作者： | 时间：2016-07-03 11:15:08 | 来源：那拉提景区 | 点击[ ]次

 

Core　Scenic　Area

 

Ladies　and　gentlemen：

 

Good　morning／afternoon／evening．Welcome　to　Xinjiang！Welcome　to　Nalati　Prairie，the　best　prairies　in　Ili．First　of　all，I＇d　like　to　extend　my　cordial　welcome　to　you　all　on　behalf　of　our　staff．I　wish　green　hills，blue　waters，and　picturesque　landscapes　could　put　you　in　a　good　mood．What　we　are　touring　now　is　the　core　scenic　area，about　14　kilometers　in　length．We＇re　going　to　enjoy　the　beautiful　prairie　resort　on　the　way．The　trip　will　take　about　30　minutes．

 

Why　was　it　so　named　Nalati　Prairie？Well，let　me　tell　you　a　legendary　tale．It　is　said　that　in　his　West　Expedition，Chahetai　Khan，the　second　son　of　Ghengis　Khan，led　his　troop　over　Tianshan　Mountains　and　marched　toward　Ili．The　mountain　paths　were　rugged　and　bumpy．The　forests　were　so　dense　that　even　sunlight　could　not　make　its　way　in．It　had　been　raining　for　seven　days　and　nights　consecutively．and　that　made　his　troop　very　exhausted　and　nearly　desperate．But　just　as　they　climbed　over　Nalati　Mountain　Pass　in　despair，rolled　in　front　of　them　was　a　vast　prairie　that　resembled　a　brocade　blanket，with　wild　flowers　in　full　bloom，crystal　clear　springs　everywhere　and　water　gurgling　all　the　time．They　seemed　to　have　come　to　a　wonder　land．They　felt　relaxed　and　joyful．All　of　sudden，the　sun　scattered　the　clouds　and　began　to　shine　high　above　the　sky．Officers　and　soldiers　gazed　in　wonder，then　they　couldn＇t　help　shouting　with　joy，＂Nalate，Nalate…＂meaning＂the　place　that　the　sun　sheds　its　first　light　on＂in　Junggar　dialect　of　Mongolian，It　was　later　transliterated　into＂Nalati＂，hence　its　vivid　name　that　is　still　used　today．

 

Ili　River　Valley　has　been　well　known　for　its　mild　climate，i.e.，warm　winters　and　cool　summers，therefore　also　hailed　as＂Jiangnan　North　of　the　Great　Wall＂．Here　Jiangnan　(in　Chinese)　refers　to　the　regions　south　of　the　Yangtze　River．Nalati　Scenic　Area－east　of　the　river　valley　is　abundant　in　rainfall，with　an　annual　precipitation　of　880　millimeters．The　average　temperature　in　summer　is　around　20　degrees　centigrade．So　it　is　also　called＂Small　Jiangnan　North　of　the　Great　Wall＂，with　an　area　of　960　square　kilometers　in　total　and　an　average　attitude　of　1800　meters　above　sea　level．It　was　first　exploited　in　1999，and　rated　as　a　regional－level　tourist　attraction　in　2004．In　April　2005，Guinness　Book　of　Records　Shanghai　Headquarter　granted　it　the　title＂The　Prairie　with　the　largest　population　of　Kazak　nationality＂．And　it　was　appraised　as　a　National　4A　Level　Scenic　Area　by　China　National　Tourism　Administration　in　December　the　same　year．Now　it　is　still　developing　and　its　next　target　is　at　a　National　5A　Level　Scenic　Area．

 

If　Tianshan　Mountains　were　Nalati＇s　father，then　Kunes　River　to　our　left　would　be　his　mother．Kunes　means＂the　slope　exposed　to　the　sun＂in　Mongolian．The　river　originates　from　Aikendaban，joining　Tekesi　River　and　Kashgar　River　at　Ili　River，rushing　down　all　the　way　into　Balkhash　Lake　in　Kazakstan．It　is　an　out－flowing　river．Since　Nalati　enjoys　higher　elevation　in　the　east　and　lower　elevation　in　the　west，Kunes　River　is　also　a　reversed　river　running　from　east　to　west．Kunes　River　fosters　300　thousands　people　of　various　nationalities　in　Xinyuan　County．Local　Kazakstan　call　it＂Anasu＂(mother　river　in　Kazakh)affectionately．In　the　river　live　schools　of　coldwater　fish　unique　to　high　mountains，maroon　in　color，round　and　long　in　shape，It　tastes　fresh　and　yummy，a　special　game　in　the　area．

