Qinghai Memoir: Meeting the World
Everywhere you look, it’s a earthly paradise.
We shouldn’t wait in idleness, nor idle in waiting.
Grant yourself a plan.
Pause and witness the extraordinary in this world.
- Dreamlike Qinghai Journey -
「Where the eye reaches, all is earthly beauty」As the wind rises over the mountains and seas, a promising future awaits.
Some places stay quietly in your heart until you see them, and then you feel you’ve met them too late.
Qinghai is exactly such a place.
A pinch of salt from Chaerhan, a pool of water from Qinghai Lake, a patch of blue sky from Dongtai Jinair Lake, the sunset from the Eye of the Angel, the sunrise at Emerald Lake, the dust rising on National Highway 315, and a pot of boiled tea from a Tibetan girl’s home.
You will encounter all kinds of wonders: taste the purest lamb and yak, savor the strongest highland barley liquor; be shaken and moved together, watch the sunrise and sunset together every day.
Alright, let’s set off.
Our journey starts from Golmud, heading southwest toward the Kunlun Pass. On the majestic Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we see desert steppe, canyon landforms, towering snow mountains, and endless mountain ranges...
We merge with the plateau in the most carefree manner.
In the heart of the Kunlun Mountains, enjoy the picturesque scenery. No matter what you do, there’s always a view that moves you.
The Heavenly Road delivers the distant places to our feet, so close, so real, so beautiful.
We were also incredibly lucky: we encountered the spirits of Hoh Xil—Tibetan antelopes and wild donkeys—but didn’t stop the car to avoid disturbing them, only watching them from afar.
Hoh Xil lies at the intersection of Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. She is the most beautiful “maiden” of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a paradise within paradise, the last pure land that countless people dream of—there is no second place like it on earth.
After a beautiful sunset, tomorrow we will continue heading to the heart of the Qaidam Basin to find our own scenery.
At dawn, we set off with the first ray of sunlight, crossing the vast Gobi Desert, just to travel over mountains and rivers to await the beautiful sunset of the Eye of the Angel.
The wide roads, the open view, hands on the wheel, driving straight ahead—the stunning scenery along the way dazzles our eyes. Here, we can put on our own road movie anytime.
Deep in the Alar Grassland, there is a geothermal spring that has been gushing for thousands of years—called Aiken Spring.
For centuries, Aiken Spring has never stopped spouting, like boiling water, undrinkable and unusable for bathing. Viewed from above, it resembles an “eye,” vividly colored and aloof, known as the “Eye of the Angel.”
Hand in hand, we walk beside the mysterious Aiken Spring, as if strolling on “Mars”—surreal yet tinged with romance.
I felt like I was being fed dog food (witnessing a sweet couple).
Time hurries by, but we won’t miss a single sunset.
From dawn to dusk, we drive all the way, just to take our companions to the spring’s edge to witness a beautiful sunset in the great northwest. We, who look good, deserve the beautiful scenery and this lovely light.
Some say the human eye has 576 megapixels and never hunts for focus. No lens can match a ten-thousandth of what your eyes see.
But no matter how beautiful your eyes are, they cannot compare to mine, because my eyes hold you—even if you are the Eye of the Angel.
Tonight we stay in the oil town of Mangya City; tomorrow we will meet at Emerald Lake.
At the westernmost edge of Haixi, there lies a lake as calm as emerald, neighboring the lonely National Highway 315. No fish, no birds, no ornate words or false lines; leaves overlap with leaves, waves overlap with waves, resting quietly beneath the Kunlun Mountains, letting silence drown the wind from all directions.
This is the beautiful Mangya Emerald Lake.
Having seen the sunset at the Eye of the Angel, how could we miss the sunrise at Emerald Lake? So we set off in the dark, waiting for the most beautiful ray of dawn to illuminate the earth, washing away all fatigue.
Of course, you must bring a drone here; a different angle will astonish you even more.
