I visited Silver City last September. I originally planned just to transfer through Jingtai, but ended up staying 3 days in Tongcheng—Yellow River Stone Forest, Gobi Turtle City, red Huining, and industrial mining pits are all packed into one prefecture-level city. There are so few people that you can park anywhere in the scenic area, and prices are still stuck at 5 years ago😮💨 But if you go in July or August, you really have to pick your timing carefully. The Gobi can cause sunburn by noon. This guide is based on my own experience to help you avoid pitfalls.
⚠️ Two important tips no one mentions:
· For the July–August Gobi route (Stone Forest/Turtle City), you must leave early and return late. Between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, it’s blazing hot with no shade. The Stone Forest canyon is even more stifling. It’s best to enter before 9:00 AM and leave by noon to eat in Longwan Village and escape the heat.
· There aren’t many high-speed trains to Baiyin South Station. Lanzhou West to Baiyin South takes about 30–40 minutes (around ¥30). To get to Jingtai’s Stone Forest and Yongtai Turtle City, you must rent a car or drive yourself. Shared rides from the city cost about ¥50 per person one way and take 1.5 hours. Don’t count on public buses.
💰 Budget
🎈 2 days 1 night · Tongcheng city line: about ¥450–600 per person
· Transport: Lanzhou West ↔ Baiyin South round trip ¥60 | local taxis + Shuichuan bus ≈ ¥40
· Accommodation: chain or established hotels in Baiyin District ¥120–180 per night
· Admission: Flame Mountain Mining Park free + Shuichuan Wetland free + city museum free ≈ ¥0
· Food and drink: lamb, sour stewed meat, night market, about ¥90–110 per day × 2 ≈ ¥180–220
🏜️ 3 days 2 nights · deep Stone Forest + Turtle City line: about ¥850–1100 per person
· Transport: Lanzhou/Baiyin round trip ¥60 | 2-day car rental (Stone Forest + Turtle City + Jingtai round trip) ≈ ¥500–600 per car (split among 4 people ¥125–150 per person) | or shared ride ¥50 per person one way × 4 legs ≈ ¥200
· Accommodation: 1 night in Baiyin city ¥150 + 1 night in Longwan Village guesthouse ¥120–200 ≈ ¥270–350
· Admission: Yellow River Stone Forest ticket 40 + transport package 68 = 108 (latest price as of June 2026, includes bus + electric cart + Yellow River boat) + Yinma Valley donkey cart ¥80–90 per cart (can share 3–4 people) + sheepskin raft ¥90 per raft (optional) ≈ ¥140–180 | Yongtai Turtle City free | Huining meeting site free
· Food and drink: about ¥90–110 per day × 3 ≈ ¥270–330
💡 Don’t buy Stone Forest tickets separately! Buying the main ticket and transport separately on site is more expensive. The 108 all-in-one pass is the safest choice.
📍 Recommended attractions (ranked by value and sun exposure)
🪨 Yellow River Stone Forest National Geopark (Longwan Village, Zhongquan Town, Jingtai | 4A)
2.1 million years of sandstone and conglomerate peaks + 22 bends of the Yellow River. The filming location for “The Myth” is no exaggeration. Take the bus through 22 mountain bends → switch to electric cart in Longwan Village → boat on the Yellow River → donkey cart through Yinma Valley (the driver sings local folk songs). Open 8:00 AM–6:00 PM, last entry at 5:00 PM. Arrive before 9:00 AM in summer for soft light and fewer visitors. It gets stuffy in Yinma Valley after 11:00 AM.
🏜️ Yongtai Ancient City / Turtle City (Jingtai Sitang Township | free)
A military fortress city from the 36th year of the Wanli era (1608) of the Ming dynasty, shaped like a resting turtle from above. Filming location for “Mulan” and “The Myth.” No commercialization, no convenience stores. The south gate’s wengcheng (barbican) is great for backlit borderland photos. The rammed earth city wall is 1.1 km around. Amber light at dusk is stunning🌅. City wall admission ¥5, city god temple ¥3, optional. Bring your own water and windbreaker; the Gobi wind is strong and the sand is hard.
🏛️ Huining Red Army Meeting Site (Huining County | free with ID)
The 1936 meeting site of the three armies, including the meeting hall, memorial tower, and Long March victory museum. A significant red tourism and study site. Closed on Mondays, so don’t go on that day. About 2 hours from Baiyin city, only go if it fits your route; it’s a bit far out.
⛏️ Flame Mountain National Mining Park (Baiyin District | free)
The open-pit mine and old mining equipment of “China’s copper city.” Industrial style perfect for photos. The museum tells the story of the copper city’s struggle (also closed on Mondays). Taxi from the city costs under ¥8. You can finish in 1.5 hours, perfect combined with the city museum.
