This ten-day self-driving trip starts from Urumqi and rents a T77 on Ctrip in advance. There are 4 of us: Yiming (me), Liangliang, Kaige, and Xiaojiao. The total itinerary of the self-defined route is about 3100 kilometers . The shooting equipment includes: Kai brother’s mobile phone stabilized gimbal with iphone12, my old antique Canon 100D with 16-35 F4
D1 Urumqi
July 3, 2021 (fly to Urumqi)
Like a dream, some itinerary plans didn't come to fruition until two days before the trip, and the leave that should be requested finally came down. I don't know when I woke up until I slept, so I sent my cat to Nanhu's house. Before I left, it was still attached to me, thinking that we could go back together. "Haha, I won't take you to play." I thought to myself, going out is always in a hurry, no matter how much preparation you make, because I always enjoy the feeling that this journey is about to start.
With the setting sun, the plane took off, and with the setting sun, the plane kept flying. It is almost the longest domestic route, and I have been chasing the sunset. Although my geographical knowledge tells me that the longitude and latitude of Urumqi, plus the summer solstice, the sunset time is 10 o'clock in the evening, I am still surprised. "Look at the sun at 8pm...", "Look at the sun at 9pm..."
The weather was fine, the porthole of the plane went all the way to the plains and rivers, then to the high slopes of the loess, and to the desert in the Hexi Corridor. Suddenly, I was surprised to see two solar thermal power plants in Dunhuang. I did not expect to see them in this form. The two light spots are like tall lighthouses in the desert, one big and one small, emitting a dazzling white light. I hurriedly took out the camera, but unfortunately the wide-angle lens couldn't reach it, so I could only capture two points. My heart surges, and I wish my motherland prosperity and prosperity. Maybe there are solar thermal and photovoltaic power stations everywhere in the northwest, and clean energy is flowing through UHV to the central and eastern regions in a steady stream.
At half past nine, the Tianshan Mountains came into view, one snow mountain after another. The last snow mountain that appeared was taller than before. The snow area of this snow mountain was not to be underestimated. It was obvious that she was not an ordinary mountain. The captain seemed to deliberately let the plane descend slowly along the edge of the mountain. From looking down to looking up and then looking up, her magnificence made me think that she should have a name. I was ashamed of the lack of homework, so I could only check later. This is the main peak of East Tianshan, the holy mountain in Mongolian - Bogda Peak.
I got out of the plane cabin at ten o'clock, and under the afterglow of the sunset, my feet stepped on the land of Xinjiang. Bogda Peak is still clearly visible, and she is there, guarding the city, Urumqi, the provincial capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
D2 Sailimu Lake, Guozigou, Huocheng
July 4, 2021 (Urumqi-Salimu Lake-Guozigou-Huocheng, 700 kilometers away)
I don’t know if it’s because I’m sleeping or I’m excited about the journey. I woke up very early, looking forward to waiting. The car I rented at 9 o’clock finally arrived, and another stone fell to the ground. Liangliang was also very satisfied. We rushed to try the new functions of this car, "Hey... Where is the one-button start, how to use the handbrake, why can't the D gear be engaged... Fortunately, it took a few minutes to get it done. Cautiously drove out of the hotel, then strayed into the Urumqi BRT driveway, and drove for a few hundred meters. Fortunately, I found it in time and corrected it.
The expressway just out of Urumqi is very spacious. Brother Kai said that driving on this road is different from our southern expressway, and the vision is very wide. We headed west all the way, feeling that the weather was extremely hot, the air conditioner was turned on, one tank of gas ran out, and another tank was added, one long uphill, and another long uphill. At an altitude of 2300 meters, I saw Sailimu Lake. It was said that this was the last tear of the Atlantic warm current. Sure enough, the clouds thickened and the temperature became cooler at Saihu Lake. The sunlight hit the lake like a laser beam through the gaps, shining colorful rays of light.
