A Tian Shan mountain range divides Xinjiang into southern Xinjiang and northern Xinjiang. Northern Xinjiang is dominated by grasslands and high mountains. The main ethnic groups are Kazakhs and Mongolians. The nomadic culture there is horses and singing. Southern Xinjiang is dominated by deserts and Gobi, and the main ethnic groups are Uyghur and Tajik, where the agricultural civilization is song, dance and Muqam. I traveled to northern Xinjiang in the past 12 days, and this time I made a special trip to travel to southern Xinjiang for 11 days. Except for the Hotan area, 11 counties and cities in Kashgar, Aksu, Alatu in Heke Prefecture, and Korla in Bazhou.
Apart from the train, the most convenient way to get to Xinjiang is by plane. Korla Airport, the largest city in southern Xinjiang, has direct flights to many domestic cities, followed by Aksu, and Kashgar's air tickets are generally a bit more expensive. This time we chose the way of entering and exiting southern Xinjiang from Zhengzhou to Aksu and from Korla to Zhengzhou. Generally, the air ticket between Zhengzhou and Aksu is about 1,100 yuan, and the air ticket between Zhengzhou and Korla is about 900 yuan. The other two cities with cheaper domestic and southern Xinjiang air tickets are Lanzhou and Xi'an.
Flying over the Kunlun Mountains, the snow has covered.
Our trip to southern Xinjiang this time is the first day of Zhengzhou to fly to Aksu, stay in Tomur Grand Canyon in the afternoon, and stay in Aksu in the evening. The next morning, the Aksu train went to Bachu County, and went to Selibuya Town to catch the largest rural bazaar in southern Xinjiang-Thursday Bazaar. Shache County in the afternoon, play in Shache Old Town, stay in Kashgar Old Town at night. On the third day, visit the old town and mosque in Kashgar. In the afternoon, drive to Wuqia County and visit the Apricot Garden and Nanshan Park. On the fourth day, we drove to the bazaar in the morning, took a car to Artush at noon, went to the fig orchard, and stayed in Artush at night. On the fifth day, we drove to Bazaar in the morning, took a bus to Taxkorgan in the afternoon, and stayed in Taxian County in the evening. On the sixth day, Stone City, Jinyintan Grassland, Taxian Autumn, and attend a Tajik wedding in the evening. On the seventh day, take Taxian to Kashgar in the morning, the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine in Kashgar, and take the train to Bachu in the evening. On the eighth day, Bachu Honghai Bay Populus euphratica National Forest Park, take the train to Kuqa at night and live in Kuqa Youth Hostel. Day 9 Kuqa Tianshan Grand Canyon, Kuqa Old Town and Uqia Bazaar. Continue to live in Kuqa at night. At noon on the tenth day, Kuqa went to Korla, visited the Bazhou Museum, and browsed the night view of the Kongque River. On the morning of the eleventh day, chartered a car to the Luobu family in Yuli, where there is Populus euphratica Desert. Fly to Zhengzhou in the afternoon. The cost of board, lodging, play and transportation for the whole journey is about less than 5,000.
First stop Wensu Grand Canyon
The highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains is the Tomur Peak, and there is a majestic red canyon under the Tomur Peak. This is the Wensu Grand Canyon. The Uighurs call it the Kuduluke Grand Canyon, which means thrilling and mysterious. You can only charter a car from Aksu or Wensu to the Grand Canyon, and the cost is not cheap. We chartered a car from Aksu Airport for 400 yuan. The ticket for the Grand Canyon is 36 yuan, and the shuttle bus is 60 yuan. The Grand Canyon is the only way to the Muzart Ancient Road leading to the North and South Tianshan Post Road in ancient times. The white sand surface and the red mountain body, the vertical and horizontal canyons are sometimes wide and sometimes narrow. Deep in the mud. Looking at the bottom of the valley, the canyon is a typical Danxia landform, and you can feel the characteristics of various Yadan landforms when you climb up the mountain. So its route is divided into the valley bottom line and the mountain road. The various natural landscapes formed by the erosion of rainwater and wind and sand along the way, such as the source of life, the thousand-year-old castle, and space visitors, can let your imagination run wild.
