Golmud Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Chaerhan Salt Lake Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Northwest Trip
D1: Xining - Laji Mountain - Riyue Mountain - Qinghai Lake - Delingha (Stay)
D2: Delingha - Chaka Salt Lake - Dachaidan Emerald Lake - Dachaidan (Stay)
D3: Dachaidan - 315U-shaped Highway - Heidu Mountain - Dunhuang Night Market - Dunhuang (Stay)
D4: Dunhuang Mogao Caves - Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring - Dunhuang (Stay)
D5: Dunhuang - Jiayuguan (optional) - Zhangye Danxia Landform - Zhangye (Stay)
D6: Zhangye - Qilian Grassland - Xining (Return)
Green Treasure: The vitality and energy of Chaerhan Salt Lake
Green|Chaerhan Salt Lake
Green, as a color, is located in the middle of the spectrum, with a wavelength range of 517-570 nanometers. In nature, green is widely present, such as in leaves, grasslands, oases, etc. In human culture, green is usually associated with concepts like life, health, vitality, nature, peace, etc.
Chaerhan Salt Lake is located in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China. It is the largest salt lake in China and the second largest in the world. The area of Chaerhan Salt Lake is about 5856 square kilometers, and its altitude is about 2670 meters. Chaerhan Salt Lake is an inland lake, with its water mainly coming from the melting snow of the surrounding mountains and groundwater. The salt content of the lake water is extremely high, reaching 32%, making Chaerhan Salt Lake one of the most important salt chemical bases in China.
The green of Chaerhan Salt Lake may be related to the microorganisms, minerals, and light in the lake water. Under sunlight, the microorganisms and minerals in the lake water may appear green. In addition, the green of Chaerhan Salt Lake may also be affected by the surrounding ecological environment, such as grasslands, oases, etc.
Chaerhan Salt-Lake in Qinghai Province
The Chaerhan Salt Lake is located 60 kilometers away from the northern Golmud city, more than 110 kilometers away from the southern Chaidamu. The salt lake is more than 160 kilometers long from east to west and 20-40 kilometers wide from south to north. The thickness of the salt lake is 2-20 meters. The Chaerhan Salt Lake is located in the desert; the weather is dry and hot. With the long-time sunburn and windburn it's necessary to bring sun protection.
🏴 Tourists can rent cars to get to the Chaerhan Salt Lake along the No. 215 National Highway. Hotels or travel agencies might also organized tours. Adventurours without driving license can try to hitchhike.
🎫 Entrance including bus to the final destination inside the lake: 100元/80元 students
✨ You can also rent bikes (if they're not broken) or drones at the final destination.
#dessert#hiking#roadtrip#summervacation
[Qalhan Salt Lake in Qinghai]
Zarhan Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China and one of the most famous salt lakes in the world. The picture taken in my picture is the Wanzhang Salt Bridge, which is a road made of salt and extends into the lake. Its hardness is comparable to that of the asphalt road.
We can see from the sky that there are white crystals on both sides of the salt bridge. The lake is transparent and green. The scenery here is picturesque. The sunny Chaerhan Salt Lake has also become a good place for photography.
Note: Sun protection measures should be prepared. It is recommended to bring a hat and sunglasses. You can drive in by yourself. In principle, only visiting documents are allowed to enter. You need to communicate in advance.
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Water Yadan Geopark Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
【Annual Review】Do you know these ten popular and unpopular attractions in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province?
❗️In the summer of 2023, we spent half a month on a self-driving tour in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Next, let's review these ten popular and unpopular attractions for everyone. It can be said that these are the essence of Haixi Prefecture❗️
1️⃣Dachaidan Emerald Lake Pictures 1-3:
🌟Highlights: This is a salt lake that changes color! On sunny days, it presents an emerald color, on cloudy days, it presents a white jade color, and when night falls, it reflects the color of the sky at that time!
📍Detailed address: About 5 kilometers west of Dachaidan Town, directly under Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
2️⃣"Blood of the Earth" Picture 4:
🌟Highlights: The river channel next to the highway contains sulfur elements, so it appears red when the light is good, and the river channel is like a blood vessel, so it is vividly compared to the "blood of the earth", of course, you need to take aerial photography to see such a scene!
