Day 1 All over the country → or → Lanzhou ★ Gathering day
All day
Lanzhou, the golden city, is a city where the Yellow River runs through the city. As the "Manhattan of the Northwest" and the transportation hub of the Northwest, Lanzhou is the starting point of our journey!
Today, tourists from all over the country will gather in Lanzhou. You can choose your preferred method of transportation. Upon arrival, you can rest in your hotel to recharge your batteries for the upcoming journey. If you have more time, you may also explore the charm of this city.
You can explore the Yellow River, our mother river, and visit Zhongshan Bridge, the first bridge over the Yellow River, to admire the ancient waterwheel, the iconic sculpture of the Yellow River Mother, and the sheepskin raft, an ancient river crossing tool. Alternatively, visit the Gansu Museum (closed on Mondays, ID required, please make reservations online in advance) or the Xiguan Grand Mosque. A visit to Lanzhou is essential, and Muslim snacks like Lanzhou beef noodles, stuffed noodles, and sweet fermented rice are sure to leave you with a lasting impression. We recommend visiting Zhengning Road Snack Street or Dazhong Lane Food Street. Please be aware of safety during your own activities.
Transportation Recommendation: (Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport - Downtown)
The most convenient way to get from Zhongchuan Airport to the city center is to take the intercity railway (purchase tickets at 12306 from Zhongchuan Airport Station to Lanzhou West or Lanzhou Station), which runs approximately every 1 hour.
If the intercity railway is not in operation, you can take Airport Bus Line 1 (there is Bus Line 1 whenever there is a flight arriving). Zhongchuan Airport Station and the airport bus stop are both directly in front of the baggage claim exit of the domestic arrival hall of the airport!
Day 2 Lanzhou → Two Rivers Confluence → Liujiaxia Reservoir → Bingling Temple Grottoes → Dingxi
·morning
After breakfast, we departed for our cultural exploration of the Silk Road's pearls. After a two-hour drive, we arrived at the confluence of the Yellow River and the Tao River. The Tao River, a major tributary of the upper Yellow River, carries a significant amount of silt as it flows through the Longxi Loess Plateau, making it quite turbid. When it merges into the Liujiaxia Reservoir in Yongjing County, Gansu Province, the contrast with the pristine waters of the Yellow River within the reservoir area is striking, creating a magical spectacle of "half clear water, half muddy." We then continued along the upper reaches of the Yellow River, Liujiaxia Reservoir. Nestled in a plateau canyon, the Liujiaxia Reservoir, known as the "Pearl of the Plateau," offers breathtaking scenery.
In the afternoon, we'll travel by boat to the Bingling Temple Grottoes. Built in the first year of Jianhong (420 AD) during the Western Qin Dynasty, the Bingling Temple Grottoes boast a history of over 1,600 years and are the oldest extant grotto temple in China. Nestled on a 2km-long, steep red sandstone cliff, grotto shrines are stacked one after another, with plank paths soaring overhead. The Bingling Temple Grottoes are divided into three sections: the Upper Temple, the Donggou, and the Lower Temple. The Lower Temple is the most spectacular, with its relief pagodas and Tantric murals rivaling those of the Mogao and Maijishan Grottoes. We'll visit two special grottoes at Bingling Temple:
Special Cave 169 (Western Qin): Cave 169 contains an inscription dated 420 AD, the first year of the Jianhong reign of the Western Qin Dynasty, making it older than the Mogao Grottoes. This naturally formed cave features sculptures and murals in Han and Tibetan styles. Access requires climbing a steep plank path, making it a truly adventurous experience.
[Special Cave 172 (Western Qin)]: Cave 172 is connected to Cave 169, and the murals show the combination of Chinese and Western early Buddhist art.
After visiting Bingling Temple, we drove to Dingxi to check in.
Day 3 Dingxi → Xumishan Grottoes → Guyuan Museum → Guyuan City
All day
After breakfast, depart Dingxi and head east to the Xumishan Grottoes, one of China's ten largest grottoes. This site is the first major Buddhist temple site after the Silk Road's westward march from Chang'an, earning it the nickname "Dunhuang of Ningxia." Excavated during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Xumishan Grottoes represent the origins of stone-carved grottoes. Currently, there are 162 caves housing over 500 well-preserved statues. Among them are a Buddha statue taller than those at the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes, as well as a 7-meter-tall Northern Zhou Dynasty Buddha statue, miraculously surviving the 8.5 magnitude Haiyuan earthquake. Its confident smile has been dubbed the "Light of Xumi" by Professor Su Bai.
