Facing the Sea, Heading West — A 13-Day Northwest China Travel Diary: Land of Six Springs
August 10, 2019: Just as a typhoon was bearing down on Shanghai, our international flight—final destination Madrid—took off after a mere half-hour delay while most other flights were canceled, soaring into the sky and touching down safely in Xi'an. Our first stop in Xi'an was the Eighth Route Army Office. Dong Biwu, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying, Deng Xiaoping, and others all worked there. Right under the noses of large numbers of Nationalist secret agents, they managed to send over 20,000 young students to Yan'an—no small feat. The Bell and Drum Tower is far too famous. A story about it captured my imagination: long, long ago, the 800-li Qinchuan plain was a vast ocean. The source of all that seawater was a spring right where the Bell and Drum Tower now stands. To restore peace and happiness to the people, an immortal came and trapped a divine turtle atop the spring, and built the Bell and Drum Tower above it as a weight. They say that in the dead of night, by the base of the tower, you can still hear the murmur of sea waves and the snores of the dormant turtle. I have poor hearing, so I didn't catch it.
We stayed overnight at the Century Golden Resources Hotel.
August 11, 2019: Twenty-seven years ago, I visited the Terracotta Warriors. Now, apart from Pit 1, everything else is new to me. The Terracotta Army Museum was swarming with crowds. Sweat streamed down me, and on the chest of my dark blue T-shirt it painted a peculiar picture in white lines. Listening to the guide's explanations, I felt how pale online descriptions like those on Baidu really are. The area of Emperor Qin Shihuang's mausoleum is equivalent to 73 Beijing Forbidden Cities, or two Macaos. The warriors excavated so far in the three pits are only the peripheral army of the imperial tomb, including special forces in Pit 3. Because of current technological limitations, the whole excavation effort can only be said to have just begun. Interestingly, the villagers from the hamlet where the terracotta warriors were discovered in 1974 have long since been resettled by the government and now live in villas, running businesses. The couplet on their door says: "Turned over, never forget the Communist Party; got rich, all thanks to Qin Shihuang." The horizontal scroll reads: "Grateful to Old Yang" (the man who discovered the warriors). In the afternoon, we visited Huaqing Palace and took a cable car up Mount Li. Gazing at the tall beacon tower, one cannot help but sigh. King You of Zhou lit the beacon fires to win a smile from Baosi; Emperor Minghuang of Tang, for Yang Guifei, "from then on the king never attended morning court"; Edward VIII, who gave up a throne for love; and the folk song about giving up property to go herding with a girl... History becomes romantic and fascinating precisely because of these stories. The notion of "beautiful women bringing disaster" is a bit poisonous. What crime is there in a woman being pretty?!
August 12, 2019: In front of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stands the Daci'en Temple. Over 1,300 years ago, the pagoda was built so that Xuanzang (Tang Monk) could store the treasures he'd brought back from his journey to the Western Regions and translate sutras. A Tang-dynasty poet wrote: "The pagoda shape seems to surge upward, solitary and lofty, towering into the celestial palace." You can imagine how majestic and magnificent the 64.5-meter-tall Giant Wild Goose Pagoda must have been in Tang times. For centuries, people have wondered where all those sutras Xuanzang brought back went, and where over 10,000 Buddhist relics disappeared to. It's said that these treasures likely lie in the underground palace beneath the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, yet nobody dares to disturb the pagoda's foundations. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda sits inside a park, next to the Shaanxi Museum—admission free. After an earthquake, two of its storeys collapsed and the body cracked, leaving it with 13 storeys. Miraculously, after another quake, all the cracks closed up so completely that even the fissures could barely be seen. Repeated scientific studies found that the pagoda's foundation has an ability to self-repair under external forces. The wisdom of ancient architects is truly astounding. Today, our family group finished our Xi'an journey. Late at night we took a bullet train to Xining and checked into the Shenwang Hotel.
▲ Bronze statue of Tang Monk at the south gate of Daci'en Temple
▲ The 1,370-year-old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, also known as Ci'en Temple Pagoda
▲ The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, originally Jianfu Temple Pagoda, is over 1,300 years old
August 13, 2019: We visited Ta'er Monastery, Gold and Silver Prairie, and Erlangjian Scenic Area at Qinghai Lake. By the time we'd covered all three, it was past 10 p.m. again when we got to our hotel—travel can be quite exhausting. Ta'er Monastery is the birthplace of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism and a major Buddhist center in the northwest. Covering 450,000 square meters, it's huge. At Gold and Silver Prairie, the immortal melody "In That Faraway Place" kept echoing in my ears. It was here in 1940 that Wang Luobin wrote this, his signature hit, and went on to compose over 50 more pieces. Qinghai Lake is beautiful, made even more so by golden rapeseed flowers in bloom. We took a yacht out onto the lake and disembarked on a peninsula, where blue sky, white clouds, and a golden beach came into view. Walking there gives you a feeling of suddenly seeing the world with new eyes. The scenery at Qinghai Lake can stand comparison with the fjords and coves of Northern Europe.