their source of life
The only big tree in the canyon
Second stop Selibuya Village Bazaar
Take the train from Aksu to Bachu County at 7 o’clock in the morning at 4 o’clock. Before dawn, take a taxi for 10 yuan per person to Bachu Bus Station, where there is a bus to get off to Selibuya Town. Four people can go together, each person 25 yuan. The town is more than 80 kilometers away from the county seat, and it takes more than an hour to drive by car. We arrived after 9 o'clock. The town of Selibuya is quite big, and its bazaar is also very large. The bazaar is the market. The bazaar in Selibuya Town is the largest rural bazaar in southern Xinjiang. Thursday is the busiest day of the bazaar. It is said that the maximum daily traffic can reach 100,000 people. After entering the bazaar, everyone started preparing to set up stalls, and the guests have not yet entered the venue. The front part of the bazaar is the food stall of the hotel where you stay, the middle part is the ordinary farmers' market selling vegetables and clothes, and the most special livestock trading market is at the back. After a feast of mutton in the market, we rushed directly to the livestock area behind, where there are cattle, horses, sheep and other animals, and of course sheep are the most. There are dozens of sheep brought by the farmer in one cart, and some old farmers bring one or two sheep to trade. Buyers and sellers are bargaining and bargaining, and there are always many spectators around, as if they are also participating in this transaction. After the transaction, the buyer will drive the sheep away. Of course, if it is one or two sheep, they will be taken away. There is also a bustling market outside the bazaar, selling local plain yogurt, a large bowl is only five yuan, we bought a bowl and tried a mouthful each, but it was so sour that we dare not try a second mouthful. There is an open-air barbershop in the corner of the market, and they are still at ease facing the camera. Uighurs actually like to be photographed, and often invite us to take pictures or take pictures with them. On the non-main road in the town, the means of transportation is horse-drawn carriage, one yuan per person. We also stopped a horse-drawn carriage. We don’t know where it is going, just to experience the fun of horse-drawn carriage.
The third stop Shache
Taking a car from Bachu to Shache is much faster than taking a train, so there are many shuttle buses between Bachu and Shache. There is also a shuttle bus from Selibuya Town to Shache, which departs at 1 p.m., and the fare is 35 yuan. The cart moved very slowly, and it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Shache, so we took a taxi to stroll around the old town of Shache. The main attractions in Shache Old Town are Shache King’s Mausoleum and Gaman Mosque. Behind the brand-new buildings along the street are earthen houses in Shache Old Town. It is known that Shache originated from the Shache Kingdom of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms in the Western Regions of the Western Han Dynasty, and it is also the capital of the Yarkand Khanate. The Shache Mausoleum belongs to the history of this khanate, and it is also called Altun Luke Mazar, which means mausoleum. When entering the royal tomb, the first is the tomb of Princess Amanisha. This Uyghur Twelve Muqam music master and poet left the Uighurs with artistic wealth. The central part of the mausoleum is the tomb of the Yarkand Khan family, and at the end is a mosque. The Yarkand Khanate began in 1514 and died in 1680. In its heyday, it stretched from Jiayuguan in the east to Uzbekistan in the north to Tianshan in the south and Tibet and Kashmir in the south. It belonged to an Islamic country established by the descendants of Genghis Khan. It is a period of history that cannot be ignored in Chinese history. . From the royal tomb to the Jamman (also known as Jammi) Mosque, you have to go through the commercial street in the old city. The yogurt here is very delicious when added to the ice cream, and the naan pit meat is also very authentic. The Jamman Mosque, like the Shache Mausoleum, is listed as a national security unit. It was first built in 1409, and its gate tower shows its long history. The main hall door at the back is closed, so you can only peek outside. Walking into the alleys of Shache Old Street, the houses are all earthen houses, and I feel a kind of primitive and simple. Tickets for the Shache Royal Tomb are 15 yuan.
From Shache to Kashgar, you can take a car or a train, and the bus station and the train station are next to each other, which is very convenient. However, it is recommended to try to take the train instead of the car. The car stops at Kashgar South Railway Station, which is at the junction of Shufu County and Kashgar City. According to the regulations of Kashgar, taxis are not allowed to operate across the border, so there is no taxi to take there at night. Fortunately, I met a Han Chinese friend living in Kashgar. Seeing that we couldn't get a taxi on the side of the road, he picked us up and took us to the old city of Kashgar.
