Graphic: Ranger sees the world

The vast, desolate and colorful northwest, she has a deserted Gobi.

a pasture with cattle and sheep and wild flowers everywhere.

there are colorful salt lakes like jasper.

The rise and fall of the Silk Road in Hexi Corridor is full of mysterious temptations for travelers.

Thanksgiving spent nine days in my life crossing Qinghai and Gansu in the late summer of 2121.

Sitting on the hillside overlooking Qinghai Lake, waiting for the sunset in Dachaidan Emerald Lake, and hiking alone in Dongtai Jinaier Lake.

shoot your own shadow on the U-shaped highway, feed water birds in West Taiwan's Jinaier Lake, and eat ice cream in Mangya Jade Lake.

Look at the starry sky on the outskirts of Lenghu town, witness the landform of Mars in Oberliang, visit the night market in Dunhuang, and enjoy the special car service in Danxia, Binggou ...

Qinghai belongs to the mainland plateau climate, with a large temperature difference between day and night in dry and cold winter, and it is generally recognized that it is more suitable to travel from late June to early September.

In the middle of August this year, the first snow fell in Qilian Mountain. When I was traveling at the end of August, the night temperature was only 3-5 degrees. Due to the seasonality of tourism and summer vacation, the cost of hotel catering and transportation surged in July and August.

If time is free, it is suggested to consider the end of June and the beginning of September next year to avoid the peak summer vacation.

The traffic on the northwest Qinggan Great Ring Road is inconvenient, with a daily journey of 411-511 kilometers, and there is no shuttle bus between scenic spots. It is a more suitable choice to drive or charter a car.

this trip is customized, including 5,281 yuan for the fare, accommodation and most tickets, 2,111 yuan for the round-trip flight from Xining, Shenzhen, less than 2,111 yuan for meals and miscellaneous expenses during the trip, and the overall travel cost does not exceed 1,111 yuan.

the overall combination can be small backpack+suitcase. The suitcase contains most items and puts them in the trunk. small backpack carries them with him, mainly for camera sunscreen, food, drinking water and charging treasure.

The most important thing is the sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It is highly recommended to use the outdoor sun hat with 271-degree full coverage of the curtains on both sides of the big hat brim. Sunglasses and masks can basically keep your face. Sunscreen SPF51++ is used crazily with four or five bottles.

Because of the large temperature difference between day and night, summer clothes are the main clothes, but it is strongly recommended to wear long sleeves for sun protection, and take a jacket or jacket, mainly to go out for dinner or watch the stars at night to keep out the cold. One or two sets of coats and trousers are enough, and you can bring more sets of close-fitting clothes. Girls take more bright clothes and skirts when taking pictures.

Northwest China is relatively dry. In order to prevent chapped lips, lip balm is basically a must-have. Northwest China is especially suitable for aerial photography, and drones must be brought.

Compared with many provinces, the ingredients in northwest China are relatively scarce, and the food processing may not be so fine, but it has its own unique flavor.

Recommended foods: mutton kebabs, pot-stewed meat, glutinous rice noodles, hand-grabbed mutton, Hu mutton braised cakes, Dunhuang donkey meat yellow noodles, Zhangye chicken rolls, yak yogurt and so on.

During the trip, we have steamed stuffed buns and fried dough sticks and hot soup for breakfast. If we go to the noodle restaurant, we will have all kinds of beef noodles, firecrackers, Huimian Noodles mixed rice noodles and so on. In addition to the characteristics of large-scale chicken pot, the most common dishes to order are Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine.

Northwest restaurants have a large weight, which is far from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong coastal areas. Please ask about the weight before ordering to avoid waste.

During the tourist season in July and August, accommodation in Qinghai is a difficult problem, which is expensive and difficult to determine. It is recommended to book in advance. The most common standard rooms and even private houses cost seven or eight hundred, and it is also common to spend thousands at every turn.

It's easy to get sunburned in the strong sunshine during the day. Apply sunscreen and lip balm every two hours, and be sure to wear a sun hat. Remember to turn down the exposure value when taking pictures.

Keep a box of mineral water by car or by car. Although it is dry in the northwest, you don't feel thirsty. Remember to drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables.

The cell phone signal on the road from Dachaidan to Mangya to Lenghu these days is very bad. Remember to arrange things in advance. Although there are many people in the scenic spot, it is still very quiet to walk in the distance.

The Great Northwest Ring Road is mainly divided into seven days and nine days. Most of the itinerary is Dachaidan Emerald Lake in Chaka Salt Lake of Qinghai Lake, and then it goes directly north to Jiayuguan and Zhangye in Dunhuang.

This time, I chose a nine-day trip, focusing on going to the East-West Tai Jiner Lake, Usute Water Yadan, Mangya Emerald Lake, Oboliang and Mars Camp in Haixi.

