xining
[9-Day 3000km Grand Loop Self-Drive: Qinghai Lake - Qaidam - Dunhuang - Zhangye - Qilian - Menyuan - Xining]
This trip was planned rather hastily, a last-minute decision to take the family on a summer vacation. So I had to make a quick choice between Jiuzhaigou and Qinghai Lake, and basically only used one weekend to do the pre-trip homework.
A few things that must be mentioned [About Costs] Family of 5 (4 adults, 1 child), 9-day self-drive loop: Xining - Qinghai Lake - Qaidam - Dunhuang - Zhangye - Qilian - Menyuan - Xining, covering over 3000 km.
Total expenditure about 33,000 RMB, per person about 6,600 RMB. Main expenses as follows:
Flights (booked via Ctrip): 6758 + 6870 = 13,628 RMB
Transport (Shenzhou Car Rental, fuel, tolls): 5500 + 3000 = 8,500 RMB
Food: 2,500 RMB; Accommodation: 6,900 RMB; Tickets: 1,200 RMB
[About the Grand Loop Self-Drive: Xining - Qinghai Lake - Chaka Salt Lake - Dachaidan (Qaidam Basin) - Dunhuang - Zhangye - Qilian - Menyuan - Xining]
Given limited time, I originally planned a one-way route, not a loop.
A one-way route had several drawbacks: few flights from Dunhuang to Beijing restricted schedule flexibility; and it wouldn't fulfill my wish to experience desert, gobi, and grassland all in one trip – the southern route offers vast gobi and desert, while the northern route offers grasslands dotted with herds of sheep and cattle; most importantly, Shenzhou Car Rental's one-way drop-off fee was over 2,000 RMB, which was not cost-effective, and that amount would be enough to rent a car for a few more days to do the loop.
In the end, I decided on the loop. Though more tiring, it was definitely worth it!
In 9 days we drove over 3,000 km, passing the Mirror of Space – Qinghai Lake, the Mirror of the Sky – Chaka Salt Lake, crossing desolate salt flats, gobi, and deserts; experiencing the charm of the Desert Eye – Crescent Moon Spring, the artistry of the Mogao Caves, the natural power of the Devil City Yadan landforms, and the colorful Danxia landscapes. Sometimes we climbed over mountains at 3,000 meters altitude, other times we were surrounded by grasslands with herds of sheep and cattle... It felt like experiencing all facets of life – sighing, feeling, pondering...
When you are in the vast gobi, your only companions besides family are the white clouds in the sky, the distant steep mountains, and the straight road underfoot stretching endlessly...
When you step onto the desert and gaze at the rolling dunes, you cannot help but sigh at the vicissitudes of time – once green mountains have been completely desertified, the power of nature is awe-inspiring.
When you see an oasis at the foot of snow-capped mountains, you also marvel at the tenacity of life – as long as there is water, vitality abounds everywhere, and desert can become oasis.
Throughout the 9-day, 3000 km journey, an impression seemed to linger in my mind, elusive yet persistent. Then suddenly it dawned on me – the one constant over those 3000 km was the telephone poles accompanying us all the way!
Where there is a road, there are telephone poles – telephone lines, high-voltage lines! Along the roadsides, on mountain peaks, at the foot of snowy mountains, leading to Mongolian yurts deep in the grasslands, amidst thousands of acres of rapeseed flowers... rows upon rows, everywhere, appearing in almost every photo taken! Though they degrade the photo quality, they bring light and information to mountain and grassland herders, changing my view of telecom and power companies, filling me with respect for the workers, and making me disdain the "backwardness" of the US and Australia from the bottom of my heart.
[About How to Tour Around Qinghai Lake] Though we didn't circle the entire lake, we reached the eastern, southern, and northern shores.
1) The southern shore's National Highway G109 (Daotanghe - Erlangjian - Heimabe) runs close to the lake. You can drive to the lakeshore and enjoy lake views and grassland hills. Recommended.
