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Many people are unfamiliar with the name Bortala, but in fact, almost everyone who comes to Xinjiang has been here, because here is the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean - Sayram Lake. Most people's understanding of this place is limited to this.
In fact, Bortala is not just about Sayram Lake, there are many unique, natural and niche secret places!
Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, abbreviated as "Bozhou," means "silver grassland" in Mongolian. As shown on the map below, it is located on the northwestern edge of Xinjiang, at the western end of the Junggar Basin, and features a "two lakes and three mountains" landscape.
It is no exaggeration to call Bozhou a treasure trove of "a strange land from the west, a sacred land beyond the world." It is rich in wildlife resources, with hundreds of species of wild animals, including the world's endangered species, the Xinjiang giant salamander.
Four national and autonomous region-level nature reserves and one national key scenic spot have been established. There are 35 ethnic groups in the region, including Mongolians, Han, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Hui, with a rich blend of ethnic cultures.
Sailimu Lake is very famous. It is the highest, largest and most beautiful alpine lake in Xinjiang. It is also the last place favored by the warm and humid air currents of the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, it is called "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean".
Image from: Lao Bu-Fantasy Country Beauty
Strange Stone Valley is the world's largest scenic spot featuring granite porphyry rocks, located at the foot of the Shala Tau Mountains, a branch of the Alatoo Mountains. Locals call the area "Kuoytash," meaning "sheep-like rocks everywhere," because the smooth boulders, when viewed from a distance, resemble a flock of sheep huddled on the hillside.
Image from: Xiao Feixue
The rocks here are exposed and rugged, where you can let your thoughts run wild. Some look like ancient castles, stone pavilions, and Buddhist caves, while others resemble elephants eating, heavenly dogs gazing at the moon, camels striding, stone monkeys mother and child, and peacocks spreading their tails.
The strange rocks come in various shapes and forms. Let your imagination run wild and appreciate the amazing rocks created by nature.
Tips:
Ticket price: 48 yuan
Transportation: It is recommended to drive or charter a car. There is no shuttle bus in the scenic area. Dining: There is no restaurant in the scenic area, so remember to bring dry food.
Recommended play time: 2-3 hours
Alashankou Port is the largest land port in northwest my country. It is also a port integrating oil pipelines, railways and highways. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline enters and exits here, and Kazakhstan is opposite.
Image from: Li Hongyu
Image from: Winnie the Pooh
Many people come here to see the National Gate, which is also a paid scenic spot with a 30 yuan ticket. You can check in at the National Gate and take a photo with it. If you have time, you can also visit the duty-free shop and buy some Kazakh snacks.
Image from: Winnie the Pooh
Bayingamen Scenic Area is located in Bayingamen Village, Mangding Township, Jinghe County, Bortala Prefecture, only 35 kilometers from Jinghe County, and can be reached in half an hour by car. It is a purely Mongolian pastoral village with nearly 100 herders.
This charming paradise boasts a pleasant summer temperature. Bayingamen is surrounded by greenery, with cattle and sheep grazing everywhere and yurts dotting the horizon. It's a perfect summer retreat. After dinner, if you're lucky, you might even catch performances like horse racing, wrestling, horse roping, and horse training.
Bayingamen also boasts a hidden gem: Xiaohaizi. Nestled beside the Bayingamen Scenic Area, it's surrounded by grasslands, mountains, and forests. Its tranquil surface, framed by the blue sky and sunlight, is remarkably tranquil, shimmering in a faint blue, like an emerald. Nearby lies Dahaizi.
It is a good travel choice to have a picnic here, feel the beauty of nature, stay a night in a pastoral homestay, taste the local pure mare's milk, get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and be a simple herdsman for a while.
Image from: Zhou Baoyue
Tips:
Tickets: Currently, the Bayingamen Scenic Area is free and there is no paid service area.
Transportation: It is recommended to drive or charter a car, there is no public transportation
Accommodation and Meals: Currently, most of the herders' homestays within the Bayingamen Scenic Area are concentrated in the Donggou Scenic Area. They offer local specialties and a variety of homemade dairy products made by Mongolian herders, such as mare's milk, camel's milk, and yogurt lumps. Accommodation in yurts is also available.
Tour Route: The scenic area includes several hiking areas, including Dulahong and Kundulun. The West Valley offers natural scenery, while the East Valley has more complete facilities. Dulahong has a wooden pavilion viewing platform, offering panoramic views of the grassland.
