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| Xinjiang Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area Grand Canyon, Aksu |
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| Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon Aksu, Xinjiang, China |
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| Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area Tower Village (Tacun) Aksu, Xinjiang |
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| Dalan Tribe, Aksu, Xinjiang |
Day 11 Sept 6 2025 (Aksu, Xinjiang, Day 2) - hired a private vehcle DiDI driver (Y$400) for a day tour to 3 major touristy places (Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon, Cayun & Dolan Tribe) in the outskirts of Aksu, Xinjiang.
1) Hotel buffet breakfast, Meiyuhua Hotel, Aksu, Xinjiang - included in room tariff, simple & vegetarian type !
2) The start of our day tour (by private car DIDI driver, Y$380 + Y$20 tips for a full day transport) to 3 touristy places (Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon, Tacun & Dolan Tribe) in the outlying Aksu area, Xinjiang
3) Private Day Tour No 1 - Xinjiang Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area, sitting at the foot of Tomur Peak, the highest peak of Tianshan Mountain Range is indispensable for Tianshan World Natural Heritage. It covers 752sq km & 3 main areas of Grand Canyon, Taglak Village & Bozdong. This picturesque peaks & glaciers, red layer canyons, area abounds in natural & cultural landscapes, perfectly interweaving, ranging from snowy salt domes & river, rice fields & flowers, grasslands & Gobi, to historical relics, such as the north road of Ancient Silk Road & ethnic customs. It has won the nonorary titles of World Natural Heritage Site, National Geological Park & Natural Scenic Spot.
3) Tiansan Tomur Grand Canyon, Aksu, Xinjiang - visitor center, free admission for senior citizen above 70+.
4) Shuttle bus ride from the Visitor Center > Tiansan Tomur Grand Canyon Scenic Spot area.
5) Tiansan Tomur Grand Canyon Scenic Area, Aksu, Xinjiang - located 30km from National Highway 314 in Wensu County, Aksu City, a beautiful Danxia geological wonder in western China & largest rock salt karst geological wonder in China, a majestic natural gallery, the rock layers on the mountain walls in the canyon are clearly distributed & the fold & curved lines formed by compression are very clear, the broken rocks are sandwiched in the rock layers on the mountain walls, after million years of winds & rain erosion, a unique landscape with towering cliffs, towering peaks, various shapes, rugged & strange, strong colours & colourful scenery has been formed in the northwest of the Grand Canyon, here you can see the famous snow-capped Tomur Peak !
6) The start of my gradual hike to the No 4 Valley (Source of LIFE) towards No 6 & No 3 Valley via wooden pathway - up & down walk over a 2km to 3km distance, just followed the crowd & keep walking, spectacular sights behold ! To complete the hiking, one has to walk 12km (no way for an oldie like me & my buddy, too tall an order) ! So using shuttle bus rides at nearby stops, we managed to see some sections of the Grand Canyon ......
7) Dinosaur-shaped Rock Park, Xinjiang Tomur Grand Canyon - a clastic rock landform in a dinosaur-shaped rock park made up of 3 magnificent wind-eroded pillars.
8) A classic rock landform in a dinosaur-shaped rock park made up of 3 magnificent wind erode pillars, the pillar in front of us looks like little Jurassic dinosaurs named archaeopteryic, the thin left one with a curving peak resembles a long-neck dinosaur & the robust right one, jutting in the forepart, resembles the skull of Tyrannosaurus. The 3 Jurassic era dinosaurs like rock pillars appear to have witnessed the evolution of tectonic activity in each epoch of the Grand Canyon !
9) Pen Drawing Spot, Xinjiang Tomur Grand Canyon - it is known for a peak protruding from the ground that looks like a large pen with an upward point, which stands out from the abundant monomer morphological of regional red layer landform, resulting from various shapes and different hard rock layers, folds & dip angles, it is properly described by the poem Pen-like Peak (a resort of Huangshan Mountain), lying in the northeast "in the deep mountains & pine forest stands out a rock pen, straight, towering & magnificent, reverse & natural with a pen growing on its tip, just like a towering, drawing unique peaks & pine forest as a splendid landscape" by Xiangfu, the Qing Dynasty poet. The pen, around 8m long & slim complements the surrounding.
10) No 3 Valley, Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area, Xinjiang - the valley developed from the deep & the red sedimentary bed in the hills, is a folded & fractured techtonic belt dominated by red glutenite in the Tertiary oriented northeast - southwest, winding & deep. The valley is about 3km long & its entrance is a narrow & gradually opens up at 2m wide. The mountains on both sides are low but the cliff walls are flat, without bedding, There are various renowned scenic spots such as Wentian Platform, Pillar Drwing Spot Pilgrimaging Road etc.
11) Am I in Petra, Jordan which I visited (solo travel) in Oct 2008 ? Petra is gazetted as one of the Seven Wonders of the World ! I am glad to leave my footprints in Xinjiang Tomur Grand Canyon - what a wonderful sightseeing visit for me in Southern Xinjiang, China
12) An isolated patch of greenery (wild shrubs / bushes) in Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon, Xinjiang - growing strong & sturdy - the tough living plants on earth !
13) World Salt Valley - Museum of Living Geological Evolution History. The most Beautiful Wound on Earth. The Last Tear of The Ancient Mediterranean - the few catchy words which best described the Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon Scenic Area !
14) No 2 Refuge Island shuttle bus stop - by now we have enough of sightseeing in this majestic Tianshan Tomur Grand Canyon & about time to catch a shuttle bus back to the Visitor Center ! But a number of locals continued their hike & move on ...... they are the courageous ones but at this juncture both of us were prepared to take a backseat & called it a day !
15) What about a camel joy ride for KM & KF to end our visit with a happy note ?
16) Exiting (shuttle bus ride) the Tianshan Timur Grand Canyon Scenic Area
17) Ramen lunch in a local restaurant at the front gate of Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area , Aksu, Xinjiang - a treat from our vehicle driver !
18) Private Day Tour No 2 Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area Tower Village, Aksu, Xinjiang - showed up at the Visitor Centre but we decided not to enter the scenic area (time was not on our side) & saved the time & go for our No 3 visit to Dolan Tribe, Aksu, Xinjiang.
19) Private Day Tour No 3 Dolan Tribe, Aksu, Xinjiang - the Dolan (Duolang) tribe is an ethnic group in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, primarily located in Awat County within the Aksu Prefecture, visitors can experience their unique cultural heritage, including passionate dances, music, & singing at the Dolan Tribe Attraction, the cultural park features unique earthy yellow architecture, murals, folk performances, sand sculpture parks & opportunities to taste local cuisine & experience desert landscapes.
20) Aksu, Xinjiang is a major grower & producer of cotton ! A countryside view of cotton farms on our return journey from the Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area to Aksu City.
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