Live Your Best Lives
A friend from Xinjiang told me she doesn't want to travel abroad. Her reason: Xinjiang boasts the world's most beautiful scenery. Without leaving Xinjiang, you can travel the world. Those who haven't been to Xinjiang might find this statement unbelievable, but I firmly believe that once you've been there, you'll thoroughly understand it.
Many people ask me, when is the most beautiful time to visit Xinjiang? My usual answer is: Xinjiang is beautiful no matter when! (Seriously: I'm not kidding!) Different seasons show you a different Xinjiang. No matter when you go, you'll discover a truly beautiful Xinjiang.
This article aims to provide guidance for those who want to go to Xinjiang to see flowers. Generally speaking, spring and early summer in Xinjiang are a world of flowers. Let's form a group to go to Xinjiang to enjoy the flowers.
In March, the northern Xinjiang is still chilly and the winter snow has not melted, but Turpan is already showing signs of spring. This is the first place north and south of the Tianshan Mountains to welcome spring, and it can be said to be the "first stop" of spring in Xinjiang.
The planting of apricot trees in Turpan has a history of thousands of years. Perhaps it is because "xing" and "xing" are homophones, which means "prosperity", and it is said that "apricot flowers symbolize prosperity and development."
From the ancient city of Jiaohe to the foot of Huoyan Mountain, from the shores of Aydingkol Lake to residential areas, from city streets to rural fields, apricot blossoms abound, their fragrance wafting across the sky like clouds. Turpan is celebrating an apricot blossom extravaganza, drawing visitors from far and wide.
Tips:
① Transportation: It is recommended to take a high-speed train from Urumqi to Turpan, which takes about 1 hour.
② Recommended places for viewing apricot blossoms: Toksun Red River Valley, Xinghua Village of the 221st Regiment in Turpan, Kekeya Village in Shanshan County, Mutougou Village in Shengjin Township, Turpan, etc.
Recommended reason: Close to Urumqi, convenient transportation. Apricot blossoms are primarily cash crops grown in farmland, making them suitable for small scenes or portraits. From a photography perspective, they are generally not a good choice.
④ Recommended attractions around Turpan: Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, Grape Valley, Kumtag Desert, and Tuyu Valley.
Many people have tasted the Korla fragrant pear. In Korla, fragrant pear trees have been cultivated for over 1,300 years. This high-quality, distinctive variety is native to Xinjiang. Known as the "Pear City," Korla is ablaze with vibrant blossoms and verdant willows every April, presenting a captivating and enchanting scene. Millions of acres of pear blossoms, along with winter jasmine, peach blossoms, and apricot blossoms, create a breathtaking spectacle of pale white pear blossoms, deep green willows, and a city filled with blossoms as catkins fly. Enjoy the beautiful scenery! The pure white petals and delicate fragrance of the pear blossoms fill the air, making it the perfect time for an outing.
(Picture from the Internet)
Tips:
① Transportation: There is currently no high-speed train from Urumqi to Korla. You can only take a regular train, which takes 3.5-6 hours (the journey time varies for different trains).
② Recommended places for viewing pear blossoms: Xiangli Avenue, Shiziqiaotou Pear Fragrance Garden, Lixiang Lake Park, and Yong'an Tower in Hongyan River Scenic Area.
③Recommendation reason: There are now 19 cities with flights to Korla (including Urumqi). The opening of the intercity train "Southern Xinjiang Star" between Urumqi and Korla has greatly shortened the travel time between the two cities (the shortest journey time is 3.5 hours).
④ Recommended attractions around Korla: Bayinbuluke Grassland, Bosten Lake, and Peacock River.
The Tasha Ancient Road, a millennia-old, little-known passage, winds its way across the remote Pamir Plateau. From Tashkurgan County, along the Tashkurgan River valley to Yarkand, for approximately 200 kilometers, the route is lined with small canyons lined with apricot trees. Every spring, these Tajik villages truly become "apricot blossom villages."
