【The most beautiful scenery is always on the road】
Some people say that the most beautiful scenery is always on the road. Only on the road, can there be the scenery that is constantly crossed, and the heartbeat when encountering unexpected surprises. Only on the road, there will be different scenery waiting for your arrival, and there will be unexpected wonderful things waiting for you to enjoy every moment! If you have walked hand in hand with your beloved one, you have seen it. Then, what you have seen will be even more exciting!
It is also said that the best mood is always in the present moment. Life cannot be full of flowers, enthusiasm and applause, but more worry, trouble and melancholy. There is even loss and confusion. The beauty of the moment can make you forget the age and years, the pursuit and trouble of fame and fortune, and the concern and unhappiness of love and hatred. The joy of the moment can dispel the grievances and haze in your heart, and awaken your longing and pursuit of beauty! The present is indispensable to life, and the present is also the harbor and station of the soul! This is probably the interpretation of why people always want to travel.
Looking forward to the distance, beautiful scenery on the road! The moment is here! We are now on the road to explore the most beautiful highway in China across the Tianshan Mountains - the Duku Highway in Xinjiang. It is the dream-seeking road in the hearts of countless travelers! It is opened for about 100 days a year, and it is only opened at the beginning of June each year. Throughout our trip, we have been inquiring about whether it is open or not, but we have never received a definite answer. In this regard, we decided to try our luck on the Duku Highway! Looking forward to an unexpected surprise!
Three-day itinerary and places to arrive in Bayingolengzhou, Xinjiang:
June 4: Nalati → Duku Highway (Gunnaisi Canyon Section) → Bayinbulak Town, Swan Lake, Kaidu River Nine Bends and Eighteen Bends (Subayin Town)
June 5th: Bayin Prairie, Bayin Wetland Grassland, Kaidu River Nine Curves and Eighteen Bends (Su Bayin Town)
June 6: Bayin Kaidu River Basin → Hejing County → Korla City → Kuqa County (on the train)
[There is a road to the beautiful Tianshan Mountains] Her name is "Duku"
Duku Highway (also known as National Highway 217), which starts from Dushanzi in Xinjiang in the north and ends in Kuqa in Xinjiang in the south, runs through the Tianshan Mountains from north to south, with a total length of 561 kilometers and connects many ethnic minority areas. Duku Highway was completed and opened to traffic in September 1983. With this highway, the distance between the north and the south of Xinjiang has been shortened by nearly half from the original more than 1,000 kilometers. It is a monument in the history of Chinese highway construction. In order to build this road, tens of thousands of officers and soldiers fought for 10 years, and 168 road construction officers and soldiers sacrificed their precious lives.
More than half of the mileage of the Duku Highway passes through the lofty mountains and deep valleys of the Tianshan Mountains. There are more than 280 kilometers of road sections above 2,000 meters above sea level, one-third of which are cliffs, and one-fifth is in the permafrost of high mountains. Affected by natural factors such as snowfall and icing in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, the Duku Highway is subject to traffic control for nearly eight months from the end of September to the beginning of June of the following year.
At the same time, due to its diverse geographical features, climate and geological conditions, Duku Highway is known as the most beautiful highway in China, and the scenery along the way can only be described as magical and shocking. From Kuqa in southern Xinjiang to Dushanzi in the north, there are colorful Kiziliya Yadan landforms, steep red Danxia landforms, alpine canyon forest landforms, alpine wetland grassland landforms and so on. It was selected as "Landscape Avenue running through the backbone of Tianshan Mountain" by "China National Geography".
