Zhongwei Family Travel Notes
Desert Star River and Yellow River Poetic Growth Journey
Zhongwei, a small city in the northwest located on the banks of the Yellow River and on the edge of the Tengger Desert, is a unique "natural classroom" for family travel, with both the grandeur of the desert and the gentleness of the Jiangnan region. Here, you can ride camels across the desert, drift on the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft, gaze at the Milky Way and write poetry, visit ancient villages and listen to stories with your children... This three-day, two-night journey is both a wild adventure and a cultural immersion. This guide is for families who want to take their children to experience "poetry and the distance."
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### **Day 1: Desert First Experience - Sandboarding, Starry Sky, and Camel Bells**
**Morning: Shapotou Scenic Area (Desert Area)**
The essence of Zhongwei is in Shapotou, where the Yellow River meets the desert. It is recommended to go straight to the desert area and let your children start the "wild mode":
- **Ride a camel across the desert**: Children over 5 years old can ride independently, while younger children need to be held by their parents. The camel caravan slowly moves between the sand dunes, and the sound of camel bells instantly transports children to the "Silk Road" scene.
- **Desert surfing car**: Ride an off-road vehicle up and down the sand dunes, as thrilling as a roller coaster (for children over 1.2 meters tall), and the children's screams are full of excitement.
- **Sandboarding challenge**: The scenic area provides free sandboards. Slide down the 100-meter sand slope. It is recommended to practice on low sand dunes with your children first and master the technique of braking with your feet.
**Lunch Recommendation: Desert Energy Supply Station**
The "Desert Restaurant" in the scenic area offers simple meals, such as saozi noodles and lamb buns, to replenish energy. It is recommended to bring your own fruits and nuts to prevent your children from getting exhausted after playing in the sand.
**Afternoon: Yellow River Area Drifting + Glass Bridge**
Head to the Yellow River area and experience two completely different "Yellow River styles":
- **Sheepskin raft drifting**: A raft made of 14 inflated sheepskins, steered by a raft worker downstream, tells children the story of the "Nine Bends of the Yellow River," and you can see a demonstration of ancient irrigation methods when passing by the waterwheel group.
- **3D glass bridge**: The transparent bridge across the Yellow River has special effects of "turbulent waves" (those who are afraid of heights can walk on the non-transparent edge area), and the "Yellow River Zipline" at the end is suitable for brave families to challenge (for those over 35 kg).
**Night: Desert Star Hotel Stargazing**
Stay at the popular **Desert Star Hotel** and attend the "Starry Sky Class" organized by the hotel at night. The instructor uses a star pointer to help children recognize the Big Dipper and Orion, and observe lunar craters through a telescope. The desert has no light pollution, and the Milky Way is clearly visible. Lie on the sand dunes with your children, count the shooting stars, and make a wish for the trip.
**TIP:**
- The desert has strong ultraviolet rays, so be sure to prepare sunscreen clothing, sunglasses, and SPF50+ sunscreen for your children;
- Clean the fine sand in your shoes in time after playing in the sand. It is recommended to wear high-top sand-proof shoes or buy sand-proof foot covers.
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### **Day 2: Desert Deep Tour - Oasis, Grassland, and Wilderness Survival**
**Morning: Tonghu Grassland + Salt Lake Exploration**
Drive for 1 hour to **Tonghu Grassland**, the "emerald" in the Tengger Desert:
- **Desert train**: A cartoon-style train shuttles between sand dunes and grasslands, making children feel like they are in a fairy tale world;
- **Grassland horseback riding**: Led by herdsmen, children can experience the leisure of riding on horseback (for children over 3 years old);
- **Salt lake treasure hunting**: Wulan Lake in the scenic area turns pink in summer. Take your children to dig salt crystals with a wooden spoon and observe the magical ecology of the "Eye of the Desert."
**Lunch: Mongolian Yurt Cuisine**
Enjoy hand-grabbed lamb and yogurt tsampa in a grassland yurt. Children sit around the carpet to eat and feel the boldness of the nomadic people.
**Afternoon: Jinshahai Train Theme Hotel**
On the way back to the city, stop by **Jinshahai Tourist Area**:
- **Retro steam train**: A green train from 1958 has been transformed into a desert hotel. Take your children to shoot "Western movies," and there is a railway theme museum in the carriage;
- **Desert go-kart**: Parent-child double cars race on professional tracks with high safety (for children over 5 years old);
- **Sunset camel shadow**: In the evening, take your children to shoot silhouette photos of "the desert is straight, and the long river sets the sun," capturing poetic moments.
