Dabanshan

The Dabanshan Tunnel, with a central elevation of 3,792.75 meters, is the "throat" of the Xining-Zhangye Highway. It was completed in 1998 and was the highest road tunnel in Asia and the second highest in the world at that time. The mountains here are high and steep, and the road is steep and winding, so it is known as the "Gate of Hell".

In Dabashan, we encountered a heavy snow unexpectedly. There were four seasons in one day, and the weather was different in every ten miles.

Here you can see the perfect visual collision of Gangshika Snow Mountain and the rapeseed sea from afar. It is one of the best viewing spots for rapeseed flowers in Menyuan. There are three viewing spots after crossing the pass. The first one has a small parking area, the second one can only park the car on the roadside, and the bottom one is the Dabanshan Observation Deck, which has a regular parking lot and charges 5 yuan. The viewing angles are from high to low.

Passing by the Dabanshan Observation Deck, you can overlook the snow-capped mountains and rapeseed flowers. It is also a good place to take a break on the way. For details, please see the last part of my travel notes.

Osaka Mountain has "three scenes", namely sunrise and sunset, rain and fog, strange peaks and strange rocks. If you want to see the sunrise of Osaka Mountain, the sun always appears on the jagged horizon of Osaka Mountain. The bright circle surrounds a fiery red disk. The jagged peaks are like Buddha's hands, holding the disk higher and higher. This is the Osaka Mountain with many mountains like hills, one after another, and the surging Haomen River is at the foot of the mountain. The scenery is spectacular. At sunset, the sun is very straightforward and falls directly into the jagged valley. In summer, Osaka Mountain is often filled with clouds and fog, which is closely related to its geographical location. The clouds and fog sometimes disperse and sometimes gather, swaying with the wind, and changing endlessly. The rainfall in Osaka Mountain is very abundant. There is rain when there are clouds. Sometimes it is small like water vapor; sometimes it is big like pouring. There has been "strange rain" containing pollen, red soil and other substances here. It can't be said that it is not strange. When it comes to the season of rapeseed flowers in full bloom, it is also a good choice to come here to see the rapeseed flowers all over the mountains.

The weather was bad, so we didn't get off the car to take a closer look. It is a must-pass road on the Qinghai Ring Road. The tunnel and bridge are built to the top of the mountain. It is very thrilling. Because it was May Day, there was no toll, but there might be tolls on other days.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. The river valley areas on the north and south sides of Daban Mountain have relatively high altitudes.

Tickets: Free; recommended visiting time: 45 minutes.

To go to Menyuan County, you must pass through Dabashan.

In the past, one had to cross the mountain pass to reach Menyuan.

Now, just pass the toll booth and go through the tunnel.

In my impression, there is a magical place where it snows suddenly, and that is Dabashan!

After getting off the bus, I didn't expect that the sky, which had stopped snowing, suddenly started snowing heavily within a few minutes after getting off the bus. It must be magic, otherwise how could it be so beautiful so suddenly~~

My mood at the moment is really super good. For a kid from the south, it is really romantic.

Dabanshan is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is an important transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Below this viewing platform is a bend, with Gangshika Snow Peak in the distance. The Dabanshan Highway Tunnel, 3,792 meters above sea level, is located in the majestic Dabanshan Mountain, which stretches between Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, and Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is the "throat" of the Xining-Zhangye Highway. The mountains here are high and steep, and the road is steep and winding, so it is known as the "Gate of Hell".

At the extension of the road, you can see a village with red roofs at the foot of the mountain. Various beautiful scenery are perfectly combined here, including snow-capped mountains, Danxia, grasslands, forests, countryside, villages and so on.

You have to climb over it on the way back to Xining. When the weather is good, you can see a nice view from it.

I saw the beautiful scenery of Menyuan under Daban Mountain. It was very shocking. A mobile phone really can't capture one ten-thousandth of the shocking scenery! ! You need to use your naked eyes to experience the vastness and magnificence of the scenery!

It was just October, but we saw snow on the top of the mountain. To be honest, the snow here is not as stunning as the famous snow mountains, but it is snow after all! There were still many cars stopping in the open space to take pictures, and of course we were one of them.

