01 [Northern Xinjiang Time] Self-driving exploration of ice and snow northern Xinjiang

I have always been full of imagination about the winter in northern Xinjiang. This time I followed my footsteps and drove to pursue the most beautiful winter in northern Xinjiang.
There is a sky full of stars here, and everything we imagined about winter.
Do not believe? look......


02 [Before the beginning] There is always a moment where you have the urge to travel

There will always be moments in life that give us the urge to escape from life. Whether it is sunny beaches or Frozen, as long as we leave this boring life, everything should feel fresh.
Time flies, and 2019 is here in the blink of an eye. I packed my bags and drove towards the cold northern Xinjiang. There are too many stories along the way that I want to share with you...

For the beautiful moments in the journey, I always want you to have a sneak peek!


Shenxian Bay in winter lacks the rippling blue waves in summer and autumn, but in this white world, bursts of water vapor rise, such a scenery is not bad


Driving through a fairy tale world, this road along the Kanas River is surrounded by rising water vapor, turning it into a "fairyland" more beautiful than rime


Go to the Panshan Highway in Hemu Village. When the drone reaches an altitude of 500 meters, you will know what kind of challenge I am going through now. The road is completely icy and snowy.


Wolong Bay meets the most beautiful light of the day


Hemu, the most beautiful village in Kanasli


The sunrise of Sailimu Lake, waiting for minus 20 degrees, in exchange for such a beautiful scenery, a word "value"!


Sailimu Lake is not frozen, but the shore has already become a land of solid ice


The wild foxes I met on the way out of Sailimu Lake are not afraid of people, but they can run very fast. If it weren’t for my big telephoto, you would definitely not even see this.


Anjihai Grand Canyon, here to watch a miracle of nature


Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, you can hear the sound of falling stones, and you are frightened


Take the car to the edge of the cliff, let it feel the horror



Guozigou Bridge, you must have never seen it from this angle, if it weren’t for the drone, I don’t think I would know how to record this spectacular project


Yining Swan Spring, the warm moment of wild swans


World Devil City, drive into the path of the exploration team, and raise the drone in the wilderness to see this incredible wind-eroded landform.
Quietly tell you that aerial photography is not allowed in the scenic area


Burqin Colorful Beach, I have become one of the few tourists in this winter. Except for the cold, it feels quite honorable. I am the only tourist in the whole scenic spot.


Keketuohai, China is extremely "cold". When you encounter heavy snow, you can't find rut marks on the road. You must have never encountered such a trip


03 [Pre-departure preparation] Northern Xinjiang in winter, no joke "must prepare"

1. Snow tires, snow tires, snow tires.
The important thing is to say it three times. If you have all-season tires, you basically have no chance of self-driving in northern Xinjiang in winter. If possible, please bring snow chains.
2. Warm clothes. In many places in northern Xinjiang, it is often 20-30 degrees below zero in winter. If you don’t have good warm clothes, what do you want to do?
3. Gloves, if you plan to be in the car forever, you can do without this, but it seems unlikely.
4. Sunglasses, the snow-white world without sunglasses is really unbearable.
5. High-calorie snacks, every journey of self-driving in Xinjiang is not short, and it feels like something is missing if you don’t eat snacks for 3-4 hours.
6. Thermos cup, you know this~
7. ID card! ! ! Bank cards, plenty of cash...
8. Warm baby, this one is for Iphone, the more the better.

(PS: The general working hours of gas stations in Xinjiang are from 8 am to 9 pm. If you have plans to drive at night, always remember to fill up at the right time)


04【Self-driving route map】My self-driving tour action track


Starting from Urumqi and finally returning to Urumqi, we have completed this nearly 3,000-kilometer self-driving ring road in northern Xinjiang in winter


The basic itinerary is as follows:
DAY 1: Fly to Urumqi and feel the coldness of the northern border
DAY 2: Urumqi -- Anjihai Grand Canyon -- Yining City
DAY 3: Yining City -- Swan Spring -- Sailimu Lake
DAY 4: Sailimu Lake -- Guozigou Bridge -- Karamay
DAY 5: Karamay -- World Devil City -- Burqin
DAY 6: Burqin -- Baihaba
DAY 7: Baihaba -- Kanas
DAY 8: Kanas -- Hemu Village
DAY 9: Hemu Village -- Burqin
DAY 10: Burqin -- Colorful Beach -- Keketuohai
DAY 11: Keketuohai -- Urumqi
DAY 12: Urumqi -- International Grand Bazaar (return)


