Xinjiang, China’s Central Asia and incredible Tibet – Day 8/Part 2

July 5, 2014July 5, 2014 by Kaushik

Approaching to Tienshan Southern Region:

Ascend to Tienshan Southern Range started:

Inside Tienshan South Range, roads winding up:

Lovely Yurts:

Placid Lakes:

The Serpentine Road goes through Tienshan:

Cutting across Tienshan Highway 217 connects Northern and Southern Part of Xinjiang:

After crossing the Tienshan Southern Range we reached to Tienshan Grand Canyon:

Amazing rock formation:

The walking through the narrow canyon was an amazing experience:

Strange formation you would see frequently:

Sometimes Canyon goes wider:

Sometimes it gets very narrow:

The colorful canyon and its grand texture made by wind and water erosion is a treat to eyes:

Previous: Day 8/Part 1

Next: Day 9

Xinjiang, China’s Central Asia and incredible Tibet – Day 8/Part 1

July 5, 2014July 5, 2014 by Kaushik

Today’s Route:

This would again be a long day for us and we were supposed to drive 550km to cross Tienshan mountain range to officially end our Northern Xinjiang trip and destination for the day was Kuqa (Pronounced as Kucha). We had once more a typical Chinese breakfast with Chop sticks (no spoon/fork would be available in the smaller towns) and quickly start the day by 9.30 morning. The road 218 leaves Narat and continues East following the river which by now is a rushing stone filled stream closely hemmed by spruce and pine trees. After few kilometers the road meets 217 (Which we left on Day6 at Kuytun) which is coming down South from Kuytun crossing Tienshan range through a tunnel and few passes before meeting and crossing 218 here and goes down south to Kucha on the Northern side of Tarim Basin, the northern edge of infamous Taklamakan Desert. Highway 217 from Kuytun to Kucha is famous for its spectacular and varied mountainscape, first it follows a river through a narrow canyon, then crosses lush grassland of Bayanbulak and then starts ascending to cross Southern Tienshan again to finally get down to Tarim Basin. We initially have plan to visit Bayanbulak as well and it’s famous Swan Lake home to the majestic Swan in China. This is also famous for multiple bends of Kaidu river in the middle of a huge prairie of lush grass like a giant gleaming serpent. But again with blooming flowers, majestic swans and serpentine flow of Kaidu river, summer is the ideal time to go there so finally we decided to drop this and also there was some confusion regarding an issue with permit to stay night there for foreigners.

South of Bayanbulak grassland, Highway 217 again enters mountain region of Southern Tienshan and around 70 km north of Kucha it passes through Tienshan Grand Canyon, 6 km long canyon is a wonder of nature with thin pinnacles, overhanging wall and heavily eroded red rock. The narrowest part of Canyon was even less than half a meter and it was an amazing experience to walk down the narrow canyon. We finally reached Kuqa around 7.00 in evening and this was the place where our first part of Xinjiang trip was being over. Ablajan was booked for the Chinese golden holiday week with a French group and also I decided to start my Southern Xinjiang trip with a local driver and guide and here I met another excellent Uighur gentleman in his early thirty, Hasan who was also an excellent guide, a very safe driver and awesome host. Hasan lives at Kashgar and he took almost a 10 hours drive for me from Kashgar to pick me up at Kuqa. We would visit tomorrow the Kuqa area as this was one of the major hub of old silk route and cradle of Buddhism in China. We were booked in another 4 star hotel here (Hotel Lidu) by Ablajan and this hotel was indeed one of the best in our entire stay in China. We said good bye to Ablajan for his excellent guidance over last one week and promised to meet him again at Urumqi for the last part of our Xinjiang trip to Turpan after our visit to Southern Xinjiang. Hasan was equally punctual and disciplined and entirely professional and I must admit my good luck with finding exceptionally good drivers and guides was continued in China too.

First few kilometers the Highway 218 passes through the Narat Grassland:

The Road follows the mountain stream:

Soon after the crossroads with Highway 217, we took 217 towards South crossing Tienshan Range:

Highway 217 crosses the extremely beautiful Tienshan Mountain Section:

After Crossing the Tienshan Mountain ranges, 217 hits the Bayanbulak Grasslands:

Bayanbulak Town:

The vast pastureland is amazing :

Now reached almost at the end of the Bayanbulak Grassland:

The valley started getting narrower:

Previous: Day 7

Next: Day 8/Part 2

Xinjiang, China’s Central Asia and incredible Tibet – Day 7

July 5, 2014July 5, 2014 by Kaushik

Day7:

Today’s Route Map:

This was absolutely a Chinese hotel and as expected we had a terrible breakfast and that was expected after our yesterdays lavish one. We left the hotel as early as 9.30 and the road then passed into a long, steep sided valley known as fruit valley in Ili Kazakh Prefecture. Rugged and beautiful with forests of dragon spruce blanketing the mountain slopes and wild fruit trees further down, this region famous for sweetest apples produced in China, named as Ili apples and high quality of honey collected from bee hives. After 30km of such a beautiful driving, the road diverts, straight road goes towards the Horgas Port in Kazakh border which is barely another 30 km and we turned left to East towards Yining. Yining is the capital of Ili Kazakh prefecture most of which borders with Kazakhstan. Border is as close as 80km from here it’s located 700km west of Urumqi where as 450 km east of Almaty which was until 1991 was Soviet Union. So you would feel like reaching an erstwhile Soviet town when you would be in Yining. From Yining the highway towards East is known as Highway 218. At first the road goes through tall poplar trees but soon emerges to reveal the Ili Valley in full glory. This is a vast valley with tilled fields and further away the sloping expanses of pastureland makes it soothing for your eyes. The road follows Kunes river as the valley is narrowed down and finally starts to ascend to Tineshan range again before entering Narat Valley. Even in Autumn the vastness of green grassland with Kazakh Horsemen roaming around with flocks of sheep, herds of cattle and horses will make you amazed. The grass started turning yellow but still good for grazing of thousands of animals. Narat (Nalati) Grassland is particularly lush and picturesque and this is a favorite place for domestic tourists. Foreigners until 2012 required special permit to enter this region but this year it was said to be relaxed and we were not asked for any permit anywhere but if you plan to visit this place, check it twice, in China anything can happen anytime. We enjoyed the grassland through out the day and stayed in a nearby hotel for the night.

China is quick to write off the winding roads and making bridge or tunnel to make things quicker: