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When the spring breezes of March and April blow across the Tianshan Mountains from north to south, the whole of Xinjiang is waiting for a pink and white "avalanche" - not snow, but the apricot blossom "flood season" which is more romantic than a blizzard.
But 99% of us find ourselves in a sweet dilemma: on the left is the popular "Ili Apricot Blossom Valley" that's all over our social media feeds, and on the right is the legendary "Pamir apricot blossoms growing on the peaks of snow-capped mountains." To whom should we dedicate our first springtime heartbeat? This analysis will guide you into the ultimate showdown in this pink storm!
Apricot Blossom Letters: From the Pamir Plateau to the Ili River Valley, Spring Writes Two Love Letters in Xinjiang
When spring light climbs up the ridge of Tianshan Mountains, I always suspect that the Creator has secretly hidden another calendar in Xinjiang - when the peach blossoms in the south of the Yangtze River have faded and turned into spring mud, the wind here slowly unties the first button of the snow-capped mountains.
The apricot blossoms are the rouge it shakes off, half of which floats to the Ili River Valley, weaving 30,000 acres of pink and white mist, and the other half falls on the cliffs of the Pamirs, dyeing the cold snow peaks into a gentle place.
Nestled in a river valley at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and blessed by the Atlantic Ocean's moisture, Yili is known as the "South of the Yangtze River Beyond the Great Wall." Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and rolling grasslands, where apricot blossoms coexist with wild grasses, it epitomizes the gentle beauty of spring in Xinjiang.
Southern Xinjiang, a vast land south of the Tianshan Mountains, is centered on the Tarim Basin and centered on the Pamir Plateau. Here, apricot blossoms take root at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, interwoven with Tajik earthen houses and streams fed by meltwater from the snowy mountains, imbuing the region with the ancient poetry of the Western Regions.
Two apricot blossom love letters face each other across the Tianshan Mountains. It takes a month for spring to travel from south to north. It takes us more than 30 hours to drive from the Pamirs to Yili. If we want to travel all the way in one go, I am afraid even the spring breeze will get lost.
So, should you go to Yili or Pamir to see the apricot blossoms? I believe after reading this article, you will make your own choice.
Let’s first take a look at this year’s flowering period report.
As early as 10 years ago, we started designing the apricot blossom route, knowing that what everyone cares about most every year is the flowering period. This year, our senior Xinjiang product managers also provided professional flowering period analysis and predictions for everyone based on many years of experience.
If Xinjiang's spring were a symphony, Ili's Xinghuagou Valley would undoubtedly be its dizzying violin flourish. A two-hour drive southeast from Yining Airport, Turgen Township, nestled in the folds of the Tianshan Mountains, is staging a millennium-long pink riot.
When the car passed Xinyuan County, a shepherd suddenly waved his whip and pointed the way: "Go further and your eyes will be drunk." Sure enough, the moment we turned around a nameless valley, the hillside looked like an overturned enamel box - it was not the reservedness of one or two trees, but tens of thousands of acres of wild apricot blossoms burning in the wilderness.
A Kazakh boy on horseback will teach you to identify the various varieties of apricot blossoms: those on the south-facing slopes glow red, while those in the shade are almost icy white. The trails trampled through the grass by migrating sheep unexpectedly match the contour lines of the mountain.
If you can come at sunrise, be sure to climb the hill - when the morning sun dyes the apricot forest golden pink, you will understand why Zhang Qian called the apricot seeds here "divine honey pot" when he opened up the Western Regions.
If you want to see the beauty of Xinghua Village, you must first head from Kashgar along the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway to Tashkurgan County, and then follow the Tasha Ancient Road that Xuanzang walked into the heart of Kunlun Mountains.
The apricot blossoms of southern Xinjiang possess a nearly tragically gorgeous beauty! They struggle from the barren plateau, their gnarled branches brimming with blood, and beneath the gaze of Muztagh Ata, they scatter their petals toward the surging Yarkand River. When a stubborn pink-white tree emerges from a landslide rubble, you understand: the apricot blossoms of the Pamirs aren't just a spectacle, but a declaration of survival.
The apricot blossoms of southern Xinjiang are a living history. In a Tajik village deep in the Pamir Plateau, century-old apricot trees nestle beside earthen-walled courtyards. Their pink and white petals drift in the wind, blending seamlessly with the embroidered skirts of Tajik women and the laughter of children. The apricot blossoms here, uncompetitive, quietly tell the story of the 2,000-year history of the Silk Road within the folds of Kunlun Mountain.
Xiaoxia's vision is not limited to taking tourists to appreciate the beauty of apricot blossoms in the mist, but he would also like to take everyone to travel around Xinjiang during the spring flowers, from the melting ice crystals of Sayram Lake to the endless sand waves of Taklamakan.
The world only knows about the "last tear of the Atlantic" in midsummer, but ignores its charm in early spring.