The altitude of Duku Highway ranges from more than 600 meters to more than 3,700 meters, covering Xinjiang from the Gobi desert to the plateau wetland oasis, from barren grass to dense forests and lush water plants, from drought and little rain to abundant rainfall, dense rivers, perennial snow and ice, etc. The diverse geographical features all present unique natural scenes one by one. Along the Duku Highway are Tianshan Stone Forest, Kuqa Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon, Da Xiaolong Pond, Bayinbulak Grassland, Swan Lake Wetland Park, Kaidu River Nine Bends and Eighteen Bends, Gongnais River Valley Forest Park, Nalati Grassland, Tangbula Grassland, Qiaoerma Snow Lotus, Dushanzi Grand Canyon and other famous landscapes. Among them, Kuqa Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon, Kaidu River Nine Curves and Eighteen Bends, Nalati Saussurea Valley, etc. are amazing! We are here for it!
In the early morning of June 4th, we took a 7-seater bus from Nalati Bus Station to Bayinbulak Town (pictured above), 80 yuan per passenger (there are two routes from Nalati to Bayin, one It is to take the Duku Highway and cross the Gongnaisi River Valley directly, the whole journey is 82 kilometers; the other is to take the National Highway 218 and turn to the Provincial Highway 312, the whole journey is 173 kilometers). Taking this kind of through train or line bus in Xinjiang is very different from the long-distance bus in the mainland (it has been mentioned before going to Sailimu Lake). Except for the clear charging regulations and destination delivery, there are no strict restrictions on the route ( Mainly affected by the weather, some roads will be closed at any time, and some cars are also responsible for local mail and express delivery), if most of the passengers on the car want to see the scenery along the road, the driver will usually take the initiative to stop at the most suitable place, Try to meet the requirements of passengers.
The driver of our line car is a handsome Kazakh guy (in his early thirties). It can be seen that he is very hardworking and well-connected. After working for a while, we finally drove on the road. The first thing we asked him was whether he could walk from Duku to Bayin. His answer was that there was no news of the opening of Duku, and he was taking the national highway these days. 218 detour, have to go there to see. At this time, the sky began to rain again, and it was gloomy. Our hearts suddenly changed from beating drums to beating gongs, and expectations became melancholy!
After driving for about 40 minutes, our line car arrived at the entrance of Duku Highway. Due to the steepness of the Duku Highway and frequent accidents, although there is no toll, the traffic management is very strict. It is said that the Duku Highway is now under the direct jurisdiction of the Xinjiang Traffic Police Corps. In the wind and rain, our driver got out of the car and talked with the road checkpoint personnel and then returned to the car, asking everyone to fasten their seat belts, and inadvertently drove the car into the Duku Highway.
At this moment, we are standing on the most beautiful Tianshan Highway in China, and it can be said that it takes no effort! Disappointment and surprise are only in the moment! At this time, our mood can only be described as wonderful! (I learned later that the Duku Highway will officially open tomorrow (June 5th), and we came a day early. It was our driver who was allowed to drive on the Duku Highway to deliver a report form for the college entrance examination of the children of the workers at the road maintenance station. of).
Travel is like this, if you lose, you gain! Yesterday, we passed the Snow Lotus Valley in Nalati, and today, we walked on the long-awaited Duku Highway without any effort. A tourist from Xi'an, who has been with us all the way from Sailimu Lake, is very grateful to us. He just listened to our information (the steep section of the Duku Highway only allows vehicles with 7 seats or less to pass) before joining us. Take the Duku Highway. But we would like to thank this handsome Kazakh driver who is very popular. It is because of him that we can enter a new world together and share an unexpected surprise. Who moved whom? No one can tell. Perhaps, this is a kind of fate, this kind of fate is far away on the road of thousands of miles, but it is close to the present moment!
This is a group photo taken by the handsome driver for the two of us. It records our mood when we were flying. In this inaccessible canyon deep in the beautiful Tianshan Mountains, having the present moment is very rare in life. Here, we once again express our thanks to the handsome driver!
In front of you is the famous Gongnais River Valley National Forest Park, which is comparable to the Nalati River Valley Grassland Scenic Area, or in other words, it is the eastward extension of the Nalati River Valley Grassland. If you walk through the Gongnaisi Canyon on the Duku Highway, you don't have to spend money to go to the valley grassland of Nalati.
