Baiyin Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)

Punching in at the Yellow River Stone Forest

The Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area is located in the territory of Zhongquan Town, southeast of Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, 140 kilometers away from Lanzhou, 333 kilometers from Xining, and 123 kilometers from Zhongchuan Airport. It has a superior geographical location and convenient transportation. It is now a national 4A-level scenic spot and a national geological park. Longwan Village, located within the scenic area, was selected as one of the 'Top Ten Most Beautiful Villages in China' by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the National Tourism Administration in 2013. The Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area covers a total area of about 86.6 square kilometers, of which the ancient stone forest group occupies about 10 square kilometers. Geologically, it belongs to the northern Qilian fold belt of the Qilian fold system. It is a unique geomorphological spectacle formed by the joint action of rainstorm erosion, collapse, and wind erosion under the control of neotectonic movement. The scenic area offers sightseeing buses, environmentally friendly electric battery cars, sheepskin rafting, cruise ships, helicopter tours, animal-drawn carts, horse riding, and bonfire parties as entertainment services. Its superior natural resources and profound cultural history have attracted numerous film and television dramas to shoot and create here. The scenic area is now a national film and television shooting base, and has successively shot more than eighty film and television dramas such as 'The World's Granary', 'The Myth', 'Hua Mulan', 'Xuan-Yuan Sword', and others.

Gansu Jingtaishan Yellow River Stone Forest - beauty beyond your imagination

When it comes to Gansu, the names of Mogao Caves, Crescent Spring, Jiayuguan, Colorful Zhangye and other famous places are well known to everyone. This time, I took the opportunity to explore another wonder of the world along the foot of the Qilian Mountains on my way back to my hometown. It's rough, wild, and beautiful, keeping you awake at night. This is the Chinese version of Yellowstone, a grand canyon hidden on the Loess Plateau - the Yellow River Stone Forest. Starting from Baiyin City, Gansu Province, it takes an hour by car. It is recommended that you join a one-day tour of the Stone Forest in Baiyin City, which covers both the Stone Forest and the ancient city, safe and convenient. There are few people in the scenic area. Everyone takes a bus at the entrance to go deep into the canyon, and then walks there. It is not recommended to take a donkey cart here, as it is expensive and the donkey will not take you to the top of the canyon, you still have to walk by yourself. Free sightseeing cars are provided in the scenic area, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery all the way from the depths of the canyon. After being washed by the Yellow River, these mountain fossils have turned into strange knife formations. It is said that many suspense adventure films are shot here, which is indeed very mysterious. The beauty of the Yellow River Stone Forest is like a visible force, with the courage to pull the mountains and cover the world. If you come to Gansu, be sure to take the opportunity to experience it here.

Gansu Lanzhou | Yellow River Stone Forest | The masterpiece of nature

✨ Location and navigation of Yellow River Stone Forest National Geological Park The Yellow River Stone Forest is located in Jingyuan County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, only one and a half hours' drive from Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, about 2 hours from the center of Lanzhou City, and 1 hour from Jingyuan County. Navigate to 'Yellow River Stone Forest National Geological Park' 👉How to get there It is recommended to drive by yourself, it is convenient to rent a car at Zhongchuan Airport, and the price is very cheap in the off-season, you can rent a reliable SUV for just over 100 per day. You can also choose to join a group, public transportation is not recommended due to the few schedules 👉Itinerary If you can set off before noon, you can consider including Yongtai Ancient City in Jingyuan in your day trip. If you arrive in the afternoon, I recommend you to go to the Yellow River Stone Forest for a half-day tour Lanzhou-Yellow River Stone Forest-(Stay in Yongtai Ancient City until sunset)-Lanzhou ⏰Recommended duration of visit: 3-5 hours 👉Tickets and scenic area transportation Tickets are 40 yuan + transportation package 128, not bundled purchase The internal transportation in the scenic area can be described as crazy. If it weren't for the alternative route (mentioned below), I would call it the most inconvenient scenic spot in the entire northwest. It requires a bus - transfer to a battery car - walk 1km through the village - change to a sheepskin raft - take a battery car to the mouth of the canyon - change to a battery car to the depths of the canyon - walk up to the viewing platform 👉Important: Alternative route At the south gate parking lot, you will randomly encounter an npc: a local uncle. He will take you in for 60 yuan per person, the uncle I met was quite reliable. The process of taking a local car is also simplified from the official bus - battery car - walk - sheepskin raft - battery car - sightseeing car to private car - walk 1 kilometer to the mouth of the canyon - sightseeing car, you need to buy a 30 yuan sightseeing car ticket separately 📷The most core place is undoubtedly the Yima Gully Grand Canyon. If the weather is good, it is easy to take pictures of the feeling of American western movies, which is not inferior to the Yadan on the Qinghai-Tibet loop. Take the sightseeing car to the first stop at the mouth of the canyon, walk forward and turn a corner, that is the best check-in point. Another place is the viewing platform at the end of the canyon, you need to walk or take a donkey cart up 📷Twenty-two bends: The drone view is no less than the Panlong Ancient Road and the 72 bends of Yela Mountain. The best take-off point is about 100 meters ahead of the ticket office 👉About the donkey cart: At the end of the Yima Gully Grand Canyon, you can take a donkey cart to the viewing platform, but the donkey cart can no longer go towards the canyon (as of the end of September 2023). Those photos of donkey carts taken in the canyon may have become a thing of the past 👉The facilities in the scenic area are quite complete, there are many farmhouses that can provide food and accommodation along the way from the entrance of the scenic area to the entrance of the canyon. Supplies can also be purchased at the end of the canyon, and the prices are quite affordable. There are public toilets in the canyon for convenience. If you need to stay in a regular hotel, Jingyuan Stone Forest Hotel is the only choice in the scenic area (single 100+/double 200+/suite 400+)

