【Preface】

"Xinjiang? Have you ever been to Xinjiang, is it fun?"
"Except for the distance, there are no other shortcomings."
Anyone who has used Douyin may have heard this voice. Probably except for Tibet, Xinjiang has always been my long-awaited habitat. Speaking of Xinjiang, you will first think of raisins, cantaloupe, and mutton skewers. My mouth is watering...

This is the land farthest from the ocean in the world, and it is the largest province in China. Here, glaciers and snow ridges coexist with Gobi and vast seas, deserts and oases are adjacent, fire islands and icebergs are interdependent, snow mountains and lakes are intertwined, let you indulge in it, linger.....

Xinjiang is very big, and I only came to the Ili Nalati Grassland on this trip. Next, Mr. Youzou will take you to see the beautiful scenery of Nalati, taste the local specialties and experience and participate in the traditional Kazakh way of life.

【About Nalati】

Nalati Tourist Scenic Area is a 5A-level scenic spot, located in Xinyuan County, Xinjiang, in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, at the east end of the Ili River Valley, with a total planned area of ​​960 square kilometers, which is one ten-thousandth of the national land area. Now it has developed an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers. square kilometers. From south to north, the scenic area is composed of alpine grassland sightseeing area, Kazakh folk custom area, and tourist and living area.

Nalati Scenic Area is the leading scenic spot in Ili Prefecture and one of the famous scenic spots in Xinjiang. Nalati is full of wild flowers in summer and snow-capped in winter, with a rich variety of flora and fauna. The landscape belt stretches from the grassland to the top of the snow-capped mountains, and the scenery is magnificent and beautiful.

[Scenic spot tickets] [About the author]

Professional traveler, contracted travel experiencer for many travel websites, loves traveling, photography, and sharing. If you read this travel note, I hope you can pay attention to my Weibo@旅行旅行的摄影人, if we have the opportunity, we will go together travel.
My footprints have been to my country's Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Liaoning, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Gansu, Guangxi, Tibet, Fujian, Hong Kong, Macao, Guizhou and other provinces and cities have been to Thailand, Cambodia, South Korea, etc. abroad.

[About photography and post-production]

Mobile phone: Apple x
Drone: DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Camera: Canon 5D3 (Canon EF 16-35mm f4 L, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS II USM, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM)
Post software: lightroom
Other equipment: tripod, mobile phone holder, video shooting stabilizer, Apple notebook, mobile hard disk, card reader, charger, etc.

【schedule】

Day1: Zhengzhou - Urumqi - Nalati Scenic Area - River Valley Grassland Tausani - Wusun Historic Site - Xipanlonggu Experience 4+2 - Yitigensai experience making naan, embroidery and dairy products.
Day2: Panlong Valley—Jiaolong Going to the Sea—Wollongong—International Racecourse Watching Equestrian Show—Forest Park Drifting and Horse Riding
Day3: Grassing in the river valley grassland - picnic - return

[Practical strategy and preparation before departure]

1. Try to bring as little cash as possible, and keep valuables safe. Now the technology is very advanced, mobile payment is very convenient. Therefore, try to choose as little cash as possible when traveling abroad. At the same time, when traveling, try not to leave valuables such as cameras and computers, and keep them properly. You must bring your ID card with you. ID card verification is required for booking rooms and tickets when you go out.
2. Ticket category: Determine the travel time, choose the means of transportation in advance, whether it is a plane or a train, it is best to download a travel app, so that booking tickets is more convenient. It is best for students to bring their student ID cards, and there are corresponding discounts on scenic spot tickets and bus tickets.
3. Digital category: SLR cameras, mobile phones, laptops, mobile hard disks, chargers, mobile power supplies, power strips.
4. About dressing: The temperature difference between morning and evening in Xinjiang is relatively large, and it is more sunny during the day. Short-sleeved + sunscreen shirts or thin long-sleeved shirts at noon or directly wear thin long-sleeved shirts. You need to add a jacket in the morning and evening.
5. The information in some places in the scenic area is relatively weak, and sometimes there will be no signal. When traveling, follow the tour guide or friends closely, and don't get separated from the crowd.
6. Medicines: Take some medicines for motion sickness, cold, fever, constipation, diarrhea and headache.