The Tajiks, the only Caucasian people in China, live on the Pamir Plateau, the roof of the world. The canyons here are deep and isolated from the outside world, and the people are particularly simple. The houses in the village are neat and tidy, and the chickens and dogs can be heard. Apricot blossoms are blooming in front of and behind the houses, like a feast of colors. The cold snow-capped mountains and desolate canyons surround the apricot forests, creating a strong visual contrast and a breathtaking beauty.
Tips:
① Transportation: It is far from Urumqi, so you need to fly to Kashgar first and then charter a car (a guaranteed one-day charter with an experienced driver costs 1400-1800).
②Recommended places for viewing apricot blossoms: Datong Township, Kukexiluk Township, Tashkurgan County, etc.
Recommended Reason: While the apricot trees here aren't wild like those in Turgen (most are cultivated), they are tall and often grow in front of and behind houses, making it a veritable apricot blossom village. The distant, icy snow-capped mountains, desolate canyons, and crystal-clear rivers, along with the sudden appearance of a Tajik girl, create a truly idyllic scene.
④ Recommended attractions around the Pamirs: Kashgar Old Town, Karakoram Highway, Baisha Lake, etc.
The main apricot blossoms in the Ili region are in Turgen, with Daxigou and Kurdening also boasting significant blooms. Turgen Apricot Blossom Valley (also known as Nalati Apricot Blossom Valley) is China's largest concentration of wild apricot trees. Located on the north bank of the Gongnaisi River, it covers over 30,000 mu (approximately 1,000 acres) and is one of the most densely populated areas of wild apricot trees in Xinjiang.
At sunrise and sunset, the sun shines on the grassland slopes. The combination of light and shadow gives a feeling of human grassland.
"Records of Tianshan Scenery" contains a description: "In spring, flowers bloom throughout the valley, and in autumn, fruits pile up on the mountainside. When the flowers bloom and the fruits ripen, it is a paradise for birds and beasts." This scene is the Daxigou Valley, where a variety of wild fruit trees grow for 500 miles, predominantly wild apples, wild sour plums, apricots, and hawthorns. In particular, the wild sour plum tree, unique to Asia and the only one found in Daxigou, is an endangered species.
On the way to Daxigou, you'll pass by Daxigou Township, a colorful little village. Although lavender isn't in bloom yet, the scenery is vibrant. The apricot blossoms along the way add even more color, so why not stop and linger? You'll experience the poetic beauty of "a red apricot blossom bursting out from the wall."
The apricot blossoms in Gongliu and Kurdenin, at higher altitudes, are likely to bloom the latest. Kurdenin is actually more suitable for driving into the valley, delving into the hidden gems. If you're traveling by bus, you can only stop at the village entrance. Why not visit a Kazakh family and chat with them?
Tips:
① Transportation: It is recommended to fly to Yining from Urumqi first and then charter a car to Xinyuan County. Turgen Xinghuagou is only a 30-minute drive from Xinyuan County.
There are three ways to get to Xinghuagou:
1. Join a local tour group that meets in Urumqi or Yining;
2. Take a long-distance bus;
3. Charter a car or drive yourself.
If you want to eat well, stay well and visit the most important attractions, it is recommended that you join a local tour group; if you want more flexibility, you can charter a car or take a local long-distance bus.
②Ticket information: Turgen Xinghuagou 30 yuan ticket + 10 yuan scenic shuttle bus; Daxigou 30 yuan ticket + 20 yuan scenic shuttle bus (other attractions do not require tickets for the time being)
③Recommended places for viewing apricot blossoms: Turgen, Kurdenin, Fushou Mountain in Daxigou, etc.
④ Viewing time: The flowering period of apricot blossoms is relatively short, generally about 7 to 10 days, but the flowering time is different in different regions. Turgen Apricot Blossom Valley should be the earliest to bloom (mid-to-late March to early April), Daxigou (early April to mid-to-late April), and Kurdenin (mid-to-late April). The flowering period each year will also vary depending on weather conditions, rainfall conditions, etc.
