Ili, Xinjiang: an oasis in the far west.

If my friend hadn’t asked me about the Xinjiang travel guide yesterday, I would have forgotten about writing the guide. Two months later, the only thing I want to say in retrospect is: it was worth it. But let’s start with the ugly words: If you don’t have enough money, just wait. 🌟🌟🌟

Many people have misunderstandings about security issues in Xinjiang. Q is here to give everyone a reassurance - You can see criminal police and security inspection machines everywhere you look (hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, etc.) To be honest, when it comes to security, Xinjiang is many times more strict than mainland China. Now, can you read on with confidence?

Xinjiang travel route map

⏰

“She carried my heart across the Gobi;

Lost in distant Ili many years ago. "

Although I have always been attracted by Amway Xinjiang, I suffer from lack of time and opportunity. Taking advantage of the May Day holiday, Q decided to buy a round-trip ticket. In other words, during the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, the center of Xinjiang was not Urumqi, but Ili. It has the reputation of Little Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall! Highly recommended for those who are new to Xinjiang.

🚩 Urumqi Yema Ancient Ecological Park

Arriving in Urumqi at noon, I quickly saw Master Zhang who picked up the car. The master was very nice and helped with the luggage when he came up. When I came to the Northwest for the first time, my heart was already filled with excitement. You can also see the snow-capped mountains in the distance in the urban area. It always feels that it is close before your eyes, but it is out of reach. Well, it’s the kind of feeling where the market and the world complement each other😌

On the first day, we arranged to stay in a Mustang-themed hotel. The environment was great. Next to it was the Sweat BMW Base and the Mustang Ancient Ecological Park. Half a day of soy sauce was enough to fully appreciate the exotic customs.

I really can't resist the handsome sweaty BMW. Most of the people riding horses are Uighur men. They shuttle back and forth on horseback and do various tricks. If I hadn't personally experienced a horse galloping past me at the racecourse, I probably would never have understood the concept of "a horse's hoofs can kick someone to death."

This one is of Arab descent,

Probably because I left my hometown, I felt a little melancholy.

Visiting various sweat horses, I found that the horses are still very proud and fierce. Most of the fences have written words: This horse is dangerous and will open the door by itself. A few can be lured with food and barely get a photo together. To be honest, I was still scared, but it would be a shame not to take a photo, so I picked the thinnest one and touched its head.

Next, visit the art gallery in the eco-park. In fact, for friends who come to Xinjiang for the first time, it is still necessary to see the exhibition. The Uyghur boys and girls and the great rivers and mountains of Xinjiang all seem to be given a preview here.

🚩Grand Bazaar

It gets dark very late in Xinjiang, and you don’t see the sky getting dark until around 9:30 pm, so you always have the illusion that it’s still daytime. This way, you have more time to play. The Grand Bazaar is a must-visit place when going to Urumqi, similar to visiting the Oriental Pearl Tower when going to Shanghai.

The sky is blue and the sun is bright. But I was the only one holding an umbrella on the street, and I looked like an outsider😅The Grand Bazaar does not require tickets, and Han Chinese can enter with their ID cards. This is the world of the Uighurs. The buildings and murals are full of exotic customs, and the smell in the air is also coquettish...😿😿😿

Personally, I feel like it's a big market where you can buy whatever you need. In the evening, under the introduction of an acquaintance, I went to the alley next to the weather community to eat authentic chicken. Great, no pictures here.

🚩Anjihai Grand Canyon

Anjihai Grand Canyon should be regarded as the first stop of the official trip. Depart from Urumqi and arrive at your destination at noon. Show a few pictures of the scenery on Xinjiang's highways. The feeling is different from that in the mainland.

Although the journey is long, looking at the scenery outside the window, time passes quickly. When you first enter the Grand Canyon, you can clearly feel that the style of painting is changing, just like arriving on Genghis Khan's prairie, with cows and sheep visible in the wind and grass.

It was the first time I saw such a fat sheep.

There are flocks of sheep, and Master Zhang said that the sheep here are not very good.

The car slowly drove in,

Tianshan and grassland blend together,

Already completely swallowed up by the beauty of nature.

Compared with other tourist attractions in Xinjiang, the Anjihai Grand Canyon is an undeveloped tourist destination, so the mountain roads are particularly rugged and it takes a lot of effort to drive in. After entering, I was filled with emotion at first, and then started shooting wildly.

Forgive a person who has never been to the Northwest for being so impatient. Geographic magazine said: The Anjihai Grand Canyon is a colorful canyon like Van Gogh, and it is a river and canyon flowing out of "modern abstract painting". This is true. During this period, there were many people picking up fossils by the canyon and stayed for about an hour before leaving. Soon we arrived at Kuitun, the new star city in northern Xinjiang.

🚩Kuitun

Kuitun is located in the "Golden Triangle" area and is the youngest city in northern Xinjiang, bordering Karamay, Wusu and Shawan. It is also the city that makes me feel most urban. Compared with Urumqi, I personally feel that Kuitun is more livable. There are the largest number of Han people here, and only here can the mobile phone network restore 4G.