 

Grown　along　the　banks　of　Kunes　River　are　varieties　of　trees：dry-land　willows，sea-buckthorns　and　black　currants　as　well　as　those　vigorous　and　forceful　Euphrates　poplar　is　unique　to　Xinjiang，also　known　as　desert　hero　trees．According　to　legend，Euphrates　poplar　is　believed　to　be　able　to　live　for　three　thousand　years．For　the　first　thousand　years，the　tree　flourishes；for　the　second　thousand　years，the　tree　does　not　collapse　after　death；and　for　the　third　thousand　years，the　tree　does　not　rot　after　collapse．Its　existence　alone　adds　massive　glories　to　the　prairie．

 

Nalati　Prairie　is　embraced　by　mountains　on　tjree　sides：the　mountain　to　the　left　is　Awurele　Mountain　about　280　kilometers　long，and　sitting　just　opposite　is　Nalati　Mountain　to　our　right．They　are　known　as　sister　mountains．They　extend　all　the　way　to　the　east　and　meet　at　Andier　Mountain　in　the　front．Also　Kunes　River　is　winding　away　from　us．With　these　taken　into　consideration,　Nalati　Prairie　is　vividly　described　as＂Mountains　on　the　tree　sides　make　a　jade　green　screen，and　a　network　of　rivers　forms　the　jade　belt　it　wears．＂

 

In　the　vast　desert　of　Xinjiang，Nalati　looks　just　like　an　emerald　inlaid　in　a　piece　of　yellow　silk　brocade．More　and　more　tourists　attracted　by　its　unique　great　charm　come　all　the　way　here　to　see　her　on　their　own．If　you　want　to　describe　Nalati　with　one　word，then　that　word　must　be＂green＂．People　eulogize＂green＂and　long　for＂green＂．It　is　a　celebration　of　life．Nalati　looks　like　a　beautiful　girl，lovely　in　spring，gorgeously　dressed　in　summer，full　of　tender　and　love　in　fall，and　pure　and　noble　in　winter．Dear　friends，I　believe　at　this　moment　that　you　must　be　eager　to　know：why　the　prairie　here　is　not　as　vast　as　we　expected？It　is　because　Nalati　Prairie　is　of　alpine　valley　prairie，composed　of　snow－capped　mountains，forests，hills，meadows　and　rivers　etc．it　is　one　of　the　four　most　well－known　alpine　valley　prairies　in　the　world，enjoying　the　reputation　of＂Little　Switzerland＂．here　each　mountain　itself　makes　a　view，each　view　with　a　slope　in　it．People　go　after　views，and　the　views　constitute　picturesque　landscapes，just　like　three-dimensional　painting　scrolls　being　unceiled　in　front　of　us．

 

Straight　ahead　is　our　first　stop，Tawusani．It　means　beantiful　valley　in　Kazakh．

Here you can see four views from one single mountain landscape. looking into the far distance through this valley, you can see speaks capped with perennial ice and snow, mountains covered with dense forests. Verdurous hills are close at hand, and in front of us are flat meadows. They are also know as the tetralogy of the prairie.

