This is the last part of this trip to Xinjiang.
Compared with the previous scenery of Kanas, the shock of Sailimu Lake, and the refreshingness of the prairie, the last part of Turpan cannot be distinguished from the photos.
But Turpan is completely different from the previous Northern Xinjiang style. The weather is warm and there are many attractions. It is a relaxing and fun way to visit as the last stop. And Turpan gave us a huge surprise in the end~
Day 12 Heading to Turpan~
Our original plan was that several grasslands happened to be near the Duku Highway, and we could take the Duku Highway back to Urumqi. It was perfect. But winter came early this year. Although the Dushanzi section of the Duku Highway is still open (the Urumqi end), the grassland end has been closed.
We still had plenty of time, so we happily decided to take a detour to Turpan.
On the way from Nalati Grassland to Turpan, there is a lake area with a 5A level scenic spot: Bosten Lake. Based on our previous experiences at Ulungu Lake and Sailimu Lake (4A), we are looking forward to this "5A"!
How should I put it? This is what the entrance to the scenic spot looks like:
It's not over yet! There are also: a small artificial pond with a gorgeous boat floating on it; a large promenade filled with colorful canteens; a reed swamp with a Jiangnan-style pavilion and small bridge, and a small bridge next to it. Full of roses! ! !
Why am I going through this🤦🏻♀️.
I "visited" the Dahekou attractions in 10 minutes, and I still had a little hope left in my heart: there is a 10km wetland road next to it. Maybe after entering, it will look like Ulungu. Why is the lake so beautiful?
Look at the water on both sides, ducks, waterfowl, reeds, it’s okay...
but! After driving this short distance, at the end of the road is: Water Park! It's like a roller coaster!
Let me go quickly, I have a headache🤦🏻♀️.
In fact, Bosten Lake is very powerful. It is the largest freshwater lake in inland China. And in such a beautiful and large Xinjiang, there are only 8 5A scenic spots in total: Turpan Grape Valley, Tianshan Tianchi, Kanas, Nalati, Keketuo Sea, Zepujin Lake Yang, Urumqi Tianshan Grand Canyon, and then there is your Bosten Lake Yes!
Why waste such beautiful natural scenery? sad.
It doesn't matter! Isn’t it time to go to Turpan next? There is also a 5A scenic spot, Turpan Grape Valley! It doesn’t matter what the scenery is, the key point is: Turpan’s grapes!
I set out on the road again in a happy mood.
Why has no one told me that I can’t see any fresh grapes in Turpan in October!
All have been picked and dried into raisins🤦🏻♀️.
Silver lining is: I just arrived in Turpan, got off the car and had fun in the wilderness. The wind in Turpan is very strong! The whirring sound almost blew people away. but! The temperature is very comfortable, not cold at all, and the wind doesn't scratch your face. It's like God stretched out a big hand to support you behind your back. When you lie back, you can lie directly on the wind. It's a wonderful feeling. !
Suddenly I want to go back and watch Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" again.
The B&B we stayed in was also great.
There is a big enthusiastic dog and a little cat who likes to occupy my bed and refuses to come out. I was cured in an instant😊.
And after staying, I went out for a walk and ate at delicious roadside stalls. In the evening, in the big courtyard of the B&B, in the warm evening, I ate watermelon and pears while lying on the big wooden bed and reading a book. Still a very happy day.
Day 13: Flame Mountain, Ancient City and Desert
There are many programs in Turpan. We first went to the Flame Mountain, then visited the Gaochang Ancient City, then drove to the Folk Street in Shanshan County, and finally went to the Kumtag Desert.
Or because I was indifferent to crowded places, I didn’t stay in either the Flame Mountain or the Desert for too long.
Although camels and desert speed driving were both projects that I had longed for in the past, when I arrived at the site, I felt very touristy and uninterested~
But driving along the edge of the desert in a car, the view is still very beautiful. And I didn’t expect the sand here to be so fine and feel so good!
I look forward to actually going to the hinterland of the desert in Xinjiang in the future and experiencing camel caravans and off-road driving!
Among the projects on this day, the one that originally attracted me the least was Gaochang Ancient City. Maybe I was shocked by Bosten Lake, so I had very low expectations in my mind, so I wouldn’t be too disappointed if I saw an over-developed ancient city.
