Things to do in Jiuquan

A very nice and unique scenic spot. You have to walk up the sand dunes. I did my research and wore my own flip-flops, saving 8 yuan on shoe covers. No camel riding or taking the park shuttle bus. It's not far from the middle gate; climbing the hill to see Crescent Lake is beautiful.

It was nice to learn about the history behind this place, especially because we were able to get the English tour guide, she was very helpful and very knowledgeable about the whole area. If you are in this place, this is a must!

This is extremely important, and I must say it first: don't trust the bookstore's own mini-program for booking a visit at a specific time. The description said there was a 9 PM visit after closing time, but I booked that one. Luckily, my itinerary ended early, and I arrived around 8:30 PM, only to be told they were closing and I should go to the second floor first. Closing time was 9 PM, and I almost missed it! Remember to wear shoe covers once inside. They're in the basket on the right. Put them on before entering. The bookstore is quite spacious, with the second floor being the main attraction, perfect for taking photos.

This is a scenic spot well worth visiting, combining desert scenery and border culture. You can also experience the fun of donkey cart rides. The area is also rich in local products, and various grapes and golden goblet fish are worth trying. Highly recommended.

This is the vehicle you take to a more secluded spot to watch the sunset; whether you take it or not is optional. The vehicle has a strong diesel smell. (Price includes round trip). The price is the same whether you buy it through a travel agency or on-site.

We drove there ourselves, it took a little over an hour from Shazhou Town in Dunhuang. It's definitely worth seeing; the Big and Small Passes and the Han Great Wall ruins were both breathtaking. The景区 staff were very dedicated and responsible; they even took us to the last attraction in their shuttle bus without rushing or showing any impatience, which was very touching.

This is the only legally designated uninhabited area in China, though it's probably no longer considered an uninhabited area; it's now a tourist attraction with fairly complete facilities. If you're looking for the authentic uninhabited experience, it's not worth it, as many other wild uninhabited areas are even more deserted. However, if you're looking for the various Yardang landforms, it's a great spot for taking photos. Because we didn't want to drive on the rough roads and just wanted to take some pictures, we left after the first checkpoint and didn't complete the entire route. If you have a four-wheel drive and aren't afraid of bumpy rides, you can complete the whole route to see the Tongtian Cave at the end.

The Shazhou/Dunhuang Night market is clean, cohesively decorated, and conveniently located in the city center! As part of your silk road travels visit this well put together market for delicious food and souvenir buys! 🛍 We bought cashmere wool scarves, magnets, and knick knacks all for great prices. The vendors are not pushy at all! We had a pleasant experience wandering the shops and the vendors were very friendly and accommodating. I'd recommend having alipay or wechat pay set up as this is the most convenient payment method when travelling China but at this market the vendors did accept cash from our fellow tour guide travellers. 🐟 The food court area gives camping vibes. You'll see small camp stools and chairs around small fires. Our tour guide told us that the fish and beef cakes are the most popular. We tried the fish which was yummy and the beefcakes welllll the line was a little too long for us but our fellow tour group travellers said it was delicious and even bought some for the road the next day! 🎐 Since the market was in the city center we explored the shops nearby and then caught a Didi back to our hotel. The night market is worth visiting, probably one of the best I have visited in my travels. 

The scenery is beautiful and the service is excellent. The shuttle buses within the scenic area are a small train and open-air sightseeing vehicles; because the temperature is quite low in the morning, a large bus is also arranged. The flower fields are beautiful, and the poplar trees are stunning.

After finishing the Gansu leg and crossing the Dangjin Mountain to Qinghai, we added this stop to our daytime itinerary due to some free time. The film base has been used for several movies; the Nine-Story Demon Tower in Luchuan is probably the most famous. The monsters in it even have sound effects. It was sunny all the way, but it turned cloudy when we arrived at the scenic area, which actually made for some good photos. The altitude suddenly rose from over 1000 meters in Gansu to 2800 meters, but thankfully, I was only a little out of breath. There's a KFC in the scenic area, which was pretty good.