Dear friends, we know that Grassland Shiren (stone men),ancient rock paintings and Wusun Tombs are three major cultural relics in Ili Valley, at the next stop, we are going to see Wusun Tombs that have stood on this land for more than two thousand years. According to the survey ,there are five Wusun Tombs on Nalati Prairie, with a total of 19 tombs. Most of other tombs are scattered on the banks of Kunes River, from Nalati scenic zone in the east to Kunes Sheep-stud in the west, within a 150 km long strip. The largest concentration of ancient tombs is found along the path from Kunes Sheep-stud to Zeketai the long and narrow glassland on the adretto of Aburele Mountain, about 1600 tombs in total. Wusun Tombs are not only a unique prairie landscape, but also a precious cultural treasure house for learing about ancient peoples. Wusun Tombs further confirms the assumption that Nalati Prairie is one of the most important inhabitations for ancient Wusun people. Wusun ethnic group is one of the oldest ethic groups in Chinese history. They lived a nomadic life in Ili River valley for as long as 500 years. A poem has it: “Where to find the ancient Wusun Kingdom ? The shepherd points at Ili River: ther it is.” Wusun Kindom was first established in 161 AD. Soon after that, it suggested to form a political union with the Han Dynasty. In Chinese history, this kind of political coalition is called Heqin (making peace with rulers of minority nationalities in the border areas by marriage). Wang Zhaojun marrying a chanyu(chief of the Huns in ancient china) and Princess Wencheng marrying a Tibet chief are just tow well-known examples of this. In the Han Dynasty, two princesses namely Xijun and Jieyou successively married two kings from Wusun Kingdom at Ili River. And their merits and achievements are also second to none.

In the late Western Han Dynasty, King Liejiaomi of Wusun Kingdom sent his envoys to the emperor of the Han Dynasty and marry Princess Shang (named Xijun). The emperor agreed and married Xijun to him, who was the daughter of Jiangdu King(Liu jian). Xijun grew up in the south of the Yangtze River and spend most of her time in her boudoir. She was unable to get accustomed to the nomadic life there. In just five years, she died of homesickness. The only thing she left to this world was a sad poem she wrote, named “the Song of Yellow Swan”. It was the first poem written beyond the Great Wall in the recorded history. It reads as such:

“oh, my family married me to the Wusun King

in an exotic land far away from home.

Meat for food and cheese for drinking,

With banners as walls and yurts as room.

Often think of my homeland, heartrending,

I wish I were a swan flying back home.”

Well, let’s get back to reality. Look at that hillock to our right front! That is a Wusun Tomb. It was built against the mountain with mound for its wall. It is about 46 meters in diameter and 6.5 meters in height, a typical mound tomb. There are also other types of tombs in various sizes, for example, rubble mound tombs and stone coffin tombs etc. In arhaeological excavation in 2003, more than 30 pieces of burial objects were unearthed from the tomb, including ancient potteries, ancient coins, ancient silver decorations and copper warriors, etc. The tomb owner was an aristocrat in Wusun Kingdom.

To consolidate its political alliance with Wusun Kingdom, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty once again married Princess Jieyou, a granddaughter of King Chu’s, to the king of Wusun Kingdom named Junxumi at his second request. Princess Jieyou, 17 years old at that time, set out from Chang’an and it took three years for her to get to this prairie. She was born smart and lovely. Very soon she mastered the Turkic language and successfully adapted herself to the life here. During the reigns of four kings , she married three times and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. She was righteous and unyielding with acknowledged prominent statesmanship. After King Junxumi died, she married King Wegguimi and assisted him to handle political, economic, and military affairs. She secured the coalition between Wusun Kingdom and the Han dynasty and successfully held back the aggression of Xiongnu. She lived in Wusun Kingdom for more than 50 years and her entire life was consecrated to Wusun Kingdom . she was so deeply loved by her subjects on the grasslands and was affectionately honored as “ the mother of Wusun ”. she was known as “ princess. Wusun ” in the history.

Nalati Prairie acts as a garrison on famous North Silk Road-Tianshan Road. Wusun, Saka, Turkic, Mongolian and other ethnic groups established nomadic courts on the prairie one after another. Zhang Qian passed through it on his way to Xiyu and so did  Princess Xijun and Princess Jieyou on their way to marry Wusun kings . what you see most often now on this prairie are Kazakh . but actually no one is certain who their ancestors might be. Kazakh people have inherited and well-preserved many fine traditions of ancient ethnic groups generations after generations. Now Kazakh population on Nalati Prairie accounts for 11.83% of population in Xinyuan County, and 1% of Kazakh population in China. It is “the Prairie with the largest Population of Kazak nationality.

