October 2024 Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop Self-Drive Travel Guide (Part 3)

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Continued from 'October 2024 Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop Self-Drive Travel Guide (Part 2)'

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area

Qinghai - Haixi - Dongtai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - Xitai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - Ulan - Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area

Gansu - Zhangye - Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon

Gansu - Zhangye - Shandan - Shandan Royal Horse Farm Scenic Area

Gansu - Jiuquan - Guazhou - Yulin Grottoes

Gansu - Jiuquan - Dunhuang - Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Area - Overlooking Crescent Moon Spring from the Singing Sand Dunes

For this Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop self-drive trip, we started renting a car after landing at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport in Gansu. The trip lasted 16 days in total, covering 5,100 kilometers.

Although it was only a little over ten days, we managed to visit the main attractions of the Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop, such as Zhangye Rainbow Mountains, Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang Mogao Caves, Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Moon Spring, Water Yadan, Chaka Salt Lake, Qinghai Lake; the internet-famous spots like Dongtai Jil Nor, Qarhan Salt Lake, Dachaidan Emerald Lake, National Highway 315 U-shaped Road, Black Solo Mountain; as well as many lesser-known attractions like Shandan Horse Farm, Mati Temple, Yulin Grottoes, Suoyang City Ruins, and Riyue Mountain. Although I had visited many of these attractions more than once over the years, the journey was accompanied by blue skies and white clouds, beautiful scenery and delicious food. Naturally, I was drawn to the brilliant sights and unique landscapes, which made me forget the fatigue of travel and eliminate the loneliness of long drives. Everything still felt so wonderful. Different times, different seasons, different travel companions — the scenery, feelings, and experiences can be vastly different. As the saying goes, if you haven't been to the Northwest, you don't know how vast and magnificent the world is; if you haven't been to the Hexi Corridor, you don't know how diverse and colorful China is.

Gansu - Zhangye - Sunan - Mati Temple Tourist Area

Gansu - Jiuquan - Jinta - Jinta Desert Populus Euphratica Forest Scenic Area

Gansu - Jiayuguan - Jiayuguan Pass Fortress Scenic Area

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Big Sugan Lake

Qinghai - Xining - Huangyuan - Riyue Mountain Scenic Area - China Geographic Dividing Stone

Gansu - Lanzhou - Baitashan Park

1. July and August are the peak tourist season for the Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop. The advantage is that the land is green and the scenery is beautiful, especially the rapeseed flowers by Qinghai Lake contrasting with the azure lake, and the sea of rapeseed flowers in Menyuan against the Qilian Mountains, creating a magnificent and stunning picture. The downside is that transportation and accommodation costs are high, some even outrageously so, and major scenic spots are crowded with tourists. Additionally, many spots on this loop are in barren, treeless areas with extremely hot weather — you need to be mentally prepared and take sun protection measures.

2. Besides the colorful Danxia landforms and ever-changing Yadan landforms, the Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop has two other distinctive landscapes worth looking forward to. One is the millennia-old grottoes along the Hexi Corridor in Gansu; the other is the numerous colorful salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai. If you want to learn about history and appreciate ancient sculpture and painting art, visit more grottoes; if you want to enjoy the scenery and experience diverse wonders, visit more salt lakes.

3. Although we visited many salt lakes this time — Dongtai Jil Nor, Qarhan Salt Lake, Dachaidan Emerald Lake, and Chaka Salt Lake — each has its own unique features, so there was no aesthetic fatigue. On the contrary, some landscapes were so captivating that they greatly exceeded our originally planned visit time.

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area (drone shot)

Gansu - Lanzhou - Yantan Park

Qinghai - Hainan - Gonghe - Qinghai Lake Dongge'er Viewing Platform

Gansu - Jiuquan - Dunhuang - Yangguan Pass Ruins Scenic Area

Gansu - Jiuquan - Dunhuang - Mogao Caves

Gansu - Lanzhou - Overlooking Lanzhou from the plane

D9, October 18 (Friday), Aksay — Lenghu (Haixi) (210 km).