After passing the Sailimu Lake, I found a yurt in the Saiguo Scenic Area and prepared to live there. I didn’t know that there was a thrilling scene. I met a local minority man who drank too much and ran to the door of our yurt to pee. It is not suitable to stay here for a long time, we decided to find Ctrip to check out the room, half finished dinner, and went for a walk. The plan was disrupted, and we had to return to Sailimu Lake to see its brilliance again. Which one of the beautiful mountain peaks suddenly gleamed against the backdrop of the setting sun. Maybe I have never seen such a celestial phenomenon; the mountain shining with golden light is like the palm of the Tathagata, and Wu Chengen must have passed by this place, otherwise how could I write a magical story about the four masters and apprentices going to the west to learn Buddhist scriptures.
When we arrived at Sailimu Lake, we turned around again, and we repeated this. I don’t know if it’s because of the beauty of this place, or because of the inability to turn around on the high-speed road, or because of the three-dimensional structure of the Guozigou Bridge and the tunnel; we walked on this maze-like road, and finally we returned to the Guosai scenic spot, seriously Really take pictures, appreciate the grandeur of the Guozigou Bridge, until the cumulonimbus cloud on the Sailimu Lake catches up with us, and then we retreat and spend the night in Huocheng.
D3 Huocheng, Turks
July 5, 2021 (Huocheng-Texas Bagua City, 190 kilometers away)
In Huocheng in July, lavender blooms neatly, row by row in the manor on the roadside. This scenic spot called Princess Jieyou is full of popularity, and the hot sunshine does not overcome the enthusiasm for taking pictures. Find a good angle and leap one lavender belt after another. Dye your mood purple, and rub it with your hand, it will be full of fragrance. No matter how lazy people are, they start to think about the pose of taking pictures. How to guide the model to take good photos and please his wife has become the most important topic in Lavender Manor.
After driving for 3 hours in the afternoon, I came to the Bagua City, Tekes. I never thought I would come here. I have learned about it in some travel self-media before, and it is not a particularly well-known destination. But this small border town in Northwest China is really cultured and distinctive. However, before I came to feel the cultural atmosphere, I was gagged by 40 skewers of roast lamb served by Brother Kai and Xiaojiao. It's really fragrant and delicious, cheap and cost-effective, natural homemade yogurt, paired with baked naan, and occasionally a few bites of iced kavas, it's very refreshing.
At sunset, I actually found a Hello bicycle in such a remote town on the 28th line. I rode a bicycle to visit Li Street (Bagua Village has eight main avenues, namely Gan Street, Dui Street, Li Street, Zhen Street, Xun Street, Kan Street, Gen Street, and Kun Street correspond to the Book of Changes and Bagua, and Li Street is a tourist commercial street), go to the supermarket to buy a full box of water and snacks, and stay at the B&B in the 78th Regiment of the Fourth Agricultural Division of the Corps at night. Liangliang said that this homestay with a washing machine is great. I didn’t think of choosing this place at first, but now that I think about it, who wants to continue their journey in stinky clothes? This is a great choice.
D4 Jon Kush Terrace
July 6, 2021 (Texas Bagua City-Jongkushtai Village, travel 100 kilometers mountain road)
July 6th is my wedding day with Liangliangxi, of course we have to arrange the most beautiful journey. Passing by the endless rapeseed flowers, the rippling hills like human muscles, watching the nine-curved stream passing through the valley, the oasis seems to rise out of the valley. After crossing one mountain after another, the winding mountain road goes up and down, the dangerous road is narrow, and there are still people riding along it. Buses cannot come here, there are no tour groups, and tickets are not charged; the road is twists and turns, I hold the steering wheel tightly, as long as there is still a road ahead... Finally, there is really no road ahead, we crossed the cliff, in the Proceeding on the grass, the two-wheel-drive SUV worked hard, and finally arrived at the destination in a thrilling way, the Shanye B&B on the top of the mountain in Qiongkushitai Village.