[Xinjiang Travel Ideas]

1. The taste of Xinjiang people's diet is sour, spicy and salty. Most of them are Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. There are many kinds of snacks, such as kebabs, hand-picked rice, baked buns, oil sacs, Liangpizi, etc. The most famous big meal It is the famous Roasted Whole Lamb, so when you travel to Xinjiang, you must eat Xinjiang-style delicacies, which is definitely not in vain.
2. Xinjiang is the hometown of melons and fruits. Do not drink hot water after eating fruits, so as not to cause gastrointestinal discomfort; do not drink cold water after eating beef and mutton, it is best to drink hot tea provided by restaurants, although the taste is almost But it can relieve greasiness.
3. Xinjiang is a multi-ethnic area. People who believe in Islam are forbidden to eat pork, donkey, dog meat, blood, etc., and do not drink alcohol. This is their biggest taboo in life and must not be offended. When tourists eat Chinese food, please do not invite ethnic friends to dine.
4. When dining in a halal restaurant, smoking and drinking are prohibited, and cooked food such as pork is prohibited, and don't mention the topic of pigs in public to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
5. When visiting an ethnic family as a guest, you should break it into small pieces when eating naan; when the host respects your cooked sheep head, you should cut off a piece of lamb cheek and put it in your own bowl to express your appreciation; cut off a sheep ear and give it to the host The child (indicating that the child is obedient) finally returns the sheep's head respectfully; remember to respect national etiquette.
6. The climate in Xinjiang is dry, so drink plenty of water! The tourist routes in Xinjiang are relatively long. Eat some beef and mutton appropriately, which will help you maintain your strength for long-distance walking.
7. Tourists can add ramen noodles for free when they are enjoying the flavored noodles, but additional dishes need to be paid for. Fruits in Xinjiang are high-quality and cheap, with a wide variety of varieties, and the taste is sweet and mellow. It is a great pleasure to eat fruit when traveling in Xinjiang, but it must be done in moderation. Excessive cantaloupe will make people angry and blisters on the lips; eating too much watermelon will cause People have diarrhea; if you eat a lot of apricots, it will make your stomach bloated and uncomfortable, so please be careful.
8. The tourist attractions in Xinjiang have a long route, and the accommodation and catering conditions vary greatly among different places. Compared with cities with developed tourism in the Mainland, there is a certain gap, so be mentally prepared.
9. There are many religious ceremonies of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Tourists are requested not to stop to watch or pay too much attention to their personal life behavior on the way; please do not beat and scold the herdsmen’s livestock and hounds, so as not to cause misunderstanding; if you want to take pictures of ethnic minorities, you must ask After they agree.
10. When washing your hands and face in ethnic minority restaurants and yurts in Xinjiang, do not shake the water on your hands after light washing. Ethnic minorities are more taboo; when you are a guest in a Uighur family, you should not straighten your legs when sitting, but cross your legs or kneel Sit down; when the host offers tea, the guest should bow his body and both hands to receive it, and when accepting the gift, he must bend his body slightly and accept it with both hands; women of ethnic minorities do not shake hands with men; Muslims who believe in Islam in Xinjiang have many taboos, and their customs and habits should be respected.

【About traffic】

Great transportation: Nalati Scenic Spot is located in Xinyuan County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 800 kilometers away from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. There is Nalati Airport in Xinyuan County, but the airport is very small, and there are only two flights to and from Urumqi Diwopu Airport every day. You can arrive in Urumqi by train or plane first, and then transfer to Nalati.
Small transportation: The area of ​​Nalati scenic spot is very large, accounting for one ten thousandth of the country's land area. There are many mountains and grasslands in the scenic area, and the roads in the plains are in good condition, which is very suitable for self-driving. The mountains and grasslands need to ride horses or walk. There are shuttle buses or eco-cars between the major scenic spots in the scenic area.

