"If you are just looking for a 'boundless' grassland, then you don't have to come to the Nalati Grassland. The beauty of the Nalati Grassland is far more than that superficial."
I was fascinated by the autumn scenery of the grassland for the first time last autumn, so this autumn I hurriedly embarked on a journey to the grassland to enjoy autumn. And the autumn colors of Nalati let me see a different and more colorful prairie. There are half golden and half amorous grasslands, a fantasy forest like the Wizard of Oz, and a sea of clouds like clouds and fog after rain. There are countless flocks of cattle and sheep, and the hospitable Kazakh people who are good at singing and dancing...
Beginning at the end of August, Xinjiang will usher in the first touch of autumn. In September, the Nalati Grassland completely changed into new clothes in a few days. The large dark greens all over the mountains and plains suddenly turned over and replaced with pale yellow autumn clothes. And when we arrived at the Nalati Air Grassland in mid-October, it was late autumn and entered the season of hard and bright metal. Golden yellow, which represents enthusiasm, warmth, solemnity, and calmness, is the main color of Nalati Autumn at this time.
After a few autumn rains, the grass and leaves turned yellow and fell asleep on the ground one after another. At this time, the birch trees, dense-leaved poplars, Tianshan mountain ash, and wild apple trees all over the mountains and plains are full of energy and started the most splendid journey of their lives. The green mountains were replaced with heavy metal autumn clothes. Under the blue sky and white clouds, there was gold everywhere. Against the backdrop of the blue sky and snow-capped mountains, they were extraordinarily enchanting.
The golden leaves on the Populus euphratica forest are like colorful butterflies flying around. Cattle and sheep graze on the amber hillsides, and the gurgling rivers in the mountains rush to the distance with the artistic conception of golden autumn.
Perhaps only when you come to the beautiful Nalati in autumn, can you really feel what the "blue sky and golden land" and "golden pure land" are, and what is the dream of heaven and earth.
DAY1 meets the fantasy forest in the dream
After crossing the diagonal line of China, I finally flew to Nalati. The plane was flying above the clouds, and I looked out from the porthole. The white clouds were like piles of snow without leaving any gaps. Big and big flowers were blooming under the blue sky. They were dotted one after another, with various gestures, gathering together in an unstoppable momentum. It became a mighty sea of clouds.
The sea of clouds is shining with snow-white light, like a boundless snowfield; while the place where the sea of clouds faces away from the sun is like a silver-white misty plateau lake. Such a magnificent spectacle seems to herald the extraordinaryness of our journey.
On the first day of arrival, the weather was cloudy and the sky was a bit gloomy. We felt that the wind and rain were coming, and we lamented the bad weather and luck, but we didn't expect that it was the gloom at this moment that made us marvel the next day. "How about we go to the Kazakh yurt and drink a bowl of milk tea?"
So we simply put down the camera and went to the herdsman's house in the first Kazakh village to enjoy an authentic Kazakh roasted whole lamb meal and afternoon tea.
The Kazakhs are famous for their hospitality. It is said that they will bring out all the delicacies that they are reluctant to eat for guests to taste, so we saw that the table is full of various dried fruits and special snacks here.
The ghee here, you may not know, the taste is really invincible, whether it is hot or cold, it is delicious at 360 degrees without dead ends, so that I still can’t forget its taste after coming back for several days. The naan dipped in ghee is really delicious. The butter is freshly made by the herdsmen every day. It tastes delicious, neither sweet nor greasy.
With milk tea and horse milk, come a plate of sanzi just out of the pot, dip the sanzi with honey, and then put it on the tip of the tongue, the crispness of the sanzi, the mellowness of honey, and the slightly sweetness of the milk tea remain between the lips and teeth. It is a unique taste conveyed by Kazakh cuisine.
There are also all kinds of skewers, mutton rice with fingers and dishes made of wild mushrooms in the mountains.
Next is the roasted whole lamb that must be experienced once in Xinjiang. In Kazakhstan, this is the most solemn way to receive distinguished guests, and there is also a special sheep opening ceremony. First open the sheep face to the longest person, and then open the ears to the smallest meaning to be obedient. Just like this, they ate sheep and listened to songs. As a result, the hospitable Kazakh herdsmen who were good at singing and dancing played and sang. They drank and chatted for four hours during the meal, and the meal lasted from lunch to dinner.
