From June 26 to July 29, 2018, 8 people in two cars went to Xinjiang and Qinghai for a 34-day self-driving tour.
Our self-driving tour route is: Chengdu - Tianshui City - Datong County - Linze County - Guazhou County - Dunhuang City - Hami City - Turpan City - Urumqi City - Qitai County - Shihezi City--Karamay City--Huocheng County--Ili City--Zhaosu County--Teks County--Xinyuan County--Hejing County--Kucha County--Yili County--Heshuo County --Hami City--Guazhou County--Zhangye City--Qilianshan County--Gangcha County--Tianjun County--Huangzhong County--Tianshui City--Chengdu City, the journey is about 12,000 kilometers, and the per capita cost is about 10,000 yuan. Due to the length of the book, the travel notes are divided into the first, middle and second episodes as follows:
We traveled across the four provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, and visited successively: Qinghai Menyuan Baili Rapeseed Flowers; Gansu Jiayuguan; Xinjiang Hami Huiwang Mansion, Wubao Devil City; Karez, Sugong Tower, Junwang Mansion, Grape Valley; Urumqi Nanshan Ranch, Hongshan Park, Xinjiang Museum, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar; Tianshan Tianchi, Jiangbulak, Changji Prefecture; Shihezi Xinjiang Corps Military Reclamation Museum; Karamay Dushanzi Grand Canyon; Sailimu Lake in Ertala Prefecture (the above scenic spots are introduced in the first episode); Yili Guozigou, Horgos Port, Huocheng Lavender Garden, Huiyuan Ancient City, Hanren Street, Zhaosu Rapeseed Flowers, Grassland Stone Man, Xiata , Kalajun Grassland, Nalati Grassland, Gongnaisi Grassland (the above scenic spots are introduced in CIMC); Aksu Duku Highway, Kuche Grand Canyon, Kuqa Palace; Bayingoleng Bayinbuluk Grassland, Rob Village, Bosten Lake ; Suoyang City Ruins in Guazhou, Gansu; Zhangye Grand Buddha Temple; Qilian Mountain Grassland in Qinghai, Mazongliang Original Ecological Scenic Spot, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Kumbum Monastery in Xining and other scenic spots (the above scenic spots will be introduced in the next episode).
D1: Chengdu Yijiange one day water
June 26. From 9:00 to 19:00, we set off from Chengdu with 8 people in two cars, Mianyang-Jiange-Wudu-Longnan-Tianshui City, Gansu Province, the whole expressway, 675 kilometers, 10 hours by car (including rest and meal time, the same below). At noon, eat Jianmen tofu series dishes in Jiange County. The tofu banquet at Jianmenguan is very famous.
Stay overnight at "Tianshui Maiji District Jindu Express (Train Station) Store", standard room 131 yuan. The hotel we stayed in this trip was basically based on the itinerary of the day. When we arrived at the destination in the evening, we used the mobile phone to book online. The hotel price can often be bargained on the contact phone.
After dinner, visit Tianshui Maiji District Pedestrian Street, which is opposite Tianshui Railway Station.
D2: Tianshui Yitong
June 27. Tianshui is located in the southeast of Gansu, and the city straddles the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Tianshui is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and the Chinese nation, and enjoys the honors of being the hometown of Emperor Xi, the hometown of Emperor Wa, and the hometown of Xuanyuan. The main scenic spots in Tianshui are: Maijishan Grottoes, Fuxi Temple, Dadiwan Ruins, Yuquan Temple, etc.
In the morning, 3 people in a car went to the "Maiji Mountain Grottoes" scenic spot in Maiji District, Tianshui, and the rest visited "Tianshui Cuihu Park" in Maiji District.
The terrain of Tianshui City is two mountains and one river, and the river flows from west to east, and finally flows into Weihe River.
Tianshui City transformed a borrowed river in the city into an open ecological park integrating urban flood control, cultural inheritance, leisure and fitness.
From 12:00 to 20:30, Tianshui-Lanzhou Yitong, 568 kilometers, the whole expressway, 8 and a half hours by car.
Datong County is an autonomous county of Hui and Tu nationality, under the jurisdiction of Xining City, Qinghai Province.
Stay overnight at "7 Days Sunshine Hotel in Datong County", with a standard room of 130 yuan. For the convenience of travel, we try our best to stay in counties during this trip, and rarely live in urban areas.
D3: Datong-Linze
June 28. Visit the "Laoye Mountain" in Datong County early in the morning.
Laoye Mountain is also known as North Wudang Mountain and Yuanshuo Mountain. There are many ancient temples and architectural sites in the mountains that you can visit.
The "Datong Qiaotou Mosque" located at the foot of Laoye Mountain has become a halal comprehensive commercial city. The first floor is a halal food court, the second floor is mainly for Muslim supplies, and the third floor is the mosque hall of worship and school rooms.
9:00--19:00, Datong Zhangye Linze County, 341 kilometers, 10 hours by car. The road from Xining to Zhangye is a section of National Highway 227, known as one of the "most American roads". Along the way, there are Qilian Mountain Grassland, Daban Mountain Observation Deck, Menyuan Rapeseed Blossom, Minle Biandukou, Ebao and other scenic spots.
"Qilian" is the language of the Huns, and the Huns called the sky "Qilian", and Qilian Mountain means "Tianshan". The Qilian Mountains are located on the border between the northeastern part of Qinghai Province and the western part of Gansu Province, consisting of many parallel mountain ranges and wide valleys.
Qilian Mountain has a vast grassland, rich water and grass, and beautiful scenery. It has the reputation of "Qilian Qilian" and "Oriental Switzerland". , Western Sichuan Alpine Grassland, Nagqu Alpine Grassland).
The snow-capped mountains in the distance, and the green grass in the nearby fields, can only understand the meaning of the poem "If you don't look at the snow on the top of Qilian Mountain, you will mistake Ganzhou for Jiangnan".
There are blue sky and white clouds on both sides of the G227 road, and there are flocks of cattle and sheep. A month later, we went back to the grasslands of Qilian Mountains to play (see the second part of travel notes).
Daban Mountain Observation Deck. The mountains here are high and dangerous, and the road slopes are sharp and sharp, so it is known as the "Gate of Ghosts".
From the viewing platform, you can overlook the famous Gangshika Snow Peak. Xuefeng is 5254.5 meters above sea level and is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Qilian Mountains. The peak is covered with snow all the year round.
Driving past the flower base of the farmhouse, there are patches of sunflowers and large flowers.
Enter the base to take pictures, 10 yuan per person.
The red, yellow, orange, and green flowers are colorful and magnificent.
Menyuan rapeseed. Baili Rapeseed Flowers, located in Menyuan County, Haibei Prefecture, Qinghai Province, is a famous rapeseed viewing place in my country, with about 600,000 mu of rapeseed flowers.
We entered the "Yuanshan Huatai Scenic Spot" in Menyuan County to watch rapeseed flowers. Tickets for the scenic spot are 60 yuan, and half-price discounts for senior citizens are 30 yuan.
The Yuanshan Viewing Terrace is a dirt hill surrounded by large rapeseed fields.
A circle of walking wooden plank roads is built on the mountain for tourists to watch rapeseed flowers from a high place.
Every July is the blooming period of rapeseed flowers in Qinghai.