When traveling to Yili, Kuitun is a must-stop stop. The street is very wide, and it is very enjoyable to walk along the road at night with the lights brightly lit. The rice noodles in Kuitun are very good. I heard that the rice noodle shops are full of beautiful Xinjiang girls. I didn’t have a chance to go because I was already quite full after eating meat skewers in the evening😋😋😋

🚩Salim Lake

I am finally going to the Sailimu Lake that I have longed for, and I am indescribably excited! The thick jacket you brought will come in handy. When you go to the lake in May, the temperature is very low, so be sure to wear a cotton-padded jacket! Otherwise, it will be too cold to get out of the car.

Wrapping myself tightly, my phone dropped to single digits instantly when I got here. But I still walked forward firmly against the wind, because this last tear of the Atlantic Ocean was so beautiful.

Only Sailimu Lake in May is like this, with layer after layer of several different shades of blue. Although Xinjiang is the farthest place from the sea, God is particularly fond of it and has given it a sea.

Spring River Plumbing Duck Prophet,

It is not easy for these wild ducks to survive in ice water.

It feels like a fairy tale

Many people say that it is more beautiful to come here in July because it is cooler and the grass grows. But I feel that the beauty of May is also irreplaceable. It is a kind of tranquility with big color blocks and no one to disturb it.

🚩Guozigou Bridge

After going around Sailimu Lake, you will soon see another wonder - Guozigou Bridge. It is the first steel truss girder cable-stayed bridge with twin towers and twin cable planes on highways in China. I have seen many photographers’ works in magazines before, and I really want to try shooting from different angles. Unfortunately, the rules here prohibit staying too long, and the equipment is limited, so we can only finish the photo in a hurry and get on the bus.

The scenery along the road can only be experienced by oneself, there are too many things that cannot be recorded through the lens. After running all the way, we finally arrived in Xinyuan County, Yili in the evening, and we will go to Nalati Grassland early tomorrow morning.

🚩Nalati Grassland

Nalati means sun in Mongolian. It is said that Chagatai, Temujin's second son, arrived here during his Western Expedition. It was raining continuously at that time. When entering Nalati, the sun was shining brightly and the grass was green. I couldn't help but shout: "Na La Te". Meaning: There is sun. Later it was called Nalati. Even in May, you need to wear thick cotton clothes to resist the cold. There are two grasslands in Nalati. You can choose the one you want to go to and buy tickets, or you can see both. I went to Sky Grassland.

After entering, follow the sightseeing car into the grassland. The scenery outside the window is simply breathtaking. Because the altitude is very high, sun protection is still necessary. The sightseeing bus will stop at the observation deck midway for everyone to enjoy and take photos. Q just posted the picture directly.

Marvel at the beauty of nature,

I don't want to leave even if I stay here.

We are about to reach the deepest part of the grassland and our final destination. There are wild apple trees in the mountains along the road. It is said that the apples here are very sweet. 🍎🍎🍎

After getting off the car, I immediately ran towards the green prairie without saying a word!

Ranked among the four largest river valleys and grasslands in the world, the wilderness is dotted with mountain springs and streams like nets. Walking on the grassland, my shoes will get wet from time to time. With an average altitude of 1,800 meters, it is a rare alpine grassland in the world.

There was also a blindfolded eagle on the grassland, and many people came to take photos with it. But the blindfolded eagle can only entertain the public. By taking photos, it brings the owner a lot of income😏

After admiring the grassland, it’s time to leave Nalati. It is no exaggeration to say that I spent almost the whole afternoon on the road to peace, and I also felt the visual change from green to yellow. In addition to the desert, there is the Gobi, because we are starting to enter southern Xinjiang...

🚩Bayingulin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture

When I arrived in southern Xinjiang, I felt that it was completely different from northern Xinjiang. Almost all people in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture are ethnic minorities. I was still scared at first, but my stomach was growling, so I mustered up the courage to walk into a restaurant with almost no Han people and ordered a bowl of Dingding fried noodles.

It’s so delicious that it’s CRY. It may really be a geographical advantage. In the Mainland, it is difficult to replace the high quality of raw materials with just cooking skills. The disc is a matter of minutes. It is said that Hejing is a better city in southern Xinjiang, and I began to miss northern Xinjiang crazily.

🚩Bosten Lake

Regarding Bosten Lake, I can only say that it is really big. It’s so big that you can only drive around to see it. The reeds and egrets are a very beautiful scenery. For me, who is about to end the trip, it seems good to enjoy the wind by the lake.

Then, we passed through Turpan and drove back to Urumqi along the way. After a good night's sleep, we flew back to Shanghai the next day. I have to say that this was a hasty and meaningful trip. There are still many scenic spots that cannot be planned in the itinerary due to time reasons. I think there should be a second or third time...