Starting from Xining, Qinghai, passing through Qinghai Lake, bypassing Dunhuang and entering Gansu, and then crossing Qilian Mountain from Zhangye to Qinghai, this ultra-long northwest ring road in Qinghai, Gansu attracts many Chinese and foreign tourists every year because of its beautiful scenery. Next, Green Pepper Jun will take you to this great ring road and enjoy the most beautiful scenery in the world in 7 days!
Transportation: Because there are so many cities to be visited by the Great Ring Road, and the small scenic spots are scattered in different places, public transportation in this area is not very convenient, so friends are strongly advised to choose to drive or charter. All major travel websites have regular charter services, and prices fluctuate due to the off-season.
Accommodation: After arranging the route, book an overnight hotel online in advance, and the sooner the cheaper it is.
Note: the altitude in this area is high, so pay attention to high reflection and sun protection. You can take some medicine for treating high fever, diarrhea, cold and abrasions. There is a big temperature difference between morning and evening, so pay attention to adding clothes.
Starting from downtown Xining, our journey started from Ta 'er Temple in Huangzhong County. Ta 'er Temple was founded in the 12th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1379). It is the birthplace of master Zong Kaba. It was named Ta 'er Temple, because before there was a temple, there was a big silver tower in memory of Master Zong Kaba. It is a Buddhist center in Qinghai and even the northwest of China, a national 5A-level scenic spot, and the most popular grand loop landscape in northwest Gansu and Qinghai.
Tour recommendation: Ta 'er Temple covers an area of 450,000 square meters, and the building is built on the mountain, which combines the styles of Han Palace and Tibetan flat roof, including Babao Ruyi Tower, Dajinwa Temple, Dajingtang, Maitreya Temple, Jiujian Temple, Xiaohua Temple and Xiaojinwa Temple 1000 buildings, with a large scale. There are also ghee sculptures, murals and pile embroidery in the temple, which is known as the "three wonders of Ta 'er Temple art".
Admission: 70 yuan in peak season. Off-season 40 yuan.
Leave Ta 'er Temple and continue on 1 hour to Laji Mountain. Laji Mountain is located in Hainan and belongs to the branch of Sun Moon Mountain. The Tibetan name is "Gongmaola", which means the place where Gala chicken (stone chicken) lives. It is the boundary mountain between Xining and Hainan. The mountain range winds from west to east, with the highest peak at 4524 meters above sea level and the Laki Pass at 3820 meters above sea level, which is the place where Ningguo Highway passes.
Travel recommendation: Laji Mountain is the only way from Xining to Qinghai Lake. Along the way, the altitude keeps rising. There are endless mountains along the way, some are bare rocks, and some are covered with alpine meadows. Many cattle and sheep graze here. Due to the high altitude, many friends will have a higher reaction, so it is not recommended to play for a long time.
Admission: free. 20 yuan, Dajing Banner.
Leave Laji Mountain, pass Sun Moon Mountain and Daotang River, and come to Erlangjian, the core landscape of Qinghai Lake. Erlangjian, also known as 15 1 base, is located in the south of Qinghai Lake, a narrow peninsula that goes deep into the lake. Named for its sword-like shape, it is also a national 5A-level scenic spot, which mainly focuses on grassland, beach, animals and other ecological natural landscapes and folk cultural activities.
Tour recommendation: Erlangjian scenic spot is not too big, mainly including bird-watching platform, deer-watching garden, sea-watching bridge, sea-watching pavilion, pier square, auspicious four-Rui sculpture and other landscapes. There are also water recreational activities such as jet skis and self-driving yachts. Appreciating lakes and mountains, experiencing Tibetan customs and water entertainment are all good choices. Accommodation: After visiting Erlangjian Scenic Area, you must stay in Heimahe Township at night.
Admission: 90 yuan in peak season and 50 yuan in low season. 20 yuan, sightseeing bus. Yacht round trip 180 yuan.
I wanted to live in Heimahe Township the day before because I wanted to watch the sunrise here the next day. Located on the west bank of Qinghai Lake, Heima River is the best place to enjoy the sunrise in the whole Qinghai Lake. It can shoot all kinds of "blockbusters" in minutes, and it is a favorite sunrise viewing resort for tourists. Every day, thousands of tourists live here, watch the sunrise and play.
Travel recommendation: Because there is still a certain distance between the accommodation of Heima River and the lake, friends must check the sunrise time in advance, get up early and go out early to find a good location. The temperature in the plateau will be very low in the morning, so keep warm.
Admission: free.
