With every step, a view; with every step forward, a joy. Happiness is on the road – our first trip as a family of three

Itinerary: Chengdu – Xining – Lanzhou – Xi'an – Chengdu

Depart after work on April 28: Chengdu – Xining (soft sleeper train)

First stop: Xining

April 29, Day 1 self-drive: Xining Station – (1 h 50 min) Riyue Mountain, Daotang River – (1 h) Huanhu East Road (Jinsha Bay) – (40 min) Qinghai Lake – (4 h) Jinhengji Hotel

April 30, Day 2 self-drive: Jinhengji Hotel – (20 min) Chaka Salt Lake – (4 h) Xining Station

Second stop: Lanzhou

April 30: Xining – Lanzhou (bullet train 1 h 16 min)

May 1: The wedding of my dearest friend, a day when our adorable flower girl was on duty – then Xi'an (high-speed train 3 h)

1. Transport costs: 2,112 yuan

- Chengdu–Xining: soft sleeper train 755 yuan;

- Xining–Lanzhou: bullet train ticket 116 yuan;

- Lanzhou–Xi'an: bullet train ticket 399 yuan;

- Xi'an–Chengdu: bullet train ticket 842 yuan;

2. Xining private chartered tour: car + accommodation: 1,600 yuan.

3. Hotel: Xi'an 322 yuan.

4. Tickets, meals and other expenses: 1,258 yuan

Total: 5,292 yuan

We come into this world to see as much scenery as we can.

I spent a whole month before the trip finalizing the itinerary, researching, and planning. In the end, I came back with pockets full of joy.

Since time was tight, this greedy mom wanted Xiao Yidui to experience and see everything along the way, so we ended up booking a custom tour (car + accommodation). Along the road there were withered grasslands, blue skies and white clouds, yaks, sheep, horses everywhere, eagles, wind-power 'kites', snowy mountains, desert, Qinghai Lake, and so much more... The driver, a young brother, picked us up after 9 a.m. and we hit the road. On a trip through the northwest, the scenery along the way is no less impressive than the sights themselves. Let's begin our journey of happiness! ~~~

First stop: Riyue Mountain. Riyue Mountain is on the road from Huangyuan to Qinghai Lake, and it's also the only route from Qinghai into Tibet. Legend says that when Princess Wencheng went to Tibet, she shattered here a stone mirror that could no longer show her homeland, breaking it into two halves – sun and moon – hence the name Riyue Mountain. On either side of the pass there are two small peaks, each with a symbolic pavilion: the Sun Pavilion and the Moon Pavilion. Since you can see both pavilions without even entering the scenic area, and Xiao Yidui had fallen asleep, we just stopped to take a look and didn't go in.

Going down the mountain we reached Daotang River. In fact, Daotang River is just the lake you see in the photo below, fenced off. Not really recommended; let the good impressions stay in your heart.

To the left of the Daotang River scenic area entrance there is a shop selling outdoor jackets. They only have two styles – one for men, one for women – but business is booming because many people think bringing a thick jacket just means a spring/autumn coat. Actually, it's genuinely cold there and you need a heavy down jacket.

Next, we headed to Xiao Yidui's long-awaited Huanhu East Road (Jinsha Bay) to play in the sand! ~~~

Along Huanhu East Road many spots were fenced off and inaccessible. We drove further and further until we finally found a place we could enter. There were a couple of men guarding the gate who said we couldn't go in. We explained that our little one really wanted to play in the sand just for a while. With impeccable timing and a sweet, slightly shy voice, Xiao Yidui called out, 'Grandpa, Grandpa, I want to play in the sand.' So the two grandpas let us in. Yidui kept thanking them profusely – good girl! (*￣︶￣)

Xiao Yidui saw too much yak and sheep dung on the ground and refused to set foot on it, only letting us carry her, and then she lost interest. As we were walking back, we came across a particularly clean patch, and she just had to stop and start playing. We played for about an hour there, then set off for Qinghai Lake.

While Dad was striking poses for photos, Xiao Yidui strutted with a 'don't care about the world' swagger ~~~

Xiao Yidui either avoids the camera or seems to hate it – hahahaha ~~~~~~~

On the way from Huanhu East Road to Qinghai Lake, we encountered some pilgrims.