Nalati Grassland can be said to be a representative of Xinjiang's river valley grasslands. It is one of the four famous grasslands in the world and was once selected by China National Geographic as one of the six most beautiful grasslands in the country.
In late April every year, the wild apricot and apple blossoms on the hillsides of Nalati Grassland gradually bloom, the ice and snow on the grassland melts, the grassland revives, and the wild lilies poke out their white heads, full of vitality.
Tips:
① Transportation:
If there are many people, you can choose to take the train to Nileke Railway Station first, and then charter a car to get there after getting off the train. If you are coming from Yining, it is recommended to take the special bus from Yining to Xinyuan, and then transfer to Nileke after arriving in Xinyuan. It is comfortable and fast. There are also shuttle buses from Yining to Nalati, but the whole journey takes 6 hours and the comfort is greatly reduced. It is recommended to charter a car or join a small car group in Yining, which is convenient and flexible and easy to arrange time.
②Tickets:
Ticket prices vary on different dates and are divided into three tiers:
1. Ticket price is 75 yuan (April 1st to May 31st, October 1st to November 30th, Monday to Sunday);
2. Ticket price is 95 yuan (Monday to Sunday, June 1st - September 30th);
3. The ticket price is 47 yuan (Monday to Sunday, December 1st - March 31st of the following year).
Minors aged 6 to 18 (inclusive), full-time university undergraduates and below, and senior citizens aged 65 to 69 can enjoy half-price tickets; children under 6 (inclusive) or under 1.2 meters tall, senior citizens aged 70 and above, active military personnel, and persons with disabilities of levels 1-3 can enjoy free tickets with valid identification.
ps: Scenic spot tickets:
Round trip for the Sky Grassland Route and the River Valley Grassland Route is 40 yuan; the Snow Lotus Valley Route is 60 yuan; some tickets are discounted and the shuttle bus price remains unchanged.
③ Recommended flower viewing locations:
Sky Grassland, River Valley Grassland, Eagle Terrace, Snow Lotus Valley (Nalati’s flowers are not a large area of sea of flowers, and the varieties in each place are different)
Shihezi, named for a dry, gravelly riverbed, is a new city reclaimed from the Gobi Desert by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Certified as a park city and an ecological city by the Central Greening Committee, it boasts a green coverage rate of 42%, leading among cities nationwide.
Every April, spring arrives in Shihezi, and the Pantao Garden here becomes a sea of peach blossoms! In mid-to-late April, the Peach Blossom Festival, titled "The Most Beautiful Peach Blossom Season in Shicheng, A Romantic April," is held here, attracting visitors from all over the world.
(Picture from the Internet)
Tips:
① Transportation: 150 kilometers from Urumqi, first take the train, which takes about 1.5 hours.
② Peach Blossom Festival: The date of the Peach Blossom Festival is not fixed each year, and it depends on the weather conditions and government arrangements of that year.
③Recommended places for viewing peach blossoms: Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Military Reclamation Museum, Wanmu Peach Garden, etc.
④ Recommended attractions around Shihezi: Recreation Square, the First Plow of the Military Reclamation, the Statue of Wang Zhen, the Military Reclamation Museum, the Ai Qing Poetry Museum, the Zhou Enlai Monument, etc.
⑤Shihezi delicacies: Liangpi.
Sayram Lake, known as the "Last Tear of the Atlantic Ocean," begins to sprout as the ice and snow melt. Every year from mid-to-late May, wildflowers abound: yellow nasturtiums, yellow buttercups, and purple snow mountain primroses bloom extensively.
Due to the rain, the flowers in Sailimu Lake have not been in good condition in recent years. It is difficult to see the sea of flowers that used to cover the mountains and fields. The area of the sea of flowers is relatively small, and you need to be patient to look for it.
Afterwards, as the temperature rises, with the nourishment of the snow water from the Tianshan Mountains, wild tulips, nasturtiums, giant nasturtiums, forget-me-nots, irises and other flowers with the regional characteristics of Sailimu Lake bloom one after another around the azure Sailimu Lake. The flowering period is long and the varieties are diverse. The mountain flowers blooming like a tide and the snow-capped mountains and blue lake are set against the backdrop of a shocking sea of flowers. Sailimu Lake has become a "lake in a sea of flowers".