The herdsmen's children waited here early and asked us if we wanted to ride a horse. These boys and girls who look like they are in elementary school, their smiles are so bright, so cute under the sunlight. From time to time, they will stand on horseback and show off their skills to you. I heard you said that you wanted to go back to your room to rest first, so they waited and drove the horses to graze on the nearby hillside. There are cattle and sheep everywhere here, unlike a zoo, there are no fences; the B&B has a small yard, and sometimes a cow from a certain house runs in. I lie on the bed and watch the cattle graze, but the B&B owner comes to drive the cattle. Haha, I finally drove the cows out, probably because I was afraid that there would be too much cow dung in the yard.
The promise made with the children cannot be broken. Led by them, we rode on horses and walked towards the beautiful hillside. Cows, horses, sheep, yurts, and herdsmen are full of an exciting and harmonious state of mind against the backdrop of the setting sun. Everything is so beautiful. Accompanied by the "moo" of the cow, the "baa" of the sheep, and the "neigh" of the horse, we came to a commanding height in the Qiongkushitai Grassland overlooking the Kalajun Grand Canyon... This scene is no longer Can't describe it in words. In short, the 4 hours in the morning on the mountain road were not in vain, and the expensive mountaintop homestay was not in vain.
At sunset, the last rays of sunshine are left to the top of the snow mountain. If Snow Mountain is an ice cream, its taste should change at the last moment. Before that, it tastes like milk, then egg yolk, and then vanilla... In the indescribable colors of the sun, I was left behind Footsteps running wildly on the grassland; knowing that they can't catch up with the sun, but running madly towards the sunset, I don't know how much sheep dung and cow dung they stepped on, everything is true.
Turning their heads, Brother Kai and Xiaojiao suddenly took out the carefully prepared cakes, cookies and desserts inlaid with 10 numbers. So touched, everything is so just right. I will never forget such a beautiful night.
D5 Joan Kush Terrace, Nalati
July 7, 2021 (Jongkushtai Village-Texas-Nalati, 360 kilometers away)
First there were birds chirping, "twittering", then "moo", "baa", and "hiss". milk. Where does this freshly milked milk go? Answer: I will come. Our breakfast is served with bread and fruit. My appetite is great. Due to the compact arrangement of the journey, we will go down the mountain in a short while. I kept a little of the innocence in my heart, and buried it in Joan Kush Terrace, and let it grow up slowly. Maybe I'm in a bad mood, so I'll come here to find it again.
Traveling is a rush, and after getting off the Qiongkushitai, I met the rushing Baishui River (after investigation: Kekesu River), and went to the valley. Leaving Turks, along the way, I felt the shock of the two mountains in the Ili area and the valley out of the plain. The Ili River and the Gongnaisi River flowed slowly. Our end of the day was Nalati. The beautiful Nalati Grassland is very beautiful from the outside. It must be as beautiful as Qiongkushitai, maybe cleaner... Due to time constraints, it is all the grassland scenery of Ili, so we did not enter Scenic spot. Rest early, because tomorrow we have a more exciting journey.
D6 Duku Highway, Wuerhe
July 8, 2021 (Nalati-Duku Highway-Karamay Urho, 480 kilometers away)
I started early, but today I have to take the famous Duku Highway to cross the Tianshan Mountains. When I arrived at the checkpoint at the foot of the mountain, the road was closed. I asked the road to open at 9 o'clock, so I had to wait in line. The Duku Highway was originally the focus of this itinerary, but it depends on luck whether you can go or not. This is a road with a traffic period of only 4 to 5 months per year. It was not open to traffic until July 4th the next day we flew to Xinjiang (the opening ceremony will be held in June or July after the ice and snow melt every year), so it is really very lucky. The Duku Highway was selected by "China National Geographic" as a landscape avenue running through the backbone of the Tianshan Mountains, and it has been praised by many self-media as the road that must be driven in life.
We went to Dushanzi in Nalati, but actually we only took the northern section of the Duku Highway. After passing through grasslands, hills, mountains, and deserts, the landforms along the way include river valleys, deserts, frozen soil, and glaciers. The northern section is only 200 kilometers away, but there are such rich landscapes. Meter elevation change.