But on the contrary Gaochang Ancient City was my favorite part of this day.
When I walked to the door, I already thought: It's very nice. The earth-colored scenic spot blends in with the environment. It is simple and atmospheric.
Although there are sculptures at the door, this Tang Monk statue is great from color to every dynamic line.
In the small exhibition hall at the entrance of the scenic spot, the process of Monk Tang's Buddhist scriptures is told. There is a detailed route map and a very plain historical description. After reading it, I realized that it turned out that Tang Sanzang was not named the "imperial younger brother" and was sent on his way by the emperor himself, as shown in the TV series. On the contrary, he was forbidden to seek scriptures.
He sneaked out of the city and was almost shot to death by random arrows from the soldiers guarding the city when he went out to look for water at night.
It was only after arriving at Gaochang and receiving grand hospitality from the Lord of Gaochang that the road ahead could continue. The King of Gaochang gave him thousands of taels of gold, tens of thousands of taels of silver (enough to go back and forth for 14 Buddhist scriptures), dozens of servants and novice monks. Not only did he prepare customs clearance documents for all subsequent countries, but he also prepared silk cloths as gifts for each country to help him pass customs smoothly.
Seeing the many high mountains and dangerous places that need to be climbed on his road map, and then thinking about our journey, I deeply feel the extreme efforts a person made in pursuit of true meaning.
I have been reading "Journey to the West" since I was a child. It is only today that I have a spontaneous respect for Tang Sanzang in history. I am also moved by the love and affection shown to him by the ruler of Gaochang. When Tang Sanzang left Gaochang, he promised to give lectures in Gaochang for three years when he came back. Unfortunately, by the time he really came back, the then-lord of Gaochang had already passed away. The historical stories are also sad.
In addition to the stories of Tang Sanzang, there are also some small murals in the museum. There is a picture about "The Martyr Saint Jian Xun", and the four pictures are: Jade man, gold man, stone man, and native man. Jade people refer to people who should study hard, be modest and prudent, and develop good habits when they are young; gold people refer to youth, when they are young and frivolous, and it is easy to make mistakes if they talk too much, so be careful to prevent disaster from coming out of your mouth; stone people When people reach middle age and have achieved something in their studies, they should speak freely and repay what they have learned to society; native people point out that when they reach old age, they should abandon worldly desires and spend their old age peacefully.
The four paintings simply explain the characteristics and things that should be done in the four periods of life. I admire the wisdom of my ancestors very much.
After visiting the restaurant, get on the car and visit the real ancient city.
Walking along the site of a city that once existed, imagining its former splendor and the daily lives of the people who once lived here, Time and space reverse, history flows There is also a strange feeling: human beings have developed for so many years and seem to have made a lot of progress, but there seems to be no particularly huge changes.
Coming out of Gaochang Ancient City, there is another ancient city. Can't even remember the name. But: It’s extremely dirty, like an abandoned countryside. I feel like: Turpan’s attractions are hard to describe in just one word. There is such a wonderful world cultural heritage, Gaochang Ancient City. Why don’t other places unify their quality?
There is also a folk village near the entrance of the desert scenic spot. The specialty of Turpan is: various colored doors. After seeing Liuxing Street in Yining, I no longer feel anything like it here.
But on this day, I saw the Flaming Mountains, the desert, the old city, and the folk customs. It was still very rich and fulfilling. I also had very delicious baked buns at night! The mutton skewers are pretty good too, happy~
Day 14: Fire Cloud Valley
Finally came the last day of our trip to Xinjiang.
The original plan for this day was to drive back to Urumqi in the morning and fly back to Shanghai in the afternoon.
But the hostess of the B&B recommended a place and said that this is the most fun place in Turpan. Calculating the time, it only takes more than two hours to drive from Turpan to Urumqi. This place is just on the road, so we thought it would be enough to stop here for an hour to have fun.
When I arrived, I saw, Wow! This place should be called Flame Mountain! Isn't this a bunch of flames?
And there was absolutely no one! It is estimated that there are usually very few tourists, because there is only one gatekeeper in the whole valley, and he does not stay at the door. When our car arrived, he would come all the way to open the door for us.
