Self-driving in Xinjiang, after leaving the gentle and romantic Symphony Lake, we drove to Balikun Lake.
Balikun Lake was called "Pulei Sea" in ancient times, and "Xihaizi" among the people.
Balikun Lake is located between the two branches of the East Tianshan Mountains. It is the lowest point of the Balikun Basin, with an altitude of 1585 meters. It is a plateau saltwater lake.
It is said that the sunset at Balikun Lake is beautiful.
Seeing the sign of Balikun Lake, we turned down the road.
Knock on the blackboard: Friends who drive in Xinjiang, if you come to Balikun Lake, you must pay attention to it. When you see this sign, don't go wrong! This intersection of Balikun Lake is wrong! Don't turn in!
To say that this intersection is wrong does not mean that the road inside is very bad. On the contrary, the road condition is very good, and you can drive all the way to the shore of Balikun Lake.
There is a large group of tents by the lake, a well-maintained, large, flat parking lot and clean toilets, all free.
Barkol Lake, tickets are also free.
A simple local man was teaching a few children how to ride a horse in a national language that I could not understand.
The children don't look very old, about 8 or 9 years old, but they look very handsome on horseback!
After parking the car, we stepped onto the pontoon and walked towards the center of the lake.
Artemia
The sky-blue pontoon bridge, orange piers, white railings, lake water, blue sky and continuous Tianshan Mountains are like an oil painting.
It stands to reason that the feeling should be extremely beautiful.
However, when I walked happily on the pontoon bridge, a stench came over my face.
Take a closer look, the lake water turned out to be like this——
On the blue lake, there is a thick layer of gray floating objects, rippling with the waves.
Take a closer look at the water, it's full of little red bugs!
People are much happier than us, they are free and comfortable in the water.
It's scary!
It was only later that I learned that this is the industrial area of Balikun Lake, not a real scenic spot. The scenic spot has to be opened a little further, not far away, probably only one or two kilometers away!
But at that time, the concubine didn't know!
In fact, I learned later that this red bug is called "Artemia".
Artemia, rich in protein, amino acid, and crude fat, is an excellent bait for feeding prawns. However, due to the extremely limited production area and output, the supply of Artemia has been in short supply.
Therefore, Artemia eggs are known as "golden sand" or "soft gold".
The floating bridge is still very long, at least several hundred meters.
At the end, there is a small house. There is not much space behind the house, and there are several cruise ships moored in the corner.
Sunset
In the afterglow of the sunset, it is still beautiful.
The sunset is beautiful!
Although the weather is not very good and the visibility is not high, the setting sun reflects the lake, and the water and the sky are the same color, which is very beautiful.
The continuous distant mountains, reflected in the lake water, are quiet and serene, like an ink landscape painting.
Because the water surface was too reflective, we didn't see the real Barkol Lake Scenic Area on the opposite side.
We couldn't stand the smell of the lake, so after taking a few photos, we fled quickly.
In fact, Balikun Lake under the blue sky is really beautiful.
But we didn't have time to take a closer look. The pontoon bridge is very long, and the distance on the water is not too short. It is really a torture to endure this smell all the time.
After finally getting off the pontoon bridge, my husband and I ran over with big eyes and small eyes. We thought that Balikun Lake would be more beautiful and brilliant than Symphony Lake, but it turned out that the ideal was full and the reality was very skinny.
This is too disappointing!
Adjust your mood, and if you come, you will be at ease.
Let's take a group photo of each other and make up for the shortcomings!
After getting off the pontoon, there is a boardwalk leading to the parking lot.
As the sun sets, the cattle return.
Guess how the cow crossed the plank road?
Haha, they are much more agile than you can imagine!
Look at this Tiyun Zong, is it a first-class light work?
The children who just learned to ride horses flew past us with their horses and whips.
I really want to be like them, at the foot of the Tianshan Mountain, galloping on horses, one day, one month, or even one year.
The sunset on the prairie is always beautiful.
This is one of the reasons why I like grasslands and sunsets.
If there is a yurt under the setting sun, it will be even more beautiful!
So, although we went the wrong way that night, how can we know that it is not a blessing if it is a blessing in disguise?
The combination of sunset, yurt, and lake water cannot be photographed at any time.
When the sun disappeared from the smiling face and the sky was full of red clouds, we left Balikun Lake and drove to Balikun County.
The continuous Tianshan Mountains, in the afterglow of the setting sun, appear ocher-colored, which is really beautiful!
I originally wanted to live in these tents, but it was inconvenient to wash, and we had to go to Balikol County to see museums, ancient granaries, Balikol ancient city, city walls, etc., so it was more convenient to live in the county.
the right way
However, on the second day, on the way from Balikun County to Qitai, we saw the real gate of Balikun Lake Scenic Area.
Only then did I realize that I had gone the wrong way the night before!
If I couldn't enter the door, I was really unwilling, so I stopped and walked in.
Tickets are also free here.
This gate is very beautiful, like two swans staring at each other.
Walking through the long wooden plank road, at the end is a big stone with "Balikun Lake" written on it.
After bypassing the stone and turning in, there is also a long pontoon bridge passage.
So students, don't blame me for going the wrong way or seeing the wrong scenic spot, because these two pontoon bridges are so similar!
They are all blue bridge decks, orange piers, and white railings!
However, when I walked in, along the way, the smell was not as strong as last night.
This is the correct way to open Balikun Lake!
The blue sky, white clouds, lake water, Tianshan Mountains, and grasslands are really beautiful!
If it weren't for the filth on the pontoon, I'd want to sit directly on it.
This is definitely a good place for a daze!
The breeze blew, and the water surface was slightly choppy.
So beautiful!
The end of the pontoon bridge is not the same as over there.
This is an "I-shape" with a gazebo in the middle, not a house.
Standing in the center of the lake, looking in the direction of Tianshan Mountain, you can see the pontoon bridge that I walked through last night.
If it wasn't for the strong sunlight reflected on the water last night, during the day, you should be able to see this pontoon bridge from that pontoon bridge.
However, when we returned, we found that the lake on the other side was actually quite dirty.
There is a lot of scum on it, and because of the thick clouds in the sky, the lake is all gray.
Therefore, the scenery in front of you is quite strange.
With the pontoon bridge as the dividing line, one side is gray and dirty lake water, and the other side is blue, clear and slightly rippling lake water.
I'm already confused.
Because we still have to go to Jiangbulake in Qitai, we can't stay for too long, so we can only take another look at Balikun Lake reluctantly, and then walk to the parking lot.
The gazebo in the distance is backed by the Tianshan Mountains and faces the lake.
If you drink tea and watch the sunset here, it is also a great enjoyment in life.
Experience summary:
1. When driving to Balikun Lake, you must drive to the gate entrance of the two swans, and then enter the scenic spot. Tickets are free.
2. The sunset at Balikun Lake is beautiful. If you want to take photos of yurts + sunset, you need to go to the industrial area, which is one or two kilometers away.
3. There is a toilet at the entrance of Balikun Lake, but there is no toilet inside, let alone on the pontoon.
Finally, knock on the blackboard again: Balikun Lake, two entrances, don't go wrong!
I am Flying in September, and I like traveling, photography, food, and beautiful scenery. Welcome to follow me! The world is so big, let's go and see it together!