In an unexpected surprise, we encountered a glacier in Laerdun Daban at an altitude of 3,600 meters on the Duku Highway (the locals call it an ice wall, saying that it is an ice wall, which is to ensure the passage of the road. The original glacier slope on the road was machined Cleared, an ice wall barrier was formed on the side of the road to protect the road. From the perspective of climatology and geology, the ice wall in front of us is a real low-tongue glacier on the plateau. It does not melt for a thousand years, and slowly slides towards the valley. It continuously turns into a trickle and merges into the galloping Gongnais River). In early summer and June, we have never heard of such a scene on the Duku Highway, and we have never imagined it!
We have been to the Mingyong Glacier in the Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan and the No. 4 Glacier in Hailuogou, Sichuan. Looking at the glacier there (for protection), tourists can only stand on the viewing platform and look out, which lacks a sense of reality. The Duku Daban Glacier is zero distance from you, it is actually right in front of you, and you can embrace it intimately. A completely different feeling, a different spiritual impact! The most beautiful scenery is always on the road! The best experience is always in the moment!
The passenger's child was very naughty, and the mother hardly cared about it. She let the handsome driver take care of her and told him not to run around. Not only did he not listen, she even kicked the handsome driver.
Some people say that once you have seen Xinjiang, you don’t need to see the world. Some people say that once you walk through Duku, you don’t have to go to Xinjiang again. According to statistics, there are 67 categories of tourism resources on earth, and Xinjiang has 54 categories. Except for oceans and polar regions, Xinjiang covers almost all representative natural landscapes. And "you don't know the beauty of Xinjiang if you don't go to Xinjiang" is not a simple rhetoric, nor is it just talk. If you want to truly see the beauty of Xinjiang, you need a lot of time to record with your eyes and read with your heart. If your time is limited, then you can come to Xinjiang Duku Highway for a walk, maybe you will have a general understanding and experience of the beauty of Xinjiang!
[Bayinbulak] A place where you don't want to leave once you come.
At noon that day, we arrived at the beautiful town of Bayin. Stay in a very good quasi-four-star hotel next to the tourist center of Swan Lake Scenic Area in Bayinbulak. The standard room is 180 yuan, including two breakfasts. After a short rest, we then took a bus from the visitor center to the famous Swan Lake and our favorite Nine Bends and Eighteen Bends. Tickets for scenic spots are 120 yuan + transportation vehicles 60 yuan, half price for 60-year-olds.
Bayinbulak Grassland belongs to Bayingoleng Prefecture and Jing County, more than 360 kilometers away from Korla City, the state capital. It is located in the central basin of the Tianshan Mountains, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Consisting of two alpine basins and hilly pastures, the Big and Little Zhuletus, it is 270 kilometers long from east to west, 136 kilometers wide from north to south, with a total area of 23,835 square kilometers and an average altitude of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. It is second only to Ordos in Inner Mongolia. Two prairie. In Mongolian, it is called "the inexhaustible sweet spring". The current Bayinbulak is a national AAAAA scenic spot, listed in the World Natural Heritage List, and known as "Dream Grassland, Horse Paradise, Hometown of Swans, Hometown of East Return".
Because it is located in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, the traffic in Bayinbulak Town is not very convenient. There is only one Provincial Highway 312 that leads here all year round. An important post station, but also brought huge business opportunities to this originally quiet town. Bayin's beautiful grassland scenery, coupled with the amazing Kaidu River's nine bends and eighteen bends, when the Duku Highway is opened in summer, a large number of tourists will flock here, and this place has become the most popular place for tourism in Xinjiang. one of the places.
We started our itinerary here many years ago, and every year we feel that this place is changing. But actually coming here was a bit unexpected. Today, there are not only hotels and restaurants here, but also good facilities, standardized services and reasonable charges. Whether it is a self-guided tour or a self-driving tour, it is very convenient to go to Bayin Swan Lake and Jiuqu 18 Bends. The visitor center is located on the side of the Duku Highway, opposite to the Bayin Town Passenger Station. As long as you enter the visitor center, it is a one-stop service, which is by no means like what some people talk about on the Internet. Perhaps, this is just the Bayinbulak we have seen and experienced.
