Road trip to the west, my National Day holidays

[rockdog]

1st - 7th Oct is PR.China's national day holidays, it's a 7-day long holiday which means lots of Chinese like long distance travel，including road trip cross provinces. The western China is always the most popular.

My plan was drive through Sichuan or Qinghai province, and finally get to Lhasa; but the unlucky thing is because of the zero-coivd policy, even i could reach to Tibet,
when i back to home town it's still have risk to faces 3-7 days quarantine if drive through any county with cases. Then i switched my plan to got destination to Yunnan province, it has several pop tourism destinations includes Tibetan reigion, which quite closed to Tibet.

For the vehicle, i have two cars: one is Peugeot 408, i bought it in 2011 with USD25000, and a VW full size SUV Teramount.

The Teramount i bought in 2018, it cost me USD65000, with 7 seats and 190cm tall. Since my original plan was to Tibet, the road condition would be not as good as inner land of China, i spent $USD 200 to increase suspension system, and upgraded to 195CM, it ensures me to take any shitty road condition if i don't go the real off-road.

 

[rockdog]

The first day is all about highway driving, the government had policy that during national holiday all the highway will be free for passenger vehicle, so the around 6000KM journey will save me at least $USD600.

The highway condition is always in good conditions, clean and well maintained.

 

[rockdog]

In China's highway system, every 30KM-80KM, there must be a Service Area. It normally contains a Big Toilet，a supermarket，a motel，a gas station，a cafeteria; of course if the Service Area is newly updated, there will be a charging station.

So there is no problem for traveling for whole China by pure EV，the only exceptions are Tibet & Xinjiang, there are totally 3 million KM2 same size as India but only with 25 Million people, the charging stations are not enough yet.

I have travelled 20 nations, this Services Area system is the best so far.

 

[rockdog]

In one of service areas, i found some interesting new types of vehichles:

One is full load of Tesla Model Y and Model 3, China sold 70,000 Telsa per month and they are 100% made in Shanghai.

One is full load of Tank 500, they are really hot in the market, you need payment $USD60,000 and wait for 3 months...

One is full load of Nio's ET7 and ES7, there are 50% even 100% expensive than Tesla, and start selling in EU.
I would make ET7 ($USD75000) to replace my aging Peugeot 408, if my business goes well next year.

Tne ET7 had very good review even in Germany.

 

[rockdog]

In one Service Area, i met a Lee Auto One and a Nio Battery Swap station:

The Nio Battery Swap station gains lots of traffics in EU's youtube viewers, but it's been 4 yrs old news here.

 

[rockdog]

The 2nd day, we reached our 1st destination, the Xing'an county, it would be defined as 5th Tier city, if Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou are 1st Tier city.

 

[rockdog]

This canal has 2000+ years of history, one of greatest project by ancient Chinese.

Lingqu - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

7 days ago, the China female basketball team get silver medal in FIBA World cup, the secret might be here, even this tiny county has female basketball team.

 

[rockdog]

Then we came to a memorial park forgf Red Army's Xiang River Battle.

This is the worst military failure in Red army and CCP history. 80,000 red army only had 30,000 left after battle and Mao and his team were almost destroyed. The memorial hall recorded all the history and confessed the mistakes the CCP made.

The weapons are donated by local PLA troop.

 

[rockdog]

Bisezhai Railway station, a quite old school train station, used to be a border trail system with Vietnam. The designer was from Franch.

Gebishi railway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Now it's more a tourism site, it's not integrated into national rail system any more.

 

[Love Charger]

Good pictures

 

[Love Charger]

And may you have happy travelling. Post pictures of food also .

 

[rockdog]

The 3rd day, we came to a county named the Malipo.

It's the border region with Vietnam, during 1979-1991, there were 10 yrs along skirmish, pretty like J&K for India and Pakistan.

But after 1991, China finally seal the agreement with Vietman, all the disputed region now controlled by China, now the border is peaceful.

There are 6000+ soldiers dead from PLA side, 900 of them are buried in this memorial park.

Show my respect with lighting 3 cigars for a young soilder （1964-1984）came from the same city with me.
The tombstone recored his background and the last battle, this is the PLA's tradition.

 

[rockdog]

And may you have happy travelling. Post pictures of food also .

