Qinghai-Gansu Loop Family Travel Notes

A journey of growth across mountains, rivers, and seas** The Qinghai-Gansu Loop is a classic route that connects Qinghai and Gansu, featuring a variety of landscapes and cultural attractions, including snow-capped mountains, grasslands, salt lakes, deserts, gobi deserts, and grottoes. Taking your kids on this route will not only allow them to experience the wonders of nature, but also to touch the historical traces of the ancient Silk Road. The entire route is about 2,700 km long, and it is recommended to plan for 7-10 days. With proper planning, a family trip is completely feasible. Based on my personal experience, I would like to share a guide for traveling with kids. --- ### **1. Preparation: Ensuring a safe journey for your kids** 1. **Dealing with altitude sickness** The average altitude of the Qinghai section is over 3,000 meters (e.g. Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake). Prepare altitude sickness medication for children in advance (e.g. Omer Blue Tablets). Avoid strenuous exercise and drink plenty of vitamins and warm water for the first two days of the trip. It is recommended to gradually acclimate from Xining (altitude 2,260 meters) before entering high-altitude areas. 2. **Clothing and equipment** - **Sun protection essentials**: Children's sunscreen (SPF50+), windproof face mask, wide-brimmed hat. The UV rays in the northwest are very strong, and the reflective light from Chaka Salt Lake is even more dangerous. - **Warm clothing**: Even in summer, the temperature difference between day and night at Qinghai Lake is large, so prepare fleece or lightweight down jackets. - **Children's hiking shoes**: Non-slip shoes are needed for hiking at Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang and Danxia in Zhangye. - **Portable toys**: Bring picture books, puzzles, or download documentaries (e.g. "Hexi Corridor") for long car rides. 3. **Medication and food** In addition to regular cold medicine and fever patches, it is recommended to bring montmorillonite powder (for acclimatization) and electrolyte powder. The food in the northwest is salty and spicy, so you can buy instant porridge and small snacks for children online in advance. --- ### **2. Itinerary: A "wow" moment every day** **Day 1-2 Xining-Qinghai Lake-Chaka Salt Lake** - **Cycling at Qinghai Lake**: Skip Erlangjian Scenic Area and take the herdsmen's path directly to the lake. Rent a parent-child bike (CNY 20/hour) and let your kids ride in the wind among the rapeseed flowers. - **Tibetan culture experience**: Visit the herdsmen's tents by the lake and teach your kids how to make butter tea and wear Tibetan robes. The cost is about CNY 50/family. - **Chaka Salt Lake class**: Prepare salt crystal experiment tools in advance and let your kids observe salt grains in a safe area outside the scenic area. Explain the formation of salt lakes. **Day 3-4 Delingha-Dachaidan Emerald Lake-Dunhuang** - **Emerald Lake treasure hunt**: Take photos of different colored salt ponds with your phone and let your kids match the colors of "emerald" and "Tiffany blue" with a color card to win a small prize. - **Stargazing**: There is little light pollution in Dachaidan. Download the "Star Walk" app and teach your kids about the Milky Way and the Big Dipper. - **Dunhuang sand painting DIY**: On the night before arriving in Dunhuang, attend a parent-child sand painting class (recommended at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop at the foot of Mingsha Mountain) to learn about the stories of the Mogao Grottoes murals. **Day 5-6 Mogao Grottoes-Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring** - **Mogao Grottoes children's tour**: Book the "Little Guide" service in advance, which tells the stories of the Nine-Colored Deer and the Flying Apsaras murals in the form of cartoons (suitable for children over 6 years old). - **Little desert explorer**: Mingsha Mountain offers children's sandboards (CNY 30 rental). Remind your kids to hold onto the camel hump handle when riding camels in the evening. Put your phone in a sand-proof bag. **Day 7-8 Zhangye Danxia-Qilian Grassland-Xining** - **Danxia geological survey**: Buy colored mineral specimens and let your kids "treasure hunt" against the colorful Danxia mountains. - **First horseback riding experience on the grassland**: Choose a gentle pony on the Qilian Mountain grassland and let the herdsmen lead it slowly (CNY 50/round). It's safe and fun. - **Photography of rapeseed flowers in Menyuan**: During the flowering season in July and August, teach your kids to use the macro lens on their phones to take pictures of bees collecting nectar and make nature observation notes. --- ### **3. Family travel tips: Turning challenges into fun** 1. **Managing travel time** The average daily travel time on the Qinghai-Gansu Loop is 4-6 hours. Use the "2-hour rule": stop every 2 hours. Recommended rest stops: - **Rubber Mountain Pass** between Qinghai Lake and Chaka, where you can take photos with prayer flags; - **Guazhou Service Area** between Dunhuang and Zhangye, where you can eat free Hami melons; - Set a "snack schedule" and use cheese sticks and fruit puree as "parking rewards". 2. **Optimizing meals** - **Yixin Hand-grabbed Lamb** in Xining can be ordered with less salt and paired with yogurt to cut the grease; - **Jingyuan Galiu Lamb** in Dunhuang offers clear stewed white strips, which are suitable for children; - Carry a thermos cup with you and fill it with porridge or noodles for breakfast to deal with the inconvenience of eating on the road. 3. **Immersive cultural learning** - Watch the cartoon "Nine-Colored Deer" before departure and look for the prototype of Cave 257 when visiting the Mogao Grottoes; - Rent children's Hanfu (CNY 30/hour) at Jiayuguan and play the "Pass Permit" interactive game; - Use the "Hexi Corridor" BGM as background music for the car ride to enhance the sense of the scene. --- ### **4. What your kids will gain: A more vivid growth experience than in the classroom** - **Concrete geography knowledge**: Touching Danxia landforms and salt lake crystals to understand the "wind erosion" and "sedimentary rocks" in textbooks. - **A sense of historical time travel**: Reciting "No old friends west of Yangguan" next to the Yangguan beacon tower and imagining Xuanzang's journey to the west at Yumenguan. - **Willpower training**: The experience of hiking in the desert and climbing high altitudes will teach your kids that "the most beautiful scenery comes after perseverance". **Conclusion:** The Qinghai-Gansu Loop may not be the most relaxing family trip, but it is definitely a memory worth cherishing. When your kids suddenly say, "Mom, there are as many stars in Dunhuang as there are deserts" on a certain moonlit night, you will know that those moments of climbing mountains and crossing ridges have already turned into starlight that illuminates their world.