05[Anjihai Grand Canyon] The first stop of self-driving, feel the uncanny workmanship of nature

The voyage of flying from the mainland to Xinjiang is no different from when you go abroad. After flying for 6 hours, the plane finally arrived in Urumqi. It was only after getting off the plane that I realized what cold is.
It was already midnight, so I hurried to take a taxi and went straight to the hotel, let me go to the hotel first, and I can no longer compete with nature...

This time I chose the Hilton Hotel in Urumqi. It is said that the hotel has been open for less than three years. I didn’t have it when I came to Urumqi last time. I made a reservation decisively based on the freshness. As a diamond member, I enjoyed the room upgrade treatment as always. The beggar's room becomes an administration in seconds.


Arrived at the Hilton Hotel, it should look good from the outside


It's a pity that I didn't upgrade to a suite this time, but there are a lot of fruits in the room, and the user experience is good


One of the great benefits of being a member is the free breakfast. This is not Urumqi. It dawns at 9:30 in the morning and wakes up naturally at 7:30, and then it is a happy breakfast time


Starting from Urumqi and following the navigation instructions, you can reach the Anjihai Grand Canyon in more than four hours. It is not as difficult to find as you imagined. The road conditions were Lianhuo Expressway at the beginning, and it became a county road until it was near Kuitun. Later, it was a few The ice and snow road of 10 kilometers will reach the Anjihai Grand Canyon.
The colorful Anjihai Grand Canyon is a photographer's dream. There are breathtaking cliffs, fascinating red mountains, and you can even drive your car to the edge of the cliff to experience a rare experience. passion...
Everything here is inseparable from the vigorous development of the mining industry. Even the road leading to the Grand Canyon is the only way for mine trucks. If it is not for the mine deposits, then such a magical place must not be able to enter people's vision.
The beauty here is very pure, so that you can feel the strength of nature at a glance...
Dyed with bright colors, it becomes an unusual mountain and river, but it is really cold when it arrives in winter with strong winds!




Looking out from the most classic viewing platform, this is the view, awesome!


This area belongs to the Grand Canyon of the Tianshan Mountains. The Panshan Road opposite is a mining road, and there are big trucks coming and going.


Taking advantage of the last light of the sun, I quickly took two pictures. In Xinjiang in winter, the daytime is really short!


Look, I'm pretty brave too, I can hear the sound of rocks falling from the surrounding cliffs by the side of the car


The erosion of flowing water, the wind erosion of thousands of years, nature is really an all-round artist


The river bed in winter is very beautiful, and the melody is drawn on the white base board

Under the snow cover should also be red soil


On the hillside facing the sun, the snow has already melted


When you come to the edge of the cliff, you will understand what it means to be frightened


If I hadn't brought a drone, I definitely wouldn't have seen such a view


The painting overlooking nature, before arriving in northern Xinjiang, the ipad used as the remote control display of the drone was frozen and shut down automatically. .. is a problem


Go back to the urban area of ​​Kuitun and have a decent dinner. The consumption level of Kuitun is considered the standard of third-tier cities in China. It is not expensive. The table is only more than 100 yuan, and the taste is really good.
After eating and drinking enough, continue to set off and drive more than 300 kilometers to Yining at night.
Self-driving in Xinjiang in winter, it feels like a luxury not to run at night...


The highway from Kuitun to Yining is usually full of large trucks at night. The section of the highway near the Guozigou Bridge is almost comparable to Panshan Road. You must drive carefully at night and fill up the fuel tank if possible.

It was past midnight when I arrived in Yining, and I went down to the busiest hotel here under the guidance of the navigation, but suddenly found that the small town in Xinjiang can be so lively at night. Later, I found out that there is an entertainment club in the Jiangsu Hotel where we stayed. I have a new understanding of Xinjiang.
Get a good night's sleep and we will continue our new journey tomorrow.


