Meet flowers, flowers bloom, meet snow, snow melts

Xinjiang, this name originated from the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese transliteration is Xinjiang which means “New Frontier”, representing the expansion of the Qing Dynasty at that time. Located in the northwest of China, bordering Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, Xinjiang is a land that gathers many different ethnic groups such as Uyghur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrguz, Mongolian… but the main religion worshiped by the people here is Islam.

KASHGAR, DESERT OASIS

Our journey began with a long flight from Hanoi to Kashgar, one of the world's oldest cities with over 2,000 years of history, located in the southwest of Xinjiang. Over 1,000 years ago, Kashgar was a beautiful oasis on the Silk Road and was also the capital of the Uyghur people, the hometown of Ham Huong.

Coming to Kashgar, you cannot miss the livestock market held every Sunday, where farmers bring buffaloes, cows, sheep, goats... to buy and sell in the traditional way. And don't forget to visit the old town of Kashgar, admire the ancient architecture of the Uyghur people, try a skewer of grilled lamb with a strong Xinjiang flavor, buy a freshly baked naan, join a tea party with vibrant ethnic music, watch Uyghur girls spinning in red skirts... Walking along the streets of the old town of Kashgar, seeing the thousand-year-old traces left on the roofs, watching people selling products from carpets, household items, spices, or small stone decorations..., sometimes I feel that a thousand years have passed but everything seems to be the same as the beginning.

Leaving Kashgar, we traveled along the Karakoram Highway, considered the 8th wonder of the world, to Tashkurgan, a small town located near the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, also close to the border of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. We went in early April, the beginning of spring here. On the high mountain peaks, snow was still covering the ground and Karukal Lake was still in a semi-frozen state, the clear lake water reflecting the high, blue sky created a magical landscape. Along both sides of the road, rows of delicate white almond flowers mixed with rows of shrubs sprouting new buds after the snow melted, occasionally a herd of yaks or sheep leisurely grazing under the trees. The weather in Kashgar is as fickle as a 17-year-old girl - yesterday it was sunny and blue, the next day there was a desert sandstorm, dust swirling everywhere.

THOUSAND MILES OF ALMOND FLOWERS IN YILI, YINING

Returning to Kashgar to catch the next flight, we arrived at Hanh Hoa Cau in Yili, Yining (in Vietnamese, read as Yining). Yili is located in the Ili River basin, north of the Tianshan Mountains, and is mainly inhabited by Uyghurs and Kazazh people. During the Tang Dynasty, after leaving Dunhuang, in addition to passing through the Taklamakan Desert, the Silk Road could also go around the Ili River basin to reach Persia (now Iran). Iili was also the westernmost point of China during the Qing Dynasty.

Different from other lands in Xinjiang, where the rocks are dry and rocky, Yining is fertilized by the alluvium of the Yili River, with vast stretches of green fields, favorable for agricultural development and livestock raising. Xinghua Gou in Yili, Yining, is a valley of plum blossoms, planted by Chinese youth during the Cultural Revolution and has been a famous tourist destination in the past 10 years. Unfortunately, due to the hot weather, the flowers bloomed earlier than expected this year, and when we arrived at Xinghua Gou, the flower hills had already entered a state of withering. But luckily, thanks to the help of the enthusiastic driver, we found a small Xinghua Gou nearby.

The almond blossom hill that we found was known to very few tourists, so the whole team had a hard time finding the way up the hill. But the effort we put in was extremely well rewarded. Sitting under a giant almond tree in full bloom and looking down at the valley below, I thought I was standing in the middle of the peach forest of Chiet Nhan in the novel “Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms” by author Duong That Cong Tu. The almond blossoms in Yining are quite special, when they first bloom they are light pink, then gradually turn white, so the pink and white flowers intertwine to create a scene like a fairyland.

More than 120 km from Yining city is Sayram Lake (in Kazakh, Sayram means “blessing”). According to local beliefs, this lake is a symbol of love, the tears of a separated couple, a sparkling pearl lying at the foot of snow-capped mountains. The architecture of the tourist area built near the lake is influenced by Russian and Kazakh culture, so it looks like a small European village, the entire tourist area is built of pine wood with a fragrant wood smell.

Xinjiang is one of the 5 autonomous regions of China, unlike Tibet - you must have a permit and must go through a travel agency, most tourist destinations in Xinjiang allow foreign tourists to just need a visa and travel freely, but you will often be checked by the police for passports as well as personal information and schedules. During a day of travel, you may have to go to the police station 3-4 times and it takes quite a while to complete the procedures, but the police station in Sayram left me with the best impressions in the journey about the friendliness and hospitality that overcomes language barriers.