🌾 Shuichuan Yellow River Wetland Park (Shuichuan Town, Baiyin District | free)
Reeds and lotus boardwalks along the Yellow River bank. Lush green in summer, swans during migratory season (October–March). Bus 31 from the city takes about 30 minutes. Evening strolls relieve Gobi visual fatigue. On the way, stop at Huacun Gujiashan (white walls, black tiles, a little Jiangnan) for a bowl of tea.
If short on time, prioritize: Stone Forest > Turtle City > Mining Park > Shuichuan. Huining needs half a day alone; don’t force it if it’s out of the way.
🗺️ Itinerary
2 days 1 night · easy city line (good for Lanzhou transfers, elders, or avoiding sun in summer)
· Day 1: Lanzhou West → Baiyin South → Flame Mountain Mining Park (go after 4:00 PM for side light photos) → city museum → Gongnong Road night market (roasted lamb trotters + stir-fried bolala + milk egg fermented rice wine)
· Day 2: morning walk at Shuichuan Wetland → tea at Huacun Gujiashan → lunch and return
3 days 2 nights · Stone Forest + Turtle City line (best in September–October, must leave early and return late in July–August)
· Day 1: Baiyin South → car rental to Jingtai (drop luggage) → Yongtai Turtle City (arrive after 4:00 PM for sunset and city wall photos) → stay in Jingtai county town
· Day 2: arrive at Yellow River Stone Forest before 8:00 AM → bus through 22 bends → Longwan Village → electric cart → Yellow River boat → Yinma Valley donkey cart → leave Longwan Village at 12:30 PM for lunch and heat break → return at 3:30 PM to the viewing platform for golden edge Stone Forest photos → stay at Longwan Village guesthouse (window view of Stone Forest, night sky watching)
· Day 3: morning mist in Longwan Village → car rental back to Baiyin city → Flame Mountain Mining Park → Shuichuan Wetland → return
💡 Doing Stone Forest and Turtle City in one day is exhausting. It’s best to stay one night in Jingtai county town in between. Longwan Village guesthouses offer three times the experience of Jingtai town, and it’s so quiet at night you can hear the Yellow River.
🍜 What to eat (three flavors from Tongcheng, Jingyuan, and Jingtai)
🐑 Jingyuan lamb: the top local delicacy in Baiyin, 30–45 day old lambs raised on the plains, no gamey taste. Braised, hand-pulled, or stir-fried, all excellent, served with thick porridge rice. Old shops around Gongnong Road in Baiyin District and near the international city in Jingyuan County are the best, about ¥60–80 per person. Avoid the row near the high-speed rail station; go into the alleys of the old residential area.
🥘 Sour stewed meat: pickled cabbage braised pork belly with white noodles, a unique sour and spicy dish from the Loess Plateau, perfect with rice. Old restaurants near Gongyuan Road, about ¥35–40 per person.
🍜 Jingtai niangpi + noodle lumps: Jingtai niangpi has a rich sesame paste and chewy texture. The street stall Wang’s niangpi is the most authentic. Jingtai handmade braised meat noodles and gray bean noodles (made from flat beans with a sandy texture) are the soul of county breakfasts, about ¥15–20 per person.
🍯 Yiwo silk: sesame oil golden silk cake, an intangible cultural heritage snack. Buy packaged boxes from old Jingyuan pastry shops as souvenirs, ¥20 per box.
🌙 Night market trio: Wuyi Street / Gongnong Road night market — roasted lamb trotters (¥10 each), stir-fried bolala (iron plate lamb offal), milk egg fermented rice wine, about ¥30 per person to eat until full.
Also: Shuichuan long noodles (handmade minced noodles), Yellow River big carp (steamed fresh at Stone Forest Longwan Village farmhouse), Dongwan donkey meat (toward Jingyuan).
🎒 Real pitfall reminders (more important than attractions):
· Bring SPF 50+ sunscreen, hat, and face mask for the Gobi. Surface temperatures can reach 40°C in July–August, and there’s no shade in the Stone Forest canyon.
· Yongtai Turtle City has no convenience stores or public toilets. Bring water, tissues, and cash (city wall admission ¥5 sometimes only accepts cash).
· Yellow River Stone Forest donkey carts can be shared. Four people per cart, about ¥20–25 per person. Don’t rent one alone.
· Mining Park and Meeting Site are closed on Mondays. Don’t schedule visits then.
· Agree on car rental prices before getting in. Jingtai → Turtle City round trip costs about ¥100–150 per car. Don’t trust hourly rates.
· September–October is the highlight season for Baiyin, with poplar yellow leaves, golden Stone Forest edges, and Turtle City sunsets all in one frame. If you can choose, pick this time.