Regardless of the thousands of kilometers of traveling, the three of us came here from all over the world, as if only for the dream of Kanas, the dazzling golden autumn, and two of them are old people in their 70s.
Xinjiang is really huge, 1.66 million square kilometers, accounting for one-sixth of China. It is often hundreds of kilometers to travel from one place to another, and the scenery is changeable. This trip to the northwest is a bit exaggerated. It spans northern Xinjiang, Dunhuang, Xi'an and Yan'an in 14 days, experiencing natural landscapes, ethnic customs, Buddhist art, history and humanities one by one.
D1 Thursday 9/20 Fly from Shanghai to Urumqi, train to Yining at night
D2 Friday 9/21 chartered car: Yining to Sailimu Lake-Guozigou-Horgos Port, stay in Yining
D3 Saturday 9/22 Chartered Yining-Nalati Grassland, Duku Highway, Yining
D4 Sunday 9/23 In Yining City during the day. In the evening, fly to Kanas. Check in to hotel in Jadenyu
D5 Monday 9/24 Kanas National Park, stay at Jia Dengyu’s hotel
D6 Tuesday 9/25 Jiadengyu-Hemu Village. Take the train to Beitun to Urumqi
D7 Wednesday 9/26 Attractions in Urumqi. Stay in Urumqi
D8 Thursday 9/27 Tianchi Day Tour. Train to Dunhuang at night
D9 Friday 9/28 Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang. Dunhuang night market at night
D10 Saturday 9/29 Mogao Grottoes, fly to Xi'an in the afternoon. Xi'an
D11 Sunday 9/30 Xi'an: Shaanxi History Museum, Terracotta Army. Xi'an
D12 Monday 10/1 Xi'an to Yan'an. Su Yan'an
D13 Tuesday 10/2 Hukou Waterfall. Yan'an back to Xi'an. Xi'an
D14 Wednesday 10/3 Xi'an: Forest of Steles, City Wall, Drum Tower, Bell Tower. Xi'an to Shanghai
I just finished my journey in Xinjiang, and I believe everything will become the most precious memory. While the time is not old, let me slowly share what I have seen and felt during this trip.
first day on the road
After arriving at Urumqi Airport, we took a taxi to the high-speed rail station. In order to store our luggage, we experienced the extremely strict security check in Xinjiang in advance. It took a lot of effort to enter the station and store 2 trolley suitcases, and then I went to the Grand Bazaar with ease.
There are many specialty shops in the Grand Bazar, and the most impressive one is the naan. If you don’t come to Xinjiang, you don’t really know that there are so many types of naan. Oil naan, sliced naan, sesame naan... We bought a freshly made one and sat by the flower bed to enjoy it.
Dinner is near the residential area where the Grand Bazaar comes out. It is difficult to communicate with the waiters who can hardly speak Mandarin, and it is hard to order, remind and pay. The big plate chicken tastes good, but the amount is too large to finish.
Day 2 Guozigou, Sailimu Lake and Horgos Port
I took a one-night train from Urumqi to Yining. The cleanliness and safety of the night train exceeded my expectations. The appointed chartered driver picked us up to the hotel, and then we set off!
From Guozigou to Sailimu Lake is a highway. The reason why it is said is that the closedness of this expressway bureau is not strong. The driver said that the original grazing road was occupied during the road construction, and no new grazing road was built, so when the herdsmen rushed to the field, there would be scenes of sheep and cattle walking on the road. We met several waves.
The Guozigou Bridge has almost become a scenic spot in Yili! The bridge connects several mountains, with a height difference of 200 meters, which greatly shortens the time for climbing the mountain. The approach bridge part is very beautiful, winding like the Ili River Valley.
Sailimu Lake, "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean", its blueness and clarity have been repeatedly described by tourists, "Four mountains are swallowed up by Haosen, and a blue sky is cleared", how beautiful it is, so the trip to Yili , the first stop is Sailimu Lake. It is an alpine lake, well developed. When you enter the gate, you can take the shuttle bus in the scenic area. You can take the bus in a circle, and when you see a good scenic spot, you can jump off and walk around. Adult tickets plus 100 yuan for interval stations, and free for seniors over 70 years old.
Because everyone goes at a different time, at different times in the morning, at night, and at night on the same day, and the lakes and mountains they see are different, there is no good or bad. The color of the lake is entirely determined by weather and light. Now it is not allowed to enter the scenic area by car, so we take this shuttle bus around the lake, a circle of 100 kilometers, and will stop a few stops in the middle. At this time, the weather is gloomy, and occasionally there is a little rain. The lake is gray and white, and it is slowly getting better. The sky gradually turned blue, so the lake water also turned blue. The car turned all the way along the lake shore to its south side. At this time, the lake really began to show blue, that pure blue!
The grass has turned yellow, but in patches there is a broad beauty. We deliberately walked back and forth on the soft grass to feel the touch and beauty of directly embracing nature.
Two hours later, we left Sailimu Lake and continued to drive 90 kilometers westward to Khorgos City. First, we completed the border defense permit (15 yuan per person), and then our parents went to visit the largest port in Xinjiang - Khorgos Goss Port. In fact, most people come to this port to buy imported goods from Kazakhstan, not to see the gate and boundary markers like my parents.
It was too early to return to Yining this evening, so the driver recommended us to go to the famous Erlishou to catch meat. However, the finger meat here is fatty and not up to mom's requirements. The catering arrangements for the day were relatively unsuccessful.
Day 3 Great Minalati and Duku Highway
We left at 8 o'clock this morning and arrived at the hotel at 12 o'clock in the evening. Yining to Nalati is not the whole journey at high speed, and the national or provincial highways have strict speed limits, so it takes a lot of time on the road. In this way, we don't feel that the road is hard. The road itself is a beautiful landscape. Some roads must be walked once, and some scenery must be seen. Only on the road can you know how beautiful the scenery along the way is.