We stayed at the Xiangying Hotel that night.
August 14, 2019: Chaka Salt Lake, together with Ta'er Monastery, Qinghai Lake, and Mengda Heavenly Lake, is one of Qinghai's four top scenic spots and is hailed as the "Mirror of the Sky." We arrived at midday, so we missed its most stunning moments—perhaps the fate of most tourists, since it's a three-hour drive from the hotels. Luckily, people were in colorful clothes; bright red and green scarves fluttered against the vast whiteness—gorgeous! In the late afternoon, we entered Delingha. It was here that the sunny boy who wrote "Facing the sea, with spring flowers blossoming" penned this melancholy poem: "Sister, tonight I'm in Delingha": At the edge of the steppe I'm empty-handed, too grieved to hold even a single teardrop. ...Sister, tonight I don't care about mankind, I only think of you. This poem put Delingha on the map. In memory of Haizi, Delingha has a Haizi Museum and hosts a Haizi Poetry Festival every two years.
We spent the night at the Senyuan Bayin River Hotel.
August 15, 2019: Emerald Lake, also called Dachaidan Lake, is a piece of uncut jade still being polished. It shares the basic features of Chaka Salt Lake as well as some traits of Jiuzhaigou. There are few tourists, and admission is free. Most tour operators skip it—partly because it's small, and partly because they're racing to Dunhuang; if they went to Emerald Lake, they wouldn't reach Dunhuang until 9 or 10 in the evening.
In Qinghai, for various reasons, you hardly see any foreign visitors. Infrastructure lags far behind other provinces. In areas near Gansu, the WeChat signal often disappears. From Delingha to Dunhuang, the land is barren from lack of water, the mountains almost entirely bare—environmental protection is a long, heavy task. Ever since entering Qinghai, for three days we'd mostly been above 3,000 meters in altitude. Following the guide's advice, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol. Today in Dunhuang, I happily drank yellow rice wine together with everyone. To quote the kids: "All the way west, facing the sea, with spring flowers blossoming." Yesterday, today, tomorrow—we all want to be happy people.
We stayed at the Huaxia International Hotel in Dunhuang.
August 16, 2019: I've been to the South Wave Valley in the U.S. and the Ghost City in Xinjiang, but the Ghost City in Dunhuang has a personality all its own. There are golden lions greeting guests, peacocks displaying their feathers, sphinxes—all vividly lifelike; and a magnificent fleet of ships sailing into the distance, simply jaw-dropping. Even though the temperature reached 34°C and gales had us staggering with sand stinging our faces, we were utterly enchanted by the supernatural craftsmanship of Dunhuang's Yardang landforms... At the Yumen Pass scenic area, facing the vast ruins, the poetic lines "A solitary town amidst towering mountains," "The spring breeze cannot cross Yumen Pass" struck me with an intense, heroic melancholy.
▲ Magnificent ocean-going fleet
▲ The one thing there's never any shortage of is wind—endless winds that "sculpt" the Ghost City
August 17, 2019: According to a local guide, Dunhuang's popularity among domestic travelers has only existed for about five years. Before that, most visitors they received were Japanese and Hong Kong residents.
When you mention Dunhuang, you think of Yu Qiuyu's famous essay "Mogao Caves." The essay offers many wonderful descriptions of Dunhuang's history. When describing the devoted tourist, Yu wrote: "It is reserved because of its magnificence; it hides itself far away because of its wealth. It insists that every pilgrim exchange the hardships of a long journey for its reward." Yet, for those of us who've traveled a thousand miles, Mogao Caves not only made us queue for almost two hours but also opened just four caves to the public. Isn't that a bit stingy? A little short on the generosity of "Is it not a great joy to have friends come from afar?" The sunshine lasted only a moment before wind and sand returned. In the afternoon at Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring, I experienced a sandstorm for the first time: a vast yellow sea of sand swept in by the wind, blotting out everything. The ridges of Mingsha Mountain became blurred, like a badly focused lens. I also wore a face veil for the first time—what good did it do? I was covered in sand; there was even grit in my mouth, a wonderfully earthy taste. Last month, several friends visited Dunhuang and took magazine-cover-worthy photos at Mingsha Mountain. Today, I want to show everyone another side of Dunhuang—how local people protect the cultural relics and carry out greening projects in such an environment, and how much further the Northwest still has to go on its development road. In the evening, the travel company and my family and friends threw me a birthday celebration. This unexpected surprise added a festive touch to the trip. Thank you, my brothers and sisters, and thank you to all my fellow travelers.