The nomadic Kazakh migrated to wherever water and grass were available. It is said that” Roads the Kazakh people have walked outdo any other people in the world, and the most frequently moving people are also Kazakh ”. The Kazakh people’s history is written during their migrations, Kazakh’s prosperity is born in their moving from one place to another. As a matter of fact, the Kazakh’s history of animal husbandry transition can be traced back to 2000 years ago. In their mythical folklores，Kazakh means ”white swan”, vividly symbolizing their gregarious and migratory tradition. Their rich nomadic culture of a long history is integrated with and embodied in their life of “transition” year in year out. They keep transiting from one place to another throughout the year. The transition of livestock, a rotational grazing process, is based on the growth cycle of pasture, and exercised three or four times a year in sequence. Transition follows the law of nature, and is usually done in a bottom-up order, that is, moving the pasture from the bottom to the top of a mountain. Likewise, transition must be done on a carefully selected auspicious date. It is considered a taboo to transit on Zhuma Day(Tuesday). Actually it has something to do with Kazakh religious beliefs. Transitions is mainly determined by economic factors of animal husbandry. It can provide livestock with high quality pastures timely to ensure their growth and maintain their population; it can promote specialized livestock production; it can encourage natural elimination in favor of breed optimization, To Kazakh people, every transition is their hope for good life.

The pasture we see now is the Spring-Autumn Meadow for Kazakh herders. In April, May and June, the meadow enjoys abundant precipitation and dense vegetation, a perfect place for farmers to herd their cattle and sheep. By the end of June, they’ll have to dive cattle and sheep to the Summer Meadow. By the end of September, as the weather gets colder, they’ll start to dive cattle and sheep back again to the Spring-Autumn Meadow for grazing. The grass here can grow as high as 80 centimeters in July, August and September, when you can experience on your own the famous view” Between the vast sky and the boundless earth, flocks and herds appear as grass bends to wind.” By the end of September, the Kazakh nomads will begin to reap the grass with their special scythes and then dry it. They store dried grass in the winter shelter for cattle and sheep to graze in winter,

The low adobe house you saw just now is a typical winter shelter for Kazakhs, usually composed of stable, a cowshed, a sheep pen, haymows and so on. With a square flat-topped roof, the house is built with sun-dried mud bricks, rocks or wood to keep out wind and snow. Iron furnace or earth furnace is used for heating inside the house. Although there isn’t much to look from the outside, its inside is well-arranged and looks pretty, with folk arts and crafts that hard-working Kazakh women make with nimble hands, as well as gorgeous hand-embroidered tapestries, unvarnished wear-proof appliances made of leather, and exquisitely rolled metal wares.

The grasslands you see here are actually contracted to households, separated by valleys, trenches, and even iron fences. You might wonder how they are able to tell whom these cattle, sheep and horses belong to. In fact, every Kazakh family has its own unique seal. It is prescribed in the thirty-third clause of”The First Khan Code”(Khan: a ruler of a tribe) in Kazakh that” Evey tribe, every clan and every family must be assigned auique seal, with which they seal their livestock and properities to mark the ownship.” If you were attentive, you might find that some sheep are mark different colors, and some horses or cattle are branded different colors, and some horses or cattle are branded different symbols, or you might find a piece of copperplate embedded in sheep’s ears, and many things like that, These are symbols unique to every Kazakh household.

   To our right is a valley Camel Valley. How did it get this name? Well, in the early days Kazakh mainly used camels as a means of transportation during transitions. The farmers here told us that the valley was once a place to gather and graze camels, so it was named Camel Valley. Mountain roads used to be rugged and transportation inconvenient in the past, therefore, horses and camels became important means of transport for herders at the time of transition and migration. Camel is well known for its low fertility rate. To be specific, it gives birth once every three years. Besides, it would uproot grass when grazing .This might result in a severe damage on ecological environment . Coupled with the fact that there are more advanced means of transport available now, camels have been completely replaced by vehicles and horses. In other words, camel has been eliminated.