The emerald lake water, the azure sky, the distant mountains, and the clouds that seem within reach—all make you feel this isn’t real, yet it truly exists. Such is the magic of nature!
Do we fall in love with the captivating sunrise itself, or with the mood of waiting for the sunrise?
That eager anticipation, the joy of waiting.
That happiness of sharing all beautiful things with someone.
Let’s set off to share the next beautiful scenery.
Leaving Emerald Lake, we head east. The yardang landforms along the way are breathtaking, but we have no time to stop because our next stop is the Mars Camp, said to be the place on earth that most resembles Mars. Everyone is eager to see it.
Crossing Mars Highway No.1, opening the door to Mars, changing perspectives—Hello, Mars Camp, Earthlings request to land.
This is China’s first field camp simulating the Martian environment. The surrounding area is rich in yardang landforms, with dry weather, blocked communication, and no human habitation for a hundred miles.
In this unpolluted world, we escape the city’s hustle and external noise, fully enjoying nature’s masterpieces.
Early in the morning, we claim a hilltop for our companions. Climbing high and looking far, the Gobi is too quiet, too empty, too desolate. But luckily, there are yardangs—not just one, but one after another, endless.
I don’t know how to live right before thirty,
But I know that eyes in one’s twenties are meant to see the world.
Next stop: We’ll meet at West and East Tainar Lakes!
On the way to Dongtai Jinair Lake, we first pass by Xitai Jinair Lake. Located beside National Highway 315, the lake shows two different colors due to different salt content and depth on each side of the highway—absolutely beautiful.
Naturally, we can’t miss this beauty. Stop, take photos, let our laughter linger here.
Continuing forward, between Xitai and Dongtai Jinair Lakes, there is a beautiful painting woven by desert and lake water—the magnificent Wusute Water Yardang.
With the recent surge in popularity of Haixi, this once sparsely visited place is now bustling with traffic. Take a look at this crowded parking lot.
A dance for the desert and the sea.
The rain god, who can’t stand praise, had just given us blue skies and white clouds, but as soon as we entered the scenic area, the weather changed. Brother Three is indeed poisonous.
Next, we will visit the “Maldives” in the desert—a beautiful spot that went viral this year.
When the meltwater from the Hetuoban and Bugeban snow mountains flows into the center of the Qaidam Basin, God created a beautiful lake here.
The water here is Tiffany blue, and the white crystals covering the lakeside make it feel like a surreal fairyland.
Under the sun, a gentle breeze makes the lake shimmer, stunning the quiet world.
This is the destination we were most looking forward to on this trip—Dongtai Jinair Lake.
The lake water alternates between deep and shallow layers, spreading out. Our companions couldn’t resist taking off shoes and socks to wade into the salt lake for photos.
Beautiful Dongtai Jinair Lake—even the air is so still here.
Strolling along the narrow salt crystal causeway, with Tiffany blue tranquil water on both sides, we almost forgot we were deep in the Gobi.
Wandering by the lake, letting our sight fly, merging with this earthly beauty.
Dongtai Jinair Lake—a scenic spot that exploded this year. We are lucky to come when it is at its most beautiful. Perhaps next year it will be developed into a paid scenic area, and we may never again appreciate its pristine beauty. So, if you decide where you want to go, you must set off immediately.
After a pause, we wave goodbye to Dongtai Jinair Lake, leaving behind the scenery and taking away joy.
Heading further east, our next stop is Dachaidan Emerald Lake. Upon first meeting, our companions were captivated by its dreamy charm.
Emerald Lake, like the last pure land on a lonely planet, lies scattered along both sides of the road, so unreal yet so accessible. It adds a touch of tenderness to the lonely, desolate Gobi, with the sky deep blue and clouds piled high.
A group of older sisters studying dance begin their performance by the lake. With such beautiful scenery and graceful movements, as a spectator I eagerly cracked open some sunflower seeds.
After all, it’s rare to enjoy beautiful dance while also enjoying the view.