After the tour, we drove to downtown Guyuan and visited the Guyuan Museum (a national first-class institution). The museum features a gilded silver pot, a significant testimony to cultural exchange between China and the West; a glass bowl, a Sassanid glassware, a valuable resource for studying East-West trade during that period; and a Northern Wei Dynasty lacquer coffin painting, depicting celestial beings, unusual birds and beasts, and stories of filial sons. These are significant discoveries of Northern Dynasty painting, reflecting the era when steppe and Central Plains cultures merged. These three treasures reflect Guyuan's prosperity along the ancient Silk Road and serve as precious evidence of the cultural exchange and integration between East and West.
After the visit, check in to the hotel.
Day 4 Guyuan → Kongtong Mountain → Fuxi Temple → Tianshui City
All day
After breakfast, we'll depart Guyuan for an approximately one-hour drive to Kongtong Mountain, considered the premier Taoist mountain. Legend has it that Emperor Huangdi, revered as the founder of human civilization, visited Kongtong Mountain to consult the wise man Guangchengzi on statecraft and health preservation. Emperors Qin and Han also visited, admiring its fame. Literati like Sima Qian, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Lin Zexu, and Tan Sitong have praised the mountain. The scenic beauty and ethereal aura of a fairyland on earth are breathtaking. We'll leave ample time for our visit to Kongtong Mountain.
Kongtong martial arts is considered one of China's five major martial arts schools. The Kongtong Mountains, featured in Jin Yong's novels, are located here. We will be training with our instructor in Kongtong Health-Preserving Fist. Why do martial arts techniques from the birthplace of Taoism align with the celestial orbits? The answer lies in the cliff carving depicting Huangdi asking Guangchengzi for advice. Each turn is a homage to the Big Dipper, and the breaths create a quantum entanglement between the body and the starry sky.
After the tour, we will go to the No. 1 Temple in China [Fuxi Temple]. The collision of legendary figures in ancient times with painted pottery, the inspirational story of the rise of the Qin State from Tianshui, the regrets of Zhuge Liang's seven expeditions to Qishan, and the iron cavalry and golden sword Guanlong Group, it seems that history has never gone far.
After the tour, we will go to Tianshui and have some free time to eat in the evening. You can try the once popular Tianshui Malatang.
Day 5 Tianshui → Maijishan Grottoes → Tianshui Airport/Tianshui South Station → Disband in Tianshui
All day
After breakfast, we will head to the Maijishan Grottoes, one of China's four major grottoes, known as the Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall. Maijishan is a transit point between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, where a unique style of grotto sculptures has been formed, with a strong cultural continuity. From the ancient and solemn style of the Later Qin Dynasty, the elegant and refined appearance of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the round and smooth shape of the Western Wei Dynasty, the square and rounded shape of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the plump and rounded shape of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, to the realistic and realistic style of the Song Dynasty, the millennium sculpture style can be traced. Ancient craftsmen incorporated their emotions into the silent sculptures. The smile is the moving light emanating from Maijishan, and the Buddha has compassion for all living beings. We will pay special attention to the three special caves [44, 133, and 135] in Maijishan, and deeply uncover the important turning point of the influence of Buddhist art from east to west along the Silk Road.
Special Cave No. 44 - The main Buddha is known as the "Mona Lisa of the East" and is a representative sculpture of the Western Wei Dynasty.
Special Cave No. 133 - Classic Little Monk Statue. Whether in terms of appearance or the depiction and expression of inner emotions, it is a classic work from the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Special Cave No. 135 - known as the "Paradise Cave", is the highest cave in the entire West Cliff
After the teacher's explanation, everyone can move freely to savor and explore, and exchange their feelings with each other.
After the tour, we will first go to Tianshui South Station to see you off, and then return to Tianshui city to disband.
Transportation tips:
High-speed rail: Tianshui South to Lanzhou West, about 1 hour and 30 minutes; Tianshui South to Xi'an North, about 1 hour and 40 minutes
