West
White Poplar Gully, 75
kilometers (46 miles)
south of Urumqi, in the
Southern Mountain
(Southern Mountains
generally refers to the
area at the northern
foot of Karawuquntag
Mountain, a spur of the
Tianshan Mountains).
Traveling through this
narrow verdant gully is
a unique experience for
sightseers who love
natural scenery like
snowcapped peaks,
dragon-spruce trees and
wild flowers.
2,100 meters above sea
level, the valley has an
annual precipitation of
500 to 600 millimeters.
Screened by snow-capped
peaks and dotted with
tall and straight dragon
spruce trees, it is an
ideal place to have an
excursion. The Kazakh
usually spend summer
here between May and
October and graze their
herds Visitors can take
a horseback tour guided
by local Kazakh. In a
traditional yurt,
hospital host will
welcome you with
fragrant milk tea,
mare’s milk, cheese and
roasted lamb. The
horse-racing and
traditional Kazakh
dancing are amazing.
More spectacular
landscape comes at the
far end of the valley -
a 2-meter-wide waterfall
cascades 40 meters down,
roaring with mist. It
makes you feel refreshed
and relaxed.
How to get there:
Transport to this area
can be a problem. There
are some buses from the
north end of Renmin Park
off Guangming Lu. |