But when we arrived in June, only three-star yellow flowers bloomed, and only a small piece of rapeseed turned yellow, which came a month earlier.
One month later, in July, ten thousand mu of rape blossoms here competed to bloom, forming a sea of flowers.
The blue sky, the big clouds, the rapeseed flowers that can't be seen...
Highland barley, wheat, barley, and rapeseed on both sides of the road in Menyuan County are spread on the field, forming a ribbon.
God heap. Tibetans prayed piously and piled stones with stones, covered with blue, white, red, green and yellow five-color prayer flags. The five colors represent blue sky, white clouds, flames, green water and loess respectively.
Goose Castle Town. Leisure and gourmet place on Ningzhang Highway. The town belongs to Qilian County, Qinghai, with an altitude of 3,400 meters.
Goose Castle is also known as Erbo, Aobao, etc. It is a Mongolian transliteration, meaning a stone barrier for worshiping gods. The ancient city of Ebao was built between 1206 and 1279 A.D. It used to be a passage of the Silk Road and a military fortress, known as the North Gate of Qinghai.
Minle Biandukou is located in Nanfeng Township, Minle County, Gansu Province.
The precipitous Qilian Mountains gorge was split from east to west to form Biandu Gorge, which is now a scenic tourist area of Biandukou.
The landscapes in the tourist area include Biandu Canyon, Batu Cave, Stone Buddha Temple, Zhuge Stele, Biyun Sky, pastoral scenery, etc. We don’t have time to go inside.
Every July is the best time for folk music rape blossoms to bloom. When we finished our tour, we passed through Biandukou again and saw large stretches of rape blossoms undulating and stretching endlessly. The rape blossoms are very spectacular.
In the evening, stay at "Linze County Tiantai Hotel" in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, with a standard room of 93 yuan.
D4: Linze-Jiayuguan-Guazhou
June 29. 8:00-11:30, Linze-Jiayuguan City, 199 kilometers, the whole highway, 3 and a half hours by car. We have 4 people in one car to visit the "Jiayuguan Guancheng" scenic spot, and another car with 4 people to visit "Yumen City" in Gansu.
The Jiayuguan Guancheng Scenic Spot includes three scenic spots: Guancheng, the first pier of the Great Wall and the Suspended Great Wall. Tickets for the scenic spot are 120 yuan, and half-price discounts for senior citizens are 60 yuan. (For details about the various tourist attractions in Gansu, please search the Internet for Odagi's work "Travel to Gansu-Silk Road Lanzhou-Jiayuguan-Dunhuang Travel Notes for 5 Days and 4 Nights", which will not be introduced in detail in this article).
Guancheng is divided into the inner city and the outer city. There are three main towers, and there are archery towers, enemy towers, turrets, attics, gate towers and other buildings on the city walls. There are Guerrilla General's Mansion, Well Pavilion and Wenchang Pavilion in the inner city, and Guandi temple, archway and theater building in the outer city.
The first pier of the Great Wall, the most important pier in Guannan. The piers and abutments are mainly used for observation and information exchange. There are docks, post horses, post camels, board and lodging, etc. inside, with a certain number of guards.
Scenic spots include: Underground Valley (Observation Deck, Cultural Hall and Guanshu Laihe Canyon), the first pier in the world. But now the first trick has already changed beyond recognition.
The Suspended Wall of the Great Wall is a section of the Great Wall built in the north of Jiayuguan.
The main sights to visit in the scenic area are: the hanging wall of the Great Wall, the ancient silk road sculpture group, Jiayuguan ancient weapons exhibition, etc.
Yumen City is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan City in Gansu Province. It is the hometown of Iron Man Wang Jinxi and has his exhibition hall.
14:30-18:00, Jiayuguan-Jiuquan Guazhou County, highway, 258 kilometers, 3 hours by car. Stay overnight at "Guazhou Ruichen Hotel", with a standard room of 100 yuan.
D5: Guazhou-Dunhuang
June 30. From 8:00 to 9:30, Guazhou to Dunhuang City, 118 kilometers, highway, 1.5 hours by car. Dunhuang is a county-level city managed by Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. We stayed at the "Qingyuan Inn" at No. 43, Group 3, Mingshan Village, Crescent Spring Town, Dunhuang Crescent Spring Town, with a standard room of 80 yuan.
Through the window of the guest room of Qingyuan Inn, you can see the "Mingsha Mountain-Crescent Spring Scenic Area" not far away.
There are many scenic spots in Dunhuang, such as Mogao Grottoes, Crescent Moon Spring in Mingsha Mountain, Yumen Pass, Yang Pass, Great Wall of Han Dynasty, Dunhuang Yadan Geopark, but many of us have already visited it.
In the afternoon, activities will be carried out separately. Some will go to the "Mogao Grottoes Scenic Spot", some will go to the "Yangguan Beacon Scenic Spot", and some will go to the "Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Spot".
In the evening, we did not go to the famous "Shazhou Night Market" in Dunhuang. We purchased and prepared the ingredients ourselves at the inn, and ate a Sichuan-style hot pot.
D6: Dunhuang-Hami
July 1. 9:00--15:30, Dunhuang-Hami, 489 kilometers, highway, 5 and a half hours by car. It took us five days and finally arrived at the main destination of this tour - Xinjiang on the sixth day.
Xinjiang has 1/6 of the country's land area and only about 1/60 of the country's population. "Empty" is a normal state of the road. Self-driving in Xinjiang, it is easy to find an unmanned section of the road and enjoy shooting a blockbuster of your own.
Entering the first highway service area in Xinjiang: Xingxingxia service area, we were given a big blow, no toilets, no boiling water, and garbage everywhere. The service area is full of small snack shops opened by private individuals. A serving of Xinjiang noodles costs 23 yuan.
The province with the longest sunshine hours in China is Xinjiang. In summer between the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox, the daytime is very long, and it doesn’t get dark until after 10:30 in the evening, so tourist activities are usually arranged between 9:00-20:00. In winter in Xinjiang, on the contrary, the daytime is very short, but the nighttime is very long.
Hami City is known as the "Gateway of Xinjiang". There are many Hui people. It is the first stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Hami King's Tomb, Hami King's Mansion, Hami Five Fort Devil City, Hami Melon Garden, etc. The local specialties include Hami melon , Hami jujube, etc.
From 17:00 to 18:00, we will visit the "Hami Huiwangfu" scenic spot for one hour. Tickets to the scenic spot are 20 yuan per person, and there is no discount (in many scenic spots in Xinjiang, the elderly need to be over 65 years old to get half-price discounted tickets).
Huiwangfu used to be the largest, most magnificent and unique palace building in Xinjiang, known as the "Little Forbidden City of the Western Regions". Today's Huiwang Mansion is a group of antique buildings rebuilt on the basis of the old Huiwang Mansion. The area of the scenic spot is not large. After an hour of swimming, we invited a local female tour guide to explain, 40 yuan.
Huiwang Mansion is mainly divided into three parts: courtyard, Wangyetai and barracks area.
There is Huiwang History and Culture Museum in the courtyard, which tells the life of Huiwang in modern times.
King Hami Hui was called the head of the eight tribes of Huijiang by the Qing government. Wangye Terrace is the place where King Hui lives and works. There are office halls, King Hui's bedroom, mosque and other buildings.