In the afternoon, we took the scenic spot bus from the tourist center and arrived at the famous Bayin Swan Lake in about 40 minutes. Since early summer is not the migration season for migratory birds, there are only a few whooper swans in the lake (it is said that these swans are Injured and rescued resident birds, they live here all year round). Due to the abundance of food in the wetland of the Bayin Grassland, even if there are wild whooper swans in this season, they will hide deep in the grassland. At the same time, it also verified what netizens said. The swans in Bayin Swan Lake are not considered hot spots. You don’t have to come to Bayin Swan Lake if you want to see swans. What really catches the eye here is the nine bends and eighteen bends of the Bayinkaidu River.
We saw that the protagonist in Swan Lake is not a swan, but a "jaeger" from Northwest Lia. It is bold by nature. As long as it sees people holding food in their hands, it will keep circling around you, even Dare to snatch food from your hands.
Coming out of Swan Lake, the traffic car passed the famous Bayin Lare Temple. Due to time constraints, we did not get off the bus for a tour.
This is the terminus of the traffic car in the scenic area. There are still 4 kilometers to reach Jiuqu and Eighteen Bends from here. Tourists can choose to walk, or take a battery car to and fro at 20 yuan/person, or ride a horse for 120 yuan/person. We chose to take a battery car to go.
[Bayin Nine Songs and Eighteen Bends] The place where Hou Yi shoots down the sun
We walked all the way from the battery station for about 10 minutes, and boarded the Basilik viewing platform with nine bends and eighteen bends, overlooking the entire nine bends and eighteen bends. The scene in front of us was soul-stirring and shocking. Some people say that watching the sunset with nine bends and eighteen bends here will make you unforgettable forever!
This is the first bend of Bayin.
This is the first bend of Bayin.
This is the nine bends and eighteen bends of the Kaidu River that we are thinking about, and it is also the Tongtian River described in "Journey to the West". She twists and turns on the flat and vast Bayinbulak grassland, forming an extremely strange and magnificent scene. The nine bends and eighteen bends in the setting sun are her most breathtaking moments—when the setting sun shines through the clouds and shoots towards the source of the Kaidu River, at this time, she is learning gold, dotted with stars, winding like The nine bends and eighteen bends like a golden ribbon will reflect the row of golden suns (shot down by Yi Yi in the fairy tale). This is the nine bends and eighteen bends of "this scene should only exist in the sky, how many times it can appear in the world"! Take a look and you will never forget it!
It is said that the setting sun on August 15 every year happens to fall in the center of the nine bends and eighteen bends, each of which reflects a sun, and you can see up to 9 suns, or 13 suns. The nine bends and eighteen bends we have seen actually have two major bends, one bend (above) is irregularly curved, and the number of bends is more than 9; the other bend (below) is counted in detail, Exactly 9 curves, the curves are relatively regular. That's probably why people see a difference in the number of bends.
At this moment, people standing on the viewing platform were deeply attracted by the magnificent and charming scene in front of them, and many tourists (only wearing shirts and the like) were also shivering from the severe cold here. In early summer and June, the temperature at this time is only about minus 3-5 degrees, and with the cold wind in the evening, it is indeed too cold. As everyone knows, there are cotton coats for rent (50 yuan per passenger) about 300 meters behind the viewing platform. Although it is a bit more expensive, it is enough to keep you warm through the current severe cold.