The fourth stop Kashgar Old Town
Stay at the youth hostel in Gargaotai at night, and you can visit this residential group with the most characteristics of southern Xinjiang in the morning and evening. There are two high-rise houses in Kashgar - Gar Gaotai and Gaotai Residential Houses. After several years of renovation, Gar Gaotai has taken on a new look. In fact, the high-altitude dwellings in Gaer are only partial high-altitudes. The high-altitudes appear here in the Gar City at the east gate, and there is no height difference on the other side to the west. Walking into Gar City, the alleys next to several main roads are like a maze, which is daunting. In fact, looking at the floor tiles under your feet, the bricks are dead alleys, and the diamond-shaped bricks are living alleys, so you will never get lost. Walking along the alley, all the people living here are Uighur families, an old city full of life. Uighur children are very enthusiastic, can speak Chinese, love to take pictures and shake hands with tourists. Uighurs love flowers and greenery, and trees will be planted in the corners of the yard. Walking to the north and crossing Jiefang Road is the most famous Id Kah Mosque in southern Xinjiang. It was built in 1442 and is one of the largest mosques in Xinjiang and even in the country. Diagonally opposite the east gate of the old city of Gar is the Gaotai residential building, but recently the government just started planning to renovate this residential area, so we didn't go in to play.
Another well-known scenic spot in Kashgar is the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine, which is close to the train station. We stopped by on the way to the train station. Xiangfei is said to be a concubine of Emperor Qianlong. The tomb of Xiangfei is actually her family cemetery, and Xiangfei was not buried here. The entire Xiangfei Tomb complex is an Islamic building, consisting of gatehouses, mosques, scripture halls and the main tomb. Tickets are 30 yuan, with a 50% discount during the festival. No matter from the perspective of history or architecture, Xiangfei Tomb is still worth a visit.
Kashgar Old Town Night View
Kashgar Old Town Entrance Performance on National Day
Fragrant Concubine Tomb
The small alleys in the old city of Kashgar are like a maze
Fifth stop: Wuqia County
Some people compare the map of China to a rooster. The beak of the rooster is in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, where we visited on the National Day last year. The butt of the rooster is Wuqia, which belongs to Artush. This is the westernmost county in China and the place where the sun sets last. Few tourists come here to play, they come here to feel the last sunshine. Wuqia is also where the Kunlun Mountains and Tianshan Mountains meet. There is no train connection to Wuqia, and the bus time from Artush or Kashgar is almost the same. The bus station in Kashgar is Tianshan Passenger Station opposite the railway station. If you don't go to several border lines in Wuqia, you don't need to apply for a border defense certificate. There are no famous attractions in Wuqia, they are all niche attractions. We chose an apricot garden and Nanshan Park. Apricot Garden, also known as Yangchang Kirgiz Style Garden, is 4 kilometers away from the county seat. When we arrived here, there were no tourists in the park, only the lonely blooming cosmos, and the same lonely cows on the grass. Nanshan Park is located in the county seat. It took Wuqia soldiers and civilians 10 years to turn a Gobi mountain into a green forest full of vitality.
apricot orchard
Nanshan Park
Autumn colors can be seen everywhere in the county
The sixth stop is Artush
Artush is the capital of Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, which governs Artush City, Wuqia, Aktao and Ahetai counties, and borders Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. There is a famous scenic spot in Artush called Tianmen, which was recommended by American magazines as the 25 latest adventure routes in the world. It is said that the reason why it was recommended was that the road was really hard and a power rope was needed to reach Tianmen. Now the difficulty is much easier. However, because it is far away from the city and requires walking, we gave up this attraction and chose to visit a fig orchard. Artusch is the hometown of figs. The next morning, we drove to the Grand Bazaar of Artush. The pumpkins here Bigger than we can imagine. Take a bus from Artush to Kashgar at noon, and then take a taxi to the Ta County Office.
A fig orchard, more like a vineyard
The bazaar in Artush is very large. On Saturdays, the entire road was sealed off and no vehicles were allowed to pass.
