We spent two magical days in Hemu

Going to Xinjiang has been a strong wish in my heart for the past two years. Finally, I had a time slot in August, so I signed up online for a nine-day outdoor photography group.

I booked my flight tickets early and searched in the group for a roommate who would share a room with me in Jiutian. I was very happy that I successfully shared a room with a sister Li from Shanghai. The two added WeChat and became familiar with each other before they met.

On the afternoon of the 20th, twenty-three teammates from different cities gathered in Urumqi. In the hotel, I met Sister Li, a beautiful, gentle, refreshing and quick-witted Shanghainese with no "composition" at all. woman. With the communication before the meeting, there was no unfamiliarity between the two of us, and we were as happy as old friends.

The route we traveled this time was in the northern part of Xinjiang, mainly the Altay region. In the first three days, we visited "Devil City", Baihaba and Kanas. For the first time, I experienced the vastness and desolate primitive scenery of Xinjiang. On the fourth day, we arrived at Hemu, the legendary “God’s private land”.

The bus just entered Hemu Village. Both sides of the road were full of wooden inns and shops. I felt a little disappointed. It felt too commercial and not as primitive and quiet as expected. The bus continued to move forward, and the shops There are fewer and fewer fairy-tale cabins scattered on the grassy hillsides. From time to time, I see horses and cows grazing with their heads down. It is such a quiet pastoral pasture scenery. My mood suddenly improves, and I look greedily at it. This paradise on earth, I sincerely sigh: It’s so beautiful!

Our inn was next to a birch forest. Since I saw the birch forest for the first time, I was excited and fresh. I put down my luggage and couldn’t wait to get into the forest. Sister Li and several teammates went shopping. supplies. Half an hour later, Sister Li called and said that she had found another inn with better conditions and a bathroom. The layout was very romantic. A teammate also wanted to live there, and I readily agreed. Then I continued to enjoy and take photos in the birch forest alone.

As the sun set, I reluctantly left the birch forest and went to the inn arranged by Sister Li. As soon as I entered the yard, a colorful kelsang flower came into view. The pink and purple flowers were blooming with smiles on their faces. I jumped up with excitement. I didn't expect to see kelsang flowers here. I was there the year before last. I have seen a lot of them in Tibet, and I always feel that Kelsang flowers are only found in Tibet.

There are a total of four rooms in the inn. There are nine of us. Except for Sister Li and I who live in one room, there are exactly three guest rooms for three families. Therefore, in this small courtyard, we are like A big family was formed temporarily, everyone looked after each other, and the laughter was so lively.

Let me introduce our family members:

The eldest brother from Beijing: sixty years old, tall and stalwart, elegant and gentle, with a dignified appearance. I can imagine how handsome he was when he was young. State Council work.

Beijing eldest sister: The wife of Beijing eldest brother, she is fifty-nine years old, with elegant light makeup, slim figure, cheerful words, and strong affinity. A beauty. CCTV work.

Shanghai Sister Li: Forty-eight years old, fair and dignified, kind-hearted, quick in work, calm and generous. Corporate department head.

Shenzhen Mama Cai (later we called Director Cai): She is in her forties, small and beautiful, soft-spoken, gentle in manner, and full of literature and art. Occupation unknown.

Shenzhen Xiao Cai, the son of Cai’s mother, is thirteen years old, mature, humorous, loves thinking, and has strong learning ability. Middle school students at school.

Mr. Duan from Shenzhen, in his thirties, has a bookish face, is gentle, thoughtful, and loves sports. Corporate white-collar workers.

Shenzhen Xiao Yang: Mrs. Duan Gongzi, in her thirties, slender, gentle, courteous and restrained, gentle and gentle. Corporate white-collar workers.

Shenzhen Xiao Duan: The son of Mr. Duan, nine years old, smart, sensible, lively and cheerful. He has a celebrity face (just like Tong Dawei when he was young). Elementary school students.

Me: Henan native, an ordinary middle-aged man who loves traveling and coding.

Nine people come from different cities, different ages, and different life backgrounds, but they all come together for the same purpose - traveling. Because this inn is called "Hemu Family", the nine of us formed a group, and Cai's mother named it "Hemu Family". Everyone applauded unanimously and it felt like home.

The innkeeper is a Hui boy named Ma. He is tall, has thick eyebrows and big eyes. He is good at cooking and extremely enthusiastic. We decided to stay at Xiao Ma's house for both food and accommodation these two days.

For dinner, Brother Ma cooked six special dishes that were full of color, aroma, and taste, with a combination of meat and vegetables. He also heated up a pot of fragrant milk tea. While enjoying the delicious food, we praised Brother Ma’s dishes. Cooking skills, he just smiled shyly and said nothing.