After dinner, the rain had already fallen, and I followed the car all the way up the Panlong Ancient Road, passing through a grassland forest mixed with yellow and green. Ridge spruce is looming, forming an interesting contrast, and the valley road extends under the cover of mist and mist, which is integrated with the beautiful scenery along the way. The fog has such a magical power, it is colorful and unpredictable, and it adds infinite charm to the mountains; nearby, the green grass is green, the green forest is like the sea, and the sky is dignified.
I felt as if I had become Alice, seeing a fantasy forest in a trance while sleepwalking, and this scene seemed familiar. When I went back to the room at night, I took out my notebook and looked at it. I was so happy, the forest in my dream was almost exactly the same as the picture of my notebook case!
I remember falling in love with this fairyland-like dreamy picture when I saw the picture of this shell for the first time. I didn’t expect to see the real dream forest today. Could it be that the designer “stealed” the inspiration here? Haha, this is too clever.
On DAY2, the world of vision encounters the wonders of the sea of clouds
The next day, finally ushered in a good weather. We went straight to the grassland in the sky early in the morning, winding up along the winding mountain road, after a turn, the vast sea of clouds danced around the mountains, the wind blew, and the mist drifted away. All kinds of wonderful scenes are gladly unfolding before your eyes.
At a glance, there is a vast scene of smoke and waves among the high mountains, like thick fog, covering those strange peaks and scenery without a trace, and only the tops of the green hills are exposed, like small islands looming in the rolling sea. The sky and the earth are shrouded in white mist, and the nearby flowers, plants and trees, as well as the distant mountains and houses, all appear and disappear in the thick fog.
The sky suddenly became clear and the mountains rolled up, and the clouds were still covered with stones. After a while, the fog swims among the mountains, like a painter splashing ink, turning the original mountains into scenery, creating a sea of clouds like the lakes under the paintings. Looking down at this moment, you can see the vast sea of white clouds, and looking up at the towering peaks, the clouds and mist entwined in the middle of the mountain are like jade belts tied around the mountainside. It is really better if the clouds come to the mountains, and the clouds go to the mountains as picturesque. The mountains are dark and bright because of the clouds, and the clouds share the mountains.
When the fog clears and the clouds clear, the beauty of the vast and far-reaching golden grassland in autumn unfolds in front of your eyes like a scroll.
After murdering countless shutters here, we continued to move forward to the grassland in the air with a still unsettled mood.
The first stop is Tianjietai. "Entrance to Paradise on Earth, Boundary between Heaven and Earth" This is the entrance to the Nalati Sky Grassland, the watershed between the valley grassland and the sky grassland. Standing at the highest point, you can have a bird's-eye view of the vast and magnificent scenery of the grassland in the sky.
The snow-capped mountains in the distance, the yellow-green mountains nearby, looking north, the winding mountain road stretches to the horizon, a horse is grazing leisurely on the golden hillside, so the natural sky in front of you becomes a pair Stunning oil painting.
There are alpine forests on both sides of the road. To the south, you can have a bird's-eye view of millions of acres of vast and magnificent aerial grasslands. Tianjietai "the grass is high, the sky is blue, and you are at ease." When you sit here, you will realize that these short words are difficult to describe your current feelings.
Follow this "sky road" all the way to record the beautiful scenery you see. This is a valley grassland at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, surrounded by undulating mountains, and Xueling spruce is a school of its own. There is a vast expanse of grass under your feet, dotted with cows and horses, it is truly a veritable sky garden.
Gradually, the spruces in the mountains gradually become dense, and a natural forest suddenly appears in front of you. Trees stand on the grassland, guarding this pure land like straight warriors. The branches are covered with white rime, crystal ice hanging, the sun rises, and the light shines on it. First, the eyes are dizzy, and then there is a yellow scene.
Just like its name, Nalati - the first place to see the sun. (It is said that Genghis Khan's iron team crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and it was raining continuously. When they entered Nalati, the sun was shining and the grass was green. They couldn't help shouting: "Nalat", which means that there is a sun. It is called "Nalati" in the Kazakh language.)
