Life at Full Speed—Bayanbulak, the Eternal 'Earth'

⏳ Visiting Time: 3-4 hours 📍 Detailed Address: The Bayanbulak Scenic Area is located in the northwestern part of Hejing County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, situated in the hinterland of the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. It covers an area of about 1259.47 square kilometers, which is larger than the land area of the Hong Kong administrative region (1113.67 square kilometers). The scenic area is a natural landscape tourism area based on the high-altitude meadow grassland and alpine marsh wetland ecosystems in the high-position large mountain basin of the Tianshan Mountains, with the upper reaches of the Kaidu River, river bends, and marsh wetlands as the main body. 🧳 Preparations Before Departure: The Bayanbulak Scenic Area mainly consists of Swan Lake, Barun Kure, and the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns, three attractions. A shuttle bus is required for transportation due to the vast area of the scenic spot. It takes nearly 40 minutes to travel from the visitor center to the first attraction, Swan Lake, so it is necessary to prepare power banks, hot water, snacks, and other supplies. 🌟 Swan Lake is actually a large marshland composed of many interconnected small lakes and is China's first swan nature reserve. The reserve is rich in aquatic plants and has a cool and moist climate. There are as many as 128 species of birds. When the setting sun casts its glow, Swan Lake shines with golden light, and the white swans play freely by the lake, maintaining their dignified posture even in the face of tourists' calls. 🌟 On the way to the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns, there is a temple attraction called 'Barun Kure'. Kure means 'temple' in the local language. In the middle of the Bayanbulak grassland, there is a mountain called A'erbin Mountain, hence Barun Kure is also known as the A'erbin Lama Temple. The Tuerhute people, like the Manchu, believe in Tibetan Buddhism and regard the lama temple as a spiritual refuge and a sacred place for pilgrimage. Barun Kure used to be a 'mobile temple', which means the temple was placed on a movable carriage, allowing the Tuerhute people to worship at any time during their migration. ✅ Must Experience: 'Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns'—The Bayanbulak grassland has a total of 13 springs, 7 lakes, and 20 rivers. The Kaidu River, winding through the grassland, is known as the 'Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns'. In one of China's four great classical novels, 'Journey to the West', the Kaidu River is also known by the popular name 'Tongtian River'. According to legend, the 'Scripture Drying Island' where Tang Sanzang went to obtain scriptures is located within Hejing County, filled with a mysterious aura. The Bayanbulak Swan Lake Reserve is situated in the high mountain basin upstream of this river, and the river's delta is China's largest inland freshwater lake—Bosten Lake. My impression of Bayanbulak originated from a textbook I studied in elementary school, and later, from the scenes of Zhang Chi driving on the racetrack in the movie 'Life at Full Speed'. At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, I came to the Bayanbulak grassland, driving from the Nalati grassland along the Duku Highway. Due to the long distance, I was fortunate to be among the last group to enter the scenic area before it closed. Under the sunset, we were lucky to witness the vast highland grassland scenery, with the snow-capped Tianshan Mountains stretching endlessly in the distance, like guardian deities protecting this peaceful land rich in water and grass. At sunset, the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns shimmer like a silver ribbon under the twilight sky, blending with the changing clouds on the horizon, displaying the breathtaking beauty of nature.