Self-drive Travelogue: The 10th Western Journey Charity Poverty Relief Self-Drive Tour Enters Gansu

Every self-drive enthusiast carries a deep respect for nature. When we approach various landscapes, the nature we see is the most authentic and pure. We cannot fantasize about changing or conquering nature; instead, we should revere and adapt to it. During the 2018 National Day holiday, the 10th edition of the "Western Journey" charity poverty relief self-drive tour, jointly initiated by Beijing Xing Tianxia Auto Club, China Traffic Radio of China National Radio, MixNet, and Zhihui, and title-sponsored by Danfuo Lubricants, entered Gansu. It not only presented a grand autumn self-drive journey for fellow travelers, taking everyone through destinations such as Baotou Northern Weapons City, Badain Jaran Desert, Ejin Ghost Forest, Heicheng Ghost Forest, Jiuquan Gobi, Zhangye Seven-Colored Danxia, and Ningxia Shapotou. At the same time, the final leg of the "Western Journey" charity poverty relief self-drive tour arrived in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Wuwei City, where charity donation activities were conducted, making this northwest-geography-themed nature exploration journey even more meaningful.

D1: September 30

To avoid the peak travel rush on National Day, we decided to depart on September 30. However, there were still many vehicles leaving Beijing, and many drivers, including myself, got stuck on the G6 Beijing–Lhasa Expressway, forcing us to take alternative routes. At Guanting Service Area, the convoy assembled and took a brief rest before heading toward our destination for the day—Baotou.

After driving over 600 kilometers on the Beijing–Lhasa Expressway, we arrived in Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. We first visited the Northern Weapons City, which covers an area of 153 mu (approximately 112,000 square meters). This is a unique tourist attraction integrating national defense education, science popularization, environmental protection, patriotic education, weapons exhibitions, military industry culture dissemination, and leisure entertainment. The site displays 28 representative weapons, including the first 100mm anti-aircraft gun developed in the People’s Republic of China—the “First Cannon of the Republic”—which was inspected by Chairman Mao Zedong during the 10th anniversary celebrations.

After visiting the Northern Weapons City, we returned to the hotel, concluding the first day of the journey.

D2: October 1

Today was one of the tougher days of the trip, as we had to drive 850 kilometers on the G7 Beijing–Xinjiang Expressway, taking about 10 hours. For those not used to long-distance driving, it was truly a challenge. The G7 Beijing–Xinjiang Expressway officially opened on July 15, 2017. This newly opened highway has relatively light traffic and excellent road conditions. However, there are not many gas stations at the service areas, so it’s advised to keep a close eye on your fuel level when traveling this route. After 10 hours of driving, the convoy finally reached our destination for the day—Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region—and we stayed there for two days.

D3: October 2

We woke up at 4:00 AM to head to Juyanhai Lake to watch the sunrise. Located about 40 kilometers northeast of Dalaihubu Town, Ejin Banner, Alxa League, on the northern edge of the Badain Jaran Desert, Juyanhai is the terminal lake of the Heihe River, China’s second-largest inland river. Known as Juyan Ze during the Han Dynasty and Juyanhai during the Tang Dynasty, the Heihe River originates from the depths of the Qilian Mountains, flows over 800 kilometers through Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia, and then converges into two Gobi depressions on the northwestern edge of the Badain Jaran Desert, forming the East and West Lakes, collectively known as Juyanhai.

After watching the sunrise, we returned to the hotel for a short rest and managed to sleep for another two hours or so. Around 10:00 AM, after a short ten-minute walk, we went to see the Populus euphratica forest. The Ejin Populus euphratica National Nature Reserve, located in the central part of Ejin Banner, covers a total area of 26,253 hectares and is a nature reserve for wild plants.

D4: October 3

The convoy set off from Ejin Banner toward Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, covering approximately 370 kilometers for the day. Compared to previous days, today’s journey was a “walk in the park.” After breakfast, the convoy set off with the first stop being Khara-Khoto (Heicheng) and the Ghost Forest.

Khara-Khoto, known in Mongolian as Khara Khot or Black City, is located on the barren north bank of the dried-up Heihe River (Black Water), about 25 kilometers southeast of Dalaihubu Town, the seat of Ejin Banner, Alxa League. The ruins of Khara-Khoto were initially built during the Western Xia Dynasty, when the Western Xia regime established the “Black Water Garrison Command” here. Khara-Khoto served as an important agricultural and military stronghold in the western regions for the Western Xia. In February 1226, Khara-Khoto experienced a devastating battle, and today, the grounds outside the city are littered with shattered bones, half-buried in the sand.

Not far from Khara-Khoto lies a vast expanse of “Ghost Forest,” which is actually formed by the withered remains of large numbers of Populus euphratica trees. The Populus euphratica is a unique tree species with extremely strong vitality. It is among the earliest groups of trees to have evolved and is referred to as a “living fossil” of the plant kingdom. A single root of a Populus euphratica can penetrate over 100 meters underground—“living for a thousand years without dying, standing for a thousand years after death, and remaining unrotted for a thousand years after falling.” There is also a legend about the Ghost Forest: it is said to be the resting place of the undying souls of General Hei and his soldiers. According to the tale, the guardian of Khara-Khoto, named Khara Bater (i.e., General Hei), was a brave and renowned warrior. Later, when enemy forces attacked and besieged the city, they cut off the water supply. Trapped with no reinforcements or drinking water, General Hei led his troops in a desperate breakout. Before the battle, he threw over 70 carts of gold, silver, and treasures, along with the treasured crown of the Western Xia city, into a dry well within the city. To prevent his family from falling victim to the invaders, General Hei pushed his own children into the well and buried them under the soil. Leading his soldiers, General Hei broke through the city walls, fought all the way, and eventually died in battle in the Ghost Forest, not far west of the city.

After visiting the ancient city of the Western Xia and the desolate Ghost Forest, the convoy continued its journey to Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. The entire route from Ejin Banner to Jiuquan was via national highways, with the Gobi Desert stretching alongside both sides of the road. After driving for over an hour, everyone was treated to a stone-collecting activity. The Gobi Desert is scattered with oddly shaped stones in various colors.

Jiuquan, named for “a spring beneath the city” and “water as sweet as wine,” is the birthplace of Dunhuang art and the cradle of modern aerospace. It is located in the northwestern part of Gansu Province, in the western section of the Hexi Corridor, nestled between the Altun Mountains, Qilian Mountains, and Mazong Mountains.