Inside the Erlangjian scenic area of Qinghai Lake you can take a boat trip; on the west side there is Bird Island, where from April to June hundreds of thousands of birds can be admired and photographed; the east shore mainly features sandy scenery and entertainment.

From the moment we entered Qinghai Lake territory, we saw little paths opened by local Tibetan families leading to the lakeside. All the way from Huanhu East Road to the lake, too. During peak season, you only need to pay the Tibetan family 10 yuan to access the lake directly. There are also rapeseed fields the families have planted along the paths, and they've set up various photo props in the fields. We visited during the off-season, so the path through the Tibetan family's land was free – we just went right in.

The local Tibetans along our path were busy planting rapeseed. Those of you coming in peak season will be able to enjoy them.

If you go in through a private family path, be warned that the toilet facilities are very basic and offer little privacy. During peak season it might be awkward.

After walking down the path we first went to the right. On the left, a herder had brought a yak for tourists to ride – 20 yuan per person, for about five minutes. We took photos on the right, and Xiao Yidui chased seagulls, but before we reached the left the herder had already packed up and left. So Yidui didn't get her yak ride. The wind by the lake was really strong and chilly. We spent about 40 minutes there.

PS: Sometimes locals (especially kids) will ask to take a photo with you or have you take a photo of them. Be aware that this usually costs money, so ask beforehand. Taking pictures of locals' animals also costs money – agree on a price first, or you might be confronted with an exorbitant demand afterwards.

If you're travelling with kids or elderly, I strongly recommend bringing an oxygen canister. Our custom tour included glucose, a child safety seat, and oxygen canisters. A child suffering from altitude sickness is truly frightening. Fortunately, our two-year-nine-month-old Xiao Yidui could already express and describe things. After we finished at Qinghai Lake, we headed to the Jinhengji Hotel in Chaka Town. On the way we crossed Xiangpi Mountain, which is over 4,000 metres above sea level, and Xiao Yidui started showing signs of altitude sickness (灬? ?灬)

All day she had eaten very little and had vomited three times along the way. As we neared Xiangpi Mountain, she grew sleepy and in a tearful voice told me she felt really unwell. I grew alert, suspecting altitude sickness. The driver immediately offered glucose, and after drinking it she felt a bit better. About ten minutes later she became uncomfortable again, so I gave her oxygen right away. Originally we'd planned to play in the snow on Xiangpi Mountain, but with her feeling bad we didn't dare. We drove straight to Chaka Town hospital. It was still about an hour after descending the mountain to reach Chaka, and I was in tears. Once we descended a bit and the altitude dropped back to around 3,600 metres, we could let her sleep. While she slept, I kept the oxygen on her. About 40 minutes later we finally arrived at Chaka Town Health Centre.

At the hospital, Yidui woke up. After checking her heartbeat, the doctor said it was altitude sickness and immediately arranged oxygen. At that point I kind of broke down and started crying in front of her. Wu Xiansen comforted me, saying we were at the hospital now and not to worry, the doctor would handle it. Because she was so little, the doctor hadn't even finished seeing another patient before hurrying back to check her again. Her levels returned to normal – all within five minutes. Then Yidui was back to her usual bouncing-and-climbing self. The doctor said we must stay in a room with oxygen tonight.

Thank goodness I had insisted on booking this tour agency, because the Jinhengji Hotel is currently the only hotel in Chaka Town with oxygen supply. That night, Wu Xiansen and I set alarms every two hours, worried Yidui might lack oxygen while sleeping. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

Summer has a lingering sunset glow, just like you, who always arrive with a smile.

I would love to watch the sunrise and the sunset with you.

This trip was truly lucky – we encountered wonderful weather at both Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake, with brilliantly blue skies and warm sunshine.

Chaka Salt Lake is divided into 'Sky No.1' and 'Chaka Salt Lake', one on the left and one on the right.

We went to Chaka Salt Lake. The combo ticket includes entrance + round-trip small train + lake shoe covers + electric cart + sightseeing tower + a gift of edible salt = 155 yuan/person. For most young people, this package probably means paying for things you won't use:

First, the sightseeing tower is really pointless. You take an elevator to the top floor, turn around, and it's over in less than a minute. There's a coin-operated telescope, but there's nothing to see through it.