📍Detailed address: 755-757 kilometers of National Highway 315 in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province
3️⃣Wusute Yardang Geological Park Picture 5
🌟Highlights: What kind of scene will the Yardang landform present after being flooded? Anyway, I saw a lot of "aircraft carriers" and various "warships" here, like a huge fleet waiting for your "review".
📍Detailed address: About 250 kilometers west of Dachaidan in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, next to National Highway 315.
4️⃣Nanbaxian Yardang Pictures 6-7:
🌟Highlights: The mysterious Yardang landform group where few people set foot. Because G215 passes through the center, most vehicles and tourists can easily go deep into the core area of the Yardang landform to watch. Of course, this is also a free location for shooting big movies!
📍Detailed address: About 100 kilometers west of Dachaidan in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
5️⃣Ebolian Yardang Picture 8:
🌟Highlights: The Yardang landform landscape that looks most like the "World of Warcraft" with various shapes, and the difficulty of reaching it makes it even more mysterious! Off-road enthusiasts can experience the fun of crossing here, and photographers can freely compose big movies here!
📍Detailed address: About 80 kilometers west of Lenghu Town in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, deep in the desert!
6️⃣Lenghu Mars Camp Picture 9:
🌟Highlights: This can be said to be the place on earth that looks most like Mars. The panoramic view of the opposite Ebolian Yardang makes people feel like they are on an alien planet, and the brilliant Milky Way at night is likely to refresh your understanding of the starry sky!
📍Detailed address: Opposite to Ebolian in Lenghu Town, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
7️⃣Mangya Emerald Lake Picture 10:
🌟Highlights: The color is the same as that of Dachaidan Emerald Lake. The only difference is that the area of the emerald lake here is really large! So large that it is endless emerald green!
📍Detailed address: South side of Mangya City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
8️⃣Aiken Spring Picture 11:
🌟Highlights: This is the largest spring eye I have ever seen, and the "most beautiful" spring water landscape. Because the spring water contains certain substances, it causes the area around the spring eye to be barren for hundreds of meters and all dyed red and yellow! It is very appropriate to describe it as the "eye of the devil"!
📍Detailed address: About 20 kilometers west of Mangya City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
9️⃣Kunlun Mountain Picture 12:
🌟Highlights: The best place to appreciate the scenery of Kunlun Mountain. The Yuzhu Peak here is 6178 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountains. The towering Kunlun will let you understand what is the "ancestor of all mountains"!
📍Detailed address: Next to National Highway 109 in Golmud City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
🔟Kekexili Picture 13:
🌟Highlights: Here you can watch the "highland elves" Tibetan antelope in a reasonable and legal way. If you are lucky, you can also touch the cute "little elf". When you come here, you have come to the mysterious Kekexili.
📍Detailed address: Sonandajie Protection Station, National Highway 109, Golmud City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
Urho Water Yadan - The lost pearl in the Gobi Desert
Driving for more than two hours along the G315 National Road from Dachaidan Town, passing through Dongtaijinaer Lake, you will arrive at the Water Yadan. There was no water here originally, but due to a flash flood, the floodwater stayed in this area, also known as Duck Lake, forming this unique water Yadan landscape in the world. The water of the Water Yadan comes from the Taijinaer River. The magical Yadan landscape and the deep blue lake water complement each other, and you can't help but feel the beauty of nature when you are in it.
Travel tips
✅Ticket price: 120 yuan (60 yuan for the ticket + 60 yuan for the sightseeing electric car).
🚩Inside entertainment: The development inside the scenic area is also quite mature, with four stations: Sea View Platform, Penglai Fairy Island, West Sea Fleet, and Golden Beach. It takes about fifteen minutes to enter the Sea View Platform from the entrance of the scenic area, and the wind on the way is very strong. There are also many entertainment projects inside the scenic area, such as camel riding, beach off-road, speed boats, etc.
📍About the Eye of Yadan: The Eye of Yadan is still inside the scenic area. To get there, you need to take a beach off-road vehicle for about 150 yuan per person. Personally, I suggest that if the weather is not good, it is not worth going. It's not as good as it looks online.
