Autumn in Altay: In the Folds of Northern Xinjiang, Conversing with Deities

Autumn in Altay: In the Folds of Northern Xinjiang, Conversing with Deities When the Siberian winds first cross the Altai Mountains, autumn in Altay begins. This is not the gradually unfolding autumn scenery of Jiangnan, but a grand, almost tragic sacrifice of colors – the entire landscape, before being sealed by winter, condenses all its vitality into a final burst of splendor. --- In the Morning Mist of Kanas, Resides a Wandering Poet At dawn, the moon still hangs on the pine tips of Wolong Bay, and morning mist rises from the surface of Kanas Lake. This is no ordinary mist; it is the sigh exhaled by the mountains and forests on an autumn night, carrying the cool fragrance of spruce and the crisp sweetness of fallen birch leaves. Board a boat and sail towards the center of the lake; the bow cuts through not just water, but crushed jade and gold. Locals say these are the feathers shed by Genghis Khan's hunting eagle as it soared past, transforming into the shimmering light on the water. Sitting alone at the Fish-Watching Pavilion, watch how the sunlight ignites the birch forest on the hillside inch by inch – it's not merely yellow, but lemon yellow mixed with gold dust, then dipped in a touch of ochre on the palette. Occasionally, a migrating camel caravan passes through the woods, their jingling bells startling a few rooks, whose flapping wings scatter fragments of gold onto the ground. The Cooking Smoke of Hemu Village, a Love Letter to the Sky You must spend a night in a wooden cabin in Hemu. As dawn breaks, each log cabin begins to write its own story – cooking smoke curls up from the wood stoves, some straight as pines, some lingering like ribbons, intertwining into transparent lines of poetry above the golden birch forest. Ride a horse up to Hadeng Platform; below, the Hemu River rushes, its riverbank pebbles polished bright by the autumn water, like scattered agates. The birch forest at dusk is best for solitary walks. Treading on thick fallen leaves, it's like walking on a carpet of time. On the peeling bark, there are still marks carved by Kazakh herders years ago, perhaps a girl's name, now grown into the wrinkles of the trees. Keketuohai is Not Just About Shepherds Don't miss autumn in Keketuohai. Shenzhong Mountain stands silent under a crisp blue sky, and the poplar forests on both banks of the Irtysh River dye the water into flowing honey. Follow the shepherds on their ancient migration route, and you will witness the most moving scene: pregnant ewes treading on golden, shattered leaves, their eyes so gentle they seem to melt the entire autumn. The herders say that every leaf here has heard the sound of the Dombra, so their fall to the ground carries a rhythm. The Starry Sky of Baihaba, a Chess Game of the Gods In Baihaba, on the China-Kazakhstan border, night comes exceptionally early. The autumn night sky hangs low, as if you could reach out and ring the wind chimes of the Milky Way. Local Tuva elders will point to the Big Dipper and say it's Genghis Khan's lost stirrup, and shooting stars are arrows shot by their ancestors into the darkness. Gather around the stove, drink a bowl of rich milk tea, and listen to the host play "Black Horse" on the Chu'ur; the notes crystallize into frost flowers in the autumn night, then melt onto everyone's eyelashes. --- Travel Tips: · Late September to early October is the peak, every day is as precious as gold. · When walking alone in the wilderness, consider bringing a copy of "The Corners of Altay." · Hemu is coldest in the early morning; bundle up in a down jacket, but the milk tea in your hand will be the warmest. · If you encounter a migrating herder's caravan, please stop and yield; this is a thousand-year-old etiquette of the grassland. --- Autumn in Altay teaches us: the most beautiful scenery requires trekking, and the deepest peace requires solitary wandering. When the last birch leaf falls, you will discover – it wasn't you searching for autumn, but autumn, after a long journey through time, finally found you.