Self-driving Around the Great Northwest, a Magical Off-road Camping Journey

📍 Rome · 👁 9535 reads · ❤️ 33 likes

In my mind, the Great Northwest has always been a treasure trove.

Especially Haixi in Qinghai, which hides so many stunning attractions. Since I drove there last year, I've been thinking about it nonstop.

This year, during the most beautiful season in Qinghai, I'm packing my bags and heading out again to complete this route in full.

Friends who have been to Haixi know that although the natural scenery is charming, most attractions are half-open or even undeveloped.

So there's no real tourism infrastructure, and along the way, road conditions, dining, and accommodation can be problematic.

That's why this time I chose the Great Wall RV Cannon, an off-road RV that combines off-roading and camping. Its powerful off-road performance allowed me to reach many places I couldn't last year, and it fulfilled my wish to camp at Eboliang.

4,000 kilometers, 10 days of travel, starting a magical journey through the Great Northwest with the Great Wall RV Cannon.

In July, the rapeseed flowers bloom around Qinghai Lake.

Tosu Lake in Delingha.

The Blood of the Earth on National Highway 315.

Dongtai Jinai'er Lake, known as the Qinghai Maldives.

The place on Earth that most resembles the surface of Mars—Eboliang.

The Eye of the Demon—Aikeng Spring.

Sunset in Golmud.

The starry sky under the Kunlun Mountains.

The West Queen Mother's Jade Pool in the heart of the Kunlun Mountains.

D1: Chengdu—Xining (by plane)

D2: Xining—Qinghai Lake Cliff—Delingha (510 km, 7.5 hours driving)

Attractions: Qinghai Lake Cliff. Accommodation: Delingha.

D3: Delingha—Tosu Lake—Dongtai Jinai'er Lake—Water Yadan (442 km, 6.5 hours driving)

Attractions: Tosu Lake, Dongtai Jinai'er Lake, Water Yadan. Accommodation: Water Yadan RV Camp.

D4: Water Yadan—Xitai Jinai'er Lake—Mars Camp (130 km + Mars Highway, 3 hours driving, about 3–4 hours in Eboliang area, camping at Mars Camp)

Attractions: Xitai Jinai'er Lake, Mars Camp, Eboliang. Accommodation: Camping at Mars Camp.

D5: Mars Camp—Mangya Emerald Lake—Mangya City (320 km, 5 hours driving)

Attractions: Emerald Lake. Accommodation: Mangya City.

D6: Mangya City—Mangya Demon's Eye—Golmud (600 km, 9 hours driving)

Attractions: Aikeng Spring (Demon's Eye). Accommodation: Golmud.

D7: Golmud—Bingquan—Hoh Xil—Kunlun Mountains (430 km, 8 hours driving)

Attractions: Kunlun Mountains, Hoh Xil. Accommodation: Camping in Kunlun Mountains.

D8: Kunlun Mountains—Golmud—Dulan County (767 km, 8.5 hours driving)

Attractions: None. Accommodation: Dulan County.

D9: Dulan County—Qinghai Lake Erlangjian—Xining (432 km, 6.5 hours driving)

Attractions: Qinghai Lake. Accommodation: Xining.

D10: Xining—Chengdu.

Qinghai Lake is a must-visit spot every time I go to Qinghai; it's close to Xining, about a 2-hour drive.

But Qinghai Lake is huge; driving around it is about 360 kilometers, and stopping to enjoy it takes a whole day.

On this trip, because I passed by Qinghai Lake both ways, I planned to take the northern route on National Highway 315 on the way there to check out a popular spot recently online: Qinghai Cliff.

On the way back, I took the traditional southern route on National Highway 109. At this time of year, the rapeseed flowers are in full bloom, especially beautiful.

Qinghai Lake Cliff:

This is a popular spot recently online, located at the northwest edge of Qinghai Lake. You can drive right to the lake following navigation.

When you approach the cliff, local Tibetan people charge a fee at the entrance: 10 yuan per person. After paying, you can drive further in. When you reach the big cliff, someone else charges another 10 yuan per person, claiming the area is divided into big and small cliffs belonging to two families, so the fee is separate.

The weather wasn't good when we arrived, and we didn't see particularly beautiful scenery, though we were close to the lake. Personally, I think it's not worth coming if the weather is bad; one, it's too far, and two, you can't capture the scenery at all.

Qinghai Lake Rapeseed Flowers:

On the return trip, the weather was nice, and I encountered Qinghai Lake's most beautiful season again.

Near Erlangjian, there are thousands of acres of rapeseed flowers every year. For just 20 yuan per person, you can go in and take photos and play freely.

So I really don't recommend going into the so-called Erlangjian scenic area; the outside world is the real Qinghai Lake.

Leaving Qinghai Lake, we continued along National Highway 315 to Delingha, the capital of Haixi Prefecture.

In Haixi, there are many unknown lakes, some hidden deep in the mountains, others right beside the highway.

If you just pay a little attention to the scenery outside the window, you'll find it's no less impressive than any scenic area in China.