The Wangye Terrace is relatively rough imitating the architecture of the Qing Dynasty, and there are scenes of characters in the room.
In the barracks area, there are stables, prison cells, blockhouses, officer's activity room, military meeting hall, soldiers counting platform, flag platform, archway and so on.
Because Hami Huiwang's tomb is being repaired and closed, and the Hami melon garden is not open, although we have time that day, we have nowhere to visit. On the same day, I stayed at the three-star "Hami Hongde Hotel", with a standard room of 168 yuan.
D7: Hami-Hami Wubao Devil City-Turpan
July 2. 7:00--9:30, Hami-Hami Wubao Devil City, 72 kilometers, county road, 2 and a half hours by car.
Tour Hami Five Forts Devil City, 90 minutes. Tickets for the scenic spot are 50 yuan, and the half-price discount for the elderly is 25 yuan. The scenic spot is very large and needs to be entered by car.
Most of the "devil cities" are Yardang landform groups in the Gobi desert or desert. This landform is composed of sedimentary rocks of various colors. After being cut by nature, it has formed a natural landscape resembling an ancient castle over time.
Whenever the wind blows at night, there will be a terrifying roar in the city, which sounds like the cry of the devil in mythology, so it is called "Devil City".
There are many "devil cities" in Xinjiang: "Wubao Devil City" in Hami City, "Uheer Devil City" in Karamay City, "Qitai Devil City" in Changji Prefecture, and "Ruoqiang Devil City" in Bayingoleng Prefecture. city". In addition, there is also a "Dunhuang Devil City" in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.
Since the devil cities are similar, they are all various and imaginative stone piles, so we only choose to enter one devil city to play according to the principle of going along the way.
In Devil City, due to wind and rain erosion, gullies of different depths were formed on the ground, and the exposed stone layers were carved into strange shapes by the strong wind.
In Hami Devil City, you can see landscapes that resemble castles, palaces, pagodas, steles, figures, and animals in different shapes.
Some of the various landscapes are grinning and look like monsters; some are towering dangerous towers with distinct butterflies, shaped like ancient castles, some are like pavilions with eaves like roofs;
In Devil City, tourists can fully understand the magic of the desert's natural ecology, and truly appreciate the tranquility of the "last piece of pure land" in the desert.
11:30--16:00, Hami Devil City to Turpan, 388 kilometers, highway, 4.5 hours by car. "Turpan" is the "lowest place" in Uygur language. It is famous for its high temperature and is known as "Fire State". It is the second stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Flame Mountain, Grape Valley, Tuyu Valley, Jiaohe Ancient City, Gaochang Ancient City, Karez Well, Sugong Pagoda, Junwang Mansion, Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, etc.
The temperature was very high that day, the outdoor temperature exceeded 43 degrees, and it was dry and hot. Sun hats, sunglasses, and headscarves were necessary. Because of the way, we first entered the "Tuyugou Scenic Area" for 2 hours.
The scenic spot includes the Grand Canyon and Mazha Village. The Grand Canyon is 8 kilometers long and has an average width of about 1 kilometer. There is no charge for visiting.
Tuyugou Grand Canyon is actually part of the Flame Mountains. In Turpan, due to the geological movement of Huoyan Mountain, many valleys were left in the mountainside, including Taoergou, Tuyugou, Putaogou, Mutougou and so on. One of the ditch has been developed into a paid tourist attraction: "Flame Mountain Scenic Spot", with a ticket of 40 yuan.
Self-driving tourists can drive into the Tuyugou Grand Canyon, which has a better viewing effect than the Flaming Mountain Scenic Area (the scenic area just has some sculptures with the theme of Journey to the West), and the Grand Canyon is free to visit, and they can also visit Mazha Village along the way.
Huoyan Mountain is called "Kiziltag" in Uighur, which means "Red Mountain". The Tang people once called it "Volcano" because of its heat. Huoyan Mountain has its unique natural appearance, and in Journey to the West, it is connected with Tang Sanzang's story of being blocked from learning Buddhist scriptures from Huoyan Mountain, and Monkey King borrowing banana fans three times, which makes Huoyan Mountain full of magic and becomes a strange mountain in the world.
The Huoyan Mountain is barren and barren, no grass grows, and the birds disappear.
In midsummer, when the red sun is in the sky, the reddish-brown mountain is irradiated by the scorching sun, the sandstone is shining brightly, and the hot air flow is rolling up, just like a raging flame, and the tongue of fire touches the sky, so it is also called Flaming Mountain.
Huoyanshan is the hottest place in China. The highest temperature in summer is as high as 47.8 degrees Celsius, and the highest surface temperature is over 70 degrees Celsius. You can bake eggs in the sand nest. When we play, we often rush out of the air-conditioned car to take a few photos, and quickly return to the car, not daring to stay outside the car for a long time.
Going down from the Tuyugou Grand Canyon to the valley is the "Tuyugou Scenic Area". The ticket is 30 yuan, no discount, and you can swim for an hour. There are very few locals living in the village now, which is a bit like a ghost town.
Tuyugou Scenic Area is actually the famous "Mazha Village", which is a typical representative of the village pattern under the background of Islamic culture in eastern Xinjiang.
Mazha Village is at the foot of the Flame Mountain, and the stream flows through the village, which completely preserves the ancient Uyghur traditions and folk customs.
Entering Mazha Village, one enters a world of khaki, with khaki-colored roads and khaki-colored houses.
In Mazha Village, there are buildings all made of yellow clay, all of which are civil structures, some of which are cave dwellings, which were dug out from the mountains and slopes, and some of which are two-story buildings built with blocks of yellow clay.
The ancestors of Mazha Village cleverly used yellow clay to build houses, which are economical, warm in winter and cool in summer, and beautiful in shape. Tuzhuang".
Maza means cemetery in Uighur. In the seventh century A.D., five people including Ye Mu Naiha, a disciple of Mohammed the Lord of Islam, came to China to preach. They met a shepherd with a dog. The shepherd became the first Chinese to believe in Islam. Then six people and one dog arrived in a cave in Tuyugou to practice and finally became holy. Therefore, Tuyugou Mazar is also known as the "Tomb of the Seven Sages", the largest Islamic holy site in China, and the "Mecca of China", which has a prominent position in the Islamic holy sites.
The yellow, blue and green mosques in the village are particularly conspicuous. So far, this cemetery is still devoutly worshiped by Muslims. Local Muslims say that before going on a pilgrimage to Mecca, one must first go to Tuyugou Maza.
Mazha is also an important post station for the introduction of Buddhism to China. The Thousand Buddha Caves in the ditch is one of the three famous Buddhist grottoes in Xinjiang (it seems to have been destroyed, we did not go there).
In the evening, we stayed at "Turpan Thank You Chain Hotel", with a standard room of 140 yuan, for two nights.
D8: Turpan
July 3rd. We tour various scenic spots in Turpan City all day, first visit the "Jiaohe Ancient City" scenic spot, 90 minutes.
Because there are many tourist attractions in Turpan, the local tourism bureau has recommended more than ten packages. At the ticket window of Jiaohe Ancient City Scenic Spot, we chose one of the 225 yuan package tickets including "Grape Valley + Kanerjing + Jiaohe Ancient City + Su Gong Tower + Junwang Mansion" ), the price saves 40 yuan per person compared to buying tickets alone.
