lowers bloom in the desert

A 1.5-hour ride by bullet train will also bring visitors to Urumqi, the regional capital.

Apricot trees are scattered across Xinjiang, but Apricot Gully is perhaps the most popular spot to see them.

Located in Xinyuan county, close to National Highway 218, more than 2,000 hectares of wild apricot trees blossom in mid-April, attracting many sightseers and photographers.

Not far away are the Nalati Grassland and the Gongnaisi Forest Park along the Ili River, which offer visitors a taste of tranquility.

In Huocheng county, about 300 kilometers west of Xinyuan and not far from Khorgos Port, which connects China and Kazakhstan, is Daxi Gully.

Tourists flock here annually to see the apricot and apple flowers, and it is also regarded the Asian origin of wild cherry plums.

Cherry plum trees grow on the shaded side of the mountains at an altitude between 900 and 1,600 meters. The flowers blossom from April to May and are accompanied by sweet and sour berries.

Flowers are not the only natural beauty in Xinjiang, of course.