Qinggan Ring Travel Guide: Looking for the meaning of travel

Some people say that you must go to the Northwest and take the Great Circle Route once in your lifetime, because taking the Great Circle Route once is equivalent to traveling ten times. The most classic 6-day Qinghai-Gansu loop route spans Qinghai and Gansu provinces, with a total length of 2,700 kilometers and covering about 20 of the most scenic spots in the two provinces. The seemingly incompatible beauty is all truly gathered on this route.

Desert, Gobi, grottoes, Yadan, Danxia, ??mountains, lakes, grasslands, sea of ??flowers, holy temples, no man’s land, salt lakes, snow mountains... You may have to spend many times You can see all the scenery when you travel, and you can see it all here. From the grassland to the next door, from the plains to the desert. Gaze across the Milky Way in the desert and watch the bright shooting stars in the night sky. My eyes and heart are full of joy, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city and looking for the pure land in my heart.

From the map, this is a circular route, starting from Lanzhou, passing through Qinghai Lake, heading west to Qaidam Basin, then north to Dunhuang, then northeast to Jiayuguan, and then all the way through Zhangye to Xining, then return to Lanzhou, never look back.

The total journey is about 2,700 kilometers, including the highlights of the Silk Road: Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, Jiayuguan, Zhangye Danxia, Scenic spots such as Zhuoer Mountain and Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers are included in one route, which is a large collection of natural and cultural scenery in the northwest.

The road condition of this route is excellent throughout. Along the way, you can enjoy lakes, grasslands, Gobi, Danxia and other landforms. It can be said to be the best route in the northwest.

Advantages of starting from Lanzhou

This ring line can start from Xining or Lanzhou. Let me talk about the advantages of starting from Lanzhou.

1. "Travel to northwest China, starting in Lanzhou". Lanzhou has very convenient transportation and is known as the "Northwest Tourism Hub". There are more flights and trains arriving in Lanzhou from all over the country than in Xining, and the price is usually 500-700 yuan cheaper, which is very affordable.

2. People are most worried about altitude sickness when traveling to plateau. For those who live in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen with an altitude of less than 100 meters, it will be too much for the body to arrive in Xining at an altitude of 2,200 meters in an instant. The altitude of Lanzhou is only 1,500 meters. You need to stop here to get used to it before heading to Xining, which is at a higher altitude, so that your body will not easily suffer from high altitude sickness;

3. The Yellow River, the mother river of China, passes through Lanzhou City. It has created the famous "Yellow River Style Line" (including Yellow River Iron Bridge, Yellow River Mother Sculpture, Waterwheel Expo Park and other attractions). Lanzhou also has scenic spots such as Baita Mountain Park, Gansu Provincial Museum, and Wuquan Mountain Park. In addition, Lanzhou delicacies are not to be missed. The Mazilu beef noodles recommended by "A Bite of China", the milk and egg fermented glutinous rice from Zhengning Road Night Market, the sweet and sour apricot peel water to relieve heat, and the mellow San Paotai are all worth tasting.

What mode of transportation should you use to take this route?

The northwest is vast and sparsely populated, and the distances between scenic spots are relatively long. If you rely solely on shuttle buses, there will be very few buses and it will be extremely inconvenient to wait and transfer. If you are accompanied by local friends and are familiar with the roads, the self-driving experience will be very good. But if you don’t have local people to guide you and it’s your first time to go to the northwest, don’t drive yourself. It is recommended to charter a car or carpool. Although the road conditions in the northwest are not bad, there are many winding roads and high-altitude roads, and accidents are easy to occur if you are inexperienced. Therefore, it is recommended to find a travel agency or local driver. They are familiar with the routes, drive safer, and are less likely to go the wrong way, which saves effort and Save time. The driver will lead the whole journey, so you can have more peace of mind.