2) The eastern shore, from Sand Island to the East Lake Road junction, features desert and grassland. Especially recommended for those not going to Dunhuang – you can basically experience Dunhuang's desert vibe.
3) The northern shore, from Haiyan - Xihai Town - Ganzihe - Gangcha, has Jinyintan Grassland, but it's just an unremarkable grassland, not as charming as Qilian Grassland. Also, the northern shore highway is too far from Qinghai Lake to see it, so not recommended. Better spend the time on Menyuan and Qilian – stunningly beautiful.
4) The western shore, from Heimabe - Shinaihai - Gangcha, we didn't visit, so no comment.
[The Beauty of Sunsets]
We returned to the hotel very late each day, tired from playing, so we never woke up early for sunrise, but we witnessed three magnificent sunsets: The setting sun and full moon over Qinghai Lake shining together (July 12, 20:40); The sunset at Crescent Moon Spring dancing with the dunes (July 14, 21:10); The sunset at Yadan Devil City merging with the horizon (July 15, 21:10). The sunset time at Qinghai Lake and Dunhuang differs by about half an hour.
[The Beauty of Street Lamps]
Street lamps along the way were very distinctive, reflecting local characteristics, such as yak patterns, cycling patterns, flying apsaras patterns, etc.
[About Altitude Sickness] Although most places on the route except Dunhuang (about 1100 m) are above 3000 m, altitude sickness was not obvious. It is recommended to avoid strenuous activity on the first day to allow the body to adapt.
[About Car Rental] There are two ways to handle transportation: first, hire a car with driver – saves time and energy, local driver can be a guide, but costs more and less freedom; second, rent a car and drive yourself – the biggest advantage is full freedom to go anywhere and stop anytime, but long drives are tiring.
Shenzhou Car Rental has a desk opposite the exit at Xining Airport. When picking up the car, check its condition, especially tires. Most of the route is gobi, desert, and mountains; a blowout would be very dangerous. Choose a new car in good condition. If budget allows, choose a larger engine, e.g., 2.0L or above, otherwise overtaking and climbing mountains can be difficult.
[About Accommodation]
July and August are peak season for the Qinghai Lake-Dunhuang line. Good hotels are expensive and often fully booked, so book in advance. Since we had elderly and children, I booked good hotels on Ctrip before departure – more expensive but comfortable with hot showers. Only in Dachaidan in the Qaidam Basin, the local best Guohua Hotel was 140 RMB/night, but at least had hot water.
[About Food] Basically only noodles, lamb, and beef are available. If you want rice, the owner either says no or it's undercooked (due to altitude). Fortunately, noodles are delicious, and lamb and beef are tasty.
In Dunhuang we stayed two nights and had two meals of Daji Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles.
In Xining, we had three meals of Qingzhen Yixin Lamb Hand-Grabbed restaurant (first day lunch, last two days dinner) – never tired of it.
[About Items to Bring] 0. Hair dryer (some hotels without one; necessary after washing hair in high altitude to dry it); Thermos (for instant noodles on the road)
1. ID card, student card. Elderly and children get half-price tickets.
2. Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, toiletries, umbrella (for rain or sun).
3. Summer clothes, autumn clothes (Qinghai Lake is cold), sandals, hat/shawl (essential for desert and gobi).
4. Phone, camera, charger, power bank (recommended), spare memory card.
5. Common medicines (band-aids, cold medicine, Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid, mosquito repellent, tiger balm).
6. Wet wipes – essential!
7. Large temperature difference between day and night, so bring a pair of thermal long johns!
8. Disposable underwear – sold in supermarkets; we were on the road every day, and washed clothes wouldn't dry – very helpful.
[Missed Attractions]
According to netizens, the following places are well worth visiting. Unfortunately, due to limited time, we couldn't cover them. A bit of a pity.