We saw glaciers and snowmelt converging into streams, flocks of sheep running through the icy streams, and flocks of sheep running through the majestic mountains. The cows on the side of the road sometimes leisurely occupy the road to show off, so scared that we had to slow down and wait without honking the horn. I thought, if a horn came over, the steel plate of the car would probably be deformed, and the insurance company would not be able to get through in this ravine. Fortunately, some calves are more friendly. I passed a tethered calf when I was parking conveniently, and touched its nose. It licked my knee curiously, and then shook its head. Maybe this is from the high mountain. greetings.
Hashilegen Daban is the highest point of the Duku Highway. This is a world of ice and snow. You must know that the temperature in Dushanzi City, 100 kilometers away, is 35 degrees. It is a miracle of nature that there is such a thick snow on the mountain. Many people came here in short-sleeved clothes, and I only wore two pieces of clothes. It was too cold; there was also a small snowdrift 5 to 10 meters high on the side of the road. I don’t know who dug a slide on the snowdrift. I Climb to the top of the snowdrift and slide down, put your hands in the snow, and cry out with the cold; you can feel the sourness of playing in the snow on July 8, and it is a worthwhile trip.
It's cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. Don't stop after passing Dushanzi, continue to go north, pass through Karamay, and arrive at Urho in the afternoon. This is the Junggar Basin, the Gurbantunggut Desert. This is a land of thirst, hot waves, oil derricks along the way, and it is said that the rich are very rich. I came to Urho Devil City at 8:30 in the evening, and it didn't get dark until 10:30, so it wasn't too late. We entered the labyrinth-like Danxia landform of Devil City, and almost got lost in the scenic spot. Fortunately, guided by the setting sun, we walked to a hill and suddenly saw the light. As expected of the Devil City, the mountains are red and the unique landforms. This is also the filming location of Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
D7 Burqin, Jaden Valley
July 9, 2021 (Urho-Kanas Jadeng Valley, 370 kilometers part of the mountain road)
Depart from Urho to Kanas; all the way continues the desert style of Karamay. There are straight roads, desert flats on both sides, and Danxia landform mountains in the distance. We got off the car and took photos of the road. The most important thing to pay attention to is safety when taking road photos. Two people keep watch, one shoots and the other jumps. I think "jumping" is very interesting. I don't know why I jump when taking road photos.
It was evening when we arrived at Jaden Valley near Kanas Scenic Area. This trip booked a unique hotel, a starry sky room composed of two spheres. A round bedroom, a round bed, a round belly, and a round house. Driving for most of the day, often accompanied by big bags and mutton, it is time to find a place to eat more vegetables; find a beautiful open space, spread a yoga mat, do a few relaxing poses, let the mind The beauty of the body and the stretch of the body achieve harmony and unity.
It was getting dark, and the pear blossom meow, who only sells good things, came suddenly. As soon as he came, he turned his belly and begged for licking; he was given some camel cheese, but he couldn't eat it, so he would only eat it when he crushed it. There is only a small fence between here and the pasture, and the mountains are full of cows, horses, and sheep. There were still many clouds in the sky at sunset, but when the morning arrived, the sky was full of stars, twinkling and twinkling. As expected of the Constellation Room, I saw stars that I couldn’t see in the city, and that meow was always with me.
D8 Kanas Scenic Area
July 10, 2021 (Jadeng Valley-Kanas Scenic Area-Prairie Stoneman RV Camp, 40km mountain road trip)
Enter the Kanas scenic spot early in the morning, which is the most famous 5A scenic spot in Xinjiang. Its fame comes from the water monster in Nakanas Lake. It is very different from the scenery of Joongkush Terrace. The mountains here are majestic and magnificent, and the grasslands all over the mountains are full of flowers and there is no cow dung. It takes 40 minutes to take the scenic bus from Jadeng Valley to the scenic spot. Along the way, you can see the Kanas River rushing all the way. The momentum is huge, but when you arrive at Kanas Lake, it suddenly becomes calm and serene. There must be a lot of people who have visited Kanas, and my travel notes will not be different. In Kanas, I changed to the CMB in the center. This is the way to Guanyutai. It takes 20 minutes to drive in a zigzag way. Climbing up the western slope, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of Kanas village when you look back. After parking, there are still 1068 steps. This landscape path goes up for a while, and then breaks out of the cliff for a while. The beautiful scenery makes tourists stop to take pictures and linger.
