Travel Notes of Southern Xinjiang (2) Desert Highway

? After breakfast, at six o'clock in the morning, we set off from Baotou, returned to G6 Expressway and entered Baotou Steel. Goodbye, Baotou! Bye, brother zhengguo!

100 years ago, Dr. Sun Yat-sen had a grand idea in the "General Plan for the Founding of the People's Republic of China": to build a road into Xinjiang from Beiping in the east, via Alashan and Dihua (now Urumqi) in the west. On 20 12, the construction of Jingxin Expressway started, and on 202 1.7. 1 the whole line was opened to traffic, making a century-old dream come true. Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway passes through Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang. It runs through the three deserts of Badain Jaran, Ulan Buh and Kubuqi, and it is the longest highway crossing the desert in the world. The old line Beijing-Urumqi needs to bypass Lanzhou and Hexi Corridor, with a total length of 3,900 kilometers. After the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway was completed, Beijing-Urumqi was shortened by 1.300 km. In the desert no man's land of more than 500 kilometers, it is extremely difficult to build roads. Lack of water resources is the first obstacle to desert construction, and sandstorm is the second obstacle. More than 30,000 builders built this desert dragon in extremely harsh environment, which not only showed the world the strength of China in technology, but also in spirit. Jingxin Expressway is the core section of the Second Eurasian Continental Bridge, connecting China and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. From the bustling city to the vast grassland, from the long yellow sand to the barren Gobi, Jingxin Expressway makes people feel the Millennium drought and the spectacular yellow sand in Wan Li!

Today, our party will enjoy the brand-new feeling brought by Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway.

Go west along G6 and enter Bayannaoer, the endless blue sky and white clouds.

After 200 kilometers of Baotou Steel, the Helinhe intersection, G6 Beijing-Tibet and G7 Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway are separated, and Beijing-Xinjiang is west and Beijing-Tibet is south. Since then, Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway has entered desert mode.

Qingshan service area, the first service area that desert highway enters.

Warm reminder of service area

Driving on the longest desert highway in the world and galloping in the vast Badain Jaran desert, my heart seems to soar freely between heaven and earth!

There is also life in the desert, and occasionally there are sheep, wild donkeys and wild camels. Sheep and wild donkeys were not photographed, but Sister Xue Rui photographed wild camels.

In the desert, the interval between service areas exceeds 100 km, and some service areas do not provide refueling service, so it is very important to replenish oil in time.

At noon, lunch in Hongguer Yulin service area.

Brother Sheng Da steamed rice in advance, and Brother Bolong has now made egg, cucumber and tomato soup.

There is a cook, coolies, a water bearer, a conductor and a recorder.

After a comfortable lunch, I continued to run in the desert of Alashan's vast no man's land.

The weather in the desert is changeable. Cloudy and dark with yellow sand.

On the crosswind section, the wind is strong and the sand is urgent

Sudden sandstorm

With friends, sandstorms are not afraid.

The scenery outside the window, desolate and deep, seems to be in an alien, flying by.

The 300-meter-wide windbreak belt is scientific and solid, escorting the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway.

The service area in the desert is carved from the same mold inside and outside.

I was very excited to see Populus euphratica on the observation deck of Ejina of Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway.

At a glance in a thousand years, a tree has three leaves.

At 5: 00 pm, Ejina got off the expressway, the destination tonight.

Settle down and stay.

Let's visit Populus euphratica Scenic Area.

Populus euphratica knowledge popularization

At this time, the Populus euphratica forest is green, there are few diners, and the scenic spot is empty, but it makes us excited and free to visit.

Hiding in Hu Yang's mother's arms, I feel safe.

If it is autumn, Populus euphratica, reflection and waterwheel in Huang Cancan, what a beautiful scenery!

Out of the scenic spot, walk on the streets of Ejina at eight o'clock in the evening.

The sky is blue, the clouds are white and the light is good.

Brother Bolong and Sister Wang and I wanted to walk back to the hotel, but we got lost on Hubu Road in Dalai. Fortunately, Brother Kang came to save us. When we got back to the hotel, Sheng Da and Zhang Gong had cooked beef stew and potatoes, which were delicious!

Looking back on today's trip, we drove from the entrance of Baotou Steel to Ejina, a Beijing-Xinjiang expressway, with a journey of nearly 880 kilometers. Since Jingxin and Beijing-Tibet Expressway were separated at the junction of Helin River, Jingxin entered the Badain Jaran Desert Highway and traveled 660 kilometers in no man's land. From the vast grassland to the barren Gobi, I experienced a change from sunny to yellow sand all over the sky. The most fascinating and exciting thing is the ultimate feeling of galloping freely between heaven and earth! And the pride of driving on the longest desert highway in the world!

On May 30th, 202 1, the second day of South Xinjiang Loop Tour, recorded on the way.