Travel Guide for the Northern Xinjiang Route – Yili Travel Guide
Yili Travel Guide in Xinjiang
Yili chartered tours – group tours – carpooling
(Same) 0991-8585456
The period from June to October every year is the most beautiful time in Yili, Xinjiang. With blue skies and white clouds, wisps of cooking smoke, bursts of floral fragrance, and herds of cattle and sheep visible among the swaying grasses, the area becomes even more fragrant with melons and fruits in September. Eating delicious food, enjoying the beautiful scenery, breathing in fresh air, and being surrounded by a world of novelty, all of this is what perfection looks like. There are many scenic spots in Yili, Xinjiang, each one worthy of your stay and each one capable of making you pause and linger.
Ili is a gift from heaven in Xinjiang, a ‘wet island’ in the vast desert, with abundant water resources, rich produce, and four distinct seasons. The scenery changes with each season, offering endless delights. Ili is a great destination for travel at any time of the year. The golden period for tourism is from June to September, when the pastoral fields are green and flowers are blooming, and various fruits are ripe and on the market.
What Clothes to Wear When Visiting Ili in August
Some parts of Xinjiang are still quite cold, so you need to prepare many clothes for a trip to Xinjiang. Sunscreen clothes, shawls, and frost-resistant jacket and thicker shoes are necessary.
Summer is the best time to visit Ili, as the scenery is mesmerizing during this period. With the sun shining during the day, ladies should bring sunscreen and other related items, and are advised to wear cool and breathable clothing, such as shirts and short sleeves. Rainfall is relatively low, so remember to hydrate in the dry climate. As the temperature drops at night, it is necessary to wear a jacket to make the trip a complete success.
The weather and temperature in Ili in summer are suitable for travel. The temperature is about 14 to 34 degrees Celsius. Yining City Seascape is a great place to visit, about five kilometers from the city center. It covers a large area with ingenious and reasonable design, and has become an ideal destination for leisure and vacation in the minds of nearby residents. The scenic area mainly consists of six parts, including a large-scale water amusement area, where both children and adults can find their place to enjoy themselves thoroughly. It has a superior geographical location, extremely convenient transportation, a high daily flow of people, a beautiful environment, and complete facilities. The prices are within an acceptable range. In short, it is a cost-effective destination and highly recommended.
Where to Have Fun in Ili in August: Bayinbuluke Grassland
The Second-Largest Grassland in China After Hulunbeir
Bayinbuluke Grassland is the second-largest grassland in China after Hulunbeir. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, it is rich in water and grass, and is famous for its Swan Lake and Nine-Bend-Eighteen-Turn River.
The Nine-Bend-Eighteen-Turn River is a major attraction on the grassland. On the flat grassland, the Kaidu River, formed by meltwater from the Tianshan Mountains, is over 500 kilometers long and has more than 10,000 bends. When the sun sets, if you find the right viewing spot, you can even see nine reflections of the sun at the same time. The river winds through the grassland like ink strokes on a canvas, and the red glow reflected on the river surface under the sunset is very dazzling.
There is a Swan Nature Reserve hidden in the grassland. Many interconnected small lakes form a Swan Lake, where the swans living here are not afraid of humans and live freely and leisurely.
Nalati Grassland
The Aerial Grassland That Cannot Be Missed
If people visit Bayinbuluke Grassland to see the Nine-Bend-Eighteen-Turn River, then those who come to Nalati are for the Aerial Grassland. Nalati Grassland, located in Xinyuan County, Ili Prefecture, is one of the world’s four major grasslands and a subalpine meadow plant area. It is also a famous aerial grassland in Xinjiang.
The beautiful grassland scenery and distinctive Kazakh folk customs make this place a shining pearl in the Yili River Valley. Arriving here gives people the urge to roll and scatter flowers on the grasslands to their heart’s content. Lying down on the soft green carpet for a good sleep is truly perfect!
Guozigou
It is the ‘First Scenic Spot’ of Yili
Guozigou is named for the wild apples that abound in the valley, and it boasts beautiful scenery and unusual landscapes, earning it the reputation of being the ‘First Scenic Spot’ of Yili. The bus from Urumqi to Yining passes through Guozigou, which spans the Northern Tianshan Mountains and is a necessary passage on the 312 National Highway from Urumqi to Yili, as well as the natural gateway to Yili.
The grandeur of the Guozigou Bridge can only be felt in person. Driving on the streamlined bridge deck, with its ups and downs, is very exciting. The beautiful S-curve can be seen from any angle, exuding grandeur and magnificence. The bridge crosses many steep valleys with significant elevation differences. Looking down from above, the surroundings are lush and full of vitality. Crossing this bridge, Sayram Lake lies ahead.
Sayram Lake
Sayram Lake resembles a dazzling ‘sapphire’ suspended in the fault basin between the Western Tianshan Mountains. It is a scenic alpine lake and a favored spot by the Atlantic’s warm and moist air currents.
Historically known as the ‘Pure Sea,’ Sayram Lake is closely adjacent to Huocheng County in the Yili Prefecture. It is surrounded by mountains and boasts crystal-clear water with a transparency of up to 12 meters. In summer, the grasslands by the lakeshore are lush and green, with sheep and cattle dotted around like clouds, wildflowers everywhere, and yurts scattered, forming a poetic picture scroll of the ancient Silk Road.
