Day 5 of Xinjiang Trip 2019: Qitai → Jiangbulak → Karamay City, the City of Petroleum

Qitai County is about 50 kilometers from Jiangbulak, a 45-minute drive. We arrived at the scenic area parking lot at 10 am, bought tickets, and drove into the scenic area ourselves. There are parking lots at each scenic spot along the road, so you can stop and take a look whenever you want, or just drive by if you prefer. In Kazakh, 'Jiangbulak' means 'the source of holy water'. It is located at the southeastern edge of the Tianshan Mountains and the Junggar Basin, in a temperate semi-humid climate, nurturing one of the earliest and most well-preserved oasis cultures. As a continuation of the Tianshan World Natural Heritage site, the main attractions include the Tianshan Wheat Sea, Tianshan Strange Slope, Flower Sea, Jiangbulak Grand Canyon, Broken Bridge, Xinhur River, and more. The first stop inside, the most stunning Tianshan Wheat Sea, is determined by the terrain in terms of the size and direction of the wheat fields, forming a natural crisscrossing wheat field of thousands of acres. The wheat field landscape changes with the seasons, presenting a large-scale earthy artwork distinguished by clearly demarcated color blocks, known as China's most beautiful wheat field. The Tianshan Strange Slope is 290 meters long and 80 meters wide, running from north to south, and is locally known as the 'reverse slope'. When driving downhill from north to south, the car needs to increase power, but when it reaches the bottom of the slope, the vehicle automatically drives uphill in neutral with the engine off. In some parts, water flows from lower to higher ground, creating the magical phenomenon of 'easy uphill, hard downhill' and 'water flows backward on rainy days, and cars need to accelerate when going downhill'. No matter from which angle you look, it is an obvious slope. At the Strange Slope attraction, there are bicycles prepared for tourists to personally experience the charm of the Strange Slope. On May 17, 2005, after an on-site inspection by the headquarters of the Guinness World Records in Shanghai, a certificate was issued, and the 'Tianshan Strange Slope' with its 290-meter slope length was recognized as the longest strange slope in the world. Jiangbulak Grand Canyon has an average altitude of 1900 meters and stretches for 15 kilometers. The most prominent feature of the canyon is the interwoven scenery of birch and maple forests. The different colors of the forests change with the seasons, and the sunlight directly affects the depth of the colors in the canyon. There is also a viewing wooden walkway built in the canyon, which is very steep and looks like it shoots straight into the sky from a distance, hence it is also called the 'Cloud Ladder'. In Jiangbulak, you can just find a spot to sit and jump far away, and the beauty of nature will leap before your eyes, breathtaking and refreshing, a place where you can sit quietly for a whole day. There are restaurants and accommodations in the scenic area. If you stay here, you can experience the beauty of Jiangbulak in the early morning. We left Jiangbulak at 4 pm for Karamay City, a total of 530 kilometers to Jinjiang Inn (Karamay Petroleum Building Bairui Plaza Store). It was already past 11 pm, and the sun had just set. The restaurant opposite the hotel was still very lively, with many people just starting their dinner. The night in Xinjiang comes particularly late, and now it's time to get used to this kind of life.