Jiaohe Ancient City is located about 10 kilometers west of Turpan City. It is the largest, oldest and best-preserved adobe city in the world, and it is also the most complete urban relic in my country for more than 2,000 years. It is very far from the gate of the scenic spot to the old city, and you need to take the scenic spot traffic car to enter, 30 yuan/person.
Jiaohe Ancient City is a United Nations "World Cultural Heritage" and is known as "the most perfect ruin in the world".
The ancient city of Jiaohe was founded and built by Gushi (later called Cheshi) in the 2nd century BC. It was called "Jiaohe" because two rivers surrounded the city and intersected.
The ancient city used to be an important central town on the Silk Road, and it was very prosperous in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty. The highest military and political institution in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, the Anxi Duhufu, was first established in Jiaohe Ancient City. Later, due to successive years of wars, Jiaohe City gradually declined. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century, Jiaohe City was destroyed and abandoned.
The ancient city was built on a hillside platform, and the whole city is like a big fortress with layers of fortification. Tourists walking outside the wall seem to be in a deep ditch. The site is well preserved, with a length of about 1,750 meters from north to south and a width of about 300 meters from east to west. It is an isolated island in the shape of a willow leaf.
The total area of the old city is 376,000 square meters, and the existing architectural relics are 220,000 square meters. The whole old city is a huge ancient sculpture, and its unique architectural technology is rare in the world.
Most of the existing buildings in the old city were built in the Tang Dynasty, retaining the architectural characteristics of the cities in the Central Plains of my country before the Song Dynasty. Temples, residential buildings, government offices, city gates and other parts can be seen in the old city, and the walls are basically raw earth walls.
There is also a paid scenic spot in Jiaohe Ancient City Scenic Area: Jiaohe Ancient Village, 35 yuan per person, we did not enter to visit.
There are two Karez scenic spots in Turpan, one is "Karat Paradise" (Old Well), and the other is "Karat Folk Custom Garden (New Well)". You can choose one of them to enter the tour. Suggested by friends, we chose to visit "Kanat Paradise", 50 minutes.
Karez Paradise is located 2 kilometers south of Turpan National Highway 312. It is a scenic spot with the theme of Karez culture. The area of the scenic spot is small, about a few hundred meters long and wide. There are prototypes of Karez, museums, Uyghur residential-style hotels and restaurants, and you can walk around.
Karez means "well point", and it is called "Karez" in Uighur, which originally means underground waterway. Karez is actually a special irrigation system in the desert area of Xinjiang. By digging underground canals, it can not only collect groundwater naturally, but also avoid excessive evaporation. Because of its magic and scale all over Xinjiang, it is known as the first in China besides the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Three ancient projects.
The Karez Museum is a place to systematically understand the Karez culture. Karez is that people use the slope of the mountain to intercept the snow and rainwater that sneaked into the Gobi Desert for farmland irrigation and residential water without any power.
There is a prototype of Karez in the scenic area. The prototype is about 300 meters long and is divided into an underground channel and an open channel (that is, the part of the underground channel flowing out of the surface). Visitors can enter the underground Karez channel and watch the working principle of Karez on the spot. The Karez wells in Xinjiang are mainly located in the Turpan Basin, Hami and Mulei areas, especially in the Turpan area, where there are more than 1,000 Karez wells. If they are connected, they can be as long as 5,000 kilometers. They are called underground canals.
In addition to the Karez culture, there are also grape racks, raisin drying houses, Uyghur-style buildings, food, and a shopping street in the scenic area.
Tour "Turpan County King's Mansion", 30 minutes. The Junwang Mansion is 2 kilometers away from the urban area, adjacent to the Sugong Pagoda, and is a man-made scenic spot.
The County Palace was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of 300 years. It is the place where the famous Turpan County King "Emin Hezhuo" lived, presided over government affairs, and commanded the military. command center.
In history, the county palace used to occupy hundreds of mu, with hundreds of rooms, conference hall, reception hall, main house, mosque, barracks, stables, etc., but it was set on fire by Sheng Shicai's army in 1933.
The present County King's Mansion was basically restored and built according to the previous Uyghur architectural style, layout and scale according to historical records. The current Junwang Mansion covers an area of 22 mu, and the building area of the palace is about 2,500 square meters. It is also the main shooting base of "The Prince of Turpan".
The County King's Mansion has a strong Islamic style. The ceiling, arcades, railings and cornices are carved with typical Uyghur ethnic crafts and decorated with plaster flowers, which is very ethnic.
The county palace also built an underground palace for life-saving.
Visit Sugong Pagoda, 30 minutes. The Sugong Pagoda is next to the Junwang Mansion. Sugong Pagoda is the largest existing ancient pagoda in Xinjiang. It was built in 1778 and has a history of 240 years.
Sugong Pagoda is an Islamic pagoda with a novel and unique shape. It was built with 7000 taels of silver. The statue in front of the gate is him.
Sugong Pagoda, also known as Emin Pagoda, is called Sugong Pagoda because it was built by Suleiman, the son of Princess Emin, so it got its name here.
The Sugong Pagoda complex consists of two parts: the ancient pagoda and the mosque. The ancient pagoda is a huge cone-shaped pagoda made of gray-yellow bricks, 37 meters high, with windows, and you can climb the stairs inside to climb to the top of the pagoda (not open).
Next to the Sugong Pagoda is a large mosque, which is one of the largest Islamic mosques in Xinjiang. The interior is spacious and can accommodate more than a thousand people.
Mosques are built with dry raw adobe. This construction method is very common and has a long history in the dry and rainless Turpan area. We can see this kind of adobe buildings everywhere in Jiaohe Ancient City.
The hot weather forced us back to the hotel for a lunch break after lunch. From 16:30 to 19:30, visit the "Grape Valley" scenic spot, which is very close to the urban area, for 3 hours.
Grape Valley is a canyon under the Flame Mountain. It is about 8 kilometers long from north to south and about 2 kilometers wide from east to west. You need to drive a car to enter it. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
Looking at Grape Valley from a high place, you can see the cliffs facing each other on the west bank of the valley, and the cliffs are steep, like a barrier. The valley is narrow, long and gentle, covered with grape trellises, surrounded by dense poplar forests, dotted with flowers, plants and fruit trees, and farmhouses and cottages are arranged in a patchwork pattern on the gentle slope.
Grape Valley is named for its rich grapes. The summer in Turpan is very hot, but on both sides of the Grape Valley stream, there are grape trellises all over the place, and the vines are layered on top of each other, forming a cool and moist oasis.
We came a little too early in the season, the grapes were still hanging, and there were few tourists. If it is August, when the grapes are ripe in Turpan, a Grape Festival will be held. At that time, there will be grape tasting, Xinjiang folk performances, and many tourists.
There are N small scenic spots in the ditch: Folk Village, Avanti, Frog Lane, Dawazi, Wang Luobin Music Art Museum, Amusement Park, etc., which can be visited by car in turn.
In the Folk Village, there are grape corridors, the former residence of Avanti, the Bayi mansion, the ancient county magistrate’s office, the apricot garden and other small scenic spots.
In the former residence of Avanti, there is a 100-year-old man. Tourists can wear national costumes and take photos with them. The photo fee is 10-20 yuan.