Park the car at the edge of the canyon and drill into various caves. Adjust the saturation to the highest level: Excuse me, what is the difference between this and Antelope Canyon! (Yes, Antelope Valley is full of people, there is no one here😊)
The sky is huge blue. The canyon is empty. I sat down to bask in the sun for a while and stacked a pile of stones. I think this place was recommended by the landlady! Then he was satisfied and ready to leave.
Before returning to the original route, I saw a road leading to the top of the mountain on the side of the canyon. Driving to the top of the mountain and taking in the scenery was the perfect ending to our trip.
On the top of the mountain, we found another road, which also led down. We thought that we didn’t have to go back to the original canyon and could go directly to the gate where we met the uncle.
Sister thought of it! This road leads to the inside of the valley, not outside! Going down to the valley, there is a winding gravel road that can only accommodate one car. We are walking through the flames!
And I have no idea where this road leads!
The original plan was to go down the mountain in 2 minutes, but we ended up driving around in the valley for more than an hour! Totally a canyon adventure! It's so exciting.
Only then did I suddenly remember that when I came in, the uncle once asked a strange question: Is your car a four-wheel drive? That’s it 🤦🏻♀️.
After nearly overturning the car, climbing over various obstacles and ditches, and exploring the road everywhere, we finally drove out of the valley. However, there was absolutely no idea where we were. . .
There is no way around, and there is no signal on the mobile phone. Where is the highway? . . Are you destined to miss the plane? 😂
At this moment, a truck drove over.
He quickly ran over and asked for directions. After the driver explained the directions in detail, he curiously asked us three times: Where did you come from? ? ?
After the eldest brother walked away, we drove onto the dirt road. Within a few minutes, I found that my eldest brother was waiting for us on the roadside. He said: I will take you there.
Then it took us all the way back to the highway from the dirt road.
We quickly got out of the car and thanked him. It took him dozens of kilometers to take us back and forth. The elder brother smiled and said in Uyghur Mandarin: What's the matter? We are all drivers~
P.S. After adding Big Brother to WeChat, Big Brother now sends us videos every day. Yo! Driving this road today, the scenery along the way is beautiful~
The places we didn't go to
There are so many interesting places in Xinjiang, and driving by yourself for two weeks can only see the tip of the iceberg. There are still many places I have not visited along the way.
In this circle of Kanas, there is a 5A scenic spot Coketuo Sea. I didn’t go because I thought it was a bit similar to Kanas.
There is also a Colorful Beach. Because I thought the landforms I saw along the way were quite beautiful and the colors were quite rich, I didn’t go there alone.
In Zhaosu near Yining, there is the Xiata Ancient Road, which is part of the ancient Silk Road and has glaciers. Because it was more than 200 kilometers by car from Yining, and there was still 10 kilometers to the foot of the glacier via the Xiata Ancient Trail (you can go there on horseback), we didn’t have that much time, so we gave up. But the little sister who lives in the youth hostel said that she had just been there and it was quite fun.
Further down Yining, there are Korla and Kashgar. Everyone praises Korla’s fragrant pears. It’s a pity that I didn’t go to Eat Cheng (of course I’m glad I didn’t go to Kashgar now).
Also, the super beautiful and super dangerous Duku Highway was closed, so I couldn’t go there.
Also, Keketuohai Ski Resort has opened in October! I really want to go skiing!
I also want to see the grasslands in spring and the flowers all over the mountains. Return to Turpan in September and have a full meal in the vineyards.
What I most admire the most is the style of southern Xinjiang . In the little guide to Xinjiang that Lao He wrote for me, he specifically mentioned: Never be too sincere when drinking! You can’t drink Xinjiang people! The correct way to drink is: put it on your forehead, pat a little, sprinkle a little into the sky, respect heaven and earth, and drink the rest 😂. I really want to practice this drinking method!
I haven’t left Xinjiang yet and am already looking forward to the next time.
Tips for self-driving in Xinjiang
Judging from this experience, going to Xinjiang can be a temporary decision to leave on the spur of the moment. You can do the strategy in advance, or you can not do the strategy at all. After all, this is a place where you can have fun wherever you go, and it’s no problem to decide on the next stop after you arrive~
The tourism supporting facilities in various places in Xinjiang are already very mature. Especially during the National Day holiday, there are police cars waiting at every key intersection to guide everyone through the most difficult places. No matter where you go, it's easy to ask for directions, and the locals are very welcoming.
