Wujiaqu, despite only a three-year history of being a city, has developed into an attractive tourism destination in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The city was developed from a small town next to the beautiful Qinggeda Lake near the rural area, with a history dating back to 1953.
Qinggeda, called Qinglongquan (blue dragon spring) by the local Han people, means black spring in the Mongolian language.
About 50 years ago, Qinggeda was just a seasonal lake. It took the Xinjiang Production and Construction Group, led by General Wang Zhen, five years to change the seasonal lake into a reservoir covering a total of 17 sq km.
Yao Xinmin, a division head of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Group, said Wujiaqu is a beautiful and charming city, with bright sunshine, fresh air, a beautiful blue lake, green grasslands and white snow. Its beautiful sceneries provide Wujiaqu with great opportunities to develop its tourism industry.
Early autumn in Xinjiang looks the same as late autumn in Beijing. Standing on a dam on Qinggeda Lake, people can enjoy the beautiful mists rising from the lake's surface under the sun's rays, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the comfortable weather.
Liu Zhenjiang, director of the Tourism Administration of Wujiaqu, said Qinggeda Lake is a natural climate regulator in the area. The lake blocks off the dust from the neighboring desert, offering a shield for Wujiaqu, as well as Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
In a clear day, the snow-covered Bogda Peak in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains is visible from Qinggeda Lake. Bogda means saint mountain in the Mongolian language, regarded as the patron saint of Urumqi by locals. The local people also regard Qinggeda Lake as saint water.
In recent years, Qinggeda Lake has offered a haven for many generations of migratory birds as they make the long journey south each year in search of warmer weather. The lake has formed an excellent ecological system, composed of marshes, mudflats and forests.
The flying birds attract lots of photographers. They come to Qinggeda Lake, waiting quietly by the lake or in a boat on it and press their shutters quickly as the birds fly in the sky.
"We have established the Wetland Protection Area based on the 17 sq km water surface and 10 sq km of wetlands. There are more than 181 kinds of birds flying through the protection area every year, including gulls, ducks, swans, salaganes and geese. Badgers, hares, foxes and hedgehogs also live here. We are going to develop a wetland scenery spot, providing people with a venue for scientific and cultural activities." Liu added.
Yiwanquan
In the east of Wujiaqu lies the best natural pasture in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains - the Yiwanquan Scenic Spot.
In autumn, the area turns golden, and the blue sky and golden fields could remind one of the yellow brick road in the Land of Oz. On top of the mountain are the grass farms, white sheep and Western-style houses with white walls and red roofs, all reminiscent of an Irish pasture.
Yiwanquan Scenic Spot is located in Qitai county 300 km away from Wujiaqu. Lots of springs from the Tianshan Mountains join to form a stream that flows round the year.
There is a sad legend about the place. It is said that a long time ago, a horse from heaven came to live there and fell in love with the place, with its plentiful water and lush pastures. When the god found out what the horse had done, he was angry and asked the horse to return to heaven. The horse loved the place so much that he would not agree to go back. The god was then so furious that he shot out lightning and fire to ruin the area. But the place was still unharmed even after the god's fury, as the horse turned his eyes into springs to put out the lightning and the fire, to protect the place he loved so much.
Western-style houses and hotels dot the hillside of the Tianshan Mountains. The local government plans to construct some more villas for visitors. Environmental protection is accorded prime importance, and care is taken to ensure that new constructions do not break the harmony between nature and the people.
Walking in the sunshine, one can enjoy the two main sceneries of forest and grassland from the south and north sides of the mountains, a sight that is enough to make anyone forget their tiredness.
Source: China Daily
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