🏠Accommodation: There is a good hotel inside the scenic area, which is the Urho Yadan Hotel. You can also stay in Dachaidan Town, but the room price is very high during the peak season, and rooms are hard to find, so you need to book early.
⌚️Play time: Half a day is enough, and 2 hours is also possible if you are fast.
Water Yadan
Geographical location: The Water Yadan landform group is located in the Xitai area of Dachaidan Executive Committee, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, close to the 315 national highway line. It is an important node in the circular tourism of Xining-Qinghai Lake-Chaka Salt Lake-Water Yadan-Dunhuang-Jiayuguan-Zhangye, with important traffic and tourism location advantages.
Landform features: The formation of the Water Yadan landform group is a magnificent landscape formed by the lake water under the long-term desert and Gobi weathering conditions. Because the terrain here is relatively low, equivalent to the lake center, under the dual effects of atmospheric thermal effects and the crustal movement of the Qaidam Basin, the lake water from places like Qinghai Lake flows into this Yadan through the underground, forming a spectacular Water Yadan.
Natural landscape: The Water Yadan Scenic Area is famous for its unique Yadan landform, rippling lake water, blue sky and white clouds, and charming sunset scenery. Here, tourists can feel the perfect combination of desert and lake, as well as the magic and magnificence of nature.
Unique beauty in the world | Ussuri Water Yadan
🚶♀️How can you not go to the water Yadan when you come to Qinghai
Most of the Yadan landforms discovered in the world exist in extremely arid areas, which are also Yadan landform groups
🔺But the scenery of the water Yadan is completely different from the land Yadan. The magical Ussuri Water Yadan does not need any filter for the entire scenic area. The unique stunning beauty in the world is magical and mysterious, deep and distant
That kind of silence and ethereal
Only those who have been here can feel it.
💦Go to the Ussuri Water Yadan Scenic Area
You must go to find the hidden Yadan's eye
It is said that the Yadan's eye will be greener when the weather gets hotter
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Qaidam Basin Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Ordinary Road
extraordinary trip
# at this moment, I am in Chaidamu #
Looking for the most beautiful scenery, the bluest sky, the best air
Chaidamu Basin is one of the three inland basins in China, and it is a closed huge inter-mountain fault basin. It is located in the northwestern part of Qinghai Province, northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mainly in the Haixi Mongolian Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The
Qaidam Basin is the highest-lying basin among the four major basins in China. Chaidamu is not only the world of salt (southern salt lake swamp), but also rich in oil, coal, and various metal deposits, such as cold lake oil, fish card coal, tin-steel lead-zinc mine, etc. Very famous. Therefore, the Qaidam Basin has the reputation of treasure bowl.
Tonight, I only have beautiful Gobi, starry sky
night I don't care about humans.
De Ling Ha means Mongolian golden world.
Deringha City is located in the northwestern part of Qinghai Province. It belongs to Qilian Mountain and Qaidam Basin on the geomorphological unit. The Qaidam Basin is part of the Qinling Kunlun Qilian trough fold system in the geotectonic structure, and it is a basin of the Middle-Xin Dynasty depression.
The vast grassland gave birth to this lonely city, with oil paintings of grass and mountains, sheep and horses running freely between the vast world.
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Hoh Xil Nature Reserve Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Qinghai self-guided tour has checked in for you
1️⃣
📍: Hoh Xil
🚘: Driving route: Golmud - Kunlun Holy Spring - Yuzhu Peak - Kunlun Mountain Pass - Sonandajie Conservation Station, return.
🏞️: High-altitude uninhabited area, pristine nature reserve, World Natural Heritage site. Here you can find towering snow-capped mountains, majestic glaciers, tranquil lakes; it's a paradise for wildlife, with Tibetan antelopes, black-necked cranes, vultures, wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys, etc.
Also known as: The Forbidden Zone of Life.
🐳: Poor road conditions (requires vehicle passability and power), no supplies (bring your own food), poor signal (download offline maps), high altitude with lack of oxygen and high UV radiation (prepare for cold, sun protection, and altitude sickness), unpredictable weather, respect the dangers! Littering is strictly prohibited!
2️⃣
Devil's Eye
📍: Mangya City, Haixi Prefecture
🚘: Navigate to the Devil's Eye to reach.