Grand Ring Line Itinerary Overview

Day1: Departure from Lanzhou - Kumbum Monastery - Laji Mountain - Qinghai Lake - Chaka Town (overnight)

Day2: Tea Kayan Lake - Emerald Lake - Dachaidan (overnight)

Day3: Depart from Dachaidan - Qinghai Yadan - Dangjin Mountain - Aksai Oil Town - Yangguan - Dunhuang

Day4: Mogao Grottoes-Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring-Dunhuang (overnight)

Day5: Dunhuang-Jiayuguan-Colorful Danxia-Danxia Qicai Town (overnight)

Day6 : Zhangye Qicai Town - Biandukou Canyon - Qilian Grassland - Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Sea - Dawa Mountain distant view of Gangshika Snow Peak - Return to Lanzhou

Preparation before going to the northwest

1. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an area with windy weather, little rain, dryness, low air pressure, low air density, and strong ultraviolet rays from the sun. Please pay attention to sun protection; prepare sunglasses, sun hats, and sunscreen. In addition, the weather forecast is inaccurate and the weather on the plateau is changeable;

2. Headaches, chest tightness and other reactions at higher altitudes are normal reactions. Remember not to exercise strenuously. If you are not at ease before entering the plateau, you can take some anti-hypoxia drugs, such as rhodiola rosea;

3. The northwest is vast, and it is unrealistic to rely on public transportation to travel, and there are many places along the way. You can’t see the scenery, so chartering a car or driving yourself is the first choice. If the number of people is small, you can also choose to carpool. After taking the Qinghai Dunhuang Ring Road for 7 days, the per capita cost of chartering a car is basically around 1300-1600 (the price difference will not be too big in the off-peak season);

4. At present, tourism in the Northwest is relatively popular, and the accommodation along the way is relatively complete. So you don’t have to worry about poor accommodation or being unable to find accommodation. As long as you book online in advance, there are still many hotels of various grades to choose from, which is very convenient;

5. The air on the plateau is dry, so eat more vegetables. , fruits, and drink plenty of water; in addition, the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, so when traveling to the northwest, it is basically necessary to wear a combination of clothes from various seasons (depending on the season you come, sometimes you need to prepare spring, summer, autumn and winter clothes);?

6. The local illegal charging and shady situations described on the Internet are basically untrue. The public security in Qinghai and Gansu is now relatively good, so you can come with confidence; 7. Most scenic spots can use student ID, senior citizen ID, military ID, etc. If you have relevant documents, please If you bring it with you, the tickets are half price;

8. Northwest cuisine is mainly halal, with beef and mutton as the main dishes and auxiliary ingredients. Friends who love meat can have a feast. Friends who are not used to eating halal food don’t worry, there are many non-halal meals for you to choose from along the way;

9. A more special attraction is the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. In order to protect this national treasure-level cultural relic, if you want to visit now, you must reserve tickets in advance on the official website with real names, so you need to pay special attention to this one;

10. Some pitfalls about specialties: they are sold in expressway service areas and near some scenic spots If you are a local person who knows a lot about wild mushrooms, cordyceps, wolf fangs and other items, then you can buy some; but if you don’t understand, it is recommended not to inquire and bargain easily, and it is more reliable to buy online.

Best travel season

Mid-July to late July is when rapeseed flowers are in full bloom. (But you need to check whether you will encounter the Qinggan Tour bicycle race in July every year. Check the information in advance and try to avoid it. The bicycle race will cause some roads to be closed and some scenic spots to be inaccessible)

Photography equipment

A mobile phone, SLR, or tripod will do.

Transportation

It is recommended to take a train to Qinghai and get used to it slowly. Going to Qinghai for the first time is easy to cause high reflexes. If you take a plane, it may cause sudden high reflexes. Accommodation

If you sign up for a carpool group, accommodation is included, and the hotel environment where you stay every night is also very good. If you want to book your own accommodation, you need to book it 1-2 months in advance. July is the peak tourist season in Qinghai, so it is difficult to book a hotel and the price will increase.

The area refers to the last place reached each day in the first 7 days of the itinerary. There are places to eat near the hotel and WiFi is provided, so no need to worry.

Food

Qinghai mainly serves beef, mutton and pasta, and there are many halal restaurants. Remember not to drink alcohol or bring pork or other food into halal restaurants, and respect the local food culture. You must try Qinghai’s old yogurt, it’s fresh and super delicious!

The food consumption in Qinghai is higher than that in Gansu, but it is within the acceptable range.

Consumption level

The overall consumption level in Qinghai and Gansu is not high, but the cost of accommodation and tickets is relatively high. Prepare some cash to buy tickets, but most places to eat and shop accept WeChat and Alipay payments.