Bay mansion. "Bayi" is derived from a Chinese translation of the Turkic language, which means "rich", and the meaning derived from Lord Bayi is "noble man, master, high-ranking official and noble person." There are many Avanti and Bayi fighting methods in Xinjiang legend story.
Several grape corridors in the ditch are deep and quiet, full of pearl-like grapes. There are mainly 13 varieties of grapes planted here, including seedless white grapes, horse milk grapes, and red grapes.
The seedless white grapes here are known as "pearls", and their sugar content is as high as 20-24%, surpassing the grapes in California, the United States, ranking first in the world. Raisins made of seedless white fresh grapes, with sugar content as high as 60%, are regarded as treasures among raisins.
Grape ditch farmhouses one after another are dotted under the grape trellis, waiting for the arrival of the harvest season. Sitting in the restaurant, surrounded by grapes, bunches of green, round, very attractive.
When staring, looking up, and looking around, only grapes fill the whole world.
Although we couldn't taste the grapes, we still tasted Xinjiang's unique cantaloupe and raisins under the grape trellis.
Driving along the scenic road in a car, the ditch is surrounded by streams and the water is pure. Accommodation in farmhouses in the ditch is very expensive, a standard room is 5-6 hundred yuan, and the conditions are average. We choose to live in a hotel in the urban area outside the ditch.
D9: Turpan Tiantianshan Grand Canyon to Urumqi
July 4th. 8:30--12:00, Turpan Tiantian Mountain Grand Canyon, 202 kilometers, basic expressway, 3 and a half hours by car. It passes through Dabancheng District in Urumqi City on the way, which is the Dabancheng sung in the song "The Girl of Dabancheng". Outside the city, the Dabancheng wind power plant in Xinjiang, my country's largest wind energy base and the country's largest installed capacity, has hundreds of wind turbines whirling in the wind, becoming the symbol of Dabancheng.
The "Tianshan Grand Canyon" located in Urumqi County is a natural scenic area dominated by snow mountains, forests, lakes, and grasslands. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, and the ticket for the scenic spot is 75 yuan. Unfortunately, due to the rain on the mountain, it is difficult to see the main scenic spot "Swan Lake". We gave up the tour at the suggestion of the staff of the scenic spot. There are two Tianshan Grand Canyons in Xinjiang, and the other is the "Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon" in Kuqa County. Later, we entered to play and made up for the regret.
Xinjiang currently has 12 national 5A-level tourist attractions: Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area, Tianshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area, Turpan Grape Valley Scenic Area, Kalajun Scenic Area, Nalati Scenic Area, Bayinbulak Scenic Area, Bosten Lake Scenic Area, Kanas Scenic Area, Cocoa Tuohai Scenic Area, Kashgar Old City Scenic Area, Jinhu Populus National Forest Park in Zepu County, Kashgar Prefecture, and Baisha Lake Scenic Area. We visited the first seven 5A-level scenic spots this time (introduced one by one later).
Tianshan Grand Canyon - Nanshan Ranch, 35 kilometers, one hour's drive. We diverted to the "Nanshan Ranch" 50 kilometers away from Urumqi. The ticket was 30 yuan and we traveled for 3 hours. The scenic spot can be entered by car.
Nanshan Ranch was a famous hunting area in Tang Dynasty and a famous pasture in Qing Dynasty. The scenic spot is mainly composed of East and West Baiyanggou, Juhuatai, Houxia and other scenic spots. Regrettably again, the most famous scenic spot "Chrysanthemum Terrace" is closed due to road construction, and we can only visit "Xibaiyanggou Scenic Area".
Xibaiyanggou is a well-known tourist summer resort in Nanshan scenic area. The steep peaks, lush forests and stretching grasslands in the scenic area complement each other.
In the distance, there are towering and towering peaks, and gurgling streams run among the strange rocks.
The nearby pastures are full of flowers and plants, and the grazing people are patrolling back and forth on horseback.
We are having fun on the prairie.
Kazakh-style yurts are scattered on the open lawn, hidden in the green forest, with a wild charm. Kazakh yurts and yurts are similar in shape, and they are mobile houses of nomadic people. The most intuitive difference is to look at the roof of the building. The yurt has a spherical roof, and the Kazakh yurt has a cone-like roof.
There are two main recreational items in Xibaiyanggou: one is horseback riding, and the other is to enter the yurt for rest and meals, and taste Kazakh specialties. The price of a yurt is 2-3 hundred yuan.
Nanshan Ranch - Urumqi, 50 kilometers, one hour's drive. That night we chose to stay at "Urumqi Qilu Bairui Hotel", the standard room was 179 yuan, and we stayed for two nights.
The location of the hotel is suitable for us to go to various scenic spots in Urumqi. You don't need to drive, you can walk or take a bus to live in front of you, so as to avoid penalty points for not being familiar with the urban roads. The hotel room can see the Tianshan Glacier in the distance.
D10: Urumqi
July 5th. Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a majority of Han people. It is the third stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Tianshan Grand Canyon, Nanshan Ranch, Hongshan Park, Urumqi Botanical Garden, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, Xinjiang Museum, etc. Let's visit "Red Mountain Park" first, 1 and a half hours, free to play.
Hongshan Park is located in the city center. Because the cliff at the west end of the park is brownish red, it is called Hongshan. The area of the park is small, with a length and width of about 500 to 600 meters. You can walk around after entering. The main scenic spots are: Hongshan Pagoda, Big Buddha Temple and Overlook Building, etc.
Red Mountain is the symbol and symbol of Urumqi. Red Mountain is 910.8 meters above sea level. It is composed of purple conglomerate and is ocher red. It looks like a giant dragon lying on the east and west, with its high dragon head stretching towards the Urumqi River.
The "Red Mountain Pagoda" is located on the top of the Red Mountain. It is a nine-story germanium red tower with a hexagonal plane, which is consistent with the color of the red mountain below. "Pagoda Reflecting the Sunset" is the first peculiar sight among the eight old sights in Urumqi.
At the Red Mountain Tower, you can take a panoramic view of the urban area of Urumqi below, with a very wide field of vision.
The "Overlook Building" is located on the top of the mountain in the center of the park, where you can also take a panoramic view of the city, and you need to buy a ticket to go up.
The "Big Buddha Temple" is located on the north side of the park. It is an antique temple where tourists can worship Buddha and pray for blessings. Tickets are also required to enter the temple.
At 10:00, we visit the "Xinjiang Museum", 90 minutes, free of charge. Xinjiang Museum is located in the urban area. It is a provincial museum in Xinjiang and an institution for the collection and protection of cultural relics and specimens, scientific research, publicity and education in Xinjiang.
The museum is a modern three-story building, but it incorporates Xinjiang's architectural styles such as arched windows and domes. There are several permanent exhibition halls in the museum. The first floor is "Xinjiang Ancient Historical Relics Museum" and "Xinjiang Ethnic Customs Museum". The second floor is the Xinjiang Ancient Mummy Exhibition Hall and some temporary exhibitions.
The Xinjiang Museum of Ancient History exhibits a variety of cultural relics unearthed in Xinjiang from ancient times to the present, including many artifacts from the Central Plains in the Han and Tang dynasties, which are very characteristic of ancient China.