Because the weather conditions at sunset that day were not ideal (the pictures above were all taken by me with my mobile phone), in order not to leave any regrets for only coming here once in my life, my wife came here again the next day alone and took a more ideal picture with a SLR camera A wonderful moment of sunset with nine bends and eighteen bends (below)
In this mythical story, the place where the sun is shot! On the vast and vast Xinjiang Bayinbulak prairie! The famous Kaidu River presents beautiful curves and radians when the sun sets. She twists and turns and flows to the distance without turning back. She is so natural, so shocking, so pleasing to the eye, and so majestic. Nature uses its uncanny workmanship to describe the exquisite sunset scene, which is a rare visual feast in the world! She is a miracle of nature! She is the broad mind of Mother Earth! This is the Kaidu River with its nine bends and eighteen bends that "this scene should only exist in the sky, but how many times it can appear in the world"! We are here to witness, come and see!
After returning from the breathtaking beauty of nine bends and eighteen bends, the hotel in front of me feels warm after the fatigue of the journey. In a small town deep in the vast Tianshan Mountains, there is such a good accommodation, which is completely unexpected. The standard room of 180 yuan is clean and tidy, covering more than 40 square meters. Strictly changing one guest, including two breakfasts, and rich meals (in the face of tourists, the catering management personnel turn a blind eye to them. This alone makes them more generous than us southerners). Compared with any accommodation in the bustling city, Not bad at all, not expensive at all.
Behind the warmness is the rapid improvement of the quality of life of the Chinese people, and behind the accident is the prosperity of the motherland's economy and the well-being brought to people by the Western Development! No matter what other people say, we must believe our eyes and touch our conscience! Thank you for the gift of nature! Thanks to the people of Bayinbulak! Thanks to our great motherland!
Today, there are many B&Bs and inns in Bayin Town, and there are at least a dozen hotels like ours, and there are also accommodation options in some large resorts. If it is not the peak season for tourism, you don't have to worry about how expensive the accommodation is (even the price at the hotel is cheaper than online booking) when you come to Bayinda, and you don't have to worry about finding a room. This is the Bayinbulak we see, she is changing quietly every day, the information on the Internet can only be used for reference, it is definitely not the whole and current here!
[Bayinbulak Grassland] The Pastoral Garden of Eden
The whole day on June 5th, we wandered around the beautiful town of Bayin to see the scenery, which was the most leisure day of the trip. Bayinbulak has abundant tourism resources. Swan Lake and Nine Bends and Eighteen Bends are just her masterpieces. "Dream Grassland, Horse Paradise, Swan Hometown, East Hometown" are her four highlights. To the west of the town is the Bayin Prairie and the famous Turhute Folk Custom Garden, and to the east is the Bayin Wetland Grassland and the beautiful scenery of sheep and horses. Most of the tourists here come and go in a hurry. Few people know that there are idyllic grassland scenery and people's ideal Garden of Eden.
In the morning, we slept until we woke up naturally. After breakfast, we walked along the Duku Highway and arrived at the Bayin Prairie in the west of the town. At this time, on the huge grassland, only the two of us were watching the scenery one on one. The grassland was peaceful and quiet. The grassland was full of unknown flowers. The beautiful grassland scenery of Bayin is presented in front of your eyes one by one. This is probably what people call the dream grassland! She is the hometown of the Torghut herdsmen, and also our ideal Garden of Eden!
There is also a tragic historical story here. In 1771, Ubashi, the leader of the Mongolian Turghut, led an army of 170,000 from the Volga River Basin in Russia, and traveled thousands of miles back to the motherland to settle down in seven months. Torghut is an ancient tribe with historical civilization among the Mongolian people in my country. As early as 1628, in order to find a new living environment, the Turghuts left their homeland of Tarbahatai in Xinjiang, crossed the Kazakh grassland, and came to the coast of the Caspian Sea, which was not yet occupied by Tsarist Russia, to open up their homes, work and live, and established He started the Turghut Khanate and lived here for more than 140 years. Until the 1860s, because he could not bear the oppression and killing of Tsarist Russia, he decided to return to his homeland and motherland under the leadership of King Khan Ubashi. The Turghuts fought bloody all the way without hesitation. It took nearly half a year and traveled tens of thousands of miles. Overcoming the siege and interception of the Tsarist Russian army, overcoming hardships and hardships, enduring great military and civilian sacrifices, and finally achieved the feat of returning to the east.
