14 Days in Haidong
Two weeks at valley pace — Liuwan's pottery, Qutan's halls, the Tu homeland, northern forests, the Salar south, the Lajia dig and a lamian town — closing with honest rail days at Kumbum and Lanzhou.
Quick Answer
Is 14 days enough for Haidong?
14 days lets you go beyond Haidong's core into neighborhoods, food markets, and one or two day trips at a relaxed pace.
Source: NihaoVisit Haidong guide
14-day Haidong itinerary at a glance
Use our full Haidong travel guide as the base and adapt it to 14 days. Keep the city's three signature attractions as the backbone; fill the rest with neighborhood walks, food markets, and an easy day trip.
Arrival, Liuwan Pottery and Qutan Temple
More than 1,700 tombs and tens of thousands of painted vessels in Ledu; Qutan's imperial plaque dates to 1392, visits factual.
- haidong liuwan pottery site
- haidong qutan temple
Ping'an Folk Street
Courtyards, noodles and yogurt around Ping'an's market loop.
- haidong pinganyi
- haidong city markets
Huzhu Tu Homeland Park
Wheel-swing performances, courtyard museums, highland-barley liquor; a national 5A area about an hour north.
- haidong huzhu tu homeland park
Beishan Forest Park
Spruce and birch gorges, waterfalls, air between 2,000 and 3,000 m; sleep in the park villages.
- haidong beishan forest park
Xunhua Salar Homeland
About two hours south to China's only Salar autonomous county; the camel-spring courtyard tells the settlement legend plainly.
- haidong xunhua salar homeland
- haidong luotuo spring
The Grand Mosque
The Jiezi mosque keeps a hand-copied Quran said to be some 700 years old — visits factual, quiet and restrained.
- haidong jiezi grand mosque
Mengda Lake
A forested cirque at about 2,500 m holding roughly 20 hectares of water; trails loop the shore through fir and birch.
- haidong mengda tianchi
Jishi Gorge
The Yellow River leaving Xunhua through brown water and red cliffs; valley viewpoints, few people.
- haidong jishi gorge
Qunke Lamian Town
In Hualong County, the trade of hand-pulled noodles became a county-wide craft — a bowl in Qunke, where the shops train their own noodle hands.
- haidong qunke lamian town
Lajia Site
A settlement destroyed about 4,000 years ago in Minhe County; the noodle-like strands recovered in 2002 are often called the world's oldest.
- haidong lajia site
Xiaqiong Temple
In Hualong, a monastery of 1349 stands on cliffs above the Yellow River — factual, quiet visits only, with long river views from the road.
- haidong xiaqiong temple
Slow Valley Day
A recovery day — yogurt and sheep-intestine noodles, a walk along the river terraces, early night at valley height.
- haidong city markets
Kumbum Monastery Rail Day
An honest neighbor day — Kumbum belongs to Xining, under an hour west. Founded in 1577 on Tsongkhapa's birthplace; visits factual and modest, back by evening.
- xining kumbum monastery
Lanzhou Day and Departure
Another honest neighbor day — about an hour by HSR to Lanzhou, a separate provincial capital. The 1909 iron bridge over the Yellow River, the Silk Road galleries of the provincial museum, then onward travel from Lanzhou.
- lanzhou zhongshan bridge
- lanzhou gansu provincial museum
Budget for 14 days in Haidong
| Tier | Per day | 14 days total |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | USD $50–$80 | USD $700–$1,120 |
| Mid-range | USD $100–$200 | USD $1,400–$2,800 |
| Luxury | USD $300+ | USD $4,200+ |
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Frequently asked questions
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See also: Haidong travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.