"Lonely Planet" describes Xinjiang like this: "If Kashgar Airport can take off and land large planes, you will be surprised to find that flying from here to Cairo takes a little less time than flying to Qingdao. Xinjiang is the real old world geography In the center, its magnificent rivers and mountains divide the Mediterranean, Persia, India and Chinese civilizations that created the worldview of mankind, but quietly connect the world together through thousands of years of uninterrupted travelers through the Silk Road."
Xinjiang, as a distant image, was recorded in the history of Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the legend of Xuanzang's Buddhist scriptures, the frontier poem "The bright moon rises from the Tianshan Mountains, between the vast sea of clouds", and the stories of the thirty-six small countries in the mysterious Western Regions. She is a vast, mysterious and beautiful
When summer comes, when the imagination of the Western Regions becomes an experience, the travel really begins.
First put a few pictures of the town building~
[Xinjiang is too big, how to choose a suitable route]
This trip was with my boyfriend and we originally planned to hike the Monk De Trail for 5 days. Temporarily turned into free travel, two hard working dogs had to stay up late two or three days before departure to finalize the route.
Here I would like to share with you some of the mental journey of our route planning.
1.1 Three classic routes in Xinjiang
Xinjiang is as big as one-sixth of China's area. For the first time in Xinjiang, how to choose a suitable 9-day journey is the first problem to be solved.
There are three classic routes in Xinjiang:
(1) Altai Ring Road: The preferred route for ordinary travelers to Xinjiang. It is famous for the forest scenery of Altai, Kanas Lake, the morning fog of Hemu, and the small village of Baihaba.
(2) Tianshan Ili Ring Road: Mainly around the Tianshan Mountains and the Ili River Valley, such as Sailimu Lake, Kalajun Grassland, Bayinbuluk Grassland, Qiongku, and most of the classic hiking routes in Xinjiang are concentrated in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains.
(3) Southern Xinjiang Line: A line with rich landscape and gameplay, you can experience the Taklamakan Desert, the Pamirs and the old city of Kashgar. But the journey is long and takes a lot of time.
1.2 Selection of Yili Line
This time I chose the Tianshan Yili Line, mainly based on several considerations:
(1) When playing for the first time, try to choose the classic route. Seeing all kinds of scenery is enough at one time, and then come back later, so that we can choose niche routes in a targeted manner.
(2) Seasons: In summer, the Ili River Valley is lush with lush vegetation and the climate is suitable, while Altai is suitable for seeing the autumn colors of the forests, and the fragrance of melons and fruits in Southern Xinjiang will have to wait until September.
(3) Time, I want to have fun in Southern Xinjiang for 9 days, and I am relatively nervous; if I take the Northern Xinjiang Great Ring Road (Altai-Ili), almost most of the time will be spent on the road. Even if you choose the Yili line, you have to properly delete the places you are not interested in.
After communicating with the local guide, we finally determined a route with a point of interest and a suitable time to satisfy our wish to see snow mountains, grasslands, canyons, forests, and glaciers at the same time.
Day 1 Urumqi - Dushanzi, Anjihai Grand Canyon, stay in Dushanzi
Day 2 Sailimu Lake, Guozigou Bridge, via Yining, Yizhao Highway, Suzhaosu
Day 3 Shata Scenic Area (Entrance of Shater Ancient Road, Muzarte Glacier), Tekes (Bagua City)
Day 4 Kalajun prairie, staying at Kalajun herdsmen’s house
Day 5 Kala Jun-Jongkushtai Hiking, Suqiongkushtai Village
Day 6 Entrance of Wusun Ancient Road, exit from Qiongkushi Terrace, pass through Tekes Grand Canyon, stay in Gongliu
Day 7 Gongnaisi Forest Farm, Tangbula Grassland, Duku Highway (Tangbula-Dushanzi Section), Subayingou
Day 8 Bayingou, Dushanzi Grand Canyon, return to Urumqi
Day 9 Urumqi one-day tour, return to Beijing
1.3 Detailed route explanation (timetable, odometer)
Before traveling, we will buy a map or draw a route so that we can easily understand the general route and direction of the journey.
What's more, my boyfriend will make a detailed excel sheet in advance, marking the detailed time and mileage. However, due to uncontrollable reasons such as rain, the accommodation was slightly different.
After seeing it, my friends said that we were simply "workaholics" traveling. For long-distance travel, we hope to control the time as much as possible. After all, the holidays are limited and there are many places we want to go.
Friends who want to see the route map or form can leave a message.
[N things you may want to consider before leaving Xinjiang]
2.1 Equipment list
Every time I travel, I feel that there are too many things to prepare, and it is a bit difficult to start. Fortunately, my boyfriend is an "excel-based" partner, and he will list all the items for me by category.
Eight-day itinerary, one-day hiking, the outdoor bag is very suitable for going to places like Xinjiang, whether it is load-bearing or breathable.