Starting today, after departing from Aksay for this Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop self-drive trip, we will enter Qinghai Province, beginning the Qinghai leg of the tour. This also means that the itinerary is starting to head back.

Today we visited Aksay National Desert Park and Big Sugan Lake along the way. Then we entered Lenghu Town in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, and stopped by the Oil Town Ruins. We also checked in at the recently very popular non-scenic spot, Black Solo Mountain. Overnight at Mangya Lenghu Xingji Buluo Hotel.

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Aksay National Desert Park

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Big Sugan Lake

Qinghai - Haixi - Lenghu - Oil Town Ruins

Qinghai - Haixi - Lenghu - Black Solo Mountain

Qinghai - Haixi - Lenghu - Black Solo Mountain (drone shot)

1. Big Sugan Lake has nice scenery and is right by the road from Aksay to Lenghu. If time permits, you can go see it. Although there is no entrance fee, it is in a nature reserve, so you must follow the relevant regulations, keep the environment clean, and leave no garbage.

2. Black Solo Mountain has become very popular online recently due to its ink-wash landscape scenery. This internet-famous spot attracts more and more tourists. Currently it is free, with a simple parking lot and portable toilets, which are probably benefits provided by the local government. When visiting, everyone should obey public order and maintain public hygiene, and must not act on their own.

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Aksay National Desert Park

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Aksay National Desert Park - Scenery along the way

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Big Sugan Lake

Gansu - Jiuquan - Aksay - Big Sugan Lake (drone shot)

Qinghai - Haixi - Lenghu - Black Solo Mountain

Qinghai - Haixi - Lenghu - Black Solo Mountain (drone shot)

D10, October 19 (Saturday), Lenghu (Haixi) — Dongtai Jil Nor (Golmud) — Haixi Dachaidan Xitai CITIC Guoan (Haixi) (280+60 = 340 km).

Today we mainly visited two attractions: Dongtai Jil Nor and Wusute Water Yadan Geopark. In the morning we drove nearly 300 kilometers from Lenghu on national and provincial roads. The journey featured endless Yadan landforms, with nice scenery. The road condition was good and traffic was sparse, but due to speed limits it took about 4 hours to reach Dongtai Jil Nor. After sightseeing, we headed to Wusute Water Yadan Geopark to continue our visit.

Overnight at Jil Nor Lake Hotel, located across from Haixi Dachaidan Xitai CITIC Guoan. This area has become a hub and transfer point for travelers going north and south, with many accommodation and dining options, so food and lodging are not a problem.

Qinghai - Haixi - Dongtai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - Scenery along the way - Yadan landforms - National Highway 315

Qinghai - Haixi - Scenery along the way - National Highway 315 passing through Yadan landforms (drone shot)

Qinghai - Haixi - Wusute Water Yadan Geopark

Qinghai - Haixi - Dongtai Jil Nor (drone shot)

Qinghai - Haixi - Wusute Water Yadan Geopark (drone shot)

1. Dongtai Jil Nor is located in the Qaidam Basin in Golmud City. It is a super-large lithium deposit mainly composed of brine, which creates the intoxicatingly blue water of the lake. This has made it a popular free attraction in recent years. If you come for the first time, you might be stunned, but online claims that it rivals the Maldives are exaggerated. At the time of our visit, the lake was said to have dried up by more than half, but it still felt very, very beautiful.

2. I visited Wusute Water Yadan Geopark a few years ago when it was just in trial operation and the surroundings were very desolate. Now it has become a popular spot on the grand loop. The scenic area has many newly built dining and accommodation facilities, and with more tourists it is naturally livelier. The scenery is nice and unique, worth a visit.

3. This time I truly experienced the unpredictable weather of the Northwest, with sandstorms sweeping the sky. While visiting Wusute Water Yadan Geopark in the afternoon, the weather was excellent with blue skies and white clouds — the best weather we had encountered so far on this trip. But around 4 pm the weather began to change, then strong winds blew, there was a light rain shower, and even a sandstorm. In less than an hour, the weather conditions became so different.