August 18, 2019: Just like in the U.S., Canada, Northern Europe, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, scenic spots in Gansu are often hundreds of kilometers apart. Today we spent 11 hours on the road. After visiting Jiayu Pass, we wouldn't have reached the second attraction until after 7 p.m., by which time ticket offices had already closed. Jiayu Pass, along with Shanhai Pass and Zhenbei Pass, is considered one of the three great wonders of the Great Wall, and is hailed as the "First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven." It is remarkably well preserved. What everyone talked about most was just how brutally fierce the attacking and defending of those towering, massive walls must have been. Gansu's infrastructure is noticeably better than Qinghai's. Take highway service areas: Gansu's are adequately equipped, while Qinghai's are quite primitive—several rest stops didn't even have public toilets, and the private ones were dirty and cost one yuan. Tomorrow will be another long day on the road, but the program promises to be wonderful and well worth the wait.
We stayed at the Zhangye Duhua Holiday Hotel that night.
▲ The First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven
▲ Jiayu Pass, one of the three great wonders of China's Great Wall
August 19, 2019: The temperature plunged in the morning; the sky was overcast, with a light drizzle now and then. Yet from the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 viewing platforms of Zhangye Danxia Landform, the spectacular sight of rainbow-colored hills still awed us. The Creator has shaped a poetic, painterly landscape among these mountains—truly breathtaking.
On the highway crossing the Qilian Mountains at 3,800 meters altitude, two local guides told us about local customs, sparking great interest among the group. Those herding families may dress plainly, but economically they're doing quite well. One sheep sells for 1,500 to 2,000 yuan, a cow for 7,000 to 10,000 yuan. The rolling hillsides are family-contracted pasture; goats amble leisurely through the green grass. Some families have hundreds of sheep and over a hundred head of cattle—sizeable operations. So, that fellow in the song who says "I'd gladly give up all my property to go herding with her"—besides being romantic, could he be chasing a wealthy heiress with hundreds of sheep and yaks?
We stayed at the Menyuan Jieyun Hotel.
August 20, 2019: The journey from Menyuan to Lanzhou took nearly 11 hours. About half that time was spent in a gorge. Because of yesterday's rain, the river running alongside the road was muddy and turbulent. Many rocks—some quite large—had tumbled down the steep cliffs, but fortunately nothing dangerous happened. There's a saying: the best scenery is on the road. Looking at the gorge's landscape reminded me of many small villages nestled among towering mountains in Northern Europe. There, houses are artfully arranged, brightly colored little villas scattered across emerald green hills. Sadly, people here haven't had the chance to think about such things yet, though someone has already set their eyes on this land—a construction site that looks like a countryside guesthouse is now under development. Gold will always shine. On the way to Zhutuo Mountain Scenic Area, we took a wrong turn; our tour bus couldn't get through, so we only managed to take two photos. Three consecutive days of long-distance travel, plus spending last night at Menyuan nearly 3,000 meters up, had us all a bit tired.
We stayed at the Lanzhou Feitian Hotel.
August 21, 2019: White Pagoda Hill Park, one of the eight famous scenes of Lanzhou, is an open garden. From the hilltop you can overlook the whole city. Three of our family charged up the hill; from summit to foot, they took less than 40 minutes.
On the terraces of White Pagoda Hill, a group of women were doing square dancing in a circle. An old man carrying a sack of bottles and cans he'd scavenged was dancing wildly among them—quite a warm and touching scene. Below the hill is the Zhongshan Bridge, known as the "First Bridge over the Yellow River." Built 110 years ago by Germans, it has withstood both war and floods. It's said that on the bridge's 80th and 100th anniversaries, relevant German authorities sent letters to the Lanzhou government reminding them about maintenance. Later, Lang Xianping revealed that the German company that built the bridge had gone out of business back in 1946, so how could there have been any reminders? This is much like the story about German-built drainage systems in Qingdao. Go too far, and stories lose their truth. All that said, the quality of German products is indeed pretty good. In the afternoon, we visited the Gansu Provincial Museum and saw all the treasures that have appeared on TV's "National Treasure"—a trip well worth making.
▲ The Eastern Han bronze artifact "Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," unearthed in 1969, shows the trained gait of fine horses from the Hexi region. A national first-class cultural relic, it's a symbol of the spirit of the Silk Road.
▲ Human-head-shaped painted pottery jar, reflecting the facial decorations of Neolithic people.
▲ A grand formation of bronze chariot and cavalry figurines, led by 38 warriors on 38 bronze horses, accompanied by servants and other vehicles.