This is "Gahai" along the highway.

Near Delingha, there is a rarely visited lake—Tosu Lake.

Even navigation can hardly find the road to the lake, and the south shore of Tosu Lake is the mysterious Alien Relic Site.

The navigation ends where there is no road. To continue to the lake, an ordinary car won't do;

only a rugged off-road vehicle can proceed. The Great Wall RV Cannon has excellent off-road performance, handling such terrain without any pressure.

In a place without human presence, if aliens wanted to explore Earth, this would definitely be the best choice.

The RV Cannon is perfect for here.

We drove the car to the lakeside, took drinks and fruit from the fridge, set up portable chairs, and poured a glass of red wine.

It's unimaginable that travel can be so comfortable in such a rough place.

The push-pull roof tent, with optional solar panels on the roof, and an inverter and backup battery inside the box, provides essential power for outdoor living.

In addition to the off-road performance of a pickup truck, the RV Cannon has everything an RV has:

roof rack, awning, water heater, fridge, air conditioner, inverter, etc.

National Highway 315 in the Great Northwest is known as one of China's most beautiful highways.

The most popular section online recently is from Xiao Chaidan to the Mars Highway.

"Blood of the Earth," U-shaped highway, Dongtai Jinai'er Lake, Water Yadan, and the Two-Color Lake are all concentrated here.

"Blood of the Earth":

Driving on National Highway 315 from Xiao Chaidan interchange, at kilometer 757, there is a red river, known by netizens as "Blood of the Earth." But you need a drone shot to see it clearly. The color is more vivid after rain; if it's too dry, it's not very red.

"U-shaped Highway":

The U-shaped highway, which became hugely popular last year, is known as China's version of "Route 66."

Now too many people come; for safety, parking to take photos is prohibited. If you really want to shoot, you can drive to a small hill beside the road, as long as you don't block normal traffic.

Don't stand in the middle of the road to take photos; it's very dangerous.

Dongtai Jinai'er Lake:

Known as Qinghai's "Maldives," it's a very large salt lake with truly beautiful colors.

But this year it has been closed to visitors.

The Two-Color Lake, also called Xitai Jinai'er Lake, looks like a water highway on National Highway 315, with different shades of water on each side of the road.

There are parking areas along the road in the middle of the lake; under drone aerial photography, the colors are beautiful.

Wusute Yadan Geological Park:

The Yadan landforms on both sides of Highway 315 are not unusual, but the water Yadan is the only one of its kind in the world.

This is a developed scenic area, requiring tickets and sightseeing bus entry.

The RV camp at Water Yadan is also the only relatively good accommodation along this stretch. July to September is the peak season in the northwest, so you must book rooms in advance.

Sightseeing bus: 60 yuan.

There is a Mars Highway here, leading to a place on Earth that most resembles Mars.

Road conditions on the Mars Highway are poor, especially if it rains; do not venture there rashly.

Also, be sure to book accommodation in advance. The only place to stay in the entire Eboliang area is Mars Camp, which offers single-person space capsules. During peak season, it seems to cost 1,500 per person. And you need to book at least half a month in advance to get a spot.

Since we were traveling with the RV Cannon, we didn't have to worry about accommodation. Before coming, we planned to camp at Eboliang to photograph the stars.

But when we arrived, we found out that starting July 13, all vehicles entering Eboliang must pay a navigation fee of 500 yuan plus a 500 yuan deposit, and they can only stay for 4 hours. Exceeding 4 hours costs an additional 50 yuan per hour. So camping inside would cost a lot, and the gate is closed at night, so we couldn't go up. We could only camp in a parking lot outside Mars Camp.

I have to say, camping with the RV Cannon is much more comfortable than the 1,500-yuan sleeping capsule at Mars Camp.

The 1900mm x 1800mm double bed is more than enough for two big guys like us.

The push-pull roof tent allows a 1.8-meter-tall person to stand inside the car without any problem.

At night, turning on the starry lights and ambient lights instantly makes it warm and romantic.

Every time we set up camp, many people come over curiously;

their first comment is often that the car is well modified. When they hear it's factory original, they exclaim in surprise.

The Lenghu Mars Camp is China's first Mars research and educational camp. The weather is dry, communication is blocked, and it's isolated from bustling cities and outside noise. It provides the most realistic simulated Mars landing experience, with desolate rugged landscapes that make you feel like you're on Mars!

Our car drove along, feeling like we were traveling across the Martian surface.

Spotting an astronaut.

The salt lake covers about 26 square kilometers, a magnesium sulfate subtype salt lake with a salt layer at the bottom, generally 5 meters thick, up to 9.68 meters at its thickest. The lake is rich in lithium, potassium fertilizer, mirabilite, etc.

These salt ponds of varying sizes, shapes, and depths contain high-concentration brine locally called "bittern," formed from years of salt mining.

Parking fee: 10 yuan for cars, 20 for RVs.

Ordinary RVs are too wide and tall to drive in here; they have to park at the entrance lot.