I will remember that sunny autumn day, when I went up the Nalati mountain, I thought I would see a grassland, but I met a virgin forest.
At night, the rime is falling from the pine branches, the ground is covered with ice, and the sun shines on the forest...
Everything is sparkling.
Say to yourself, remember this moment,
To be a sparkling woman, not only for this moment
It took only two steps to reach Tiancheng Terrace. Behind the grassland, among the mountains, stands the main peak of Kabanbayi, which is snow-white all the year round. The streams in the mountains are criss-crossed, and the spruce stands tall. The world here is interesting and natural.
After that, I walked to the Snow Lotus Valley, and walked to the foot of Tianshan Mountain! It is called Snow Lotus Valley because overlooking the mountain topography here, it looks like a blooming snow lotus. Standing in the valley, facing the majestic snow-capped mountains, I can't help being open-minded, feeling my own insignificance and awe of the greatness of nature.
DAY2 belongs to the golden autumn fairy tale of Panlong Ancient Road
On the way down the mountain to the Panlong Ancient Road, every bend and every time you go forward is a unique scenery. Horses are grazing on the hills, and a few cows are lying lazily under the hillside. Occasionally, I hear a few horses Neighing, passing by the passing sheep from time to time.
The bright yellow birch leaves all over the mountains are integrated with the yellow meadow. During the embellishment of one or two elm trees and birch trees, it is another kind of style to reflect the blue pines and cypresses in the distance and the red cottages among the hills. Walking in it, changing the scene step by step, the grass and the sky merge. Even the sun smells of pasture.
The winding ecological road runs through the already yellowed background, with vast forests on both sides of the road. In the Panlong Valley Road in late autumn, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the blue sky is like washing. The green and tall snowy spruce blooms its charm in a low-key manner, the stream meanders through the virgin forest, and the vast grassland embraces the golden and dark green trees on the shore, quiet in the world of idyllic beauty.
The mountain road has nine bends and eighteen bends, and the dense green vegetation is "seamlessly connected" to the road. Xinjiang's first scenic ecological model road is like a long dragon passing through the dense forest. Walking like a dragon or a snake, gradually going higher.
The second stop of the Panlong Valley Road—times come and go. There is a thousand-year-old transit pine here. Because of its shape, it is also called the love LOV tree, because the shape of the branches cleverly forms the three letters of LOV. Standing next to the tree, it looks like an E. Shape, a LOVE picture appeared.
The highest point of Panlong Ancient Road is considered to be Jiaolong going out to sea. When the sea of clouds is vast after the rain, the ancient road like a dragon lurks among the clouds. Isn’t it just Jiaolong going out to sea!
Although there are no clouds and mist at this moment, there are mountains and green mountains on both sides, and the blue sky is like a wash, and goshawks are circling. On the other side, the pasture is like a blanket, and cattle and sheep are strolling.
Today's last stop is Woniugang. Standing in front of the viewing platform, there is a wide hillside going down, and a slightly raised hillside rising up from the back, like a prone bird. The cow is sleeping soundly in the mountains. We stood on the "back of the bull", with forested cedar trees nearby and the No. 1 Kazakh Village in the distance. The white roof was like a handful of pearls scattered on the grassland, shining and pure.
At the moment when the sun is setting, the grassland in the air is dotted with flowers in the afterglow of the setting sun, and the rolling hills inlaid in the sky reflect the glittering golden light under the shining of the setting sun, and the bright yellow mist above it supports a dark forest; the forest On the top, there are light green, light yellow, gray blue...
DAY3 Herdsman's family trekking in the forest
Today's focus is on forest trekking. On the road, the curling smoke caught our attention. It was a yurt built by nomads in the depths of the forest.
And autumn is like the smoke from the yurt, wandering around on the grass and in the woods, and I am attracted by the fragrant kumiss in the yurt.
Enter the yurt and learn how to breastfeed a mare.
Seeing the old mother milking the horses on the grassland and the grassland people grazing leisurely, I approached quietly and asked if I could touch them, but the enthusiastic guy asked me to get on the horse directly, and led the horse to take me to "inspect" him territory.