Hongshanzui Danxia, located in Toto, Jinghe County, Bortala Prefecture, can be described as "as red as cinnabar and as brilliant as bright clouds." The mysterious red hills are evenly colored, sometimes dark and sometimes light, and are unique and spectacular with distinct layers.
Image from: Yuanshan Youying
This is also a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Climbing to the top of the mountain, you can see a wider area of colorful hills, stretching endlessly like a rainbow.
Image from: Yuanshan Youying
Although the scenery here is magnificent, it has always been "hidden in the deep and unknown" and has not yet been developed into a scenic spot. It retains its pure natural beauty. At the same time, the road conditions are not very good, so it is best to use an off-road vehicle to get there.
Image from: Yuanshan Youying
Ganjia Lake Haloxylon ammodendron Forest Nature Reserve is the second largest wild secondary forest and Haloxylon persica forest reserve in the world and the largest in China. Centenary original tree species such as Haloxylon persica, Populus euphratica, and Tamarix tamarisk protect against wind, sand, and salinity, thus storing valuable wild resources. Hundreds of rare birds and nationally precious wild animals live here.
Image from: Shen Jiuquan
The "Swan Lake Wetland" in the reserve covers an area of 20,000 acres. It is rich in aquatic plants and the reeds sway left and right in the breeze, like a ribbon floating on the water. It is a habitat for various wild birds and a migration site for Eurasian migratory birds. Every spring and autumn, thousands of various water birds, mainly swans and wild ducks, gather here, making it a bird paradise.
Image from: Shen Jiuquan
In the "Four Trees River" scenic area within the reserve, the river meanders and dense poplar forests grow on both sides of the riverbed. Looking into the distance, an oasis is added to the yellow desert landscape, showing the wonder of the Gobi oasis, which looks like a green Great Wall from a distance.
Image from: Shen Jiuquan
Across the reserve lies the Muttar Desert, a magical landscape that is half oasis and half desert.
It is the largest shifting desert in the Junggar Basin, surrounded by the Ganjiahu Haloxylon ammodendron Forest Nature Reserve and the Aibi Lake Wetland Reserve. Slightly darker than other deserts, it's also known as the "Black Desert" by locals. Poplar trees still stand tall in the desert, a testament to their tenacity.
The tall sand dunes have steep slopes and undulations. It is more exciting to drive down a steep slope of 60 to 70 degrees in an off-road vehicle, with two or three sand dunes in a row, than to ride a roller coaster in an amusement park.
The desert also has a dedicated racing area. Every September, the Desert Cultural Tourism Festival is held, featuring off-road challenges. Thrill-seeking individuals shouldn't miss this opportunity.
Lake Aibi is the largest saltwater lake in Xinjiang. It is also the lowest depression and salt-water collection center in the western Junggar Basin. Its name means "Sunny Lake" in Mongolian.
The lakeside is the Haloxylon ammodendron Nature Reserve and the Aibi Lake Wetland Nature Reserve, where many wild plants grow. It is also the habitat of many wild animals such as red deer, gazelles, hares and wild ducks.
Due to population growth and large-scale water and soil development, the water inflow of Lake Aibi has been greatly reduced. Therefore, in order to protect the ecological environment, Lake Aibi has been closed for management and the core area is not open to tourists. Therefore, the beautiful scenery can only be seen in the distance. People can only go to the outskirts of the lake to see large areas of saline-alkali land.
Known locally as the "Little Hot Spring," it is the largest tributary of the Bortala River. Surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation, the valley offers a uniquely tranquil retreat, with the sound of the river, birdsong, and cicadas in the summer. The verdant spruce trees and tender green grass create a uniquely Swiss atmosphere.
In autumn, the entire valley is covered in golden yellow, with layers of trees dyed in a dazzling array of colors; in winter, there is a charming rime landscape. Here, no one disturbs you, the environment is peaceful and the river flows quietly.
Spring and Summer
Image source: Zhang Guobin
autumn
winter
Near the river valley, there's a Kruger Wild Luxury Camp. Aside from the price, there's no other drawback. Here, you can watch the sunrise and starry sky, immersing yourself in the beauty of nature. Helicopter rides are available for up to 20,000 yuan per trip (for four people). Here, animals are free, and so are people. Living in the wilderness, we can truly be ourselves. If you're interested, consider a night.
