Published : 25/04/2023
Southern Xinjiang in spring is so beautiful that it is always unforgettable, and this refers to the Apricot Blossom Village located on the Pamir Plateau.
Apricot blossoms covering the mountains and plains dye the land of Southern Xinjiang pink; set against the mountains, river valleys, and rural fields, and combined with the unique local culture, they compose a charming and dreamlike pastoral oil painting.
Besides the breathtaking sea of apricot blossoms, what untold stories does the mysterious Pamir Plateau hold?
The most beautiful spring scenery of Southern Xinjiang
Some people say that the most beautiful apricot blossoms in Xinjiang are not in Ili, but in the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County of Kashgar, Southern Xinjiang, located at the eastern foot of the Pamir Plateau.
The apricot blossoms here are widely distributed and bloom luxuriantly, starting from the Tashkurgan River valley area of the Pamir Plateau, winding along the valley, crossing mountains, lakes, and meadows, with every step revealing a new scene, and finally reaching the ancient village clusters under the snow-girt mountains of the Pamir Plateau.
The apricot blossoms, as brilliant as rosy clouds, dot the ancient villages on the Pamir Plateau, transforming them into romantic and charming "Apricot Blossom Villages".
Whichever Apricot Blossom Village you wander through, it appears as the real-life 'Shangri-La' of everyone's imagination: the courtyards of every household are filled with huge apricot trees, their branches laden with pink and white blossoms vying in beauty; cattle and sheep roam in the ancient villages amidst the curling smoke from kitchen chimneys, creating a charming pastoral panorama.
Compared to the spectacular sea of apricot blossoms in Ili's Apricot Gully, this place has more of a simple, worldly charm, possessing a different kind of beauty.
Read more: China's most colourful canyon: Anjihai Grand Canyon in Xinjiang
Was the legendary mount Buzhou originally located here?
Besides possessing the most beautiful spring scenery in Southern Xinjiang, the history and legends of the Pamir Plateau are equally intriguing.
In the Tajik language, "Pamir Plateau" means "the roof of the world". Why is this?
It turns out that the Pamir Plateau is a huge mountain knot (a junction where many mountain ranges meet) where numerous great mountains converge, such as the Tian Shan range to the north, and the Kunlun and Himalayan ranges to the southeast. With an average altitude of 4,500 metres, it spans across China, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
It can be called the most remote place in the geographical concept of China; it is China's "far end".
In addition, in ancient Chinese mythology, the location of Buzhou Mountain—the high mountain that connects the mortal realm to the divine realm—is in fact today's Pamir Plateau in the north-west of the Kunlun Mountains.
Since ancient times, the Pamir Plateau has been shrouded in mystery, and due to its complex terrain, treacherous roads, and uniquely charming natural scenery, it has attracted many famous Chinese and foreign explorers, including Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty and Marco Polo, leaving behind numerous precious scientific expedition documents for the world.
If you had the chance, would you want to explore the depths of the Pamir Plateau in southern Xinjiang and embark on a journey to a hidden paradise of apricot blossoms, like a "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall"?
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