Gansu · Qingyang · 3 Days 2 Nights Cultural and Nature Tour
In 3 days and 2 nights, I touched the gentleness of the Loess Plateau in Qingyang, with a budget of 3000 RMB per person. I explored the Zhou Ancestor’s Tomb, walked through the Longdong Grand Canyon, stayed in cave dwellings, ate heluo noodles, and sought the forgotten Jiangnan of Longdong.
This is not a desolate loess land,
but a Longdong oasis nourished by tributaries of the Yellow River:
Terraced fields layer the loess plateau,
The Ziwu Ridge forest stretches for hundreds of miles,
Morning mist lingers before the Tang Dynasty Buddhist niches of the Beishiku Temple,
Evening sunlight shines through the cypress forest of the Zhou Ancestor’s Tomb;
I spent a night in the Xijia Cave Dwelling Homestay,
Listening to the wind passing through the wheat waves outside the window,
Eating a bowl of steaming hot heluo noodles,
Paired with the sour and spicy Qingyang fragrant vinegar—
At that moment, I suddenly understood:
The beauty of Qingyang is the gentlest side of the Loess Plateau,
The land walked by the ancestors of the Zhou people,
The silent echo of a thousand years of farming civilization.
I used 3 days and 2 nights
to turn Qingyang into a niche deep tour of “history + nature + folk customs + cuisine,”
keeping the cost under 3000 RMB per person.
This guide is for everyone who wants to avoid crowds and explore the secrets of Longdong.
📍 Travel Theme: Gansu · Qingyang · 3 Days 2 Nights Cultural and Nature Tour
📍 Best Time: May to September (mild climate, lush vegetation)
📍 Budget: 3000 RMB/person (including transportation, accommodation, tickets, meals, experiences)
📍 Suitable For: Culture lovers, families with children, photographers, summer travelers
⚠️ Road conditions on the Loess Plateau are complex; car rental recommended; large temperature difference between day and night, bring a jacket
📅 Day 1: Arrive in Qingyang → Zhou Ancestor’s Tomb + Xifeng Night Market
🚄 Transportation (about 1000 RMB)
Recommended departure from Xi’an/Lanzhou/Yinchuan:
- Xi’an → Qingyang: High-speed train 2 hours, ticket about 150 RMB
- Lanzhou → Qingyang: High-speed train 3 hours, ticket about 180 RMB
✅ Round-trip major transportation controlled within 1000 RMB
🚌 Qingyang Station → Xifeng City (Taxi 30 RMB, 20 minutes)
🏡 Afternoon: Check into a comfortable city hotel or cave dwelling homestay (about 400 RMB/night × 2 nights = 800 RMB)
✅ Recommended: “Qingyang Hotel” (convenient city location)
✅ Or “Xijia Cave Dwelling Homestay” (authentic Loess Plateau experience)
🌅 Evening: Zhou Ancestor’s Tomb Scenic Area (must visit!)
- Ticket: 50 RMB
- Said to be the tomb of the Zhou ancestors, origin of Zhou farming civilization
- Climb high to overlook Qingyang city, the cypress forest is quiet and solemn
- Photo spots: Archway, altar, distant view of the loess plateau
🍽️ Dinner: Xifeng Night Market or old noodle shop (about 60 RMB per person)
Recommended: Heluo noodles (buckwheat noodles + lamb soup), lamb chops, cold buckwheat jelly, sweet fermented dough
📅 Day 2: Beishiku Temple + Longdong Grand Canyon (Puhe Grand Canyon)
🚗 All day: Car rental for a day tour (about 300 RMB/car, can share)
Recommended to hire a local driver and guide due to complex road conditions
🏛️ Morning: Beishiku Temple (Longdong treasure)
- Ticket: 40 RMB
- The “Longdong Grotto Group” comparable to Dunhuang Mogao Caves, carved during the Northern Wei
- Cave 165 is the largest, with exquisite and well-preserved Buddhist reliefs
- Feature: Thousand-year-old Buddha images on yellow sandstone cliffs
🏞️ Afternoon: Longdong Grand Canyon (Puhe Grand Canyon)
- Ticket: 60 RMB (relatively undeveloped, simple facilities)
- Rare canyon landform on the Loess Plateau, hundreds of meters deep
- Walk along the plank road, see red rock faults and streams through the valley
- Activities: Canyon hiking, photography, wildflower picking
📸 Photo tips:
- Beishiku Temple: Use telephoto lens for Buddha details
- Grand Canyon: Use wide-angle for canyon depth, backlight silhouette
🍽️ Lunch: Farmhouse simple meal (about 50 RMB per person)
🏡 Evening: Return to city accommodation
🎨 Evening experience: Qingyang scented sachet or paper-cutting DIY (intangible cultural heritage experience, 50 RMB/person)
📅 Day 3: Nanliang Red Scenic Area or Farming Culture Park + Return
🌅 Morning option A (Red culture): Nanliang Revolutionary Memorial Hall (2 hours from city)
- Free, reservation required
- Former site of Shaanxi-Gansu border Soviet government, red education base
- Suitable for children to learn history
🌅 Morning option B (Relaxing): Qingyang Farming Culture Expo Park
- Ticket: 40 RMB
- Showcases Zhou farming civilization, traditional threshing, spinning, cave dwelling life scenes
- Good for photos and family interaction
🎁 Souvenir recommendations:
- Qingyang scented sachet (Dragon Boat Festival custom, 60 RMB each)
- Handmade paper-cut (intangible cultural heritage, 30 RMB per piece)
- Buckwheat heluo noodle gift box (60 RMB per box)
- Qingyang dried apples or goji berries (50 RMB per bag)
🚄 Afternoon: Xifeng → Qingyang Station (Taxi 30 RMB)
Return trip
💰 Total budget breakdown (per person)
- Transportation: Major transport 1000 + local taxi/car rental 300 = 1300 RMB
- Accommodation: 400 × 2 = 800 RMB
- Meals: 60 + 50 + breakfast = 110 RMB
- Tickets & experiences:
- Zhou Ancestor’s Tomb 50 RMB
- Beishiku Temple 40 RMB
- Longdong Grand Canyon 60 RMB
- Farming Park 40 RMB (or Nanliang free)
- Intangible cultural heritage experience 50 RMB (optional)
✅ Subtotal: 190 RMB (without experience) or 240 RMB (with)
- Emergency + medicine: about 100 RMB
- Souvenirs: about 200 RMB
✅ Total: about 2740 RMB (precisely controlled within 3000 RMB)
🌟 Practical tips:
- Flash photography is prohibited at Beishiku Temple
- Heluo noodles must be eaten with fragrant vinegar for better flavor
- The Loess Plateau is windy; wear hats and sunglasses to prevent sand
- Respect local customs; scented sachets symbolize good luck and can be hand-sewn as gifts
The beauty of Qingyang
is the silence and gentleness of the Loess Plateau.
It tells you with a tomb, a Buddha cave, and a bowl of noodles:
The real Gansu
is not just Dunhuang and Jiayuguan,
but also this forgotten Jiangnan of Longdong,
quietly growing deep in the wind and sand.