address
Mengya City, Haixi Mongolian Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province
Opening hours
Open all day throughout the year
In the territory of Manya City, Haixi Mongolian Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, there is a mysterious highway called “Thestarting point for driving to Mars”-Mars Route No. 1).
It is not a national main road, but a well-planned theme self-driving route that connects world-class geological wonders such as Oboliang Yadan, Mars Camp, and Aiken Springs, taking you through the wasteland, Gobi, and wind-eroded landforms, as if landing on the surface of Mars.
This is the closest place to the “alien world” in China, and it is also the new favorite of lovers of adventure travel and star photography in recent years.
1: Basic situation and geographical location
- Chinese name: Mars Route No. 1 (Mars Route No. 1）
- Total length: about 90 kilometers (loop line)
- Altitude range: 2700-3200 meters
- Forming background:
Relying on the unique Yadan landform group in the northwest of the Qaidam Basin, the theme self-driving route created by the local government and the cultural tourism department aims to promote the “Mars Town” brand of Manya. - Geographic coordinates: from Lenghu Town, Mengya City, Haixi City, Qinghai Province to Oboliang Area
- The best season:May—October (the climate is stable and stars can be seen at night; winter is cold and some sections of the road may be closed)
Cold knowledge:
Mang Cliff is known as “the most Martian-like place on Earth”, and NASA has also used this area as one of the Martian environmental simulation research sites.
2: How to get there? Traffic guide
2.1: Self-driving (the only recommended way)
- From Mengya City (Huatugou Town): about 100 kilometers, 1.5 hours by car
- From Dachaidan Town: about 400 kilometers, 5.5 hours by car
- Navigation and positioning：
- Starting point: Search for “Starting point of Mars Highway1” or “Mars Camp”
- Core section: passing through ”Oboliang Yadan“, ”Aiken Spring‘ and other check-in points
- Road conditions description：
- The main line is G315 to X315 county road, and the rear section is hardened gravel road or asphalt auxiliary road.；
- Ordinary vehicles can pass, but it is recommended to drive an SUV or four-wheel drive, and pass with caution after rain.
2.2: Charter/carpool
- There are a number of travel agencies in Mang Ya urban area that provide “Mars Highway Day Tour’ services, including guides, vehicles, and tickets, which cost about 300-500 yuan/person.；
- This line is often included in in-depth tour products of the Ganqing Great Ring Line.
2.3: Public transportation
- There is no public transportation to reach, and it is not recommended for car-free tourists to go.
3: Tickets and opening hours
- Whether to charge?：
- Mars Highway 1 itself is free of charge and is an open highway；
- Tickets for some attractions along the way need to be purchased separately：
- Mars camp: accommodation (Mars room 1000-2000 yuan/night, bring your own tent:100 yuan, spacesuitranging from 500-1000)
- Oboliang Yadan Scenic Area:500//Car, 500 yuan Deposit
- Aiken Spring(Devil’s Eye): It is not officially open for the time being. It is forbidden to go deep without permission. You can only view it from a distance.
- Mang Cliff Emerald Lake
- Opening hours: Open all day (but no lighting at night,daytime access is strongly recommended)
💡 Tip:
It is recommended to contact your local guide or travel agency in advance to obtain the latest road conditions and access policies to avoid straying into the closed area.
4: Attractions and highlights along the way
1. Oboliang Yadan Group-the Largest Yadan Landform in China
- Known as the ‘Kingdom of Yadan”, it covers an area of tens of thousands of square kilometers and takes the form of castles, warships, and behemoths.；
- Wind erosion forms thousands of gullies and gullies, and the light and shadow are staggered at sunrise and sunset, like an alien battlefield.
2. Mars Camp-Live in the ”Mars Base’
- Composed of a red spherical cabin, the shape resembles an alien base in a science fiction movie.；
- It provides accommodation, catering, and popular science exhibitions. It is a great place for starry sky shooting and immersive experience.；
- Activities such as the “Cold Lake Science Fiction Literature Award” and “Mars Research Camp” are held every year.
