[2025 Haidong Attraction] Travel Guide for China Qinghai Liuwan Caitao Museum (Updated Jul)

2025 Haidong, Qinghai Travel Guide: The Historical Ballad and Hidden Wonders of the Hehuang Valley🌄 Haidong, this land of the Hehuang Valley east of Qinghai Lake, is the cradle of civilization on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and a millennia-old corridor where Tibetan and Han cultures intertwine. When the Ming Dynasty murals of Qutan Temple awaken in the morning light, when the Danxia landforms of Huzhu North Mountain blush crimson in the sunset, and when the rainbow-sleeved dances of the Tu Ethnic Folk Culture Garden sway to joyful melodies, every inch of this land tells ancient yet vibrant stories. From the solemnity of the "Little Forbidden City of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" to the breathtaking artistry of the colorful Danxia, from the brilliance of Tu ethnic intangible heritage to the tranquility of Qinghai Lake's eastern shore, Haidong invites you with its unique multicultural charm to explore this land blessed by time. ⛱️Must-Visit Attractions: 1. **Qutan Temple🏯** - **"Little Forbidden City" of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau**: A royal temple built during the Ming Dynasty with an imperial plaque bestowed by Emperor Yongle, featuring grand architecture blending Han and Tibetan styles. - **Must-See Treasures**: Ming Dynasty murals in the Longguo Hall and the stone carving of "Cloud Drum on Elephant Back," with artistic value rivaling Dunhuang. - **Tips**: Soft morning light is ideal for photographing the temple; maintain quiet and respect religious customs inside. 2. **Huzhu North Mountain National Forest Geological Park🏞️** - **Symphony of Danxia and Forest**: Interwoven colorful stone forests, canyon waterfalls, and primeval forests; hike the "Twelve-Curve Slope" for panoramic views of layered landforms. - **Seasonal Highlights**: Summer wildflowers bloom like oil paintings, autumn paints the mountains red—a paradise for photographers. - **Hidden Experience**: Stay overnight in forest cabins and listen to mountain streams converse with the starry sky. 3. **Tu Ethnic Folk Culture Garden🌺** - **Living Museum of Tu Culture**: Rainbow-sleeved costumes, Anzhao dances, and "Wheel Swing" performances offer immersive experiences of Tu ethnic intangible heritage. - **Must-Do Activities**: Participate in Tu wedding interactions and savor local delicacies like "Dog-Pee Pancake." - **Tips**: Arrive by noon to catch afternoon folk performances. 4. **Liupan Painted Pottery Museum🎨** - **Time Capsule of Prehistoric Art**: Majiayao painted pottery from 4,600 years ago, with frog and swirl patterns whispering ancient wisdom; the museum's design mimics a painted pottery basin. - **Family-Friendly**: Try pottery-making workshops to let children touch the warmth of Neolithic craftsmanship. 5. **Xiazong Temple🏜️** - **Cliffside Sacred Site of the Kagyu Sect**: Temple complexes built into mountains, with the Bagua Pavilion overlooking the Xiaqun Temple Forest; prayer flags chant sutras in the wind. - **Hidden Gem**: Hike the back mountain to discover secret Buddhist caves and encounter blue sheep and alpine rhododendrons. 6. **Ping'an Yi·Hehuang Impression Town🏮** - **Hub of Food and Local Flavor**: One-stop tasting of hand-grabbed mutton, Liangpi noodles, and barley cakes; lanterns at night transform it into a fairy-tale town. - **Night Market Musts**: Bone-Removed Noodle Soup and Halal Stir-Fried Lamb, showcasing Hehuang's culinary delights. 🌄Travel Tips: **Classic 3-Day Itinerary**: - **Day1**: Depart from Xining → Qutan Temple (explore Ming Dynasty temples) → Liupan Painted Pottery Museum (touch prehistoric civilization) → Ping'an Yi Town (nighttime food tasting) - **Day2**: Huzhu North Mountain Forest Park (Danxia hiking + forest oxygen therapy) → Tu Ethnic Folk Culture Garden (folk performances) → Xiazong Temple (sunset and Danxia views) - **Day3**: Camel Spring Scenic Area (springs and flower fields) → Stop at Ledu Nanliang Ancient City ruins on the way back to Xining **Practical Tips**: - **Transport**: Self-driving or chartered cars recommended; attractions are scattered (rental ~¥150-300/day with insurance). - **Altitude Sickness**: Some areas exceed 3,000m; carry glucose solutions and avoid strenuous activity. - **Packing**: Large day-night temperature swings—bring a light down jacket in summer; hiking shoes for Danxia trails. 