Gansu In-Depth Travel Guide (Latest 2024 Edition)

Gansu In-Depth Travel Guide (Latest 2024 Edition) – A Thousand Years of Silk Road Echoes 🐫 --- I. Essential Guide Before You Go ✅ **Best Time to Visit**: - **May–October**: Pleasant climate (peak season in July–August, golden poplar forest in September–October) - **November–April**: Off-season with fewer crowds (half-price tickets for Mogao Grottoes, but some scenic spots are closed) ✅ **Transportation**: - ✈️ Plane: Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport (provincial hub)/Dunhuang Airport - 🚄 High-speed train: Lanzhou West Railway Station (connecting Xi'an/Urumqi) - 🚗 Chartered car: As the scenic spots are scattered, it is recommended to charter a car for the western/southern route (approx. CNY 600–800/day) ✅ **Essentials**: - Sun protection kit: Sunglasses + sunscreen + sun hat (extremely strong UV rays) - Moisturizing products: Lip balm + moisturizing spray (dry climate) - Documents: ID card (border pass required in advance for some border areas) --- II. Must-Visit Attractions **📍 Dunhuang Route (Silk Road Culture)** - **Mogao Grottoes**: - New rule for 2024: Class A tickets (8 caves + digital center) must be booked 1 month in advance - Hidden experience: Visit special caves (CNY 150–200/cave, book on-site) - **Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake**: - Best time: Sunrise/sunset (avoid the high temperature at noon) - New experience: Desert camping to watch the stars (recommended: Dunhuang Villa) **📍 Zhangye Route (Geological Wonders)** - **Zhangye Danxia Geopark**: - The colors are most vibrant after rain (No. 4 viewing platform is the best) - New night tour program (light show + stargazing) - **Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon**: - "China's Colorado," hiking/off-road vehicle crossing **📍 Gannan Route (Tibetan Customs)** - **Labrang Monastery**: - World's longest prayer wheel corridor (3.2 km) - Monlam Festival (February 10–16, 2024) - **Zhagana**: - "Stone City Secret Land," it is recommended to stay in a Tibetan homestay **📍 Other Highlights of Hexi Corridor**: - **Jiayuguan Fortress**: The western starting point of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall - **Jinta Poplar Forest** (mid-to-late October): Fewer people than Ejina --- III. New Experiences in 2024 🎭 **Cultural Immersion**: - Dunhuang adds "Digital Dunhuang 2.0" VR experience (replicating unopened caves) - Zhangye's live-action performance of *Hui Dao Zhangye* (sandstorm effects) 🏜️ **Outdoor Adventure**: - Mingsha Mountain adds a desert ATV off-road track - Gannan Langmusi Gorge horse riding exploration 🍵 **Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience**: - Lanzhou Yellow River Waterwheel making (Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop DIY) - Linxia brick carving skills study --- IV. Food Map 🍜 **Must-Eat List**: - Lanzhou: Beef noodles (the first pot of soup at 6am is the freshest) + Fangha sweet fermented millet milk tea - Dunhuang: Donkey meat yellow noodles + apricot juice - Zhangye: Fish noodles + braised chicken with flat noodles - Gannan: Tibetan buns + yak yogurt 🍢 **Night Market Recommendations**: - Lanzhou Zhenning Road Night Market (look for the white-bearded grandpa for milk and egg fermented glutinous rice) - Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market (bargain for handicrafts, starting from 30% off) --- V. Recommended Classic Itineraries **🚗 5-Day, 4-Night Essential Route** Day 1: Lanzhou (Provincial Museum + Yellow River Scenery Line) → Overnight train to Dunhuang Day 2: Mogao Grottoes + Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Day 3: Dunhuang West Route (Yangguan + Yumen Pass) Day 4: Zhangye Danxia Geopark Day 5: Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon → Return trip **🌄 7-Day, 6-Night In-Depth Route** +Day 6: Jiayuguan Tower → Overhanging Great Wall +Day 7: Gannan Labrang Monastery → Sangke Grassland --- VI. Accommodation Guide 🏨 **Featured Recommendations**: - Dunhuang: Dunhuang Villa (Han and Tang style, excellent for stargazing) - Zhangye: Gonghanglv Danxia Mingzhu Hotel (at the entrance of the scenic spot) - Gannan: Zhagana Tibetan Homestay (Stone City view) 💰 **Money-Saving Tips**: - Choose near Lanzhou West Railway Station (convenient transportation) - Off-season (November–April) room rates drop by 50% --- VII. Tips to Avoid Pitfalls ⚠️ **Precautions**: - Taking photos is strictly prohibited in the Mogao Grottoes (fines can reach CNY 10,000) - Beware of "black cars" when chartering a car (look for a regular travel agency) - Altitude sickness: Gannan area is 3,000+ meters above sea level, prepare Rhodiola Rosea 💸 **Consumption Tips**: - Scenic spot battery car fees are extra (Zhangye Danxia Geopark: CNY 20/person) - Jiayuguan joint ticket includes the Overhanging Great Wall (don't buy separately) --- VIII. Photography Paradise 📸 **Best Spots**: 1. No. 4 viewing platform of Zhangye Danxia Geopark (sunset) 2. Dari viewing platform of Zhagana (surrounded by morning mist) 3. Overlooking Crescent Lake from the top of Mingsha Mountain 4. Humanistic shots of the prayer wheel corridor of Labrang Monastery --- IX. Special Tips • **Ethnic Taboos**: Do not step on the threshold/point at Buddha statues in Gannan temples • **New Environmental Protection Regulations**: Plastic shoe covers are prohibited in Mingsha Mountain (environmentally friendly ones can be rented) • **Network Signal**: There is often no signal in the Gobi Desert (download offline maps in advance) 🌿 **Local Suggestions**: The distance between cities in the Hexi Corridor is long. It is recommended to "start early + take a lunch break + arrive late," and prepare enough snacks and water! Take this guide and feel the collision of the desert and the Tibetan Buddhist sounds! 🏜️🎑