Clouds and Poetry of Xinjiang 10
PART4 Clouds Traveling Beyond Tianshan
DAY9 7.28
All Seasons Hotel (Yining Shandong Road Branch) - Nalati Grassland (about 258 km)
Today we rested at the hotel for half a day, and the car needed maintenance, so we took it to the only 4S shop in Yining for servicing. The shop had just been renovated, so no car wash or charging was available.
The maintenance was completed in less than an hour. We went to a nearby supermarket to buy some food and drinks.
Around 2:30 PM, after a short rest, we set off for Nalati.
After refining our plan, since we hadn’t booked Nalati in advance, we planned to take the shuttle bus inside.
We arrived at the visitor center around 5:30 PM, but luckily, perhaps because it was a bit late and the weather was bad, we managed to buy a self-driving ticket and drove straight in.
Since there are some scattered details, here is a summary of the itinerary:
On 7.28, after 5 PM at the Nalati Sky Grassland; on 7.29, around 10 AM, we returned to Nalati, toured the Sky Grassland again, then visited Panlong Ancient Trail, the valley grassland, had lunch at 1:30 PM, then took the Duku Highway to Bayinbuluke, watched the Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns at night, and stayed in a cabin.
———————Nalati Grassland————————
First stop – Sky Grassland
The 28th was a cloudy day, misty and hazy. The mountain road was empty of cars, but this gave the grassland its original tranquility and quietness. The overcast clouds covered the mountains like a mysterious veil, darkening the tone of Nalati, yet despite this, it cast a profound and majestic atmosphere.
We climbed to the mid-mountain, the winding mountain road looked like a belt, the mist gradually spread downward like a fairyland. In the depths of the mist, a few scattered wooden houses and yurts added a touch of vitality. Up to the mountain top, the view was not steep or perilous but an endless expanse, evoking a sense of broad-mindedness as if seeing light after darkness. Cattle and sheep strolled leisurely, occasionally a stream flowed by, sometimes rushing with white foam, sometimes calm and crystal clear. We were intoxicated by nature’s gift; the world seemed like an ink painting.
Thinking of this, I suddenly recalled learning Chinese painting as a child. The teacher asked us to copy works; I painted bamboo, plum blossoms, orchids, and experienced the hazy beauty rendered by light ink and the aged feeling created by dry ink strokes, representing tree rings. At that time, young as I was, I didn’t understand why the tones were so elegant yet captivating, which matched the idea of seclusion. Does such a quiet place really exist in the world? Are painters just utopias of the human soul? Chinese painting lacks the vividness of oil painting, the strangeness of abstract art, and the realism of sketching, so what exactly does it depict?
Today, I finally understand that Chinese painting portrays the spirit of the nation. Its deep cultural code lies in the continuous inheritance of "cultural lineage" and "artistic charm." From Neolithic painted pottery patterns to contemporary ink wash, this art form continuously interprets the unique Chinese civilization’s understanding of the universe, life, and art, becoming one of the most recognizable cultural genes. Understanding Chinese painting is essentially decoding the image record of the Chinese spiritual world. Moreover, Chinese painting is not a fantasy; it depicts real rural life, like Tao Yuanming’s "dogs barking in deep alleys, roosters crowing on mulberry trees," emitting a genuine human warmth in its subtle colors, also carrying the scholarly spirit through the paper.
Near evening, the grass sledding and cable car had closed. Actually, we should have visited the nomads first, then the Heavenly Terrace, but we went down from the Heavenly Terrace to the cable car and descended directly. On the way, we saw a beekeeper woman. This route was relatively easy; the slope we came up was steeper. After descending, we took some photos at the flower sea below.
Then we stayed at Shiguangli Inn. I must say, it was really good, with space capsules and cabins (both detached and connected). We stayed in a cabin, which was a great experience!!
We ate dinner at the inn; the lamb skewers were average, but the dishes were good.
A night of sweet dreams.
The next day, continuing at Nalati!
Second visit to the Sky Grassland. Today the sky was blue, but the poetic mood of yesterday was gone. More people brought noise, which was quite annoying. If yesterday’s Nalati was a Chinese painting, today’s was an oil painting, and we can see such works in many Western art schools.
But it was still very good, just a different realm from yesterday.
The famous internet celebrity bridge is next to the nomads’ home. We queued for a while and after more than half an hour, quickly took some photos (the photographer was professional).
We briefly drove through Panlong Ancient Trail and the valley grassland without hiking, but it felt quite good.
There was even some aesthetic fatigue; if time is tight, I recommend just going to the Sky Grassland.
(Xuelian Valley requires a ticket, which we didn’t buy.)
At noon, we ate outside the scenic area. The locals are Uyghurs and very hospitable. We had oily meat noodles and flatbread. Both were delicious.
(The afternoon part will be recorded in the next travelogue)