After watching the beautiful sunrise, I went to Chaka Salt Lake, the most popular scenic spot among online celebrities in Qinghai Lake. Chaka Salt Lake is a natural crystalline salt lake with an elevation of 3 100 meters and an oval shape, with a total area of 105 square kilometers. It is one of the four major salt lakes in Qaidam Basin. Because of its beautiful scenery, it is called "the mirror of the sky" in China by netizens, and it is a must-see place for the Great Northwest Ring Road.
Travel recommendation: Friends can visit the Salt Lake Wetland and Sky Square, board the observation deck and enjoy rare salt sculptures. Then take a small train, battery car, or walk into the center of Salt Lake, where you can take photos and punch in, enjoy the endless "mirror of the sky" and put good-looking movies into your mobile phone.
Note: Salt Lake has high altitude and strong sunshine. Be sure to wear sunglasses to prepare for sun protection. You need to rent shoe covers and wear slippers to enter the salt lake. It's better for girls to wear long skirts with bright colors when taking pictures, which is more conducive to shooting backlight.
Admission: 60 yuan in peak season and 30 yuan in low season (Zhejiang tourists are free). One-way train to 50 yuan. One way from sightseeing bus to 5 yuan. Cruise 90 yuan. Sightseeing Tower 20 yuan. Accommodation: Leave your tea card and move on. You can stay in Delingha or Dachaidan in Haixi at night.
On the third day of the trip, I went to the Emerald Lake in Dachaidan in the morning. Emerald Lake, named after its emerald color, was originally the mining area of the Salt Lake Mining Team of Dachaidan Chemical Plant, and it was a wonder formed by years of mining. Whenever it is calm, it is like a huge jasper, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, and it is worth blowing its beauty.
Tourism recommendation: Different from the blue and white of Chaka Salt Lake, it is mainly green. At present, it has not been developed into a scenic spot. It is mainly ignited by tourists recommending each other, but its value is not inferior to that of Chaka, and it is also a "blockbuster" in minutes. Because it is a "wild scenic spot", there are many mosquitoes in it, so you should bring mosquito repellent. Admission: free.
Leave Emerald Lake and go to Nanbaxian Ghost Town in the afternoon. Nanbaxian Ghost Town, also known as Dachaidan Ghost Town, is located on the northern edge of Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It consists of a series of intermittent elongated mounds and grooves, and is one of the largest and most typical landforms in Ya Dan.
Tour recommendation: this is also an undeveloped "wild scenic spot", with a large area, scattered on both sides of the expressway, almost surrounded by the Gobi Desert, like a deserted area. In addition, there is a unique water Ya Dan in the world.
Admission: free. Water in 60 yuan, Ya Dan. Sightseeing bus to and from 60 yuan. Accommodation: After leaving Dachaidan, it is recommended to move on and stay in Dunhuang City at night.
Dunhuang, located at the westernmost end of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province, is famous for its unique geographical location, natural scenery and splendid grotto culture. Although the city is not big, there are many places worth visiting. We will spend the next two days in Dunhuang. 1 day, first go to the famous Mogao grottoes. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Cave, was built in 366, two years before the Qin Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. It is a world-class cultural heritage and a world-class comprehensive art integrating architecture, painted sculpture and mural painting. You have to go.
Tour recommendation: Because the Mogao Grottoes are extremely precious, the daily tourist flow in the scenic spot is restricted. Make an appointment online before visiting, and only one ID card can be reserved. Then bring the order number to the Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center for ticket sales 30 minutes before the scheduled opening. After visiting the Digital Center, you can take the sightseeing bus to visit the Mogao Grottoes. It should be noted that the Digital Center and the Mogao Grottoes need to check tickets twice, and photos are not allowed in the caves. Allow big bags, selfie sticks and cameras to enter.
Admission: peak season 180 yuan. Off-season 90 yuan. Including the experience of the center of the digital exhibition of Mogao Grottoes (7 digital caves are displayed)+round-trip visit by car ferry+Mogao Grottoes (8 physical caves and museums). The Digital Exhibition Center of Mogao Grottoes is located 9 kilometers south of Provincial Highway 3 14, near Dunhuang Railway Station and Airport.
Leave Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, and in the afternoon go to another place where you must punch in: Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring. Mingsha Mountain, named after the sound of sand movement, is completely covered by desert and is one of the deserts closest to the city, especially at sunset every night. Crescent spring, surrounded by Mingsha Mountain, is named after its crescent shape. It is the only national 5A-level scenic spot in Dunhuang and a must-see wonder.