The Guanyutai is located on the top of the mountain on the west side of Kanas Lake, with four horns facing the sky. On the fish viewing platform, you can overlook the panorama of Kanas Lake. The cyan Kanas Lake is sparkling, and the reflection of the clouds is mixed with various shades of emerald green, black and blue. I also suffer from the fact that standing high and taking pictures can capture the beautiful scenery of the whole lake, but it will make people short; lowering the posture to take pictures with long legs does not allow you to have a panoramic view of the lake and mountains. Fortunately, Brother Kai took out his swivel head, and we tried to keep the smile and the beautiful scenery in the photo.
Look at the waves of small boats on Kanas Lake. They look so small, leaving dovetail-shaped tracks at the stern. "Let's go to the boat." After going down the mountain, we bought a boat ticket and changed to another shuttle bus. We came to the lakeside wharf, saw the crystal clear lake water, and boarded a sightseeing boat full of tourists. Sure enough, crowds are the biggest nemesis of the travel experience. There is no way, I like water; if there is a boat, I want to sit, and if there is water, I want to see it. The boat went north, passed the bottom of the fish watching platform, and drove forward for a long time; suddenly, a cloud blocked the scorching sun, and we boarded the plywood, and the wind was blowing, and it was cool for a while. Presumably Liangliang was not very happy, the strange wind in the lake messed up her hair, and the tide in the lake swayed the hull, as if the Kanas Lake monster was about to appear.
The cruise ship returned to the pier, and we walked along the lakeside trail. Towering pine trees and fir trees grow on both sides, and some are tilted by the lake, where you can sit and take pictures. Near the mouth of the river, the water in the lake became more urgent, and the rushing water of Kanas Lake flowed southward from here. Liang said, the cruise just now was not fun at all; I said, this scene will never be seen again, do you know that the center of Kanas Lake, where the cruise ship has visited, is the northernmost point of this trip in Xinjiang, 48.7 north latitude, which is also our I have been to the northernmost place, which is even further north than Harbin in the northeast.
Speaking of geographical location, Kai especially likes to take a photo with the G219 brand. Obviously, G219 is a great border road. I have heard that G219, especially the Xinjiang-Tibet section, is majestic and dangerous. Kai lives in Dongxing City, Guangxi Province. Next, and here is the official end of G219, so where is the starting point of G219? Look, he is taking a photo with the starting point! (The new G219 starts from Kanas Hemu, Xinjiang in the north, and ends in Dongxing, Guangxi in the south, with a total distance of 10,065 kilometers)
On the way back, we visited the famous Shenxian Bay, Moon Bay and Wolong Bay on the Kanas River. I was very excited when I saw Moon Bay, which was the same as in the geography book; but it was a little different from the photos. Obviously, Kanas in July is not as colorful and rich as in October, but it has green beauty in July. The simple green is also divided into layers, emerald green, yellow green, green green, black green. The Kanas River twists and turns in the valley, forming the Moon Bay, while the celestial spirit of the Shenxian Bay comes from the morning mist, and the Wolong of the Wolong Bay comes from the shape of the island in the river, which looks like a prostrate dragon.
While it was still dark, I drove over a few mountains after leaving the scenic spot, and stayed overnight in the grassland Shiren RV camp. Grassland Stone Man is a stone statue carved by the Kazakhs on the grassland. We live in a trailer-type caravan next to the grassland at night. It is so sweet to fall asleep watching the beautiful starry sky at night. But in the middle of the night, there was a strong wind, as if hail was coming, and it hit the RV with crackling noises. I didn't know if it was hail or raindrops. I quickly closed the sky curtains, and fortunately woke up the next day, safe and sound.