My boyfriend chose the OSPREY Kitty Hawk 38L, and I chose the Shining 22L. These two bags are enough for us to put 2 cameras, a drone, a tripod and other daily necessities.
2.2 Expenditure budget
(1) Travel expenses: Xinjiang has a vast land and sparsely populated areas, and the bulk of the cost will always be travel expenses, whether it is a chartered car or a self-driving car. Since there are only my boyfriend and I in the chartered car, the per capita chartered car is 4-5k.
(2) Air tickets: We traveled on staggered peaks before the summer vacation, so that the per capita round-trip air tickets were more than 1,000 cheaper. Including the purchase one month in advance, the average per capita is about 2,200.
(3) Accommodation: Accommodation in Xinjiang is relatively cheap. Business hotels in Urumqi cost 200 to 300 yuan, and ordinary county towns can get you 100 to 200 yuan, and you can bargain; the most expensive ones are scenic spots, such as Kalajun. .
(4) Catering: Generally speaking, 20-30 yuan per capita for road meals can fill you up, and better meals can be quite rich for 50-100 yuan. It will be slightly more expensive near the scenic spot.
(5) Tickets: The fees for scenic spots in Xinjiang are relatively high, and the tickets are not expensive (100 yuan), but some shuttle buses will be included forcibly, which is not cheap, and the shuttle buses do not enjoy certificate discounts.
(6) Horse riding: This was an out-of-budget expense, but well worth it. Compared with the surrounding areas of Beijing (yes, it is the kind of horse riding that circles the grass and runs twice, which is completely different), not only can you experience real horse riding, but the cost will be much lower.
2.3 Travel photography collocation
The Northwest is very suitable for photographing people, especially Xinjiang. Travel photography can help you have an irreplaceable "sense of situation". Memory decays, words can be fictional. A good image records "a moment of eternity".
Choosing a few sets of clothes suitable for taking pictures is the basic requirement of every girl. Over the past year, I have taken several groups intermittently, and I would like to share some experiences with you.
(1) Shooting location: Find out the attractions you are going to in advance to understand the shooting environment. You can watch how other people dress on lofter/Weibo/Buzz, and then conceive one or two themes and styles.
(2) Dressing: The color of the entire Northwest is very clean, with large grasslands (green), desert Gobi (yellow), and alpine lakes (blue), blue sky and white clouds. Personally, I think the red/white long skirts, ethnic style and Mori girl style are the ones with a higher production rate. In addition, the red scarf can unlock all puzzles. (The temperature difference in Xinjiang is large, and the altitude in Yili is relatively high. It is recommended to bring a light down jacket and jacket)
[Choice of self-driving tour vs chartered car tour]
No matter which mode of travel you choose, let us first look at a set of numbers:
It took 8 days to pass through 10 cities (counties), about 3,000 kilometers, to complete several famous scenic spots in the Ili River Valley. On average, half of the time was on the road.
In order to save worry and have fun, we chose to charter a car. In addition, there are several primary reasons for consideration:
1. Crossing from Kalajun to Qiongkushitai is the focus of this trip. The two grasslands are separated by a canyon, and the starting point and the ending point are far apart. The storage of the car is a problem. If you travel by car, it is more troublesome to turn back and pick up the car.
2. Uncertainty considerations. Due to the limited annual leave time and unfamiliarity with the road conditions, we try to avoid unknown situations such as getting lost and going the wrong way, and there are many speed tests in Xinjiang, so choosing a local driver guide who is more familiar with the local road conditions and conditions will make our itinerary more secure.
3. Customized tour. If you want to go to some little-known niche scenic spots, finding a guide who is very familiar with the local environment is more worry-free and efficient than self-driving travel. Because I went to Lake Baikal at the beginning of the year, I met a self-driving tour team boss—Brother Hongyang. I had a lot of fun with him and took a lot of good photos (unfortunately, I haven’t written the travel notes until now, so I’ll add them later), This trip is also thanks to Brother Hongyang, who helped us find a lot of seats and fulfilled the original intention of travel photography. Brother Hongyang is a cultural person who loves to read. He has a lot of stories along the way, and he has the demeanor of a storyteller.
Along the way, Brother Hongyang has been trying every means to help us save travel expenses, often helping us bargain with local merchants, and the results are quite fruitful. It would be a good choice for a partner to go to Xinjiang for free travel, and it would be a good choice to ask him to make a private customized route. If you want to go to Lake Baikal, Hulunbeier and Xinjiang Great Ring Road, you can find Brother Hongyang's team. After this trip, I can give some tips to friends who want to travel by car:
1. The road conditions in Xinjiang are good, but there are many interval speed measurements/flow speed measurements, so you need to pay attention to the passing time.
2. At present, there is still a section of road construction between Qiongkushitai and Gongliu, which is relatively bumpy.