Seventh stop Takkurgan
Takkurgan Tajik Autonomous County is referred to as Taxian County for short. Takkurgan means the city of stones, and there is a castle there, one of the four major stone cities in the world. Because Ta County is located on the Pamir Plateau, with an average altitude of 4 kilometers, it is also called the Pamir Scenic Area. In the 1960s, a movie "Guests Under the Iceberg" was filmed here. People of the older generation still remember that sentence The lines of "Amir Chong", and the songs of "Why Are Flowers So Red" and "Remembering Comrades".
It is nearly 300 kilometers from Kashgar to Ta County, and it takes 5 hours to drive. The bus from Kashgar to Taxian departs from Kashgar Passenger Transport West Station, take bus No. 20 from the railway station or the east gate of Gar City, and tell the driver to get off at the station in Taxian. The shuttle bus is 65 yuan and departs at 10:30 in the morning. It will stop at several scenic spots for passengers to take pictures, which greatly facilitates tourists. There are also cars at the West Passenger Transport Station to Taxian, and the Taxian Office, which is one station away, also has pickup trucks that specialize in transportation between Kashgar and Taxian. Pickup trucks can only take 2 people, and the general price is 150 yuan each. If you arrive at the station after 2 pm, you can consider taking a pickup. When you go to Taxian County, you must have a border defense certificate. There is a checkpoint on the road without a certificate, and you will be refused entry.
On the road from Kashgar to Taxian, there will be several scenic spots. Baisha Lake and Karakul Lake are must-see attractions. Baisha Lake is a large reservoir, the Bulun Reservoir. The melted water from the snow-capped mountains is quietly like a piece of blue jasper under the sun, and the sandy mountains on the opposite side of the road are also pure white and flawless. The scenic spot is not big, but it is definitely a good place to show off. Karakul Lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The snow-capped mountains are male and female. The female is Muztagh Peak with an altitude of 7,509 meters, the male is Gongger Peak with an altitude of 7,679 meters, and the male is Gonger Jiubie Peak with an altitude of 7,530 meters. Looming under the white clouds.
karakuri l.
karakuri l.
Baisha Lake
Baisha Lake
karakuri l.
Generally, Shangta County is a three-day tour. Taxian County is very small, just an h-shaped street, the longest road leads directly to Stone City and Jincaotan. The next morning we went to Jincaotan to watch the sunrise before dawn. Jincaotan is a wetland in the Pamir Grassland, covering an area of 20 square kilometers. The government invested in this wetland to build wooden plank roads, wooden suspension bridges, waterwheels and other facilities. Tourists can walk into the wetland through the plank roads and appreciate the grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and rivers. The spectacular scenery integrated with the ancient city, sunrise and sunset are good places to enjoy. On the edge of the wetland are the ruins of the Zoroastrian temple and the ruins of the world's four largest stone cities. Stone City has a history of more than 1,000 years. There are legends about Stone City that have been handed down to this day, but I am curious about where it is called Stone City. After searching the ruins, I only see adobe walls without even a shadow of a stone. . When I came back, I checked the information and said that the base of the city was built with stones, and Tashkurgan means stone in Tajik. Tickets for Stone City are 30 yuan (50% off on holidays). The autumn colors in Ta County on National Day are beautiful, and the yards of any household in the villages on the edge of the county are full of autumn. The golden willows sway in the sun, dyeing the ground golden.
The farm yard in Ta County is full of autumn colors
Taxian County is also an important port city in my country. It is the only place in my country that has borders with the three countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Among them, the Khunjerab Port on the border with Pakistan is particularly well-known because of its high altitude. The border defense certificate can no longer enter the country gate of the port, and the cost of chartering a car in the past is also very high, which is meaningless. The border with Afghanistan is the Wakhan Corridor, where the traffic is even more inconvenient and there is no port. Some friends in Ta County said they wanted to go there, but I don’t know if they went there in the end. The border port with Tajikistan is on the way to Tajik County.