And the gradient emeralds, each embedded in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the crystal-like white salt, and the mirror-still lake when there’s no wind—everything is unforgettable.
Travel always brings regrets and surprises. On the way to Delingha, we learned that the Alien Ruins were closed. While our companions were lamenting, we received good news: the previously closed Qarhan Salt Lake is now open. Everything is just right.
The Qaidam Basin, between the majestic Kunlun and Qilian Mountains, is famous as the “treasure basin” of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. And the heart of the Qaidam Basin is the renowned Qarhan. Everyone who comes to Qarhan is drawn by its beauty.
Doesn’t it feel like facing the sea?
For us, Qarhan Salt Lake was a lost-and-found beauty on this trip, so we treasured every moment there even more.
Cupping a handful of salt, little knowing we are holding an entire Qinghai summer in our hands. Enjoy this moment fully, because Qarhan Salt Lake is like a mirror left by God to copy the beautiful world.
Leaving Qarhan Salt Lake, the ladies unanimously requested to see the green poplar forest. I reluctantly agreed—after all, most people never get a chance to see green poplar trees, and I have already seen them twice.
Look, isn’t it green enough? I hear that a desert in the rain goes perfectly with green poplar forest.
It rained all the way to the poplar forest. Yes, I’ve seen heavy rain in the desert and green poplar forests. I can only pray devoutly in the desert, hoping that in October, Ejina Banner will let me encounter a golden rain.
After the rain clears, we continue along the Gobi highway. The scenery hidden in the desert always surprises.
Beneath the towering Kunlun Mountains, abundant wind energy and sunlight, and vast open space make everything possible for this new energy base. If you see it with your own eyes, I believe you will also be awed by the spectacular scene.
From another perspective, the wild Gobi is a treasure that people cannot ignore.
Seeking dragons and dividing gold, looking at winding mountains—each winding is a barrier.
In the five-element formation of Qinghai lies the true Nine-Story Demon Tower.
Passing by here, we chatted with local villagers for a long time. But the truth of the story—let it remain buried underground!
Someone told me that Qinghai Lake is most beautiful in midsummer, and I deeply agree.
Last summer, we crossed mountains and grasslands just to quietly watch the sunset by Qinghai Lake, but I fell under the rain god’s curse. Continuous overcast days made us miss the most beautiful Qinghai Lake—what a pity.
But this time, Qinghai Lake, with its water and sky merging, showed us its gentlest side: perfect sunlight, very blue sky, gentle breeze.
Perhaps because this year Dongtai and Xitai Jinair Lakes and the Eye of the Angel became hugely popular, Qinghai Lake, usually crowded, felt a bit “quieter” this year.
But whether crowded or not, every time I come to Qinghai Lake, I seem to hear that familiar western love song “In That Distant Place” by the lake.
Maybe the girl Zhuoma has turned and smiled again! Whether or not she is there, that smile forever spreads across the plateau. Isn’t Qinghai Lake just like Zhuoma? It is forever smiling, forever beautiful, forever charming.
Those fresh morning breezes, those scorching sunrays, the anticipation of unknown destinations—all stir restlessly in my heart.
If I didn’t have to go back to work, I could really sit here all day without sunscreen.
Leaving beautiful Qinghai, we discovered a paradise amid the mountains of Gannan: grasslands, rivers, villages, blue sky and white clouds—everything.
Here, there is an ancient city that has survived since the Han Dynasty. After more than two thousand years of wind, frost, rain, and snow, it has buried countless stories and witnessed many wars. Now only the ancient city, left in the grassland, tells of its former glory.
All that happened in the past has vanished into the long river of history.
With the sunset glow, this journey is about to end.
Majestic Qinghai—every scenic spot is hundreds of kilometers apart. The travel fatigue is worth it when you see such beauty. The desert highways, shared by all, are truly cool! Everything along the way will become a treasured memory for the rest of our lives.
