Departing from Xining｜Half-day tour of Menyuan Snow Mountain and Flower Sea

Departing from Xining, after less than 40 minutes of high-speed train travel, you will arrive at Menyuan Station. Follow the crowd to the square in front of the station, and you will see buses parked ahead. Besides the ones going to the county town, there is also a bus specifically heading to Yuanshan Flower Viewing Platform, which takes about 20 minutes. In August, Menyuan feels like spring except for some sun around noon. The towering Qilian Mountains and vast fields of rapeseed flowers make this place look like a paradise. The scenic area centered around Yuanshan Flower Viewing Platform is not large. From there, you can see the distant Gangshika Snow Peak. Due to a special affection for snow mountains, we took a taxi here. Gangshika Snow Peak is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Qilian Range and is also a popular choice for many novice climbers. Taking the scenic area's shuttle bus, we slowly drove along the winding mountain road for about 20 minutes to the drop-off point. Unexpectedly, the strong wind here brought a biting chill, especially at the 3999 viewing platform. Walking up the gravel path, besides slight altitude sickness, the low temperature is the most troublesome issue. After getting off the bus, walking down the wooden plank road leads to the colorful ice waterfall. You can still see small-scale waterfalls now, and this area is also the most active area for tourists. 🖼️Notes: There are round-trip high-speed trains between Xining Station and Menyuan Station, with a travel time of about 40 minutes; There is a direct bus from Menyuan Station to the viewing platform, with a 5 yuan ticket and a travel time of about 15-20 minutes; To get from the viewing platform to Gangshika Snow Peak, you need to carpool or hire a car, as there are no ride-hailing services; The Gangshika Snow Peak scenic area is located at a high altitude, so be sure to bring warm clothing.