Badain Jaran Red Lake VS Sunan Bars Snow Mountain, two niche travel destinations around Zhangye recommended to you!
Preface
Zhangye, anyone who has ever been to the Hexi region of Gansu should be familiar with this name. Who would have thought that in addition to the famous Zhangye Danxia, there are so many interesting places around Zhangye.
Badain Jaran Desert
Where is the Badain Jaran Desert?
The Badain Jaran Desert is located in the western part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on the southwestern edge of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, in a giant basin in the west of Alxa Right Banner and the east of Ejina Banner of Alxa League. It is the largest desert in Inner Mongolia and home to the world's tallest sand dunes.
Although most of it is located in Inner Mongolia, it is actually closer to Zhangye in Gansu and Yinchuan in Ningxia, so people traveling here sometimes forget which province it belongs to.
What is there in the Badain Jaran Desert?
The Badain Jaran Desert was selected by China National Geographic as "China's Most Beautiful Desert". Its beauty lies in its grandeur and strangeness, and in the fact that there is a sea in the sand.
A magazine once wrote about this place: "The Creator always leaves a flaw where people least expect it... For example, in the arid Badain Jaran Desert, there are more than 140 emerald blue lakes. Where does the water come from?"
The secret lies beneath the Badain Jaran Desert – a large underground reservoir.
The water comes from the snow and glaciers of the Qilian Mountains, which flows into the desert through underground faults. The water overflows the ground and forms desert lakes.
The Badain Jaran Desert, covering an area of 49,200 square kilometers, has the world's highest sand peak - Peak Birutu.
The highest sand peak in the world, Mount Birutu, is 70 meters higher than the highest sand peak in the Sahara.
It is known as the "Mount Everest of the Sand Sea". It is more than 70 meters higher than the highest sand peak in the Sahara, but it is difficult to find on the map and few people climb it.
The peaks soar into the sky, and the god of wind also expresses his inspiration in this place, filling it with beautiful landscapes like water waves, elephant ears, and snail shells.
The stunning "Five Wonders" of Badain Jaran
The Badain Jaran Desert has five unique features: strange peaks, singing sands, lakes, sacred springs, and ancient temples. Due to drought, nearly 10,000 kilometers of the desert remain uninhabited.
In the heart of Badain Jaran, there is a lake called Miaohaizi. Haizi means lake in Mongolian, and Miaohaizi means a lake with a temple inside. This temple is called Badain Jaran Temple.
It was built in 1755 AD and has a history of more than 200 years. It is the only temple in the desert that has been preserved since its construction and is known as the "Forbidden City in the Desert".
In the vast desert, this temple with white walls and golden roof stands against the sand hills and faces the lake, looking solemn and mysterious.
Badain Jaran Red Lake
It is located in Badain Jaran, which is known as the most beautiful desert in China.
Ordinary people cannot see it easily. The wind from Badain Jaran has piled up the Mount Everest in the desert, but Dagtu is hidden even deeper.
Only the most powerful desert off-road vehicles and experienced drivers who are familiar with desert sand dunes can escort us to it, a pink desert lake.
There are many theories about the lake's pink color. Some say it's caused by microorganisms, while others say it's caused by minerals. But this isn't the most important thing to know. All you need to know is that if you miss this spot, your only chance to see a natural pink lake like this will be on Australia's west coast or at the foot of a volcano in Africa.
Sunan Yugur Autonomous County
Where is Sunan?
To the west of Zhangye, there is a small county town that is secluded from the public. It has a high altitude, so many people come here to escape the heat every summer.
You don't need to find a special route; the roads here are connected to Zhangye, and it only takes 1.5 hours to reach this Yugur Autonomous County, the only one in China. If you can't tell the direction, just head towards the mountains. Sunan lies at the foot of the Qilian Mountains.
What are the travel destinations in Sunan County?