After dinner, everyone chatted, read, and drank tea in the living room of the inn until after twelve o'clock. Brother Xiao Ma enthusiastically told everyone that to watch the sunrise in the morning, you have to go to the observation deck on the opposite side of the mountain. It takes about forty minutes to walk. If you don't want to walk, you can ride a horse. Twenty minutes of walking on the horse track is enough. Sunrise time is about 7:40. He was also kindly reminded to dress warmly as the temperature in the morning was only about 1 degree. We thanked each other and went back to our rooms to rest.

At seven o'clock the next morning, the crowing of the rooster woke me up. I opened the curtains and it was bright. I got out of the warm bed and washed up quickly. I called Sister Li softly. She said it was a bit cold. Too tired to go. So I quickly went out with my camera on my back and my cell phone. There are not many pedestrians on the road. Some are carrying professional photography cameras, walking in a hurry for fear of missing the sunrise time.

After crossing the Hemu River by the village, we reached the foot of the mountain. Several Kazakh grooms led the horses to solicit business. Worried about the tight time, I decided to ride up the mountain. I paid the groom fifty yuan and he helped me. I helped the horse, told me to sit firmly, patted the horse's butt, and the horse went up the mountain on its own along the bridleway. I was scared but worried that the sound would startle the horse, so I turned around and asked the groom softly, "Why don't you hold the horse?" ? The groom smiled mysteriously: It's okay, the horse knows the way, it will send you up, and after you get up, just tie the horse to the stake. I felt uneasy and let the horse carry me arduously towards the mountain. I was alone with one horse along the way, and the surroundings were silent and quiet, with only the slow sound of horse hooves and the horse's heavy breathing. I was so nervous that I didn't even dare to cough.

After more than ten minutes, the horse arrived on a flat meadow, saw the tourists, and finally relaxed. In front of a horse post, the horse stopped, and I got off the horse carefully. After I tied the horse, I gently patted its forehead: You are so skilled at your business! Thank you!

The east is getting brighter and brighter, and the sun is about to come out. The photographers who had been waiting for the sunrise early were ready, standing beside their tripods rubbing their hands and stamping their feet. There was a white layer of frost on the grass, and I suddenly realized that it was very cold. I blamed myself for underestimating the weather in Xinjiang and not wearing too thick clothes. I had already put on everything I needed to wear, even my pajamas and pajamas, but the chill was still biting.

When we reached the edge of the meadow, Hemu Village had a panoramic view. I was not only amazed: Wonderland! wonderland! There is such beauty in the world! So beautiful! So magical!

The small wooden houses are arranged in an orderly manner, like building blocks. A light blue mist floated above the village, and the smoke slowly dispersed. The sun slowly rises and shines on the half-sloped roof, half bright and half dark. You can vaguely see horses and cattle grazing on the grass. The river meanders along the edge of the village. The dense and lush forest surrounds the village, forming a Natural protective barrier. I marveled at the miraculous craftsmanship of nature and lamented the peaceful and quiet beauty it has gifted to the world.

The hand pressing the shutter button is almost frozen with cold, but it is still pressing down mechanically, not once twice, not twice, not three times, for fear of missing this wonderful moment. The tourists around were very quiet, except for the constant sound of the shutter.

When the sun is higher and the whole village is bathed in warm sunshine, the light blue mist gradually dissipates, the wooden houses become clearer and clearer, and the cry of cows can be heard in the distance. The child's laughter disturbed the village's dream, and it gradually woke up and became brighter. The Tuva people's day begins slowly in this peaceful and beautiful atmosphere.

After their eyes were full, the tourists gradually became joyful and went down the mountain in twos and threes. I seemed to be looking at the other side of the meadow, where a lonely wooden house stood in the distance. I walked towards it involuntarily. The frost and dew were kissed by the sun and were moist and bright. The clear grass up to my ankles wetted my shoes and trousers. I walked softly on them, and an unprecedented sense of happiness rippled in my heart.

As we get closer to the wooden house, we can already see clothes hanging to dry on the wooden fence wall and haystacks where livestock spend the winter. I approached cautiously and found that the wooden house was locked, and the clothes hanging to dry had long been weathered and discolored. I guess the family may have moved to other pastures and have not yet returned. You may forget to take your clothes back when you are in a hurry. Further inside, there is another wooden house with the same haystacks in the courtyard. I don't know whose cattle were lying or standing on the grass, looking at me, an uninvited guest, and mooing twice in warning. I knew I had disturbed them, so I turned around and returned.

