Travel Notes of the Great Northwest Link in 2020

? The meaning of traveling is not to tell others "I have been here", but to change people's eyes. During the trip, you will see that different people have different habits, and you will understand that not everyone lives in your way, so that people's hearts will become broader. In this way, we will face life with a better attitude.

With longing for the outside world, I started my graduation trip on 18, and then I got used to traveling to other provinces every year, including when I was free on weekends, and I also like to drive to the surrounding suburban towns with my family. Sadly, no matter the human scenery or the natural scenery, the beauty in my mind is like a flash in the pan, and it has become a solemn memorial scattered all over the place. Only by relying on the photo album saved in my mobile phone can I vaguely recall the scene at that time. In 2020, on this trip to the Great Northwest Link, four friends, all good friends in college, worked as teachers for two years and talked a lot with the blue sky and white clouds along the way. The total journey lasted 8 days and was more than 2,600 kilometers long. Everywhere I went, I lamented that it was wonderful to have such an experience in life, so I had the idea of recording it.

? On August 2, 2020, the first day of departure, the weather was fine, and the destination: Sun Moon Mountain, Daotang River, Qinghai Lake. At 8 o'clock in the morning, I set out from downtown Xining, and two hours later, I came to Sun Moon Mountain. It's more than 3000 meters above sea level here. Along the way, I saw flocks of cattle and sheep and endless grasslands. The scenery is unique! As soon as we got off the bus, we felt the cold from the northwest, the unique "northwest wind" and the strong ultraviolet rays. After doing the best protection, several of us entered the scenic spot to play. Sun Moon Mountain has been the "South Silk Road" and "Ancient Tang-Fan Road" in history since ancient times.

According to the driver's master, there is a beautiful legend circulating in Sun Moon Mountain. Princess Wencheng entered Tibet from Sun Moon Mountain. As the last stop to bid farewell to the Central Plains, Princess Wencheng looked at her hometown on the mountain. Looking back at Chang 'an, I look bleak in the west, and my homesickness arises spontaneously. Tears welled up in her eyes, and here she was endowed with this dignified sunshine complex. Although the scenery of Daotang River is far from what we actually imagined, it is such a beautiful legend that gives her a more legendary color and is praised by the world.

Drive for 2 hours and come to the next scenic spot-Qinghai Lake. According to the geography book of middle school, Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China, with abundant species resources and low temperature and little rain all year round. Looking from a distance, I found endless grasslands and rape fields all over the mountains, and the scenery along the way was beautiful.

Qinghai Lake, there are many Tibetans riding horses on the land, which is comfortable. I heard that they grew up on horseback, which is the harmony between man and nature!

August 3, 2020, the second day of departure, cloudy weather, destination: Chaka Salt Lake. Chaka Salt Lake is known as one of the 55 scenic spots that must be punched in life, and it is a unique "sky" in China. On the day of the tour, although the weather was not beautiful, the temperature was only a few degrees and the wind was strong. Hairstyles are messy in the wind every minute, and people are shivering with cold, but tourists from all over the country still flock to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

On the way here, I didn't expect it to be so cold in the northwest. I only brought a coat. Fortunately, friends in the same trade brought down jackets to avoid the cold wind. Entering Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area, you are greeted by large tracts of salt fields and salt lakes. Walking on salt grains is like walking on sand grains, but walking barefoot is enough to burn the soles of your feet. This is the largest mineral and salt mining area in Qinghai Province. I can't help but marvel at the unique beauty of water and sky created by the gift of nature! Unfortunately, because of the weather that day, I didn't get the effect of Land in the Sky. I hope you won't let me down next time!

After visiting Chaka Salt Lake, drive to Delingha in the afternoon. It was drizzling all the way, there was no signal, and there were few passing cars, but on the slopes on both sides of the expressway, many flocks of cattle and sheep and sparse houses could still be seen. I can't help but think of the scene in the poem: the sky is gray and wild, and the wind and grass show cattle and sheep.

? It is hard for me to imagine that urban residents can live in such a sparsely populated place, and they enjoy all the conveniences brought by scientific and technological progress and development. On the other hand, apart from admiring this scene, they may feel a sense of loneliness more. According to the master, the local residents are mainly nomadic. Because of the climate, they can't grow vegetables, so they can only eat potatoes, beef and mutton. This way of life has been passed down from generation to generation. They are almost isolated from the outside world. Every day, there are cattle and sheep, and the sky is the cover. Therefore, people live in the world, not demanding the environment to adapt to themselves, but learning to adapt to the environment to survive.