The Xinjiang Ethnic Customs Museum introduces the folk customs of 12 major ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including Uyghur, Kazak, Mongolia, and Xibe, and displays a large number of figures made of wax statues, musical instruments, daily necessities, and felt houses.
The ancient mummy exhibition hall in Xinjiang displays the corpses of ancient people thousands of years ago. Due to the dry climate in Xinjiang, these corpses have been preserved from corruption and are very precious. Among them, the ancient corpse of "Loulan Beauty" is particularly famous, and it is one of the essence of the whole museum.
Back to hotel for lunch break after lunch. At 15:00, take the bus to visit "Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar", 90 minutes, free of charge. In the urban area of Urumqi, it is easy for outsiders to drive their own cars to violate the regulations, so it is more convenient to take a bus.
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is located in Tianshan District, Urumqi City, and it is the largest Grand Bazaar in the world. "Grand Bazaar" in Uighur means bazaars and farmers' markets, and there are grand bazaars all over Xinjiang.
The Grand Bazaar is a gathering place and exhibition center for Xinjiang tourism products integrating Islamic culture, architecture, ethnic commerce, entertainment, and catering.
The Grand Bazaar is also the most ethnic place in Urumqi, and has been listed as a national 4A-level tourist attraction. Tourists who come to Urumqi will come to have a look.
There are two large-scale buildings in the Grand Bazaar, and there is a square in the middle of the two floors. The hardware facilities include Xinjiang No. 1 Sightseeing Tower about 100 meters away, Islamic mosque, market, open-air stage, banquet hall, food court, Carrefour, etc.
There are many items in the market, and the commodities are rich and exquisite, including national brand clothing, shoes, hats, etc.; carpets, leather goods, knives, musical instruments, pottery, strange stones, gold, silver, copper and iron crafts, etc.; Cosmetics, all kinds of dried fruits, etc.
The commodity prices here are higher than those in other places, because we still have to travel in other places in Xinjiang, so we only purchased some dried fruits to eat with the car. Note, after shopping and asking the price, make sure you buy it before bargaining. If you don't buy it after bargaining, the shopkeeper will not be very happy.
D11: Urumqi Tianchi Mountain Tianchi River Blake
July 6th. 8:00--9:30, Urumqi-Tianchi Lake, Tianshan, Changji, 65 kilometers, expressway, 1.5 hours by car. Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture is the fourth stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Tianshan Tianchi, Jiangbulak, Qitai Devil City, Wucai City, Wucai Bay, etc.
We toured the "Tianshan Tianchi" scenic spot for 4 hours. When we bought tickets at the gate of the scenic spot, we realized that it is the most cost-effective to get a "Xinjiang Tourist Card" for self-driving travel in Xinjiang. We each bought a card on the spot, 430 yuan (plus a Tianchi traffic ticket, 90 yuan per person). If you buy online in advance, you only need 268 yuan per ticket.
Xinjiang Katoka is valid within one year, including 42 well-known scenic spots in Xinjiang. The scenic spots we planned before the trip are basically included, and many scenic spots can be entered unlimited times.
Tianshan Tianchi is located in Fukang City, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. It is a natural scenic spot centered on alpine lakes. Tianchi pass is 215 yuan (including 125 yuan for tickets and 90 yuan for transportation vehicles). Because we have "Xinjiang Tourist Card Cartoon", we no longer buy tickets (the same below).
Tianshan Tianchi is a famous lake in Xinjiang, a United Nations World Heritage Site, and a national 5A-level tourist attraction. Its scenic spot is surrounded by lakeside spruces and shining with snow peaks. It is a famous summer resort and tourist destination.
Xinjiang currently has a United Nations "World Cultural Heritage": the Silk Road (including six scenic spots including Jiaohe Ancient City and Suoyang City Site); a United Nations "World Natural Heritage Site": Xinjiang Tianshan (including Tianshan Tianchi, Karajun, Bayanbulak and other scenic spots), we have all swam there.
The Tianchi Scenic Area is divided into N scenic spots such as Tianchi, Huaergou, Baiyanggou, Shuimogou, Denggan Mountain, Maya Mountain, Niangniang Temple, Bogda, etc., but only Tianchi can be visited by tourists who buy tickets. Scenic spots, other scenic spots, first, I don’t know how to get there, second, there is no traffic car, and third, I go on foot, and I can only overlook the scenic spots.
The 95 yuan traffic ticket only includes the line of Folk Custom Garden, Xiaotianchi, and Datianchi.
The Folk Custom Garden is an "artificial Yaochi tribe" that needs to be paid at its own expense. It is full of shopping and food stalls. Tourists must get off the bus and walk through the place, and then get on the bus and transfer up the mountain (there is no need to transfer down the mountain). There is a charge of 70 yuan per person to enter the tribe, but we did not enter.
The small Tianchi is divided into two Tianchis, East and West. The West Xiaotianchi was called Yunvtan in ancient times, and the East Xiaotianchi was also known as Heilongtan. The two Tianchi can only be seen in the traffic car.
Get off the traffic car at the parking point to Tianchi, there is still about one kilometer of mountain road, tourists can walk or take a battery car up the hillside.
On the hillside, you can overlook the entire Datianchi. On the hillside to the north of Tianchi Lake, there are several layers of viewing platforms, where most tourists gather to enjoy the scenery of Tianchi Lake.
Datianchi is 1,910 meters above sea level. There are two reasons for its formation: ancient ice erosion-terminal moraine dammed lake and landslides and landslides dammed lake.
Tianchi is centered on a mountain lake, with snow peaks reflected, surrounded by spruces, clear water like a mirror, and the scenery is picturesque.
The surface of Tianchi Lake is half-moon, 3400 meters long, 1500 meters wide at its widest point, 4.9 square kilometers in area, and 105 meters deep at its deepest point.
Surrounded by mountains, Tianchi Lake is surrounded by green grass and wild flowers. Tall and straight and verdant spruces and tasongs cover the mountains and ridges, covering the sky and the sun. The most peculiar thing is an ancient elm tree growing on the north bank of Datianchi, with luxuriant branches and leaves. It is said that the golden hairpin of the Queen Mother was inserted here when subduing the evil dragon. It is called "Dinghai Shenzhen".
Behind the "Dinghaishenzhen", there is a sculpture wall of the Queen Mother.
To the southeast of Tianchi Lake is the main peak of Bogda ("Bogda" in Mongolian, meaning Lingshan, holy mountain), with an altitude of 5445 meters, covered with snow all the year round and stretched by glaciers. There are two peaks connected to the left and right of the main peak. Looking up, three peaks stand side by side, like a pen holder.
The sun was very strong that day, and the ultraviolet rays were very strong. We only watched from the north of Datianchi. Tourists can also walk along Tianchi to the "Wangmu Temple", and it will take 3 hours to go back and forth.
14:30--16:30, Tianchi Yijiang Blake, 204 kilometers, highway, 2 hours by car. Jiangbulake Scenic Spot is located in Banjiegou Town, Qitai County, Changji Prefecture. It is a beautiful natural scenic spot composed of grasslands, forests and snow-capped mountains. The wheat fields outside the scenic area have begun to turn yellow.
From 16:30 to 19:00, we will visit "Jiangbulak", the ticket price of the scenic spot is 48 yuan/person (we use Xinjiang card to enter). The scenic spot is very large and needs to be entered by car.