Tour recommendation: In the scenic spot, friends can not only visit the lonely Mingsha Mountain in the desert and the crescent spring with a pool of clear water, but also experience many rare entertainment projects. For example, riding a camel in the desert, exploring the desert by taking a beach motorcycle off-road vehicle, skiing, sand skiing and archery at the east top of Mingsha Mountain. Admission: 120 yuan. Sightseeing bus to and from 20 yuan. Sand-proof shoe cover lease 15 yuan.
After visiting Mingsha Mountain 1 Crescent Spring, go to Shazhou Night Market in Dunhuang City in the evening. This is the largest night market in Dunhuang, next to the turntable where the pipa statue is played in the city center. Every night, there are various vendors selling snacks, handicrafts and agricultural and sideline products, which have local and national characteristics. Of course, every night, the night market is crowded with tourists from all over the world.
Travel recommendation: You can try the special snacks here, such as yellow noodles of donkey meat, serous noodles, Dunhuang mutton offal, roast lamb chops, mutton skewers and so on. There are also various desert crafts scarves, Populus euphratica wood products, postcards, coasters, sand paintings and so on.
By bus: Take bus No.2, No.3 and No.4 in Dunhuang City and get off at Shazhou Market Station. Accommodation: Continue to live in Dunhuang at night.
On the fifth day, I continued my trip to Dunhuang. Today I mainly visited the western scenic spots in Dunhuang. Because this area is far away from the city, the traffic is inconvenient and the scenic spots are scattered, it is more suitable for driving, chartered cars and reporting to the group. In the morning, I went to Dunhuang ancient city, which is actually a movie and television city that imitates the architecture of Tang and Song Dynasties. The architectural style has a strong western customs, which reproduces the majestic posture of Dunhuang, an important town in the northwest during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Film and television dramas such as "The List of Gods", "Detective Di Renjie" and "The Hongmen Banquet" were all filmed here.
Tour recommendation: The ancient city of Dunhuang covers an area of 6.5438+0.5 million square meters, which is mainly composed of five streets: Dunhuang, Gaochang, Ganzhou, Bianliang and Xingqing, and is divided into architectural styles of different regions. Inside, friends can enjoy the scenery, taste snacks, put on costumes and take photos, and also participate in horse racing, sports cars, archery, bonfire parties and other activities.
Admission: 40 yuan. Experience 50 yuan in ancient costume.
Leave the ancient city of Dunhuang and continue to the west, which is the Yangguan Scenic Area. Yangguan was founded in the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, and it was an important town on the Silk Road in the Han and Tang Dynasties. Because it is located in the south of Yumen Pass, it is called Yangguan. Later, it became famous because of Wang Wei's sentence, "Advise the monarch to drink more, and people have no reason to go out of Xiyangguan." Unfortunately, there is only a sealed mound left here for future generations to mourn.
Tourism recommendation: In addition to a sealed mound of historic sites, some antique buildings have been built in the scenic spot, including Han and Tang monuments, desert natural scenery, eco-agricultural sightseeing, Yangguan Museum and so on. Little friends can also go to the city to overlook, experience going through customs with their families, drinking, riding and shooting, carving stones to leave their names, visiting Yangguan Road and visiting exhibitions in museums. Admission: 50 yuan.
From Yangguan to the north is Yumenguan, also known as Xiaofangcheng, which is also an important town on the Silk Road. It was first placed during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Jade from the ancient western regions was introduced into the Central Plains, so it was called Yumenguan. It is the gateway to all parts of the western regions and has played an important role in defending Xinjiang and its people, maintaining the stability of the western regions and ensuring the smooth flow of the Silk Road.
Travel recommendation: After more than 2,000 years of wind and rain, Yumenguan has already become a loess pile, so you can only visit and take photos. There are some poplars and reeds around, which are also beautiful. There is also the site of the Han Great Wall nearby, so we can go and have a look together.
Admission: 40 yuan. Tickets for Yumenguan, Han Great Wall and Hezang City. )
Finally, go to another popular scenic spot in Dunhuang: Ya Dan Ghost Town. In fact, the official name of the ghost town is Dunhuang Ya Dan National Geopark, which is the highlight of the whole western tourism. The park covers an area of 346.34 square kilometers, which is very large, mainly the geological relics formed by wind erosion. Many locations in Zhang Yimou's film Hero were shot here.
Travel recommendation: Here, friends can enjoy the endless desert Gobi, and all kinds of stones are scattered among the Gobi. Especially when the sun sets, the golden sunshine shines on the Gobi, which is very spectacular.
Admission: 120 yuan. Accommodation: After visiting all the scenic spots, return to Dunhuang in the evening and continue to live in Dunhuang.
