Xinjiang

Bayanbulak. Bayanbulak, a 5A scenic spot in the making!!! You can visit, but don't come just for the 'Nine Suns' or the filming location of 'The Racing Life'. On June 15th, only three attractions were open in the scenic area, claiming that the roads were not yet repaired. I heard a young lady asking where the filming location of 'The Racing Life' was, and it seems like a wasted trip if you can't see it. At the tourist center, you buy tickets; an adult ticket for the entrance and scenic shuttle bus costs 96 yuan. After boarding the bus, it takes an hour driving through a small town before you reach the first attraction, which is indeed the second largest grassland in China. ‼️ The first stop is Swan Paradise, with less than ten swans and a large number of red-billed gulls (probably), one of which pooped on my pants. The birds and swans here will eat naan bread, and I saw tourists breaking it up to feed them. The swans linger under the bridge, apparently used to being fed. ‼️ The second stop is Barun Temple, the last mobile temple on the grassland. It is said to have been built during the Qing Dynasty, but it was actually built later and no longer moves. ‼️ The last stop is the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns. It's the end of the bus route, and you need to walk three kilometers or take an electric cart, which costs 18 yuan for a round trip. ❗️ Near the final stop, there's a circular dome hall that I thought would be an exhibition about grassland culture, but it turns out to be about Mongolian milk tea, with some old utensils displayed. There's a large service counter with nothing on it yet. Another place called 'Return to the East' is not yet finished, with plans for a supermarket and restaurant, but currently, only a milk tea shop is open, with other empty stalls. In the electric cart ticket hall, you can only queue up to buy paper tickets, and besides the ticket window, there are many fast-food stalls. ❗️ Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns: I entered the scenic area at four in the afternoon, and the light was against me at the Eighteen Bends, making the photos look bad, with the grass appearing very dark (15pm vivid 2x zoom). When it's cloudy and overcast, you can forget about seeing the sunset. On the other hand, the view on the other side of the boardwalk is quite beautiful, with hills scattered about, adding a unique charm to the wetland grassland. Especially on cloudy and rainy days, the distant clouds and mist add layers to the view, making it the only scenery worth the money. I say 'only' because the two-hour round trip on the scenic bus is marred by very dirty windows, which greatly diminishes the enjoyment of the scenery along the way. This is a common problem in other scenic areas as well, and I suggest that buses in scenic areas with rides longer than half an hour should clean their windows. ‼️ Scenic area temperature: Today was buffed with clouds, showers, light rain, and strong winds, super cold. I was shivering in a short-sleeved shirt, down vest, and jacket, and had to put on my dad's ultra-light down jacket to avoid being chilled through. It might be warmer in July and August, and I didn't see any mosquitoes today, so the mosquito repellent and incense were unnecessary. ‼️ Town accommodation: Compared to other places, it's not cheap and the conditions are average. I heard that this town only operates when the Duku Highway is open, and it becomes a dead city when the road is closed. This explains the level of consumption in Bayanbulak during the tourist season; they don't open for business all year, but when they do, they make enough for the year. ‼️ Advantages of the scenic area: Good signal throughout, and no shortage of buses. ‼️ Conclusion: It's worth visiting to appreciate the unique beauty of the wetland grassland, but don't set your expectations too high. It's not too late to wait until the scenic area is fully developed before visiting.