Yulin Grottoes, also known as Wanjia Gorge, located 70 km south of Guazhou County (formerly Anxi County). The caves are carved into the cliffs on either side of the Yulin River canyon. At Suoyang Town, there is a crossroads; 30 km south leads to the Yulin Grottoes on both sides of the Tashi River.
Highly recommended: Yulin Grottoes, sister grottoes to Mogao, but less famous and fewer visitors. The entrance looks terrifying, like the entrance to hell – no facade visible (photo). But entrance fee is only 30 RMB. Our guide, Ms. Wang Yan, explained things carefully for over an hour, allowing us to see the murals up close and understand the stories. We are very grateful to her. Next time you go, request her! Hehe.
2) Zhangye? Giant Buddha Temple
Driving distance: about 5 km; driving time: about 15 min; visit time: about 1 hour.
The Giant Buddha Temple is located in the southwest corner of Zhangye city, Gansu Province. It is an important historical and cultural site along the Silk Road and a landmark of the historic city Zhangye. The temple is a renowned Buddhist monastery in the northwest inland, known as "Famous Temple on the Frontier, Buddhist Holy Land." Inside, ancient buildings stand among towering old trees and lush grass – a beautiful environment. Here you can find the only ethnic minority religious hall from the Western Xia period in the country, the largest indoor clay reclining Buddha in Asia, a rare Ming-dynasty hand-copied gold sutra, and thousands of precious artifacts.
Matisi Temple, also called Puguang Temple, located in Sunan County, Zhangye. It got its name from a legend that a heavenly horse left a hoof print while drinking water here.
Matisi Temple is a tourist area combining cave art, Qilian Mountain scenery, and Yugur ethnic culture. Its uniqueness lies in the Thousand Buddha Caves with over 500 cliffside pagoda niches, grand in scale; the large meat-carved flying apsaras in Jinta Temple are primitive and elegant, unique in China; the Thirty-Three Heavens Cave in Puguang Temple, with five levels and twenty-one caves arranged like a pagoda, containing Buddha halls inside and corridors outside, totaling 49 niches – unusual in shape.
9-Day 3000 km Qinghai Lake-Dunhuang Grand Loop Self-Drive Itinerary
D1 - July 12: Beijing - Xining Airport - Riyue Mountain - Erlangjian (250 km/4 hours, stay at Erlangjian)
[Most anticipated day (Qinghai Lake, sunset)]
To maximize time, we chose the early morning flight CA1207 (06:40-09:20). We woke up at 4:30, departed at 5:00, arrived at the airport around 5:45. The airport was unexpectedly crowded, but we checked in without incident. Since it was summer vacation, most travelers were families with children. My advice: arrive at the airport at least an hour early.
We arrived in Xining before 10:00. After picking up the rental car at Xining Caojiabao Airport, we headed straight for the long-awaited Qinghai Lake. Along the way, everything was blue sky, white clouds, mountains, cattle and sheep, grasslands. We passed Riyue Mountain without stopping, all eager to reach the shores of Qinghai Lake as soon as possible.
We arrived at the Erlangjian Scenic Area but did not enter the ticket-required area, because scenery is everywhere. Every road can lead directly to the lakeshore, though each road has a few villagers guarding it – either at the intersection or near the lake's edge. Don't think there is any forgotten corner. For 10 RMB per person, you can drive to the lakeside and fully experience the biting wind and cold lake water of Qinghai Lake. Long pants and long sleeves are a must.
At different times and from different angles, the color of Qinghai Lake changes; you can see up to four colors on the lake surface. Standing by the shore, you see a beautiful view you'll never want to leave: blue sky and white clouds above, distant mountains in the background, lush grass and flowers at your feet, and the four-colored mirror of the sky in between!
We stayed at the Zaxi Tibetan-style Resort Hotel – a hostel-style hotel with Tibetan decoration and different room grades. The backyard of the breakfast restaurant faces vast grasslands and mountains – simply beautiful. Being the first day, no one took a shower.
