A Hall-of-Fame Hiking Route
The three hall-of-fame hiking routes in Xinjiang—the Wusun Ancient Trail, the Wolf Tower C Line, and the Summer Ancient Trail—are all incredibly enticing to any hiker. Each trail carries centuries of history. Along these paths, where you must trek over mountains and rivers, have walked soldiers stationed to guard the frontier, monks journeying westward in pursuit of knowledge, royal princesses sent to distant lands for political marriages, and nomadic herders who roamed wherever water and grass took them... Hiking these ancient trails allows you to truly feel the presence left behind by those who came before. Due to the rugged terrain, high altitudes, and harsh climates, these areas are sparsely populated—so the mountains remain unchanged, and the waters remain the same. It’s still the same mountain wind that brushed past the ears of people a thousand years ago, and the same bone-chilling river water. All of this is an experience that those who haven’t walked the trails can never truly understand.
The three routes each offer a distinct style, and Xiao Hui chose the Wusun. To her, the Wusun feels like a blushing bride-to-be, with landscapes along the way that held an irresistible allure. In ancient times, Princess Dishi, the daughter of Princess Jieyou, crossed the Tianshan Mountains from here on her way to marry the young King of Kucha in the southern Tianshan region. The romance of the prince and princess, along with the mysterious and pristine Paradise Lake, adds a layer of poignant tenderness to the Wusun Ancient Trail. But hiking the Wusun Ancient Trail is anything but romantic—it’s an arduous, physically demanding journey that tests both your limits and your mental endurance. Xiao Hui’s hike covered 130 kilometers, a long-distance heavy-load trek where all food and gear had to be carried in her pack. She couldn’t carry too much, only bringing as many supplies as she could consume within the planned number of days. Each day was spent almost entirely on the move—if she stopped, her supplies would run out with no chance of resupply in the wilderness. Along the route, she had to pass through Guan Tong Long Ji, Paradise Lake, cross the Bao Zha Dun Pass (3,660 meters above sea level), and the A Ke Bu La Pass (3,900 meters above sea level). Moreover, due to the sudden swelling of the river, she had to wade across it around 50 times, with waist-deep water crossings occurring six or seven times. These conditions alone are daunting enough to deter those lacking determination.
Adventure Should Be Within Your Limits
During this trip, Xiao Hui faced a moment when her life hung in the balance. For most of the eight days in mid-August, the weather was rainy, increasing the difficulty and danger of the crossing. The river swelled as a result. While crossing the Kelun Su River on a long single-log bridge, she suddenly became hydrophobic. Watching the turbulent river below begin to spin rapidly, she felt dizzy and lost consciousness, falling into the river and being swept away dozens of meters in an instant. With a backpack weighing nearly 20 kilograms and her own weight at 57 kilograms—nearly 80 kilograms in total—she floated in the surging river like a mere leaf, utterly powerless to struggle. In a daze, without time to think, she prepared to bid farewell to the world with her last bit of consciousness. If not for a pair of strong hands that grabbed her and pulled her back to the shore with all their might, the outcome could have been disastrous.
By the time Xiao Hui regained consciousness, she was back at the log. It turned out that Xiao Tan from another hiking group and her own team leader, Hu Lang, had jumped into the river to pull her back from the brink of death. Fellow hikers described the scene as “heart-stopping,” with one noting in their travelogue that the tension was so thick “you could only hear the sound of the river.” As the central figure in this drama, she remembered nothing—only that upon regaining consciousness, she immediately climbed back onto the log and headed for the shore. She said that when danger strikes, there’s no time for fear—there’s only a choice to stay calm and keep moving. Her first reaction upon reaching the shore was to open a plastic bag and check her camera, snapping a few test shots of her teammates still crossing the river, then cheerfully telling them, “Haha, the camera’s fine.” The day after falling into the river, she continued wading across. The rushing waters repeatedly knocked her trekking poles away, and she nearly fell several times, only managing to escape danger each time thanks to the support of her teammates.
The terrifying experiences Xiao Hui described sounded casual when she recounted them, but they were absolutely hair-raising to listeners.
However, in retrospect, Xiao Hui reflected on her experience and hopes sharing it will serve as a cautionary tale. First, she said, don’t be overly stubborn in the outdoors—if you feel you can’t continue, it’s better to turn back and find another way. At the time, the log was slippery, and previous hikers had shaken their heads and turned back after trying it. She felt the same, but wanted to take it as a challenge. Second, she hadn’t fully understood her own hydrophobia, and the fall was also related to her hearing loss. Unable to hear, she didn’t follow the team leader’s instructions. When she started to sway, he shouted for her to look away to ease the dizziness—but she couldn’t hear him, kept staring down, and ended up getting dizzy. “If I’d done more research on the Wusun route beforehand, understood my hydrophobia, and learned how to manage it, this wouldn’t have happened,” she said. “The outdoors is about exploration, not reckless risk-taking. No matter what, safety comes first. Even when challenging yourself, you should act within your current physical limits and abilities.”