In the distance, herdsmen have begun to cut grass and store it for the winter. The horses are resting here in groups, and they are rolling all over the ground leisurely. So I can't help but walk up to the horse and say hello to the horse, whether he understands it or not!
The car continued to take us to the destination of today's hiking forest, "Voltajiaota". The name is very interesting, I love the meaning of him looking for him, and it is also Nalati's wedding photography base. If the weather is fine, you can get rid of all the constraints here and feel the fun of hiking. You are used to walking on the asphalt roads in the city, full of traffic, and full of freshness in the deep forest.
Stepping on the soil under the feet, passing through the pine forest, there are no noisy whistles in the ears, and the eyes are full of green when you look up; when you look down, you are full of vitality everywhere, various fungi drilled out of the grass, moss attached to the mountain ...This is the best gift of nature~
On the way back, I passed a valley that looked like an ingot. When I asked, this place was called "Green Ingot", which really lived up to its name.
When I went down the mountain, I encountered something interesting. I saw a lot of traffic jams. Have you ever seen "horse jams"? The first time I saw the real "Malu" in my life was Nalati.
We just got out of the car and walked slowly behind the horses, admiring the autumn colors we picked up at random. Not far away, the Gongnais River flows slowly, watching everything around it silently, witnessing the withered vegetation, the circulation of the four seasons, and the cycle of life.
In the distance, the cattle and sheep are returning to the pen. I chased the cattle and sheep into this birch forest, but unfortunately it was already dark. Imagine if there is light, passing through the slanting branches, passing through the light yellow or reddish leaves, and pouring down light and dark patterns on the ground, when the cows are walking, the cowherd raises the bullwhip, what would it be like? A beautiful phantom of autumn colors
...
On the day we left, there was a heavy snowfall in Nalati. Within two days, the vast expanse of snow was covered, and the forest and snowfields were another picturesque and beautiful scene.
The four seasons of Nalati are trying to show people their beautiful scenery. In autumn, it seems to be a treasure box containing various colors of Nalati. Although short and beautiful, it comes in a hurry and goes quickly. Perhaps because of this, Nalati in autumn is even more nostalgic and expected.
And I like the brightness of Nalati's autumn, and I also like the quiet beauty of Nalati's autumn. The autumn colors in Nalati are so beautiful, if you are there, then everything will be just right
Tips for visiting Nalati
About the itinerary: Self-driving is recommended. You can rent a car from Urumqi and cross the Duku Highway to Nalati. You can drive in the scenic spot by yourself. You can choose to live in a hotel in the scenic spot. There are many, and you can slowly feel the beautiful scenery of Nalati. You can also transfer to Nalati Airport from Urumqi, charter a car or arrange ticket purchase by yourself. The scenic spot has a complete transportation system and a shuttle bus system to directly reach the scenic spot.
Regarding the luggage: Be sure to pay attention to the preparation of sunscreen products. Hats, flying towels, sunscreen, ice sleeves, and sunglasses are necessary. Nalati in June can wear short sleeves during the day, the temperature is high, and jackets can be worn at night, and the grassland in the air is slightly higher It is not an exaggeration to wear light feathers at altitude.
Regarding food and lodging: There are many hotels and homestays in Nalati Town outside the scenic area. The price ranges from two hundred to several hundred in peak season. You can choose by yourself. Hotels in the scenic area, such as Xinyi self-driving campsite, have slightly higher specifications and higher prices. There are many choices . If you want to eat, there are Chinese meals in the town, which are mostly Sichuan dishes. Most of them are mainly barbecued meat with ethnic characteristics. The price is also slightly expensive in peak season, just for reference.
Recommended attractions: River valleys and grasslands are gentle and grassy with lots of cattle and sheep. It is suitable for walking slowly to play and take pictures. It must be recommended. Panlong ancient road, some ethnic villages, and ancient herding roads are must-see attractions when you come to Nalati. Folk customs such as the Kazakh camp, horse riding and hang gliding are also concentrated here. It is recommended to go to Snow Lotus Valley and its resting stations nomads' houses to experience the broader scenery.
