11-Day Motorcycle Riding Itinerary – Qinghai-Gansu Loop, a Feast of Colors

Route Map About the Journey

Driving Itinerary

• Day 1: Xining – Qinghai Lake – Chaka Salt Lake (285KM)
• Day 2: Chaka Salt Lake-Delingha (340KM)
• Day 3: Delingha – U-shaped Highway – Dongtaijinaier Lake (320KM)
• Day 4: East Taijinaier Lake – Water Yadan – West Taijinaier Lake – Mangya Emerald Lake (360KM)
• Day 5: Mangya Emerald Lake-Lenghu Oil Town (288KM)
• Day 6: Lenghu Oil Town – Yangguan (237KM)
• Day 7: Yangguan – Dunhuang – Guazhou (Son of the Earth) (180KM)
• Day 8: Guazhou – Jiayumei – Jiuquan (313KM)
• Day 9: Jiuquan City – Zhangye Colorful Danxia (206KM)
• Day 10: Zhangye Colorful Danxia – Qilian Mountain Grassland – Menyuan Flower Sea (230KM)
• Day 11: Menyuan Flower Sea – Xining (147KM)

Main Attractions Along the Journey

Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake is located in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is known as the “Mirror of the Sky” and has beautiful scenery. It is the most beautiful in July and August. It is the birthplace of salt culture and has entertainment projects such as salt sculpture. You can walk along the lakeside, go deep into the lake or admire the salt sculptures, as if you are in a fantasy world. When visiting Qinghai, almost no one will miss the famous Chaka Salt Lake. It was rated as one of the “55 Places to Visit in a Lifetime” by the National Geographic Tourism Magazine and one of the “30 Most Beautiful Places in China” by CNN in the United States. July and August every year is the most beautiful season for Chaka Salt Lake.

Dongtaijinaier Lake

• In fact, Dongtaijinaier Lake is not a scenic spot, but a mining area. It is a super-large lithium deposit dominated by brine, and is a mining area of a resource company in Qinghai.
• How was it formed? Located in a lake basin surrounded by hills on three sides, it relies on the supply of the Dongtaijinaier River all year round. The river contains a large amount of minerals. After complex sedimentation, it eventually formed a salt lake deposit, creating the blue and dreamy Dongtaijinaier Lake.

Zhangye Colorful Danxia

Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Area is a shining pearl on the Silk Road Tourism Belt. It covers an area of 50 square kilometers and has an average altitude of 1,820 meters. It is the most typical Danxia landform developed in the arid and semi-arid areas of northern China. It is the only complex area of Danxia landform and colorful hilly landscape in China. It is famous for its colorful landforms, interlaced layers, magnificent momentum and spectacular scenes.