D9 Ulungu Lake, Beitun, Urumqi
July 11, 2021 (Grassland Stone Man Camp-Ulungu Lake-Beitun-Urumqi, 800km journey)
Ready to return to Urumqi, God continued the weird celestial phenomenon of the previous day. There was no rain in the sky during breakfast, and occasionally the sun broke through the clouds, but when we departed at 9 o'clock, the wind and heavy rain came again. We drove out of the camp as if fleeing, but the gate of the RV camp was tied by a rope, which can be untied in 5 seconds on a sunny day. It took us more than 1 minute, and this 1 minute made us almost wet Thoroughly.
The wipers were turned to the fastest gear, and we fled Kanas in the heavy rain. After turning over a mountain, the rain gradually stopped. No, it's not that the rain stopped, but we escaped from the rain belt and saw that the dark clouds were still chasing us. Will the rain catch up with us, like it did at Sailimu Lake? Think about where we are going. Of course, the rain cannot catch up with us. Now we have to pass through the Gurbantunggut Desert. Obviously, the desert blocks the way of the cloud and rain.
After leaving Burqin, without turning back, we headed all the way to the southeast. The right side is still an endless desert. Fortunately, the Irtysh River is on the left side of the road. Sometimes there is a large oasis, and sometimes it becomes a trickle. When the E River is far away from the road, I think another scene here should appear. There is such a large piece on the map, and the label reads: Ulungu Lake.
We couldn’t see this lake on the S319 provincial road we were taking. According to the guidance on the map, we turned at a fork in the road and climbed over a hill. Only then did we see this endless sea, the second largest lake in Xinjiang, Ulun Ancient Lake (Dahaizi is the common name of North Ulun Ancient Lake). The lake in this desert is actually a freshwater lake (it should be a saltwater lake, but I took a sip, it’s not salty, not like seawater), and there are many camels drinking water by the lake, and no herdsmen in charge of the camel caravan were seen. Liangliang danced and ran over excitedly, and the camel also started to run. I don't know if the camel is afraid of her or she is afraid of the camel. In the end, we broke up the camel team and "forced" them one by one to the lake to take pictures, but the camels didn't like this at all, and slipped up the hill again after dodging. After a while, they were all on the hill. Fortunately, the shutter of the camera clicked, and this interesting moment was captured.
Continuing to the southeast, we came to Beitun, a city surrounded by deserts and oases. Brother Kai and Xiaojiao treated us to a big plate of beef bones. But being greedy, I ate a lot of baked naan, and I couldn't eat any more. I was afraid of wasting it, but fortunately, I finished it all in the end. Thank you for finding so many delicacies along the way to fill up the tiredness of the journey.
All the way south, there was a sign saying "There is no gas station 200 kilometers ahead here", so we hurried to find the gas station. Finally, we drove out of the desert before dark and returned to the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Checked into the hotel and opened the curtains and saw the snow mountain Bogda Peak, "Urumqi, we are back!"
D10 Urumqi
July 12, 2021 (Urumqi, 10 kilometers away)
The last stop of the journey is often shopping and eating. The same is true for this trip to northern Xinjiang. Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is a 5A scenic spot for pure shopping. There are all kinds of raisins, dried beef, dried fruits, various ethnic costumes, and handicrafts. You can enjoy shopping. In the afternoon, we ate a huge portion of beef tendon. Thank you again, Brother Kai And Xiaojiao's generous company.
Xinjiang may not come again for a long time, but it will definitely come. There are still many expectations in the journey of life. We went our separate ways on July 13th, and I keep this good memory here. Goodbye, the sunset glow of the Junkush Terrace and the smiles of the children; Goodbye, the wetland by the Tekes River, the woods by the Irtysh River, the rushing Kanas River and the quiet Moon Bay; Goodbye, the Atlantic Ocean Sailimu Lake, the deep and magnificent Kanas Lake, the miraculous Ulungu Lake in the desert; goodbye, the sacred mountain Bogda Peak in Urumqi, goodbye, the snow mountain Hashilegen Daban on the Duku Highway Goodbye, those "moo", "baa", and "hiss"; goodbye, the vast starry sky on the grassland at night. We will see you again!