06 [Yining Swan Spring] Go on a date with wild swans

Yining Swan Spring, a rare gathering place for wild swans in Xinjiang in winter
Located in Xiaheleke Village, more than 50 kilometers away from Yining City, with the blessing of geothermal spring water, it has become a good place for wild swans to overwinter
More than ten years ago, the first pair of swans came here. After being discovered by local fishermen, the younger generation took care of them, and they grew slowly. In less than 20 years, 200-300 wild swans are used here in winter. What do the swans look like? , It’s almost like in the fairy tale world, if you don’t believe me, look at it...
Due to the fact that swans fly up from time to time, it is forbidden to fly drones here. When I saw the no-fly signs posted everywhere, I gave up the idea of ​​aerial photography.
If you come to Xinjiang in winter, if you drop by, it would be a good choice to see the swans
Tickets: 20 yuan


Here is the history of the development of Swan Spring
The road from Yining City to Swan Spring can be described as ever-changing. At first, it is a high-speed road, then a provincial road, and the remaining 20 kilometers are actually a village road. The changing road conditions make driving more fun


In recent years, the viewing trails invested and constructed by the government


This is the core area of ​​Swan Spring. In recent years, more than 200 wild swans have gathered here. With the nourishment of geothermal hot spring water and the feeding of local fishermen, it feels good to be a swan, and you don’t have to worry about anything.


In fact, as a layman, I really don't know the difference between a swan and a goose


The swan's feathers are so beautiful, crystal clear, and will not stick to water at all


From a distance, it looks like a large goose farm


There are only 3 pools with geothermal hot springs here, and the pool opposite has started to freeze


This group is said to be swans, but it always seems a little bit wrong, so please leave a message for the experts to say


Lazily basking in the sun, the little days are really happy


After waiting for more than half an hour, I wanted to take a few pictures when the swans spread their wings and fly high, but I met such a flight, they are really lazy


Feeding tourists has become a source of food for swans


Small vendors at the door, everyone is trying to find their own life in the cold winter


07 [Sailimu Lake] Self-driving around the lake to wait for the gorgeous sunrise of a mountain lake

I drove across the Guozigou Bridge again and came to the east gate of Sailimu Lake. I wanted to see if I could drive the car into the scenic spot, but the security guard at the gate sternly refused and had no choice but to try another gate. If you can’t drive to see it Sailimu Lake, the entire Sailimu Lake tour will be greatly reduced.
I ran more than 20 kilometers on the expressway to the west gate of the scenic spot. It was getting dark. The only hotel that can stay in Sailimu Lake in winter is the sea view hotel in the east gate. Huanhu Road can also reach the East Gate, this time we were allowed to enter the scenic spot.
Sailimu Lake Huanhu Road is really cool to drive. There are no vehicles in winter, and the road conditions are excellent, giving you an extraordinary driving experience...


Sunset at Sailimu Lake, flying a drone near the west gate, racing against the light


Push open a door, you can come to the lakeside, here is a special road for farmers and herdsmen


Then with only a little light in the evening, I started to shoot my time-lapse photography career


In the morning and evening, we can always meet the most beautiful light of the day


Driving along the dark Sailimu Lake, I always feel that the light in front is still some distance away, and finally arrives at the east gate, where there is the brightest light of Sailimu Lake


Sea View Hotel, we will stay here tonight


It seems that there is no choice but to have dinner in the hotel. The price is really not cheap, but in tourist attractions, everything becomes forgivable


This is a 420 hotel for one night. It is almost the smallest house I have lived in during this self-driving trip. It seems that the scenic spot is different


The owner of the hotel quietly told me that in the early morning when the security guard at the door is not at work, I can still drive the car into the scenic spot, thinking that I am going to take pictures of the sunrise, and everything is in order now.
At 8:15 in the morning, the sun has not yet risen, so I drove into the scenic spot in a short drive. According to the sunrise direction, choose a best location to watch the sunrise


The blush moment before sunrise


With the blessing of two SLRs, I started my time-lapse photography


Fishermen start work on the cold lake before the sun rises


Later, I was investigated and dealt with by the patrol team of the scenic spot, saying that I was occupying the bicycle lane. In fact, let alone bicycles in the early morning, there are very few cars. I have never seen a bicycle in a day


The desolation in winter also brings another level of charm to Sailimu Lake


The ice wall by the lake is quite slippery, and it is a big stagger if you are not careful


Seeing the fishermen on the lake through the ice of the lake


The long-lost sunshine has finally arrived


The golden light didn't last long, it was covered by thick clouds, and it was cloudy again, but we still saw a perfect sunrise


On the way out of Sailimu Lake, I met a group of cute wild foxes, but their vigorous posture, if not for the telephoto, probably only my eyes can appreciate them


This is the self-driving road around Sailimu Lake. The road conditions and the scenery are perfect enough without any other pursuits.