After checking in, the staff warmly told us there is a road near the Erlangjian gas station leading to a back hill, from whose halfway point you can overlook the entire Qinghai Lake and watch the sunset. Sunset was at 20:40. So we drove there decisively and enjoyed the beauty of Qinghai Lake and the brilliant sunset in the cold wind, also seeing the full moon in the sky at sunset.
Below three photos: [View of Qinghai Lake from afar, Sunset over Qinghai Lake, Full moon over Qinghai Lake]
D2 - July 13: Erlangjian - Heimabe - Chaka Salt Lake - Dachaidan (476 km/6.5 hours, stay at Dachaidan)
[Most exciting day (Salt lake, basin, snowy mountains)]
From Erlangjian, we drove along National Highway G109 on the southern shore of Qinghai Lake. The scenery was beautiful all the way.
Below three photos: [Distant village with cooking smoke rising, Cattle and sheep all over the mountains, Mirror fallen to the mortal world]
Passing Heimabe, we crossed the 3817-meter-high Xiangpi Mountain and headed straight for Chaka Salt Lake. Chaka Salt Lake looked very similar to what I saw in Australian salt flats. Later on the way to Dunhuang, we saw many similar salt lakes. The scenery of blue sky, white clouds, mountains, and salt lake excited everyone. When we learned that for some reason there was no entrance fee that day – free! – the whole car erupted.
At the salt lake, you realize what luxury means – salt is not for eating, but for walking on, for sculpting, for making crafts. Every footprint you make turns into a salt footprint after a while.
From Chaka Salt Lake we headed to Dachaidan (which we jokingly called "Chai Egg") on the edge of the Qaidam Basin. The scenery switched from cattle/sheep + grassland to salt flats + gobi, and the colors of the mountains changed from color TV to black-and-white TV.
As we neared Dachaidan, we unexpectedly saw snowy mountains to the right front, causing someone who had been longing for snow to exclaim. We stopped to take photos. As we got closer to Dachaidan, the snowy mountains drew nearer. Just as we were saying "We won't really be staying at the foot of snowy mountains, will we?", we discovered in amazement that Dachaidan is indeed a town at the foot of snowy mountains.
We checked into the Dachaidan Guohua Hotel (contacted by phone in advance), which was the best local hotel and the cheapest of the trip – much better than expected, with hot water. Two small restaurants next door provided dinner (pot-stewed lamb) and next morning's breakfast (lamb soup + buns) – affordable and tasty.
D3 - July 14: Dachaidan - Dangjin Mountain - Dunhuang - Crescent Moon Spring Sunset (330 km/4.5 hours, stay at Dunhuang)
[Most romantic day (Crossing basin, gobi, over Dangjin Mountain, through desert, watching Crescent Moon Spring sunset)]
Today we continued through the same salt flats and gobi as yesterday. Mountains on both sides looked like ink wash paintings. After crossing the 3648-meter Dangjin Pass, the scenery immediately turned into desert landscapes. Passing through Aksai towards Dunhuang, we were accompanied by desert all the way, with occasional oases.
Since sunset was around 21:10, after checking into Dunhuang Moyazhuang Boutique Hotel (No. 11 Huancheng South Road), we first experienced the culinary side of Dunhuang by eating at "Daji" Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles. Then we went to Mingsha Mountain to watch the sunset at Crescent Moon Spring. After sunset you can wait a little longer to see the starry sky and even the Big Dipper.
Below: [Mingsha Mountain dunes, Sunset]
D4 - July 15: Dunhuang - Mogao Caves - Yumen Pass - Yadan Devil City - Dunhuang (round trip 320 km/4 hours, stay at Dunhuang)
[Most awe-inspiring day (Mogao Caves, Devil City)]
Mogao Caves: ticket 160 RMB/person; elderly over 60 with ID, children with student card get half price.
