Your hometown of Ili is a picturesque tourist destination, known as "the Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) beyond the Great Wall", integrating snow-capped mountains, grasslands, lakes, and gorges, with numerous desirable tourist attractions. Here are the ten must-visit attractions in Ili:
Naвати Grassland: As one of the four major alpine valley grasslands in the world, Naвати is famous for its three-dimensional grassland landscape. In summer, wildflowers cover the mountains, and in winter, it is dressed in snow. Visitors can experience horse riding and visits to Kazakh homes, while the Aerial Grassland Viewing Platform is an excellent spot to overlook the stunning panorama of Schrenk spruces interwoven with grasslands.
Sayram Lake: Although administratively belonging to Bozhou, Sayram Lake is a core attraction on the Ili tourist route. The lake’s color changes from blue to green with the light, with golden lotus flowers blooming by the lake in June and ice pushing wonders in winter. Cycling around the lake and camping under the stars are special activities here.
Kalajun Grassland: Certified by the United Nations as a "World Natural Heritage Site", it is famous for its human-shaped grassland curves. From May to June, Huaxian Platform transforms into a colorful carpet, while Falcon Platform offers a distant view of the main peak of the Tianshan Mountains, and the Crocodile Bay in Koksu Grand Canyon is a geological wonder.
Xiata Ancient Road: This is the perilous gorge passed by Xuanzang on his pilgrimage to fetch Buddhist scriptures, integrating glaciers, hot springs, and ancient roads. Visitors can take the shuttle bus to traverse the spruce corridor and hike to the foot of the Muzart Glacier, feeling the vicissitudes of this thousand-year-old ancient road.
Qiongkushitai Village: This is an original village hidden deep in the Tianshan Mountains, with wooden houses scattered like a fairy tale world. The grassland behind the village, the starting point of the Ancient Wusun Road, and the Kurdai River Forest Trail together constitute this secret paradise, ideal for in-depth hiking and photography.
Guozigou Bridge: Praised as "the most beautiful viaduct in Xinjiang", the bridge spans mountains and rivers, exuding a majestic aura. The viewing platform is an excellent spot to capture stunning photos of the bridge framed by snow-capped mountains.
Huocheng Lavender: Known as China’s Provence, in mid-to-late June, ten thousand acres of purple flowers bloom. Visitors can experience flower field photography and essential oil production at Princess Jieyou Manor and Sigong Village, with the air filled with a romantic aroma.
Kuldning: This is the gene pool of Schrenk spruces and the region with the richest biodiversity in the western Tianshan Mountains. The Chimonde Viewing Platform offers a view of the reflection of Kabanbay Peak, while within the valley, wild apple forests coexist with spruces, creating autumn scenery as beautiful as an oil painting.
Tekes Bagua City: This is the world’s largest ancient city laid out in the bagua (eight trigrams) format, with no traffic lights inside and filled with a sense of mystery. Riding the Ferris wheel to overlook the streets arranged in I Ching trigram patterns, while the Li Street Folk Culture Area is filled with Uyghur flavor.
Ili River Scenic Area: A major Central Asian river that flows through the city, the sunset over the Ili River Bridge is praised as "the most beautiful dusk in the Western Regions". Birdwatching in the wetland park, ethnic dances by the riverbank, and winter swan habitats all showcase the vibrant ecological beauty of this land.
These attractions each have their own unique characteristics, whether natural scenery or cultural landscapes, all of them captivate visitors and make them reluctant to leave. I hope these recommendations can help tourists better understand Ili and enjoy the magnificent and poetic beauty that this land brings.