Our Great Wall RV Cannon has well-controlled width and height, so it can drive right onto the road inside Emerald Lake, and the parking fee is only the standard 10 yuan for a car.

Due to different mineral concentrations, the scene is colorful. When calm, it's like mirrors scattered everywhere, with pale green, emerald, and dark green water, like jade embedded in the Gobi, making it a new "Mirror of the Sky."

We stayed by the lake until sunset.

In Mohuerbuluke Village, Huatugou Town, Mangya City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, there is a magical landscape called "Eye of the Earth"—Aikeng Spring. Seen from above, the spring and its gushing water, along with the deep red ring-like deposits on the surrounding land, form a unique pupil-like shape, like an eye set in the earth.

Parking fee: 10 yuan.

Aikeng Spring lies in the vast land at the foot of snowy mountains. The water looks ordinary but is undrinkable because of high sulfur content. After long-term evaporation, minerals deposit in the surrounding soil, corroding vegetation and soil.

Experts speculate that the formation of Aikeng Spring may be related to deep faults and tilted aquifers. Qinghai Province is located on the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a boundary of active blocks with strong neotectonic movements. Major earthquake belts like the Altun fault, Kunlun fault, and West Qinling fault all pass through Qinghai. In fault zones, valleys often develop, and sometimes springs and lakes appear.

17 years ago, after the movie "Kekexili," I've been longing for this mysterious land.

The story of Sonam Dargye has always left a deep impression on me.

This is my third time in Hoh Xil; the sky is still so blue, snow-capped mountains and white clouds seem within reach.

The Sonam Dargye Protection Station is named to commemorate this hero who protected Tibetan antelopes.

The patrol soldiers of Hoh Xil usually live here. I once had the chance to live with them for a while, and I truly admire these patrol soldiers.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway run parallel here.

Whether by train or driving, you can see Tibetan antelopes, wild donkeys, yaks, horses, and other wildlife along the road.

Now in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, the number of animals is increasing, but seeing large herds of Tibetan antelopes still requires some luck.

And private cars are prohibited from entering Hoh Xil; please strictly follow this rule.

After nightfall, we continued driving to find a campsite.

Next to Hoh Xil are the Kunlun Mountains, sparsely populated with many wild animals.

Choosing a campsite is important; it's best to find a place near a construction site or where people are active,

otherwise meeting wolves or bears at night can be dangerous.

We parked next to a road construction shed and decided to camp there for the night.

The moonlight was bright; even without lights, the surroundings were clearly visible.

Around 10 p.m., the Milky Way became clearly visible to the naked eye.

Looking up at the starry sky, I realized the last time I saw such beautiful stars was a year ago.

In fact, this is what the night sky really looks like; it's just that in the city, the beautiful night sky is hidden by neon lights.

I have to say the RV Cannon is perfect for photographers, especially astrophotographers.

When you encounter a beautiful Milky Way, park and set up the tent, sleep comfortably, and never miss any stunning galaxies.

In August, meteor showers, I hope to continue driving it to chase stars.

This is a developing scenic area in the Kunlun Mountains; the road to the West Queen Mother's Jade Pool is already built.

The 120-kilometer shuttle road is in good condition. The scenic area is currently free, but I guess it will start charging tickets soon because the visitor center at the entrance is almost finished.

When going to the lake, you must wear long pants and long sleeves; there are tons of mosquitoes there, thick on the ground. Ordinary mosquito repellent is useless; there are too many. I got out to take photos for a few minutes and couldn't stand it, so I quickly got back in the car.

The West Queen Mother's Jade Pool is the source of the Kunlun River, a natural highland lake, a sacred lake worshipped by Taoist believers. It has an average altitude of 4,470 meters, about 12,000 meters long from east to west and about 5,000 meters wide from north to south, with a maximum depth of 21.9 meters. The lake water shimmers, green like dye, clear and transparent. Waterbirds gather, flying over the lake or playing in the water; the autumn wind brings coolness, and auspicious vapors rise, a scene of harmony. The lakeside has abundant water and grass, with wild yaks, wild donkeys, brown bears, gazelles, Tibetan antelopes, and other wildlife appearing in great variety.

There is a platform by the lake; legend says that on the third day of the third lunar month, the sixth day of the sixth month, and the eighth day of the eighth month, the West Queen Mother hosts a peach banquet here to entertain all the gods, who come to wish her a happy birthday, making it a lively event.

From the Jade Pool, you can see the majestic Kunlun Mountains in the distance.

On both sides of the road to the pool, you often see various wildlife.

Tibetan antelopes, wild donkeys, and Tibetan foxes.

For me, travel is not only about measuring the map with my footsteps but also exploring the unknown of this world.

With the RV Cannon accompanying me this time, I could enjoy the beautiful scenery, stop and go as I pleased, without any restrictions.

If you like this kind of travel, then add a bit of wildness to your camping life.

Travelogue Directory:

1. Preview of the Great Northwest

2. Itinerary Recommendation

3. Qinghai Lake, the Largest Lake in China

4. Tosu Lake and Alien Relic Site

5. Popular National Highway 315