3.5 tourisms along China National Highway G315.

The next day (after visiting Chaka Salt Lake) of our China-2024 trip was packed with tourisms. We were set to explore and admire a full three… and a half attractions. They may not be 5K-rated, but all together they were to make this section of our route a real treat…

As we ventured deeper into rocky desert, the scenery became increasingly striking:

This spot had become so touristy they’ve even banned stopping here! ->

These formations are quite common:

“Mars on Earth” (details – below). Since it’s a future tourist project, it counts as the 0.5 of the attractions visited ->

We also stopped by some more salt lakes:

To get to see all 3.5 tourisms in the single day, we needed to up early, have a quick breakfast, pack our bags, and hit the road again with the larks. After a while, we took a left turn – here – onto the G315 Highway, which would lead us on to these picturesque landscapes ->

The G315 is particularly scenic. On both sides – sand dunes and assorted rock formations:

Our first stop was at the “Hongya Daichaidan Martian Landscape”, aka the “Mars Simulation Base” ->

The tourist attraction is still under construction, with only the entrance area partially completed:

“Simulator of Martian Settlements”. But… something tells me that the first “Martians” will have to live underground to protect themselves from cosmic radiation…

The plans here are grand. Once completed, you could probably spend an entire day here:

Up went our drone. It really does look like Mars! ->

Onward! The road’s great. I love these kinds of views:

Here’s one of the main views that tourist ads hype up. It’s called the “U-shaped highway” – a real big hit with Chinese ->

There are parking spots and photo areas along the sides of the road. And to prevent tourists from causing accidents on the shoulders, there’s a warning sign:

But folks still park where they shouldn’t, walk around, and take photos in the middle of the road ->

We head on: the road keeps delighting us with wonderful views ->

Unusual landscapes appear: yardangs – elongated hills formed by wind erosion ->

I’ve no idea what these bumps are called ->

Next stop – another salt lake: Dongtai Jinaier Salt Lake (here). A search for this name brings up non-touristy information about lithium projects here. But we didn’t come for metals – we came for the views:

Tourist infrastructure hasn’t reached here yet. You can walk around for free, but there are no services except for some makeshift shops (as of fall 2024).

Not matching colors – marching colors:

More blues – of both the sky and lakes:

And the endless expanses…

Our last stop, the main highlight of the day – the Shuishang Yadan Geopark: intricate rocky landscapes framed by a bright lake. You can must spend at least two or three hours here! And fly a drone…

Tourists are taken to the main viewing spots by bus. The stunning views start on the way:

The crowds of arriving tourists are then let loose – walking wherever they want ->

Most folks stay near the main platforms, but we went further:

It seemed to me that there are no restrictions on routes here – walk wherever and for as long as you want. You could probably get lost in among these labyrinths… if you don’t know how to navigate by the sun :)…

Closer to “civilization” there are various installations for TikTok:

The floating restaurant looks nice too:

You can take a boat ride on the lake:

Or just walk along the shore. The views are great!

A barge for photos:

Mysterious installations for the same purpose:

My basic grasp of a handful of Chinese hieroglyphics tells me that this sign says something like “Don’t walk here” – right next to a well-trodden path :) ->

But it’s getting late – time to head to the next hotel…

Another superb day!

Toward evening, we were shown a completely unreal sunset upon surreal landscapes. Alas, we were all completely exhausted, and no one even thought to stop and photograph this wonder – only a couple of random shots of the rising moon over the endless bumps remain…

So, obviously, we’ll just have to come back another day and finish what we missed the first time!…

The rest of the photos from our China-2024 trip are here.