Visiting the Mogao Caves is done in groups. One guide leads a group of 15-30 people; each person gets earphones to hear the guide. On average, you can visit about 9 caves, taking 1-2 hours. Except for the seated Buddha and reclining Buddha caves (which every group visits), the caves visited differ. Many caves are opened by the guide with a key only for their group, then locked again after the group leaves. Each cave has a carbon dioxide detector; if it exceeds the limit, the cave is temporarily closed. Some tourists who are particularly enthusiastic about Mogao, after finishing their group, follow another group to see other caves – a good method, though some guides may not allow it.
Speaking of photography at Mogao:
Before going, I read online that photography is not allowed at Mogao. I thought it only referred to inside the caves, since flash can damage the murals. So right after passing the ticket gate, I took out my camera to take a few exterior shots, planning not to take more later. But a security guard rushed over shouting that photography was prohibited, demanding I exit and store my bag. Seeing the "No Photography" sign next to me, I realized I was wrong and quickly said I didn't know exterior photos were also banned, thinking only inside wasn't allowed. The guard, apparently having not vented that day, kept on. Finally the guide intervened, saying she hadn't explained it to us, and he let us go.
Actually, I've always wondered: The thousand-year-old murals need strict protection, no photography – understandable and one should support that. But the exterior walls reinforced in 1985 are exposed to sun, wind, and rain – why can't photos be taken? Is taking photos more destructive than sun, wind, and rain? Even more ridiculous, during subsequent visits, I saw everyone taking photos with cameras and phones, right under the nose of the guard, who was just relaxing in the shade, no longer doing his job. I can't help but sigh at China's policies – unreasonable or unenforceable policies are not good policies.
From Dunhuang, drive south on National Highway 215 for about 30 km, then on the right you'll see a sign for "Dunhuang Yadan National Geological Park". Turn right towards Yumen Pass, Han Great Wall, and Yadan Devil City. Many online said the road to Yadan is bad – gravel road, need 3 hours. In fact, the road is excellent now – a well-paved asphalt road, though only two lanes, so overtaking requires caution, but there are very few cars – often no car for tens of kilometers ahead or behind, so you can drive the two-lane road like a one-way road. Speed limit is 80 km/h, but since there are few cars, everyone drives over 100 km/h, so you reach Yadan in about 2 hours. Including stopovers at Yumen Pass and Han Great Wall, total time is about 2.5 hours.
Continue about 60 km to a gate: "Yumen Pass Scenic Area Ticket Office". A few old farmers were sitting in the shade chatting, and waved to stop the car. I said I didn't want to go to Yumen Pass or Han Great Wall, only to Yadan. They said no way, unless you fly. This is the legendary "This mountain I open, this road I open, this tree I plant, to pass you must pay toll." In fact, the mountain, road, and tree may not be theirs, but no choice – when traveling, pay for convenience. So we paid.
Since we paid, we might as well see the famous Yumen Pass and Han Great Wall. We turned at a small road with a sign and took a quick look and some photos. Yumen Pass is just a stone with "Yumen Pass Site" engraved and a square earthen mound, as evidenced by photos. To the west, the section of the Great Wall near Danggu Tunnel is well preserved: base width 3m, remaining height 3m, top width 1m – the best-preserved section of Han Dynasty Great Wall in China.
After visiting the Mogao Caves in the morning, we didn't go directly to Yadan. Instead, we returned to the hotel to rest until 3 pm, because it was too hot and sunny, and we planned to watch the sunset at Yadan Devil City. Arriving, we realized how wise this decision was – had we arrived earlier, we couldn't have toured anyway and would have had to wait in the sweltering hall. Private cars are not allowed inside Yadan National Geological Park; you have to take the scenic bus. Probably because most visitors come for sunset, the first bus departs at 7 pm, stopping at only 4 points for 5, 10, 30, and 40 minutes. All buses stop at the last point until 9:20 pm return (sunset at 9:10). We drove 2 hours back in the dark, arriving near midnight.