I once imagined that when the flowers of Sai Lake grow from a little powder to a hundred flowers in full bloom, I would wait quietly for the night to fall with my lover by the Sai Lake, looking at the snow-capped mountains and lakes in the distance, looking up at the starry sky and the Milky Way, and fall asleep peacefully with the starry sky in my arms.
(Picture from the Internet)
Tips:
Getting there: Sayram Lake is located in Bole, 160 kilometers from Yining, the capital of Ili Prefecture, and a two-hour drive. If you choose to fly to Yining, we recommend chartering a car or taking a day trip.
The recommended playing time is about 4 hours, and it is best to be able to circle the lake; you can also choose to take a tourist bus to Sayram Lake, but relatively speaking, the degree of freedom of play will be discounted, so it is better to charter a car to play more enjoyable.
PS: There are shuttle buses in the scenic area. Private cars are not allowed to enter. You can charter a car to the entrance of Sailimu Lake Scenic Area.
②Tickets: Adult tickets are RMB 70 (Monday to Sunday, January 1st - December 31st); students and seniors aged 65-69 can enjoy half-price tickets with valid ID; children under 1.2 meters and seniors over 70 years old can enjoy free tickets with valid ID.
③Recommended flower viewing locations: Lakeside plank road in the north, Genghis Khan’s generals’ platform in the west, Xihai Grassland, Swan Home, Keleyongzhu, and Songshutou.
④Recommended attractions around Sayram Lake: Huocheng Lavender, Horgos Port.
⑤Nearby delicacies: Lucaogou meatball soup.
In May, Kalajun blooms, welcoming visitors from afar. Buttercups, wild rapeseed, primroses, dandelions, and many other lesser-known flowers burst into bloom. Suddenly, you'll see a carpet of flowers stretching for miles, leaving you feeling as if you're sleeping in the Tianshan Mountains, strolling among the clouds, and wandering in a sea of flowers.
"Karajun" is Kazakh. "Kara" means dark, rich and vast, and "jun" describes the dense appearance. Literally speaking, "Karajun Prairie" can be translated as vast grassland.
The Kalajun Grassland belongs to the Tianshan Grasslands, more precisely, the transition zone from the western Tianshan Mountains to the Ili River Valley. It's said that "there are no more grasslands after the Tianshan Mountains," but the abundant rainfall here makes it ideal for plant and animal life. The vast green carpet is dotted with white yurts and a vibrant array of wildflowers. In the distance, snow-capped mountains and blue skies create a breathtaking scene.
Tips:
Transportation: Located approximately 50 kilometers from Tekes County, take the scenic area bus from Tekes County East Bus Station (generally only available during peak season). This bus goes directly to the Bulaq Ticket Station and costs approximately 35 yuan. During the off-season, hire a car from Tekes County; remember to bargain.
② Tickets: Kalajun Scenic Area Ticket 175 yuan, Kalajun + Koksu Panoramic Tour Ticket 335 yuan; Shuttle Bus Operating Hours: 8:00-20:00
③Recommended places for flower viewing: The sea of flowers is basically in Dongkalajun, including Flower Terrace, Falcon Terrace, and Level 3 Yi Terrace.
④ Recommended attractions around Kalajun: Tekes Bagua City, Zhaosu, Koksu Grand Canyon, Human Body Grassland, Qiongkushitai.
Kanas means "beautiful, rich, and mysterious" in Mongolian, and its name captures both its beauty and its mystique. Many consider Kanas the "Switzerland of the East" and a photographer's paradise, and the Tuwa people here add a touch of mystery to this magical land.
Kanas in June is a season of blooming mountain flowers. At this time, red peony and willow herb are everywhere, nasturtium, tulip and water buttercup are golden, and large areas of delphinium, iris and wild carrot umbrella-shaped flowers echo the blue sky, forming a poetic picture.
