South Xinjiang unexpected harvest: a little-known cross-country loop!

-This is the 178th original book of self-driving geography-

Hotan, an underestimated self-driving cross-country adventure destination, was rated as one of the top ten adventure tourism destinations in China as early as the first global adventure tourism forum in 218.

just past the end of September, the crossing team of "Pay tribute to hero Hotan's ninth line into Tibet" deeply realized how fun Hotan is! Besides Daliyabuyi, the most difficult desert village to reach in China, Kunlun Tianlu, the most beautiful mythical corridor in southern Xinjiang, the top route of special travel and cross-country crossing, Keriya Ancient Road has also crossed a secret passage that few people have ever walked!

the secret passage of Jing Jue is a shortcut that few people have walked through and leads to the prosperity of the people. Minfeng is the only place to go to Niya site and the entrance to the ancient city site.

Walking in it, you can see obvious roadbed and rut marks. This is because Kunlun Mountain is rich in world-famous Hetian jade, and there are many treasures in the mountain, including rich mineral resources.

At that time, the mine car shuttled back and forth on this road with the ore in the bucket. The weight of the car body compacted the road surface, and at the same time, due to the dry climate, these rut marks were preserved for a long time, so it was also a mining road.

Later, after mining was banned for some reasons, there were fewer tramcars coming and going, and no one had walked through the secret passage for many years.

Although the crossing of Jingjue Secret Road is less difficult than that of Keriya Ancient Road, the diverse geographical features here, such as red soil, riverbed, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, grasslands, lakes ... and complex road conditions, such as gravel roads, gravel roads and wading roads, make this route extremely cross-country challenging!

and this secret passage can well connect the ancient road of heroes, Keriya, the site of Jingjue Ancient City (Niya) and the Great Snow Mountain in Kunlun. Today we are going to introduce such a super cross-country loop! (PS. Crossing the Keriya Ancient Road and the Jingjue Secret Road requires the approval of the local cultural tourism bureau and a pass permit. )

Hetian City is a place that easily arouses people's reverie. Whether it is the night market with the highest temperature, the group city where people can feel the life of local people, the Yulong Kashi River where jade can be dug, or the grape promenade stretching for thousands of miles ... it makes people feel that it is not only Kashgar but Hotan that can represent southern Xinjiang.

(The above picture is to experience the local historical and cultural customs, and you must not miss Hotan Tuancheng. Photography @ yihao)

Yutian county

Our trip started from Hotan city and we came to Yutian county along National Highway 315. Yutian County, known as Jimi in ancient times, is "a land of golden jade and a Buddhist country in Khotan". Since ancient times, it has been a post station on the south road of the Silk Road, a famous business city and one of the important towns in Anxi in the Tang Dynasty. In the 3rd century BC, the "Jade Road" was famous all over the world, and most of the silk exported from the Central Plains to Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe was transported and distributed from here.

In the long history, all kinds of cultures meet in harmony, creating dazzling ancient civilizations, including the myth of Kunlun. The woodblock prints of Dandan Uhrik, the Buddhist temple in Kaladun, and the steelmaking, ironmaking and construction technologies of the ancient city of Yumlakkumu (a national key cultural relics protection unit) all shine with the brilliance of historical wisdom.

Of course, in addition to historical sites, you can't miss the beautiful scenery in Yutian, Daliyabuyi, the Longhu tourist area in Yaochi where the legendary Queen Mother of the West bathed, and the food street ...

Daliyabuyi

If you have enough time, it is suggested that you turn left in Baibazha Town, Yutian County and cross the vast Taklimakan along the desert road along the Keriya River.

(The above picture shows an oasis in the desert-Daliyabuyi, photography @ Sky Image Tintin)

Daliyabuyi people are the last pastoral people who stick to the desert, and they live an isolated life, which means that it will be difficult to cross the desert to Daliyabuyi!

However, when you taste the "Kumagai" desert scone food warmly received by the local people and enjoy the magnificent desert scenery in the depths of Taklimakan, you will feel that all this will be worthwhile ...

(The above picture shows the desert crossing road leading to Dariyabuyi along the journey to the south of the Keriya River. Photography @ Sky Image Tintin)

(The above picture shows "Kumaiqi" with excellent taste, which is wrapped with mutton stuffing that makes people drool. Photography @ Yihao)

Leave Yutian County, and follow the 669 County Road all the way south to Pulu Village, the starting point of the Keriya Ancient Road and the first village to enter Tibet.

