Things to do in Guazhou

For a site dating back 1700 years, I highly recommend hiring a guide. Walking around and seeing everything at your own pace is truly breathtaking. The guide was very detailed, explaining everything from the city gates and the Qilian Mountains to the animals and plants, creating a sense of dialogue and allowing you to savor the experience. There's a shuttle bus within the scenic area that stops at various points; be prepared for wind and sun, as it's windy here year-round. Souvenirs and cultural products are available at the entrance.

There is a famous tourist attraction hidden in this Gobi Desert. A baby-like statue has become a popular check-in spot for internet celebrities. It looks like a baby sleeping on the ground. It was designed by a professor from the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts and took a year to complete. This lying sculpture is also known as the "Son of the Earth."

It’s a busy period and our driver tries to ensure all passengers are picked and sent back to our hotels or preferred destination along the way back. He also helped to purchase all attractions tickets and collect payment at the end of the trip which saved us a lot of hassle. A long and tiring trip but provided an opportunity to visit many attractions throughout.

我们驾车经过雕塑《大地之子》，不远处就是有名的雕塑《无界》，是清华大学教授董书兵在甘肃瓜州戈壁创作的巨型大地艺术装置，由纯白色钢结构组成，仿似丝路古城遗址的幻影。作品以现代极简风格再现传统建筑轮廓，长60米、高21米，与荒漠环境形成强烈视觉对比，象征文明与自然的永恒对话。作为"戈壁方舟"艺术计划的一部分，它与《大地之子》共同构成瓜州独特的艺术地标，吸引众多游客打卡。免费开放。

The Heroic Spirit of Hanwu is located on National Highway 207 in Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. It is the work of a professor from the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts. There are many sculptures on the roadside here, the most famous of which is the Son of the Earth. You can drive here to visit.

【Pochengzi Site】 is located in the west of Changle Village, Suoyang Town, Guazhou County, Gansu Province. Locals call it "Pochengzi" and "Changle City". The Guazhou-Suoyang Town Highway passes from the west side of the site from north to south. According to the entry of Guangzhi County, Dunhuang County in "Han Shu·Geography" and Li Xian's note in "Hou Han Shu·Biography of Gaixun": "Guangzhi Ancient City is in Changle County, Guazhou today". On May 25, 2006, the State Council announced it as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

The navigation is correct, and it is just over a kilometer away from the highway. The scenic area is not big, and it seems that it has not been developed yet. It is mainly an exhibition hall and the ruins of the ancient city. If you run fast, half an hour is enough. There is no parking lot in the scenic area, and you can park at an abandoned gas station opposite. When I came, there were no other tourists in the scenic area, only one staff member, who was very enthusiastic and turned on the lights in the exhibition hall for me to visit. The most impressive thing was that there was a Qing Dynasty mummy, which was quite scary. I didn't dare to take a photo.

It is a very large reservoir with turquoise water and rippling waves. The scenery on both sides is beautiful and peaceful.

We went right at the last minute before the park opened, so it wasn't too crowded. The entrance was easy to find, and parking was available in the parking lot outside the intersection. Definitely wear Crocs—they're incredibly convenient! Don't buy shoe covers or flip-flops. No need to buy water outside; there are vending machines inside, all at the same price, and they also sell it on the sand dune! The scenery was beautiful. We queued for camel rides, but it wasn't long. We strolled around Crescent Lake, then went sandboarding. It was great to be there with the wind blowing! Don't bring a camera, though, as sand might get inside—it's very windy at the top! They also sell Mixue (a popular Chinese beverage), iced cola, and iced beer—super nice! In the end, we chose to sandboard down! Important! Check the time carefully, or you'll run out of sandboarding tickets! Sandboarding is incredibly fun!

It was nice to learn about the history behind this place, especially because we were able to get the English tour guide, she was very helpful and very knowledgeable about the whole area. If you are in this place, this is a must!