You can also see the Gangshika Snow Peak from a distance.

The winding mountain road is very exciting. The higher you go, the more foggy it becomes. Unfortunately, because it is the wrong season, the rape flowers cannot be seen. After passing through the tunnel, you will reach the Heiquan Reservoir at the foot of the mountain, which is not far from Xining.

Grassland, grassland, grassland! Flocks of sheep, cattle, and horses! Have fun!

Crossing Daban Mountain and Biandukou. Returning to Qinghai, I saw Qilian Mountain again. Walking through the Qilian Mountain Canyon was like entering a fairyland, with clear blue sky, lively white clouds, warm sunshine, and snow-capped mountains. Qilian Mountain welcomed me with the most beautiful winter snow scene. Even though I was tired on the road, I didn't want to rest, and I eagerly remembered everything in my heart. This land always easily moved me.

When we were heading to Menyuan from Xining, we passed by Dabashan and stopped the car because of the beautiful scenery.

When the rape flowers are in full bloom, Dabashan is one of the best places to view the rape flowers in Menyuan.

Unfortunately, the rape flowers have completely disappeared in October, and there are only snowflakes falling down on us, quickly dyeing the mountains white, and the bone-chilling cold wind.



Recommended visiting time: 2-3 hours during the rapeseed season, other periods, depending on the degree of cold resistance

Tickets: Free

It was mid-September when we went there, and there were no rape flowers anymore. The scenic area was closed.

Overlooking the green hills and wheat fields in the distance from the Dabashan Mountain, you can see the beautiful Qinghai from a God's perspective!

Overlooking the Gangshika Snow Peak from Daban Mountain, the mountain road is winding and the scenery is picturesque! After passing Daban Mountain, you are close to Xining

In fact, the scenery is average, mainly magnificent and dangerous, 3800 meters above sea level, no railings on the mountain road, really worried about the car coming back from Zhangye... But it is also a good location to see Menyuan rapeseed flowers

Because it rained the day before, the sea of clouds we saw the next morning was still very beautiful.

The Dabashan Tunnel was congested for a while, but the scenery along the way was still very good and you could see the snow-capped peaks.

Daban Mountain is one of the best presentations of the Qilian Mountains. At an altitude of 4,000 meters, the snow-capped mountains in the distance are looming in the clouds and mist. The mountain is covered with lush vegetation, herds of cattle and sheep, and streams flowing through the mountains. The view of the sea of clouds from several observation decks makes us linger.

It is very beautiful. When you go up, the whole mountainside is covered with clouds. The road is also built halfway up the mountain, so it feels like you are above the clouds. It is very spectacular. You can also see the sea of clouds floating in the mountains, just like a fairyland.

The scenic spots along the way from Xining to Menyuan offer a bird's eye view of Menyuan. During the rapeseed flower season, you can get a bird's eye view of Menyuan, but unfortunately the flower season had passed when we went. There are some stalls selling local specialties.

When you go from Menyuan to Xining, you will cross Daban Mountain. When the rape flowers are in full bloom, the view from the viewing platform on the water down the mountain should be quite nice.

These are all photos taken on the roadside, but the scenery in Qilian is indeed beautiful.

Crossing the Dabashan Mountains where there is no Dabashan City, the sun rises in the east and the rain falls in the west. It turns out that it is not just the gentle breeze and drizzle by the West Lake, but also the overlapping mountains at the foot of the Qilian Mountains.

When we went there, the viewing platform was still under construction, so we just stopped there temporarily. Overlooking the Menyuan rapeseed flowers, I felt indescribably good.

The wind is very cold; the scenery is very beautiful.

When crossing the Daban Mountains, I saw many snow-capped mountains. Standing on the top of the Daban Mountains, feeling the mountain wind and watching the vehicles going back and forth on the road below, the clouds were moving and the scenery was changing.

