Things to do in Jishishan

The Bingling Temple Grottoes are hailed by scholars as an "encyclopedia of Chinese grottoes," holding an irreplaceable and important position in my country's grotto art. It is not only one of the three major grottoes in Gansu, but also the first Yellow River grotto on the Silk Road.

The Dadun Gorge Scenic Area is located in Xining City. It's not far, but the hike up takes a while. The road is in good condition, though. Once you reach the top, the scenery is breathtaking.

I visited once in 1998 when I was a child, once in 2006, and again in 2026 with my daughter on her graduation trip. Each visit brought different feelings and perspectives. The landscape remains the same, but we have changed. Humans are insignificant in the face of nature.

The Lajia Site, located in Lajia Village, Guantang Town, Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, Qinghai Province, was discovered to have been destroyed by an earthquake and flood 4,000 years ago. It is the only large-scale disaster site discovered in China to date. The site still contains remains of a mother protecting her child and turning back to rescue her relatives, thus earning it the nickname "Oriental Pompeii." The Lajia Site is a large prehistoric settlement site in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, primarily inhabited by the Qijia culture. Discovered in 1981, the site underwent nine years of archaeological excavation from 1999 to 2007, uncovering important remains of the Qijia culture, including settlement dwellings, high-level tombs, moats, small squares, and altars, yielding many groundbreaking new discoveries. From 2013 to 2019, the site underwent its second phase of fieldwork. More than 450 sites were discovered, including house foundations, moats, pottery kilns, sacrificial pits, tombs, large gullies, ash pits, and ash ditches. Over 2,000 artifacts related to production and daily life were unearthed, primarily from the Majiayao, Qijia, Xindian, and Han-Jin cultures. On June 25, 2001, the Lajia site was designated as a fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Key Discoveries: 1) A large jade knife, 35 cm long, 15 cm wide, and 0.5 cm thick, has a round hole and is broken at the second hole. Since ancient times odd numbers were considered auspicious, it is inferred that this jade knife had at least three holes, meaning the shortest piece was at least 70 cm long; 2) The Yellow River Chime King, 91 cm long, 61 cm wide, and 4 cm thick, is rectangular with a carved perforation for hanging and a symbolic blade. It was made in imitation of a rectangular stone knife from the same period, unlike the traditional bow-shaped or L-shaped chimes. Based on the discoveries at the Lajia site, the shape of the stone chime should be related to production tools, originating from the stone knives of the Qijia culture; 3) In 2002, an inverted pottery bowl was discovered on the ground of house F20 in the eastern area of ​​the Lajia site, containing noodle-like remains, the shape of which is basically the same as modern ramen. This is the earliest known physical evidence of noodles. Researchers took samples from the sediment, which is about 6 cm thick, every 1 cm, extracting samples from six locations: three from the location of the noodle-like objects and three from the soil layer beneath them. Through phytolith analysis, starch analysis, and biomarker compound analysis, it was determined that the noodles were mainly composed of millet, with a small amount of sorghum, which is consistent with the agricultural characteristics of the Qijia culture at the Lajia site inferred by archaeobotanists based on plant seeds.

As the first stop in Gannan from Linxia, ​​it's a pretty good tourist attraction, with all three viewing platforms worth taking photos at. However, even during the off-season holidays, the shuttle buses are hard to find, so I can only imagine how ridiculous the queues will be during the summer peak season.

孟达天池被誉为“高原西双版纳，天域香格里拉”，面积约300亩，池水清澈碧澄与蓝天一色，群峰倒影，随波微动。湖中水鸟飞翔，鱼儿舒然游动。区内森林覆盖面积14万余亩，有亚热带、暖温带植物，林中栖息苏门羚、林麝、狍鹿、岩羊、狐狸、雪鸡、马鸡等珍禽异兽。去循化赏秋，首先要去的一定是孟达天池，秋季的天池是一年中最美的，那层林尽染的孟达山林与微波荡漾的一汪池水，足以满足你对秋景所有的向往。尤其是天池的彩虹瀑布，在秋叶灿灿中释放出所有的激情。

It was surprisingly entertaining 😍 we went thinking it was just a beautiful natural scenario but had a lot of fun with the equipments also. The waterslide its a must try!

The camels at Shapotou are very well cared for; there's no odor at all. Each camel caravan consists of four camels led by a guide, and the entire journey takes about 10 minutes and is very safe and smooth. In the off-season, there's no need to queue, and you don't see the spectacular sight of long camel caravans waiting at traffic lights that you see online. At the end of the journey, the guide will help you take photos with your phone. Highly recommended!

First, you should have seen the upper section of the South Wing and hired a guide; otherwise, the lower section of the North Wing and other exhibits won't be very beginner-friendly. Second, you need ample time; even a quick tour of the upper section of the South Wing takes half an hour, and the same goes for the lower section. Third, as a first-class museum, it naturally has its highlights and unique features. Fourth, please treat everything as folk art. Fifth, if you have some knowledge of Buddhist colleges and medical textbooks, you'll understand the value of the North Wing's collection—it contains items that are rarely seen, unless you become a lama.

Time seemed to slow down amidst the sound of the prayer wheels turning. My body and mind received a baptism of light. The guide's explanations enhanced my understanding of religious culture.