Tickets for Nalati Scenic Area are 95 yuan, and there are 3 routes. The fare of the shuttle bus for the 3 lines: 40 yuan for the river valley grassland, 60 yuan for the air grassland, and 100 yuan for the Panlong Valley Road (these are free for the elderly over 70 years old). It is said that it takes at least 1 day to play all 3 scenic spots, so Panlong Valley Road and Sky Grassland are generally chosen. The playing time of the Panlong Valley Road is 2.5 hours, and the air grassland is 3 hours. We choose the grassland in the air. Nalati is mainly an alpine grassland, take a scenic tour bus, stay at each scenic spot for 10 minutes, and do not change buses.
The aerial grassland is the basin on the top of Nalati Mountain. The grass is fertile and the water is beautiful. It is about 2,200 meters above sea level, so it is called the aerial grassland. On both sides of the sightseeing driveway are yellow and green grass carpets. Groups of cattle and sheep are grazing comfortably on the green grass. From time to time, shepherds gallop on horses and pass by our car. Goshawks are circling leisurely, and the white yurts are dotted with the green mountains and green waters of the grassland.
The beautiful Nalati grassland in the sky contrasts strongly with the surrounding mountains, like a huge emerald inlaid in the Nalati Mountains, which contrasts with the snow-capped mountains in the sky, scattered cattle, sheep and horses, and Kazakh yurts.
After historical migration and changes, the Kazakhs are relatively concentrated in the Nalati Grassland. The Kazakhs also have their own unique habits and characteristics. For example, moving homes on the grasslands, during the annual migration from summer pastures to winter pastures, the migration and exercise of life constitute the way they focus on choosing to live. In order to feel the exotic style, I went to the Kazakh yurt. The yurt looks like a white yurt from the outside. The decoration in the yurt is simple and clean. There is a skylight at the top covered with movable felt for ventilation. So I spent 20 yuan to drink milk tea in the house, and drank 1 bowl of milk tea, 1 bowl of yogurt and 2 bowls of milk at once. Haha, I have a good appetite.
There is a saying: If you want to choose a road that you must take in Xinjiang, a province with China's top scenery, it must be the Duku Highway. The extremely difficult and dangerous Duku Highway is known as China's "No. 1 Highway". I'm afraid my writing can't express its beauty, wonder, danger and so on. So we came up from Nala and went to Lili on the Duku Highway to experience it for ourselves.
There is a rushing river between the mountains of the Duku Highway, and a gentle grassland on the hillside. The evening sun falls on the grassland, covering the grassland with a layer of golden yellow. The shepherds fenced the sheep with stones and wooden fences, lit firewood in the yurt, and the smoke slowly rose... This kind of pastoral songs on the plateau will always catch your eyes inadvertently along the way, making your thoughts full of poetry.
At the same time, you have to hold your breath again and again because of the dangers of the road. A large part of the cliffs on the roadside form an inverted slope of not less than 90 degrees with the ground, like a knife, and the relative height difference is more than 100 meters. More than half of the Duku Highway passes through lofty mountains and deep valleys, and one-third of the Duku Highway is precipitous. Due to time constraints, the Duku Highway was not able to take a complete trip, and I felt somewhat regretful.
On the way, I ran into the scene of herdsmen driving their livestock to the field. It was so spectacular. I had never seen such a large and powerful team. After nearly half an hour, the traffic was blocked and blocked.
On the fourth day, rest in Yining during the day. Go to Kanas at night
Since it was a rest, I fell asleep completely relaxed until I woke up naturally. After breakfast at the hotel, I took a bus to visit the famous Hanren Street in Yining City.
One of the four great monsters in Yili, "there are no Han people in Hanren Street" is a vivid portrayal. When there were Han people, they lost their names, and then there were no Han people... It's as simple as that. The history of the Western Regions has been chaotic since ancient times. There is a saying here that "if you haven't been to Hanren Street, you haven't been to Yili". Hanren Street is located in the core of the old urban area of Yining. This is an old urban area that was developed earlier in the Yili area, but has its own characteristics and is relatively well-preserved. Therefore, the municipal government has invested in repairs and developed it as a tourist resource in the Yili area. It is the best place to understand the ethnic customs.
It is not a specific street, but refers to an old city near Xinhua East Road. There is a Uighur-style arch with the words "Kazanqi Folk Tourist Area", and there is a Shaanxi Hui Nationality Temple next to it, which is probably one of the landmarks of Hanren Street. Near the Great Temple of Shaanxi is Hanren Street.
Strolling in the old city with my parents, buying some snacks and fruits everywhere, observing people in various ethnic costumes coming and going, chatting casually, and relaxing. Yining does not lack modern elements, such as the novel and unique gymnasium and the majestic Yili River Bridge. However, in Hanren Street, there will always be a strong Uyghur style.
The last scenic spot in Yining is to experience the Yili River Bridge at close range and stroll along the riverside green space. The more domineering thing is that after I came out, I asked the traffic policeman for the location of the station. He was very enthusiastic and directly stopped the bus we were going to take, saving us from going to the station and embarrassing us.
Goodbye, Yili!
We tried not to sleep all the way from Yining to Kanas, and felt the different landforms at high altitude. After arriving in Kanas, check in the hotel to provide a paid pick-up service, 100 yuan for one person, and 400 yuan for the three of us for a car. The driver is an employee of the hotel, so the safety is relatively better, especially when taking the winding mountain road after 9 pm.
The hotel is more expensive, not far from the Jiadengyu ticket office. The facilities are actually poor among the many hotels we have stayed in on this trip, but there are hardly any better options in the area. The service attitude of the hotel staff is still very good.