3. The northern section of Duku Highway is very steep, so do not enter it in bad weather. Gangsa showed us a video of a rainy day in Duku, and the falling rocks were scary.
[What to eat, where to live]
The food in Xinjiang is very bold and strong. My boyfriend who loves meat along the way can be described as "enough addiction". For me: "Too! Hard! Furious!"
First use Meitu to let everyone enjoy themselves.
Meat articles
Roast lamb: There is nothing to say about this, just eat it! This plate was eaten in a yurt, butchered on the spot, and it has a natural meaty aroma. I also got to know Kazakh big-tailed sheep this time, the meat is very tender, fat but not greasy.
Big plate chicken: It is actually a dish invented by the Han people in Xinjiang, and it has the flavor of Sichuan cuisine. We ate authentic big plate chicken in the most famous Shawan.
Baked buns: A particularly popular snack of the Uighurs, thin-skinned buns baked in the Nang Kang. Fresh mutton, fat and thin, extremely delicious~
Pepper chicken: Different from the chicken nuggets of the big plate chicken, the pepper chicken tends to be long strips of chicken, which is very numb, and the mouth is beating after eating! !
Roasted leg of lamb with meringue: Urumqi Pomegranate is a popular dish in the restaurant. But it is a relatively Chinese dish.
2. Staple food
Fried pork noodles and all kinds of noodles: very authentic Xinjiang cuisine, the main ingredient is mutton, with onions, tomatoes, peppers, chewy! We are on the road most of the day, and we eat road meals. The noodles are delicious and filling.
Hand pilaf: Uighur dish, the leg of lamb is as thick as an arm, eaten with carrots and onions, salty and fragrant
Mixed soup: Hui cuisine, beef broth, served with meatballs and green vegetables, and sweet potato powder.
Tintin Fried Noodles: A very popular Uighur snack. In fact, the strips are cut into small pieces and fried with many ingredients such as chicken and pepper.
3. Drinks
Milk: If you go to a herdsman’s house as a guest, don’t miss the freshly squeezed milk, the taste is very pure~
Deadly Da Wusu: The local beer in Xinjiang has a delicious malt taste and is not bitter at all! !
Kavas: Xinjiang version of Kavas, if you like it, you will like it very much
ps: At that time, I was only focused on eating, and some forgot to take pictures. Fortunately, Teacher Cao and Ms. Li, who are eating and eating in Xinjiang at the moment, sent fresh pictures, thank you here~
stay
Because we are ahead of the tourist season, the accommodation is relatively loose.
1. Urumqi
Newly opened hotel (cheap price, more than 300 a night). The environment is very good, similar to the star hotels I have stayed in before.
2. County seat
Business hotels are about 100-200, and the conditions are very average. Because there is nothing to choose, it is recommended to search on Qunar.com/Ctrip.com/Dianping.com, and give priority to hotels with high sales and high ratings.
3. Kalajun Grassland
If you want to go deep into the grassland, you need to stay in a herdsman's house for one night, usually in a yurt or a cabin. Can't take a bath, no signal, power supply for 2-3 hours at night, accommodation conditions are relatively poor. We lived in a cabin run by Han people, the price was more than 300; but later my friend contacted a Kazakh family, the accommodation was clean, and the price was only 200.
4. Qiongkushitai Animal Husbandry Village
The entire village is developing tourism, basically traditional Kazakh log cabins, the environment is relatively clean, you can take a bath (many do not have independent bathrooms, rely on solar power, whether there is hot water depends on the weather), and the power supply is only available at night.
Day1 Anjihai Grand Canyon in the Gobi
"The first day of the trip was very relaxing. We are going to Anjihai Grand Canyon to watch the sunset. 』
Starting from Urumqi and driving all the way to Dushanzi, it will take about 3 hours by car. The Anjihai Grand Canyon, located in the Tacheng area, is close to Dushanzi, and it takes another hour to drive there.
As a unique geological relic, the Anjihai Grand Canyon has always attracted the attention of the geography community and has been published in the National Geographic magazine.
The magic of Anjihai is that it is a huge "crack" cut out of the plain by the Anjihai River. After thousands of years of flowing water, it has formed a cliff with a length of one thousand meters and a depth of 400 meters. The rivers at the bottom of the valley not only outline alluvial fans of different shapes, but also exude hair-like delicate river channels, winding and winding, full of the charm of traditional Chinese painting. Gravel, mudstone and red soil of different colors are mixed together to form a colorful canyon section.
The road around the shoulder of this cliff-like valley leads all the way to the bottom of the valley. The truck rumbles past at the bottom, mixed with the sound of the river.
We arrived at sunset, and the setting sun illuminated the snow-capped mountains in the east through the thick clouds, and the layers of the canyon terraces became richer, one, two, three...ten, or even more.