Necessary medicines

Because Qinghai is located in a plateau area, it is normal to have high blood pressure. Friends with weaker constitutions can start taking water soaked in rhodiola rosea one month before departure. Gaoyuankang, Glucose, and Rhodiola rosea oral liquids that can relieve hypersensitivity can be purchased locally in Qinghai.

Must-visit attractions

1. Kumbum Monastery

Kumbum Monastery is the activity center of Tibetan Buddhism in northwest China and enjoys a high reputation in China and Southeast Asia. . Butter flowers, murals and embroidery are known as the "Three Wonders of Kumbum Temple Art". In addition, the temple also collects many Buddhist classics and academic monographs on history, literature, philosophy, medicine, legislation and other aspects.

Kumbum Monastery includes 19 places that can be visited, including the Kalachakra Mandala, the Hall of Prayer for Longevity, and the Butter Flower House. People who do not believe in religion and do not understand Tibetan culture will still be a little confused when visiting the place. If you want to To listen to the allusions, you can take a tour with a commentator next door. It will be more interesting to understand the stories and visit.

You must go to Butter Flower House! I think the Butter Flower Pavilion is the most beautiful pavilion in the entire Kumbum Monastery. Whether it is a decoration full of Tibetan culture or a large-scale butter sculpture, this is a pavilion worth visiting. According to the commentator, the works here are changed every year and are carved with butter by monks themselves. They have also been exhibited overseas. Seeing these works with your own eyes is truly astonishing at human intelligence and ingenuity. Since photography is prohibited in every place visited in Kumbum Monastery, there are not many photos.

2. Qinghai Lake

A must-see place in Qinghai is undoubtedly Qinghai Lake and the rapeseed fields surrounding the lake. As we all know, Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake and saltwater lake in China. July is the best season to go to Qinghai Lake. No, it should be said that mid-July to late July is the best time.

With the clear water of Qinghai Lake and the mature and blooming rapeseed flowers, the most beautiful scenery is definitely here. It must be a sunny day to go to Qinghai Lake, the scenery is simply beautiful. The blue sky and the lake are connected, and the Qinghai Lake in the book impression is displayed before your eyes.

3. Chaka Salt Lake

Qinghai Speaking of Qinghai Lake, there is another salt lake that is very famous, that is Chaka Salt Lake. People call Chaka Salt Lake the "Bolivia" of China. If you can't go to Bolivia, you can still take a trip to Chaka Salt Lake. You can wear a red scarf, red skirt, red shawl, etc. when taking photos. With the white salt lake and blue sky, the photos will be very beautiful.

You can walk barefoot on the lake to watch and photograph your own reflection. If you are lucky, you can see the mirages formed on these rivers during the day. If it rains for several consecutive days, the salt layer in the lake may be diluted and dissolved, exposing the mud underneath, making it impossible to play in the lake. There are many small black holes in the salt lake. They are actually traps. Don’t step on them. The darker they are, the more dangerous they are.

4. Mogao Grottoes

Commonly known as Thousand Buddha Temple, it is located not far southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Built during the pre-Qin state period, it is the largest and richest Buddhist art site in the world.

From May to October, the ticket price will be slightly higher during the peak period. If it is during the off-season, the ticket price will be lower. Tickets for Jiayuguan and Yumen: Yumen Pass is valid from May to October tourist season.

It is a joint ticket for Yumen Pass, Seoul Wall and Gang City. The best time to travel to Jiayuguan is from May to October.

5. Crook Lake

Crook Lake is large in area and is some distance away from Delingha City.

In the evening, on the boundless Qingjiang River, blue boats are swaying gently, thousands of mountains are covered with greenery, and everything is quiet. The clear river water and the beautiful boat seemed like everything in the world suddenly became quiet, except for me and the boat.

Walking alone on the lake, the quiet world seems like a frozen world. From December to March, because we are on a high mountain plateau, you may feel unwell if you don’t stay here for a long time. Symptoms such as altitude sickness and difficulty breathing occur. Pay attention to altitude sickness and physical safety. Kruk Lake is vast in area and is some distance away from Delingha City.

In the evening on the boundless Qingjiang River, blue boats are swaying gently, thousands of mountains are covered with greenery, and everything is quiet. The clear river water and the beautiful boat seemed like everything in the world suddenly became quiet, except for me and the boat. Walking alone on the lake, the quiet world seems to be a frozen world.

