Old Mare's Journey (No. 12 of the Wonders of Beautiful Xinjiang)
Arriving in unfamiliar places, it's better to have familiar people around, so you don't have to worry about anything. Before twelve o'clock, the border pass, vehicle passage permits are all handled,
Departing for Whitehaba Village. The Whitehaba River County area has abundant polymetallic ore deposits, so although this area has plenty of rain, the vegetation on the mountains is still relatively sparse.
Almost at the Ironteketi Village, the terrain has become very peculiar. The mountains are not high, all low and undulating hills, the hills are covered with various low shrubs, pine trees and birch trees are not dense forests, but scattered individually, the trees are also very strange, the most strange is that there are all kinds of bizarre stones on the mountains, as if they grew out of the earth. Everywhere you look, there is yellow sandy soil, green vegetation, blue, brown and red rocks, which is a truly stunning landscape.
There was a minor incident on the road, we arrived at the Ironteketi entrance of the Karatas Scenic Area to get a ticket, and the car was stopped. It was because of the heavy rain yesterday, which caused landslides, blocking the village entrance. We waited for two hours anxiously, worried that the road would not be opened, seeing dark clouds gathering overhead and thunder rumbling, and worried that it would rain again and we wouldn't be allowed to enter the village.
Fortunately, we waited for two hours and the road finally opened. As we set off, it started to rain. We drove along the mountain road in the heavy rain, watching the rocks on the roadside threatening to fall at any time, our hearts were pounding.
Reaching the top of the mountain, the rain had stopped, and the white clouds appeared in the distance. Looking through the rain and mist, we saw the Whitehaba Grand Canyon, with clouds swirling around the distant mountains and the Whitehaba River like a jade ribbon winding through the jungle towards the distance. Below the mountain is Whitehaba Village, with a number of traditional wooden cabins with pointed roofs, located in the misty rain, the entire village has a sense of mystery and tranquility.
Whitehaba Village is known as 'the first village in Northwest China', located in the valley of the Altai Mountains, facing both China and Kazakhstan across the river, and with snow-capped mountains in the south. The Altai Mountains stretch all the way to Whitehaba Village. It is a village where primitive natural ecology and ancient traditional culture are integrated. The villagers are mainly Tuva people. The village is located in a valley between two streams, and stands on a narrow terrace between two streams. All the buildings are made of wood, with small-framed wooden houses with pointed roofs as a sign, which has the characteristics of European village towns.
The houses are all one-color pointed wooden roofs, the walls and roofs are made of whole logs, spliced together, and the top is supported by wooden boards to form a 'person' shape pointed roof, which can prevent rain and snow and ensure the safety of the housing. The roof and roof between the tops form two ventilated eaves, which is a good place to store feed and dry meat. Inside every house, the rooms are decorated with exquisite handicrafts, with felt carpets on the, embroidery tent wall carpets on the walls, and a refined stove in the center.
In the northwest of the mountain village, the village faces China and Kazakhstan across the border river, and the south is a dense forest mountain. Coupled with the backdrop of the Altai Mountains' snow-capped peaks, it's a perfect oil painting all year round. The wooden houses and livestock fences are scattered in a scattered and orderly manner in the pine and birch forests. It is peaceful and quiet.
Not long after, the rain stopped, we walked through the village road, the houses, trees, grass and flowers are all wet, when the sun comes out, the whole village is sparkling in the silver light.
The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the snow mountains and grasslands appeared faintly. Climbing to the top of the mountain, we could see the blue sky and boundless expanse, snow-capped mountains and clouds were close at hand, the sky was pure blue, the grass was pure green, the clouds were pure white, and the entire Whitehaba Village was fully in view. Everything looks clean and pure.
It's a paradise on Earth! How fortunate we are to have seen the hazy beauty of Whitehaba in the misty rain, and the bright beauty of Whitehaba in the sunshine!
In the evening, the vibrant sunset painted the western sky red. After the rain, the rising moisture on the ground enveloped the village, and smoke curled up and drifted, cows and sheep were everywhere, and under the setting sun, Whitehaba Village was shrouded in mist, just like a fairyland. The entire village was painted into a mountain and water landscape where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.
At night, the village that was noisy all day fell silent. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, there were no flashing neon lights, everything was old and quiet. Staying overnight in a village wooden house, experience Tuva life. We moved a chair to sit in the courtyard to watch stars and the moon, the deep blue night sky, the moonlight was as pure as water, the stars were blinking, and the crickets were singing sweetly, interspersed with the occasional low barking of dogs. Such nights make people feel even more quiet, and even dreams are sweet.
Author Bio
Ma Yihua, network name 'Snow Melted Jade Heart', Goldeng City JinChuan District Education System Work. Member of the City Art Association, likes literature and painting, good at Chinese painting, her works are widely seen in various paper media or online public platforms, and she has participated in many exhibitions and won awards.