The Yunnan provice is famous for delicious mushrooms. There are 1000+ types of mushrooms, some of them are quite poisonous, the government warned each resturant with such post.

 

[Assassin 2.0]

1st - 7th Oct is PR.China's national day holidays, it's a 7-day long holiday which means lots of Chinese like long distance travel，including road trip cross provinces. The western China is always the most popular.

My plan was drive through Sichuan or Qinghai province, and finally get to Lhasa; but the unlucky thing is because of the zero-coivd policy, even i could reach to Tibet,
when i back to home town it's still have risk to faces 3-7 days quarantine if drive through any county with cases. Then i switched my plan to got destination to Yunnan province, it has several pop tourism destinations includes Tibetan reigion, which quite closed to Tibet.

View attachment 175963

For the vehicle, i have two cars: one is Peugeot 408, i bought it in 2011 with USD25000, and a VW full size SUV Teramount.

View attachment 175964

The Teramount i bought in 2018, it cost me USD65000, with 7 seats and 190cm tall. Since my original plan was to Tibet, the road condition would be not as good as inner land of China, i spent $USD 200 to increase suspension system, and upgraded to 195CM, it ensures me to take any shitty road condition if i don't go the real off-road.

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Someone told me that lhasa is a paradise on earth. Filled with iconic natural scenic beauty. Do upload pictures of that place whenever you reach that place.

 

[rockdog]

Someone told me that lhasa is a paradise on earth. Filled with iconic natural scenic beauty. Do upload pictures of that place whenever you reach that place.

Didn't go there since the covid lock down, but i came to Tibetan region of Yunan province. It's already 99% of paradise! I will post later in this thread.

 

[rockdog]

This is the place i really dislike but a must go place: the Shadian Grand Mosuqe.

Place:

Shadian's Muslim communities and trans-local connectivities: observations from the field | IIAS

www.iias.asia

This Mosque is big, spendid indeed, heard financed by radical group from Saudi government. Now the government already cut this financial pass.

But to me it's ugly, people in this region are 90% Muslims they dress like mideast people, their community is less developed comparing other neiboring commnities, not matter Han, Naxi, Bai races. They only keep this Mosque as the best building ...

 

[Love Charger]

This is the place i really dislike but a must go place: the Shadian Grand Mosuqe.

Place:

Shadian's Muslim communities and trans-local connectivities: observations from the field | IIAS

www.iias.asia

This Mosque is big, spendid indeed, heard financed by radical group from Saudi government. Now the government already cut this financial pass.

But to me it's ugly, people in this region are 90% Muslims they dress like mideast people, their community is less developed comparing other neiboring commnities, not matter Han, Naxi, Bai races. They only keep this Mosque as the best building ...

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By the way, that's a ordinary mosque, india has well way bigger mosques etc etc .
I dont want to compete with Chinese in this regard though hehe.
Its no good you see .

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Very nice pictures and great commentary! Post more!

 

[redragon]

1st - 7th Oct is PR.China's national day holidays, it's a 7-day long holiday which means lots of Chinese like long distance travel，including road trip cross provinces. The western China is always the most popular.

My plan was drive through Sichuan or Qinghai province, and finally get to Lhasa; but the unlucky thing is because of the zero-coivd policy, even i could reach to Tibet,
when i back to home town it's still have risk to faces 3-7 days quarantine if drive through any county with cases. Then i switched my plan to got destination to Yunnan province, it has several pop tourism destinations includes Tibetan reigion, which quite closed to Tibet.

View attachment 175963

For the vehicle, i have two cars: one is Peugeot 408, i bought it in 2011 with USD25000, and a VW full size SUV Teramount.

View attachment 175964

The Teramount i bought in 2018, it cost me USD65000, with 7 seats and 190cm tall. Since my original plan was to Tibet, the road condition would be not as good as inner land of China, i spent $USD 200 to increase suspension system, and upgraded to 195CM, it ensures me to take any shitty road condition if i don't go the real off-road.

View attachment 175965

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logged in just to say thank you for this post. Great job!!!

 

[rockdog]

4th day, we arrived in a small town, called Weishan Ancient City.

Weishan Ancient City - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

www.tripadvisor.com

It's a Bai Race (Bai means White) region. The Bai race worship white as the holy color, and they like the paint their houses into white.