From December to March, because it is on a high mountain plateau, you may feel uncomfortable if you do not stay here for a long time. Symptoms such as altitude sickness and difficulty breathing occur. Pay attention to altitude sickness and physical safety.

6. Qilian Mountain Grassland

The vast grassland is like a green carpet stretching for thousands of miles. On the grassland, there are a group of white clouds moving, and various happy "children" such as cows, sheep, and horses. , fat and very cute, making the grassland more vibrant. And the tickets are free. The best time to travel is July and August.

Zhuoer Mountain is located on the north bank of the Baobao River in Qilian County, Haibin County, Qinghai Province. It belongs to the Danxia landform and is composed of red sandstone. The beautiful scenery here is like being in a fairyland, making people feel relaxed physically and mentally. Forget your worries and enjoy everything the scenery in front of you has to offer.

7. Mingsha Mountain

It is located not far from Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Throughout the ages, it has been known as "one of the most beautiful scenery outside Serbia" for its beautiful scenery of "mountains and springs coexisting, sand and water coexisting".

The best time to travel is from June to September, and women who want to take beautiful photos can wear long white or red dresses. Tickets can be purchased online by yourself.

8. Zhangye Colorful Danxia

Zhangye currently has two places to watch Danxia: Colorful Danxia and Binggou Danxia. Colorful Danxia is famous for its color and is suitable for watching the sunset. Binggou Danxia is famous for its shape and is suitable for watching the sunrise. Most tourists choose to go to Zhangye Colorful Danxia, ??because the mountains here are brightly colored, and they are even more colorful and majestic under the sun.

There is also the pockmarked noodle shop left by Zhang Yimou when he was filming "Three Guns". Binggou Danxia is mainly earth-yellow, but the Danxia statues here are unique and can fully mobilize your senses and imagination. The famous scenic spots include Paradise Palace, Malachite, Turtle Exploring the Sea and other scenic spots. Currently, Binggou Danxia Xia Xia is not fully developed yet and the roads are not very easy to walk, so I can’t make too many recommendations.

Special delicacies worth tasting

Qilian Mutton

In the Northwest, no matter where you go, you can eat more delicious mutton than usual. However, Qilian mutton is undoubtedly the most delicious mutton. "The sheep in Qilian drink mineral water from the snowy mountains, eat Qilian medicinal herbs, and drink Liuwei Dihuang Pills." Although this is a joke, it is not an exaggeration.

The sheep raised on such a grassland will not have any fishy smell, and the meat will be fresh and tender, with a strong aroma of mutton. Our team leader had eaten mutton from Qilian and basically stopped eating mutton from Shanghai after returning. Without contrast, there is no harm.

There are many ways to prepare mutton in Qilian

↓↓

Roast whole lamb

Mutton kebabs

Kang Lamb Chops

There is little rice cultivation in the arid Northwest, so pasta is the main food. This simple but original taste has undergone many wonderful evolutions in the vast northwest.

In the Northwest, most of the time, it’s just these three ounces of clear soup and two ounces of noodles. It’s so simple, but it makes you want to stop eating! Here are a few that impressed us -

"Lanzhou Beef Noodles"

It has a more famous name in other regions - "Lanzhou Ramen".

Different from the Lan La downstairs in your home, the authentic Lanzhou beef noodles are made of one clear (soup), two white (radish), three red (spicy), four green (coriander and garlic sprouts) and five yellow (yellow and bright noodles) , the soup made from beef bones, there are more than ten types of noodles with different thicknesses, and the texture of the beef is even different.

Every Lanzhou person is accustomed to going to the store in the morning and ordering a bowl of ramen, a pile of beef, and a few side dishes to start a new day.

"Steam Beef Noodles"

It is not that famous, but it is a bowl of noodles that almost no team members have negative comments about. Every time the team comes to Menyuan, they must order steam beef noodles. From the outside, it doesn’t look much different from Lanzhou Beef Noodles.

The difference is that the noodles of Lanzhou beef noodles are cooked, while the noodles of steam beef noodles are steamed. Once boiled or steamed, the noodles taste completely different. The steam beef noodles are chewy and the soup is fragrant and delicious. It seems to be even better than the famous Lanzhou beef noodles.

