From July 6th to 28th, eight friends from four families were invited to drive two cars, driving more than 11,500 kilometers, and completed a trip across Xinjiang across the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains.
route map
July 6 (first day)
Depart from Renqiu in the morning, drive 800 kilometers along the Daguang, the Capital Ring Road, and the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, arrive at Baotou, Inner Mongolia at 4:00 pm, and check into the Baotou Hotel.
Baotou
Baotou is the second largest city in Inner Mongolia. The greenery and city appearance are impressive.
Baotou Street View
Baotou Hotel
The destination of this trip is Xinjiang. The trip is far away and takes a long time. There are basically no tours along the way outside Xinjiang. However, I began to imagine that if the time in Baotou allowed, I wanted to visit the North Weapons City, but after arranging the accommodation, it was past five o'clock, so I gave up.
Then visit the Arden Botanic Gardens, not far north of the hotel. What does "Aldin" mean? I asked a few locals and couldn't tell. Baidu, it turns out that it is Mongolian "people".
Arden Botanic Gardens 1
Arden Botanic Gardens 2
Arden Botanic Gardens 3
The area of the park is not very large, and the vegetation is good, but there are not many varieties of flowers and colors. It is okay to call it a "park", but it is a bit far-fetched to call it a "botanical garden". But in this place, it's quite nice to have such a piece of green.
July 7 (the next day)
Proceed along the Beijing-New Expressway, pass Bayannaoer Linhe, and enter the desert area. The Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway has a total length of 2,540 kilometers and was completed in 6 years, shortening the distance from Beijing to Urumqi by more than 1,300 kilometers. The more than 1,200 kilometers from Linhe, Inner Mongolia to Hami, Xinjiang, are all desert and Gobi. Among them, more than 500 kilometers of the Inner Mongolia section of more than 900 kilometers are basically no-man's land.
Jingxin Expressway
On the wilderness with high sky and wide land, the jade belt-like road stretches to the sky from the long yellow sand and barren Gobi. This is the longest desert road in the world.
Ejin Banner Hotel
Arrive in Ejina in the afternoon, check into Ejina Hotel, and travel 900 kilometers. This is the only county town within a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. It is small in scale, with wide streets, new green plants, few pedestrians, and few vehicles, making it quiet. Ejina is famous for Populus euphratica. The Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway opened to traffic, which facilitates tourists and promotes development. There are many buildings in the city that are not yet completed and are under construction.
July 8 (the third day)
When you come to Ejina, Populus euphratica must of course be seen. However, the best time to see Populus euphratica is in golden autumn in October, and summer is not much interesting. Then go to Heicheng and watch the dead instead of the living.
Heicheng Scenic Area
The Heicheng Scenic Spot is located more than 20 kilometers south-east of Ejina Banner, including two scenic spots, the Strange Forest and the Heicheng Ruins, and the ticket is 120 yuan. According to the order of distance, visit the strange forest first, and then visit the black city.
strange woods
Strange Woods 1
The strange forest is located in the vast desert. It is a large dead poplar tree, which is named after the strange shape of the dead wood.
Strange Woods 2
Populus euphratica is a strange and rare tree species, which is the earliest group of trees and is called the "living fossil" of plants. Its vitality is extremely tenacious. It is said that the main root can penetrate more than 100 meters into the ground.
Strange Woods 3
However, it is this tenacious species that is not afraid of the Gobi desert. Due to the irrational development of modern humans, the Ejina River was cut off, the Heihe River was diverted, the water source was cut off, and a large area along the river banks died. On the more than 2,000 acres of desertified land designated as a scenic spot, there are "dead corpses" of Populus euphratica everywhere, which have become the graves of Populus euphratica.
Strange Woods 4
Large tracts of dead tree trunks stand on the desert, forming a sad landscape with strange shapes. Walking among the yellow sand and dead trees, one seems to feel a ferocious and terrifying atmosphere, even a little creepy.
Strange Woods 5
There used to be a dense Populus euphratica forest. In just a few short decades, the vibrant forest has turned into a dead desert. The dead trees that never fall down are showing the world their unyielding spirit of tenacious struggle against the harsh environment, telling the world their desire for water, It is to warn people that protecting the environment is urgent. Strange forest, an ecological monument to warn future generations.