Legend has it that Sayram Lake was formed from the tears of a young couple who died for love. This moving love story makes Sayram Lake even more beautiful, but even more beautiful than the story are its scenic views. It is highly recommended to take a self-drive tour around the lake. The circumference of the lake is 60 kilometers, with a viewing point every section of the way. The colorful scenery in summer is enchantingly beautiful.
Huocheng County Lavender Base
A Purple Realm of Romance
Yili’s lavender fields are the third largest lavender cultivation base in the world after Provence, France, and Furano, Japan. Yili’s lavender bases are mainly concentrated in Huocheng County. In June, the lavender begins to bloom. Before the 1960s, China’s lavender spices were entirely imported. To change this situation, people conducted trials in several provinces and waited for six years, with only Yili achieving successful cultivation.
Lavender bases come in both paid and free options. A well-known paid attraction is the Jieyou Princess Lavender Base, where in addition to lavender fields, there are also colorful flower fields and romantic field formations composed of various types of flowers, making it ideal for photography. There are also lavender products such as essential oils, soaps, and spices. The free option is the locally grown lavender fields of local farmers, which are vast and naturally unadorned.
In June, the lavender fields in Yili bloom, covering ten li of flower-filled countryside. The entire Yili River Valley transforms into a world of fragrance. The purple-blue lavender fields undulate with the wind, resembling an expansive purple dreamscape on the earth. The faint fragrance is refreshing and soothing. Making a vow of love amidst such a beautiful flower sea is true romance.
Zhaosu
Pastoral Ballad of the Grasslands Beyond the Great Wall
Zhaosu is the hometown of Tianma and was once the location of the ancient Wusun Kingdom of the Han Dynasty. The famous blood-sweating steed originated here and is one of the birthplaces of Xinjiang’s Wusun culture.
Zhaosu is located between the Tianshan Mountains, with abundant rainfall in summer, a cool and pleasant temperature, and breathtaking scenery. It is also a place where multiple ethnic groups gather, mainly including the Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and Kyrgyz.
July’s Yili belongs to Zhaosu, with large areas of bright yellow rapeseed flowers becoming a beautiful scenery on the grassland. There are many scenic spots worth visiting in Zhaosu County, such as Balekesu Grassland, Kulukuledek Waterfall Cave, Aheyazi Valley Scenic Area, Xiate Hot Springs, Muzart Daban, Tulasu Glacier, etc. The grassland stone statues, grassland mound tombs, and rock paintings are the three wonders of Zhaosu Grassland.
Its Kazakh name is ‘Mongokuzhe’, and its Chinese name is ‘Lamazhao’, meaning ‘Mongolian Temple’. The scenery here is beautiful, with not only the Xiata Ancient Road, Muzart Glacier, but also famous scenic spots such as Kulekordeke Waterfall Cave. Among them, the grassland stone statues, grassland mound tombs, and rock paintings are the three wonders of Zhaosu Grassland.
Xiata
Xiata is a tourist attraction with magical colors in Zhaosu County. Xiata is the pronunciation of the Mongolian word ‘Shatu Aman’, meaning ‘ladder’, and it was an ancient transportation post from Yili to Aksu.
Xiata is composed of a mountain pass, ancient road, ancient ruins, and natural landscapes, forming a line of ancient cultural scenery. The Xiata River, originating from the glaciers in the northern Tianshan Mountains, rushes out from the towering mountains, cutting through the flat grassland and flowing north into the Tekes River. Standing on the Xiata Grassland, you can overlook the majestic appearance of the nearly 7,000-meter-high Khan Tengri Peak shrouded in clouds.
Regarding the Xiata Ancient Road, there are many magical legends circulating locally, including a story about a divine eagle: A divine eagle resides in the iceberg and is usually invisible to people. However, if travelers crossing the Muzart Daban lose their way in the snowstorm, this divine eagle will fly in the air and honk, guiding the travelers in the right direction and thus turning danger into safety.
Tekes
The legendary Bagua City
In the west of the Yili River Valley, there is a unique small town, which is the only Bagua City in China – Tekes County Town. This Bagua City is a typical representative of regional culture influencing urban planning and is also a city without traffic lights.
More than 70 years ago, the mayor of Tekes County used 20 cows to pull a plow, starting from the center and outlining the雏形 of Bagua City’s streets. There are eight main roads and four ring roads, with the entire county interconnected and interlinked.
There is also a legend that Tekes Bagua City was arranged by Qiu Chuji, one of the Seven Immortals of the Northern Song Dynasty’s Quanzhen Sect. At that time, Changchun Zhenren Qiu Chuji was invited by Genghis Khan to go to the Western Regions. When he passed through the Tekes River Valley, he was moved by the landscape of the mountains and rivers here, so he arranged this Bagua City.
When you enter Bagua City, if you don’t follow the navigation, you will quickly lose yourself in this labyrinthine city. The market in Bagua City is fantastic, with various Xinjiang-specialty foods such as hand-grabbed meat, almonds, and raisins that are delicious and cheap, making people reluctant to leave.
Yili chartered tours – group tours – carpooling
(Same) 0991-8585456