🏞️: In the desolate western end of the Qaidam Basin, the never-ending spring water gushes out from the earth, the spring water is a bright yellow-red color, shaped like an eye, as if embedded in the desolate land like the eye of a devil. The tumbling spring water spreads to the surrounding land, accumulating over time, etching the surrounding land into another appearance, indescribably magnificent and colorful, it will always gaze quietly into the deep sky.
🐳: Average road conditions (requires vehicle passability and power), essential to have a drone (no effect without aerial photography)!
3️⃣
Devil's City
📍: Lenghu Town, Mangya City, Haixi Prefecture
🚘: Navigate to the Yadan Landform Group in the Ejin Banner Scenic Area, first to the Mars Camp, and then 500 yuan per vehicle for entry to the scenic area.
🏞️: Ejin Banner, a Yadan landform group, where you can see thousands of miles of rolling yellow sand and fierce westerly winds, a sense of loneliness and insignificance that has nowhere to be placed. The sunset is gorgeous, the night sky is clear, and the Milky Way is brilliant, striking the soul with desolation and grandeur!
Mars Camp, this is the place on Earth that least resembles Earth. Space capsules, spacesuits, as if you are on Mars.
🐳: Poor road conditions (requires vehicle power and passability), long-focus photography, aerial photography can have an effect!
4️⃣
📍: 1. Mangya City, Haixi Prefecture
2. Da Qaidam, Haixi Prefecture
🚘: 1. Navigate to Mangya Emerald Lake, beside the 315 road in Huatugou Town;
2. Navigate to Da Qaidam Town Emerald Lake
🏞️: Both are called Emerald Lakes, although they are hundreds of kilometers apart, each has its own unique beauty, you can choose one or both to see. Comparatively speaking, Mangya Emerald Lake is a bit greener, Da Qaidam Emerald Lake is bluer, and Mangya Emerald Lake is larger overall. The large and small lakes are like gems lost by the fairy world to the human world, dazzling and captivating, making it hard to contain oneself.
🐳: Pay attention to wind and sun protection, aerial photography is recommended if possible.
Summary: Qinghai has unique natural landscapes, with Xining and Golmud as the two base cities to expand outward, there are endless beautiful views, you can plan your route according to time.
Kekexili One-Day Tour
👍Highly recommended:
The most beautiful scenery is always on the road. Traveling along the Kunlun Mountains and crossing the uninhabited area of Kekexili, I was lucky to see Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, and Tibetan wolves!
❤Reasons for recommendation:
I just want to say: if you don't go there yourself, the scenery will always live in someone else's photos!
✅Must experience:
I just finished the Kekexili one-day tour, and the weather, scenery, animals, and people I encountered were unexpectedly beautiful.
I was lucky that the weather was clear, the visibility of the Kunlun Dragon's Backbone and various small animals was at its peak. The wind was strong, and the temperature was slightly cold, but it was warm inside the car. The fellow travelers and the guide I met were very nice, and we had a great chat along the way, leaving altitude sickness far behind.
Kekexili, all the way to the west
Have you ever dreamed of seeing Kekexili in winter like me? Look at the eternal ice and snow mountains, deserts, glaciers, and swamps converge on the same land. I think this time, I really connected with the world.
Travelogue of Qinghai
Seasonal travel? Or off-season travel?......
For Green Luo, a pseudo-exquisite poor blogger, it's really a problem that can't have both fish and bear's paw.
May in Qinghai is the off-season for tourism. Even during the May Day holiday, the airfare is not very expensive. Hotels that cost over a thousand a night in the peak season can be enjoyed for just over 300 at this time. One of the advantages of off-season travel is the fewer people, without the surging crowds of the peak season, the experience is greatly improved.
Every year in June and July in Kekexili, it is said that you can often see the figure of the plateau elf-Tibetan antelope on the Gobi Desert on both sides of the road. Unfortunately, Green Luo didn't encounter them on this trip to Kekexili. According to the driver, the Tibetan antelopes in early May have run to other places to give birth. You see, this is one of the disadvantages of off-season travel .
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Wanzhang Yanqiao Bridge Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Dreamy Salt Lake - Chaka
Chaka Salt Lake
The lake is vast and white as snow, 55 times the size of Chaka Salt Lake
It is the second largest in the world and the largest salt lake in China!