HIDDEN PARADISE IN KANAS

Leaving the east of Xinjiang, we continued our journey north to Kanas Nature Reserve and Hemu Village. Kanas is associated with Kanas Lake, a crescent-shaped lake located along the valley surrounded by the Altay Mountains. After the ice melts, the lake has emerald green water, is the deepest freshwater lake in China and was formed more than 200,000 years ago. Kanas in Mongolian means “mysterious beauty”, so named because the lake is often covered with mist. From Moon Bay, you can see the Kanas Glacier winding through the poplar forests like a jade green silk ribbon across the mountain range.

Deep in the Kanas Nature Reserve is Hemu Village, one of the most beautiful villages in China. Hemu Village is deep and isolated from other areas, like a hidden paradise. We arrived at the village when the snow had almost melted, not the peak season so the number of tourists was quite low, which helped to preserve the village's tranquility.

Spending a morning sipping coffee in a wooden house next to a babbling brook, everything calmed down after a long journey. In the afternoon, we walked up to the observation deck to watch the sunset and smoke rising from the houses. The houses in Hemu are completely made of wood, from the roof, walls to the nails are also made of wood. In particular, the walls are logs with a diameter of 30 or 40 cm stacked on top of each other, making the house both warm and moisture-proof. The entrance to the house is always placed on the east side. When building a new house, the homeowner puts a white curtain on the beam to wish for peace - this is also a typical cultural feature of the Tuvas, the main residents of Hemu village.

At this time, the snow had almost melted so we were lucky to see Hoa Moc village covered in white snow like a fairyland. The yellow flowers blooming along the hillside signaled the arrival of spring and our journey was almost over.

If you come to Xinjiang, spend a day in Urumqi. Morning is a good time to visit the bazaar, where famous local specialties such as red apples and grapes are sold. Due to its geographical location far from the sea, as well as the special soil and farming methods, Xinjiang's red apples and grapes are sweet and of outstanding quality. In Xinjiang, when the apples and grapes are ripe, they are kept on the trees until the desert wind dries them, then people shake the roots to make the apples fall and harvest - this is also a special thing that makes the quality of Xinjiang's red apples better than other regions.

Spend the remaining half of the day visiting the Urumqi Museum, which showcases the history and culture of this unique land. And don’t forget to visit the second floor of the museum to visit the mummy section, which displays hundreds of mummies excavated in the Xinjiang region, especially the famous “Beauty of Loulan”, along with a series of other mummies excavated in the Xinjiang region.

Xinjiang is a place you should not miss, whether you are a nature or culture lover, come here at least once in your life, to see the diversity and difference compared to other lands of China.

MORE INFORMATION

Visa:China is issuing ordinary visas valid for 3 months, allowing single or multiple entries with stays of 15-30 days each. If your trip is longer, choose a visa valid for 6 months or 1 year, with no restrictions on the number of entries.

Trip:There are no direct flights from Vietnam to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, and you usually have to connect in another city in China. We chose China Southern Airlines with flights from Hanoi to Kashgar and back from Urumqi to Hanoi; book domestic tickets through Chinese websites such as http://www.chinatraveldepot.com (English available), http://www.qnuar.cn (Chinese only) or via Wechat.

Time:If you like to see snow and almond blossoms, you should go in late March and early April. You can go to Xinjiang in the summer to see lavender, but autumn is the most beautiful season in Xinjiang. Summer and autumn are the peak tourist seasons in Xinjiang, so the price of travel is also one and a half times more expensive than other seasons.

Transportation:Except for domestic flights from Kashgar to Yining, we rented a car for the whole trip. You can use the train to travel from Urumqi to Kashgar or Yining; and between Kashgar and Yining.

Cuisine: The Kashgar region is Muslim so they mainly eat lamb and naan, however, you can still easily find a Chinese restaurant in Xinjiang. You can also bring dry food from Vietnam but be aware of the regulations on bringing food when entering the country at different stages.

Skin: Because the temperature difference in Xinjiang is up to 20 degrees^oBetween day and night, you should wear layers to easily adjust to the temperature difference.

Money: Xinjiang uses the Chinese Yuan at an exchange rate of 3,400 VND/yuan. Note that you should only bring Chinese Yuan, or Visa or Mastercard, not US dollars because it is very difficult to exchange money in China.

Other notes:

- You only need a Chinese visa to visit other areas in Xinjiang, but Taskgurgan requires a separate permit. For this area, you must contact tour companies to apply for a permit. This area is also over 3,000 m high, so some people will have mild altitude sickness.

- Not all hotels in Xinjiang allow foreigners to stay, so you must find out full information before booking.

- Urumqi Airport in Xinjiang does not allow passengers to stay overnight at the airport, but airlines provide hotel and airport transfer support for passengers whose flights arrive after 1am and will fly out the same morning. You can register with the airline in advance or bring your boarding pass to register at the airport after the plane lands to receive support.

Trip cost: The average cost for a day in Xinjiang (excluding airfare) is 1,000,000 VND/person. The total cost for a 15-day trip is 34,000,000 VND.

Dang Thao