Driving in such a beautiful scenery, I can't help but take out my mobile phone to record this beautiful moment



As long as you drive into the Sailimu Lake Scenic Area, you are not afraid of any patrols in the scenic area to investigate and deal with it. What they do most is to write down your license plate number and buy tickets when you leave the scenic area.
Sailimu Lake in winter is also really beautiful, only those who arrive can experience it


08【Guozigou Bridge】The photographer's favorite bridge in Xinjiang

Guozigou Bridge, the most famous bridge in Xinjiang
This is the first cable-stayed bridge with double towers and double lock surfaces in China, and it is also the largest, most important and highest bridge in Xinjiang. In order to shoot the Guozigou Bridge, I don’t know how many photographers came here, looking for a good location to shoot the most spectacular side of the Guozigou Bridge. I am one of the key photographers
The highway passing the Guozigou Bridge is almost the highway with the most turns I have ever seen. Sometimes it winds up the mountain and sometimes it is built into a cave. It fully demonstrates the greatness of Chinese manufacturing and Chinese creation in recent years.
Less than 20 kilometers away from the Guozigou Bridge is Sailimu Lake. If you travel to Sailimu Lake, it would be a good choice to take a look at the Guozigou Bridge. This time I will use my drone to show you Same Guozigou Bridge


In order to take a good picture of Sailimu Lake, I drove this section of high speed and ran twice back and forth, but the distance is more than 200 kilometers. This is the Guozigou Bridge taken by a drone on the expressway below Sailimu Lake. , As for several popular viewing platforms in summer, due to snow and ice, it is impossible to go now


A viewing platform less than two kilometers away from the west gate of Sailimu Lake, and about 2 kilometers away from the Guozigou Bridge in a straight line. The picture taken by drone


It is really difficult to build roads here, the mountains and mountains become smooth roads


This is a viewing platform in summer, but the snow in winter is very thick, and you can tell that no one has been there for a long time.


See the momentum of Guozigou Bridge from another perspective


Overlooking the Guozigou Bridge


Driving on the bridge, the picture I took with my mobile phone


The take-off point of the expressway under the bridge, except for this expressway, here is like a world of ice and snow


On the way to Karamay, 500 kilometers away from Karamay, the sky is about to get dark, the last color in the sky, in order to show respect for beautiful things, the parking area records the last color of the day


09【World Devil City】Wind-eroded landscape without devils

World Devil City, which is the most famous wind-eroded Yadan landform area in Xinjiang, is about 100 kilometers away from the urban area of ​​Karamay.
There is also a legend about the Devil City. According to legend, it was a majestic palace a long time ago. With the accumulation of wealth, evil gradually occupied people's hearts. The gradual changes in people's hearts have led to the destruction of the kingdom.
The hills here are blown into various shapes by the wind, and people have various landmarks of Devil City based on the similarity of shapes.
Find a wilderness, quietly raise the drone, and take a look at the whole picture of Devil City.
I just happened to meet the anniversary of the establishment of Karamay, and there is no ticket here. Here I met the scenic spot service with the best service attitude in Xinjiang. Like it!


Arrived at a small town close to Devil City at one o'clock in the morning, drove along the main road, chose the brightest hotel, 150 yuan a room and opened the door, a little surprise, the configuration is good


The World Devil City is a 10-minute drive from the hotel I stayed in last night to the World Devil City Scenic Spot. With a drone, I always want to find a chance to fly. After consulting the security of the scenic spot and being rejected, I can only choose a secluded place place, fly secretly


This road is the road for tour buses in the scenic area. According to the speed and stops of the tour bus, you can visit the Devil City in winter in 40 minutes.


This is the characteristic of Devil City. Overlooking it, the wind-eroded landform is really beautiful.


