Linxia | Viewing the green Yellow River, observing the historical grottoes, tasting hand-grabbed mutton

Just under 2 hours' drive from Lanzhou, you can reach Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province. ❤Recommended Reasons: Stay here for a day, in the morning you can visit the confluence of the Yellow River and Daxia at Liujiaxia Reservoir, in the afternoon go to the Bingling Temple grottoes, enjoy a meal of hand-grabbed mutton in the evening, and then stroll along the riverside night scene to end this wonderful day, it's simply too blissful! 1️⃣Witness the magic of the Yellow River and Daxia confluence 🌟Highlights: When it comes to Liujiaxia, the first reaction is of course the hydropower station. Near the Liujiaxia Dam, there is a magical landscape where one river is clear and the other is muddy, one green and one yellow, forming a clear boundary line. From the viewing platform on Longhui Mountain, you can appreciate the magnificent confluence of the two rivers with a God's-eye view. This is the famous 'Yellow River and Daxia confluence', also known as 'Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl'. Because the Yellow River originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the vegetation coverage in its upper reaches is high, and soil erosion is relatively weak. Therefore, in this area, the Yellow River is calm and peaceful, with clear blue waters. During the Western Xia period, it was called 'White River'. As the river rushes eastward, when it passes through the Loess Plateau, the Daxia River, as its first tributary, brings in loess silt, and from then on, the Yellow River truly becomes the Yellow River. 2️⃣Visit Bingling Temple grottoes, older than Mogao Caves. 🌟Highlights: In the afternoon, head to the Bingling Temple grottoes located in the Yellow River Reservoir area. This is a treasure of beautiful grottoes on the banks of the Yellow River. Although it's not as popular as the Mogao Caves, it has a longer history of continuous excavation and is an important node in the cultural context of the Silk Road. It's best to have a guide lead the tour of this place, not only to learn about the excavation stories of Bingling Temple grottoes and the characteristics of different styles of grottoes but also to appreciate the essence of Buddhist artistic styles from different dynasties throughout history. The entire scenic area is visited clockwise along the mountain trail, and it is expected to take 1-2 hours. 3️⃣Taste the delicious Dongxiang hand-grabbed mutton. 🌟Highlights: In Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, the Dongxiang people are an ethnic minority. Historically, Dongxiang hand-grabbed has always been a representative dish of Linxia. 'If a guest comes and doesn't eat hand-grabbed, it's a wasted trip to Linxia,' so hand-grabbed mutton has almost become the representative of Linxia's food culture. Dongxiang hand-grabbed mutton selects top-quality lamb and is stewed with secret spices over low heat, greatly retaining the original freshness of the lamb, and it's not gamey at all. Paired with garlic and piyazi, the taste is absolutely amazing. I'm getting hungry just writing this, don't miss it when you come! 4️⃣Stay in Yongjing County to see the beautiful night scene. 🌟Highlights: Yongjing, meaning 'forever peaceful'. This place is one of the early birthplaces, dissemination areas, and ancient human habitation and reproduction sites of the Chinese nation's Yellow River ancient culture, and it is also an important hydropower energy base in the northwest. This small county town is quite nice, with clean cityscape and not noisy. After dinner, take a walk along the river, the breeze is comfortable and cool. From the bridge, the riverside night scene has a bit of a Victoria Harbour vibe. In summary, whether you are playing around Lanzhou or going to Gannan, you can make Linxia a stopover point, and you won't regret it!