Dunhuang Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves are renowned worldwide for their exquisite murals and statues. They were first excavated during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms (366 AD) and have undergone construction over nearly 1500 years through the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, forming a massive scale. Currently, there are over 700 caves of various sizes inside.
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring
Mingsha Mountain is located 6 kilometers south of Dunhuang city center. Driving along Dunhuang-Yueya Road, you will reach the desert at the end of the road. Entering the Mingsha Mountain scenic area, if you don't ride a camel, you can reach Crescent Spring by walking along the road for about 15 minutes. This spring in the desert is shaped like a crescent moon, surrounded by Mingsha Mountain on all sides, and is as clear as a mirror, making it a striking sight. You can climb to the top of the sand dunes via the wooden stairs on one side of Crescent Spring for an even more impressive view from above.
Yumen Pass
Wang Zhihuan's 'Liangzhou Ci' with the lines 'Why should the Qiang flute complain about the willow, the spring breeze does not pass through Yumen Pass' has inspired countless people to yearn for this ancient pass. Yumen Pass was once a crucial point on the northern route of the Silk Road leading to the Western Regions. After the Song Dynasty, it was gradually abandoned due to wars and water shortages. Today, only a square, incomplete earthen wall remains, desolate and tragic.
He Cang City
He Cang City, also known as 'Da Fang Pan City', was built during the Western Han Dynasty and served as an important military grain storage warehouse along the Great Wall until the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Here, you can appreciate the desolate and vast Gobi scenery and the historical remnants of the ancient buildings.
Yangguan
Wang Wei's poem 'I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for there will be no old friends west of Yangguan' imbues Yangguan with a poignant sense of farewell. The once mighty pass now only has weathered beacon towers beside the Gobi Desert. After entering the scenic area, a guide will first lead a tour of the Yangguan Museum, where the weapons and farming tools on display depict the scene of soldiers guarding the frontier. Afterwards, you can take an electric car to visit the Yangguan beacon towers and take in the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert. Besides reminiscing about the past, Yangguan is also a great place for photography and watching the sunset.
Lenghu Eboliang Yardang
In the Eboliang, Yiliping, and Nanbaxian areas of the Qaidam Basin, there are Yardang landforms formed 75 million years ago, covering a total area of 21,500 square kilometers. It is the largest wind-eroded earth forest group discovered in China so far and one of the largest and most typical Yardang landscapes in the world. Among them, the most distinctive is the Lenghu Eboliang Yardang, located about 60 kilometers southwest of Lenghu Town in Qaidam. Its surrounding area has undulating Yardang landforms covering more than 10,000 square kilometers. It is currently undeveloped and retains its original state.
Water Yadan
There are many Yadan landforms on land, but Water Yadan is extremely rare. Beside G315, on the shore of Dongtai Jinaier Lake, there is the world's only Yadan landform on water. Its formation is due to the rising water level of Jinaier Lake, gradually submerging the Yadan group on the northern edge, creating a unique Water Yadan. It is like a vast 'ocean' emerging out of nowhere in an endless desert, with the Yadan Ghost City standing in this 'ocean', magical and mysterious.
Xiaocaidan Lake
Xiaocaidan Lake is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of G315 and G3011. In many places, it is close to the highway, with the nearest point being less than 200 meters away. Xiaocaidan Lake is undeveloped, with continuous snow-capped mountains on the opposite side. Reeds stand guard over the blue lake water along the shore, and during migration season, various wild birds can be seen.
Chaka Salt Lake
Chaka Salt Lake is located in the southern part of the Qaidam Basin, only 52 kilometers from Golmud. Due to continuous evaporation, a hard salt crust has formed on the lake. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway are built directly on this salt crust. Chaka Salt Lake is rich in inorganic salts and is one of China's mining bases.
Kunlun Pass
On the road from Golmud to Kunlun Pass, you will pass by Wuji Longfeng Palace and Yuzhu Peak Glacier Viewing Point. The route is surrounded by towering mountains, and the scenery is full of masculinity. Kunlun Pass is a major pass on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Today, prayer flags flutter at the pass, and there stand the Kunlun Pass Monument and the Jiesang Sonam Dajie Monument, commemorating the Tibetan hero who sacrificed his life to protect the wildlife of Hoh Xil. After passing Kunlun Pass, you will enter the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve.
Sonam Dargye Nature Reserve Station
Driving southwest along the Qinghai-Tibet line from the Kunlun Pass, passing through Budong Spring and the Hoh Xil Viewing Platform, you will reach the Sonam Dargye Nature Reserve Station. The exhibition hall of the station displays specimens of rare animals, as well as pictures and information about the soldiers' battles to protect Tibetan antelopes from poachers.
Hoh Xil Nature Reserve
Hoh Xil, meaning 'blue ridge' in Mongolian, is also known as 'beautiful maiden'. It is located in the northwest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, nestled between the Tanggula Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. It is the third largest uninhabited area in the world and one of the four major uninhabited areas in China. Hoh Xil has a harsh climate and severe natural conditions, making it uninhabitable for humans and earning it the title 'forbidden zone of life'. However, precisely because of this, it has created a unique living environment for plateau wildlife, making it a 'paradise for wild animals'.
