If you want to take in the beauty of Southern Xinjiang’s Populus euphratica all at once, Shayazhou in Shaya County is definitely worth a special trip🍁! Shaya is known as the "Hometown of Populus euphratica," with 1.9879 million mu of original Populus euphratica forest holding the Guinness World Record for the "Largest Area of Original Populus euphratica Forest"🏆. Shayazhou gathers the essence of this forest, making it the ultimate autumn scenery spot🌟!
Now is the perfect time to visit! From late October to early November, most of the Populus euphratica in Shayazhou have turned golden red. The sunlight shining on the branches and leaves makes even the shadows warm☀️. If you want to stroll slowly, the wooden boardwalk is a great choice. There are few tourists along the way, so you can quietly listen to the rustling sound of the Populus euphratica leaves in the wind🎵. However, note that some parts of the boardwalk are still under maintenance, requiring a walk through some deep sand, which is a bit of a physical challenge; if that’s inconvenient, you can also drive in for 90 yuan per car, stopping wherever you like to take photos of the scenery you love, making it comfortable and free🚗.
The Populus euphratica here is never monotonous: the river Populus euphratica grow along the riverbank, with branches dipping into the water, shimmering like scattered gold in the river💦; the wetland Populus euphratica hide beside the shallows, with water birds occasionally flying through the forest🕊️; the Gobi Populus euphratica root in the gravel, with strong, sturdy branches showing resilience; the desert Populus euphratica stand among sand dunes, blending with the yellow sand, full of the vastness of Northwest China🌵. Even better, besides the Populus euphratica, you can also see reeds by the river, cotton fields, and nomadic yurts in the distance, making the scenery richly surprising.
However, the name Shayazhou can be a bit confusing—originally called Shayazhou, it was later changed to the very complex "Tarim River Wetland Tourism Scenic Area Original Populus euphratica Forest Ecological and Cultural Scenic Area," probably because the name was too long to remember😂. Now, the left side of the scenic area gate reads "Tarim River Wetland Tourism Scenic Area," the right side says "Original Populus euphratica Forest Ecological and Cultural Scenic Area," and at the top, the three big characters "Shayazhou" are specially displayed, just in case anyone doesn’t recognize it~ Plus, this is the starting point of the 139 Populus euphratica Secret Road🛣️. After visiting Shayazhou, you can follow the road to explore even more beautiful Populus euphratica scenery!
Post by benjaminfirefly | Oct 26, 2025
