Gongliu

A forest-and-grassland county on the south bank of the Ili River valley, where Kurdening, part of the Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage Site, offers quiet Schrenk's spruce forests, Wild Walnut Valley and Qiaxi Forest Park.

Gongliu County lies in the southeast of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, on the south bank of the Ili River valley, backed by spurs of the Tianshan, and is a mountainous county with very high forest cover. The highlight is Kurdening, part of the Kalajun–Kurdening component of the Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage Site: vast Schrenk's spruce forests, valley meadows and the snowy peak of Kabanbayi, with the Qimengde viewpoint overlooking the sea of trees. Near town is the national 4A-rated Wild Walnut Valley, while in the southeastern mountains Qiaxi National Forest Park and the Tarim scenic area can be linked into the "Qiaxi–Tarim Loop". The Big and Little Mohur valleys in Kurdening Town are known for wild apple forests and spring blossoms.

The best season is Jun–Sep: wildflowers in June, a cool escape in Jul–Aug, and autumn colors of spruce and birch in mid-to-late September; apricot and wild apple blossoms come in late April. In winter some mountain sites close or charge half price, and you can ski at Yilegedai Ski Resort.

Getting there: Yining to Gongliu is about 2 hours by car, and there are also buses. From town it is about 60 km to Kurdening and about 80 km of mountain road to Qiaxi; public transport between sites is scarce, so self-driving or hiring a car is recommended. Allow 2–3 days: one day for Kurdening, one for Qiaxi and Tarim, and half a day for Wild Walnut Valley plus an evening at Butterfly Lake. In the mountains, temperatures swing widely between day and night and UV is strong; some roads see rockfalls in the rainy season. Combine with Nalati to the east and Kalajun in Tekes to the southwest for an Ili loop.

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