If you’re ever in Ili, then you should definitely check out the beautiful spring blooms by car. The apricot flower is in full bloom, and there’s no better way to take in the beauty than by driving around. Taking scenic routes there are plenty of beautiful sights to behold on your drive.
Yi Zhao Highway
Yizhao Highway S237, known as one of the most beautiful highways in Xinjiang, is known as “Little Duku Highway” and is part of the ancient Silk Road “Bow Moon Road”.
Ghulja
The famous border city with birdsong and flowers. As the capital of Ili, Ghulja was built in 1762 and called “Ningyuan City”, one of the eight satellite cities of Huiyuan ancient city, and a modern city with birdsong and flowers in spring. It is a modern city with birdsong in spring. It is free from cold in winter and summer heat, with grasslands and snow-capped mountains, where apricot blossoms and elm leaf plums are in full bloom. In Ghulja, the section of Begonia Road-Luxing Street is the earliest place to welcome the apricot blossoms, and many travelers who are in transit in Ghulja will stay for a while during the blossom season. Following the blossoming apricot blossoms from Begonia Road to Six Star Street to enjoy the unique style of architecture is the route most travelers take.
Kazanqi, located in the south of Ghulja, means “people who cast pots and pans for their business” in Vedic. It was originally an ordinary residential community in Ghulja, but was later renovated and restored by the neighborhood, and became a folklore scenic spot.
Guozigou Forest Park
Guzigou is named after the wild apples, hickories, and walnuts that grow on its slopes. Gozigou is a canyon orifice, a natural gateway to the Ili region, and in ancient times was the throat of the northern route of the Silk Road, with an extremely important commercial and military status.
Guozigou Bridge
Sayram lake
The last tear of the Atlantic Ocean, like Gozigou, was a must-see on the northern route of the Silk Road, and today is a must-see for travelers to the Ili region.
Zhaosu County
It is the only county in Xinjiang without a desert. Here are the famous grassland stone men.
Shata ancient road, also known as Shatai ancient road, for the Silk Road traffic, is located in the northern foot of the South Tianshan. The ancient road starts from Zhaosu Xatai Ranch and ends at Aksu Wensu County, which is a shortcut from Zhaosu across the South Tianshan Mountains to South Xinjiang, and is later called “the ancient road of the Tang monk” because Xuanzang passed through it to get scriptures. It is one of the most beautiful ancient roads in China.
Tekes County
The only architecturally formal, well-preserved, and largest gossip city in the world, is a miracle city in the history of Chinese planning and architecture. About its origin, various Ili travel guides will basically mention it, and the best way to enjoy it is by hot air balloon or drone.
Kalajun Prairies
World Natural Heritage, large natural and humanistic scenic area.
Qiongkushitaicun
A stunning uninhabited place, situated on the Qiongkushitaicun grassland, preserving a relatively primitive ranch life, is a famous Chinese historical and cultural village and is one of the starting points of the ancient Wusun Road.
Wooden huts felt houses, and sheep are dotted like stars on this vast grassland and rise and fall with the hillside, which is very interesting. The grassland is at its most beautiful from May to August every year.
Apricot Grassland Section
The most beautiful apricot blossoms in Ili are in Tu’ergenxiang, and the most beautiful grassland is in Nalati, and you can visit these two places together only those three or five days in spring.
Xinyuan County (Apricot Gully)
The best viewing period: early April – mid-April, the most beautiful apricot blossom ditch in Ili.
The apricot trees here are the largest original wild apricot forest left in the Middle Ages, covering an area of more than 30,000 mu, which is the most concentrated apricot forest in Yili and even the whole of Xinjiang at present.
There is no special place in Xinyuan County itself, but the special thing is the apricot blossom ditch in Tu’ergenxiang Township outside the county, which is rated as one of the “100 places you have to visit in life”, and the photo of the 24 solar terms in the Winter Olympics this year is the scenery of Tu’ergenxiang apricot blossom ditch.
The blooming apricot blossoms are not the most beautiful, but the budding bones against the blooming flowers are the most fascinating. Besides, the blooming time of apricot blossoms is extremely short, only about 7 days, and only 3 or 4 days are worth enjoying. (PS. In addition to the apricot blossom ditch in Ili in the north, there are also apricot blossom villages in the Pamir Plateau in the south.)
Nalati
Nalati Grassland, which means “sun” in Mongolian, originated when Genghis Khan passed by this place during his western expedition and his Mongolian army generals pointed to the sun rising on the grassland and shouted “Nalati”, thus leaving this name.
As one of the world’s four grasslands, Nalati has been a famous pasture since ancient times, with many mountains, dense forests, green grass and dense rivers, both high and handsome mountains, and pine forests as pale as the waves.
Spruce trees over two or three hundred years old abound, and every spring when the snow melts, the white saffron hidden in the soil layer breaks out and becomes the spring flower of Nalati, waking up the sleeping earth here in advance.
From June to September every year, the Nalati grassland is the most lively time, and many events of the surrounding grassland tribes will take place during this time.
The entrance to Nalati is divided into two gates, east and west, and travelers usually enter through the west gate, after which they can go to nomadic homes, forest parks, the Sky Boundary Terrace, Volta Crossing Tower and other places according to their needs, of which the Sky Grassland is a must-see.
After visiting the Nalati Grassland, it means the end of this section of the trip. If you arrive in Ili in spring, the Duku Highway is not yet closed and you cannot go to Urumqi via Dushanzi.
So, how was your trip to Ili? If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say that the weather has finally turned warmer and nicer. And what better way to enjoy the spring sunshine than by driving around the beautiful Guozigou Forest Park, Sayram lake, Zhaosu County, Tekes County, and Nalati! If you’re looking for a scenic route to take in springtime beauty, NAVO is the perfect tour guide for you!