Miaogou

Miaogou

Miaogou is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guide

In its heyday, the palace was a vast garden backed by peaks of deep red rock. The old Khan loved to travel and collect various kinds of plants, so the garden was filled with many rare flowers and trees. The garden had nine concentric walls, and the scenery between each wall was distinct. People would walk through gateways of varying shapes, making it feel like a maze. After the old Khan passed away, the palace inevitably fell into decline.

Today, remnants of the palace can still be seen in Miaogou. Behind the palace, a path leads to a sandstone mountain to the northwest, where five Buddhist cave grottoes are lined up. The traces of murals on the cave walls have faded and are barely recognizable. On the mountainside west of the palace, there is also the site of a Buddhist temple dating back to the 7th to 12th centuries.

In spring, the valley of Miaogou is covered with blooming apricot blossoms, and until autumn, the undulating slopes are blanketed with a rich variety of plants. Clusters of walnut and elm trees form broad woodland belts, while the valley also features beautiful alpine meadows dotted with large, vibrant flowers that often lend the area a glossy sheen of red, blue, and light purple hues. The air here is cool, making it an ideal place to escape the summer heat.

Hami, Xinjiang