Karamay, an important oil city in winter, is inevitably mixed with smog, so the visibility is not good


The signboard next to the tour bus stop explains the pictographic mounds


This is the road on which the tour bus travels. In winter, the enclosed Iveco vehicles are uniformly used in the scenic area. In summer, the open-air trains are no longer suitable for this cold weather.


Every film and television drama filmed here will be made into a special signboard to tell you the exact shooting location


Climb to the viewing platform in the scenic area, you can only see such a view in winter


The sun is isolated by the smog and is not very strong


artificial dinosaur valley


The Beacon Tower is only 300 meters away from the gate. I choose to walk back to the gate by myself. I can’t delay the time of a car of tourists because of me, a photographer.

Next, continue to set off and go to Kanas to experience the world of ice and snow fairy tales~


10 [Baihaba] The first village in the northwest, a paradise for Tuva people

Baihaba, the first village in Northwest China, next to Kazakhstan, open the list of the most beautiful towns in China, you will definitely see the name of Baihaba
This is the gathering place of the Tuva people. As a small town in the Kanas scenic area, the cold in winter deters tourists, but I, who love ice and snow, just chose to come to Baihaba in this winter...
The white haba in winter has lost the colorfulness of autumn, and now there is only one pure color, and the white one makes people feel a little panicked.
Large-scale snowplows cleared the roads of Baihaba, Kanas, and Hemu, and only then did this self-driving trip in winter...
Although compared with Kanas and Hemu, Baihaba's tourism development is not very comprehensive, but you can still find a heated residence and a hotel with hot water in winter, which is enough
In this fairy tale world where the white edge cannot be seen, take a self-driving trip to explore the secrets!

In order to be able to fully visit the Kanas scenic spot by car, I chose the order of Baihaba, Kanas, and Hemu. First, I came to Burqin from Karamay, and went to Baihaba through Habahe County. If you also choose this road If so, you must apply for a border defense certificate in Habahe County, otherwise, even if you go to the ticket office of Kanas Scenic Spot, you have to go back to apply for it. The border defense certificate is a necessary document for going to Baihaba.



The shops I met on the road, this romantic atmosphere that has nowhere to rest


In summer, here is responsible for processing border defense certificates, but in winter, it is closed, and you can only go to the border defense brigade to apply.


This is the border card that allows us to walk an extra 200 kilometers on ice and snow


Going to Baihaba to meet herdsmen by chance, this is the joy of travel, I don’t know when, you can harvest unexpected scenes


Install anti-skid chains on the car, the snow tires on ice and snow are not enough, just in case, install the anti-skid chains in advance


The ticket station in summer, now there is no footprint in the snow in front of the door, and the ticket station here is closed after the November holiday every year


The road to Baihaba is full of snow and ice. If you are not an old driver, you must be careful.


On the way to Baihaba, I met the most brilliant light of the day


The villa where Baihaba stayed, there are not many tourists in winter, no reservation is required for accommodation, just come directly to your door


The seemingly simple villa, the food is really not cheap, just order a little to fill your stomach


The room I stayed at night was not very well heated, and the boss even brought an electric heater later
300 per room per night


I couldn't find a good place, so I set up a tripod in the backyard of the villa and started my favorite time-lapse photography of the stars


Due to the obstruction of the surrounding mountains, the sun can not shine into Baihaba Village until eleven o'clock in the morning.


The southern friends who have never seen so much snow are looking for the fairy tale world in their dreams in the village of Baihaba and the white snow


The only viewing platform before Baihaba enters the village, where you can see the whole village
(PS: When driving in the Kanas scenic area in winter, don’t trust any navigation. Asking people is the most reliable choice. In winter, a snowplow is usually used to clear a road, and the navigation does not know this road, so the navigation will show you the way)


In the morning, armed police soldiers on patrol


The peak of the mountain in the distance has been illuminated by the sun, but the village is still without a ray of sunshine


When the sun shines on Baihaba Village, the snow begins to shine, and the whole world suddenly brightens up


Violating the ban, he flew a small drone secretly, and was discovered by the police after a while, and was forced to land quickly, overlooking the white Haba below.


After eating Chinese food, we asked about the road we chose, and we were ready to head towards Kanas Town!