It has been proved that the scenery these days is the essence of the Great Ring Road. It is highly recommended that your itinerary design should include the above places. The daily itinerary and scenery will be detailed below.

D1: Shenzhen-Xining

Shenzhen flies to Xining for 3 hours and 21 minutes. Remember to book the mountains and rivers in the northwest and the clouds in the air by the window.

Xining Caojiabao Airport is 31-41 minutes away from the city center, and it takes about 61-71 yuan by taxi. There is an airport bus to Xining Railway Station and Central Square, and the fare is 31 minutes in 21 yuan.

The main places to visit in Xining city are mosques and temples of Chinese Buddhism.

The distance between Dongguan Mosque and Nanguan Mosque is several hundred meters, and nanzenji and Fazhuang Temple at the foot of Nanshan are adjacent to each other.

Beichan Temple has not been opened for several years. Ta 'er Temple is about 28km away from the city center. It is estimated that it will take more than 2 hours by bus, and less than 1 hour by taxi or chartered car. At least half a day is reserved.

The mosques and temples in the city are not open because of the epidemic.

Mojia Street is a well-known food center in Xining, Daxin Street is basically halal food, and Shuijing Lane is dominated by snacks and barbecues, or you can choose your favorite according to public comments.

Meet his carpool companion at Xining Hotel. He also has several friends who plan to drive by car and go to eat mutton kebabs and drink yogurt nearby at night.

D1: Qinghai Lake Huahai Ranch

Get up in the morning and go to the hotel to eat noodles with narrow intestines. The narrow intestines are fried hard and a little greasy, so I'm not used to eating beef noodles, steamed stuffed buns and vermicelli soup.

get together with the other two carpooling partners and set off along the ring expressway to the west. Through the Jinyintan Prairie, you can see the blue flowers on the mountain. Look at the sand dunes on the east bank of Qinghai Lake and go around to the south bank to see the flowers.

Although the flowering period on the shore of Qinghai Lake has passed, there are still a few rape flowers on the shore of Hunan, and some people have planted purple vanilla. As long as someone pays the bill, someone will always find a way to meet your needs.

the vast blue lake in the distance, in the golden sea of flowers, who wouldn't be tempted?

Qinghai Lake is more than 311 kilometers around the lake, and it takes about three days for amateur cycling. On the way, I met a group of children riding bicycles, and the front and back are protected by cars. Let's find a time to walk or ride around Qinghai Lake in warm spring in bloom.

Although most of the lakeshore has been closed and protected or turned into a scenic pasture, there are still some places where you can go to the lakeside for free, and there are horses and yaks everywhere to take pictures. It's not very interesting to have a look.

the lake and the sea are huge, so you must look from a distance to get a glimpse of the momentum.

Near Erlangjian Scenic Area, turn left and walk up Panshan dirt road. You don't have to climb very high and go very far. Park your car on the side of the road and climb the nearby hillside. Qinghai Lake will appear in front of you in a different way.

it's good to sit on the hillside and look at Qinghai Lake quietly, blowing the wind.

When you drive all day and find yourself still by the Qinghai Lake, I think you will understand how big Qinghai Lake is.

After being far away from the flower sea and scenic spots on the south bank, Qinghai Lake has recovered its original appearance. The white felt house is misty, the cattle and sheep graze slowly in groups, and freedom is like the wind blowing across the lake.

D2: Chaka Salt Lake

Dachaidan Emerald Lake

Chaka Salt Lake and Aiken Spring are the two places I least expected on the Great Northwest Ring Road, so it was as expected that they were boring.

any salt lake on the road behind you will throw a street at Chaka Salt Lake. However, people's tourism promotion is really well done. Half of the salt lakes produce salt and half engage in tourism. The gimmicks in the sky and a few reflection photos make tourists flock to them.

what impressed me was all kinds of fancy little trains, sitting in the innermost station and then walking out.

It's more than 311 kilometers from Chaka Salt Lake to Dachaidan, and the highways and national highways in Qinghai are very good.

along the way, I began to feel the desolate beauty of the northwest, the Gobi and barren hills on both sides. No wonder Haizi wrote that meaningful and beautiful love poem in Delingha.

Although Dachaidan Emerald Lake is not as good as Mangya Emerald Lake, it is far more interesting than Chaka Salt Lake.

There is snow on the top of the mountain in the distance, and wild ducks are swimming in the meadow by the lake.

There are countless salt lakes dotted on the earth, which are blue-green because they contain gold. The snow-white on the lakeside is not sand or snow, but hard salt and alkali.

Wandering freely between salt lakes, waiting to see the last setting sun.

