After the trip to southern Xinjiang, we returned home and rested for ten days before we set off again. This time I traveled to Dongjiang.
Starting from Korla , it is a high speed all the way. The scenery is also beautiful. In front are Yanqi , and Heshuo , and there are green crop fields all the way. My husband and I were guessing along the way: peppers grown here, cotton planted there, and grain crops over there... Looking at the greenery in front of us, we looked forward to the beauty of the autumn harvest!
When we arrived in Malan, there were stretches of Gobi Desert. Vegetation grows on the Gobi Desert here.
After passing Kumish, there is the famous Gangou. Although the road to Gangou is relatively dangerous, the scenery is very strange. There are mountains with strange rocks and rugged mountains all the way. Those mountains seem to have been burned by fire. Some are black, some are gray, some are red, and some are... Layers of different colors superimposed on each other. Others are mountains of sand.
The first stop is Turpan . This is my second time coming to Turpan. The last time we came here was at the end of July. We swam in Grape Valley and felt the temperature of over 40 degrees in Turpan before leaving. This time I came for an in-depth tour. What interested me the most were Tuyugou , Gaochang Ancient City and Jiaohe Ancient City . These three scenic spots have witnessed the history of Turpan, Xinjiang.
Tuyugou, some people may think this place is shabby and old, but it reminds me of the living environment when I was a child. Because I was born and raised in Xinjiang, and lived in the rural areas of Xinjiang when I was a child. The buildings in Tuyugou are almost the same as the houses in the countryside where I lived when I was a child, the same mud-block houses. I still remember when I was a kid, my dad was making earth clods to build the courtyard wall. My father mixed the mud, and my sister and I helped him place the earth clod mold. Dad poured the mud into the mold, and then scraped off the excess mud. It was exactly the same as the mold. Take out the mold and a lump of soil is ready. After it dries, the courtyard wall can be built. My sisters and I played in the yard, with the older one taking the younger one, playing house and other games. The yard held so much joy in our childhood! Later, the living conditions in the countryside gradually improved. Most people demolished the old houses and built new ones. This was the first time I saw such an old residential area being preserved as a whole (perhaps I am ignorant). From the intermittent exchanges with a 76-year-old Uyghur elderly man, we learned that because these houses were built for a long time and some were already dilapidated, the government departments have built new residential areas for the residents to allow people to live together. Moved. But there are still some people who are reluctant to leave. For safety reasons, villagers can come during the day.
Some people say that the older you get, the more nostalgic you become. That's probably me. In the past few years, I have been particularly interested in history. I read books about history. I don’t remember much of it, but I just like it. The same goes for traveling. The more historical it is, the more I like it. But I don’t study history. I just speak from my perspective and talk about my experiences and feelings.
The ancient city of Gaochang is relatively large, and most of its buildings are built beside the city wall, while the middle of the city is wider and has fewer buildings. Most of the buildings were severely damaged, with only broken walls and ruins remaining. However, two of the Buddhist temples are relatively intact. Except for the roof, the internal structure of the house is very clear. The weather was particularly good that day, the sky was very blue, and under the blue sky, there were ancient city walls. Is this the "sky of history"?
Jiaohe Old City is more than fifty kilometers away from Gaochang Old City. Although the area of Jiaohe Ancient City is not as large as that of Gaochang Ancient City, it is said that it is only half that of Gaochang Ancient City, but the houses are built more concentratedly. Except for the road in the middle, there are houses, and the houses are relatively well preserved. When visiting Jiaohe Ancient City, I found that the taller buildings are basically Buddhist temples, while the shorter and more concentrated ones are residential areas.The biggest highlight of Jiaohe Old City is that there is a deep moat surrounding the city wall, and there are sentry posts at the intersections out of the city. It is really easy to defend but difficult to attack! This shows the diligence and wisdom of the ancient working people.
The above three attractions are my favorite , I think it is a scenic spot worth visiting.
We also visited the Flaming Mountain Scenic Area. Personally, I think if you are particularly interested, you should go in and visit, because the natural scenery of the Flame Mountain Scenic Area is the fiery red mountain, and the rest are man-made landscapes. The Flame Mountain is huge and can be seen from outside.
After visiting the Flame Mountain, we went behind the Flame Mountain and visited the Paziklik Thousand Buddha Cave. This cave is relatively large, but there are only a few caves that can be visited under development. Those who are interested in archeology can visit it.
Turpan is also famous for its karez and . I thought it was magical before I watched it. After watching it, I felt that the wisdom of the working people is endless.
Then I went to Sugong Pagoda . In fact, there is not much difference between the Sugong Pagoda when viewed from the inside and the outside, that is, the feeling of distance.
I think the Prince's Mansion next to Su Gong Pagoda is worth a visit. It's a very unique building with a strong ethnic flavor. I like it very much.
Early in the morning on the last day of our departure, we took another trip to Grape Valley. Because Turpan has many attractions, we spent a lot of money on tickets. The day I happened to leave was a tourist day, and I saw on the headlines that admission to Grape Valley Scenic Area was free! So early in the morning on May 19th, we visited Grape Valley again. It’s already over 30 degrees in Turpan in May, but it’s very cool in the Grape Valley Scenic Area. It’s a great place to cool off!
Because our first trip to Turpan was at the end of July 2016, we arrived in Turpan but couldn't find a decent hotel. Finally, with the help of an acquaintance, we stayed in a relatively satisfactory hotel. When I came this time, I looked online and saw that there were many hotels, including some of my favorite hotel chains. It felt really different. The streets are also much cleaner. I remember that the last time I went to Grape Valley, we passed through a village and still had dirt roads, but now they are all neat and clean asphalt roads. Xinjiang's urban construction is getting better and better, and the tourism industry is just like the weather in Turpan in summer - getting hotter and hotter!
