Dabanshan Mountain

Dabanshan

Dabanshan

Have you heard the saying “Pass through Menyuan, cross Dabanshan”? In the past, Dabanshan was the only route to Menyuan. Back then, the mountain was high and the road treacherous. Drivers used to say: “Dabanshan, the Gate of Hell, where cars drive on ice, eagles circle beneath the wheels, deathly fog shrouds the mountain so you can’t see, and one wrong move could send you tumbling down the cliff, taking half a year to hit the bottom.” To solve this problem, construction officially began on August 18, 1995, on the Dabanshan Tunnel with a total investment of 156 million yuan. After three years and three months of arduous work, the tunnel was triumphantly completed on November 28, 1998. The tunnel is located on the Dabanshan mountain pass section of National Highway 227 (Xining to Zhangye), between kilometers 104 and 109. With the completion of the tunnel, the section prone to heavy snow at the mountaintop was avoided, shortening the journey by 5.2 kilometers. What was once an insurmountable barrier became an open road, ensuring all-year-round accessibility along the Ningzhang Highway. Nowadays, crossing Dabanshan has not only become simple and easy, but also a delightful experience.

To see far, you must climb high, and the most spectacular view of the endless clouds over the Qilian Mountains is from the top of Dabanshan. When you stand atop the mountain, gazing into the distance, your heart will feel open and free. Below lies the Menyuan Valley, stretching all the way to the northern foothills of Dabanshan like a golden velvet carpet—vast fields spanning dozens of square kilometers shimmer brilliantly, forming an immensely magnificent sea of rapeseed flowers. Everyone who sees it is filled with enthusiasm, almost wishing they could turn into an eagle in that very moment and soar down from the mountaintop toward that ocean of blooms.