Firecracker Noodles

It is ramen noodles cut into short strips and mixed with various seasonings and stir-fried. It is named because its shape resembles a firecracker. There are many ways to make firecracker noodles, such as fried firecrackers, braised firecrackers, etc., each with its own flavor.

Dunhuang’s Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles

There are vivid scenes of making yellow noodles on the murals of the Mogao Grottoes. This long-standing pasta is Dunhuang’s signature delicacy.

Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat in the underground, donkey meat is soft and very nutritious. This donkey meat yellow noodle dish is made of chewy and shiny yellow noodles topped with rich and nourishing donkey meat.

Qinghai local hot pot

Qinghai people call hot pot "pot". The bottom of Qinghai local hot pot is generally made of mutton clear soup with a little pickled cabbage. The taste is spicy and spicy, without adding With red oil and too many seasonings, the soup is clear in color and has a natural and mellow taste. When you take a bite, the deliciousness of the mutton and the refreshing taste of sauerkraut are perfectly combined, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth and cheeks without feeling greasy.

Chicken roll

This dish is a classic delicacy in Zhangye. The tender local chicken in sauce is covered with rolls. During the steaming process, the chicken greedily absorbs the sauce. The steam steams the rolls on top, and the noodles are soaked with the fresh flavor of the chicken and become shiny. Shiny and gives off an alluring sheen. The chicken is tender and flavourful, and the rolls are chewy and chewy, which is a rare and delicious taste in ordinary days.

Stuffed Pi

Very similar to our Liang Pi, the stuffed Pi from the Northwest is also a cool appetizer in summer. Its texture is softer and waxier than Liang Pi, spicy and tasty. Give me a Roujiamo and I feel like you own the whole world.

Zanba

Zanba is actually highland barley fried noodles. If you go to a local herdsman's home, the host will give you a small bowl and teach you to mix the flour ground from highland barley with butter, sugar, milk residue, and boiling water, and then use your hands to form a dumpling, and a tsampa will be formed.

Zanba has the fragrance of highland barley and a strong milky aroma. The sweet whole grain dumplings are nutritious and delicious, and are very suitable for the people on horseback to carry and store.

Oil Tea

What you will not forget when eating tsampa is a bowl of thick butter tea.

In fact, you can get a glimpse of it from the name. Butter tea is actually a combination of butter and strong tea soup. Pour mellow butter into the hot and thick tea soup, add salt, stir evenly and you will have a bowl of fragrant butter tea!

So where does ghee come from? Ghee actually comes from cow's milk and goat's milk. Continuous whipping separates the water and oil in the milk and goat's milk, and the fat floating on the top is collected. This is the most common raw material in Tibetan meals, "ghee"!

Qinghai old yogurt

Everyone who has eaten Qinghai old yogurt will never forget it.

Every household of grassland herdsmen will make homemade yogurt, fermented with yak milk raised in the local grassland, and put it in a small bowl. There will be a layer of smooth and oily milk skin floating on it, and then it will be fine and fine. Sprinkled with a layer of white sugar, the taste is mellow and refreshing, making you want to drink bowl after bowl without stopping.

Apricot peel water

It is the signature drink of Dunhuang City and can be seen in the streets and alleys.

Made from the apricot skin of local Li Guangxing, which is tender and juicy, it tastes sour and sweet like sour plum juice, and has the effect of promoting body fluids, quenching thirst and relieving heat.

Milk, egg and fermented glutinous rice

It is made by boiling milk, eggs and fermented fermented glutinous rice together. It has the aroma of milk and rice wine. The egg drop is soft and tender, with a slightly sweet taste and the slightly sour taste of raisins. Fermented glutinous rice also has beauty effects on girls. There is an old glutinous rice shop in the Zhengning Street Night Market in Lanzhou, and its business has always been booming.

Conclusion

Whether it is attractions or food, you need to experience it yourself to feel the charm of the Northwest. In a journey of more than 2,000 kilometers, following the footsteps of Cangyang Gyatso, we walked through Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, which is like a barefoot sky, crossed the endless Qilian Mountains, and looked at the colorful Danxia landforms. It is heaven and earth.

Life is a journey to an unknown destination. Many times, we don’t know what kind of future we will encounter next. But sometimes, we just run wildly and forget the meaning of travel. Then, go to Qinghai, you will meet a different version of yourself on the way.