Bayanbulak Grassland National Nature Reserve

Situated in Hejing County, Xinjiang, the Bayanbulak Grassland has long been a vital heartland of the Central Asian steppe, at elevations between 2,000 and 2,500 meters. Its name, from Mongolian, means “rich springs,” reflecting the flow of the Kaidu river and wetlands that drew nomadic peoples to its plains for centuries. The area has been officially protected since 1980, when the Xinjiang government created the Bayanbulak Swan Nature Reserve. In 1986, it was upgraded to a national reserve.
We could, in theory, take our bikes in and cycle the reserve, but due to its sheer size, we had to acquiesce to the tourism industry and take a sightseeing bus tour instead. A minor attraction was the swan lake, which harboured more gulls than swans and even more tourists. We took a few quick pictures and left.
More famous was the Nine-Curve Eighteen-Bend Scenic Area, which describes the well-known section of the Kaidu River that twists and loops, forming graceful, S-shaped meanders—especially striking at sunset. However, though we came at the right time, the weather was not kind to us, and the sun was obscured by dark clouds. Similarly, the platforms on which one could take photos were also swamped by less-than-cordial sightseers pushing and shoving each other. On the way back, we were accompanied by rain, lightning, thunder, and a heavy wind that whipped up dust that flew into our eyes.