Turhut’s return to the East was appeased and preferentially treated by the Qing government. At that time, Emperor Qianlong gave them the Zhuledus grassland (today’s Bayinbulak prairie) with fertile water and grass and a suitable climate for nomadic grazing. Live and settle. In this folk culture village right in front of you, the large-scale live-action drama "Return to the East·Impression" is often staged in the village. It promotes the culture of the return of the Turghut tribe to the east, shows the history of the return to the east, and reproduces the difficult and difficult process of the leader of the Turghut tribe, Ubashi, who led his troops back to the motherland, and the living conditions after settling in the Bayinbulak Grassland.
Whenever Bayingolengzhou and Hejing County hold the Naadam Conference, sports activities focusing on grassland folk culture will be held here. There are mainly folk activities that tourists directly participate in, such as equestrian horse racing, archery, wrestling, Turhut wedding, Jianger epic, and traditional food. At that time, tourists can experience the natural scenery, appreciate ethnic customs, and taste Donggui specialties with strong Mongolian flavor on the beautiful Bayinbulak prairie.
Some people say that the scenery of the Bayin Grassland is comparable to that of the Swiss Alps. We have been to the Swiss Alps and this cannot be overstated!
At this time, you are walking on the grassland, looking around, you can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, rolling up and down, the hills are smooth, and the clouds are floating in the sky. You put yourself in it with the fragrance of grass and flowers, take a deep breath of the freshest breath of nature, close your eyes, let yourself fully empty, and enjoy the moment to the fullest. This is Bayinbulak Prairie! Your ideal Garden of Eden!
In the afternoon, we walked all the way along the 312 Provincial Highway for about 5 kilometers, and came to the Bayin Wetland Grassland in the east of the town. Watch the protagonists here, known as the only black-headed sheep in Bayin—Chateng sheep, and Yanqi horse, known as the BMW of the Western Regions.
In front of you is the famous Bayinbulak black-headed sheep, which is said to be the only one in the Bayin Grassland in Xinjiang. It is huge in size and delicious in meat. We tasted the mutton pilaf made with black-headed sheep in the town, and it tasted better than other places.
There is a Tibetan-style minaret on the mountain in front of you, and there is a viewing platform beside the tower. There is a plank road at the foot of the mountain leading directly to the top of the mountain. As long as you climb up, you can have a panoramic view of the idyllic pastoral scenery of the grassland. According to the Xi'an tourist who accompanied us all the way here, the scenery on the mountain is very beautiful. It feels like you can touch the clouds in the mountain stream with your hands, as if you are flying through the clouds. At that time, due to slack, we didn't go up to enjoy it, which is a bit regretful in retrospect.
A scene of Bayin wetland grassland.
A scene of Bayin wetland grassland.
A scene of Bayin wetland grassland.
This is the famous BMW of the Western Regions - Yanqi horse. Looking at its size and shape, it is not tall, and its appearance is not good. But it is said that it has super endurance and speed, fast as lightning, slow enough to climb mountains and wading long distances. Cavalry on the ancient prairie often used this horse to switch between two horses or three horses. They could advance and retreat freely, and often won with speed and endurance.
Bayinbulak is a rich and beautiful grassland with scenery and stories in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains. It is definitely a place that you will be infatuated with once you come, and you will not want to leave once you come. Our dreams follow our hearts, and we come all the way to find you. During the two-day trip to Bayinbulak, your beautiful grassland scenery, the tragic story of the nation’s return to the east, and the soul-stirring "this scene should only exist in the sky, how many times can it be seen in the world" have been deeply rooted. into memory. We made this trip worthwhile for you!
[Along the mythical Tongtian River] All the way from severe winter to midsummer.