3. Aiken Spring (Devil’s Eye)-the pupil of the Center of the Earth
- A hot spring gushing all year round, about 70 meters in diameter, and the surrounding sulfur deposits form a red and green “pupil” texture.；
- Due to the active geology and soft surface,it is forbidden to approach. Aerial photography by drones from a height is only allowed.；
- It is called ‘Qinghai’s most mysterious geographical wonder”.
4. Ultimate starry sky shooting location
- Stay away from light pollution and the air is dry and clean. It is China’s top starry sky photography destination.；
- The Milky Way is clearly visible, and with Yadan’s silhouette, the picture is shocking.
5. Theme highway signs and check-in points
- Along the way, there are interesting road signs such as “Mars Welcome”, “Countdown sign”, and “Interstellar mileage pile”, which are suitable for taking pictures and checking in.；
- There is a giant sculpture of “Mars Highway 1” at the starting point, which is a must-see landmark.
6. Mang Cliff Emerald Lake
- There is no ticket, but you need to purchase a 30/person sightseeing ticket to enter the scenic area. You can take a round trip at will. The fee is the most cost-effective compared to other attractions in Qinggan.
- The waiting time for the bare car is not long. If there is no one in the back, they will also start the car alone, and if there is someone, they will join the car and start the car.
- There are a total of 3 attractions where you can get on and off，
- The texture of Mang Cliff Emerald Lake is really similar to reticulated cantaloupe, and it looks very deep and the salt lines are obvious.
- There is no need to report for flying drones in scenic spots, and there are not many tourists, so it is very popular to take selfies in Yandao, but it seems that it is relatively close to Huatugou Airport, which will have a limited height.
- Taking off outside the scenic area, the drone can see the distribution of salt lakes like green paint trays.
7. Yadan Great Wall
- The Great Wall of Yadan is free of charge. It is absolutely no man’s land. You can enjoy the entire scenic spot exclusively. There are Yadan, canyons and Danxia. The scenery is very unique, but it is difficult to find. It requires experienced locals to lead the team.
6: Precautions and Travel Tips
- Safety first, trespassing into the restricted area is strictly prohibited
- The surrounding geothermal energy of Aiken Spring is active and the surface is fragile. There have been collapse accidents. Do not take the risk of approaching.；
- Abide by the regulations of the scenic area, do not cross the fence, and do not destroy the landscape.
- ✅ Do a good job of plateau and desert protection
- If the altitude is high, pay attention to cold protection, sun protection, and wind and sand protection.；
- Bring sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, lip balm, and thermos water bottle.
- Environmentally friendly travel
- There are no garbage stations throughout the journey, all garbage must be taken away by yourself；
- It is forbidden to carve characters on the Yadan rock mass, step on the salt shell, or take away natural objects.
- Fully prepared for replenishment
- There are no gas stations, restaurants, or toilets along the way. It is recommended to fill up the oil in advance and prepare enough food and drinking water in Manya City.；
- Carry commonly used medicines, satellite phones or walkie-talkies (there is no signal on some sections of the road).
- Best shooting time
- Early morning(6:00-8:00): The light is soft and there are few tourists；
- Evening(18:00-20:00): Yadan dyed gold, three-dimensional light and shadow；
- Night(22:00-02:00): The Milky Way rises, suitable for shooting in star orbit.
6: Recommendations for surrounding linkage attractions
- U-shaped highway(G315): about a 1.5-hour drive away, the Internet celebrity ‘Road to Heaven”
- Lake Kinel in Dongtai: Once famous for “Tiffany Blue’ (the water area has been reduced in recent years, it is recommended to consult the water situation)
- Shuishuiyadan: It is about a 2.5-hour drive away, the only Shuishuiyadan in China, with a stable landscape.
- Cold Lake Petroleum Ruins: Feel the vicissitudes of industry developed in the western part of the last century
7: Summary
Mars One Highway is not a traditional scenic area, but an adventure road to the edge of the earth. It has no noisy crowds, only the loneliness of wind erosion and the vastness of the universe. If you are tired of regular check-ins and long for a real “interstellar crossing”, then let’s go.