Strange Woods 6
Strange Woods 7
Heicheng Ruins
The Heicheng site is the most complete and largest ancient city site on the northern line of the ancient Silk Road, and it is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
Black City Ruins 1
Black City Ruins 2
Heicheng was first built in Xixia and was abandoned in the early Ming Dynasty. The existing city wall is rammed with earth in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a rectangle with a circumference of 1 km and a height of 10 meters. There are city gates and urns on the east and west sides, and five blocks of 10 meters in the northwest corner of the city wall. The tall bowl-covered Lama Tower, the buildings and street relics in the city are vaguely discernible, and there is an Islamic "Gongbei" in the southwest corner of the city - a round-roofed building (the cemetery or monastic place of the Islamic lord).
Black City Ruins 3
Black City Ruins 4
The black city was abandoned in the mid-14th century due to the depletion of water sources, and is now almost swallowed by the desert. Because it is on the northern line of Juyan on the Silk Road, it has high archaeological value. It is said that how many treasures are still buried in the city is still an unsolved mystery.
Black City Ruins 5
Hami
Leave Ejina, continue driving for more than 680 kilometers along the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway, arrive in Hami in the afternoon, and check into Kaijing Hotel.
Enter Xinjiang
There is a vegetable market next to the hotel, and the small white apricots in Hami are really good.
Fruit Market 1
Fruit Market 2
July 9 (the fourth day)
Continue to drive 600 kilometers along the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway, arrive in Urumqi at 5:00 pm, and check into the Hanting (Nanhu) Hotel.
Urumqi Street View 1
Urumqi Street View 2
There is already a two-hour time difference between here and Beijing. It's still early, take the bus (difficult to park by car) to the International Grand Bazaar.
International Grand Bazaar
International Grand Bazaar 1
The Grand Bazaar, in Uighur, means a bazaar or a farmer's market. It is located in the southeast of Urumqi City. It was completed in 2003 and is the largest Grand Bazaar in the world.
International Grand Bazaar 2
International Grand Bazaar 3
The architecture of the Grand Bazaar has a strong Islamic style and is a landmark landscape architecture in Urumqi. Especially the 80-meter-high tower is breathtaking. The tower is called a sightseeing tower in some materials. I asked a Muslim brother on the spot and the answer was "minaret tower". "Adhan" is an Islamic ritual, that is, before the worship, the muezzin recites the Adhan on the minaret of the mosque, calling Muslims to come to worship.
International Grand Bazaar 4
International Grand Bazaar 5
International Grand Bazaar 6
The International Grand Bazaar integrates Islamic culture, architecture, commerce, entertainment, and catering. It is a gathering place and exhibition center for tourism products in Xinjiang, and has become a business card of Xinjiang.
International Grand Bazaar 7
July 10 (the fifth day)
In the morning, visit Nanhu Park, which is very close to the hotel.
South Lake Park
South Lake Park 1
Nanhu Park, also known as Nanhu Civic Square, is located on the south side of the Urumqi Municipal Government. It is not very large in size, well laid out, beautiful in landscape and well managed. It is a good place for citizens to relax.
South Lake Park 2
South Lake Park 3
South Lake Park 4
South Lake Park 5
Nanhu Park 6 (City Hall)
Tianchi
In the morning, head to Tianshan Tianchi. Tianchi is located in Fukang City, 37 kilometers away from Fukang City and 97 kilometers away from Urumqi City.
Tianchi 1
Tianchi 2
Tianchi 3
The gate of the scenic spot is still nearly 30 kilometers away from Tianchi Lake. You need to park your self-driving car in the parking lot outside the gate and transfer to the scenic spot bus. The ticket for the scenic spot is 95 yuan, and the round-trip ticket for the sightseeing car is 60 yuan.
Tianchi 4
Tianchi 5
Tianchi is a half-moon-shaped barrier lake, located on the mountainside of Bogda Peak, the highest peak in the eastern section of Tianshan. The lake is more than 1,900 meters above sea level, with an area of less than 5 square kilometers. 105 meters.
