Korla

Korla lies on the 1400 km road between Urumqi and Kashgar and is often used as an overnight stop for those travelling overland. In the early 1990s it was a sleepy town, famous for pears, but has apparently undergone considerable development in the intervening period. The area was visited by travellers such as Younghusband, Le Coq, Auriel Stein and Sven Hedin. Amongst the sites of interest in the neighbourhood are:

The Ancient City of Loulan - On the western shores of Lop Nur Lake, (which is now a lake of sand instead of water), the Ancient City of Loulan was founded in the 2nd century BC in an oasis with rich water network. After flourishing for about 900 years, it disappeared in the sixth century – to be rediscovered by Sven Hedin. The city has already totally collapsed into dust. The only recognizable structures are a pagoda which is the largest structure in the ruins, and a seems-to-be office which still has painted timber traces. Archaeologists believe there was once an underground water channel running through the city and dividing it into two functional parts. Large amounts of potsherds, wood pieces, coins, jewelleries and wood slip documents are listed amongst the archaeological finds, which provide us many clues about life in the ancient city.

Bayanbulak Grassland - a vast highland prairie about 270 kilometres northwest of Korla, which is home to the descendents of Mongols who came here from Russia about a hundred years ago. The natural splendour of the area testifies to the accuracy of its Mongolian name which means "Rich Fountains". Bayanbulak's considerable water supply supports the luxurious grasslands, numerous varieties of multihued flowers, and hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep. It is the second largest grassland in China encompassing an area of 23 thousand sq. Km, and has the distinction of having the only nature reserve for swans in China and is one of the largest swan reserves in the world, (hence the area has a lake named Swan Lake – comprising of hundreds of small connected ponds that are fed by springs and streams and covers about 300 square kilometres). Nadam Fair is an annual grand Mongolian event that is usually held in June, (Its date varies somewhat each year as the time of the Fair is based on the lunar calendar.) The fair gives a chance to see horseracing, wrestling, dancing, and singing, as well as local foods, crafts, and other commercial wares that are specialties of this area.

Bosten Lake - 57 kilometres northeast of Korla, is the largest freshwater lake in Xingjian and serves as a natural reservoir. The lake covers over 1,000 square kilometres and is known as the Oriental Hawaii of Xingjian because of its unique and beautiful scenery in the Gobi desert. To accommodate developing tourism, recreational facilities have been developed around the lake, offering motor boating, water-skiing, diving and fishing.

Lop Nur - lies east of Korla and covers 3,000 square kilometres. It was an important station on the Silk Road and was once a very large lake. In the Han dynasty, Lop Nur was such a vast lake that it was often mistaken as the source of the Yellow River. Deforestation, however, and human activity so affected the lake that as early as the 4th century A.D. codes and regulations had to be introduced to control the use of the insufficient water. When Marco Polo reached Lop Nur in 1275, he found “nothing more than sand”. Its contraction continued and Lop Nur finally disappeared in 1972.

Tiemen Pass (Iron Gate) – is just outside the city (about 8 kilometres north of Korla), and lies at the mouth of a 14 kilometre long valley. It was of strategic importance in the history of ancient China and is listed as one of the 26 famous Passes on the route. Tiemen was at the “throat” of the Silk Road and the traffic junction between northern and southern Xingjian. Nearby, there are still traces of an ancient barracks. Four Chinese characters are inscribed on the cliff beside the pass, which describe the steepness and precipitousness of the pass. Nearby there are two graves in which a couple that died for love and freedom were buried. Tzuohla, Princess of the ancient Yanqi . The treacherous premier tried to kill her, and whilst trying to escape, the couple fell down the gorge.

Yadan Spectacle - Yadan means “Steep Mounds” in Uygur, and refers to the special topography in this dry region. The clay-like rock became a series of ditches and ridges aligned in the direction of the prevailing wind, as an effect of strong water and wind erosion. These marvellously shaped ditches and ridges, usually extending for many metres, even hundreds, form a spectacular view. In Lop Nur, a similar feature is called “Dragon City”, which covers some 3500 square metres.