Standing on the edge of the canyon and looking down, wanting to have a glimpse of the majestic scenery, its precipitous and majestic momentum overwhelms people and makes people dizzy. I dare not move forward a millimeter, so I can only stare blankly.
We didn't leave the canyon until the sunset was about to disappear. The sky soon darkened, and this piece of Gobi lost the heat of the day, and fell into an empty silence.
On the way back to Dushanzi, the Gobi could not be seen at a glance, but the starlight of industrial buildings could be seen. The guide Gangsa said that these lights are on all night, which is convenient for workers to work in oil extraction and refining.
Dushanzi is an oil city at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, and it is also an immigrant city. Bright lights and barren Gobi, this contrasting combination will become the main theme of many people's lives.
Day2 Sailimu Lake, start a rainy journey
"On the second day of the trip, today's protagonists are the famous Sailimu Lake and the Guozigou Bridge. We have experienced several rains today, and since then we have entered the Ili River Valley with plenty of rain. 』
Early in the morning, Brother Hongyang took us to the hottest breakfast shop in Dushanzi to eat baked buns. I heard that the old man often goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Everyone believes that the meat he uses is good, the taste is good, and the business is booming.
Baked buns are a Uighur food, and its skin is crispy and thin. The steamed stuffed buns in the Nang Kang were full of gas, and they were snatched up by people as soon as they were taken out. One bite, a burst of hot air burst into the mouth, accompanied by the natural taste of mutton and onions, it is really fragrant.
It takes about 4 hours from Dushanzi to Sailimu Lake.
Not long after leaving the oil city of Dushanzi, the field of vision broadened, the color of the world turned green, and all the Gobi became farmland. However, judging from the exposed part of the soil layer, the soil is only a thin layer, and the bottom is full of sand and gravel. The weather has also changed. It was still cloudless and clear at first, but when the car made a bend and came to the side of the mountain, it suddenly fell into hailstones. Through this cloud, it was sunny again.
This erratic cloud seems to have the same itinerary as ours, and we also want to see Sailimu Lake.
Sailimu Lake, located in the basin of the Tianshan Mountains, is the largest plateau lake in Xinjiang. Backed by snow-capped mountains and surrounded by grasslands, it is famous for its blue and clear water, and is known as "the sapphire deep in the mountains".
Before the car drove to Saihu Lake, it was raining on the east side of the lake, sunny on the west side, and cumulonimbus clouds piled up on the top of the snow-capped mountains. It didn't take long for the dark clouds to roll around, and quickly filled the entire west like a squid, and the snow-capped mountains were blocked by the rain. Even without the blue sky, the lake is still blue. Waves slapped by the lake, the wind blew harder, and the water vapor was hazy. The two swans by the lake gradually disappeared into the center of the lake.
Although it is impossible to see the face of Sailimu Lake, there is another feeling in the rain. The sky was soft, and there were two portraits walking through the grass.
After driving away from Sailimu Lake for more than half an hour, we arrived at the Guozigou Bridge.
Viewed from a height, the Guozigou Bridge looks like a giant dragon shuttling among the mountains. It is the first high bridge in Xinjiang, with a length of 700 meters and a maximum distance of 200 meters between the bridge deck and the bottom of the valley. Driving on the bridge deck, you can see mountains and valleys outside the window. It feels like a cartoon has come true, as if the witch Kiki is flying over the forest. This feeling is the same as "riding on a non-stop slide on the road in the mountains of East Siberia", which ignites the imagination.
On the shaded side of the hillside, there are rows of towering trees, neat as soldiers. They have a nice name: Xueling spruce. These trees climb up slopes and stretch for thousands of miles. They are deep and straight, towering into the clouds. They have been guarded in the depths of the Tianshan Mountains for 40 million years. When the snowflakes fall in the Tianshan Mountains in late October, it will be another scene. The evergreen spruces and the world covered in silver will make this pure land even more solemn.
After passing the Sailimu Lake and the Guozigou Bridge, the car began to climb up the mountain, and the weather became cooler. Our trip to the Yili River Valley officially kicked off.
The east, south and north sides of the Yili River Valley are surrounded by mountains with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters; the west side is the flat Eurasian Plain. It is such a westward trumpet-mouth terrain that makes the water vapor in the distant Atlantic all the way eastward to the Ili River Valley. Although Yili is located deep in the Eurasian continent, it is a mild and humid "South of the Great Wall" with abundant rainfall.
After leaving Sailimu Lake and Guozigou Bridge, today we also plan to enjoy the Yizhao Highway at sunset. Yizhao Highway is known as a small "duku", and the scenery is beautiful and steep. Unexpectedly, heading westward, the sky began to rain, and the rain became more and more intense. The police stopped the passing vehicles and told them that the road was blocked due to heavy rain, so they had to return to Chabuchar and stay overnight.
On the way back, the setting sun in the distance sprinkled the farmland like fine gold.