11 [Kanas] Wonderland on Earth, a fairy tale world in winter

Kanas Town is located in the core area of ​​Kanas Scenic Area. You can almost understand its basic status just by the three words Kanas. The surrounding classic scenic spots such as Shenxian Bay, Wolong Bay, and Guanyutai are also within 10 minutes' distance from here. Just half an hour's drive.
There are very few shuttle buses in the Kanas scenic area in winter. It is for this reason that Kanas allows some private cars to drive by themselves in winter. Challenge the dignity of death...
With fewer tourists, prices began to drop. Villas with house prices of 1,000-2,000 during the peak season are now about 30% off. Once you enter the house, the warm floor heating makes you even wonder if it’s winter here, and Kana is snow-white in winter. Si has its own glamorous place, without the hustle and bustle, only the appearance of a fairyland remains here...

The road from Baihaba to Kanas is still full of ice and snow. For the sake of safety, we controlled the speed of the car within 50. On the way, we passed the famous "Guanyutai" scenic spot in Kanas scenic area. It was already evening when we arrived in Kanas town. When it was time, I chose Linhai Villa with better hardware configuration, had a decent dinner, took pictures of the starry sky, and prepared for tomorrow's itinerary.


"Winter Fish Watching Platform" In summer, it is almost the hottest scenic spot in Kanas. Now there are few tourists. Even the trail to the viewing platform is covered with thick snow, walking from the side of the road to the viewing platform It takes at least an hour to visit Yutai. If you take a snowmobile, it costs 200 yuan per person. You can fly a drone to see the winter scenery of Guanyutai


The busy Tuva people on the road have continued their living habits for thousands of years


Passing by here, I was attracted by the water vapor from the Kanas River. I couldn't help but fly the drone, set up the camera and start the time-lapse photography moment.


Overlooking the woods by the Kanas River below, it should be colorful in autumn


The ordering system of Linhai Mountain Villa, generally speaking, the price of winter food is pretty reliable. This is the core area of ​​Kanas scenic spot, which is not comparable to that in the city.


Not even a Prado is embarrassed to drive in Kanas, but our two-wheel drive is a show, and we didn’t see any two-wheel drive in Kanas scenic area, except us of course


Breakfast at Linhai Villa, pack up your luggage after breakfast, and continue our exploration journey


The room we stayed in was fully heated, and the indoor temperature was around 27 degrees.


Kanas town and river overlooking


The main road of Kanas town, where you can't see the bare road at all, ice and snow are the theme of winter in Kanas


From here to the Kanas River


The Kanas River is still steaming


The surrounding trees look extraordinarily beautiful under the action of water vapor!


In the world of ice and snow, along the only road, we shuttle through it


Shenxian Bay also has extraordinary beauty in winter!


The starry sky at night in Kanas, you can see the full version of the starry sky time-lapse in the video


Wolong Bay, all the bays in the Kanas Scenic Area are on the side of the road, just lean the car to the side, the road in the Kanas Scenic Area is built along the river


The only gas station I saw in the Kanas scenic area was near Jiadengyu in the Kanas scenic area. However, it was later found out that there was also a gas station in Hemu, but Baihaba and Kanas really did not have a gas station.


short refueling time


On the road from Kanas to Hemu, I met the most beautiful section of rime road, and it was infected by the water vapor rising from the Kanas River next to it, and it became a fairyland!


12【Hemu Village】The most beautiful village in Kanasli

Hemu, this is the most famous village in Kanas scenic area, even Kanas town is not famous here...
If you come here during the peak season of summer and autumn, you will understand that the cultural beauty of Kanas lies in Hemu, but the consumption level in the peak season is also catching up with the snow town in winter, which is daunting.
Hemu in winter is very leisurely, there are not many tourists, even those southerners who do business here choose to be migratory birds, and now they have returned to the south to escape the cold off-season
It takes 2-3 hours to drive from Kanas Town. The road is full of ice and snow, which makes my old driver feel uneasy. There is only one gas station on the way. If you are traveling by car, remember to check your fuel level
Hemu Village Observation Deck can overlook the whole village. It takes about 15 minutes to go there by the plank road. The scenery here is great, highly recommended
It seems that the best place to stay in Hemu Village in winter is not to choose "Hemu Villa". The floor heating is really warm, and 24H hot water is supplied. In this world of ice and snow, such a configuration is very important!