🏨Accommodation Guide: 1. **Ping'an District**: Core area with business hotels like Hyatt Place and Jinjiang Inn, ideal for first/last stops. 2. **Tu Ethnic Homestays**: Experience traditional courtyard houses with bonfire nights; try "Rainbow Tribe Homestay." 3. **North Mountain Forest Camps**: Summer options include glamping tents or cabins with cloud-sea views at dawn. 4. **Budget Picks**: Old-town hostels in Ledu (~¥50-100/person), blending into local life. 5. **Luxury**: Zen hotels near Qutan Temple offer temple-eave views for meditative stays. 💗More Tips: - **Food Musts**: Hand-grabbed mutton with salt-pepper dip, yogurt with sweet barley wine, spicy Liangpi noodles, and mild Tu ethnic Miliao liquor. - **Souvenirs**: Tu embroidered discs, Huzhu barley wine, Liupan pottery replicas. - **Cultural Etiquette**: Circle temples clockwise; avoid stepping on thresholds; offer hada scarves during Tu home visits. - **Photography**: Shoot Qutan Temple's golden roof at sunrise; drone footage of Huzhu's Twelve-Curve Slope is stunning. - **Savings**: Off-season (Nov-Apr) offers half-price tickets; some homestays have "stay 3 nights, pay for 2" deals. - **Hidden Gems**: Hire local guides to explore undeveloped "Hehuang secret villages" and century-old courtyards. ✨Haidong Highlights: - **Historical Depth**: Royal grandeur of Qutan Temple, beacon memories of Nanliang Ancient City—every step echoes millennia. - **Natural Wonders**: Danxia, forests, springs, and grasslands showcase plateau biodiversity. - **Ethnic Charms**: Tu rainbow culture, Tibetan prayer flags—a multicultural tapestry. - **Culinary Delights**: From halal stir-fries to Tu snacks, each bite carries Hehuang's unique flavors. **"Gaze at the stars from Qutan Temple’s eaves, listen to the wind sing through Huzhu’s stone forests—Haidong awaits your timeless Hehuang journey."🌄🌺** **

#Mainland Travel Haidong City is a famous tourist resort city in Qinghai, China. Every day, thousands of tourists come here for sightseeing and vacation. This time I will introduce a travel guide to Haidong City. Haidong is not as famous as Xining, Ta'er Temple and Qinghai Lake, but this Hehuang Valley has its own charm. 2-day itinerary Day 1 Stuffed potato skin→Qutan Temple→Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum→Halal Stir-fried Lamb Day2 White Horse Temple→Xiazong Temple→Boneless Raw Meat Noodles→Hongshuiquan Mosque→Ping'anyi·Hejing Impression Characteristic Town

The Liubayuan Village, known as the hometown of Chinese colored pottery, is located in Ledu District, Haidong City. Walking into the museum's lobby, hundreds of colored pottery pieces are displayed on the walls on both sides, which is very shocking and highlights the richness and brilliance of the Huangshui culture. The museum has not been open for long, the place is large, and the exhibition level is relatively modern, but the glass of the display cabinet and the light source are really average, which greatly affects the viewing effect. The placement of the exhibit labels is also not very professional. The 24 paintings of the Wanli Waterway Daochangjuan, which are the treasures of the museum, have no identification in the center of the lobby on the first floor. Some cultural relics in the exhibition hall are marked with triangular signs directly in front of the exhibits, which obstructs the line of sight. The main exhibits are still various types of colored pottery from the Majiayao culture, but I personally feel that the overall viewing effect is worse than that of the Linxia Museum. Let's talk about a few cultural relics that left a deep impression. The human head colored pottery pot, the facial features are very clear, the pattern lines are smooth, and it is very joyful; the golden pot in picture 9, the label is written as a golden pot, but it is so big and this color, it doesn't look like gold at all; picture 10 uses a whole wall to display