The general suggestion is to take the small train all the way to the final stop, then start exploring and slowly walk back. Between the entrance and the train terminus, there are many spots to enter the lake, but the best spots are at the final and second-to-last stops. The third-to-last stop is for viewing the salt sculptures. After that, you can take an electric cart, the small train, or walk to the exit.

Since our time was tight, we took the train to the final stop around 9 a.m. It was way too crowded there, so we walked back one stop and started playing. At 12:30 we queued for the train out. So in reality we only needed the entrance ticket and round-trip train ticket. We had brought our own shoe covers (I bought them on Taobao for 12 yuan a pair, not disposable). Even during the off-peak, non-holiday period we went, the queue for shoe covers was at least half an hour long. During peak or holiday season, you can imagine. If you don't want to waste time queuing to borrow and return covers, I suggest bringing your own.

Starting from May 1, 2021, the ticket halls for Sky No.1 and Chaka Salt Lake have been merged. You then pay for a shuttle bus and choose whether to go to Sky No.1 or Chaka Salt Lake. Merging the ticket halls was probably just to collect that shuttle bus fare.

Ultimate advice for Chaka Salt Lake: ① Entrance ticket only: if you have plenty of time and energy and don't mind walking both ways, you can skip the train and electric cart tickets (the biggest expenses), and just wear your own shoe covers. ② Entrance + one-way train + electric cart: buy the train ticket going in, walk out, then take the electric cart from the salt sculptures. ③ Entrance + round-trip train: this suits people like us – play at one stop and then leave. It's not very practical to think you can play, then hop on the train again, because the train only comes every 30 minutes.

Clothing advice is quite simple: for women, long dresses work especially well, matching the pure, ethereal feel of Chaka. Solid colours are best. Red, of course, is the most eye-catching and classic, but it's already ubiquitous at Chaka Salt Lake – as soon as you enter you'll see red dresses everywhere. If you want to avoid clichés, try other colours like yellow or pink – they look great and feel comfortable and harmonious. Black is not recommended – a bit too sombre.

Sun protection, sun protection, sun protection. Physical sun protection: hats, parasols, sunglasses. Put sunglasses on your kids too. In bright sunshine, the lake surface is really dazzling, you can hardly open your eyes. Sun protection is super important.

When travelling with kids, bring enough snacks, fruit and water. There are snack stalls inside the scenic area, but they only sell water, biscuits and instant noodles. Remember to drink plenty of water.

On May 1st, the most beautiful she married the best him – that was the reason we went to Lanzhou.

Setting out is always the most meaningful thing. After the wedding we set off again.

In 2019, when Xiao Yidui was ten months old, I once abandoned husband and child to visit Xi'an. I then kept longing to bring Yidui and Wu Xiansen to Datang Everbright City, and to see the fountain show at the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Turns out, this Xi'an trip was a huge mistake...

The only fortunate thing was that we caught the last musical fountain show of that night. After the show, we intended to go to Datang Everbright City. We were literally swept along by the crowd. Wu Xiansen said, 'Let's give up and go back to the hotel.' After walking a few steps I thought maybe we should still go, so we pushed forward. Right after crossing the road we reached Datang Everbright City, but it was so impossibly crowded that we finally gave up completely. We decided to take a taxi back to the hotel. After walking a long way, we used the app and found over 400 people in the queue for a taxi – we abandoned that idea immediately. Then we doubled back to take the metro. It was utterly desperate. Thank goodness our resilient Xiao Yidui didn't complain or cry at all – otherwise we'd have totally broken down.

The next day we originally planned to see cherry blossoms. After the experience of the previous night, we dropped that plan and decided to buy some local specialities before heading back. Normally the metro to the train station takes half an hour, but there were so many people we left two hours early and still missed our bullet train. Luckily we managed to change to a later one. We ended up sitting at the station for nearly four hours. Wu Xiansen was thoroughly disillusioned with this Xi'an trip. It made me deeply realise how wrong it was to schedule a Xi'an visit during a holiday o(╥﹏╥)o

Although the trip had its regrets, in the words of Xiao Yidui: we really are very happy! (*^▽^*)

Travelogue Directory

1. Want to be in the best place at the best time

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