2018 Xinjiang Journey: Northern Xinjiang Seventh Day
Xinjiang D7 Tour
Mileage: 600km
Itinerary:
Schedule: Early 7 AM ~ Late 9 PM
At six o'clock in the morning, we woke up from our dreams and began to head west along the G30 highway. The G30 highway, also known as the Jinzhou-Hulunbuir Highway, connects Jinzhou and Hulunbuir Port and is a major artery extending east to west. Along the northern foot of the Tian Shan Mountains, it winds down for five hours before arriving at the starting point of the Krylgan Highway in Krymskiy Rayon, Urumqi.
The Krylgan Highway is part of National Highway 217, which starts at Altai City and extends south to, a total length of 2500 kilometers, connecting the north and south of Xinjiang. The Krylgan Highway is the most dangerous and most beautiful section of this highway. Due to the high altitude and complex geological conditions, many PLA soldiers, some as young as 16, sacrificed their lives during its construction. The Krylgan Highway is only open for four months each year from June to September, and it is not regular and is often closed, making it a rare opportunity to self-drive this section.
We arrived at the Krylgan Highway in the afternoon. The journey is long, so we first stopped at a farmhouse called Tian Shan Garden for lunch and officially began our Krylgan Highway tour. From the starting point to 600 kilometers, we experienced what it means to be thrilling and exciting, and we also deepened our respect for the PLA soldiers who built this road.
The highway was full of stones, landslides, and steep slopes, which were really a heart-stopping experience. The phrase ‘infinite scenery in dangerous peaks’ was fully verified on the Krylgan Highway. We crossed over a section of difficult terrain, and vast grasslands, waterfalls, and snow-capped mountains came into view. We've seen many famous mountains and rivers, but when we face Tian Shan, we can only sincerely admire it! It is a fairy-tale world, a paradise, and a beauty that cannot be described in words! It's shocking, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and wonderful - we feel like we want to shout and cry!
After arriving at Krylma, we filled up with oil and reached Nalati National Forest. Due to the continuous decrease in altitude, the vegetation here became rich. Tall and straight pine trees stretched towards the clouds, and grasslands alternated with forests. The evening sunlight cast colorful hues!
At nine o’clock, as the sky darkened, we decided to spend a night outdoors to enjoy the gifts of nature. A Kazakh couple’s guesthouse on the roadside attracted us. They helped us process two kilograms of lamb according to Kazakh traditional methods, which tasted great! We ate rice cooked in our car's portable rice cooker, and chatted with tourists from Urumqi while enjoying it. Time passed quickly, and after finishing the meal, we paid the Kazakh couple 20 yuan for the processing fee, which they generously waived. They invited us to take photos with their family, and they readily accepted, ending the day’s journey.