On August 4, 2020, three days from the starting point, the weather was fine. Destination: U-shaped highway, Ya Dan, Qinghai, Jinaier Lake in Dongtai, and Ya Dan on the water. At 6 o'clock in the morning, the dawn slowly kicked off and it was another colorful morning. Nearly one-third of the trip, continue to move forward, and then enter the semi-desert area, along the way through the Qaidam Basin to enjoy the strange Ya Dan landform, here one after another, as far as the eye can see, generally extending into the distance, which brings a little mystery to the expedition members. According to the encyclopedia, "Ya Dan" means "a mountain with steep walls" in Uighur. Ya Dan landform is a wind erosion landform in arid areas. Through weathering and wind erosion, a combination of wind erosion hills and wind erosion depressions parallel to the prevailing wind direction is formed. The master also told us that if people enter such a desert area, they can't get out. After wind erosion, these protrusions will change shape at any time, which will easily make people in the desert get lost.

Moving on, we arrived at the U-shaped highway among network celebrities. Arriving around 9 am, the undulating expressway has become a must-see place for tourists. At that time, there were an endless stream of tourists taking pictures on both sides of the road and many vehicles. To be on the safe side, we quickly took some photos, and then set off for the next scenic spot called China version of Maldives-Dongtai Jiner Lake.

It is also a salt lake, and its main component is magnesium chloride. Although the scenic spot has not been fully developed and tickets are not needed, it is recognized as the most worthwhile place to visit, just like a fairyland on earth. The lake here is light green and dark blue, very clear, salty and white, with distinct colors, giving people a refreshing feeling. Seeing this endless salt lake, my troubles have already vanished. Between the vast heaven and earth, this clear lake was born, which once again made me sigh the magic of the creator!

Near 9 pm, we finally arrived in Dunhuang after seeing hordes of camels walking in the desert along the way. We ate local snacks in Dunhuang night market, rested early and prepared for tomorrow's trip.

? On August 5, 2020, the weather was fine. Destination: Crescent Spring and Mogao Grottoes in Mingsha Mountain.

The Crescent Spring in Mingsha Mountain is the location of many variety shows on TV. Known as "the first spring in the desert" and one of the "eight scenic spots in Dunhuang". Many literati have published this poem, and many national leaders have visited it. According to the information in the museum, the reason why such springs appear in the desert is because the continuous seepage of faults raises the underground aquifer on the upper wall and reduces the diving nearby. The master said that many people would come here to take photos at sunset and experience the scene of "lonely smoke in the desert and the long river setting the yen", but due to the time, it is a pity that they did not enjoy such a dusk scene this time.

At 3 pm, I came to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. As a national cultural relics protection unit, I can feel that the visit here is very orderly.

The Mogao Grottoes have been introduced in middle school history textbooks, which contain a large number of murals and cultural relics, and are also mentioned in Yu Xiansheng's "Cultural Journey", bearing a heavy human history and landscape. It is said that the Mogao Grottoes were discovered by a Taoist priest in Wang Xing in the late Qing Dynasty, and the cultural relics inside are of great research value. Through murals, we can understand the artistic creation style of ancient painters, as well as the development of architectural schools, dances and music at that time. After thousands of years, the color of the murals inside is still the same, which is the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients. But at that time, the Qing government in China was closed to the outside world. Under the historical background of the corrupt and incompetent government in the late Qing Dynasty and the invasion of China by western powers, the cultural relics in the cave were discovered soon.

On August 6, 2020, the weather was fine and the destination was colorful Danxia in Zhangye. Colorful Danxia was the only tourist attraction of the day, along the Great Ring Road to the east, and finally arrived here before dark at 6 pm. A red banner at the entrance of the scenic spot says that this scenic spot has been upgraded to 5A level this year, with a total of four observation decks, and the geomorphological features of each scenic spot are similar. Danxia landform is strewn at random, the rock wall is steep, magnificent, and the shape is strange and colorful, like the palette knocked over by God, including red, yellow, white, green and blue. Every mountain statue is covered with a thin layer of gauze, which is radiant and colorful.

On August 7, 2020, the weather was fine, and the destination: Qilian prairie. Today is the last day of my trip. I feel that time flies. It seems that I was sitting on the train to Xining yesterday, and I will end my trip today. Along the way, we passed the endless prairie and golden rape flowers in Qilian Mountain. Many tourists stopped to have a picnic on the roadside, breathing the fresh air of nature, and everything was refreshing. The scenery here is a natural screensaver without filter effect. Along the way, I was lucky enough to see the groundhog who loves to dig holes in the grassland and the vulture who is regarded as sacred by Tibetan compatriots.

Looking back, the vast grasslands, green lakes and endless deserts are free here. Hope to meet you next time, it will be better!