On June 6th, we will leave Bayinbulak and take the Duku Highway to Kuqa in southern Xinjiang according to the scheduled itinerary. We plan to pass through the Big and Small Dragon Pools and the Kuqa Mysterious Grand Canyon that we like all the way. The distance is about 230 kilometers, and we will arrive in Kuqa that night. Accommodation in Che County. At this time, the Duku Highway has been fully opened, and vehicles heading for southern Xinjiang pass by the town of Bayin one by one. In this regard, we are looking forward to the journey from Duku to see the scenery all the way to Kuqa.
The parking place on the opposite side of the highway is the Bayin Town Passenger Station. Before, it was said on the Internet that there are shuttle buses to Kuqa and passing cars to Nanjiang. Since we came to Bayin, the passenger station has been closed and locked. Today, we finally knocked on the door (I found out later that this is a passenger station with only the station manager. The station does not sell tickets, but only checks the safety of departure) , we were told by the station master that there has never been a car going to Kuqa here, and there are no passing cars (it seems that what is said on the Internet is not true), except for the two lines of buses (14 seats) that are currently sent to Hejing County every day. Iveco, 65 yuan/person, travel 300 kilometers), no other trips. Now if we want to go to Kuqa, there is only one way to go, that is, first go from Bayin to Hejing, then take the train from Hejing to Korla, and then transfer to the train to go to Kuqa.
In this regard, we are deeply surprised and somewhat frustrated. There are often many things you can't think of when traveling, and it is the accident at the moment that gives us an unexpected harvest from the journey! After lunch, we bid farewell to the beautiful Bayinbulak, took the shuttle bus bound for Hejing, and headed east along Provincial Highway 312. Not long after leaving Bayin Town, the scenery of the Kaidu River immediately appeared in front of our eyes!
Once again verified that "beautiful scenery is always on the road". The scenery in front of them made the passengers in the car exclaimed, and everyone unanimously asked the driver to stop to look at the scenery. Different line cars have the same good drivers, probably "the drivers of the line cars in Xinjiang are very casual". Our line cars stop and go all the way. We also kept watching the scenery all the way, an unexpected surprise! It turns out that not only the Duku Highway is beautiful, but all the roads in Xinjiang are beautiful!
Kaidu River ("Kaidu Gol" in Mongolian, hence the name Kaidu River) is one of the main rivers in Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang. Jing, Heshuo, Yanqi, Bohu, Korla and other counties and cities. It has a total length of more than 510 kilometers, a drainage area of 22,000 square kilometers, a total drop of 1,750 meters, and an average annual runoff of about 3.362 billion cubic meters. Finally, it flows into the freshwater lake with the largest reserves in my country - Bosten Lake in Xinjiang.
Kaidu River is also the "Tongtian River" described in the mythical masterpiece "Journey to the West". It is said that the "Shanjing Island" where the Tang monk learned scriptures is located in Hejing County, where she Liujing, full of mystery. Spring and summer are the most beautiful seasons for the Kaidu River. The trees on both sides of the river are rejuvenated, the grass is green, wild flowers are everywhere, the water is full of green water, and the water and the sky are the same color. It is a good pasture at the foot of Tianshan Mountain, a pastoral pastoral. In autumn and winter, it is covered with snow and frozen for thousands of miles. It is a huge natural ice skating and ski resort, covered in white.
Due to its 1750-meter drop and more than 500-kilometer-long stream, the Kaidu River has created a unique geographical scene from the plateau oasis to the desert Gobi. At the same time, due to the major changes in climate and temperature from the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains to the outside of the Tianshan Mountains, the transformation from the severe cold at the source to the hot downstream (using modern road traffic) in Kaidu took only a few hours.
Along this mythical "Tiantian River", we experienced a real experience of walking from severe winter to midsummer in a few hours. I also experienced the millennium myth described in "Journey to the West"!