It was already nine o'clock. Sister Li called and said that everyone was waiting for me to eat. I quickened my pace.

When we returned to the inn, everyone had already served the food. I apologized for delaying everyone, but everyone thought I had merit and eagerly let me share the beautiful sunrise. We just ate and talked about the sunrise.

After breakfast, Brother Ma suggested that we go to Hemu Canyon and return for lunch at two o'clock. Considering that it was not very strong, everyone did not bring any extra items and set off lightly.

Passing through a birch forest, we went up a hillside, with another large meadow on top. There were so many women, it was lively. Everyone wanted to take photos, so five women posed for photos. The four men watched the excitement from a distance. At this time, Cai's mother suggested that everyone take a photo of the flying photos. The elder brother from Beijing praised her for being creative and good at directing, so he jokingly called her "Director Cai", so everyone cheered "Director Cai, Director Cai". From then on, Cai Ma got another nickname. Next, under the guidance of "Director Cai", each person took turns performing "flying into the sky". The performers exerted all their energy and concentrated on the performance, and the audience acted as photographers, climbing or respecting them. Their concentration was not inferior to that of professionals. The eldest sister from Beijing took off her silk scarf and danced in the air. At the age of fifty-nine, she was as light as a swallow and her posture was graceful.

Everyone finished the performance and was about to go, but the elder brother from Beijing and Xiao Cai and Xiao Duan were missing. Mr. Duan said that the two children really didn’t want to go crazy with us women and had to leave first. The elder brother was worried. Leave with the kids first.

We asked Mr. Duan why he didn’t leave, and Mr. Duan said warmly, if you ladies need help, it won’t happen without a man around you. What a considerate and warm man! We looked at Xiao Yang and said sincerely: Xiao Yang, you really married the right person! Xiao Yang looked at her husband happily and felt embarrassed.

Next, a group of people chatted and laughed and continued to move forward. Along the way, "Director Cai" directed another set of films, which was really good. Everyone held dandelions to face the sun, and it felt very warm and beautiful.

After walking for a long time and climbing over a hill, we still didn’t find the canyon. We all suspected that we had gone the wrong way. We called the big brother in Beijing and they said they were waiting for us by the river. Duan added that there were three big rocks just past the meadow, and there was a fork next to it that led to the river. We recalled together that we seemed to have seen those three rocks. Only then did I realize that a long way had passed. Xiao Duan was such an attentive child that he actually remembered the route. Everyone started to go back, thanks to Mr. Duan, a good man, who led us one by one through the steep and slippery road. Finally we found the elder brother and the two children in Beijing. It was past one o'clock in the afternoon before we knew it. We didn't find the canyon, but it was rewarding to enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river. The nine people went down the river and headed back home.

It was already half past two when we returned to the inn. Brother Ma had already prepared a sumptuous lunch, and even slaughtered a large native chicken that he had raised for several years and was reluctant to eat. We were already starving, and filling our stomachs was now the top priority. Everyone concentrated on feeding their own stomachs. No one spoke.

After eating and drinking, the lively atmosphere immediately returned, chattering about the scene of taking pictures in the morning. During this period, the young master took out his mobile phone and showed everyone a photo. Everyone exclaimed, he was so considerate, and even took a panoramic photo from a distance of us who were concentrating on taking pictures. We were taking pictures of the performers, he was taking pictures of us, and we were taking pictures. I had no idea, it was so interesting! So precious!

In the afternoon, everyone was very tired and decided to rest in the inn. Some read, some slept, and some lay on the rocking chairs on the terrace in a daze to soak up the sun. It is rare to have such a leisurely and peaceful time, and truly experience a fairy-like life.

At nine o'clock in the morning on the third day, our whole group gathered to go to the next stop. While waiting for the bus, I couldn't help but take out my phone and take a few final photos of this mythical little village.

I reluctantly said goodbye to Hemu, and I said to myself in my heart that I will definitely come back to the cabin, the birch forest, the meadow, the pasture... In your gorgeous golden autumn, in In the harsh winter when you are covered with snow, in the early spring when your eyes are full of greenness, I will stand at the entrance of the village and look at you affectionately! Hemu, wait for me!

In the next few days, we visited: Ulungu Lake, Cocosuli, Cocotuo Sea, Colorful City, different geographical features, and different visual feasts.

The desolate Gobi wilderness, the endless desert pastures, the fat cattle and the strong horses, the white yurts, the beautiful Northern Xinjiang, the colorful Altay, the comfortable and peaceful paradise on earth - Hemu, you must come!