Day3 went to Xiata Glacier
We set off very early today, winding up the mountain, the farmland gradually disappeared at the end of the winding road, and the cattle and sheep scattered in the mountains appeared in groups. Yizhao Highway is the "Gongyue Road" on the ancient Silk Road. Meadows, snow-capped mountains, cliffs and streams, and wildflower pastures are the scene in early July.
You can reach Zhaosu by climbing over the 3,000-meter-high Baishi Peak of Wusun Mountain. Zhaosu has good horses and is known as the "Hometown of Tianma". On the edge of the continuous snow-capped mountains, the boundless pastures, galloping horses, the mood is relaxed.
The destination of this trip is the Xiata Canyon in Zhaosu, the entrance of the Shater Ancient Road, which is now the Xiata Scenic Area. We originally planned to stay in a hot spring hotel in the scenic area for one night and enjoy the night of embracing the stars in the glacier hot spring; but the hotel's Internet reputation is very mediocre, and after a field visit, the store is deserted and the facilities are mediocre, so we gave up.
The hot spring hotel is the bus transfer point of the scenic spot. Walking 8 kilometers deep into the canyon, you can reach the last scenic spot: Frog Spring. This journey can be changed to a minibus or on foot. I can't help but want to complain about the practice of charging shuttle bus fees many times in this scenic spot.
The stream in the canyon is silver, and the famous Muzarte glacier is just ahead, the glacier Daban that Xuanzang must pass through when he was learning Buddhist scriptures. It takes 3 or 4 hours to ride a horse from Frog Spring to the bottom of the glacier.
The glaciers in the distance are shrouded in clouds and mist, the hillsides on the side of the valley are surrounded by Yunling snow-capped mountains, lush vegetation, gurgling rivers, crisp bird songs echoing in the empty valley, and a few fat groundhogs pop out from time to time in the land. There are few tourists. Serene and peaceful.
There is a record in "Da Tang Western Regions": "Snow in the valley, frozen in spring and summer, although it disappears in time, it freezes again. The passage is dangerous, the cold wind is fierce, there are many tyrannosaurs, and it is difficult to invade. Pedestrians Those who pass by this way should not shout loudly with gourds in ocher clothes, commit minor violations, and witness disasters. The wind blows up, sand and rain stones fly, and those who meet are lost, and it is difficult to live forever." What Xuanzang described is the danger of the "Shate Ancient Road". Today we can only get a glimpse of it from the text.
The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, and it didn't take long before dark clouds started chasing people, and heavy rain swept in. The yellow flowers all over the mountain are wet with clothes, stepping on the soft pine needles, sheltering from the rain under the spruce. A horse on the grass in front of it had lost its rein and ran around in a circle like playing. The groom followed behind, not in a hurry to catch up.
Clouds chase people, people chase horses. Those who run have no intention, but those who watch are very interested and very cute.
After waiting for 2 hours, I saw that the rain continued, and the drone could not break through the clouds, and the clouds and mist at the tip of the glacier rolled over and over again, and they never dispersed.
After all, the setting sun is gone. Go out of the canyon and go straight to Turks.
Day4 Kala Jun, the ultimate grassland experience
Tekes County is the only place to go to the Kalajun Grassland. Overlooking this small town from the sky (or to the Bagua Park), it is in the shape of a Bagua map. There are no traffic lights, no traffic jams, and no getting lost. Starting from Turks, it takes about 3 hours to arrive at the Kala Jun Scenic Area.
Even if you have seen many grasslands, you will still be shocked when you see Kala Jun for the first time.
For example, I, a southerner who doesn’t love grasslands, have seen the purity of Hulunbeier, the golden color of the Qilian Mountains grassland, the nine bends of the Yellow River in Maqu, the star-studded lakes in Ruoergai, and the colorful forests of Ulan Butong, but I still don’t feel that there is any difference. nothing new.
This time, that raw expanse hit me.
Clouds rise from the ground and go straight up to the sky. The snow-capped mountains of the Tianshan Mountains are lined up in a line, and the continuous mountains undulate into countless grasslands in the air, with the rhythm of overlapping waves, extending to the end that cannot be touched.
Li Juan wrote really well:
"And when the wind blows, it always makes people feel that the world is actually like this-the world should have such a strong wind. I looked down from the mountainside, and then looked up to the high place. I saw that the whole world is a The field is tilted transparently, and the whole world is leaning in the direction of the wind. My hair is also flying that way, and my heart is struggling in place, and it is also full of longing for the past."
Every grass drank enough water to grow wantonly, fluctuating up and down, exuding a tempting fragrance. The open world is a secret garden where birds hide, and the calls in the grass rise and fall. There are countless small flowers in early July, yellow, purple, white, and blue. June should be a wonderful blooming time among flowers. The horses and sheep have various postures, standing or sitting, and their expressions are always lazy. The aquatic plants in Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall make the fur of animals shiny, and I want to taste a mouthful of green grass.