She also found herself on a knife-edge ridge surrounded by peril. On the fourth day of the hike, while crossing the Blade Ridge, she truly understood how it got its name. Walking on a path as narrow as a blade, with terrifying abysses on either side, a single misstep could send you tumbling off the cliff. You had to focus intently on every step. Xiao Hui said this part of the hike was “maddening”—endless cliffs stretched out before her, and the long journey from morning until dusk left her stumbling and numb, too exhausted to even feel afraid of heights. It was a huge test of both stamina and strength; one wrong move could send you and the loose rocks beneath you plummeting to your doom. A slight misjudgment could be catastrophic. Xiao Hui said she walked that day with a blank expression, barely conscious, just staring at her feet. When they finally set up camp after crossing the ridge, she saw a beam of sunlight piercing through the clouds and hitting the ground nearby—as if nature was rewarding her for the ordeal. That moment made the journey worthwhile. Only after facing the perilous Blade Ridge did she realize: sometimes, people are far stronger and more resilient than they think, as long as they’re willing to try.
Finding Paradise at Paradise Lake
All the perils and hardships along the way were made worthwhile when she finally laid eyes on Paradise Lake. Known locally as Lake A Ke Ku, it’s a high-altitude alpine lake located 2.5 kilometers from the A Ke Bu La Pass on the southern ridge of the Tianshan Mountains. It’s a glacial moraine dammed lake formed along the ancient glacial path on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. The water is crystal clear, appearing blue-green, with extremely cold temperatures that freeze in winter into a smooth mirror-like surface. In summer, the climate is cool, the air fresh, and the area is home to many rare wild animals.
Xiao Hui said that after traveling to so many places and repeatedly questioning the meaning of her journeys, she never found a definitive answer—she only knew that the landscapes she sought were out there, and that the initial encounter with certain scenery could be deeply moving. Just like the beam of light breaking through the clouds after crossing the Blade Ridge; just like the serene and tranquil Paradise Lake before her... “They are the landscapes from my dreams in a past life—I’ve come in this life to find them.”
“When I first saw the lake, I felt like I couldn’t breathe and almost cried. I don’t believe in heaven, but I felt like I had walked into it. Paradise Lake is just a lake, but being near it, your heart can truly be moved by its gentleness.” When they arrived at Paradise Lake, it was evening. Along the way, they watched wild cattle and sheep playing and grazing by the lakeside, the clear lake water complementing the snow-capped mountains and grasslands. In the evening, a crescent moon rose over the mountains, and the altitude sickness and fatigue seemed to fade in the face of the stunning scenery.
Due to time and route constraints, they couldn’t stay long at any one spot. The next day, Xiao Hui and her team left this dreamlike place, climbing over the A Ke Bu La Pass and heading straight up the steep ridges. She still couldn’t help but glance back at Paradise Lake again and again. As they climbed higher, the lake appeared smaller and smaller, but she kept aiming her lens at it, taking photos and looking back despite the dangers. Later, she said that if she only got to visit Paradise Lake once, it would be a regret she’d carry forever.
Another reward of hiking at high altitudes was witnessing the sea of clouds. It’s said the chance of seeing sea of clouds on the Wusun route is only 1%, but Xiao Hui and her team were lucky—they not only saw the sea of clouds, but also the sky’s glow and the golden peaks bathed in sunlight. Walking amidst the clouds, feeling like you’re strolling between heaven and earth, is an indescribably wonderful experience. The shifting clouds happen in the blink of an eye. Gazing at the sky and clouds from over 3,000 meters above sea level leaves you holding your breath and filled with awe before nature’s majesty.
Encountering Yourself Along the Way
Along the Wusun Ancient Trail, Xiao Hui passed mostly through uninhabited areas. Occasionally, when passing through pastoral regions and meeting locals, language barriers limited conversation. But even the few people she encountered added joy to the hike. On the sixth day, having traveled from northern Xinjiang to the south, the weather grew hotter and the ground began to desertify. In the evening, they reached a forested area and saw a Uyghur man sitting under a tree. Team leader Hu Lang tried to communicate with him, hoping to set up camp there. With no shared language, they resorted to gestures and expressions—Hu Lang would pat his legs or the ground, while the man drew Arabic numerals in the dirt or shook his head vigorously. Their exaggerated expressions amused their companions. Despite the language barrier, the Uyghur man warmly offered watermelon to his guests from afar.
Xiao Hui said that the moment she saw the watermelon, her mouth watered—after days of roughing it, watermelon was nothing short of heavenly. The Uyghur herdsman stayed by the campsite, showing intense curiosity about their gear, asking endless questions and even comparing knives by slicing with his own. Xiao Hui marveled at how he could live in such a desolate place. “It felt like we were from two different worlds, both fascinated by each other’s ways of living.”
Xiao Hui said that along this perilous journey, she not only gained companions and breathtaking views, but also rediscovered her inner self. When she stood atop the A Ke Bu La Pass at 3,900 meters, facing the wind with her eyes closed, she felt the world—and the strength hidden within her fragile body. She was once someone afraid of heights and water, someone who spent a third of the year sick, someone who had lived in silence for 20 years, thinking she’d remain that way forever. But now, she had finally stepped onto the legendary Wusun Ancient Trail. It turns out, as long as you’re willing, there’s nothing you can’t do, nothing you can’t endure.