As the core section of the ninth line of Hotan-Tibet in Xinjiang, the Keriya ancient road is recognized as a challenging crossing road in the cross-country circle, with an average elevation of 5, meters, and few people have successfully crossed it.

Teacher Wang Tienan, an outdoor explorer in Xinjiang who has crossed this road on foot many times, said that it is the most difficult hiking route, and there is no one! "Geography of Self-driving in China" After discussing with him, Lao Mai Wolf also thinks that this is the most difficult self-driving route, and there is no one!

The Keriya ancient road rises from more than 2, meters above sea level to 5,5 meters. Along the way, there are inaccessible scenery in the hinterland of Kunlun, such as Pulu Valley, Sulphur Daban, Ashkule Volcano Group and Ashkule Lake. The highest point of the ancient road, red clay Daban (at an altitude of 5,5 meters), is the most dangerous zone. The 1.5-kilometer steep downhill rough road has a relative height difference of 476 meters!

Three-dimensional schematic diagram of the ancient road of Keriya (for more information about the ancient road of Keriya, you can inquire about the viewing method by private message or return to the dialog box to reply: Keriya) Drawing @ China Self-driving Geography

Exquisite Secret Road &;

The Kriya River Gorge comes down from Daban, a red soil. Next, we will walk into the Jingjue Secret Road for about 1 kilometers. We found that the location here is very suitable as a temporary camping spot. It was late when we arrived here, so we chose to camp here that night.

Walking all the way along the Kreiya River in the Kreiya River Gorge, the red mountains make people unable to restrain the impulse to step on the gas pedal.

This breathtaking beauty, especially against the background of blue sky, makes its colors more wild and bright.

The red mountain in the canyon is similar to Daban in red soil, but it is different.

On the 1-kilometer canyon section, the mountains appear in gray, red and purple, and the snow-capped mountains and glaciers on both sides of the road make people feel that the distance is not far away. This special picture is magnificent and magnificent beyond words ...

The road in the canyon is a simple road left over from the original mining. In the canyon, we drove the speed to 6 or 7 more than once. Of course, This is when the road conditions are good ...

There are more than a dozen crossing points on this line. The water volume of the Kriya River in September is still very small, but there are some crossing points where the water flow is relatively fast and the riverbed is very wide. Pay attention to it and you can cross it.

(The above picture shows the crossing point, photography @VIP Reader Bathing Snow Mountain Room)

In the canyon, there is a unique landform. The mountain about one kilometer long seems to be a natural sculpture, showing a variety of wonderful scenes, like a Buddha, like an animal, like an imaginative picture scroll, and everyone enjoys different aesthetic feelings.

I would like to remind friends who go to Jingjue Secret Road to drive by car. When approaching the exit of Kriya River Canyon, remember to pay attention to the scenery changes on both sides of the road.

at that time, you will be shocked by what you see!

(The above picture is to remember to pay attention to the color changes of the mountains on both sides of the exit, and when you go out, you will go to another world, take photos @VIP readers, take a bath and snow)

When you leave the Kriya River Canyon, you will walk into this big plateau.

There are many wild animals in the plateau grassland. Because few people visit here, the yaks and antelopes here are not afraid of people at all. When driving by, they stood there, chewing the tender grass in their mouths and watching us leave with MengMeng's big eyes.

(The above picture shows the Great Plateau and snow-capped mountains; Photography @VIP Reader Bathing Snow Mountain Room)

Xiaoerkule & Angetilekule

Nierkule Lake, which locals say means saline-alkali lake in Uygur language, is a small plateau lake, which is located on the right side of our road.

Because of its location, Lake Nierkule is basically unknown, but the beautiful scenery of the lake set off by the blue sky, blue lake and white lake beach is definitely a paradise that we human beings can reach.

Compared with Lake Nierkule, we will pass another lake ahead, which is called Angetilekule Lake. This lake is much bigger than the former, and it is also a good place to enjoy the beautiful lake view.

After crossing Lake Angetilekule, you will enter the canyon section, which is the last canyon on the Jingjue Secret Road.