[Self-driving tour preparation and precautions]

1. Please calculate the fuel consumption of the vehicle.
2. Most of the roads are mountainous, so the speed of the vehicle should be controlled and attention should be paid to safety.
3. Please be sure to check the accompanying documents and personal documents before departure.
4. Ask the old driver or the Internet about the road conditions of the roads you will run, so that you know what you are going to do.
5. Water is essential, especially pure water, not only for people to drink, but also for cars sometimes. For example, if the engine cooling water is lacking, purified water can be used as an emergency. If the brake is overheated on a long-distance downhill, you can use pure water to cool down.
6. If it is a fleet, it is best to buy a walkie-talkie, not only can save a lot of mobile phone costs, but also the walkie-talkie is particularly important in places where the mobile phone has no signal.
7. It is best to carry good money and ID cards, driver's licenses, driving licenses and other documents for people and vehicles.
8. Prepare enough change notes. When traveling by car in other places, it is necessary to buy tolls, bridge tolls, parking fees and other miscellaneous expenses anytime and anywhere. It is best to prepare enough change notes of less than 10 yuan, which is convenient for yourself and for others.
9. Driving in a self-driving tour is the most dangerous, so avoid driving while fatigued.
10. Do not take unfamiliar roads, especially in desert areas. Improper operation can easily get you stuck in the desert, so you must pay attention to safety.

【Food recommendation】

People in Xinjiang tend to be sour, spicy, and salty in their food tastes, mostly Hunan and Sichuan cuisine, and there are many kinds of snacks, such as large plate chicken, kebabs, hand pilaf, baked buns, oil sacs, Liangpizi, etc. The most famous big dish The meal is the famous Roasted Whole Lamb, so when you travel to Xinjiang, you must eat Xinjiang-style delicacies, which is definitely not in vain.

The most famous delicacy in Xinjiang is Roasted Whole Lamb, there is no such thing as Roasted Whole Lamb, and this time the Roasted Lamb is very special, and the roasting method is also different. A secret sauce is spread on the lamb body, and then it is baked in the naan pit, which is not the same as the charcoal grill. The roasted taste is more fragrant and more delicious. Eating roast lamb, drinking beer, and listening to stories is worth it in the world!

【Hotel recommendation】

As a professional player, let me give you a detailed introduction to the accommodation environment of Nalati. It has been 30 years since the establishment of the Nalati Scenic Area. In the past 30 years, it has made great progress. First of all, the accommodation has reached the thousand-yuan star hotel Or homestays, ranging from dozens to hundreds of farmhouses.

The best one should be the Western Premier Nalati Resort Hotel, which has just been built and opened to the public. In the past few years, there has not been such a high-end hotel. There are 309 luxuriously decorated guest rooms, suites, triple rooms, quadruple rooms and parent-child rooms, etc. .

Hygiene and bedding needless to say, five-star standard, clean and hygienic. All are equipped with LCD TV, broadband network, super sponge protection mattress. Make sleep more secure!
On the first floor of the hotel, there is a transparent western restaurant with a curved glass shape and an outdoor barbecue bar, which can accommodate 200 people for dining at the same time. Coffee and tea are provided, and you can enjoy the comfort while overlooking the beautiful mountain scenery of Nalati.

The mid-range recommended Xinyi self-driving camp, in the scenic area, the location is relatively good. Furthermore, we recommend some inns or yurts with moderate prices and good conditions. Finally, it is recommended to live in a youth hostel for poor travelers. There seem to be several in Nalati. The Gudao Tuoling is very good. She received her every time I came here, she is a very nice person.