Today we plan to go to the Jiasa dry grassland deeper in Kalajun, where the booked cabins are, and then go to see the famous human body grassland in the evening.
From the scenic spot to Huahuatai by car, the driver said that after crossing these grasslands, he would go to Jiasagan, and pointed in the direction of the snow-capped mountains. The direction was clear and there were no obstacles. We were full of interest and walked deep into the grassland. After crossing two grasslands, the grass became deeper and deeper, almost reaching the waist, and there was no end in sight.
My boyfriend went forward to explore the way, watching him gradually disappear into the clouds, and I waited for him in the open space.
In retrospect, the first time we met was also in the canyon deep in the grassland. The two talked very little, and what we saw was not a unique scenery. Probably the wind that day was as good as today's. It moved the flowers and plants, and it also moved us.
Because there are many private pastures belonging to herdsmen on the grassland, they cannot break into them. The result of exploring the road was that many places were difficult to pass, so we had to turn back to the viewing platform.
The owner of the cabin came to pick us up in a dilapidated jeep. Bumping all the way to Jiasagan, the human grassland is not far away, and you can see those perfect curves just waiting for the sunset. At this moment, it rained suddenly, and the front windshield of the car was splashed with water, which caught people off guard.
In the summer of Xinjiang, the sunrise still rises, and the sunset happens to be very late, allowing tourists to enjoy the long standby time during the day. If this law is applied to sunny days, it will definitely make people happy. If it is rainy, there will be endless waiting, waiting for why the dark clouds have not disappeared, and waiting for the sky to go dark for so long.
Missing the human grassland at sunset, we had no choice but to go to bed early, hoping for a good weather tomorrow. After all, tomorrow's Joan Kush Terrace is the most anticipated part of this trip.
Day5 crossing to Jonkush Terrace
"On the fifth day of the trip, because of the rain all night and the road was muddy, we had to give up hiking and ride horses to Jonkush Terrace. 6 hours on horseback, the most beautiful time. 』
On the grassland after the rain, many white mushrooms grow. Kazakh women are picking mushrooms, men are training golden eagles, and children are running happily on the grassland. The little guys greeted me shyly, and when I responded, they all ran over to me from afar, calling my sister non-stop, and laughing non-stop. The herdsmen brought us freshly squeezed milk, which tastes delicious and delicious.
In the idyllic scenery, the body and mind are greatly relaxed. I really hope that the vastness and tranquility of the grassland can be stored in my heart like a seed, so that when I walk through the concrete forest in the future, I can still get long-term comfort.
When we set off on horseback, the sun finally came out. Today we set off from the Gaza steppe in the depths of Kalajun. The horse trail in the grassland is as endless as the grassland. The Gaza steppe undulates gently, and the horse walks in the soft mud, stepping on small puddles from time to time. In the air is the smell of evaporated water vapor and sun-dried grass, and the warm wind blows on the cheeks.
Jiasagan and Qiongkushitai Grassland face each other far away, separated by a deep V-shaped canyon. The slope of the canyon is very steep, with gravel and slippery soil throughout. There is a forest at the bottom of the valley, and there are shepherds' huts and sheepdogs. A few sheep came to us as if they were watching. The river at the bottom of the valley is swift and bluish white.
After crossing the river, climb up the gentle slope, and go around to the other side of the canyon to see a different scenery.
The grassland here has more ups and downs. It is not so much walking on the grassland as walking among the ridges. The grasslands are connected to the ridges, and there are scattered cabins in the valleys and ridges. The flowing clouds, the blowing wind, and the rippling grass live in this world on their own. With such a wide field of vision, wherever the eyes can see, the heart can fly there at any time.
Climbing to the last pass, overlooking the entire grassland, beams of light and shadow fly across the grassland, sometimes illuminating a hillside, sometimes illuminating a lake, sometimes illuminating a wooden house, and sometimes illuminating a tree. The green waves, whether deep or shallow, are the waltz hidden in the mountains.
Yunyang reflects the grassland, and the streamer is wandering. This is the most beautiful moment in the Yili River Valley in my heart.
At this moment, at the Jonkush Terrace in the hinterland of the canyon not far away, there are dark clouds. We can even see clearly how the rain curtain falls to the top of the mountain. And the sound of rain resounding through the valley, crackling, very interesting.
We quickened our pace and walked into the rain.
Hiking Tips:
Gasagan-Jongkush Terrace is about 20 kilometers away, and the intensity is not great, but there are many forks in the canyon, and the forest is easy to get lost. It is recommended to ask a local guide (usually a groom). The weather in the mountains is changeable, and it will be very dangerous if you encounter severe weather such as ice storms. Tourists get lost for two or three days on the way, or even die. In line with the principle of being responsible to yourself, you must be fully prepared.
