May Day Qinghai Secret Journey | Unlock a Different Way to Experience Qinghai

Qinghai in May is the prelude to the awakening earth, the deep gaze between snow mountains and lakes, and the poetry and distant places we all love This May Day holiday, I will take you through the vastness of Golmud, the ruggedness of the Kunlun Mountains, and the expansiveness of Qinghai Lake, measuring the poetic beauty of this wilderness with our footsteps and capturing the wrinkles of time with our cameras. Please save this guide to lesser-known Qinghai experiences for your May Day holiday 👇 🔸Golmud Populus Euphratica Desert Park Setting out from downtown Golmud in the early morning, rent an off-road vehicle and speed 60 km westward, where the snow-capped peaks of the Kunlun Mountains intertwine with the desolation of the Gobi Desert to create a magnificent scroll. The tree trunks twist like dragons, with branches reaching toward the sky, seemingly telling the legend of "living for a thousand years, standing dead for a thousand years." Practical Tips -Transportation: No public transport available, recommend hiring a car (about 200 yuan/day) or self-driving; wear high-top shoes to protect against sand. -Safety: Travel with companions, as it's easy to get lost in the desert; bring plenty of water and dry food. 🔸Kunlun Grand Canyon—Traveling Through the Crevices of "China's Antelope Valley" Travel 70 km south from Golmud along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, then turn onto a bumpy gravel road where the entrance to the Kunlun Grand Canyon is hidden. This is the masterpiece of millions of years of snowmelt erosion. Deep in the canyon, there's only room for one car to pass, and looking up reveals the spectacle of a "thread of sky." The rock walls appear to be carved by knives and axes, with sunlight pouring through the cracks, creating a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and gold. Experience Highlights 1️⃣Off-road excitement: Drive a 4WD vehicle through water across the 12 km main canyon, with water reaching the tires and splashes echoing against the canyon floor along with the roar of the engine, sending adrenaline soaring. 2️⃣Antelope Valley hiking: Venture 800 meters into the narrow side canyon, touching the texture of the rock walls as if feeling the rings of the Earth. When midday sunlight penetrates the rock crevices, the canyon's light and shadows flow like an oil painting. Practical Tips -Weather: Never enter during rainy days due to extremely high flash flood risk. -Equipment: Off-road vehicle essential; bring towing rope and spare tire; wear non-slip shoes for hiking; no cell signal in the canyon. 🔸Qinghai Lake—Embracing Freedom by the "Blue Sea" Drive east, cross over Riyue Mountain, and the azure blue of Qinghai Lake suddenly crashes into view. In May, Qinghai Lake is not yet filled with summer tourists. Wildflowers bloom sporadically along the shore, yaks graze on new grass, and distant snow mountains reflect in the lake. Only the sound of wind and heartbeats remain between heaven and earth. Cycling around the lake: Rent a bicycle at Erlangjian Scenic Area and ride along the west lake road, with the deep lake waters on your left and the stretching grasslands on your right. Qinghai Cuisine: Gifts from the Wilderness and Lake Golmud: Tender and crispy kang pot mutton paired with a glass of highland barley wine warms both stomach and heart. Qinghai Lake: Yak yogurt from herders' homes sprinkled with sugar, where sourness and sweetness intertwine on your tongue. Beautiful Qinghai—may you take away photos and memories, leaving behind only footprints and reverence—because this land deserves our gentlest treatment.