Written by: Wang Sufen
Posted on: August 08, 2018 | 
| 中文
The Khantengri Peaks in Xiata Grasslands
Zhaosu is a county of Northwest Xinjiang with vast grassland and luxuriant forests unique to Xinjiang. In recent years, Zhaosu has become a hot destination for tourists both home and abroad, who come here to enjoy horse riding, to see ancient stone figures in the grassland, and to take hot spring baths. However, what attracts tourists the most, besides the above, are the flowers in the grasslands and mountains. They look upon the sea of flowers, lasting from late Spring to late Summer, with great wonder.
Zhaosu Grassland is one of the four most famous grasslands in China, and it lies in a basin surrounded by mountains, thus enjoying a semi-humid climate. It also has the most plentiful rainfall in the Yili River Valley. Therefore, it has the most suitable land for rape growing. Rape flowers, from late June to early July every year, are a must go sight for professional or layman photographers who come here from other parts of China. When standing before the rape lands, they are dumfounded and “shocked” by the rape flowers in front of them; seas upon seas, waves upon waves, like huge golden carpets, shining and waving against the sunlight in the soft wind.
Leaving the “golden sea” behind, if they go up to the hills and mountains, what welcomes them are the still seas of flowers, in valleys and slopes, at the edges of forests, even on the cliffs, and wild flowers, in all colours and forms, names known or unknown to tourists covering the land. In the sea of wild flowers, Xiata is a legendary place. This is a valley deeply hidden in the mountains, where there used to be an important ancient passageway connecting the Yili area of North Xinjiang to the Aksu area of South Xinjiang. Although it has been abandoned as a transportation passage now, it has become a famous expedition route for hiking. Located in a town where Kirkiz (Kyrgyz) people lived long ago, Xiata Forest Farm is 130 kilometres from the county town. The vast grassland and golden rape flowers makes the road leading to the town a dreamland.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, Khantengri Peaks, are two gigantic snow-covered peaks. The road that zigzags in the mountains becomes more and more rugged and dangerous if you drive into the valley between the two mountain peaks. However, as dangerous as the road might be, you will be greeted by the cool breeze at the gate of the valley and enjoy the beauty of pine trees, grassland and wild flowers everywhere. The flowers of Malan (Iris lactea Pall. var. chinensis (Fisch.) Koidz) and other wild flowers are flourishing in the mountain area; red, white, blue, purple and yellow, with exuberant fragrance. Many of the wild flowers can also be used as herbal medicines, such as fritillaria, snow lotus, stone flowers, rhubarb, costustoot, aconite, agrimoniapilosa and the large-leaved gentian. The clear and melodious tones can be heard now and then in the forests, but no one knows who the singers are. The green Muzart River rushes down the valley.
Walking ahead, you can see the squirrels, snow hares and pheasants jumping out of the bushes from time to time. Chubby marmots are always covertly nibbling their food, and standing around looking at the people passing by. Soon after, a Kazak couple, herders and the guardians of this Forest Farm, will greet you in front of a wooden cabin. They rarely go to the town, except when their daily necessities are used up. Their horses, sheep and cows are grazing in the forest, and they live a peaceful life. Often, like the herders up in the mountains, they offer generous help to the explorers and tourists coming here.
The hot spring of Xiata, dwelling at the bottom of the valley, is the best reward for the exhausted explorers. The temperature of the water, 42 to 64 ℃ is good for people's health.
Translated by Zhou Xiaoling
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