Pamir Plateau
On the Pamir Plateau, most of the snow-capped mountains are above 4500 meters, while the river valleys drop to above 2000 meters. Coupled with the abundant sunshine and strong ultraviolet radiation on the plateau, the daytime temperature is not much different from that of the plains, but the temperature drops sharply at night, creating a wonderland where it feels like spring all year round, with apricot blossoms and snowflakes coexisting. Centuries-old apricot trees form a canopy, with flowers blooming proudly like clouds. The white and pale pink apricot blossoms, set against the distant snow-capped mountains and towering deep mountains, resemble a beautiful watercolor painting.
Ili River Valley
Due to the unique terrain of the valley, Ili is known as the 'Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall'. The wild fruit forest belt on both sides of the Ili River Valley covers a large area, totaling 140,000 mu, of which 21,000 mu are wild apricot forests, along with wild apples, hawthorns, and more. Starting from the Nalati Grassland, from east to west, on the slopes to the south and north of the valley, the wild apricot forests almost form a separate Yining.
Tuergen Apricot Valley
Apricot Valley is the largest primitive wild apricot forest left from the Middle Ages. Every April, when the north slope of Tuergen begins to turn green, it stretches for more than ten kilometers. Snow covers the ridges, creating a continuous expanse of air and charming scenery. The entire apricot forest is arranged in an orderly manner, growing freely without any signs of artificial pruning. Cattle and sheep are scattered like pearls among the flowers and on the grass. As the sunlight moves, Apricot Valley presents different pictures. Even standing at the same spot, the scenes before sunrise, during sunrise, and before sunset are different.
Huocheng Daxigou Wild Fruit Forest
The name itself distinguishes Daxigou Wild Fruit Forest from other apricot flower valleys. Besides wild apricots, Daxigou has more than 60 other types of wild fruit trees and over 396,000 wild fruit trees in total, including wild apples, wild plums, and wild hawthorns. Among these varieties, wild plums are the most famous. They are an endangered species in China and are very precious. Generally, after the wild apricot flowers bloom in Daxigou, wild plum flowers, wild hawthorn flowers, and wild apple flowers follow closely. Sometimes, these flowers bloom together, extending the flowering period to more than a month.
Kuerdening Wild Apricot Valley
Kuerdening is a world-class mysterious natural landscape, but it remains unknown to this day. In fact, Kuerdening is also one of the world natural heritage sites of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. Kuerdening represents the central Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, boasting extremely high biodiversity. It is the best habitat and origin for the global snow-capped spruce and Central Asian wild fruit forests. Near the villages, the early morning smoke from farmers' kitchens adds a touch of rustic charm to the villagers. The apricot blossoms in Kuerdening are not as spectacular as those in Tuergen, nor as colorful as those in Daxigou.