On the sixth day of the trip, we came to another popular ancient city in Gansu: Jiayuguan! Jiayuguan, built in the fifth year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1372), is the westernmost end of the Great Wall in Ming Dynasty. Historically, it was the throat of Hexi Corridor. Jiayuguan is known as "the best pass in the world" because of its dangerous terrain and magnificent architecture. Together with Shanhaiguan and Zhenbeitai, it is called one of the three wonders of China Great Wall. It is also a world cultural heritage and a national 5A scenic spot. Later, it set up a city according to custom and became a prefecture-level city in Gansu Province.
Tour recommendation: Jiayuguan Scenic Area is mainly composed of Jiayuguan Guancheng, Hanging Great Wall and the first pier of the Great Wall. The most important is Jiayuguan Guancheng, including inner city, outer city, Luocheng, Wengcheng, moat and the Great Wall on the north and south wings, with a total length of about 60 kilometers. There are generals' mansion, Wenchang Pavilion, Guandi Temple, archway and theater in the city, and the Great Wall Museum and Jiuyan Spring Lake outside the city.
Admission: peak season 1 10 yuan. Off-season 100 yuan. Guancheng sightseeing bus 10 yuan. A camel, 50 yuan.
After visiting Jiayuguan in the morning, I went to Zhangye, another city in Gansu in the afternoon. Zhangye, located in the middle of Hexi Corridor and called Ganzhou in ancient times, is the origin of the word "Gan" in Gansu Province and an important town on the ancient Silk Road. The colorful Danxia in Zhangye is a must-see for tourists. The Danxia landform here is endless, unique and magnificent. Red, yellow, white, green, blue and other colors complement each other. Under the sunlight, it looks like a layer of red tulle, which is dazzling and breathtaking.
Tour recommendation: Colorful Danxia Scenic Area is relatively large, with three entrances to the east, west and north and five viewing platforms. Observation deck 1 maximum, near the boarding gate. No.2 observation deck is the highest and overlooks the whole Danxia scenic spot. You can see seven color screens and pork belly on observation deck 3. No.4 observation deck is the main observation deck, where the famous "Daoshanhuohai" is located, and it is also the best place to watch the sunrise and sunset. The observation deck No.5 is the smallest, and the location of the three-shot surprise attack is pockmarked noodle restaurant here.
Admission: 74 yuan (including sightseeing bus). Hot air balloon experience 200 yuan. Accommodation: You can stay in the colorful Danxia town nearby at night.
On the last day of Ganqing Great Ring Road, we returned to Qinghai Province and arrived in Zhuo'er Mountain, Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture. Zhuo'er Mountain is located next to Qilian County and also belongs to Danxia landform. Standing on the top of the mountain, the view is extremely wide and there are no obstacles around. Opposite is the majestic Niuxin Mountain, left and right are Ladongxia and Baiyanggou, the back is the rolling Qilian Mountain, and at the foot of the mountain is the Babao River. Especially in the summer when rape blossoms are in full bloom, it is beautiful everywhere, just like a fairyland, and is known as "Little Switzerland in the East".
Tour recommendation: After entering the scenic spot, first take the sightseeing bus to the mountain, where the average elevation is over 3,000 meters, so it is very necessary to take a bus. After going up the mountain, you should enjoy the beautiful scenery and take photos. There are many sightseeing platforms on the mountain, so you can choose freely. Also, because of the high altitude and strong ultraviolet rays, we should pay more attention to sun protection. After leaving the Zall Mountain, you will pass the Arou Temple in Arou Township. If you have enough time, you can play together. Admission: 60 yuan in peak season. Off-season 30 yuan. 20 yuan, sightseeing bus.
The last stop of the Northwest Great Ring Road goes to Qilian Mountain Grassland, which is still in Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture. Qilian Mountain Grassland is known as one of the six most beautiful grasslands in China, with a wide range. The highway from Qilian County to Xining is on both sides. There are endless green grasslands dotted with thousands of cattle, sheep and horses. The Qilian Mountain, which is connected with the grassland in the distance, looks up like a continuous white Hada, and white clouds are floating in the blue sky. Every scenery can be said to be a fairyland on earth.
On the way back from Qilian County to Xining, we will also pass the Baili Rape Flower Scenic Area and Daban Mountain in Menyuan County, which is the most famous rape flower viewing place in Qinghai. Every time hundreds of thousands of rape blossoms bloom, butter and oil are very shocking. Unfortunately, the rape flowering period in Qinghai is mainly concentrated in July, and the scenery at other times is much worse, but we can still see the Gangshika Snow Mountain from a distance. Finally, I returned to Xining City to complete the whole journey. Admission: free.