The Great Beauty of Xinjiang: Exploring the Red World of Wensu Grand Canyon

From Korla to Luntai Witnessed the different poplars in the desert and in the water As the car passed vast cotton fields Arrived at the saline-alkali land where only hardy weeds can survive Everywhere along the way, marveling at the vastness of Southern Xinjiang and its diverse landscapes D5 Kuqa - Kizil Caves - Wensu Grand Canyon - Aksu 📍Kizil Caves P15-P18 Falling into the prosperous dream of the Silk Road Crossing the vast highway Finally standing before this ochre cliff Carved in the 3rd century AD, Kizil is China’s earliest grotto complex 200 years older than the Mogao Caves On the mural fragments once looted The Bodhisattva’s eyes still hold compassion The moon-eroded incomplete beauty Some murals have been faded by wind and sand Some caves remain only as broken walls and ruins But this “imperfection” Makes the weight of history even more striking They have witnessed Xuanzang’s westward journey Heard the melodious music and dance of Kucha The dome of the central pillar cave is painted with “Flying Apsaras and Music” The lapis lazuli blue looks like a frozen deep sea Unfortunately, most treasures have been taken away Scattered in museums in Berlin and St. Petersburg But the remaining shadows are still breathtakingly beautiful Like an eternal dusk of civilization that never ends 📍Wensu Grand Canyon Touching the Earth’s “Red Ribs” Billions of years of geological movement Carved a crisscrossing red labyrinth here Walking at the bottom of the canyon Looking at the tall red rock walls on both sides People seem so small in front of nature’s giant folds This place is undeveloped Maintaining the most original and rugged beauty Like opening a vivid geology textbook Tips Ticket: 36 RMB/person + shuttle bus 60 RMB Self-driving requires a 4WD vehicle (200 RMB/car) The riverbed at the canyon bottom is soft, so 4WD is necessary Golden hours: 1-2 hours after sunrise and before sunset for soft light and richest canyon colors Clothing suggestions: wasteland style, cowboy style, sweet cool style look great Color choices: bright red, earth tones, white, black, or denim blue contrast sharply with the loess red rocks, very photogenic Photo spots: Enter Valley No. 4, walk forward a bit and look back to see the spot in photo 2; there is a protruding rock here which is the spot for photos 3-5 After exiting Valley No. 4, drive straight towards the Salt Valley passing a saline-alkali land Photo spots 6-13 Salt Valley has a Z-shaped driving route, photo spot 14