Coulhac Rift Valley

As we all know, the vast Kunlun Mountains straddle the border of Xinjiang and Tibet for thousands of kilometers from west to east. People who walk along the New Tibet Line (National Highway 219) know that the Kunlun Mountains are majestic and steep, and they are even more sighed and helpless by its vast and broad mountain group.

whether it's the new Tibet line or the heroic ancient road of Kriya, the mountain is high and the road is dangerous, and driving is very difficult.

However, there is a deep rift valley hundreds of kilometers long, which obliquely divides the vast Kunlun Mountain into two parts, that is, the Coulhac Rift Valley.

This name comes from an abandoned ancient garrison castle named "Coulhac" in the northern part of the Rift Valley. It was once a fortress that controlled the area and led to Tibet. The characteristics of the Rift Valley are particularly obvious in this area, hence the name.

This canyon has neither the shocking red mountains nor the breathtaking exit like the Kreiya River Canyon.

what it has is a downhill road from 5m to 4m.

Some readers may have said that in Kunlun Mountain, there are some canyons and some downhill roads. But what I want to say is that there are canyons and downhill roads in Kunlun Mountain, and the characteristics are always different.

The roads in Coulhac Rift Valley are wide in some places and narrow in others, so narrow that only the next car can pass. Best of all, you don't have to worry about cars coming from the opposite direction!

Mining is forbidden now. Except for the original miners, few people basically know this road, so there will be no social vehicles passing through it. When I come here, the sky is vast, only you and I don't have him ...

When I get off the canyon, I will say goodbye to the no-man's land. After leaving the canyon, it was connected to the 216 national highway under construction. There are many engineering vehicles under construction on the national highway, and the dust is relatively large. Remember to pay attention to observation and speed!

Go to Minfeng along National Highway 216. On this road, there are boundless sand seas on both sides. Although the road is asphalt, it is easy to walk, but some sections are bad. In addition, we take the sidewalk, constantly switching between paved and unpaved roads.

If the time is just right, just in time for sunset, you can still see the beautiful scenery of camels as the sun sets in the west.

It is said that it is expected that National Highway 2 16 will be repaired and opened to traffic in the first half of next year, and the time to take this road to Minfeng will be greatly shortened.

minfeng county & Niya site

is rich in people, named after the auspicious words of "the people are rich in things". The county seat has a long history, and human beings have lived in compact communities for more than 7, years. The ancient Silk Road is the location of one of the thirty-six city-states in the western regions.

When you come to Minfeng, you can experience the hospitality of the Uighurs before going to the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert and the legendary ancient city. Uighurs are very polite in dealing with people. When they visit local host families in summer, whether they know each other or not, they will invite guests to sit on the table, place naan, various cakes, rock sugar, etc., and serve some melons and fruits, and first pour tea or milk tea for the guests, and then serve them after the meal is ready.

When you arrive in Minfeng County, if you are longing for the mysterious Niya site, you need to drive along the desert highway for 72km, then turn left into the township road for about 2km, and then cross the hinterland of Taklimakan desert for about 38km to reach your destination.

At the beginning of the 2th century, the Englishman Stein discovered the ruins of an ancient city on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang and the Niya River, and excavated various precious cultural relics that had been sealed for thousands of years. When these cultural relics were transported back to Britain, western scholars were shocked. This is the site of Nia, known as the "Pompeii City" in the East.

through the rigorous textual research of Wang Guowei, a famous master of modern Chinese studies, Niya was one of the thirty-six city-states in the western regions in the Han Dynasty. (PS. As the Niya site is an unopened national key cultural relics protection unit, it needs to be approved by the local cultural management department and pay a certain cultural relics maintenance fee. )

(The above picture shows crossing sand dunes and Populus euphratica wreckage in the desert, and the picture is @ "Geography of Self-driving in China")

Leave Minfeng, take the 315 National Road running all the way, cross the field, and you can return to Hotan on the same day.

route introduction

route mileage: about 163km

trip node: Hotan-Yutian County-Pulu Village-Subas-Red Soil Daban-Keliya River Canyon-Lake Nierkule-Lake Angetilekule-Coulhac Rift Valley-Minfeng

Travel time: 5-6 days recommended

Difficulty index. Time: June-October

Tips:

The first section:

Hotan 29km Luopu 1km Qira 56km Yutian 94km Pulu Village

The second section:

Pulu Village 5km Subas 12km Sulphur Daban.