For these 18 photos, I specifically took a trip to the Hexi Corridor. Was it worth it?

Without visiting the Greater Northwest, you won't know the vastness of the world. Without visiting the Hexi Corridor, you won't know the richness of Chinese civilization. This Silk Road artery stretches across Gansu, connecting five core cities: Lanzhou, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Dunhuang. It is a "historical" corridor that has retained its name for thousands of years. It is also a "scenic" corridor that integrates many landscapes such as high mountains, glaciers, oases, colorful hills, deserts, and gobi, standing tall for tens of millions of years. We believe that one day, you will come here too. 🎞️【Preparation Before the Trip】 Watching documentaries like "Dunhuang" and "Hexi Corridor" is almost enough to understand all the basic background stories below. ✅【7 Days 6 Nights Self-Driving Route in Gansu】 Day 1: Rent a car in Wuwei - Wushaoling - Mayaxueshan - Tiantishan Grottoes Day 2: Wuwei Museum - Leitai Han Tomb - Wuwei Confucian Temple - Kumarajiva Temple - Western Xia Museum - South City Gate Tower Day 3: Matisi Grottoes - Linsong Xiegou - Zhangye Museum - Great Buddha Temple Day 4: Pingshanhu Grand Canyon - Rainbow Mountains Day 5: Jiayuguan - Hanging Great Wall - First Pier of the Great Wall - Yulin Grottoes - Wujie - Son of the Earth - Han Wu's Majesty Day 6: Mogao Caves - Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Day 7: Silk Road Heritage City - Yangguan - Yumenguan 📸【Photo Spots】 📍Pingshanhu Grand Canyon Explore geological wonders, ride camels through the canyon, and see the narrow sky at the valley bottom. 📍Rainbow Mountains The best viewing platforms in order are 4, 2, 1, 3. It’s recommended to get off at the second and fourth platforms. 📍Son of the Earth Covered by the sky and lying on the earth, it sleeps alone in the vast yellow sand. 📍Han Wu's Majesty Only the head remains, but the entire vast Hexi Corridor is his body. 📍Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring The desert smoke rises straight, the long river sets round, and the sound of camel bells echoes continuously. 📍Silk Road Heritage City Very photogenic, but the sightseeing bus is a rip-off, 20 yuan per person, and the ride lasts less than 1 minute. 📚【Historical Sites】 📍Tiantishan Grottoes Known as the "ancestor of Chinese grottoes," the view in front of the Great Buddha is a stunning scene of clear water reflecting the red clouds. 📍Leitai Han Tomb The birthplace of the Chinese tourism symbol "Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," an Eastern Han Dynasty ancient tomb complex. 📍Matisi Grottoes Under the snow-capped Qilian Mountains, a Buddhist kingdom carved into a cliff in the air. 📍Great Buddha Temple The Buddha standing in front is not even as big as a single toe, and the murals inside tell extraordinary stories. 📍Jiayuguan The First and Greatest Pass under Heaven, the western starting point of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall. 📍Yulin Grottoes Highly valuable, better preserved than the Mogao Caves, and the special caves are even more worth seeing. 📍Mogao Caves The replica caves at the research institute’s exhibition center are a must-see; 6 out of 8 are special caves. 📍Yangguan & Yumenguan These two made us feel like a great hand was played poorly, quite disappointing. 🚄【Transportation & Accommodation Tips】 1. Fly directly to Lanzhou Airport, then take the high-speed train to Wuwei (the Lanzhou to Wuwei section has many large trucks, not recommended). 2. Stay 2 nights in Zhangye and Dunhuang, and 1 night each in Wuwei and Jiuquan; all accommodations are in the city center, convenient for dining, transportation, and parking.