Tianchi 6
Tianchi 7
Surrounded by mountains, Tianchi is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, verdant spruces, towering pines, green grass, clear water like a mirror, and picturesque scenery. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
Tianchi 8
Tianchi 9
Tianchi 10
The main landscape of Tianchi is concentrated in the north along the line from Dinghaishenzhen to Yaochi Palace. After passing Feilongtan and going down, there are still some scenic spots along the Sangong River, and you can visit them if you have enough time.
Tianchi 11
Tianchi 12
To the southeast of Tianchi is Bogda Peak, which is more than 5,400 meters above sea level, and there are two peaks connected to the left and right of the main peak. The three peaks rise together, like a pen holder.
Tianchi 13
Stay overnight at GreenTree Inn Fukang City.
hotel room
Driving tips: refueling on the road is not a problem in the mainland, but this time something almost went wrong. The 900 kilometers from Baotou to Ejina, the Honda SUV on this trip has high fuel consumption and a small mailbox, so one tank of fuel is definitely not enough. At that time, I thought it would be enough to add some points on the road, so I filled it up when I set off, and I didn't stop at Bayannur. Unexpectedly, the service area of the desert section of the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway either has no gas stations, or has gas stations but no gas, and it took several service areas in a row to find gas. The next day, from Ejina to Hami, the whole journey is 680 kilometers, and a tank of fuel should be no problem. But before getting on the expressway, I ran dozens of kilometers in the Heicheng Scenic Area, and I had to refuel halfway. I searched all the way until the camel circle toll station not far from Hami, but I still haven't found oil. I inquired about the personnel at the toll station and learned that the original road was 3 kilometers away, and there was oil in the opposite service area. Arriving at the gas station, the Honda's driving range is only a dozen kilometers left! What if you can no longer find oil? In the vast and uninhabited Gobi Desert, it is said that in some areas, there are only two or three herdsmen within a radius of 100 kilometers. Even if the other car gets off the highway to find oil, I am afraid that at most it will find a bowl of milk! It is not very convenient to refuel on the G216 (five major expressways) along the eastern edge of the Zhungeer Basin in northern Xinjiang. So the best way is to fill up the gas before departure. No matter how much fuel is lacking in the fuel tank on the road, fill it up when you see the gas station.
July 11 (sixth day)
Along the national highway G216 to Altay.
Scenery along the way 1
The name of this section of the road is more difficult to remember. The G216 National Highway is also called the "Aba Line", and its starting point is Altay in the northern Xinjiang to Baluntai in Hejing County in the southern Xinjiang. Next to the northern Xinjiang section, another expressway was built. The section from Fukang to Dahuangshan is called "Tuwu Expressway" (Turpan, Urumqi, Dahuangshan) - the name is very awkward. From Dahuang Mountain to the north to Wucai Beach, and then to Beitun City near Altay, it is called "Five Great Expressways".
Scenery along the way 2
The five major expressways have not been fully repaired, so the whole itinerary is to run along G216, take the expressway on the open road section, and take G216 before it is open to traffic. The road condition of G216 is very good, and there are few vehicles, almost less than the expressway.
Scenery along the way (wild horses) 3
Scenery along the way (wild horses) 4
G216 is an important passage along the north-south direction in the east of the Jungar Basin in northern Xinjiang. Along the way, the Gobi desert is sparsely covered with vegetation and desolate. In the uninhabited area, I saw a herd of wild camels and wild horses, and even saw two wolves. Facing the car, he stared at the car with no fear.
Scenery along the way 5
Altay
At 5:00 p.m., arrive at Altay, the northernmost prefecture-level city in my country at the foot of the Altai Mountains, check into the Xintai Hotel, and travel 600 kilometers.
Altay Street View 1
Altay Street View 2
Xintai Hotel
July 12 (the seventh day)
Go to Hemu.
Scenery along the way 1
Scenery along the way 2
Take the G217 National Highway from Altay, turn to the S227 Provincial Highway in Burqin, turn to the S232 Provincial Highway near Wucaitan, turn to the 852 County Highway near Turkubayi, and go to Hemu, with a journey of more than 250 kilometers.