various kinds of liquor in Qinghai area, and I found that I haven't drunk any of them; I didn't pay much attention to the stirrups in picture 11 at first, it was after reading the tweets of previous reviewers that I found this problem, it is currently recognized that stirrups first appeared in the Western Jin Dynasty, and they were single-sided, here directly made a pair, marked as Han Dynasty, it really makes people a little confused. In addition, there is a bowl of noodles that has traveled through four thousand years in the exhibition hall, claiming to be the first noodle in the world. Noodles can be weathered and preserved for four thousand years, which is really amazing. Although this is a new museum, the overall feeling is not very good. If you pass by here on your way to Qutan Temple, it's okay to take a look, but it's not worth it to come here specially.

On October 13, 2023, at 10:50 am, we arrived at the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Haidong City. The Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Qinghai, located near the Liuwan site in Liuwan Village, Ledu District, Haidong City, Qinghai Province, covers a total area of 5830 square meters, with an exhibition hall area of 1500 square meters. It is a social science archaeology themed museum and also the largest museum in China that mainly displays painted pottery culture. The collections in the museum are divided into pottery, bone tools, stone tools, jade articles, and decorations. Most of the collections in the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Qinghai were unearthed from the Liuwan Cemetery in Qinghai. The painted pottery unearthed is famous for its shape, decoration, and composition in Chinese painted pottery culture. Painted pottery accounts for half of the collections in the museum, and the number of painted pottery relics in the museum is second to none in China. According to the China Museum Yearbook, there are nearly 17,000 pieces of pottery, 932 pieces of stone tools, 76 pieces of bone tools, 18,246 pieces of decorations, and 1,366 other pieces in the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Qinghai. As of the end of 2019, the number of collections in the museum reached 38,648 pieces/sets, with 267 pieces/sets of precious cultural relics. The painted pottery relics mainly include four types of ancient cultural types such as the semi-mountain type and the horse factory type of the Majiayao culture in the late Neolithic period more than 5700 years ago, and the Qijia culture and the Xindian culture, such as the naked human figure painted pottery pot, painted pottery boots, human head painted pottery pot, handle pot, frog pattern painted pottery pot, owl face pot and bone knives, forks, spoons and a large number of polished stone tools of the Neolithic Age, reflecting the unprecedented prosperity of painted pottery art in the plateau area from the late Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age. In September 2018, the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Qinghai was designated as a national second-level museum. In May 2020, the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum in Qinghai was selected as the 'Top Ten Boutique' award list of the '17th (2019) National Museum Top Ten Exhibition Boutique Promotion Activity', and the 'River Source Human Prehistoric Civilization - Qinghai Liuwan Painted Pottery Exhibition' promoted by the museum won the Excellence Award. This museum should not have many people usually. When we entered the exhibition hall, the security guard also took a few photos of us visiting the exhibition hall. We didn't understand the painted pottery, so we just took a quick look. But Xiaomengmeng was very interested in these painted pottery and the production process. She asked her mother to take her around several times and still reluctantly left. Until we arrived in Yuncheng, she still asked her mother when we would go to see that painted pottery again. At 11:20 am, we left the Liuwan Painted Pottery Museum, returned to Minhe County along the original road, turned into the G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway, and drove to Lanzhou.