Day6 Longing for the Wusun Ancient Road, encountering the Turks Grand Canyon
"On the sixth day of the trip, we rode south to look for the Wusun Ancient Road; after we left Jonkush Terrace, we came across the Tekes Grand Canyon again. 』
Qiongkushitai Village is hidden in the deep mountains, next to the Kurdai River, and beside the river is an ancient cedar forest. The houses here are all built of logs, the roofs are covered with green grass, and occasionally a few wild flowers sway. The exhaustion of riding the horse the day before was dispelled by the quiet village. The morning sun was very transparent, and the glass-like light called for today to be a sunny day.
When the boyfriend was doing the strategy, he ranked the importance of Joan Kush Station first. I also heard from friends that this place has the best scenery in Yili area, and I was not disappointed. The beauty of the grassland yesterday has made me obsessed. Today we will go south to the mountains to find the Wusun Ancient Road.
In ancient times, the Wusun Ancient Road was a passage between the Wusun Kingdom and the Kucha Kingdom across the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains; now, it has become the top hiking route in the country.
The forest outside the village was humid, and the sun scattered in bunches, like the middle ages in A Song of Ice and Fire. Several Kazakh men gathered under a tree to drink. Children rode past us on horseback. I heard that they got on horses at the age of three and could ride independently at the age of five.
We ran into a young Kazakh riding a horse, and today he will take us to ride a horse in the mountains. Passing through the forest, the sound of the river is getting quieter, and there are herdsmen's huts scattered on the hillside, which are more simple than the villages below the mountain. A few young people were carrying stoves and ingredients, preparing to have a picnic in the mountains.
The sky is as clear as a drop of blue tears. Walking in the mountains, the ancient Wusun Road is in the distance. There are the quiet Paradise Lake, the dangerous Kekesu River, and the 4,000-meter Akbulak Daban. It is a paradise for adventurers and a place we will go to in the future.
Leaving Qiongkushi Terrace, the rolling human grassland came into view again. When the car went downhill, I suddenly found a canyon that split down from the grassland, with a very wide view. The boyfriend ran down excitedly and took a time-lapse shot. Gangsa took out a big watermelon, the watermelon still retains the coldness of Jonkush Terrace. Sitting on the grassland, watching the flocks of sheep basking in the sun all over the mountains and plains, eating a meal of natural icy watermelon happily, this is the joy of summer.
Day7 Duku Highway with four views in one day
"On the seventh day of the trip, today we have experienced grassland valleys, Rizhao Jinshan, snow-walled ice lakes and the most dangerous tiger's mouth, all of which happened on the Duku Highway. 』
We stayed in Gongliu for one night, and today we returned to Zhaosu. Ten thousand acres of rapeseed flowers have just bloomed and failed, leaving sporadic yellow spots. The vast farmland in Xinjiang can become a sea of flowers at any time—sunflowers, perilla flowers, and lavender. Different from the beauty in the south of the Yangtze River, its beauty is majestic.
Tangbula's river valley grassland is another scene. It is a grassland in the canyon of the upper reaches of the Kashgar River. There are many yurts stationed beside a curved river. Different from the endlessness of Kalajun, people in the valley are very close to each other, which seems to be more human.
Came to Qiaoerma, and since then also entered the northern section of the Duku Highway. Duku Highway has always been known as "the most beautiful and most dangerous highway in China". Not only because of the outstanding scenery of this road, it used to be a national defense road connecting northern and southern Xinjiang. Due to the harsh geology and weather, many soldiers sacrificed their lives in road construction. Now Qiaoerma has built a monument to remember those lives forever.
The car circled all the way up, and we stopped to walk between the peaks, watching the golden mountain in the sunset, and saw the snow-proof corridor, the snow wall and the mysterious ice lake when we crossed the Hashilegen Daban. When passing through the steepest "Tiger's Mouth", it was already dark, and the cliffs formed a sense of oppression, which made my heart involuntarily pick up.
Arrived at Bayingou at 12 o'clock at night, Gangsa invited us to his yurt as guests, and had a delicious meal of roast lamb. The starry sky here is really bright. There is a small skylight in the yurt, and the starlight gently shines on us.
Day8 weekend time in Bayingou, the alien world in Dushanzi Grand Canyon
"On the eighth day of the trip, in Bayingou near Dushanzi, I felt the weekend leisure time of the locals, and went to the Dushanzi Grand Canyon that I was thinking about. 』
There is no sunshine in Bayingou in the early morning and it is very cold. My boyfriend and I climbed up the hillside, sat down against a pine tree, and chatted about life involuntarily. It seems that the journey is coming to an end, and some emotions are fermenting at the right time. It is a lucky thing to be able to see more scenery with you, and what is even more wonderful is that this person will not only go farther with you, but also go to a longer future.
Gangza's Bubbas came to play with us. He is a very docile and intelligent hound. It only took us a few seconds to teach him to shake hands. upgrade.
