Xinjiang: Baihaba Village, Sep 2025
This is my third photo trip to beautiful Xinjiang, China. I was in northern Xinjiang last June for the pasture transfer and then in southern Xinjiang last Oct for the desert poplars. This time I returned to northern Xinjiang for the autumn colors of Kanas Lake and Hemu Village. The beauty of northern Xinjiang in […]
Qinghai: Heidu & Yanzhi Mountain, July 2025
Just opposite the Lenghu Oil Base is the lonely and desolate black mountain desert of Heidu Mountain 黑独山. It resembles a majestic black and white Chinese ink painting spread out in the brown Gobi Desert and has only recently been developed (in 2025) into a tourist site. I was told that the black yadan here […]
Qinghai: Wusute Yadan & Eboliang, July 2025
Wusute Yadan Geopark 乌素特水上雅丹地质公园, or simply Water Yadan Park, is home to the surreal and rare landscape of wind-eroded rocks, known as yadans, in an aquatic setting that is Yahu Lake. Located in the northwest of the Qaidam Baisn, it covers an area of 21,000 sq km and is the earliest water yadan landscape discovered […]
Qinghai: Tuosu Lake & Dachaidan Emerald Lake, July 2025
Tuosu Lake 托素湖, “butter lake” in Mongolian, is an inland saltwater lake surrounded by the vast Gobi Desert. When it is not windy, the lake is misty and sky blue, and when the weather changes, the lake becomes turbulent with waves crashing to the shore. In the spring, tens of thousands of birds come to […]
Qinghai: Chaka & Qarhan Salt Lakes, July 2025
Nested in the heard of Qinghai province at 3,100 meters lies the oval-shaped Chaka Salt Lake 茶卡盐湖, once an important courier station and salt production center of the ancient Silk Road, now a popular attraction with salt formations and the mesmerizing Mirror of the Sky. Chaka literally means “salt lake” in Tibetan. Much smaller than […]
Qinghai: Zhouer, Wucai, Kunlun Mountain, July 2025
Zhouer Mountain 卓尔山 is one of my favorites of this Qinghai photo trip. It is a branch of the Qilian Mountains, with a hilly grassland landscape and a red sandstone Danxia landform. Also called Zongmu Mayuma which means “beautiful ruddy queen” in Tibetan, it is regarded as a sacred mountain by local Tibetan Buddhists. Legend […]
Guizhou: Libo Xiaoqikong, Mar 2025
South of Guiyang, Guizhou, is Libo County 荔波, home to the UNESCO Xiaoqikong or Seven Small Arches Scenic Area 小七孔. The national park is named after an ancient seven-arch stone bridge built in 1836 spanning the Xiangshui River. Also nicknamed “The Emerald on Earth’s Belt”, the 46.4 sq km area is famous for its karst […]
Guizhou: Cherry Blossoms, Mar 2025
Spring has arrived and it’s time to go see some flowers. Last year around this time I went to Linzhi, Tibet to see the peach blossoms. This year I decided to go to Guizhou in southwestern China to catch the cherry blossoms or sakura. It is said that the cherry blossoms in Guizhou can rival […]
Xinjiang: Desert Poplars of Kuche Canyon, Oct 2024
Between Luntai 轮台 and Kuche 库车 in Xinjiang is another undiscovered area of populus euphratica or desert poplars, this time inside a canyon. Populus euphratica is an ancient tree species of the Tertiary period that grows in the world’s arid desert riverbanks hence lending the name “king of the desert.” Populus euphratica is called “Toklak” […]
Xinjiang: Desert Poplars of Luntai, Oct 2024
Luntai County (轮台) houses the largest and most concentrated area of Xinjiang’s populus euphratica or desert poplars. Populus euphratica is an ancient tree species of the Tertiary period that grows in the world’s arid desert riverbanks hence lending the name “king of the desert.” Populus euphratica is called “Toklak” in Uyghur which translates to “the […]
Xinjiang: Desert Poplars of Luobu Hu, Oct 2024
Populus euphratica is an ancient tree species of the Tertiary period that grows in the world’s arid desert riverbanks hence lending the name “king of the desert.” Populus euphratica is called “Toklak” in Uyghur which translates to “the most beautiful tree”. Most of the world’s populus euphratica are concentrated in China with 90% of those […]
Henan: Mount Laojun, Sep 2024
Henan, which translates to “south of the river”, was historically known as the Central Plains and is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, four can be found in Henan: Luoyang, Kaifeng, Anyang, and Zhengzhou. Taoism originated here and the first Buddhist temple was established here by the […]
Xinjiang: Highway S101 & Highway 217, Jun 2024
There are many beautiful scenic drives in Xinjiang with the most well known being Duku Highway. Unfortunately, during our visit it was temporarily closed due to hail and snow. Yes, hail and snow in June! Another famous scenic highway in this part of Xinjiang is Provincial Highway S101. Also known as the TianShan Scenic Corridor, […]
Xinjiang: Anjihai Grand Canyon, Jun 2024
Anjihai Grand Canyon (安集海大峽谷), also known as the Red Mountain Grand Canyon, is frequented by few until lauded by China National Geographic Magazine as “a river and canyon flowing out of a modern abstract painting.” Apparently, many people came here and were unable to find the canyon because it is a huge ravine that suddenly […]
Xinjiang: Kalajun Human Grassland, Jun 2024
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (伊犁) in northwestern Xinjiang, lies at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and bounded by Russia and Mongolia to the northeast and Kazakhstan to the west. There is the saying that “If you don’t go to Xinjiang, you don’t know the size of China; if you don’t go to Ili, […]