It was this time last year that my wife and I came across a few pictures of the lakes of Xinjiang and decided to pack our bags and head north west.
We knew about the turmoil of life up there, we knew some of the history, and we knew something of Kashgar, but we were just heading for a holiday. We wanted to leave city life behind us and get up in the mountains and amongst the lakes. And, that is what we did. Though, while riding the trains and buses with the locals we did discover more than just the geography of the region. This is the Note I wrote upon returning to Xi’an last year.
I am going to add a small selection of the pictures we took as a nod towards the holiday season, that is again just around the corner. I have split these photographs into two sets, one, simply entitled “Arid Lands”, one, “Lake Oases”. This is a simple distinction that represents the amazing contrasts that are encapsulated within the borders of Xinjiang: the lush, alpine valleys and immaculate mountain lakes, and the dry, arid towns and rocky desert-scapes. It is a region in China that is well worth discovering. (Part I – Arid Lands)
The road from Bu’erjin to Lake Kanas was in itself worth the trip this far north.
Camping above Tranquility Bay. It must be noted that Kanas is an amazing wilderness but it has become infested by cheap tour groups from Urumqi, and by passengers arriving at the small airport in a neighbouring valley. There is a tourist route that is followed within the park, if you get off it Kanas is still an incredible place to disappear into.
Kanas River
Camping on Lake Kanas. When the boats stopped running there was not a sound to be heard, apart from the birds, the wind and the trees. Happy Days.
A truly great spot to put down the tent, right on the edge of Lake Kanas, and not another human soul around.
Kanas at night. A vast lake valley of wild nature and remarkable silence.
Tent life. Dawn breaks over Lake Karakul, West of Kashgar on the Karakorum Highway
Mount Muztagh Ata reflected in the still waters of Lake Karakul
The two of us were out for a morning stroll. All is well.
Have bike, will travel.
Another Neighbour.
Lake Karakul - a truly awesome place, with a special peace - happy days indeed.
A Xinjiang Summer in Pictures – Part I – Arid Lands
Tags: Bu'erjin, Kashgar, Lake Kanas, Lake Karakul, Muztagh Ata, Xinjiang
A page of the more Xi'an Centred Notes
What Is It About Xi’an That Makes It Xi’an And Makes It The Place People Like To Live?
西安
There are some nice pics there. Looks like I’m gonna be visiting Xinjiang pretty soon.
Cheers Gareth, get that camera and tripod out and just head north, and a little west.
Great photos! How did you get there from Xi’an? Plane, train,or other?
Thanks Steve, though, pictures up there do tend to pretty much take themselves. We actually flew to Urumqi and travelled overland while there. The extra time it would have taken to make the train trip was going to eat into the limited time we had to travel on the ground around Xinjiang, especially as we were planning to and did cover a lot of terrain. Plus, when we did look at the trains they only had seats left, and while a 35 hour train journey may well have been the making of me a few years ago, I think now it would quite probably break me. Take it easy. Richard.李志
Some of these…particularly in the Kashgar/Turpan alleys…are really quite special. You have the photographic eye my friend, develop it! (although your photos of flowers are dross)
Thank you Sir! I will use your words as motivation to help get my old camera out of its case and onto the streets of Xi’an.
I will be in Beijing again in a weeks time and so will be looking for revenge, ready this time to out shoot the “Flower” master on his own patch.
Here’s one I prepared earlier, just to get you worried, taken in a small garden in Kandy, Sri Lanki
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Beautiful, love the snow-capped mountains in the background! Do you need a permit to go camping btw?
No permit required Thijs, or we certainly didn’t get one, but they are quite hot on you registering where you are and they really do want you to stay in places that have permission to house foreigners. Some people say you can’t camp at Lake Kanas, but we registered at the gate and were basically told by the police not to stray too far from the main routes, at which point we departed and disappeared as far away as we could. Kanas is a huge beautiful area which you certainly can disappear into.
At Lake Karakul there is a company that owns a hotel and I think a few of the Yurts by the entrance and they try and charge an entry fee, if you are staying in that patch you may need to pay it. We just headed off around the lake and pitched the tent, nobody really bothered us for 3 days, just the boys selling camel and horse rides.
Cheers Thijis, take it easy.
Richard
Great photos, Richard, and your trip looks like it was incredible! My wife and I did a bit of camping a couple years ago although we unfortunately never had the chance to do so around Kanas.
If you get a chance, shoot me an email since I can’t find a contact page on this website. I own a website strictly dedicated to Xinjiang and I’d love to either use one of your photos, get an interview, or have you write a guest post. The stuff you’ve written here is just too good to pass up.
Thanks!