After the sun came out, the Kazakh uncles said "Happ", you said to each other, enthusiastically introduced Dushanzi, Yili and Xinjiang, and asked us what young people in Beijing were doing. They are like all the uncles next door in the world, chatting with you about family affairs, throwing away the status of tourists, and I am living an ordinary weekend in a trance.
There is also a place near Dushanzi that looks like an alien world - Dushanzi Grand Canyon. The weather here is cool, the sun is scorching everything, it is breathless; the canyons here are cool, the ravines are deep and very primitive. At first, I saw the photos here at 500px. Under the towering rock walls, people rode by on horseback, which made me think of the cold end of the Middle Ages over and over again.
On the edge of the canyon, I met many newcomers to Xinjiang. They were going to the Duku Highway, and asked us about the details in detail. Gangsa spread out the map and enthusiastically guided the way. I don’t know what kind of scenery they will see. It must be different from us.
Day9 Goodbye, Bogda Peak
My boyfriend is a lover of snow mountains. In fact, I didn't see the real snow mountains on this trip, which is a bit regrettable for him.
On the highway back to Urumqi, I found a mountain hanging in the air, shining with silver light, very eye-catching. Excitedly told my boyfriend, he was also pleasantly surprised: "This is what a snow mountain should look like, majestic." In the past few days, all we have seen are "short and fat" mountains with snow caps on them.
It turns out that this is Bogda Peak. At the end of the trip, I saw the first holy mountain in Xinjiang! From the return journey hundreds of meters away to the altitude of thousands of meters, we have always surrounded Bogda Peak. Both of them were excited, and started data collection and infinite reverie. This is probably a surprise.
Next stop, Bogda Peak, see you in the future.
[Geji The Boy on Horseback]
Shalihar has two horses, one brown and one colored. We met him in the forest on the edge of the village of Jonkushtai, leading the horse of the color, and his uncle's horse. The colorful horse has brown and white hair, like wearing a handsome vest; big black eyes, very bright. If it hadn't been so beautiful, I would never pay a fortune to ride a horse again.
We decided to ride horses and go deep into the forest. The very, very deep place there is the Wusun Ancient Road, which is a passage through the Tianshan Mountains to the south. Today we can't even walk to the entrance of the ancient road, but the scenery along the way is still very good.
The sky after the rain is blue enough to drip water. Along the way, Xialihar couldn't stop chattering. He spoke Mandarin very fluently and liked to chat about everything. Once he talked about his horse, his expression changed immediately.
His horse is 8 years old this year, and he has been raising it since he was four years old; while Xialihar is 19 years old and went to university in Urumqi. Now that he is back from winter and summer vacations, his father usually helps take care of the horse.
His horse had a steady gait, and it didn't take long for us to climb from the forest to the high side of the hill. Sometimes, when Shalihar said "tweet" to the horse, the horse would speed up and go up; when it stopped to rest, he would carefully shave off the dirt from the horse's hooves, and I even saw the horse kiss him. That kind of close relationship, like father and son, also like brothers.
They walked the Wusun Ancient Road together many times, sometimes Kazakhs went in to play, and sometimes they acted as caravans. "Once, it walked for seven days and seven nights, but it was exhausted. As soon as it came home, it lay on the ground and fell asleep." After speaking, Xialihar laughed loudly. He said that his horse was like this. , I like to go home and do everything, such as eating a full meal and sleeping well.
Xialihar's home is on the grassland, not in the village. He didn't like life in the village, it was noisy and boring, and his horse seemed to be the same way. "Once, we came home from the village at noon and didn't have to wait until evening. I was so happy with him that I took off the saddle and ran home first. I got home after riding a motorcycle."
Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered, "Oh, I should have brought his younger brother, but I left him in the village." It turned out that the pied horse, and the younger brother, were brown horses, also Follow Xialihar through the Wusun Ancient Road. They are half-brothers and the pinto horse's father is 15 years old and has just been sold. "Its younger brother, he is very stupid. He doesn't know the way home, and he has a big temper, so he is always easily frightened." It is obvious that Xialihar likes his elder brother more.
After talking about Ma's family, he began to talk about his own family.
His grandfather raises golden eagles, which catch wild rabbits and foxes in winter, and the animal fur keeps their bodies warm in winter; his father likes to raise cattle and sheep, which can be sold for money; his uncle knows a little bit about veterinary medicine, Xia Liha I talked about how my uncle bandaged the dog after his dog's leg was bitten off by a groundhog.
We bid farewell to Xialihar at the entrance of the village. He was going to eat pheasant at a friend’s house in the village. “We caught that in the mountains for 2 hours.”
We left a contact information of him. He announced his name too quickly: "Xia Liha er" "Your name is Xia Liha, is that how you write it?" We even thought the last sound was Erhua.
"Xialihaer", this time he pronounced Er very strongly, as if telling us that Xialihaer is not him, but Xialihaer is him