Pattaya Holy Land Hot Springs is the newest and best hot spring resort in Wenquan County. It uses natural hot spring water from Wenquan County, which reaches a temperature of 62°C and is rich in trace elements such as sulfur, phosphorus, and iodine, which has unique therapeutic effects.
It has everything you need, including a wave pool, a water parent-child park, an adult slide, a hot spring pool, a rest area, a buffet restaurant, and leisure and entertainment venues.
There are not only salt baths using hot spring water, but also 10 functional pools such as the Orange Pool, Mango Pool, and Honey Pool, as well as a physiotherapy pool and a fish therapy pool. Each pool has different effects and temperatures.
Tips:
1. Ticket price: Adults: 168 yuan/person, children (1m-1.4m): 88 yuan/person, children under 1m are free of charge.
2. Tour steps: Shower → Play in the swimming area, play on the slide, etc. → Soak in the hot spring pool (choose a pool with the right water temperature and efficacy, and add a massage). Each soak should last 10-15 minutes, and repeated soaks are recommended.
3. Swimsuits can be purchased in Pattaya, and bath towels and slippers are provided. You can also bring your own swimsuits, slippers, towels, etc.
On the winter grasslands of western Wenquan County, Bronze Age cultural relics are found: vivid ancient rock paintings, ancient tombs, and moraines of granite formed by ancient glaciers, scattered across the grasslands like a herd of cattle. The rocks are engraved with various animal images and many unknown symbols.
Image from: Xue Qingtao
Image from: Xue Qingtao
The "Mother Stone", worshipped by the locals as the "Gate of Life", stands in the center of the rock group. It is hung with colorful prayer flags that rustle in the wind.
Many offerings are placed in the cracks of the stone, and there are three prayer wheels around it. The Spring Festival and the Medal Festival are the busiest times around the "Mother Stone", when herders from far and near bring their families and sheep to worship.
Image from: Xue Qingtao
Image from: Xue Qingtao
Every year from mid-June to early August, thousands of acres of sage blossoms in Anglige Town, Wenquan County, creating a sea of purple flowers that exude a refreshing fragrance. The "Sage Cultural Tourism Festival" is also held every July.
Bogdal Forest Park is located in Bogdal Town, Wenquan County. It is backed by grasslands to the west and faces the Bortala River to the east, maintaining the natural landscape of the secondary forest in the river valley.
The Xinjiang giant salamander, also known as the giant salamander or water snake, is the only surviving amphibian with a tail in Xinjiang. It is a critically endangered species under national protection and is found in Wenquan County, Xinjiang. The Giant Salamander Museum, located in Bogdar Forest Park, is a place for both scientific research and tourist viewing. If you're in Wenquan County, you should definitely visit and learn more about the giant salamander.
As its name suggests, the Jingyi Pasture Road runs from Jinghe to Yining. It was primarily used by herders for grazing, hence the name. It was the route Princess Jieyou took for her marriage to a foreign country, and also served as the Suiye Road on the northern route of the Silk Road.
The pastoral road has beautiful scenery. It passes through mountains, forests, and fields in the original and natural scenery. On the way, you pass by streams and encounter cattle and sheep. Looking up, you will see the blue sky and white clouds, as if they are within reach. Driving here is as wonderful as being in a fairyland.
A route through the Bayingamen Grassland, heading north from the Bayingamen Scenic Area, Xiaohaizi, and Dahaizi, preserves the most pristine scenery, though the road is bumpy (currently accessible only by off-road vehicles). Along the way, you'll pass canyons, pine forests, grasslands, and often see adorable marmots.
The Tohulasu Grassland, known as the "Back Garden" of Yining, is located on the Jingyi Pasture Road. It is also the spot where snow leopards are found, and boasts a variety of landforms, including snow-capped mountains, canyons, grasslands, fir forests, and rivers.
The tranquil and cool Wuxifugou Grand Canyon, where a river weaves through lush vegetation, is flanked by tens of thousands of acres of ancient fir forests. In spring and summer, the area blooms with vibrant flowers, while in autumn, the area is blanketed in golden snow, creating a refreshing and relaxing atmosphere reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Also located is Kaisi Lake, which means "holy," and is revered by locals as a sacred lake that can heal illnesses.
Image from: Amy Dan
Bortala is not only about Sayram Lake, but also has many secret places.
The beauty of Xinjiang is worth exploring
