Off the Beaten Track

Itinerary: 10-Day Lanzhou -Yongdeng - Gulang County - Yongchang - Shandan County - Zhangye City - Linze - Qingshui - Jiayuguan - Yumen - Guazho - Dunhuang - Lanzhou

Upon arrival in this city on the banks of the Yellow River, you can do a leisurely bicycle tour in the urban area and taste the local food.

Ten kilometers to the northwest of Yongdeng, you will get to Tianzhu County early in the morning. You may be lucky to see the rare white yak here. Then, the 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) road will lead you to climb over the 2,800-meter (9,186-feet) Wushaoling Ridge this afternoon. The uphill road is gentle that you could see in the distance the site of the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). When descending, you will be attracted by the much more beautiful scenery, especially around the harvest season. At the foot of Wushaoling, there is a reservoir called Shibalibu where you could stop for a rest. Just from here, you will start to explore the scenes of the vast Gobi and endless mountains. Continuing the journey to Gulang, you will find some historical monuments and buildings on the way.

Going on with taking the National Highway No.312, you will get to Wuwei first, 60 kilometers (37 miles) away. Before entering Wuwei City, you could visit the White Tower Temple which is in Wunan Town. Later, you could have a lunch in Wuwei City and visit this ancient city briefly. Out of Wuwei about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles), there is a monument of the Chinese Red Army. Afterwards, the flat road will lead to Yongchang directly.

Setting off in the morning, you will have a moderate but memorable journey today. The road condition from Shandan to Zhangye is so good that you could get to Zhangye for a rich lunch and then visiting the Pearl on the Silk Road. In fact, there are so many things worthy to do in Zhangye that you may stay over here. Of course, you could continue ending up today's journey in Linze which is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Zhangye. Just before entering Linze, you will find the Western Army Memorial Park which you can visit for a ticket of 4 RMB.

This 100-kilometer (62-mile) section is a little challenging since you have to cycle on the Gobi which does not have too many good views other than the seldom dotted farmlands and saline-alkali field. The road condition is comfortable for biking, but you should be careful of the trucks running side-by-side. After a little tiring cycling to Yuanshanzi, you could have a rest in this small village. Later, an easier 38-kilometer (24.6-mile) cycling will take you to Qingshui Town for the night.

Setting off from Jiayuanguan in the morning, you will get to Guazhou County (once called Anxi County) today, passing by Yumen City. The journey is a little longer so that you have to arrange the cycling properly. Fortunately, there are some villages and towns to supply you with water and food.

Out of Guazhou, you could turn to west to take the No.313 National Highway which will lead you to Dunhuang directly. Although this 120-kilometer (74.5-mile) journey is comfortable for cycling, it is suggested that you take enough food and water because you will be in the desolate Gobi. If you stay over in the urban area, you could explore the gorgeous Dunhuang for the next two days and return to Lanzhou by bus or air.