Xinjiang｜I Finally Made It

The moment I looked out the airplane window, I knew this trip was worth it—snow-capped mountains stretched like layers of cream cake, deserts shimmered gold under the sun, and grasslands gleamed in shades of green as if hand-painted by God. Xinjiang, the place I’d dreamed of for three years—I’m finally standing on your soil!

First Stop: Urumqi Grand Bazaar 🕌
Stepping into the Grand Bazaar, I was instantly enveloped in a whirl of spices! A Uyghur uncle grinned as he handed me a steaming hot samsa—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside (beware the scalding meat juice!). At the dried fruit stalls, raisins bigger than my thumb were shoved into my hands by a vendor who boomed, “Sweet, right? Take some home!” Bargaining here is an art form, and I, clearly, am a rookie. 😂

Day Two: The Blue of Sayram Lake 💙
“The last tear of the Atlantic” didn’t lie! The lake’s blue was so unreal it looked filtered, with distant snow-capped mountains mirrored perfectly on its surface. As I crouched to collect pebbles, a little fox darted from the grass, locked eyes with me for three seconds, then vanished… (Regret: no sausages on hand!)

10km Trek Through Kanas 🏞️
Who said “Moon Bay’s viewpoint is just a short walk”?? Midway up the slope, gasping for air, a Kazakh horse-riding auntie yelled, “Girl, 50 yuan and I’ll pull you up!” I surrendered instantly—only for the horse to lazily stop every three steps to graze. But when I saw the mist-shrouded Fairy Bay at dawn, I finally understood why this is called “God’s Back Garden.”

Turpan’s Flaming Mountains 🔥
68°C ground temperature—my sunscreen melted on contact! Uyghur kids strummed rawap lutes under grapevine shades, while an elder served icy watermelon with a crisp crack. One bite, and it was sweeter than first love! 🍉 (Tip: Phones overheat here—snap photos fast!)

Midnight Under the Grassland Stars 🌌
Wrapped in a down jacket at Bayanbulak, waiting for the Milky Way, my stomach still warm with hand-torn lamb from the yurt. At 2 AM, the galaxy suddenly “snapped” to life overhead. When a meteor streaked by, a local herder casually remarked, “We see those every night.” Damn, he made it look effortless!

Final Night: Hotan Night Market Feast Till Dawn 🍢
Grilled eggs, yogurt-sticky rice, blood sausage… Every three steps, a new aroma yanked me sideways! A flower-capped grandpa praised my “beauty” in broken Mandarin—then made me devour three skewers of his grilled lamb liver (heavenly coma). At 4 AM, clutching a rose-filled naan on empty streets, I felt a pang of reluctance—here, the sun clocks out at 10 PM, but my stomach will always save room for Xinjiang.

🔸 Security checks are frequent—always carry your ID!
🔸 So dry you’ll nosebleed—hydrating spray > lipstick 💦
🔸 Time-zone perk: sunsets at 10 PM are epic.
🔸 Learn “Rahmat” (thank you)—locals will beam with joy.

Xinjiang, you left my heart beneath the Tianshan foothills.
But no matter—
I’ll be back, with a 256GB stomach and delusions of sunburn immunity! 🌶️🐎🍇