Take a helicopter and take a picture of the Yellow River Stone Forest! Rough and heavy precipitation is coming from the face, just like the majestic and hardworking people of the west, only strong to the bastard, after a few years, can you be thorny and fearless~

Off-the-beaten-path travel destination says goodbye to the crowds: Yongtai Turtle City

In the vast expanse of land, a solitary city stands quietly, surrounded by towering mountains. I once caught a glimpse of its photo online, and the sense of age and mystery made me decide to embark on a journey of discovery. Yongtai Ancient City, also known as Yongtai Turtle City, has a name that harbors a wealth of stories. It is rumored to have been the filming location for the movie 'Decisive Battle at Shama Town' starring Sun Honglei, bearing the imprints of history. In the season between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, this ancient city is almost free from tourist disturbances, making it particularly peaceful. Apart from some remnants of the city walls and a small school from the Republic of China period, this Ming Dynasty ancient city now only has ruins left, as if narrating the past glory and decline. The clumps of yellow earth underfoot and the distant snow-capped mountains form a magnificent picture. Imagining the soldiers stationed at the frontier and their families spending their lives on this land, one cannot help but feel deeply moved. Decades of a person's life, centuries of an ancient city, are just a moment in the river of time. And our travels are precisely for exploring these forgotten corners, to feel the beauty that has been settled by the years.

Yongtai Ancient City! The living ancient city on the Hexi Corridor

This is a large earthen ancient city for military defense during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the filming location for many film and television works such as 'The World's Granary', 'Mythology', 'Mulan', and others. 'A solitary city amidst towering mountains' is the most fitting description for this place. Constructed in the 36th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, Yongtai Ancient City, which has a history of over 400 years, was built by the Ming government to defend against invasions by northern ethnic minorities. Once completed, it became a military fortress, with the Lanzhou Deputy General stationed within this castle. At that time, in addition to the stationed soldiers and cavalry, the city also had affiliated facilities such as a gunpowder field, forage field, mill, and horse farm. 📌TIPS: 📍Location: Search for 'Yongtai Ancient City in Baiyin' in the navigation system. 💰Admission: Currently free of charge. 🅿️Parking: There is a parking lot right at the entrance of the ancient city, free of charge. ⏰️Visiting time: About 1 hour. 🔶Due to the ancient city being located in the Gobi desert, the ultraviolet rays are very strong, and sandstorms can arise suddenly. Therefore, it is essential to prepare polarized glasses and sunscreen to avoid sunburn. 🔷The roads within the ancient city are all dirt and gravel, so a pair of comfortable sports shoes is necessary. 🔶The entire Yongtai Ancient City is shaped like a 'turtle', hence it is also known as 'Turtle City' or 'Yongtai Turtle City'. This shape can be fully appreciated from an aerial drone view. (The use of drones is allowed in the ancient city) 🔷There are only two small restaurants in the ancient city that offer meals, which you can try. There are also small shops, but of course, you can also bring your own food, especially drinking water. 🔶Yongtai Ancient City is well-preserved, with a reservoir outside the city, but there is a water well every few dozen meters within the city, making it very convenient for daily water use. 🔷The entire ancient city has not been commercially developed, retaining its original flavor, and it is a less popular and niche attraction with fewer tourists, allowing ample time to truly experience the ancient city's appearance from four hundred years ago. 🔶On the way to the scenic spot, there are freshly picked watermelons for sale on both sides of the county road leading to the attraction, which are very sweet, juicy, and also very cheap. Taking a few with you will make the trip worthwhile.