The weather is not very good, otherwise the scenery will be more beautiful

Arrived at the Dabanshan Observation Deck. Standing at an altitude of 4,000 meters, you can see a sea of rapeseed flowers stretching for hundreds of miles, with the Qilian Snow Mountain standing quietly in the distance. Under the blue sky, the holy snow-capped mountains, and the sea of rapeseed flowers stretching for hundreds of miles, a pure and peaceful scene that makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Daban Mountain is the main transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. However, its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. There are three main passages in Daban Mountain, each with different scenery. Locals call them Shang Daban, Zhong Daban and Xia Daban. It is known as the most beautiful G227 line. Friends who like to travel can experience it.

I went there at the end of June 2018. The viewing platform on the top of the mountain was closed for reconstruction. The winding mountain road is a great wonder here. If the weather is clear, standing on the top of the mountain and looking down, you can really see the beautiful scenery of the northwest. There are many vehicles parked and gathered beside the highway on the mountain, and the vendors are also very busy, but occasionally there are police cars patrolling and driving people away. Due to the blind spot on the curve, tourists really need to pay attention to the danger when getting off the car.

The Dabanshan Observation Deck offers a panoramic view of the rapeseed flowers. When we went there, it was still under renovation. The thrilling mountain road strengthened our determination to reach the plain as soon as possible. This observation deck is really a place worth visiting. It is so shocking that I felt very satisfied just by taking a glance at it in the car. The real scene cannot be captured by a mobile phone at all.

There is an altitude reminder, the altitude is more than 4000, I have already taken a thick coat to wear. The wind is still very cold, it is not recommended to stay for a long time to avoid altitude sickness.

Note: Don’t jump when taking photos

We arrived at the Dabanshan Observation Deck just as the sun was setting. Many photography enthusiasts gathered here to take pictures of the sunset. It is a must-go place on the G227 National Highway. The weather was cloudy during the two days we were here, but fortunately the rain came and went quickly. Cloudy days also have their own beauty.

As we entered the mountains, the mountain road took us higher and higher, and the scenery became more and more beautiful. This is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is exactly what I imagined, with blue sky, leisurely clouds, rolling green mountains, running sheep, and cool and clean air. Although I was still unfamiliar with it, it did not prevent me from falling in love with it at first sight.

After crossing the Daban Mountains, I was stunned by the beauty along the way. At that moment, I envied the Tibetans who lived and herded in the mountain streams.

The mountain road is winding, so I have no choice but to drive slowly

Halfway up the mountain, there is a viewing platform with an excellent angle from which you can see the Gangshika Snow Peak in the distance.

It was raining when we went, so the view from the observation deck was not very good, and I think the view from this observation deck is not very good for viewing the rapeseed fields.

I missed the rape flowers in July and the Gangshika Snow Peak in winter, but which frame of looking back inexplicably touched my heart.

During the National Day holiday, I drove from Xining to Xianmi National Forest Park. I passed by Daban Mountain, which had just begun to snow this season. The scenery was beautiful.

You can see Menyuan rapeseed flowers from Dabashan. If you come a week later, there will be more rapeseed flowers and they will be more beautiful.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province, and is the main transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau.

The altitude is more than 3,000 meters. The entrance of the tunnel through the mountain is halfway up the mountain. The road going up and down the mountain is winding and there are steep cliffs on the side of the road. Sitting in the car, I was terrified.

Qilian Fairyland, I feel like I am on top of the clouds, with lush mountains looming in and out of sight. I suddenly want to sing a song: "The vast horizon is my love, and flowers are blooming at the foot of the endless green mountains."

As soon as we reached Daban Mountain (the mountain where the girls in Dabancheng are so beautiful), it started snowing! Big dark clouds mixed with snow instantly covered the mountain peaks. There was still blue sky and white clouds in the distance, but we on the mountainside were hit by the snow particles and it hurt.

The driver took us to the top of the Dabanshan Observation Deck, where the view was better. The green area below should be rapeseed flowers, and the cloudy area in the distance should be the Gangshika Snow Peak. Please use your imagination.

The Dabashan Observation Deck is currently under reconstruction, so friends who are planning to go there recently can forget about it because cars cannot enter and there is no place to park.

You can't have both the beauty and the scenery. When you are fascinated by the beautiful scenery in front of you, you may miss the infinite scenery behind you. Passing through Daban Mountain, Wang Luobin's "The Girl from Dabancheng" was playing in our car.