Jiangbulak is a Kazakh language, which means "the source of holy water". It has 16 scenic spots: Genggong Terrace, Shengxian Lake, Tianshan Maihai, Lover's Valley, Shule City Ruins, Tianshan Strange Slope, Huahaizi, Grand Canyon, Customs Garden, Holy Water Pool, etc.
Because we entered the scenic spot too late, we only swam to Huahaizi and visited about half of the scenic spots.
In addition to the snow-capped mountains and grasslands, the biggest difference between Jiangbulake and other scenic spots is the "Wheat Waves in Tianshan Mountains". Many tourists come here to watch the wheat waves.
There are 200,000 mu of wheat fields in Jiangbulak. In summer (June and July), people will feel that they are in Switzerland. The green wheat, green grass and flowers form a beautiful landscape painting.
In autumn, on the mountains that can't be seen at a glance, there are undulating golden waves of wheat, wheat fields, and large bundles of wheat stacks. (Photos outside the scenic area)
We came too early in the season, but we were still shocked by the picture of the yellow field dotted with a few quaint big trees, next to cattle, sheep and houses.
At the foot of the snow-capped mountains, the Tianshan Maihai and the grasslands are lush green. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains, the beauty is fascinating.
Even the most famous Barbizon manor in Europe, the village where the world's top oil painters Van Gogh, Monet and others sketched, is nothing more than that.
The breeze caressed the green grass, forming waves one after another under the sunshine.
Each scenic spot has a wooden plank road and viewing platform, and it takes a lot of time to walk along the plank road.
If you visit the scenic spot in detail, it will take a whole day.
There are farmhouses and herdsmen’s yurts in the scenic area where you can eat and live. The biggest problem is that there is no separate bathroom in the room (there is less water). You have to use the public bathroom to go to the toilet and take a shower. The price is also relatively expensive. The standard room without a bathroom costs 300 Yuan.
If you don't play that day and need accommodation, and then enter the scenic spot the next day (Xinjiang Kakatong has this function), you can go to Banjiegou Town outside the gate of the scenic spot to find an inn for accommodation. There are several inns and hotels in the town, and the price of a standard room is around 120 yuan, which is relatively affordable.
We swam to Huahaizi, and it was getting dark, so we had to exit the scenic spot.
We planned to stay in a hotel in Banjiegou Town, but we gave up our accommodation because of the water shortage in the hotel. Jiangbulak - Qitai County, 48 kilometers, provincial road, one hour's drive, we stayed at "Qitai Brilliant Hotel", standard room 127 yuan.
In Qitai County, we made a major revision to our earliest travel plan. We believe that Xinjiang is mainly divided into three tourist areas, one is the central tourist area, including Hami, Turpan, Urumqi, Changji, Shihezi, Karamay, Yili, Kuqa County and other places; the second is the southern tourist area, including: Aksu, Kashgar, Hotan, Bayingoleng and other places; the third is the northern tourist area, including Altay (Kanas), Tacheng and other places. According to our current travel progress, and the distance between the southern and northern tourist areas is too far (about 1,800 kilometers to the north and 3,000 kilometers to the south), we can’t finish the tour in less than 2 months. So I decided to abandon the southern and northern tourist areas (come again in another year), and this time I will focus on the central tourist area.
D12: Qitai County - Shihezi - Karamay Dushanzi District
July 7. We re-planned the tour itinerary. 8:30--12:30, Yishihezi City, Qitai County, 330 kilometers, highway, 4 hours by car. Historically, Shihezi was once the headquarters of the Xinjiang Corps (later moved to Urumqi), with a majority of Han people. It is the fifth stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Xinjiang Corps Military Reclamation Museum, Tuoling Mengpo Desert Ecotourism Scenic Spot, etc.
The temperature in Shihezi was as high as 35 degrees that day, which was very hot. We visit the "Xinjiang Corps Military Reclamation Museum", 90 minutes, free to visit.
The modern history of Xinjiang is a history of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The Corps undertakes the duty of reclamation and frontier defense entrusted by the state. It implements a special management system with a high degree of unity between the party, government, military and enterprises, and is under the dual leadership of the central government and the Xinjiang government.
In 1954, a certain unit of the People's Liberation Army led by Commander Wang Zhen collectively changed jobs on the spot, broke away from the national defense force sequence, and formed the "Production and Construction Corps of the Xinjiang Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" to cultivate and guard the border. In construction, the former military self-sufficiency production was transformed into enterprise production. In 1975, the establishment of the Construction Corps was abolished. In 1981, the central government decided to restore the establishment of the Corps and renamed it "Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps".
The museum now has three main exhibition halls. The first one is "Ancient Shihezi", which shows the remains of human activities in Shihezi in ancient times. The second exhibition hall is "Brilliant History", which shows the story of the production and construction corps' reclamation and development on the Gobi when it first arrived in Xinjiang. There are many agricultural tools and clothing used by military reclamation soldiers, reflecting the difficult process at that time. The third exhibition hall is "Footprints are Extending", which reflects the current style and development of Shihezi.
16:00--18:30, Shihezi-Karamay Dushanzi District, 117 kilometers, highway, 2.5 hours by car. Stay at "Karamay Lidu Hotel" in Dushanzi District, the standard room is 170 yuan.
In the evening, come to our "Pearl Market Night Market" to taste local delicacies. This gourmet city was transformed from a department store.
The night market has been booming for nearly two decades, and drinking beer and eating barbecue are its standard.
In Xinjiang, delicacies include kebabs, roasted whole lamb, haggis, hand pilaf, naren, pulled strips, barbecue, baked buns, naan, oil tower, spicy red skin, Ding Ding fried noodles, minced meat noodles, fried pork Noodles, big plate chicken, Ili horse intestines, smoked horse meat, yogurt lumps, milk tea and so on.
Naan is one of the most proud delicacies of Xinjiang people. In ancient times, it was called "hu cake" and "oven cake". It is baked with wheat flour as the main raw material. The largest naan is called "Aimanke" naan, which is thin in the middle and slightly thicker at the edges. There are many patterns stamped in the center, with a diameter of 40-50 cm. In Xinjiang, naan is not easy to go bad, and it is the best to satisfy hunger. Naan has become the main food for our daily breakfast and driving.
D13: Dushanzi District - Sailimu Lake
July 8. Karamay City is the fifth stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Urho Devil City, Karamay Oil Field, Dushanzi Grand Canyon, etc. 8:00-9:30, Dushanzi District - Dushanzi Grand Canyon, 27 kilometers. Due to the celebration activities, we began to detour the most famous and beautiful "Duku Highway" in Xinjiang.
There are nine most beautiful highways in Xinjiang: Duku Highway, Yizhao Highway, Saiguo Highway, Panlongsong-Wusun Ancient Tomb Highway, Xinjiang Provincial Highway 101, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Hemu Highway, Karakorum Highway, Taklamakan Desert Highway, We drove the first four highways this time (introduced one by one later).
Duku Highway is a highway from Dushanzi to Kuqa, connecting the north and south Xinjiang, with a total length of 561 kilometers. This highway runs through the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. It is open to traffic from May to October every year, and is closed due to ice and snow from November to April. .
