Shayanzhou Scenic Area

Shayanzhou Scenic Area

Shayanzhou Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Shayanzhou is situated on the southern bank of the Tarim River in Gekikuimu Village, Gekikuimu Township, Shaya County, spanning approximately 42 square kilometers. It is a comprehensive cultural tourism resort that combines wetland poplars, Gobi poplars, desert poplars, water poplars, the Tarim River, lakes (reservoirs), wetlands, water birds (Shayan birds), farming (cotton), herding (sheep grazing), and wildlife. It is one of the most important core scenic areas within Shaya County’s World Poplar Forest Park.

Shayanzhou Scenic Area is a bazaar for passionate travelers, a paradise for photographers, and a playground for adventurers. Its unspoiled natural beauty has long been widely praised: the rolling sand dunes, some reaching over 20 meters in height; the scattered and varied poplar trees, with ancient trunks so large that several people are needed to encircle them; winding paths, where dust from horse and sheep trails floats like gauzy mist; shimmering lake waters with ever-changing reflections; flocks of birds gathered on the lake, living harmoniously among different species, creating peaceful and serene scenes; fishermen in "Kapan boats" casting their nets at dawn or patrolling at dusk—the imagery and poetry of it all are profoundly moving.

Shayanzhou Scenic Area is a concentrated experience of poplar forest tourism, Tarim River tourism, and desert tourism. “In spring, it is enveloped in the fragrance of blooming flowers; in summer, it echoes the grandeur of the Khan’s ceremony; in autumn, it displays the bold brushstrokes of Van Gogh; in winter, it dons the reserved elegance of a silver-coated landscape.” This is the most delightful portrayal of the Sun Island.

There is also a poignant legend about Shayanzhou: It is said that many years ago, in the Kingdom of Yutian south of Shaya, there lived a wealthy young woman named Ayikze, who was the apple of her parents’ eye. She and Kun Kalie, the son of their family’s laborer, had been childhood sweethearts and were deeply in love.

However, their different social statuses made their union impossible. Kun Kalie and Ayikze decided to break free from societal constraints and bravely pursue their love. They traveled north along the Keriya River, evading the relentless pursuit of her family’s servants, and eventually arrived in Shaya. But unexpectedly, a wild, rampaging flood cruelly separated them.

Kun Kalie was stranded on the southern bank, while Ayikze, critically injured, drifted downstream to the northern bank of the Tarim River, 40 kilometers away. Unable to find Kun Kalie, she transformed her final tears of sorrow into a beautiful, clear pool—now known as “Moon Bay.” The boy Kun Kalie, in turn, turned into an island in the water, waiting for Ayikze’s return for all eternity. Today, in Shayanzhou, if you’re lucky, you might often encounter handsome young shepherds softly singing an ancient folk song: “Ayikze, Ayikze, Ayikze, who are you? Why can I never see your face? But I know, you are the most beautiful person in my heart. Ayikze, Ayikze, Ayikze, where are you? Why do I never hear from you? But you know, Kun Kalie has always been thinking of you.”