China is very beautiful, with seventy percent of its beauty in the northwest.
The widely circulated saying "China is very beautiful, with seventy percent of its beauty in the northwest" raises the question: where does the renowned beauty of Qinghai lie?
Its beauty lies in the grandeur of its mountains and rivers, the elegance of its landscapes, the harmony of its culture,
the purity of its blue skies and white clouds, the vastness of its snow-capped mountains and grasslands, the pristine lakes and rivers,
the desolation of its Gobi deserts, the magnificence of its Danxia landforms, the uniqueness of its glaciers and permafrost.
Its beauty lies in its long-standing historical, ethnic, red, and ecological cultures,
its beauty lies in the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Qilian Mountain National Park, and the Great Wall Long March National Cultural Park, where new chapters are written and brilliance is displayed.
From mountains and rivers to lakes, from the Gobi to deserts, from plateaus to grasslands, it is both lonely and prosperous, desolate yet full of vitality. This is the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop.
🛬【Itinerary】:
Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop Seven-Day Tour (Chaka Salt Lake + Water Yadan)
Day 1: Depart from Xining → Sun and Moon Mountain → Qinghai Lake → Chaka Salt Lake (overnight)
Day 2: Chaka Town → Keluke Lake → Cross the Qaidam Basin → Dachaidan Emerald Lake → Dachaidan (overnight)
Day 3: Dachaidan → Chaka Salt Lake → 315 U-shaped Road → Water Yadan → Nanhaixian Ghost City → Dachaidan (overnight)
Day 4: Dachaidan → Oil Town → Yangguan → Dunhuang (overnight/camping in the desert optional)
Day 5: Mogao Caves → Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring → Shazhou Night Market → Dunhuang (overnight)
Day 6: Dunhuang → Guazhou → Jiayuguan Fortress → Zhangye Danxia Landform → Qicai Town (overnight)
Day 7: Zhangye → Biandukou → Qilian Mountain Grassland → Gangshika Snow Peak → Menyuan Rapeseed Flower → Xining (overnight)
⛺【Must-Visit Attractions】:
"Chaka Salt Lake" Chaka Salt Lake is similar to Chaka Salt Lake, but Chaka Salt Lake is particularly dependent on the weather. When the weather is bad, it doesn't look very good, just a vast expanse of white. When the weather is good, there are blue skies and white clouds above, and windmills and snow-capped mountains in the background, which is one of the reasons it became famous. However, compared to Chaka Salt Lake, the weather has less impact on Chaka Salt Lake. Chaka Salt Lake is a salt lake nurtured by nature for billions of years. Walking by the lake, you can feel the crystal-clear, ever-changing magical salt flowers. There is a 32-kilometer-long salt bridge on the salt lake. Although it is just an ordinary road, it is made entirely of salt, so it is also known as the "Ten Thousand Zhang Salt Bridge".
🍩【Must-Try Foods】:
Hand-Grasped Lamb; Hand-Grasped Lamb is a traditional food loved by the Mongolian, Tibetan, Hui, and Uighur ethnic groups in Northwest China. It is said to have a history of nearly a thousand years and got its name because it was originally eaten by hand. As the name suggests, it needs to be eaten by hand, tearing, or cutting with a Tibetan knife. Although this unique way of eating lamb is no longer necessary with the development of the times, the name has been passed down to this day. The meat is red and white, fatty but not greasy, oily and tender, and very delicious. The meat is so tasty that even those who don't usually like lamb can give it a try, as it doesn't have a strong lamb smell.
🏨【Accommodation Tips】:
"Desert Camping" When you arrive in Dunhuang, you must experience desert camping. Activities include sand sliding, watching the sunset in the desert, desert motorcycling, singing and talent performances to set the mood, large bonfire parties, fireworks, iron flower performances, and unlimited hot pot, beer, and drinks. At night, you can also go to the heart of the desert to watch the starry sky and the Milky Way. Nowadays, everyone lives in cities and hasn't seen a sky full of stars for a long time, so experiencing desert camping will be an unforgettable night.
🚌【Transportation Tips】:
In the northwest, the distances between attractions are too far for city buses. There are route buses, but taking them is very troublesome and inconvenient as they don't go directly to the destinations. Therefore, the main ways to travel the northwest grand loop are self-driving, joining a tour group, or chartering a car. Personally, I recommend joining a tour group or chartering a car because, with self-driving, you are unfamiliar with the road conditions, and the long distances on the plateau can easily cause fatigue. Nowadays, there are many pure-play small groups, especially recommended for 1-2 people traveling. Since it is a pure-play small group, there are at most 8 people in a car, not too many, but the atmosphere will be very lively. Another option is to charter a car, which offers high flexibility, allowing you to plan your itinerary according to your preferences. You can play along the way, with professional drivers who are familiar with the routes, ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip, avoiding many detours and pitfalls.
🧡【Tips】:
1. It is recommended to take Rhodiola, Highland Red, or other medications to prevent altitude sickness one or two weeks in advance.
2. Drink plenty of water when you first arrive at the plateau, avoid strenuous exercise and emotional excitement, do not overeat, and go to bed early to stay energetic for the trip.
3. Make sure you are in good health before traveling to the plateau. Although most areas are around 3,000 meters above sea level and most people have no reaction, it is still called a plateau, so respect it... hahaha (Safety is always the top priority when traveling).
4. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an area with a high concentration of ethnic minorities, so please respect local customs.
5. When engaging in free activities in scenic areas, pay attention to safety, follow the rules of the scenic area, and travel civilly.