Scenery along the way 3
Scenery along the way 4
Scenery along the way 5
County Road 852 is a special line leading to Hemu. There are continuous mountains along the road. There are pastures in the green valleys.
Scenery along the way 6
Scenery along the way 7
Scenery along the way 8
Scenery along the way 9
Hemu
Arrive at the transfer station of Hemu Scenic Area at noon, transfer to the shuttle bus and continue to drive for more than 30 kilometers to Hemu Village, then transfer to the small bus in the village to enter the village, and stay at Chuak Mountain Villa.
Scenic gate
Chuak Mountain Villa
cabin room
The consumption of Hemu is relatively high. Tickets for scenic spots are 60 yuan, interval tickets are 200 yuan, maintenance fees for ancient villages are 20 yuan, and cabins with extremely simple accommodation are 280 yuan. It has risen to more than 800), and at noon, the hotel owner asked the hotel owner to cook a bowl of noodles for 40 yuan, and the taste was really hard to swallow. But the scenery of Hemu cannot be summed up in one sentence.
Hemu 1
Hemu Village is located in the Altai Mountains and belongs to Burqin County. It is the largest, largest and most beautiful village among the only three remaining Tuva villages in China. It is known as the "No. 1 Village in China".
Hemu 2
"Fifty-six nationalities and fifty-six flowers", but the Tuva people are not included in the "fifty-six flowers". It is said that there are more than 50 unidentified ethnic groups in China, and the Tuva people are one of them. There are more than 2,500 Tuva people in China, who live in the three villages of Baihaba, Kanas and Hemu near Kanas Lake. Hemu Village has the largest number, with more than 1,200 people.
Hemu 3
The Tuva people live on nomadism and hunting. They are brave and tough, good at riding, skiing, singing and dancing. They maintain a relatively primitive way of life similar to the Mongolian people. They worship Genghis Khan and call themselves Mongolian Tuva people. So some people It is said that they are descendants of soldiers left behind during Genghis Khan's Western Expedition. It is said that skiing was created by them.
Hemu 4
It is also said that the ancestors of the Tuva people migrated from Siberia, and they belong to the same family as the Tuva people in the Tuva Republic of Russia.
Hemu 5
There are four main attractions to visit Hemu Village: the village, the Hemu River, the forest, and the morning fog.
Hemu Village is located in an open valley surrounded by mountains in the southeast of Kanas Lake, with a flat and open terrain. The mountain ridge near the village is not high, and the slope is gentle. The distant mountain peaks are inserted into the blue sky, and it is covered with snow all the year round.
Hemu 6
Hemu 7
The houses of the Tuva people located here have the same shape and are all built with logs. Adding a layer of steeple on top of the flat roof can not only be used as a warehouse, but also keep warm and snow-proof. It is said that the thickness of snow here in winter can reach 2 meters, and the steep roof is not easy to accumulate snow, and it is much easier to clean. Spire wooden houses have become a major feature of Hemu.
Hemu 8
The courtyards of Tuva people are surrounded by wooden fences, square and large, and the gate is also a symbolic wooden fence. Neighbors face each other, scattered and orderly. Inside and outside the courtyard, in front of and behind the houses, knee-less weeds grow naturally, and wild flowers of various colors compete in splendor. The whole village seems to be located on a grassland, a primitive scene, like a fairy tale world.
Hemu 9
Hemu 10
Nowadays, in the mountain villa far away from the world, every family has built a new wooden house, and every household has built a reception inn. The beautiful environment has brought benefits to the Tuva people, and it also allows people in the hustle and bustle of the city to experience what is called a paradise.
Hemu 11
Hemu 12
After arranging the accommodation, according to the innkeeper's instructions, go to the south of the village to climb the mountain in the afternoon.
Hemu 13
Hemu 14
The mountain is not too high, and the slope is not too steep. Passing through a birch forest, it suddenly becomes clear that it is a flat grassland! A veritable grassland in the sky.
