Off-season Trip on the Gan-Qing Line: Xining Edition

Day 1: Arrival in Xining✈️ The flight was delayed by five hours, and we landed in Xining at around 1 a.m. The airport shuttle bus departs half an hour after the last flight lands, and its final stop is downtown. 🚌 Airport Shuttle: The bus costs 23 RMB per person. There are several ticket machines located next to baggage carousels 01 and 06. After buying the ticket and collecting your luggage, follow the signs to board the airport shuttle. Day 2: Joined a one-day tour 1️⃣ Riyue Mountain: In the morning, we saw prayer flags and waited for the sunrise. Personally, I think this time is not worth it. It was extremely cold on the mountain early in the morning, and the fog was so thick that visibility was about ten meters, so we couldn’t see the sunrise at all—just freezing for nothing. (Photos 2-3) 2️⃣ Qinghai Lake: Arrived around 9:30 a.m. This was the most beautiful spot on the trip!! We first took the sightseeing shuttle to the lakeside. The scenery along the way was stunning, with fresh snow just fallen and white snow still on the shore. When we got off, there were many pigeons (I guess they were pigeons) by the shore. When feeding them bread, they flew all around you, making the experience amazing. Not only is the area around Qinghai Lake beautiful, but the snow-capped mountains and grasslands along the way are also breathtaking (Photos 1, 4-8). 3️⃣ Chaka Salt Lake: We arrived around 3 p.m., which is basically the warmest time of the day. Wearing a sun hat and sunglasses is enough; no need for a thick scarf. The guide told us to take the small train to the fourth stop (the final stop), where the photo opportunities were stunning. We hired a drone photographer to shoot videos for us—two people for 100 RMB (a great price for the off-season). Each person got three video clips, which we received the same day. After the fourth stop, we took the train back to the second stop to see the salt sculptures. Since we had to regroup at the bus station by 6:10 p.m., we didn’t have much time to take photos of the salt sculptures—just a few quick shots before taking the electric cart back to the visitor center. At the exit, they gave us a bag of lake salt as a souvenir. There was road construction requiring a detour that added an hour to the trip, but luckily there was no traffic jam in the off-season. The park was very quiet with almost no queues. We got back to the city around 11 p.m. (Photos 9-17) Tips: 1. Bring some small bread pieces to feed the pigeons at Qinghai Lake—they will fly around you, making for great photos📷 2. If you go to Riyue Mountain in the morning, dress warmly with a thick hat and gloves, and wear warm shoes. The northwest wind is no joke. 3. Sunglasses are a must at Chaka Salt Lake; the vast white area makes it impossible to open your eyes without them🕶️ 4. In the off-season, most scenic spots and shops along the way are closed, so bring some food and drinks in your bag. You can leave them on the bus without taking them off.