Sayram Lake in April is a whisper of ice and blue light. The azure waters awaken from their slumber, and the wind pushes shattered ice crystals ashore, creating a spectacular "ice push."
The wind here is synonymous with freedom.
At this time in Nalati, "wild lilies" broke through the remaining snow, and the mountains with unmelted snow hung like silver crowns.
In a trance, the grass turned green, the snow melted, and the flowers bloomed.
At the foot of the Flaming Mountain, the vines in the Grape Valley have not yet awakened.
The undercurrent of "Karez" has begun to surge at the foot of Tianshan Mountain.
Two thousand years ago, craftsmen held oil lamps and dug deep into the darkness, allowing meltwater from the snow-capped mountains to crawl forward in the depths of the Gobi Desert.
The oasis breathes at the mouth of the shaft, spitting out strings of sweetness from the drying room.
This "maze city" with 2,000 years of history hides China's latest sunset and the most intense fireworks.
In the alley, there are craftsmen hammering copperware, smoke rising from the naan oven, and the sound of blacksmithing and the aroma of coffee colliding between the ochre walls.
Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine
The dusk is generous, always crushing the sunset at half past ten and sprinkling it on the alley where the "Kite Runner" ran past.
Only when the wind from the Pamir Plateau blows away the last wisp of cloud will the "Father of Icebergs" reveal his silver crown.
Standing beside the Karakul Lake, we are all pilgrims at this moment, measuring the world with our breath.
Muztagh Ata remains silent, turning the melting snow into the rhythm of the Yarkand River, flowing towards the spring of Xinghuagou.
"Today I have completed all the detours in my life"
30 km, 630+ bends, 4,200 meters above sea level
The barren rock cliffs folded into flowing scriptures outside the car window
Like a giant python encircling the Kunlun Ridge
The ancient road once again carries the hope of the Tajik people
"From now on, the road to Kunlun is smooth."
As you all know, summer and autumn are peak seasons in Xinjiang, with prices for airfare, accommodation, and transportation all skyrocketing with the influx of tourists. However, visiting in spring offers a completely different landscape and incredibly attractive airfare deals!
Urumqi: Taking Hangzhou/Shanghai as an example, instead of paying 3,000+ yuan for a one-way ticket during the peak season, tickets at the end of March start at only 800 yuan!
Kashgar: Taking Shanghai as an example, the price for a direct flight with a stopover is only 1,500 yuan without transfer; if you can accept a transfer, the price will directly reach 800+!
Yili's Xinghuagou Valley boasts 10,000 mu of pristine wild apricot trees, remnants of the Middle Ages. The rolling valley is instantly transformed into a flowing sea of powder snow, which, alongside verdant meadows and towering snow-capped peaks, creates a layered, three-dimensional canvas.
3.4.4 Daxigou Xinghuagou
The ten thousand mu of pristine wild apricot forest, with its natural composition and ever-changing light and shadow, provides unparalleled conditions for photographic creation. Every frame is a masterpiece of nature, and every moment is filled with infinite artistic possibilities.
The roads in the Kunlun Mountains are very rugged and the conditions in the entire region are very limited. In the past few years, it was very difficult to see the Tajik and Pamir apricot blossoms.
Today, most sections of roads in southern Xinjiang have been opened to traffic, but some sections, such as the Tasha Ancient Road, still retain the characteristics of a "washboard road". The Kudidaban section is even known as the "road that can never be completed."
In our [Western Regions and Southern Xinjiang] route, we specially arranged to change to a 7-seater commercial vehicle in Kashgar, so that we can enter the heart of Kunlun Mountains more flexibly.
In the [Wild Southern Xinjiang] route, we arranged a hard-core off-road vehicle to cross the entire Tasha Ancient Road and follow the Yarkand Khan River all the way from Tashkurgan County to Shache. The journey is even more exciting!
Xinghuagou in Yili presents a perfect interweaving of "majestic atmosphere and leisurely contentment".
In Yili, time is softened by apricot blossoms. You can laze on the sunny hillside, letting the petals fall all over your clothes, watching the bees transform sunlight into honey.
The charm of the Pamir apricot blossoms lies in the deep integration of "humanistic atmosphere and natural flowers".
In the Pamirs' ancestral villages, people and scenery blend seamlessly. A young woman wearing an apricot blossom wreath dances the eagle dance, a Tajik boy herds sheep, and friends sit beneath the blossoms... Humanity is always the most beautiful backdrop to the Pamirs' apricot blossoms.
Maybe there is no need to choose north or south.
The Western Regions during the apricot blossom season hides two kinds of spring: one that makes you intoxicated, the other that forces you to be sober. When you receive this apricot blossom letter from the Western Regions, please don’t ask which date to go on.
Just throw your bags in the back seat and let the spring breeze take you where you need to go.