Qinghai - Haixi - Dongtai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - Dongtai Jil Nor (drone shot)

Qinghai - Haixi - Scenery along the way - Viewing platform

Qinghai - Haixi - Scenery along the way - Yadan landforms

Qinghai - Haixi - Wusute Water Yadan Geopark

Qinghai - Haixi - Wusute Water Yadan Geopark (drone shot)

D11, October 20 (Sunday), Haixi Dachaidan Xitai CITIC Guoan (Haixi) — National Highway 315 U-shaped Road (Haixi) — Qarhan Salt Lake (Golmud) — Dachaidan (Haixi) (160+170+140 = 470 km).

Starting from yesterday evening, a northwest wind blew all night, accompanied by a sandstorm, and the temperature dropped to the lowest of the trip at -6°C. I thought such weather would seriously affect today's arrangements. But unexpectedly, when I got up in the morning, the weather had gradually improved, and the temperature had risen considerably. When traveling, especially to natural scenery, having good weather is a huge gain, and I was really happy. Today we visited many attractions: Xitai Jil Nor (Two-Color Lake), National Highway 315 U-shaped Road, Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area, and the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Salt Bridge. With the blessing of good weather, the scenery was stunning and we lingered, reluctant to leave. We were truly lucky.

Overnight at Dachaidan Wantai Hotel. There are many hotels and restaurants in Dachaidan, offering ample choices. However, at this time of year, many small guesthouses and eateries have closed for the season and will not reopen until next spring.

Qinghai - Haixi - Xitai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - National Highway 315 - U-shaped Road

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area - Ten-Thousand-Zhang Salt Bridge

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area (drone shot)

1. The scenery of Xitai Jil Nor (Two-Color Lake) is average, mainly because there is no suitable place to stop and view. If you stop by the roadside, you must choose a spot that does not affect traffic, and safety is paramount.

2. National Highway 315 U-shaped Road, being an internet-famous check-in spot, attracts too many tourists and vehicles, easily causing traffic hazards. The relevant authorities have implemented traffic control on this section. Taking photos there is not as good as before.

3. Qarhan Salt Lake is located in the southern Qaidam Basin. It is the largest salt lake in China and the second largest in the world. The Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area was built on a part of the designated salt lake factory area and opened to the public in 2019. Once launched, it became popular among tourists. Although it is not as famous as Chaka Salt Lake, its stunning beauty likely surpasses it. The scenic area is particularly large and the scenery is especially good. Compared to when we visited a few years ago (when we could only walk to the edge of the factory area), the difference is like night and day. You should allocate more time to slowly explore and fully appreciate it.

Qinghai - Haixi - Xitai Jil Nor

Qinghai - Haixi - National Highway 315 U-shaped Road

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area

Qinghai - Haixi - Golmud - Qarhan Salt Lake Scenic Area (drone shot)

D12, October 21 (Monday), Dachaidan (Haixi) — Delingha — Chaka Town (Ulan) (220+200 = 420 km).

Due to the distance, today's itinerary is relatively simple, with only one attraction: Dachaidan Emerald Lake Tourist Scenic Area. Additionally, passing through Delingha City, we took a look at the city's appearance. Overnight at Vienna Hotel (Salt Lake Branch) located on Xingfu Road, Chaka Town, Ulan County.

Qinghai - Haixi - Dachaidan - Emerald Lake Scenic Area

1. Dachaidan Emerald Lake, a scenic spot shining with dazzling and mysterious light, is also a newly popular internet-famous spot in recent years, often hailed as 'the emerald gem left on earth by God.' The scenery here is unique. By October, there are not many tourists, giving a good experience during the visit.

2. Delingha City is the capital of Haixi Prefecture. The city itself does not have many interesting places to visit; we just passed by and took a look at the cityscape.

Qinghai - Haixi - Dachaidan - Emerald Lake Scenic Area

Qinghai - Haixi - Dachaidan - Emerald Lake Scenic Area (drone shot)

Continued in 'October 2024 Gansu-Qinghai Grand Loop Self-Drive Travel Guide (Part 4)'