D3: The essence of the U-shaped highway-Dongtaiji

Yadan-Xitaiji

Great Ring Road starts from the third day, compared with the first two days, it can only be regarded as an appetizer.

national highway g315 is comparable to route 66 in the United States, with a total length of 3,163 kilometers, starting from Xining, Qinghai, passing through Qinghai Lake and Qaidam Basin, crossing Altun Mountain, and crossing Taklimakan Desert to Kashgar, Xinjiang.

today, we will take the highlights of G315, including the China version of Dongtai Jiner Lake in Maldives, the U-shaped highway of online celebrity G315 National Road, Yadan on the water in the desert, and the magical Xitaiji two-color lake.

The U-shaped highway has two sections, but it is not a scenic spot, but a U-shaped section between two mountain ridges on the national highway, with desolate Gobi on both sides, and the middle highway seems to lead to the sky.

don't park your car on the road. It's best to have a companion to keep watch when taking photos. It is said that there has been an accident.

Actually, it's not just sitting on the road to take a road photo. Climbing the mound next to it can also take a beautiful road movie.

In fact, there are many similar highways in Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia, but the slope and angle are not so classic.

Dongtai Jinaier Lake is called the China version of Maldives, which is mainly similar in style with clear water, clear sand (salt) and young. But if you don't want to move, you can only take pictures of boring tourists.

after entering the white salt flats, go straight for a few hundred meters, and there is a large salt flats in the salt river partition. There is a shallow place on the right side where you can plunge into the depths where there are few people, but this is forbidden in the scenic spot.

In fact, just walk a few hundred meters to the right along the river bank, and then there will be no one at all, but 99% of tourists are willing to crowd in that area.

However, I really want to thank them for helping me to walk alone in Dongtai Jinaier Lake. The lake is cyan, green and blue from near to far, and the beach formed by saline-alkali crunches under my feet. Free, wandering alone.

The surprise of Yadan on the water in Usute is not on the route of the scenic spot. Don't follow the tourists after sitting sightseeing bus to the end. I really don't understand why people complain about the crowds while making do with them.

Follow the camel team along the lakeshore. There are basically no tourists. Climbing to the top of Yadan landform, you can overlook the invincible water Yadan scenery and take pictures of the camel team.

In addition, it is worthwhile to go to the entrance of the scenic spot, leave the road and bypass a section of water, and climb to a higher mountain top, which is the angle of shooting posters of the Western Sea Fleet.

the g315 national highway passes through the west taiji Nair lake, with blue on the left and green on the right.

But when we first arrived, we didn't feel it at all. We bored filming other people's children to feed seagulls. It is said that seagulls come to Qinghai every summer and go to Kunming Dali in winter. I don't know when they will go to the sea.

I suddenly saw the lake turning green in the distance, and then they came at us all the way. The best shooting spot is actually near the arc dam on the west side, and the blue and green are clear without regret.

D4: Aiken Spring

Mangya Emerald Lake

There are two Emerald Lakes on the Northwest Ring Road, and the Emerald Lake on the conventional ring road is located in Dachaidan, and Mangya Emerald Lake is the main one.

Mangya Emerald Lake is about half an hour away from Huatugou Town. Get up early to surf, and you can go back for a nap at noon.

Huatugou is an oil town. The local people live a rich life, and the conditions are much better than expected. Whether eating, staying or buying fruit, it is cheap and convenient.

The Jade Lake is opposite the G315 National Road, so after entering the scenic spot, the small lake on the left can shoot the reflection of the Thousand Buddha Cliff, and the big lake on the right can shoot the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

there is a place where you can go deep into the salt lake, surrounded by all kinds of salt lake pits, which feel like coral and jade.

Others are still unwilling to go inside, just taking photos on the highway.

drive around the great lake, and there is a place where the water is particularly shallow, so you can directly take a reflection.

This is probably the favorite of girls. You can wear whatever you want to shoot beautifully, which is many times better than Chaka Salt Lake.

But even in such a place suitable for taking pictures, there are not more than 11 people present.

for me, who doesn't like taking pictures of others or taking selfies, it's king to buy an ice cream and walk along the lake shore.

Aiken Spring's fame depends entirely on drones and post-processing, and the actual scenery is poor in both photography and playability.

sleep until after three o'clock in the afternoon and go for a walk. Cement roads and dirt roads are mixed. It takes an hour to drive more than 31 kilometers, and it has to go through security checkpoints.

For the convenience of tourists without drones, a temporary tower was set up beside the spring in the scenic spot. You can climb to the second floor for 11 yuan, but there is really nothing to see in the scenery.

even the photos taken by drones need a lot of post-processing to achieve the effect you want.

D5: Unknown Yadan

Oberliang-Mars Camp

Today is the most desolate day of the Great Northwest Ring Road, turning back from Huatugou Town to the east along the G315 National Road.

Near the intersection of G315 and G215, there is a large unknown Yadan landform on the roadside. If the color was emerald green a few days ago, today's color is Gobi yellow.

In fact, all the way is Gobi desert Yadan landform, but this large-scale scenery near the highway is also beautiful.

people who don't like taking pictures like to run around.