The beauty of the northwest lies in her vastness and desolation, her grandeur and magnificence. She is unique, unlike anywhere else. Though our seven-day trip through the northwest was brief, it left me with countless wonderful memories that I still cherish. For those interested, why not follow the traces of this journey and experience the charms of the northwest?!
10/03: We set off from Wangjing at 6 a.m., got on the Badaling Expressway, and encountered a traffic accident at the entrance of the Shuiguan Great Wall tunnel. The resulting traffic jam delayed us by nearly an hour before we could proceed normally. We arrived at the riverine area of Bayannur around 3 p.m. The land seemed fertile and lush, with even some paddy fields, thick grasslands, and patches of yellow-green trees—it was a beautiful sight. The photo above shows the Dengkou Yellow River Bridge. (A bridge spans north and south, turning the Yellow River into an accessible thoroughfare. The Dengkou Yellow River Grand Bridge and the Yellow River Main Canal Grand Bridge, each stretching 2,600 meters, boast majestic and imposing designs. They are not only the largest road bridges in the autonomous region but also the most stunning highlights of the recently opened Dengba (Dengkou–Balagong) Expressway.) To reach Yinchuan by evening, we didn’t linger too long for photos and arrived at the Bayanhot exit at 5:08 p.m. Jianzui Mountain, a somewhat polluted-looking place shrouded in mist, resembled an industrial town with chimneys everywhere. Unexpectedly, the journey went smoothly, and we arrived in Yinchuan by 6 p.m. Having booked a hotel by phone on the way, we settled in and then strolled around the city. The lamb kebabs in the downtown area were incredibly delicious, and the night market was very lively. We visited the Drum Tower and the Jade Emperor Pavilion, leaving an impression of a clean, sparsely populated, and well-organized city.
10/4: The next morning, we headed straight for the Western Xia Tombs. Covering an area of 150,000 square meters, it is the largest and best-preserved of the nine imperial mausoleums of the Western Xia. The tombs, standing at the foot of the Helan Mountains, are vast, desolate, and expansive. Several earthen domed mounds seem to silently attest to the vicissitudes of history.
Our next stop was the Shapotou Scenic Area in Zhongwei, Yinchuan (reportedly where the Tengger Desert slopes down into the Yellow River). The Shapotou Tourist Area is one of the first national AAAA-level scenic spots, the first national-level desert ecological nature reserve, and the site of one of China’s three major singing sands—Shapotou Singing Sand. It is an oasis in the midst of yellow sand. At this moment, there were a lot of tourists, and everywhere you looked, heads crowded together, making it hard to distinguish between the sea of people and the sea of sand. It’s advised not to visit during the Golden Week.
We had no choice but to take a few photos from a high ground before turning around and getting on S201 and National Highway 318. We reached Wuwei City at 5:15 p.m. and then got back on G30 Expressway to continue westward, planning to stay in Zhangye. However, we still hadn’t booked a good hotel, so we decided to decide upon arrival.
At this point, we were driving through the Hexi Corridor. Bathed in the setting sun, it was draped in a golden hue, exuding luxury. The surrounding sand dunes rose and fell continuously, undulating endlessly. Along the way, you could see the broken and intermittent ruins of the ancient Great Wall. Amid the desolation and vastness, it seemed to be waiting for people to worship and reminisce. We arrived in Zhangye City at 7 p.m., found a fairly clean hotel, and after a day of travel, we were famished. It might have been too late to find a decent restaurant in the city, so we had to return to the hotel and eat instant noodles.
To be continued...
10/5: When in Zhangye, you must visit the Danxia landform.Danxia refers to isolated peaks and steep, bizarre rock formations formed by the long-term weathering, peeling, and water erosion of red sandstone and conglomerate. The Danxia landform here is said to have developed approximately200million years ago, from the early Jurassic to the Tertiary period—quite a long time ago.
Early in the morning, we set off at 6:30 a.m. for the Zhangye Danxia Scenic Area. I thought we were going early, but when we arrived at 7:30 a.m., it was already bustling with people. Most visitors were equipped with full sets of photography gear—cameras and all. I was amazed. The internet says the best times to view the scenery are early morning and late evening—so true. But by then, we were already late and had to hurry up the mountain.
The scenic area is divided into1to4viewing platforms. Before it got too late, we stood at1viewing platform, gazing at the colorful, undulating layers of rock hills, which were truly spectacular.
Here, the guide said it was the filming location for *A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop*...
By the time we reached4viewing platform, it was almost10o’clock. By then, the sunlight had whitened the mountain scenery, and the vibrant colors of the landscape had faded considerably, so there were very few good photos.
10We left the scenic area in the afternoon and drove toward Jiayuguan City—the so-called “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven”!
We tookG30the Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway westward. On the left side of the road, you could glimpse the faint snow on the Qilian Mountains. The weather had turned cool—it was truly autumn now. Along the way, we exited the expressway and turned into Linze County to fulfillLGa war-themed curiosity.
“Linze was the main battlefield and headquarters of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Western Route Army during their campaign in the Hexi Corridor. The Red Western Route Army entered Linze at the end of1936year12and stayed for over70days, engaging in more than40battles, eliminating...1Over 10,000 people, including military officers such as Chen Hansong and7more than a dozen Red Army soldiers, sacrificed their lives heroically. It is one of the sites with the highest number of casualties, the most tragic and commemorative significance during the Western Expedition of the Red West Route Army.6000More than a dozen Red Army soldiers sacrificed their lives heroically. It is one of the places with the highest number of casualties, the most tragic, and the greatest commemorative significance since the Red Western Army's campaign in the Hexi Corridor.1986In [year], Linze County built the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army West Route Army Martyrs' Cemetery, which includes commemorative structures such as a memorial monument, martyrs' cemetery, Generals' Pavilion, and Revolutionary History Museum.”Maybe it was because of the good weather, but the small county town of Linze felt clean and refreshing.We checked into Jiayuguan in the afternoon. It was a rather traditional and old hotel, with an official feel—it was also one of the earliest to accommodate foreign guests. While it lacked some modern amenities that one would expect in a room, they were quick to provide them upon request, and the staff attitude was good.
After resting and discussing our plans, we prepared to visit Jiayuguan Pass, the Overhanging Great Wall, and the First Pier Under Heaven. Jiayuguan Pass is locatedinthe southwestern part of6Jiayuguan city, in the middle of the narrowest valley of Jiayuguan, atop the highest Jiayu Mountain. The walls extending from both sides of the pass cross the desert and Gobi Desert, reaching8kilometers north to Heishan Mountainand the Overhanging Great Wall, and extending7kilometers south to connect with the First Pier Under Heaven. It served as the western terminal of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall and has been the foremost strategic pass in the Hexi Corridor since ancient times.First, we went to the First Pier Under Heaven, located about ten-odd kilometers from the city center. It marks the starting point of the Great Wall. According to the introduction, “The First Pier Under Heaven, also known as the Tula River Pier, was supervised and constructed in 1539 by Li Han, the military defense officer of Suzhou Prefecture. It is the first pier of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall from west to east, the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, and an important component of the Jiayuguan Great Wall defense system.”
The pier stands atop a cliff nearly 80 meters high along the Tula River, making it the most perilous pier in the world. When we arrived, the wind was strong, with yellow sand blowing into our faces and seeping through the seams of our clothes. Given the weather here, one can only imagine how harsh and difficult life must have been for the soldiers stationed there back then.