Khunjerab used to be able to walk to the border, but now it can only go 3 kilometers away from the gate
stone city without stone
Autumn Colors of Golden Grass Beach
It is really lucky to meet a Tajik wedding in Taxian County. Tajik people are very enthusiastic. Generally, if you inquire about people in the village or nearby, you will know which one has a wedding recently. Whether it is the host or the guests, they will warmly invite us to their wedding. The wedding usually lasts for three days. When it comes to weddings, one is the first day of the wedding and one is the last day of the wedding. At the wedding, you will see a lot of ethnic customs, such as kissing, touching the back of hands between men, kissing cheeks between women, the younger generation kissing the elder’s hand, the elder kissing the younger generation’s forehead, etc. They will also wear national costumes and dance with drums .
First time at a Tajik wedding a few years ago
This wedding
The eighth stop: Populus euphratica forest in Bachu Honghai Bay
There are quite a lot of places to watch Populus euphratica forest in southern Xinjiang, mainly in the Tarim Basin, and Bachu is one of them. Every October, Bachu holds a Populus euphratica Festival. The Populus euphratica National Forest Park in Bachu includes Xiamal, Xiahe and Quergai golden Populus euphratica islands, covering 3.16 million mu. The main tourist attraction is the golden Populus euphratica island, also called Red Bay, less than 20 kilometers away from the county seat. Tickets for Red Bay are 20 yuan. Golden Populus euphratica Island can walk, ride a bicycle, or take a battery car or a horse-drawn carriage. The most cost-effective one is a horse-drawn carriage with 20 cars per person, and it takes an hour to go around the entire scenic spot. Sitting in the carriage and strolling slowly, the golden Populus euphratica is surrounded by the Yarkand River and reflected on the river. The second time we went to Bachu was on October 10th, where Populus euphratica was only one-third yellow. They said that the best time of year is around October 20th. Also because we found that Populus euphratica has not reached the best viewing time, we gave up the relatively expensive Populus euphratica in Luntai.
There are also various folk performances, singing and dancing performances, and horse racing and sheep competitions in the Red Bay Scenic Area, all of which are included in the 20 yuan ticket, and you can take pictures here, and you can borrow and wear all kinds of Uighur costumes for free, plus a variety of delicacies, but it’s a pity that there are no Accommodation, otherwise it won't be boring to stay here for a day.
The accommodation in Bachu is very good. Several hotels in the county are in good condition and cheap. There are direct buses to the train station.
Ninth stop: Kuqa Grand Canyon and Old Town
The ancient city of Kuqa is also called the ancient city of Qiuci. Qiuci is a big country in the Western Regions and one of the four Anxi towns in the Tang Dynasty. It is an important place on the ancient Silk Road. A trip to southern Xinjiang is generally not less than Kashgar, and Kuqa is also indispensable, so we saw the most tourists in southern Xinjiang on this trip, especially group tourists, in the Tianshan Grand Canyon in Kuqa.
The Tianshan Grand Canyon is a canyon in Kyzilia, a branch of the Tianshan Mountains. In Uighur, "Kiziya" means "red cliff". The Tianshan Grand Canyon in Kuqa is much more beautiful than the Grand Canyon in Wensu. The total length is more than 5,000 meters. Due to factors such as earthquakes and landslides, the main valley cannot be entered for a long distance, so it takes about 2 hours to play. Visiting the canyon must be on a sunny day, its beauty will make people feel suffocated. The hot sun shines on the red mountain, and through the high peaks, it falls to the ground just a little bit, becoming very soft, especially suitable for taking large pictures. This Grand Canyon is also very well-known in the tourism industry. It is one of China's famous top ten One of the canyons.
To go to this canyon, you can take the car from Kuqa Tarim Passenger Station to Dongfang Coal Mine and get off at the entrance of the scenic spot. The shuttle bus runs every hour from 10 am to 6 pm. This section of road is also a short section of the famous Duku Highway, and the landscape along the way is particularly different. Tickets for the Tianshan Grand Canyon are 41 yuan.