The distance from Kanas to Hemu is less than 200 kilometers. Because there are various scenic spots in the middle, such as Shenxian Bay and Wolong Bay, it took us almost a day to reach Hemu. There are 40-50 kilometers of winding mountain roads on the way, ice and snow. The road is slippery, so be careful when driving. The body stabilization system of the Geely Vision S1 I drove this time has contributed a lot.



Arrive at Hemu Village


Overlooking the corner of Hemu Village, full of romance


In Hemu Village, more than half of the houses here are unoccupied. This cold weather not only reduces the number of tourists, but even the locals who do business are lonely.


The smoke from the heating usually doesn't stop. Hemu is really cold, and it will bring you more than 30 degrees below zero at night from time to time.


Driving around Hemu Village, the planning of the village is very proper, there are several loops, follow the road swept by the snowplow, don't go into the snowdrift


Hiking to the viewing platform of Hemu Village, the snow that has not been trampled on the way


Panoramic view of Hemu Village, Hemu Village photographed from the viewing platform.
Ten minutes walk from the parking lot to the viewing platform


The creek that hasn't had time to freeze


I met a dog on the road and followed us to the viewing platform


the knights of the wilderness


Drive to find another small bridge that no one cares about, so that it looks in line with the atmosphere of this paradise


The snow-clearing vehicles outside Hemu Mountain Villa, Kanas cannot do without their work in winter


The dinner at Hemu Villa cost more than 300 yuan for three dishes and one soup, which is the most expensive place in Kanas scenic area


On the hillside behind the check-in room, find an untouched snow field and start taking pictures of the stars at night


When I got the camera back, it looked like this, you can imagine how cold it is!


On the way from Hemu to Burqin, I finally saw the colorful clouds in the sky in the evening. Since the sun sets very quickly in the mountainous area, only a few colored clouds are left


Stop and wait for us to see the colorful clouds before we start. This is the charm of self-driving. We can control the itinerary


13【Burqin Colorful Beach】Look at a piece of colorful land

Burqin Colorful Beach, the Irtysh River flows through it, which is the only river in China that flows westward into the Arctic Ocean.
The colorful beach belongs to the wind-eroded Danxia landform, and the land on the river bank is in a state of color, which looks very beautiful.
The colorful beach in winter is so deserted that it is outrageous. When I arrived at noon, I almost became the tenth tourist today. The number of tourists is less than 20 per day. This really makes me worry about the operating cost of the colorful beach in winter. , you want to ask me how cold it is, and within a minute of taking out the iPhone, it was frozen to death. This is the winter in northern Xinjiang.
I even saw two hares on the walking path in the scenic area, and there are always surprises...



Just got off the expressway in Burqin, and the snowflakes are flying


I chose Burqin’s most high-end government-designated reception hotel “Burqin Tourist Hotel”, but I always feel that the decoration is a bit retro, but I can’t afford to buy a room for more than 200 yuan, and I can’t be fooled. Hemu Kanas costs 600 at every turn Compared with the house price of -700, this place is not too good value!


Because I was looking for a suitable take-off point for the drone in Devil City, I walked a lot of dirt roads and made dust everywhere on the car body. In addition to the snow, I had to go to a car wash shop.
25 bucks to flush the car


The Colorful Beach Scenic Spot in winter is quite deserted. After communicating with the staff, I learned that there are not even 20 tourists a day, but even so, the ticket here is 50 yuan, which is a big reason why there are so few people here. reason


Yardang landform group


The Irtysh River flows through the side of the colorful beach scenic spot


The only landmark building in the scenic area


The lighthouse looks beautiful from below


The colorful beach scene taken by the drone on the river


Take out the telephoto, the cattle on the other side of the river are clearly visible


On the trails in the scenic area, a hare can pop out from time to time, which is amazing


It seems ordinary, but this is a river with a story


The colorful beach scenic area is very cold, and the Iphone will automatically shut down within 15 seconds after taking it out. You must have never seen an Iphone with two warm babies on it.


After visiting the colorful beach, we drove to Keketuohai. Half of the 400-kilometer journey was covered with ice and snow, and the other half was limited to the speed limit. Hurry up and arrive at Keketuohai Town at midnight.