[Internet celebrity check-in place Tausani]

Nalati Grassland Scenic Area is a large-scale grassland scenic spot composed of three scenic spots with different characteristics: river valley grassland, alpine grassland and Panlong Valley. It integrates many natural landscapes such as grasslands, glaciers, snowfields, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, waterfalls, hot springs, etc. The landscape levels are patchwork and the combinations are rich and colorful. The first thing you see when you enter the scenic spot is the river valley grassland. The whole river valley grassland gives people a fresh and cool feeling. Under the blue sky and white clouds, cattle and sheep are everywhere, and snow-capped mountains. Walk through the Wusun historic site and stand in Tawusani. As far as the eye can see, it is beautiful everywhere.

The first thing we came to was Tausani. Tausani is Kazakh, meaning "beautiful valley". In this scenic spot, you can see the perfect combination of snow mountains, forests, hills and meadows. It can be described as a mountain Four scenes, different scenes. Because the natural landscape is vertical and three-dimensional, this is also a must-stop for many tourists and friends to check in when they are traveling. Photos are up.

When we arrived, there were a few Kazakh boys singing. I heard from the guide that they were the Nalati band. They played and sang here every day. There were also clothes such as ancient cheongsam for rent. A set of 20 yuan, I still hate it It’s a good deal, change into national costumes here, with grasslands under your feet, hills, snow-capped mountains and forests behind you, you can take beautiful photos and send them to Moments to amaze your little friends!

There are not only cattle, sheep and horses on the grassland, but also camels. Here, you can ride a camel and walk slowly in the grassland, and you can also take pictures. It is a good experience.

We played here for about 3 hours, enjoyed the magnificent scenery, heard the beautiful music, and then drove to the next scenic spot, Wusun Historic Site.

【Wusun Monuments】

Wusun Historic Site is the second scenic spot on the main route of the valley. Wusun is an ancient nomadic tribe in my country. It rose in the Northwest of China from the 2nd to 1st centuries BC, and later established a pivotal regime in the Yili River Basin. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 200 Wusun ancient tombs all over the Nalati grassland. These Wusun ancient tombs are not only the remains of the Wusun Kingdom, but also the witness of history.

The Nalati Grassland is the throat fortress of the famous Northern Silk Road-Tianshan Road. For thousands of years, countless tragic and mournful historical stories have been staged in this vast land. Rouran, Huns, Turks, Uighurs, Mongolians, Wusun and other ethnic groups compete, fight, fight, gallop, migrate, settle, and trade with each other, and they have jointly interpreted the legend of Xinjiang for thousands of years. According to historical research, the Wusun family lived the longest on the Nalati Grassland. They lived in the Ili River Valley for 500 years.

After more than 2,000 years of historical changes, all we can see now are the Wusun monuments left by them. If you look straight ahead to the right, you can see a small hill protruding from the flat ground, standing in front of the hillside and behind the stele. This is a representative ancient tomb in Wusun historical sites. This ancient tomb is 46 meters in diameter and 6.5 meters high. It is a mound-like ancient tomb. The size of the Wusun ancient tomb determines the identity of the tomb owner, that is to say, the larger the tomb, the more noble the tomb owner's identity. The stones lined up on the ancient tomb represent the military exploits of the owner of the ancient tomb. The more prominent the military exploits, the more stones there will be.

Withered poplar trees and dense grass, this place will gradually become a check-in spot for Internet celebrities. There are not too many people now, so hurry up and take pictures.

Today, because of the beautiful water and grass, the outstanding scenery, and the inclusive beauty, it has become the first choice for many film and television dramas. As a National Day gift film, the Great Qin Empire also set and filmed scenes here, and some of the scenes seen now are real scenes in film and television dramas.

After finishing the Wusun historic site, we headed to the west section of Panlong Valley Road. This section has beautiful scenery and a gentle road, which is very suitable for cycling. In the Nalati Scenic Area in autumn, a new "4+2" project has been added to the quiet Panlong Valley Road. "4+2" refers to the four-wheel plus two-wheel cycling life, that is, the combination of sightseeing cars and bicycles.