The City of Starry Skies—Yongtai Ancient City

The night sky over Yongtai Ancient City in Gansu is not filled with the hustle and bustle of traffic, but with a sky full of stars. An impromptu trip allowed me to experience the charm of the ancient city. At around 9 p.m., the Yongtai Turtle City star photography plan was suddenly mentioned, so I set off with a friend, and we arrived at half past one in the morning. After a night of hard struggle, I finally felt the unique charm of this ancient city

The ancient city lost in the sands of a hundred years|Yongtai Ancient City

|Yongtai Ancient City. The ancient city lost in the sands of a hundred years🏯|Yongtai Ancient City 🔸This is a lonely ancient city on the Gobi Desert, built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and it has been over 400 years now. The wind and sand have blown away the prosperity of the past, and the ancient city we see now is in ruins, which is vastly different from the scene at that time. Most of the buildings in the ancient city have collapsed, leaving only broken walls, and the surrounding environment has become desolate. 🔸There are not many residents in the ancient city, only a few scattered households, besides the inn is the grocery store. 🔸In the evening, the herdsmen drove the sheep back to this lost ancient city at a leisurely pace, forming a beautiful sunset scroll. 🔸There are 4 urn cities around the ancient city, resembling the shoulders and feet of a turtle. Overlooking with a drone, it looks like a turtle, so it is also jokingly called 'Yongtai Turtle City'. 🔸Not far from the entrance of the ancient city, there is a deserted pool, which was originally the local drinking water source. However, due to environmental degradation and the large-scale migration of local residents, this pool has gradually become deserted and has become a pool for sheep to drink water. —— 📍|Location: Yongtai Ancient City, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, 2 and a half hours from Lanzhou 🚘|Transportation: The road is paved all the way, there is open space at the entrance of the scenic spot for parking, and cars can also drive in 🎫|Tickets: Free 📸|Shooting: It is recommended to bring a drone, aerial photography, the city is full of ruined houses, the scenery is relatively single

Yellow River Stone Forest Drinking Horse Valley Grand Canyon! This is a masterpiece of wind and water. They have combined to create a stunning landscape, a wonderful and majestic landscape. Here the mountains are like a gathering, the peaks are boiling, and the Yellow River stone forest is characterized by its non-stone and non-rock. Hold up a three-dimensional myth. Look at the autumn month, the couple under the moon, the Western Heaven, the Feilai Stone, the Wuzhi Mountain, the Santa Claus, the Mulan Expedition, the Qianfan Competition, the Western Heaven, the Qu Yuan Qiaotian All the unexpected images you think of can be explained here. The blade is crowded, the army is surging, and the horse is galloping. This is like a battlefield. When the wind walks, it encourages the collision of metal. It is no longer an exaggerated stage. The scene is no longer a grand dance floor. Through the stone forest, we involuntarily perceive the masculine body of the Loess Plateau, the silent attitude, the firm face, it stands in the wind and rain, day after day, never want to give up the attachment to the earth, the yearning for the sun~

Sheepskin scorpion: commonly known as the rafter, an ancient ferry tool preserved by the people along the Yellow River. It is also an ancient water transport vehicle made of sheepskin. It consists of more than a dozen tambourine goatskins. The scorpion is large and small, the largest sheepskin scorpion is made of more than 600 sheepskin bags, and the small leather raft is made of more than 10 sheepskin bags, suitable for short-distance transportation. Sheep scorpion is an important part of the Yellow River culture and the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient Han people. The sheepskin scorpion is a 1,500-year-old vehicle used by the Yellow River people here. Before the highway was opened, there were only two ways to connect the Yellow River to the outside world: one was to make a sheepskin raft to walk the water, the other was a small intestine in the cliff, and the back was a camel... Now it has become Lanzhou A highlight of the sightseeing tour on the Yellow River.