It is said that many places described in Mr. Wu Chengen's original book "Journey to the West" have their relative original scenery. The search for hiding in Xinjiang is enough to prove that the places Tang Monk and his disciples traveled to learn scriptures are not entirely fictitious. Legend has it that Tang Seng and his disciples encountered obstacles when they came to Tongtian River to learn Buddhist scriptures. They lived in Chenjia Village (there is a place called Chenjia Village on the bank of the Kaidu River today). The old turtle prayed for his birthday before he crossed the Tongtian River.
It is also said that after Tang Monk and his disciples obtained the scriptures, they returned to the Tongtian River, but they were still unable to cross the river. When they were in trouble, the thousand-year-old tortoise appeared again and said that they would carry the four masters and disciples across the river. Crossing to the middle of the river, the old tortoise asked Tang Seng to pray for his birthday in front of the Tathagata Buddha. Unexpectedly, Tang Seng replied that he forgot about it. The scriptures were all wet, so the four masters and apprentices had to dry the scriptures on a small island in the Kaidu River. place of occurrence.
Now there is indeed a place by the Kaidu River called Sunjing Beach, which is not an island, but a village by the Kaidu River. It is said that someone once found the "scriptures" left by Tang Monk when he was drying the scriptures on the huge pebbles on the river beach beside the village. Believe it or not, it's up to you!
On the way, according to our line bus driver, this is the place where the Tang monk in the myth of "Journey to the West" dried the scriptures. The stone sculpture in front of us is the place where the "scriptures" left by the Tang monk were discovered while drying the scriptures. This is indeed a village. However, the Kaidu River here is not rolling, but flowing through the village in a gentle and elegant manner. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the distant mountains are covered with snow, cattle and sheep are everywhere, and it is a grassland scenery. Again, it's up to you to believe it or not!
In early June, under the Tianshan Mountains and along the banks of the Kaidu River, there were still large areas of snow that had not yet melted. "We have a good place in Xinjiang, good pastures in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, the Gobi sandy beaches have turned into fertile fields, and the snow has melted to irrigate the farms. Come! Come! Come! Our beautiful countryside, our lovely hometown...". A high-pitched song by the famous singer Bahar Guli sang the beauty and magic of Xinjiang! It is also the Xinjiang we see!
As our line car advanced all the way, the scenery along the Kaidu River was constantly changing. We could no longer see the grassland oasis in front of us, but instead there were rolling limestone mountains barren of grass. Only the Kaidu River ran forward as usual.
We have been enjoying the scenery all the way, constantly subtracting the thick winter clothes from our bodies. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the line car arrived at Hejing County Passenger Station after 5 and a half hours of slow walking. We got out of the station and took a taxi for 4 yuan, and then arrived at Hejing Railway Station. At this time, the sky in Xinjiang was still shining brightly , the temperature outside the train station is 32 degrees. It can be said that the heat is unbearable. The first thing we do when we enter the station is to change into summer clothes as soon as possible. In Bayinbulak, you are still looking for sunshine everywhere, but when you arrive in Hejing, you will look for shade everywhere! In less than half a day's trip, we completed the transition from severe winter to midsummer. This is Xinjiang, a Xinjiang you will only know when you come!
We took the train from Hejing, with a hard seat of 7 yuan, and arrived in Korla, Xinjiang. The scenery outside the car was the endless Gobi and the vast desert. In half a day, we experienced the transformation from the plateau oasis to the Gobi desert. Xinjiang has diverse geography and landforms, and you have to be amazed! That night, we transferred from Korla to Kuqa by train. Still the same sentence, look forward to in the distance, the most beautiful scenery is on the road, and the best mood is in the moment!
It is said that "northern Xinjiang sees the scenery, and southern Xinjiang sees the humanities", "if you haven't been to Kashgar, you haven't been to Xinjiang". There are the long-awaited Kuqa Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon, the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves 350 years earlier than Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, the old city of Kashgar that makes people miss, the towering snow-capped mountains of Pamir and the charming The plateau lakes of... For that, time is ticking, we're going right away!
"Part Two: Bazhou" is finished, "Part Three: Southern Xinjiang" to be continued Jinling Lesou 2019/12/14