Dabanshan is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. The Dabanshan Observation Deck is one of the best places to take panoramic photos of Menyuan rapeseed flowers. The Gangshika Snow Peak in the distance and the large golden rapeseed flowers nearby are as beautiful as a painting. There is a rare high-altitude tunnel in the world, the "Dabanshan Tunnel", at an altitude of 3,900 meters.

Just pass by and take a look, no need to stay too long.

National Highway G227 passes through Daban Mountain. If you are not in a hurry, remember to stop at the viewing platform. Overlooking the fertile farmland below the mountain

At the last stop of the line change, the moon had just risen and the color of the sky was indescribably beautiful.

When we set out from Xining, it was like spring, with a cool breeze but not cold, with large green fields, smooth streams, and small flowers blooming everywhere; when we reached Datong, it gradually became like summer, with the scorching sun scorching and melting the green color of the grass and trees; when we climbed up the Dabashan Mountain, it was like the transition from autumn to winter, with cold winds whistling, and in the distance we could see the Gangshika Snow Mountain, which is covered with snow all the year round.

The tender and fresh green of different shades covered the peaks and valleys, and the clouds in the sky half covered the snow-capped peaks, which were level with us. The mountains in the distance were the dividing line between the world and heaven, and under our feet was a winding road, zigzagging or triangle, with a lot of traffic.

Unexpected delivery.

It snowed a few days ago, and I had a close contact with the snow-capped mountains when I passed by.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. The river valley areas on the north and south sides of Daban Mountain have relatively high altitudes.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. The river valley areas on the north and south sides of Daban Mountain have relatively high altitudes.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. The river valley areas on the north and south sides of Daban Mountain have relatively high altitudes.

There are several viewing platforms of Daban Mountain on the way out of Menyuan County towards Qinghai, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Daban Mountain.

Well... If you are passing by, just take a look, no need to go there specially~

Dabanshan is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties. Due to its special geographical location, Dabanshan is famous on the plateau. Dabanshan Tunnel is the highest tunnel in China.



The wide Haomen River Valley in the north is planted with rapeseed, which has become a famous flower sea in China. Datong County in the south is an important spring wheat production base in Qinghai Province.

You must pass by Zhangye when returning to Xining. The scenery at the foot of the mountain is unobstructed. Great~

Only when you look out over Menyuan from the observation deck on the mountain can you truly feel the uniqueness of this scenery.

To get from Xining to Menyuan, you need to pass through Dabashan.

Passing by on the way back to Xining from Menyuan, you can see Menyuan rapeseed flowers from a high place. The driver said that the road down the mountain used to be winding, but now a tunnel has been built, the road condition is much better, and the tunnel communication fee is 6 yuan.

The higher you stand, the more beautiful the scenery is. The weather with sunny sky behind and heavy snow in front is unforgettable.

Daban Mountain (Daban: Mongolian, meaning mountain pass; mountain range) is located at the junction of Datong and Menyuan counties in Qinghai Province. It is a major transportation route from Qinghai to Gansu. Among the many mountains on the Qinghai Plateau, Daban Mountain can only be regarded as a minor one, but its special geographical location makes Daban Mountain famous on the plateau. The river valley areas on the north and south sides of Daban Mountain have relatively high altitudes.

Dabashan is the only way to return to Xining from Zhuoer Mountain.

It was late October when we passed by here. Snow had already accumulated on the Dabashan Mountain. A gust of wind blew away many snowflakes, which was quite a sight.

Not bad, you can see different scenery in spring and summer

Daban Mountain is passed on the way from Xining to Menyuan. The mountain road is a bit rugged, so self-driving requires more attention to safety. There is a Daban Mountain Observation Deck on the mountain, where you can see the thousands of acres of rapeseed fields in Menyuan.

You can see the panoramic view of Menyuan from Dabashan Mountain. The morning we went there was not very sunny.

The sky here is surprisingly blue, and the surrounding scenery is also beautiful in the embrace of the mountains. The scenic spot is not big, just spend time quietly.