The "Yellow River Stone Forest Ski Resort" has a 40,000 square meters of snow-capped area, which can accommodate thousands of tourists to eat, live, travel and play. In order to meet the needs of different tourists for the diversity of skiing projects, the ski resort has opened a variety of snowboarding projects such as veneer, double board, snowmobile, snow circle, snow tug-of-war, ice bumper cars, snow turn, snowball fights, etc. It is an entertainment destination for ice and snow tourism in the silver area. Here in winter, you can find the wonderful life and start an unusual snow and ice journey.

[Yellow River Shilin International Ski Resort] Create a winter and spring tourism brand, enrich the winter and spring tourism, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of Jingtai Tourism. The Yellow River Shilin Grand Scenic Area launches the winter and spring tourism preferential policies. From November 1st, 2018 to March 31st, 2019, the Yellow River Shilin Grand Scenic Area is open to all tourists. Of course, the tickets are free, and the various rides in the scenic area actually need additional charges. There is also a snow park outside the ski area, which includes snow circles, snowmobiles, snow tanks, snow turns, several children's sleds, Zorb balls, and Meihualing seven play projects. The colorful winter tourism project has attracted many families to travel, and the people who are traveling with the family have also filled this winter with joy and laughter.

Gansu Lanzhou | Yellow River Stone Forest | The masterpiece of nature

✨ Location and navigation of Yellow River Stone Forest National Geological Park The Yellow River Stone Forest is located in Jingyuan County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, only one and a half hours' drive from Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, about 2 hours from the center of Lanzhou City, and 1 hour from Jingyuan County. Navigate to 'Yellow River Stone Forest National Geological Park' 👉How to get there It is recommended to drive by yourself, it is convenient to rent a car at Zhongchuan Airport, and the price is very cheap in the off-season, you can rent a reliable SUV for just over 100 per day. You can also choose to join a group, public transportation is not recommended due to the few schedules 👉Itinerary If you can set off before noon, you can consider including Yongtai Ancient City in Jingyuan in your day trip. If you arrive in the afternoon, I recommend you to go to the Yellow River Stone Forest for a half-day tour Lanzhou-Yellow River Stone Forest-(Stay in Yongtai Ancient City until sunset)-Lanzhou ⏰Recommended duration of visit: 3-5 hours 👉Tickets and scenic area transportation Tickets are 40 yuan + transportation package 128, not bundled purchase The internal transportation in the scenic area can be described as crazy. If it weren't for the alternative route (mentioned below), I would call it the most inconvenient scenic spot in the entire northwest. It requires a bus - transfer to a battery car - walk 1km through the village - change to a sheepskin raft - take a battery car to the mouth of the canyon - change to a battery car to the depths of the canyon - walk up to the viewing platform 👉Important: Alternative route At the south gate parking lot, you will randomly encounter an npc: a local uncle. He will take you in for 60 yuan per person, the uncle I met was quite reliable. The process of taking a local car is also simplified from the official bus - battery car - walk - sheepskin raft - battery car - sightseeing car to private car - walk 1 kilometer to the mouth of the canyon - sightseeing car, you need to buy a 30 yuan sightseeing car ticket separately 📷The most core place is undoubtedly the Yima Gully Grand Canyon. If the weather is good, it is easy to take pictures of the feeling of American western movies, which is not inferior to the Yadan on the Qinghai-Tibet loop. Take the sightseeing car to the first stop at the mouth of the canyon, walk forward and turn a corner, that is the best check-in point. Another place is the viewing platform at the end of the canyon, you need to walk or take a donkey cart up 📷Twenty-two bends: The drone view is no less than the Panlong Ancient Road and the 72 bends of Yela Mountain. The best take-off point is about 100 meters ahead of the ticket office 👉About the donkey cart: At the end of the Yima Gully Grand Canyon, you can take a donkey cart to the viewing platform, but the donkey cart can no longer go towards the canyon (as of the end of September 2023). Those photos of donkey carts taken in the canyon may have become a thing of the past 👉The facilities in the scenic area are quite complete, there are many farmhouses that can provide food and accommodation along the way from the entrance of the scenic area to the entrance of the canyon. Supplies can also be purchased at the end of the canyon, and the prices are quite affordable. There are public toilets in the canyon for convenience. If you need to stay in a regular hotel, Jingyuan Stone Forest Hotel is the only choice in the scenic area (single 100+/double 200+/suite 400+)