Tips:
① Transportation:
Kanas is well-known, and there are many ways to get there:
1. Plane: Kanas Airport is a seasonal tourist airport. During the peak season (June-September), it only takes one hour to fly from Urumqi. Kanas Scenic Area is a one-hour drive from the airport (chartered car). This is the most convenient way, but also the most expensive.
2. Train: The train from Urumqi to Beitun is K-series and takes about 9 hours. After getting off the train, there is a tourist bus to Kanas Scenic Area at the train station entrance, priced at 100 yuan per person.
3. Car: Take a sleeper bus from Urumqi Nianzigou Station to Burqin, the journey takes about 9 hours. There are shuttle buses to Kanas Scenic Area from Burqin Bus Station, or you can buy Hemu directly.
②Ticket price: 230 yuan
③Recommended places for flower viewing: Kanas Lake, Hemu, Baihaba, Meili Peak, etc.
Every year in early to mid-May, a group of women in red sway in the wind across the grasslands of the Tianshan Mountains. The mountains are covered in fiery red flowers, a wildflower resembling the poppy, scientifically known as R. rhoeas, belonging to the Papaveraceae family.
It is mainly distributed in Sangong Township, Huocheng County, Ili and Musi Township, Nileke. We usually call it Tianshan safflower.
Tips:
①Best flowering period:
The flowering period is relatively short, from early May to the end of May and early June.
②Shooting suggestions:
Tianshan safflower is mainly distributed in grasslands. It does not grow tall, so the best angle to shoot it is from a low angle, and wide-angle and medium-focus lenses are more commonly used.
③ Transportation: There is currently no regular bus service. You can only charter a car from Yining or join a local tour group.
When it comes to lavender, the first thing that comes to mind is Provence in France. However, Huocheng in Ili, Xinjiang, China, which is more than 6,000 kilometers away from Provence and at the same latitude, is known as "China's Provence" and is "one of the three largest lavender planting bases in the world" (Provence in France, Huocheng in Ili, Xinjiang, China, and Furano in Hokkaido, Japan).
Every year when lavender blooms, vast fields of blue-purple blossoms sway in the wind like waves, their fragrance filling the air with refreshing fragrance. Walking through the lavender fields, the delicate fragrance reaches your nose, a particularly soothing and gentle sensation.
Tips:
①Best flowering period:
Generally speaking, June and July are the best viewing periods, but starting from the end of June, the lavender in the farmland will be harvested one after another, but the lavender in the lavender farm will continue to be preserved until the end of July.
②Shooting suggestions:
Lavender is relatively short and clustered together, so it's recommended to walk into the fields and capture small portraits. Choose a vertical angle with the fields planted vertically, and use a medium or long focal length. Peak flowering is also the peak tourist season, so while aerial photography isn't prohibited, too many people might obscure the image.
③ Transportation: There is currently no regular bus service. You can only charter a car from Yining or join a local tour group.
If you missed the rapeseed blossoms of Wuyuan in March, Zhaosu County, nestled in the Tekes River Valley, will recreate your dream of a sea of rapeseed blossoms. This fertile grassland offers farmers the perfect conditions for cultivating cash crops such as perilla, rapeseed, and sunflowers on a large scale.
Vast fields of brilliant yellow rapeseed, perilla, and sunflowers burst into bloom, resembling a vast oil painting. From above, it resembles a palette of earth, its colors clashing yet harmoniously blending in different areas.
Tips:
Best flowering period:
From mid-June to late July, rapeseed flowers and perilla are more abundant, while from mid-July to mid-August, sunflowers are more abundant.
Shooting suggestions:
Zhaosu's rapeseed and perilla are both commercial crops, cultivated over a large area. A 24-70mm mid-focus lens is often used to capture large scenes. Aerial photography with a drone offers a more spectacular view from a bird's-eye perspective. (Due to the vast plains and strong winds, please be careful when flying to avoid crashes.)