When you come back, take a taxi from Tarim Bus Station to the old city for about 10 yuan, and there are also buses to get there. After crossing a bridge, Restan Road is the old town. The buildings in the old city are mainly Kuqa Dafu and Kuqa Wangfu. The Kuqa Mansion is a road next to the old city Bazaar. Here is a mosque with a long history, second only to the mosque in Kashgar, and the second largest mosque in Xinjiang. Tickets are 15 yuan. At the end of Restan Road is the Kuqa Palace. The last prince (the twelfth generation) passed away a few years ago, and the last princess of Kuqa lives here. If you don't want to see the living conditions of the princess, it is not worth spending the 55 yuan ticket. The display inside is very old. The most noticeable thing about Restan Old Street is the decorative patterns on the door frames of each house. These patterns are simple and different, and they are full of Islamic style.
Mosque at Old Street
Kuche Dafu
Kuqa Old Street
Kuqa's big naan is bigger than the face
Kuqa Palace
The tenth stop, Korla
Korla is the capital of Bayingoleng Prefecture. Bazhou occupies a quarter of the area of Xinjiang, and Xinjiang accounts for one-sixth of China's area. It can be seen that the size of Bazhou is unimaginable. Korla is a new city. It was changed from a county to a city in 1979. The urban landscape is relatively good in Xinjiang. Walking on Korla Street, you can feel a peaceful atmosphere.
Korla Bazhou Museum, get off at the Xinhua Road of the railway station and get off at the place where the bus stops three times. It is rare to see such a large-scale museum in Xinjiang. The rich pictures and cultural relics in the exhibition hall on the fourth floor can let you understand the vastness of Xiaba Prefecture. The night view of Korla is also one of the best in Xinjiang. Walking on the banks of the Peacock River and Swan Lake at night, the effect under the gentle neon lights, various small scenes and small bridges make you forget your fatigue, and there is a small bird's nest next to the Swan Lake. In the Swan Lake Square, the citizens danced Xinjiang dances, and some even dressed up in ethnic minority costumes, which made me feel the charm of southern Xinjiang.
Korla night scene
Encounter singing and dancing on the train
Eleventh stop Yuli Rob family
The "Wei" in Yuli reads YU, and the county town of Yuli is very small, the second smallest county town (the smallest in Taxian County) I have seen during my trip to southern Xinjiang. The Luobu family in Yuli is 85 kilometers away from Korla, and the chartered car costs 300 yuan. The Lop people are aboriginal people living in the area of Lop Nur who make a living by fishing. For thousands of years, they have lived scattered in the desert in Haizi, isolated from the world, maintaining primitive customs and full of mystery. The Rob family is a tourist attraction, an ecological park integrating the village of the Rob people, the desert, the lake and Populus euphratica. Tickets are 40 yuan, battery cars are 5 yuan, and battery cars around Fairy Lake are 10 yuan. Traveling in southern Xinjiang, I feel that its tickets are not as ridiculously high as other regions in China. For example, we thought at first that the 10 yuan battery car route around the lake should take up to an hour to walk, but after walking for half an hour, I haven’t seen it yet. Hu Ying stopped a battery car on the side of the road and went up, and asked if there were still more than ten kilometers away. It took more than an hour for the battery car to stop and go for people to take pictures. Looking at the endless Taklimakan Desert, I feel the insignificance and helplessness of life under nature.
When traveling in southern Xinjiang, what everyone cares about is whether it is safe there? Under the government's determined rectification, southern Xinjiang can be said to be the safest place in the country.
Southern Xinjiang is very large, and the trains between cities are the least delays. If you go to Kashgar by car at the South Bus Station, you must pay special attention to avoid arriving at night, otherwise it will be difficult to even take a taxi.
If it is convenient, it is best to apply for a border defense certificate in your city. We have obtained all the border defense cities in Xinjiang in Xiamen, but only in Taxian County where the border defense certificate is absolutely required.
The network in southern Xinjiang is relatively slow, and there is often no signal outside the city. 3G is good. So the kind of busy people who always need to contact customers should not travel to southern Xinjiang.
It is very cheap to buy dry goods in southern Xinjiang. The average county town is cheaper than the urban area. The most common express delivery in southern Xinjiang is Yunda and Post.
The recommended time for southern Xinjiang is mid to late October and late autumn. At that time Populus euphratica was yellow. There are many Populus euphratica forests in southern Xinjiang, and most of them need chartered cars. Bachu and Zepu have more convenient transportation. The canyons of the Tianshan Mountains must be visited on a sunny day, otherwise it is a waste of money.