According to the staff of the scenic spot, the "4+2" experience project was just started this year, 180 yuan per car plus 4 mountain bikes, four people took a sightseeing car to the starting point of the ride, and then wore helmets and riding gloves. Cycling the 9-kilometer gentle mountain road can increase the intimacy of being close to nature during the journey. Feel the beauty of Xinjiang, hug the valley grassland under the sun, and breathe the fresh air that has never been seen before.

【Itigansai Folklore Experience】

In the afternoon, we came to the "Yitigensai" folk interactive experience area. The Nalati Grassland has been awarded by the Shanghai World Guinness Headquarters as "the grassland with the most population in Kazakhs" and "the grassland with the most yurts in Kazakhs". It can be said that the Nalati Grassland is a window and platform to display Kazakh culture. Come to Itigan Cyprus can not only understand the folk culture of the Kazakhs, but also experience and participate in the traditional Kazakh way of life.

There are 4 traditional Kazakh yurts in the core area of ​​the Yitigensai Folklore Interactive Experience Area, which demonstrates the rich and colorful nomadic life of the Kazakh people and conveys the ancient life wisdom of the unity of man and nature on the grassland.
Here, the open-air naan pit is built with charcoal fire inside, and the formed Kazakh naan is pasted around the pit with an iron cover on it. The naan will be cooked in about 8-10 minutes. The naan is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, very delicious.

Here you can also walk into the dairy workshop and work with hardworking Kazakh girls to make pure natural dairy products such as butter, ghee, yogurt, milk lumps, horse milk, etc. If you like, you can also pack a gift of dairy products for relatives and friends;

You can also walk into the red wedding yurt, listen to the beautiful Kazakh bride talk about the structure and function of the traditional yurt, as well as the daily life in the yurt, and feel the wisdom of the life of the Kazakh people;
Or walk into the handicraft workshop, learn traditional crafts such as leather goods, tapestry or embroidery from handy craftsmen, try to DIY a prairie gift for yourself or your relatives and friends; you can also enter the singing and dancing tent, and enjoy the Kazakh interactive singing and dancing show for a fee. At the same time, taste Kazakh specialties and deeply experience Kazakh hospitality; of course, you can also visit the nomadic market in the old wooden house to learn about a variety of high-quality grassland local products.

Walk out of the Kazakh yurt with strong folk customs, go west through the Lianxin Lake where the sky, clouds and shadows linger, and you will arrive at the "Wusun Tribe" surrounded by vegetation. There are 10 strangely shaped "yurts" here, which were originally temporary sets left by the crew of the ancient fantasy drama "Jiangye 2". Later, the residents cast a little magic on them. The appearance has not changed, but the inside has become livable. The small wooden house has now become an online celebrity tavern + homestay. You can wear ancient costumes and take pictures here to enjoy the drama; you can experience the heroism of the rivers and lakes in the tavern, listen to wandering singers playing and singing, and get drunk with your confidantes; you can also choose a wooden house to stay overnight, reading clouds, watching the moon, In a daze, looking at the stars...

【Dragon goes out to sea】

Get up in the morning and finish breakfast at the hotel. Today we head to the eastern section of Panlong Valley, where sometimes there are attractions such as Revolving, Jiaolong Going to the Sea, and Woniugang.
Panlong Valley Scenic Area is located in the intermediary area between the Nalati River Valley Grassland and the Sky Grassland. There are many mountains, deep valleys and dense forests, exotic flowers and fruits, auspicious animals and rare birds, and occasionally dotted with the pastoral style of the Kazakh Dongwozi Mountain. It has become a transcendent and beautiful mountain forest hidden in the heart of the grassland. Another world, a source of immortality.

Going into the valley by car, changing scenery step by step, dizzying, you can fully enjoy the most beautiful mountains and seas of clouds, deep valleys and deep valleys in Nalati; the most beautiful snowy ridge spruce forest and colorful miscellaneous trees; the most beautiful Kazakh winter Homeland and wild pastoral. There are also beautiful and moving myths and legends.

