Green Train Journey to Explore Ancient Sites - Gannan Self-Driving Tour (Part 5).

By Lin Yuanju August 18th, today is the last day of our Gannan self-driving tour. We will return to Lanzhou, and visit Liujiakou Reservoir and Shuimo Danxia Scenic Area on the way. After driving for about an hour, we arrived at the Liujiakou Observation Deck. Standing on the observation deck, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery around us. The Yellow River is wide and calm, and the mountains on the opposite bank are continuous and colorful. The water below the mountains is yellowish-red and blends with the mountains. The water surface is emerald green, and the slopes of the Danxia landform are covered with dark green vegetation. The artificial dam fence, pavilions and bridges show the harmonious beauty of human and nature. Liujiakou Reservoir is the first million-kilowatt hydropower project designed, constructed and built by China during the First Five-Year Plan. It was started in 1958 and completed in 1974, marking a milestone in China's hydropower industry. It has multiple functions including power generation, flood control, irrigation, aquaculture, navigation and tourism. The reservoir is located in a plateau canyon, and the cliffs on both sides are typical Danxia landforms, known as the "Pearl of the Plateau". The Liujiakou Hydropower Plant is responsible for commissioning and managing the hydropower station, supplying electricity to Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. Two or three minutes after leaving the Liujiakou Dam, we arrived at the Huanghe Museum and a corner of the Bingshan Scenic Area. The museum was closed for unknown reasons, so we took a quick look around the park. We also learned about the Bingshan Scenic Area. Bingshan is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, famous for its Bingshan Temple and grottoes. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit. The Bingshan Temple Grottoes were first built in the first year of Jianhong in the Western Qin Dynasty (420 AD), and have a history of over 1600 years. The most typical are stone sculptures, relief pagodas and esoteric murals, which are known as the three major grottoes of Gansu along with Mogao Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes. Our trip will focus on visiting Mogao Grottoes, so Bingshan Temple is not included in the plan. At around 1:00 pm, we entered Yongdeng County, Lanzhou City, and visited Shuimo Danxia. We returned to the city and visited the Yellow River Tower and Lanzhou Old Street. This concludes our Gannan self-driving tour. Although the time is short, we have gained a lot. The unique plateau scenery, vast grassland pastures, strange Tibetan customs, strong religious atmosphere and delicious food have left a deep impression on us. The days of brothers and sisters living together have allowed us to fully experience the beauty and preciousness of family affection. The rugged roads and the thrilling experience of altitude sickness have now become endless memories... Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia Tourist Area