Purer than Switzerland! The Four Seasons Love Letter of Zhaosu Jade Lake - Timeless Beauty

🐎Venture into the Western Regions' secret paradise! The jade ribbon at the foot of Tianshan Mountains unlocks an epic pastoral journey!

Praised by "China National Geographic" as the "jade ribbon at the foot of Tianshan Mountains"!
Snow mountains melt into jade, celestial horses gallop across the starry river
This is the homeland of the Akhal-Teke horses and the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall" that Zhang Qian glimpsed when he opened up the Western Regions!
Glacier meltwater meanders like poetry across Zhaosu grassland, canola flower seas spread into golden oceans, and every breeze carries the fragrance of mare's milk wine and wildflowers 🌼
People say "Northern Xinjiang's beauty ends at the Ili River Valley," until you stand by the Jade River and watch thousands of horses crossing, their hoofbeats shattering cloud reflections—
This is the ultimate romance of western Tianshan! 👉Save this 2-day-1-night secret itinerary now!



📍 Location: Zhaosu County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang

🎫 Tickets: Shata Ancient Path 80 yuan + shuttle bus | Tianma Cultural Park 75 yuan | Grassland Stone Figures free
🚗 Transportation Guide:
✈️ Fly to "Yining Airport" → 2.5-hour drive (Yizhao Highway, open only in summer) 🚙
🚌 Ili Prefecture Bus Station has 3 daily buses to Zhaosu (passing through Tekes River Nine Bends) 🚌
📅 Best seasons to visit:
🌟 June-July: Dual symphony of canola fields and purple perilla fields
🐎 July-August: Thousands of horses galloping at the Tianma Festival, Shata Glacier within reach
🍂 September-October: Golden grasslands, epic scenes of nomadic migration



🌸 Legendary Spots

❶ Shata Ancient Path 🛤️
The "Tang Monk's Ancient Path" that Xuanzang crossed on his journey west! Hike to the foot of Muzart Glacier and spot marmots peeking out with snow lotuses~
🚶 Must-walk section: General Bridge → Flower Platform (4km easy hiking paradise), sunbeams filtering through spruce forests, marmots sitting in rows "scamming" for food 🐿️

❷ Zhaosu Tianma Cultural Park 🏇
World-class Akhal-Teke horse base! Watch the spectacular "Horses Bathing in River" equestrian show, and book a ride on purebred horses across the grassland (800 yuan/hour)!

❸ Jade Lake (Karakul Lake) 🌊
Color-changing lake formed by Tianshan snowmelt! Milky blue in June, emerald green in August, deep blue in October—drone footage looks like gods spilled a palette 🎨

❹ Grassland Stone Figures 🗿
Thousand-year-old codes of Turkic nomads! 11 mysterious stone figures stand amid canola fields, exuding ancient vibes in the twilight glow~

❺ Million-acre Canola Flower Sea 🌼
World's largest continuous canola field! Ride horses through Studio Ghibli-like scenery in white dresses; by mid-July, purple perilla blooms into a purple galaxy 💜

❻ Zhaosu Wetland Park 🦅
Birdwatching from wooden boardwalks! Black storks and demoiselle cranes skim the water; in winter, rime frost transforms rivers into ink paintings ❄️



🐎 In-depth Pastoral Route

𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟏: Horses and Flower Seas Fantasy
Yining → Yizhao Highway (stop at Baishi Peak Observation Deck) → Photo shoot at Zhaosu canola fields → Watch horses galloping at Tianma Cultural Park → Stay in Zhaosu County (enjoy Kazakh-style dinner 🍖)

𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟐: Glacier and Ancient Path Symphony
Easy hike on Shata Ancient Path → Drone photography at Jade Lake → Explore Grassland Stone Figure site → Chase beautiful sunset at Zhaosu Wetland → Buy horse intestine and horse oil souvenirs before returning 🛍️

🏇 Tianma Festival Special (mid-July)
Thousands of galloping horses performance → Kokpar competition → Nighttime grassland starry music festival → Unlimited mare's milk wine 🥛



📌 Survival Rules

✔️ Traffic Alert 🚧
✅ Yizhao Highway only allows vehicles with 7 seats or fewer; be careful when passing cars on cliff turns!
✅ Shata scenic area limits daily visitors to 3,000; arrive before 8:30 AM to enter smoothly!

✔️ Border Control Information 📄
✅ Apply for a border permit at "Zhaosu Convenience Police Station" before visiting Shata Ancient Path!
✅ Check no-fly zones before flying drones (some areas require reporting, stay away from military horse farms!)

✔️ Accommodation Strategy 🏨
🔥 Luxury seekers should go for "Shata Hot Spring Hotel" with mountain views (1,500+ yuan/night)
💰 Budget option: "Zhaosu Horse Stable Homestay" with traditional Kazakh kang beds (300 yuan/night)

✔️ Taste Revolution 🍲
🍖 Must-try: horse meat narin, boortsog with ghee, wild mushroom soup with rice!
🥛 Challenge yourself with fermented mare's milk (add honey to reduce sourness)!
🚫 Avoid tourist trap "whole roasted lamb" - eating freshly slaughtered lamb at a herder's home is much better!



🌌 Secret Experiences

❶ Early Morning Horse Herder Photography 📷
Follow herders at 4 AM as they drive horse herds to water, capture backlit "horses bathing in river" with golden water splashes (500 yuan/session)!

❷ Ancient Path Stargazing Camp ⛺
With permission, pitch tents in Shata Valley and watch the Milky Way cascade down from Hantengri Peak 🌌!

❸ Kazakh Embroidery Workshop 🧵
Learn eagle feather pattern embroidery at "Wusun Embroidery Workshop" in Zhaosu Town and make your own coasters to take home (150 yuan/piece)!



"When morning mist flows over horseback in Zhaosu, the Western Regions find their liquid interpretation"
Here, hoofbeats are the grassland's rhythm, wildflowers are spring's messengers 🌸
Wait for horses bathing in the river, wait for a journey through ancient paths in the clouds, wait for an epic poem of nomadic civilization on the vast wilderness 🏔️

Post by Mitchell-~Daniel | May 12, 2025