"The Ali Grand Circuit for Travel Beginners" Station 6: Guge Kingdom Ruins

Travel Guide: 1. Head to the Guge Kingdom Ruins, 18 km by car, 26 minutes, ticket 65 yuan, shuttle bus 30 yuan. The guide explains four temples; only the guide can open several protected temples to view the murals. 2. Go to Malang Canyon Viewing Platform, 24 km by car, about 36 minutes. This viewing platform is the best spot for the Zhada Earth Forest. 3. Head to Ali Dark Night Park, the best stargazing spot in the Northern Hemisphere. Visit during the day to scout and familiarize yourself with the environment for stargazing at night. 215 km by car, about 3 hours 49 minutes. 4. Stay at Ali Grand Hotel, the best hotel in Shiquanhe, with a laundry room and oxygen supply; single room 604 yuan. 5. At 10 p.m., depart from the hotel to Ali Dark Night Park for stargazing, 21 km by car, about 26 minutes. 6. Shiquanhe Town is the capital of the Ali region, adjacent to Xinjiang. Local delicacies include: Jiazhou Flavor Qiaojiao Beef; Qin Yun Old Lady’s Handmade Noodles (noodles, rice noodles); Chongqing Sichuan Cuisine; Grassland Style.

Travel Experience: 1. Guge Kingdom now has a visitor parking lot and requires a transfer vehicle. The ruins are magnificent and shocking, highly recommended, especially the four temples, which really give a "Ghost Blows Out the Light" vibe. If hiring a guide, after entering, climb about 50 meters uphill on the left to the Tara Temple. However, guides are few and may not be available immediately. We followed another group’s guide. After the guide finished explaining the four temples, the tour ended, and we climbed the mountain ourselves. Having experienced the Kailash pilgrimage, climbing the Guge ruins was easy. Be sure to climb to the top; the scenery is uniquely beautiful and very photogenic. 2. Personally, I think the most beautiful part of the Earth Forest is actually at the Guge ruins; if time is tight, you can skip other viewing platforms. 3. The road to Malang Canyon Viewing Platform is very impressive, like walking on Mars, weaving closely through the Earth Forest. Because it’s less popular, there are almost no cars on the road. 4. Ali Dark Night Park is definitely worth a visit. We arrived at midnight; for a long time, there were no stars, and we thought we wouldn’t see the night sky. Around 2 a.m., the stars suddenly appeared, the Milky Way dazzling and extremely stunning. We could clearly see Musk’s Starlink and many shooting stars. About six cars were waiting for the stars with us; there were quite a few people. Remember to turn off your car lights and wait inside the car. We got out and walked around the park a few times; be careful late at night. Nearby, a young couple turned on camping lights and danced under the starry sky—very romantic.

Post by PassportStampCollector | Sep 23, 2025