   Do you see layer upon layer of patterns on the hillside to our right? They look like layers of terraced fields in the distance. Do you know how these patterns were formed? Well, they were actually paths trodden by sheep grazing on the hillside. Sheep are very clever. They usually graze its way in an inclined direction instead of an up—and—down direction, since walking on a slighter slope can better protect them form spraining, and they could eat more fresh grass this way too. As time passes, Yangchang  paths(“the paths like the bowel of a sheep”) have been formed.

   Daigelasi means “The setting sun’s valley” in Kazakh. at dusk, mountains, pine forests and meadows look extraordinarily beautiful to feast our eyes in the light of the setting sun. Let’s go on with our story about Kazakh, the grassland people, also known as the “People on the horseback”. To Kazakh people, songs and horses are their two wings. Just because Kazakh like horse so much and are so addicted to it that have bred their own excellent breed of “Ili Horse”. In the reign of Emperor Wu in the Han Dynasty, “Ili House” were honored as “Heavenly Horse” or “Bloody Sweat Horse” (so named because its sweat looks like blood). Ili abounds with"Ili horses”. Horse is essential to Kazakh people. Their sports activities can’t do without horses. Especially on holiday and festive days, the Kazakh will launch some very interesting horse events, for example, horse racing, scrambling sheep, chasing girls and picking shoe-shaped gold ingots from horseback and so on.

   Speaking of horse racing, look in the direction ma left hand is pointing! Do you see the racetrack not far from here? It is in fact a natural racetrack, covering an area of about 100 acres. No trace of artificial cut and polish can be found on its oval flat track and the strip stand nearly 10 meters above the track. It is said to be a drill ground where prince Tsagadai trained his soldiers. If you want to see horse racing, scrambling sheep, chasing girls and other activities, I’ll take you to a racetrack in a tribe to feast your eyes on our trip back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Prairie in the air

We have just enjoyed the beautiful prairie landscape in the valley , and now we’re going to tour the prairie in the air ---the Summer pasture,12 kilometres from here .

The trip will take about 30 minutes one way . Just as its name implies, the Summers Pasture is where Kazakh herders pasture in summer . But why is it also named “The Prairie in the Air ?” Well, it has something to do with its altitude .of a typical alpine meadow and subalpine meadow landfrom, Nalati Prairie is one of the four most well-known alpine valley prairies in the world .

The Summer Pasture ,with an average attitude of 2200 meters , ranks the highest grassland in Ili valley ,worthy of its title “ The Prairie in the air ” .We’re going to see on our way undulating mountains and lush forests in fine contrase with red leaves and colorful wild flowers .

Here each mountain itself makes a views, each view with a slope in it .People go after views ,and the views constitute picturesque landscapes . An old saying goes like this ,”peak after peak ,they look like the same ,one turns dark green , another still verdant ; pine after pine ,they appear uniform ,one is a little dark ,another still red .” The landscape is so beautiful that the eye can’t take it all in .

One thing I’d like to remind you of is : people do not pick flowers and plants at will ,because there grow on this prairie a kind of stinging nettle ,it likes to grown in valleys ,boondocks and boscages . Local Kazakhs call it “Scorpion Grass ” . it’s painful and itchy if the skin is stung by it .Keep calm when you are not careful enough as to get stung ,it doesn’t matter much since the pain and itching can be relieved immediately once you rub some saliva on the stung area .It’s like a magic at work .Despite the unpleasant experience , nettle can be used as a medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis ,infantile paralysis ,post-natal gout and so on .And its external application can be used to treat snake and insect bites .

The connotation of nettle is “in love “in flowers language .In England ,the white flower of wild nettle is called “Adam and Eve under the shade of a tree ” ,because under the golden coronet of petals ,there is a pair of black and golden stamens ,

looking just like Adam an Eve ,Besides ,the pain caused by its sting is so unforgettable that you remember it to the end of your life .The feel is very much like that love gives you .it is how nettle gets its connotation in flower language .People born blessed by the flower attach great importance to encountering the right ones ,because they believe that once you accept its blessings ,you can love each other devotedly and live a happy life ever after .