**Night: Desert Camping Experience**
If you want to get closer to nature, you can choose **Desert Starry Sky Tent Camping**. Learn to pitch a tent and make fire by friction with your children, roast marshmallows around the campfire, and listen to the stories of the Western Xia Dynasty. At dawn, open the tent curtain, and the starry sky of the desert is within reach, a romance hard to find in the city.
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### **Day 3: Cultural Immersion - Yellow River Ancient Village and Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicrafts**
**Morning: Yellow River Suji + Ming Great Wall Ruins**
Head to the popular homestay cluster **Yellow River Suji**, which combines modern aesthetics with northwest style:
- **Rammed earth wall maze**: The homestay group is built in imitation of ancient villages. Take your children to shuttle through the alleys of the earth walls and find hidden painted pottery jars;
- **Western Xia porcelain pottery class**: Book a workshop in the homestay and make camel-shaped pottery with your children using Yellow River clay, which can be mailed home after firing;
- **Hiking the Ming Great Wall**: A 10-minute walk to the Ming Dynasty rammed earth Great Wall ruins, tell your children stories of border fires among the ruins.
**Afternoon: Beichangtang Ancient Village**
Drive for 1 hour along the "Chinese Route 66" to the filming location of "Minning Town" **Beichangtang**:
- **Centennial adobe house**: Visit the elderly still living on the Yellow River cliff, see donkeys pulling millstones and cooking on earthen stoves, and experience the most primitive northwest rural life;
- **Yellow River stone beach treasure hunting**: Pick up uniquely patterned Yellow River stones on the river beach, which children can take back as souvenirs;
- **Pear tree adoption**: If you visit in spring, you can adopt a century-old pear tree and harvest sweet soft pears in autumn (home delivery is supported).
**Easter Egg Before Returning: Zhongwei Gaomiao**
Back in the city, don't miss **Zhongwei Gaomiao** - a hanging temple that combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Take your children to find the "Monkey King" statue on the 24-meter-high triple eaves (hidden in the southern dougong), climb high to overlook the panoramic view of Zhongwei, and end the journey.
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### **Family Travel Practical Guide**
**🚗 Transportation Suggestions:**
- It takes about 30 minutes to drive from Zhongwei city to Shapotou, and 1-1.5 hours to Tonghu Grassland/Beichangtang. It is recommended to charter a car (300-400 yuan per day) or rent a car for self-driving;
- There are few shuttle buses in the desert scenic area, and families with children can buy VIP tickets (including fast track).
**🏨 Accommodation Recommendations:**
- **Luxury Experience:** Desert Star Hotel (1500+ yuan per person, including breakfast, dinner, and activities);
- **Cost-effective Choice:** Shapotou Desert Courtyard (independent wooden house with sand pool, 400 yuan per person);
- **Cultural Immersion:** Yellow River Suji (Feitiaoji/Dalezhiyue, strong sense of design, can experience farming).
**🍜 Food Map:**
- **Must-try specialties:** Clear stewed lamb (recommended "Yanchi Clear Stewed Lamb Restaurant"), mugwort noodles, stewed snacks;
- **Child-friendly:** Yogurt sweet wine, hot noodle oil fragrance (can be without chili sauce), eight-treasure tea (less sugar version);
- **Night market check-in:** Xiangyang Street Night Market, recommended fried paste, spicy paste oden.
**⚠️ Precautions:**
1. The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is large, prepare windproof jackets (sun protection during the day, warmth at night);
2. Carry a water bottle with you, there are few vending machines in the scenic area;
3. Download offline maps in advance, some desert sections have no signal;
4. Respect the customs of herdsmen, do not take photos of local residents without permission.
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### **Travel Insights: What the Desert Teaches Children**
When she fell from the sand dune, her face was covered with sand, but she laughed and got up, saying, "The sand is soft, it doesn't hurt at all." In the Yellow River ancient village, she learned for the first time that water had to be drawn up from a deep well, and she cherished the half bottle of mineral water, drinking it to the last drop. The land of Zhongwei teaches children to be open-minded with its boundless desert, to be in awe with its ancient Yellow River, and to awaken curiosity about the unknown with its brilliant starry sky. Perhaps this is the meaning of family travel: in a shared adventure, let children discover the world, and let us relearn to see the world with childlike eyes, seeing the spirit in all things.