As long as you stay in a B&B or a youth hostel, you can easily find the route, interesting attractions, and even travel companions.
And to what extent is Xinjiang considerate? There are not only articles about popular attractions, but also frequent updates on weather conditions, leaf fall levels, and road conditions. It is also very convenient to book self-driving tickets online. You can even add customer service WeChat to ask questions at any time.
You can pay attention to these articles:
Kanas Original Travel Network
Xinjiang Nalati Tourist Scenic Area
Shanshan Kumutage Desert
Sailimu Lake, Bozhou, Xinjiang
Tickets, accommodation, scenic activities, weather, and even local products are all clearly arranged for you.
So if you want to make a guide in advance, where can you get it in one stop: it’s explained clearly, without being verbose, it has a road map and a map of the scenery, and it can also answer your questions quickly?
Search for Xinjiang guide, and you will find the routes to northern Xinjiang and southern Xinjiang and how to play. Search for specific attractions, how to visit, where to have fun, and even how to take good photos, and you’ll have it all.
But what Little Red Book says about Bosten Lake is really nonsense. There is a guide to take pictures of a bunch of roses. The theme is: How to see roses in Xinjiang? 🤦♀️. There is also a guide that praises how fun the water park is. I'm very sincerely curious: Really? ? ? Is that really what you think? ? ?
So you still have to pay attention to screening. Fortunately, most of the other guides on Xiaohongshu are very reliable.
In addition, the Duku Highway in Xinjiang is a very famous steep but beautiful section of road. However, due to terrain and weather conditions, the road is closed most of the year, and the road closure time varies each year.
How do you get it in real time? Are there any road closures in the section you want to go? What are the road conditions like?
Come, please go to Douyin and follow: Guarding Tianshan—Dushanzi Public Security Bureau.
There is a cute policeman who broadcasts on Douyin every day: The Dushanzi section of the Duku Highway is currently smooth~
Isn’t Xinjiang tourism particularly friendly?
Finally, the question of what to wear: Northern Xinjiang is very cold at night in October. Please bring a down jacket, a hat, a scarf, thick socks, and autumn clothes and long trousers.
If you want to dress nicer, I saw a lot of girls along the way, wearing white down jackets, thicker skirts, bare legs underneath, and a pair of Martin boots, which is also pretty good-looking. If you want to wear a coat, the scarf can be thicker.
When you arrive in Turpan, it’s quite warm during the day. You can book a beautiful ethnic costume in advance, or bring a desert red dress~
Also, Xinjiang is very open. If you bring a drone with you, the scenery you can take will be particularly beautiful!
In the previous two articles, some readers and friends left messages saying that after reading them, they were going to save money to go to Xinjiang. In fact, the cost of traveling to Xinjiang is really not as high as I originally imagined. The two biggest expenses are air tickets and car rentals (the price fluctuates greatly with time, and it will definitely be more expensive during the National Day than usual, so I won’t give specific figures). Followed by gas fees and tolls (free during National Day~). B&Bs and restaurants are actually not expensive. Kanas is the most "cheating" place. A hot pot full of meat only costs more than 200. In other places, you can often get it for a few dozen yuan or more than 100 yuan, which can satisfy two people.
In addition, if you don’t mind carpooling, there is actually a lot of carpooling information on Qiongyou. If you share the travel and gas expenses, you will save a lot of money.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone: most of the roads in Beijiang we drive on have section speed tests! If you drive too much because there are few cars and easy roads, you will not be able to escape the penalty points and fines. This money may be an unexpected expense🤦🏻♀️.
After returning from Xinjiang, my friends asked me how Xinjiang was like, and I always said this:
Do you want to go to Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Banff National Parks? Want to go to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon?
Do you want to experience the cascading autumn colors in BeiMi and feel the shock of crossing the highway in such autumn colors?
Do you want to see lavender in Provence?
Do you want to experience European towns, pastoral scenery, and appreciate the Alps?
Want the exotic feel of Morocco?
Want to ski under the snowy mountains?
There are also grapes, cantaloupe, fragrant pears, dried apricots, and grilled lamb chops! You can also ride camels and horses! Desert speed car! And Xinjiang is so big, there won’t be everyone everywhere (except Kanas)!
In this life, you really deserve to go to Xinjiang once.
Everyone, hurry up and plan~
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