Sunan County, which is hidden in the deep boudoir and unknown to the public, also has rich travel resources, colorful ethnic culture, unique topography, and tall and majestic snow-capped mountains. It has everything.
Yugur Museum
The Yugur Museum is the best place to understand the ethnic culture of Sunan. The entire museum is located on the west side of the county seat. From the outside, it looks like a Yugur man's hat, and the interior is divided into two layers.
The most important Yugu cultural relics and cultural exhibitions are on the first floor. The museum is free, and there are young ladies in Yugu costumes to lead the tour and explain. If you are traveling as a group, you can make an appointment in advance if necessary.
The second floor features an introduction to Sunan County's natural resources, a rotating art exhibition, and exhibits on loan from other museums. Highlights include the Yuan Dynasty Crown Prince's stele, the dragon robe bestowed by Emperor Kangxi on Yugu leaders as a symbol of power, and traditional Yugu clothing (especially women's, with their distinctive long veils).
Tips:
Hours: 9:00-17:30, closed on Mondays
Location: 300 meters east of Hongwan Temple
Tel: 0936-6124836
Shambhala Choko Prayer Wheel
The Shambhala Choko Prayer Wheel, which won the Guinness World Record for the world's largest prayer wheel in 2011, is equipped with a water park. Under the prayer wheel is an iron pillar tied with Hadas. It takes the joint efforts of many people to turn this largest prayer wheel in history.
The golden prayer wheel is also a symbol of the local area. On the first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, local people gather here to pray.
Hongwan Temple
Hongwan Temple is not located at its original site. The temples you see are all newly built later. After the relocation, everything original in the temple was redesigned and rebuilt in 2009.
Sunan's unique Yadan terrain - Alien Valley
While you might have visited Binggou Danxia before, Alien Valley is undoubtedly a niche among the niches.
According to online maps, it consists of four sections: Mercury Valley, Jupiter Valley, Mars Valley, and numerous steel ruins. The mountain roads are rugged, but the area retains a variety of landforms dating back to the Cretaceous period.
The tourist service center is opposite Binggou Danxia, but the scenic area is not here. After purchasing the ticket, the staff will give you a simple map. Currently, only Jupiter Valley is open to the public.
Bars, the sacred mountain of the Yugur people in Sunan
Considered sacred by the Yugur people, Mount Bars, known as the "Eastern Alps," is a snow-capped mountain over 5,000 meters high in the Qilian Mountains. With the recent opening of access roads, it has also appeared on our list.
The day before we set off for the snowy mountains, a moderate snowfall cleared the skies but didn't deter us from our ascent. Driving toward the tourist center, I gazed out over the sacred Mount Bars and for the first time felt the power of the mountains calling out to me.
To go up the mountain, you need to change to the scenic area's own shuttle bus. It takes 40 minutes on the winding mountain road to reach the viewing platform at the top of the mountain at 3,900 meters.
The wind and snow on the mountain are very strong, but there is a mountaintop cafe with floor-to-ceiling windows where you can actually enjoy the coffee under the snow, which is also a very good experience. The mountain cafe is divided into two floors. The upstairs is a platform where you can pick stars with your hands, and the downstairs is a glass greenhouse.
Sunan Accommodation and Transportation Guide
stay
The recommended accommodation in Sunan County is Xizhihazhi Hotel, which is also the largest hotel in Sunan. There is a restaurant and wedding stage in the lobby, and local hot milk is served at night. The disadvantage is that there is no elevator, so try to choose accommodation on the lower floors.
Tips:
Tel: 0931-6129222
Location: No. 1 Yingbin Road
Type: Comfortable hotel
transportation
There is a bus station at the east end of Huangcheng Road in the small county town, at the intersection with Dahe Road. It is mainly connected to Zhangye by train. Of course, more and more people choose to drive there.
Conclusion
Are you tempted by these two lesser-known travel destinations near Zhangye? If you yearn for the wildness of the desert and want to experience the vibrant ethnic culture, join us!
