Self-driving tour: Take you to the Grassland Sky Road, one of China's ten most beautiful roads

Number of days: 2 days
Time: August
Average cost: 300 yuan
With whom: and friends

Are you still hesitating about where to go for a short holiday or weekend in Hebei this season? The Grass Skyline is really amazing, you’ll never know until you’ve been there! ! !

First, let’s take a look at our full itinerary

Duration: 2 days

Route: Grass Skyline East Route

(Zhongdu Grassland→Yehhuling→Huanghuaping→Dahaoheshan→Xiaonanwa→Sky Grassland→Potala→Yanpianshan→Huapilingling)

Day 1

There are many scenic spots in the Bashang Grassland area in Zhangbei, including Zhongdu Grassland, Grassland Skyline, Anguli Grassland, Swan Lake Wetland Park, Grassland Wind Power Tourist Park, Yehuling Military Fortress and other attractions.

The majority of your first day's itinerary will be spent here, as you can see the vast grasslands and enjoy the unique bonfire evenings. You'll also choose to stay here for the night, as it's convenient for visiting the grasslands the next day. This is especially true for those heading to the eastern entrance of the Sky Road.

Day 2

Grassland Sky Road

1. Entrance: Yehuling Expressway Entrance

Recommended Attractions

Huanghuaping: It's covered in yellow flowers, perfect for photos with a floral dress—super beautiful.

Xiaonanwa

Here comes the point!!! When you think of Xiaonanwa, you might think it's just a swamp (I hadn't planned to go there originally, I just needed to use the restroom). Turns out, it's not. Xiaonanwa is actually a Liao Dynasty city site, located in the valley on the east bank of the Xinkai River, three miles southwest of Xiaonanwa Village, Sibuzi Township, Zhangwu County, Liaoning Province. Across the river, it faces the villages of Qian and Houwulibuge, Donglingao Township, Kulun Banner, Inner Mongolia. The city was built of earth and had a roughly rectangular shape. Based on the surviving remains of its east and south walls, it was estimated to be 1,100 meters long from east to west and 950 meters wide from north to south. There are numerous architectural remains, with rubble piled up to three meters thick. The city also boasts a rich collection of artifacts, including pottery dragon heads, roof tiles, water drips, white porcelain Buddha statues, stone pagodas, stone coffins, ceramics, bronze mirrors, stone human heads, currency, and ironware. Today, scholars generally believe the city was a Liao Dynasty prefecture. It's a truly fascinating place. src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/0103m120008n3bpcf7FC2_R_800_10000_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" />

④ Sky Grassland

This is a national AAA-level tourist attraction. The name sounds very nice at first. It's truly worth the trip. It's located at the top of the Taihang Mountains, at the junction of Weixian and Laiyuan counties in Hebei Province, and Lingqiu County in Shanxi Province. It's 2,158 meters above sea level, with the vast majority of the area located in Weixian. It's a vast grassland with lush green grass and wildflowers.

⑤ Potala Observation Deck

This Potala isn't that Potala. When I first saw the Potala, I was so excited, thinking it was a miniature Potala Palace in Lhasa. Perhaps my expectations were too high; the reality wasn't as exciting. Instead, it felt a bit disappointing. There's no vast grassland, no windmills, just a platform. It's a bit boring. It doesn't compare to the spaciousness and comfort of the grassland in the sky, nor the magnificent architecture of the mountains and rivers.

⑥ Yanpian Mountain: A quick Wikipedia article reveals that the rock formations at Yanpian Mountain are unique: a cluster of massive, tightly packed, fractured stone pillars. Standing abruptly amidst the gently rounded hills on one side of the Grassland Sky Road, they create a truly remarkable stone wonder. While the mountain isn't high, climbing to its summit requires both hands and feet. From a distance, it resembles a series of interlocking stone castles built by ancient giants.

The rock is formed by the condensation of volcanic lava, called basalt, which was roughly formed in the Mesozoic era 2 million years ago. Due to the orogeny of the Himalayas, the earth's plates were squeezed, and many fissure-shaped volcanoes were formed here. Lava overflowed from the craters and covered the earth, forming the huge Zhangbei lava platform. These lavas slowly cooled, and cracks appeared as they shrank. If the cooling rate of these crack grids is particularly uniform on all sides, the shape is an ideal hexagon, but often the cooling rate is uneven on all sides, which will form this kind of 4-sided or 5-sided shape. The shapes of these large rocks are mostly It's square and perfectly shaped, like bricks. This stone is full of pores, the result of gases released from the volcanic lava. It's a commanding height, 15 kilometers from Huapiling. We stopped briefly at Yanpian Mountain to admire the incredible stone wonders. Although the mountain isn't high, it still takes a lot of effort to reach the summit. In fact, from a distance, Yanpian Mountain looks like a series of stone castles built by ancient giants, each guarding the other. The greatest feeling here is that the bizarre rock formations allow my imagination to run wild. Nature is truly remarkable; its workmanship is unmatched.

Now that we've introduced the attractions and routes, let's move on to the most pressing question.

Accommodation:

Our first stop was Zhongdu Grassland. Accommodation there was sufficient. There's no need to make many stops on the Grassland Sky Road; you can just walk and explore.

I recommend a village not far from the scenic area called Sanbao Yingpan Village. The name has a Mongolian feel, meaning "three auspicious treasures."

However, there are so many farms and hotels in the village that practically every household operates a farm stay, so it's inevitable that there's a mix of good and bad.

First, I recommend the Jinrui Resort Hotel

Recommendation: It's a more formal and upscale hotel. Compared to farmhouses, it's more professional and reassuring. This isn't advertising; I'm saying this after experiencing it myself. You can also learn more about it.

You won't find another place like this on Zhongdu Grassland.

Location: No. 9, Sanbaoyingpan Village, Wufutang Brigade, Haojiaying Township, Zhangbei, near Zhongdu Grassland

The bonfire party is a must-attend. The Zhongdu Grassland Scenic Area has a large bonfire party with a ticket price of 78 yuan. The Jinrui Hotel also has a free small bonfire party every night, and you can also set off fireworks.

Horseback riding is also a must-try on the grasslands. You can ask the owner to help you contact a suitable horse team.

Precautions

①Sunscreen: Sun hat, parasol, sunglasses, and sun-protective clothing are all important. Although the sun was not very hot when we arrived, it was already dark.

② Bring your favorite tea. I usually drink Southern Shaanxi green tea. After a day of feasting, tea is really nice and can even alleviate the mutton smell.

③ Book a hotel in advance. During peak season, hotels are really tight, and many people start booking a week in advance. Especially for reputable hotels like Jinrui, rooms are often sold out very early! So be sure to book online in advance.