Coordinates: Geermu City, Qinghai Province, Chaka Town
Opening hours: 8:00-20:00
Tickets: 100 yuan/person
Best time to visit
Every year from June to October, the climate is mild and the sun is abundant. You can enjoy the beautiful lake and the surrounding scenery, especially in autumn, the lake dries up and forms a red salt layer, which is very spectacular!
Transportation Guide
Take the high-speed train/train/plane to Xining first, then drive or charter a car to Chaka Salt Lake (no public transportation). It is recommended to take a trip around the Qinghai-Tibet loop, with plateaus, snow mountains, lakes, Yadan, grasslands, deserts... The scenery along the way is colorful, like God's palette has been knocked over
Main attractions
Salt Bridge
A natural highway made of salt, 32km long and 15-18m thick. This is the best place to view the entire salt lake, with beautiful scenery!
Dream Island
Located in the center of the salt lake, the island has various shapes of pianos, swings, exposed salt flowers and other landscapes. You can take many beautiful photos. There are star rooms on the island for experience, and you can enjoy the starry sky and lake light at night
Salt Ship
The iconic landscape of Chaka Salt Lake, the shape of the ship is made of salt crystals, like a huge ship sailing on the salt lake, very attractive
Chaka Salt Lake, the emerald pearl on Earth! Full guide
God's scattered emeralds!
A few years ago, I took the Qinghai-Gansu loop, but due to limited time, Chaka Salt Lake was not included in the itinerary! But its beauty crazily swept across my screen, and I've been longing for it for a long time.
This year, I chose the Haixi route, starting from Golmud and ending at Huatugou🔚; to witness the unearthly beauty of Chaka Salt Lake!
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Chaka Dream Salt Lake
This is the largest salt lake in China! It's more than 50 times the size of Chaka Salt Lake! Many people have only been to Chaka, but this is actually the most beautiful salt lake near Qinghai Lake, the real 'Sky Mirror'.
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❤️Brief Introduction to the Tour
1️⃣Location: 60 kilometers north of Golmud, 🚗less than an hour's drive
2️⃣Tickets: 40 yuan for the entrance ticket + 60 yuan for the bus ticket in the scenic area = 100 yuan
3️⃣Opening hours: 08:30-18:30, admission stops at 17:00
4️⃣Tour time: 2-3 hours
5️⃣Journey in the scenic area: After buying tickets at the visitor center, you need to take the scenic area bus, which takes 30 minutes to reach the final station. The views on both sides of the bus are similar
6️⃣Attractions: There are two attractions, the bus will first arrive at the final station, and on the way back, it will pass the 'Salt Bridge', where you can get off and take pictures for 10 minutes
⚠️So the Salt Bridge is in the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area
📷Chaka Photo Guide
1️⃣The best spot for taking pictures is in the innermost part, don't just take pictures at the entrance, there are super beautiful salt lakes of various colors in the innermost part
2️⃣The lake water on both sides is different! Be sure to shoot from multiple angles
3️⃣Taking pictures by the shallow beach is also absolutely beautiful, it's like being on a fluorescent beach, one part is fluorescent yellow, the other part is fluorescent green
Chaka Salt Lake: The Emerald Journey
Chaka Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China, covering a vast area, like a green ocean.
It is located in Qinghai Province, and unlike Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, and Dachaidan Emerald Lake, Chaka Salt Lake has a unique style that should not be missed.
When you arrive at the visitor center, first buy tickets and bus tickets. The scenic area is very vast, you must take a bus to enter, and pass through the salt field to reach the scenic area.
The scenic area has a sightseeing car that can take you into the central area.
On the way back, the bus will stop at the Wanzhang Salt Bridge for 10 minutes. This is a good place for check-in and photography. You will be amazed by the scenery in front of you, it is like a green apple, shining with beautiful light in the sun.
There are also many places for check-in and photography by the lake, such as Qiu Gan, rocking chair and transparent boat,
The reflection here is very beautiful. The entire scenic area has a wide water surface and is an excellent place for photography.
Popular Topics
# dessert
# summervacation
# roadtrip
# hiking
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