The Duku Highway traverses the high mountains and passes through the deep mountains and valleys, shortening the distance between the north and the south of Xinjiang from more than 1,000 kilometers to nearly half. In order to build this road, tens of thousands of officers and soldiers have worked hard for 10 years. It is a monument in the history of China's road construction.
One-third of the Duku Highway is cliffs, and more than 280 kilometers of road sections are above 2,000 meters above sea level. It is the road with the most disasters such as landslides, avalanches, and water damage.
Duku Highway is a golden channel to drive natural landscape tourism on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang. It connects many scenic spots, such as Nalati Grassland, Bayinbulak Grassland, Gongnaisi Grassland, Big and Small Longchi, Kuqa Mysterious Grand Canyon, etc. It is known as the most beautiful road in Xinjiang. .
Duku Highway has beautiful scenery with different scenery for five miles and different days for ten miles. The best time to travel is July and August in midsummer. If you start from Kuqa and take the Duku Highway, people will experience a psychological journey of "from flames to sea water".
We tour "Dushanzi Grand Canyon", 60 minutes. Scenic facilities, trails and parking lots seem to have just been put into use, and tickets have not yet been collected. Unlike the Grand Canyon we usually understand, watching the canyon is not climbing, but going down the valley.
The Grand Canyon is formed by a huge rift in the earth, and the top of the rift is a desert grassland. Standing on the top and looking at the canyon, it seems to have entered the prehistoric era when the Hun Yuan was born and the world began.
The Grand Canyon is formed by the continuous washing of snow and water in Tianshan Mountains, cutting the plains, and Artemisia, Stipa, etc. grow on the terraces on both sides of the canyon.
The canyon starts from the foot of the mountain and forms a layered soil layer on the grassland, but the color is mainly gray and black.
The bottom of the Grand Canyon is about 100 meters deep, and there is a cement road and a canal at the bottom. It was a diversion canal artificially built by the Xinjiang Construction Corps in order to use the snow water from the Tianshan Snow Mountain.
12:30--16:30, Dushanzi District--Salimu Lake, highway, 310 kilometers, 4 hours by car.
Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, referred to as "Bortala" is Mongolian, meaning "silver grassland". Bozhou is the sixth stop of our Xinjiang tourism. The main scenic spots are: Sailimu Lake, Weishiyu, Alashankou Port, Aibi Lake, etc.
Sailimu Lake is located in Bole City, Bozhou, and the ticket is 70 yuan/person. With "Xinjiang Katong", we enter "Sailimu Lake" from the east gate to play. Sailimu Lake has a large area. The road around the lake is about 60 kilometers. You need to drive by yourself. There are scenery around the lake for shooting.
After only playing for half an hour, it was raining lightly and the lake view was very poor. We exited from the east gate and decided to enter Sailimu Lake tomorrow.
Accommodation in Sailimu Lake Scenic Area is relatively difficult. In the direction of the east gate, except for a hotel area, the nearest hotel is in Wenquan County, 81 kilometers away. In the direction of the west gate, apart from the yurts where you can stay, the nearest hotel is in Huocheng County, 102 kilometers away.
We had no choice but to look for a hotel in the Eastgate hotel area. The hotel area is still under construction, there are only a few hotels, and a standard room is 600 yuan. In the end, we will stay in the "Sea View Hotel", a suite with upper and lower floors, 800 yuan.
D14: Sailimu Lake-Guozigou-Horgos-Huocheng
July 9. At dawn, we went to Sailimu Lake to watch the sunrise. We were very lucky that day, with blue sky and white clouds, Sailimu Lake revealed a beautiful scenery.
The east gate where we live is actually a place to watch the sunset, and there is a viewing platform built by the lake. Watching the sunrise should be in the direction of the west gate.
From 8:00 to 15:00, we drove from the east gate and entered Sailimu Lake again with the "Xinjiang Katong" for 7 hours.
The scenery of Sailimu Lake is picturesque, blue sky, white clouds, green water, red road, very clean and refreshing. Although we have all been to many plateau lakes in western Sichuan and the sea water in Southeast Asia, Sailimu Lake has given people a huge shock with its unique charm, which is deeply imprinted in our minds and cannot be forgotten.
Sailimu Lake was called "Western Jinghai" in ancient times, and local residents called it "Haixi". Sailimu Lake is backed by snow-capped mountains, surrounded by vast grasslands, and the lake is clear and blue. Because of its beautiful scenery, it has always been one of the most famous scenic spots in Xinjiang.
Sailimu Lake is the alpine lake with the highest altitude and the largest area in Xinjiang. It is an intermountain basin in the Tianshan orogenic belt.
Sailimu Lake is the last place favored by the warm and humid air in the Atlantic Ocean, so there is a saying of "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean".
Sailimu Lake is 2071 meters above sea level, 30 kilometers long from east to west, 25 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of 453 square kilometers. We drove half a circle around it.
We drove all the way, stopped all the way, and strolled on the plank road by the lake from time to time.
Sailimu Lake has a water storage capacity of 21 billion cubic meters. The surface of the lake is as quiet as a large mirror.
One of our group members resolutely went into the water and swam in the lake. The water temperature at that time was about 10 degrees.
The scenic spot is divided into ancient post style area, grassland activity area, Saibei grassland historical and cultural area, Swan wetland protection area, Songshutou mountain forest scenic area, valley nomadic area, grassland pastoral area and other areas.
There are 9 tourist spots in the scenic spot, including Santai Ancient Station, Tianhu Ancient Gate, Santai Grassland, Saibei Sightseeing, Jiangtai Huaigu, Swan Leshui, Jinhua Zihua, Songshutou, etc. There are walking plank roads, observation decks, and rest corridors. .
Wildflowers are in full bloom on the green grasslands around the lake area, reflecting the blue lake water under the snow-capped mountains, and the scenery is beautiful.
The water of Sailimu Lake is truly blue, pure blue, thoroughly blue, as blue as sapphire.
If you don't see it with your own eyes, you really can't appreciate the breathtaking beauty of Sailimu Lake. It is a dazzling sapphire on the grassland.
On the grassland pasture road by the lake shore, groups of sheep are leisurely eating green grass on the grass.
The hot air balloons on the grassland are particularly eye-catching.
We drove out of the scenic spot from the west gate of Sailimu Lake, along the "Saiguo Expressway" (56 kilometers in length), one of the most beautiful highways in Xinjiang, to Ili Prefecture. For travel details, please read CIMC - Yili chapter.
In the "Travel Notes Part II", we will continue to introduce: Yili Guozigou, Horgos Port, Huocheng Lavender Garden, Huiyuan Ancient City, Hanren Street, Zhaosu Rapeseed Flowers, Grassland Stone Man, Xiata, Kalajun Grassland , Nalati Grassland, Gongnaisi Grassland and other scenic spots, in the "Travel Notes Part 2", we will continue to introduce: Aksu Duku Highway, Kuqa Grand Canyon, Kuqa Palace; Bayingoleng Bayinbuluk Grassland, Rob Village, Bosten Lake; Suoyang City Ruins in Guazhou, Gansu; Zhangye Grand Buddha Temple; Qilian Mountain Grassland in Qinghai, Mazongliang Original Ecological Scenic Spot, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Kumbum Monastery in Xining and other scenic spots. Do not read!
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Works of Odagi's Travels, 2018 No. 09, Total No. 078
December 26, 2018