Yadan truly deserves the name Devil City – strangely shaped wind-eroded landforms, myriad forms, vivid and lifelike. You can't help but marvel at nature's endurance. The sun is scorching, wind and sand strong – sunscreen and hat/scarf are necessary. The sunset at Devil City is especially beautiful, a rugged beauty. The huge sun slowly sets on the distant horizon, and excited people pose for photos with the sunset.
D5 - July 16: Dunhuang - Guazhou - Jiayuguan - Zhangye (120 km/1.5h, 250 km/3h, 260 km/3h, stay at Zhangye)
[Most tiring day] (Over 600 km eastward, driving over 7 hours, from desert to gobi to grassland, eyes blurry, back and waist sore. Only two stops: bought a few cantaloupes at Guazhou toll station – very sweet; had a rest and meal at Yumen service area.)
Checked into Zhangye Tianyu International Hotel (Ganquan Cultural Square, South Street, Ganzhou District).
D6 - July 17: Zhangye Danxia Landform - Biandukou Canyon - Qilian Zhu'er Mountain (230 km, 5.5 hours, stay at Qilian)
[Most colorful day (Rainbow Danxia, Biandukou Canyon, Qilian Zhu'er Mountain)]
After breakfast, we headed straight for Zhangye Danxia Landform – the only composite area of Danxia landform and colorful hills in China, rated by "China National Geographic" as one of the seven most beautiful Danxia landforms in China. Located in Linze and Sunan counties, covering about 510 sq km, formed 6 million years ago.
The Danxia park has shuttle buses with guides; private cars are not allowed. There are about 4 stops. The Danxia scenic bus works differently from Yadan: in Yadan, each visitor must return to the same bus and seat within a fixed time; in Danxia, the bus runs in a loop like a public bus – visitors can get on any bus at any stop at any time. Each stop cycle takes no more than 1.5 hours.
Danxia also has sightseeing cars (ticket included with entrance fee).
Zhangye Danxia – how can a single word "beautiful" describe it? Words fail; pictures are needed.
After leaving Danxia, we returned along the same road to Zhangye, then turned onto the beautiful National Highway 227. The scenery was delightful. We took a 2-hour break at Biandukou Canyon, eating watermelon and a rainbow trout – not expensive. After the meal, we continued on G227, climbing over mountains until we reached Ebo Ridge, then turned right into the vast Qilian Grassland. The Qilian Mountain section is all beautiful scenery, passing through the Ice Ravine Forest Sea (known as Little Switzerland) and beautiful small villages.
Below: [Rainbow Danxia] [Beautiful Qilian]
D7 - July 18: Qilian - Menyuan Rape Flower Sea - Xining (350 km, 6.5 hours, stay at Xining)
[Most beautiful day (Snow-capped mountains all the way, rape flowers everywhere)]
For breakfast, we had the local recommended yak bone soup + buns. Afterward, we took Provincial Road 304 back to Ebo Ridge, then turned right onto G227 towards Menyuan. We climbed one mountain after another. Unfortunately, we didn't see the legendary highest point: Dadong Tree Pass (4,120 m) – either we missed it or the route changed.
Menyuan's 500,000 mu of rape flower sea has three best viewing spots. First: Nanshan Zhaobi Mountain opposite the county cement plant, about 4 km southeast of Haomen Town (Menyuan county seat). Second: Yuanshan Flower Viewing Platform at Qingshizui Town, about 20 km west of Haomen. Third: Daban Mountain Observation Deck on the road from Xining to Menyuan, about 30 km from Haomen.
This year, the peak bloom of Menyuan rape flowers was July 10-20. G227 passes through Qingshizui Town; you can see a small hill with an observation platform. Driving there, we found it was the famous Yuanshan Flower Viewing Platform – the best spot in the whole Menyuan for a 360° panorama. So we parked, bought tickets, and went up. Truly extraordinary – the scenery looked like God's painting.
