Gannan Trip (Part 1) - Discovering free attractions along the way

This time, we flew from Guangzhou to Lanzhou on our trip to Gannan. The chartered car driver picked up the eight of us in Lanzhou and drove directly to Xining from Lanzhou Airport. The official starting point of the trip to Gannan starts from Xining, 🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️ The first stop is "Sun Moon Mountain", which is located in the southwest of Huangyuan County, Xining City. Since ancient times, it has been a must-pass mountain pass on the Qinghai Road of the Silk Road, the Tang-Tibetan Ancient Road, and the Tea-Horse Ancient Road. Legend has it that Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty traveled west to Tubo to marry King Songtsen Gampo and passed by the Sun Moon Mountain, leaving behind a beautiful story. Now there are the Sun Pavilion, Moon Pavilion, a statue of the princess, a relief wall, the Looking Back Stone, the Princess Spring and the Princess Wencheng Temple at the mountain pass, which embody the Han and Tibetan people's remembrance and respect for the princess. The entrance ticket is 50+r/person in peak season and 30r/person in off-season. It is recommended to take a photo at the door (if you enjoy the discount, you can enter and exit as you please if you have enough time). Stop 2️⃣, Qinghai Lake, the largest inland saltwater lake in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has plenty of sunshine, a vast sky and sea, and you can feed seagulls. Stand by the lake, raise your hands, and flocks of seagulls will fly over... Near the lake, there stands a statue of the Queen Mother of the West, with her palms facing up and her arms spread out, like the mother of the world. The statue was once located on a piece of land, but as the water level gradually rose, the statue was gradually surrounded by lake water and eventually completely submerged in the lake. The Queen Mother of the West, the legendary Queen Mother, is recorded in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" as being in charge of punishing evil, warning of disasters, and is a symbol of the goddess of immortality. Legend has it that she lives in Kunlun Mountain and Qinghai Lake is her largest paradise. Every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the Queen Mother of the West will hold a banquet at Qinghai Lake and invite all the gods to gather together... Tickets are 50+r/person in the off-season and 90+r/person in the peak season, which is too expensive. It is recommended to go in the off-season [Askance], except for those who enjoy discounts [Facepalm] The 3rd️⃣ stop, take the G315 National Highway and pass by the Usut Yadan Geopark. We stopped the car, walked down and stayed there for 20 minutes. The air was filled with wind and sand, blowing up gravel and stones, whistling towards us, as if we were in a ghost town. I also saw a group of people in space suits filming a "walk on the moon" in the distance. We couldn't help but take some photos of the Devil's Town on site [Surprising][Surprising]... We also captured a simulated "U-shaped road" on National Highway 315, and the effect was not bad [Tiptop]. The key is that you can take great photos for free. The 4th stop is Kunlun Holy Spring, also known as Kunlun Divine Spring. In Nachitai Town, Golmud City, Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, close to the east side of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, at an altitude of 3,700 meters, it is the only cold spring in the Kunlun Mountains that never freezes in all seasons, with a constant temperature of 7°C in winter and summer. The water of Kunlun Holy Spring is sweet, mellow, crystal clear and contains a variety of trace elements beneficial to the human body, such as metasilicic acid, lithium, calcium, molybdenum, nickel, titanium, etc. It is known as "holy water on earth" and "iceberg nectar". According to legend, the Kunlun Holy Spring water is made from the jade wine from the Heavenly Palace that was sprinkled on the earth, hence the mysterious color. Even Princess Wencheng has a story related to the Kunlun Holy Spring. It is free and open to the public. You can come and check in at any time. You can bring your mineral water bottle to take away [Awesome] The 5th️⃣ stop is Kunlun Mountain Pass (you will also pass the "Kunlun Mountain Mineral Water Bottled Plant (factory)" when going to Kunlun Mountain Pass). Located near National Highway 109 in Qumalei County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, it is 4,768 meters above sea level. The mountains are rolling and snow-capped, sparkling brightly under the sunlight. In ancient Chinese mythology, Kunlun is regarded as the pillar between heaven and earth and the "ancestor of all mountains", and has many mysterious stories. This attraction is free🆓☑️ If someone in your group has altitude sickness, they may experience abnormal headaches and chest tightness. It is recommended to bring a portable oxygen bottle, or some oral glucose bottles.