Things to do in Golmud

It was a bit cloudy the day I went. It's the largest of the three salt lakes, and the apple-green water is beautiful. It's my top recommendation of the three; aside from not allowing swimming, it's much better than Chaka Salt Lake. It also has reflections, a true green mirror of the sky.

We came during the off-season and stayed at a hotel within the scenic area on October 30th. Staying at a hotel within the scenic area allows for two days of sightseeing, multiple rides on the sightseeing bus, and entry into the scenic area. The weather was great that day, and the scenery was beautiful. Due to time constraints, we visited each sightseeing bus stop first. The last stop was quite close to the hotel, and we could walk around to watch the sunset. On the morning of October 31st, we planned to go to the Eye of Yadan, but it got too cold, so we didn't go. The hotel breakfast during the off-season was average, with limited variety. The hotel room was quite large, though. There was cigarette ash on the bedside table and some dirt on the bed, so we immediately asked the staff to change the blankets.

东台吉乃尔湖，位于青海省海西蒙古族藏族自治州格尔木市境内。湖水在阳光下闪闪发光，透露着独特的蓝色，一望无际，空旷而又神秘。消失或是出现皆没有迹象，是上帝的一滴“蓝眼泪”。非常适合打卡拍照。过去十年间，东台吉乃尔湖已经出现消失多次。时隔3年，它如海市蜃楼般凭空出现在戈壁里。与众不同的蒂夫尼蓝，主要来源于锂盐。去东台交通不便，最好自驾。

Pros: The scenery is stunning: rolling alpine meadows, the majestic Kunlun Mountains, the desolate Gobi Desert, and the occasional sight of miraculous highland treasures like Tibetan wild donkeys and camels. These constantly resonate with our souls, evoking long-forgotten poetic and distant horizons. Cons: The road is far from the city, 160 kilometers from Golmud. Most importantly, the entire route is currently under construction, making it a five-hour drive. The road is bumpy and potholed, and several vehicles suffered punctures along the way. The altitude is high, nearly 4,800 meters, so be prepared for altitude sickness.

A Brief Introduction to Hoh Xil: A Mysterious and Pure Land on the Plateau, a Dream Destination for Explorers! When you think of Hoh Xil, images of a vast, boundless plateau, majestic snow-capped mountains, herds of rare wild animals, and a mysterious and remote uninhabited area might immediately come to mind. Indeed, this is Hoh Xil, a place that inspires longing and carries a touch of mystery.

This time I traveled along the coast to the west. I saw on the Internet that Queen Mother Yaochi is a must-visit attraction when going to Golmud. Because I heard that the road in the past was very bad, it took six hours to walk a hundred kilometers, so I went there with the mentality of giving it a try. I didn't expect that after I went there, I found that the road was repaired. It was a two-lane asphalt road. It started from Wuji Longfeng Palace and went west all the way. There was no speed limit throughout the journey (but it was best to drive 80 miles per hour). The tourist attractions on the road were all under construction. I didn't see people and cars along the way. The end of the road was Queen Mother Yaochi. As for the scenery, it was amazing. There were snow-capped mountains all the way, and I saw Tibetan antelopes and wild donkeys. I gave up the Tibetan antelope viewing platform in Kekexili later because I saw them here. The only shortcoming was that after arriving at Queen Mother Yaochi, I didn't stop the car, walked around, and left directly. The reason was that there were so many mosquitoes under the sun in the daytime that they stopped on the car windows. I was scared and left immediately and didn't dare to get off the car. Fortunately, the scenery on the way there was amazing, and you could stop and take a rest (no mosquitoes). Except for mosquitoes, everything else was good. Recommended! ! !

The G315 highway was under construction, so we arrived at the scenic area around 5:00 PM. We immediately entered and took a shuttle bus and electric car to the central attraction, Lotus Flower 🪷, just in time to capture the sunset. Even on the return trip, we couldn't stop to take photos of the sunset, the salt flowers, and the lake. The last bus to the scenic area left at 7:30 PM.

This is a small park in the oilfield residential area. It's hilarious! Who turned it into a tourist attraction?

We passed by here on the way from Haixi to Golmud by car, beside the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The driver introduced this place to us. It is said that the temple houses statues of the Queen Mother of the West, the Lady of the Nine Heavens, and the Golden Saint Mother, as well as a statue of the Tenth Panchen Lama.