Since it was summer vacation, children were selling local yogurt and corn from kiosks. If you buy from them, they will perform. We all bought yogurt or corn and urged them to perform. The young girl was more generous and sang a song; the boy was more shy.
Below: [People on Yuanshan Flower Viewing Platform] [Children selling yogurt]
After admiring the picturesque rape flowers, we drove to Xining and checked into Irton International Hotel (No. 59 Dongguan Street).
D8 - July 19: Northern Shore of Qinghai Lake (Jinyintan, stay at Xining)
[Most boring day]
Today's plan was to depart from Xining to explore the northern shore of Qinghai Lake, first stopping at Jinyintan Grassland. After seeing the vast gobi desert and the endless Qilian Grassland, the Jinyintan Grassland here didn't offer much worth seeing – not as lush as Qilian, not as colorful flowers, not as many herds... Not recommended at all. So we continued northwards along the northern shore towards Gangcha for tens of kilometers without seeing any spectacular scenery, and also couldn't see the lake (the road is far from the lake). Finally, we unanimously decided to turn back and see if the eastern shore had better views.
The decision was wise. The eastern shore road starting from Sand Island offered scenery worth recommending, especially for those visiting only Qinghai Lake and not Dunhuang. Along the way, you can see grassland, Qinghai Lake, and also experience the desert of Dunhuang. Strangely, the eastern shore has a continuous series of sand dunes, each area guarded by locals who charge money for horse riding, sand ATV, and sand sliding. Since we had already seen plenty of desert and grassland, this wasn't too attractive – we just took a cursory glance.
Below: Qinhai Lake eastern shore: [Sand dunes] [Sand ATV]
D9 - July 20: Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Temple), Xining - Beijing HU7240
[Most disappointing day]
Tonight we had a 18:50 flight back to Beijing, so we visited the Kumbum Monastery, a few tens of kilometers from Xining, in the morning.
Approaching the monastery, traffic was severely congested. After finally arriving, there was no parking space. At the entrances of various restaurants and farmyards, people holding small red flags beckoned passing cars to park (for a fee). The road was full of vehicles, countless tourists, and local vendors – only one word: "messy and chaotic."
With no choice, we were led by a local woman to her "backyard" – climbing a slope, crossing a patch of grass, we finally reached her "backyard," which was actually a small grassy patch on a hillside outside her yard, barely fitting three cars.
I won't say much about the temple visit; overall, the impression was poor. Friends who want to come, think twice. So we left early and drove to Xining Airport.
A terrifying incident occurred: on the expressway back to Xining, the right rear tire blew out. I didn't feel much, just heard an odd sound, similar to a previous blowout in Beijing. My son reminded me it might be a blowout. I pulled over to the emergency lane, set up warning triangles 100 meters away, and checked – I was furious.
Through Shenzhou Car Rental, I had booked a Toyota Camry, but when we arrived at the airport, there was no car. After arguing with the branch and the 400 hotline for over an hour, they gave me a Kia Sportage that had just been returned.
I didn't carefully check the car's condition, naively assuming that, like in the US, the rental company would provide a safe, well-maintained car. Only after the blowout did I discover that the car, with only 70,000+ km driven, had severely worn rear tires – no tread left. Worse, the right rear tire was worn down to the exposed reinforcement wires. This was serious negligence by the rental company, disregard for customer safety. We were lucky – extremely lucky that the blowout didn't happen in the gobi, desert, or mountains; the consequences would have been unimaginable.
At the airport, we were told the flight was delayed, takeoff time uncertain. In the end, the 18:50 flight was delayed over 5 hours, taking off at midnight, arriving in Beijing after 2 am, and home after 3 am.
A wonderful, grand trip ended with an imperfect full stop on the most miserable day!
Traveled July 2014. Travelogue first published July 2014, reposted May 2024.