The Jiaolong Sea Observation Deck is a mountaintop slope in Panlong Valley, and it is also the highest point reached by the Panlong Huanshan Road. Cheerful feeling. Overlooking from the sky, the mountains and peaks surrounding the Nalati grass in all directions are here to form a dragon formation. The Nalati Mountain covered with fir forests is the green dragon, the snow-covered Tianshan Mountain is the white dragon, and the low mountain beams under the shadow of the sun They are black dragons, and the east and west mountain ranges bathed in the morning light and sunset glow instantly turn into countless golden dragons.

【Woniugang】

After walking through Jiaolong and going out to sea, I came to Woniugang. Here is a gentle and wide long mountain ridge, which looks like an old cow lying prone in the valley and grazing leisurely, hence the name Woniugang. The terrain on the post is condescending and the field of vision is wide. When visitors climb on the back of the bull, they can not only look at the mountains in the distance, the jungle around them, but also the valley below the post.

Woniugang Valley is the most classic among countless valleys in Panlong Scenic Area. It integrates the comprehensive landforms of valleys, slopes, forests and streams, with deep valleys and dense forests, gentle slopes and deep streams, and the scenery in four seasons is amazingly beautiful. The winter nests of Kazakh shepherds and the cattle and sheep grazing leisurely are dotted among the jungle grass slopes in the valley.

【Nalati International Racecourse】

There is a standardized international track in the Nalati International Racecourse. Not only can you take photos with famous horse breeds such as sweat-blooded BMWs and British thoroughbreds for a fee, but you can also watch small-scale horse racing performances, equestrian performances, folk performances, and song and dance performances for free. Wait for the show.

Among the existing famous horses in the racecourse, the most legendary one is the bloody BMW. The sweat horse is known as the prince of the desert. This kind of horse has a slender body, heat-resistant fur, slender limbs, and outstanding endurance. It only needs to drink water once a day when trekking in a desert environment with a high temperature of 50 degrees. The one with the most camera sense is the American Pinto. The fur of this kind of horse is very special, and the fur of each pinto horse can present a different sense of color, which is exactly its charming charm. In the short-distance race, the British thoroughbred horse must have the most advantage, and its racing speed has always been the highest in the world; the Shetland pony, which is the world-famous pony breed, is the most popular among children. The shoulder height is only 70-85cm, but the endurance is also outstanding.

The most worthy of the pride of the Ili people is the Ili horse. It has a solid and compact body, a well-proportioned structure, a handsome appearance, and both strength and speed. It can adapt to the natural environmental conditions of high altitude, severe cold climate, and grazing all year round, and has strong disease resistance. The excellent characteristics of Kazakh horses are retained, and the coat colors are mainly black, chestnut, black and green. Yili horses are excellent in riding and pulling. In participating in various national horse races, Yili horses have won championships repeatedly with their extraordinary speed and endurance, and enjoy a high reputation at home and abroad.

Horses are closely related to the life of the Kazakh people, especially during festive festivals, the Kazakh people will definitely carry out some interesting horse activities. Exciting equestrian performances are a must-see for everyone. Many wonderful performances, such as hiding in the stirrups, hanging on one leg, standing on horseback, picking up silver in the grassland, and multiple horses, will definitely make you cheer for the racers .

【Experience rafting and horseback riding】

Forest Park is the tourist area with the highest content of negative oxygen ions in the Nalati Scenic Area, and it is a functional area in the Nalati Scenic Area focusing on ecological health preservation and forest bathing health preservation.

Here you can go to the horse team to pick a Yili horse and ride it on the Nalati prairie. Riding a horse here is very cost-effective, 80 yuan an hour. A groom will ride with you, or teach you how to ride and let you do it yourself. Due to the long distance, I rode horses with a younger brother. This younger brother was very talkative, taught me riding skills, and told me some things about Xinjiang and his family. It turns out that his family is so rich. . . Of course, if you like water sports, you can also go to the rafting area to experience the thrills and excitement in the water.