Nalati Scenic Area is a stretch of primeval forest pasture .look to the right !Do you see varieties of trees on the mountain slope ? Well ,those low round-shaped trees half way up the slope are mostly wile apple trees .Every May ,pink apple blossoms are blooming all over the mountains .Come back at that time to look for the “Shiwaitaoyuan ”(a heaven of peace and happiness ) described by Taoyuanming,and to appreciate the world full of fallen flowers .By September ,fruits are ripe for picking and the mountains are permeated with the fragrance of wild apple .Wild apple is irregular in shape and small in size ,only as big as an apricot .it tastes sour ,but pure natural beverages and jams made from it taste great ,sour and sweet .in addition , its nutrition is fully preserved even after the processing .it is rich in vitamins ,especially a nutritional substance called L-malic acid ,which has a significant treatment effect on our cardio-cerebral-vascular system and atherosclerosis .

In Alemale Town of Xinyuan county ,there is a very beautiful wild fruit-bearing forest originated in the Middle Ages .it is the largest and densest primeval wild fruit-bearing forest in Europe and Asia ,with an area of 7,000 hectares ,accounting for 70% of wild fruit –bearing forests in Eurasia .There you can see varieties of trees, like wild apple trees, wild cherry trees, wild walnut trees, wild roses, wild apricot trees, sea buckthorns and other species, aging from 100 to 500 years, It is a big gene bank of tree protospecies in xinjiang and even in china. According to experts, the majority of apple trees cultivated in Xinjiang have their root in the wild apple trees here . Excellent tree species improved by grafting wild apple saplings are very popular. Therefore, Ili is also known as “The Land of Wild Apples’,And plays an important role in fruit tree cultivation, You may say that it is one of original places or cradles for apple tree cultivation.You may say that it is one of original places or cradles for apple tree cultivation.

In addition to wild apple trees, other shrubs and arbors grow in Nalati Mountain, like wild hawthorn, sea-buckthorn, Tianshan sorbus, black currant and so on. These trees do not only decorate the mountain, but also have a great medicinal value. For example, sea-buckthorn can relieve coughing and reduce phlegm; black currant can lower blood fat level and soften blood vessels; the leaves of Tianshan Sorbus have heat clearing and cough soothing erects and they benefit lungs as well. Besides wild trees, there are also varieties of wild wegetables, for example, wild mushroom, wild garlic, wild celery, wild artemisia, wild clover, sarson and so on. Therefore, Nalati is also entitled a “Gene Bank of Natural Wild Vegetables”.

See those large tracts of white umbrella flowers on both sides of the road? The flower is called Achillea millefolium, a kind of perennial herb, about 30-100cm high. It is mainly found on river beaches and meadows in mountains and grasslands north of Tianshan Mountains, at an attitude of 500-3000meters above sea level. Although the herb is poisonous, it can be used as medicine. Its leaves and flower contain aromatic oil. The spherical pink flower is called Pratense L. or Red Clover, the five-petal purple flower Geranium Pratense, the string-like purple flower the Desert Sage, and the lofty pink flower the Eurasian Tree Mallow. These perennial herbs are of both high quality and high nutritional value, and they can be used for grazing and haymaking.

Look out of the window, my friends! See the tall tree with a narrow crown and a straight trunk? I’d like to emphasize that this skyward, closed-umbrella-looking tree is not an ordinary pine tree. It is the Prefecture Tree of Ili Prefecture, called picea schrenkiana. Among two dozen species of spruce in the world, the picea schrenkiana is the tallest, usually about 30 to 40 meters high, and some can grow as high as 50 to 60 meters. With a long growth cycle , it only grows 2-4 cm each year. Most of the spruces outside the window are three hundred years old. But as the old saying goes, the concentration is the essence. The picea schrenkiana wood is solid and mass, straight in textures. It was once used as the crosstie that connects and supports the rails of a railroad, and now is mainly used for making high-grade furniture and high-end musical instruments. Since the root system of the picea schrenkiana is very well developed, it is not picky about the soil it grows in as long as it can imbibe rainwater. The water retention capacity can amount to 2.5tons for a spruce each year. So it is also known as “Natural Mini-Reservoir”. But in the meantime, the evaporation capacity is staggering too, about 50% higher than that of sea with the same latitude and the same size. Water vaporizes, becomes cloud and finally finally falls down as rain. So we could also say that the vast picea schrenkiana growing regions are also precious water conservation regions.