Hemu 15
Hemu 16
Looking back, the village has been covered by birch forests, and there are only a few of us on the vast grassland, and there is silence. Facing the blue sky, white clouds, snow-capped peaks, dense birch forests, green grasslands, yellow flowers everywhere, and the gurgling spring water under your feet, it is really a bit of an otherworldly feeling.
Hemu 17
Hemu 18
There are also many wild strawberries growing on the grassland, which are small in size and full of flavor, but a little sour.
Hemu (Strawberry Picking) 19
Hemu 20
Go down the mountain and walk through the village along the asphalt street to reach the bridgehead of the Hemu River.
Hemu 21
Hemu 22
The source of the Hemu River is the Youyi Peak Glacier, the main peak of the Altai Mountains. The river flows from northeast to southwest on the west side of the village. The river surface is wide, the river water is not deep, the water flow is not urgent, and the water color is clear.
Hemu 23
There is a wooden bridge built on the river with a simple and simple shape, which has become the landmark building of Hemu Village. There is a birch forest on the shore, which is very beautiful in the sunset.
Hemu 24
Hemu 25
Simple small bridges, quiet flowing water, golden sunset, tall white birches, pointed wooden houses, curling smoke, the original village and the beautiful environment are naturally integrated.
Hemu 26
Hemu 27
Dinner is settled at a restaurant not far from Qiaotou. The table is placed in the open air, fresh whole sheep are hung high, and you can cut wherever you want to eat. The grilled lamb chops and lamb kebabs are really good, the price is a bit expensive, but it is still acceptable compared to the noodles at noon.
Hemu 28
July 13 (eighth day)
Depart at 6:30 in the morning, cross the Hemu Bridge, climb to the viewing platform in the west of the village, and enjoy the morning fog of Hemu.
Hemu 29
The viewing platform is a flat land located halfway up the mountain, where you can have a panoramic view of Hemu Village.
Hemu 30
Hemu is located in an alpine region with a large temperature difference between day and night. The water vapor evaporated from the Hemu River meets the low temperature at night, condenses into fog, forms a winding white ribbon along the river, and floats over the valley.
Hemu 31
Hemu 32
The distant mountains hang in the air, the wooden houses are under the fog, the woods appear and disappear, and the morning of Hemu is like a fairyland.
Hemu 33
Hemu 34
The weather was not very good, the sun was blocked by the clouds, and there was no dazzling glow when it came out, but it still painted a touch of yellow for the distant mountains, near forests, and pointed wooden houses. The morning mist slowly dissipates, the smoke from the kitchen rises, and the beautiful village wakes up from sleep.
Hemu 35
Hemu 36
Hemu 37
Come down the mountain to solve the breakfast problem at a stall near the bridge. The oil cakes are delicious, and the fresh milk has a special fragrance. Really, I have never drank such good milk, which probably has something to do with the water and grass environment of Hemu. Simple yet the most delicious meal these days.
Hemu 38
At 9 o'clock, leave Hemu, return along the original road of X852 county road, turn to S232 provincial road to Kanas.
Hemu 39
Hemu 40
Driving Tips: On the way to Altay, the left rear tire of Honda was punctured. The four brothers quickly put on the spare tire, but the jack got stuck in the gap between the pedal and the guard plate, and they couldn't get it off anyway, so they had to hang and run away. If this thing vibrates and falls off, it happens to be stuck on the tire again, but there is no spare tire to replace. That can't be helped, so be careful. I ran to the service area carefully, but there was no car repair business! Then I went to the next service area, there was a repairman, there was no tire changer, and no tire repair! It seems that the tire problem can only be solved in Altay. But hanging below a thousand catties, the young man's feet were kicked down. In this regard, I would like to remind everyone that first, it is best not to ride a bicycle on this road. There is a large area of no man's land in the Jungar Basin. If something goes wrong here, there is no signal for calling for help. What's more, there are wolves haunting, if you change tires and beat wolves at the same time, it will be even less fun if there are fewer people. The second is to find out the position of the tire replacement jack. When I replaced the lower guard plate in a 4S shop, I found two pits. Is it old? The master smiled, that is the position of Zhiqianjin. A thousand catties is not randomly supported, and it may cause trouble if it is not placed in the right place. There are signs on the car, so look ahead.
(to be continued)