14【Keketuohai】China's "cold" pole

Keketuohai, China's "cold" pole
Keketuohai is located in the Altay Mountains, where the Irtysh River flows through. In Kazakh, Keketuohai means "green jungle". It was dismal, and even here we had a snowy day.
Although the distance from Burqin is less than 350 kilometers, more than half of the snow-covered roads will always give people a sense of dread. Driving in winter can be exciting.
It was barren 80 years ago. It became a large mining area 50 years ago. Keketuohai National Geological Park was officially opened 10 years ago. In less than 100 years, Keketuohai has undergone earth-shaking changes. The current Keketuohai has birch forests, Shenzhong Mountain, Baoshigou, etc. Keketuohai in winter is very deserted, and even the geological park that usually needs to be reached by shuttle bus is now fully open. Finally, we can drive in love Take a look at Keketuohai by car. The number of tourists per day is kept below 30. Today is another snowy day. You can’t even see the ruts on the road. Be careful when driving in the snow...



Hotels in Keketuohai Town, there are many hotels in Keketuohai Town, but most of them choose to close their doors in winter.
A room worth 100 yuan has sufficient heating


At midnight, all the restaurants have already closed, and I walked 100 meters before I met a restaurant with lights


This is chow mein, it’s the first time I’ve seen it, but it tastes good when you’re hungry, 25 yuan a plate, expensive chow mein


Keketuo Sea Scenic Area in winter can be entered by car, but you need to sign a self-driving safety agreement


The gate of the Keketuo Sea Scenic Area, now there are no footprints on the thick snow


My new invention to record the good times along the way


From the moment I woke up in the morning, the snow kept falling, but at this time I could see the sun, and the sky was still snowing


You can't even see the ruts on this road, and the falling snowflakes make you sometimes unable to distinguish the road


A tree in a distant valley


It seems that this place is quite dangerous. If I meet a wolf or a bear, I am definitely not an opponent


short houses in the scenic area


In autumn, here is a colorful scene, and now it has become such a ghost


I don’t know how long the drone has been flying in the snow, and finally I can’t stand the snowfall, so I chose the bomber


Farmer in Cocoto Sea Scenic Area


This road is accompanied by ice and snow


When we walked out of Keketuohai, it was snowing heavily all the time. If we couldn’t get out of the mountains today, it would be almost a week later when we got out of the mountains again.
In order to be able to travel according to the plan, I chose to travel both starry and night, and drove more than 400 kilometers to Urumqi at night!


There was no rest on the way, and I drove more than 400 kilometers in one breath, and it was already past 1 am when I arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Urumqi.
Also understand the power of nature, if you don't run fast...
I must be worrying in the mountains now.



15【Hard to Say Goodbye】Return to Urumqi, ready to end this trip


This time, with the blessing of diamond membership, the beggar room I booked was finally upgraded to a suite. Even though it is a "small suite", I am very satisfied, because as long as it is a suite, I can enjoy the configuration of a suite.


my little living room


The hardware in the suite is obviously much better than the beggar's room


I finally used the smart toilet, it works so well in winter, who knows who uses it


Complimentary free capsule coffee, the taste is still alive


Hotel Lobby
The experience of staying at Hilton this time can be described as full marks, and the beautiful manager of guest relations has shown meticulous care


Urumqi International Grand Bazaar, every time I come to Urumqi, I can't help but come here to have a look


The cold makes people shy when walking


Lazy street vendors deal with the few customers


Even in winter these dried fruits exude the fragrance of ripe autumn


Small handicrafts and clothing emerge in endlessly. "Bazaar" means "bazaar", and Grand Bazaar is a big market.


Leave the International Grand Bazaar, go back to the hotel to take your luggage, and call a car to go to the airport.
I want to go back to the south, back to that not-so-cold world, but the heart of travel is always on the way!



summary:

After 12 days, I finally completed this trip to explore the ice and snow northern border
From the sparkling Sailimu Lake to the white snow in Baihaba
From Urumqi at minus 10 degrees to Keketuohai at minus 30 degrees
Nearly 3000 kilometers of travel, complex and changeable road conditions
Nothing wrong with driving the S1, maybe that's the reliability...  

(PS: Waiting for next autumn, I think I will come to Xinjiang to drive around northern Xinjiang again, to experience the unique colors of northern Xinjiang)

Always looking forward to the distance!
Those who work hard will not be too lucky!