At the end of the forest park experience, we went to Yitigansai for dinner. When we arrived in Yitigansai, the whole grassland changed completely. The entire colorful area is enveloped by a vivid sunset, which slowly darkens.

When the setting sun on the other side of the sky slowly fades away and loses its dazzling light, it will turn red and red like the setting sun like blood, leaving a "red face" in the sky, and the sky will suddenly be filled with colorful clouds. The setting sun reflects the gorgeous rays of light, overlooking the earth affectionately. The setting sun and sunset glow in the vast sky look so beautiful, and they are so kind, embracing people passionately.

As the setting sun sets, the sunset glow on the horizon is red, and the clouds are so gorgeous and colorful as if they were on fire. This may be the legendary fire cloud! The setting sun, the red autumn sunset, has long lost its scorching power. It presents a weak posture that one can look directly at, and feel its irreversible momentum of sinking towards the west mountain.

Don't miss the young madness time flies
Don't miss the sunset and sunset no matter where it is

【Experience grass cutting and picnic】

In order to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the grassland in the sky and feel the customs of the Kazakh people, a group of 10 of us followed the Xinma Youjiang private custom trip to the river valley grassland in the Nalati Scenic Area.
The Nalati Grassland is a subalpine meadow plant area, one of the four major grasslands in the world, and is a famous pasture.
Kazakhs are a nation characterized by grassland nomadic culture. Most of them live a nomadic life of living by water. Therefore, horses are a very important means of transportation for local herdsmen. The Kazakhs are also known as the nation on horseback.

We rode into the grassland and it took about 40 minutes to reach the top of the mountain. Along the way, flocks of cattle and sheep grazed slowly on the hillside. Seeing tourists, they did not dodge or avoid them, and their curious eyes widened. When they were approaching, they wobbled further away.

Standing on the top of the mountain, enjoying the cool breeze, looking into the distance, against the backdrop of the blue sky, the snow-capped peaks, dense forests, green hills and endless grasslands in the distance constitute a fresh and intoxicating picture.
The Nalati Grassland is known as the most populous grassland in Kazakhstan. The local Kazakh herdsmen are very enthusiastic and take good care of us along the way, and teach us how to mow grass so that we can experience the local life.

Unlike some flat grasslands where machines are used to cut grass, the tool used here is a special scythe, which is completely operated by hand. After the grass is finished, the horses and camels are used to feed horses, cattle and sheep in winter. .

After mowing the grass, all the pressure from the whole body dissipated along with the mowing process. Because the autumn wind on the top of the mountain is relatively cool, we must pay attention to keep warm. Enthusiastic herdsmen invited us to make milk tea together, paired with Xinjiang's special food naan, which can just supplement the physical strength consumed just now.

Milk tea is an indispensable drink in the daily life of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Because there are a lot of meat and less vegetables in pastoral and alpine areas, milk tea is needed to help digestion. Milk tea contains both tea and milk, and sometimes some ghee, sheep oil, and horse oil are added. This kind of milk tea is a very delicious and nutritious drink.

After receiving the steaming milk tea from the herdsmen, you can feel a trace of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and let your heart blend with the quiet grassland slowly.

Coming to Nalati is not only a visual feast, but also a spiritual journey; it is not only a quick trip, but also a baptism of the soul.

【postscript】

It is often said that you don’t know how big China is unless you go to Xinjiang, and you don’t know the beauty of Xinjiang if you don’t go to Yili.
In the Nalati Grassland, you can not only see staggered rivers, wide valleys, high snow-capped mountains, green spruces, but also hospitable, singing and dancing Kazakh children, beautiful grassland scenery and rich and simple ethnic customs. Together they constitute the beautiful scenery of northern Xinjiang.
If I have a chance, I will come to Xinjiang and Nalati again to witness the beauty here!