Now we are at the entrance to the Summer Pasture. Standing on the top of the hill and looking into the distance, you will see luxuriant grasslands, and smoke spiraling upward from kitchens’ chimneys. The view from here looks like a natural landscape oil painting. It is so beautiful that you’ll never stint praises. Especially at sunset when the sun is about to sink, mountains and fields seem to be dyed redBy  the  rays of evening  sunshing .An extravagantly beautiful view! But in the past it was not like this at all. It was said to be a barren land covered with sands and rubbles .No grass grew there ,and not even a sign of green could be ever seen .Goshawk dared not stop for a rest here for fear that it would find nothing to feed on and eventually got so exhausted and hungry that it was unable to fly away .the wind dared not stop here either ,for it was too bleak here.And even time it passed by,it could not help whimpering .But in a could winter ,the west wind blew in a heavy snow,As snow melted,water was conserved .Next sping ,a hawk coming from the south held in its mouth a grass seed ,and sowed the seed here .Year in and year out ,there appeared grass on this land ,It is long after that grassland took shape.

In 1986,the “Naziquelute”Meadow Natural Reserve was established here by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region ,with a total area of approximately 250,000 mu (a unit of area used by Chinese ),equivalent to the size of 25,000 football fields , “Naziquelute”in Kazakh means “cattle and sheep Frisking about on the prairie”.The highness and greatness of Nalati Prairie is best incarnated here.As the mountain goes steeper and steeper and the elevation higher and higher ,natural conditions such as climate,soil ,biological and so on have also changed significantly.Views are distinct at different height.At the foot of the mountain it is wreathed with greenness.Half way up the mountain are dense forests,and at the top of the mountain are snow-capped peaks.In a word ,the natural landscape varies form the bottom up .It is called Vertical landscape Belts in geography .The reason for this is :as it is located in the northwest of Nalati Mountain ,the all-year-round fluvial denudation induced by Kapu River and Kunes River caused the upper reaches to rupture.The terrain experienced a widespread decline .At the foot of the mountain are densely distributed spings ,As a result ,the peculiar landform of crisscrossing ravines,intercrossing rivers and streams,towering pines along the valley and undulating grasslands finally took shape .At the same time ,it is precisely this particular topography that makes it a “sanctuary”for many rare and precious plant species .In addition ,favorable natural precipitation,the 10-degrees-centigrade temperature difference between morning and evening ,and the nutrient –rich mountain chernozem nurture this tract of beautiful grassland .It is abundant in forage resources .As many as 31 plant families,150 genera and more than 210 species have been found here and they constitute the subalpine meadow vegetation of the natural reseve.

Among them are the well-know dandelion ,Tianshan safflower,rhubarb,trollflower and other vegetations,as well as tens of famous Chinese herbs such as Fritillaria thun-bergli,Tianshan dangshen(codonopsis pilosula),saussurea involucrate,lily,Astragalus root ,and white paeony root.You can say that all these have made it an ideal grassland research base .when we get there ,you might like to set out to look for them and try to identify them by yourselves.

Well ,as soon as we pass this checkpoint , we’ll arrive at our destination –the summer pasture . It is an intermountain basin with luxuriant grasslands and beautiful water . standing in the middle of the pasture,you can truly feel the greenness of the summer pasture .some look yellowish and others appear light blue.Qiapu River is leisurely green,slowly meandering its way to the west . It is straight ahead ,not far from here. we，ll park our coach ther .Then you can choose to ride a horse across the pasture of stroll among the flowers,to enjoy to the top of your bent the open and broat prairie in the air.