The Endless Western Frontier: A Purple Xinjiang That Soothes the Soul

Known as the "Lavender Capital of China," Ili produces a variety of premium aromatic plants such as lavender, mint, spearmint, rosemary, Roman chamomile, and Damascus roses every harvest season, filling the valley with enchanting fragrances. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

Each spring and summer, as greenery flourishes and flowers bloom, the Ili River region transforms into a purple, worry-free world rivaling Provence. (Photo provided by Shutterstock)

As the saying goes, “You don’t know how vast China is until you visit Xinjiang, and you don’t know how beautiful Xinjiang is until you go to Ili.” Renowned as the land of fruits, Xinjiang boasts abundant glacial meltwater from high mountains, a unique climate, and a diverse population of ethnic minorities, all contributing to its exotic cultural charm. Especially in spring and summer, when the landscape turns lush and flowers burst into bloom, the Ili River area becomes a purple paradise reminiscent of Provence.

Stretching for miles, heading eastward along the Ili River Valley—from Sayram Lake, the Guozigou Grand Bridge, Bayinbuluke Grassland, Swan Lake, to the Ninety-Nine Bends—you’ll find verdant, carpet-like mountain peaks connected one after another, covered in vibrant wildflowers and endless seas of lavender. Sayram Lake is the highest-altitude and largest alpine fault lake in Xinjiang, formed 70 million years ago during the Himalayan orogeny. Nestled in the heart of the Tianshan Mountains, it resembles a piece of jade inlaid in the earth, shimmering with brilliant blue waters.

Visiting Ili in spring, between March and April, visitors can ride horses through the ancient apricot blossom valleys, where wild apricot blossoms bloom year after year. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

Over two thousand years ago, Zhang Qian traversed the high-altitude icy peaks of Xinjiang on his mission to the Western Regions, pioneering the ancient Silk Road that stretched from Chang’an in the east to Rome in the west. Today, Ili is a dreamlike frontier known as the "Lavender Capital of China," producing 90% of China’s lavender. Its cultivation ranks among the top three globally, alongside Provence in France and Furano in Hokkaido, Japan. Every June, the nearby city of Huocheng hosts a Lavender Culture Tourism Festival, where visitors are greeted by the gentle sway of vast purple lavender fields and the refreshing fragrance carried by the breeze.