Explore the Quicksand River and the Whitesand Hills of Journey to the West in Xinjiang
There lies an amazing spot closed to the Karakul Lake in Xinjiang, that is, Quicksand River, as well as the White-sand Hills behind the river, which is the scene where one of the main charactors of the Journey to the West Monk Sha first appears.
The hills are fully covered with white sands, up and down, with a length of 10 kilometers; the blowing wind makes sound of tinklings so as to make it be named “Singing Sand Hill”.
The Quicksand River at the foot of White-sand Hill is more than 100 meters wide; the sparking think in the river is not water but fine yellow sands which move and flow with the water; sands and water are never seperated all along.
This marvellous scenery easily reminds us of the 22nd scene of the Journey to the West that Zhu Bajie fights with Monk Sha in the Qicksand River, the book lively describes the river, saying that “The Quicksand River is 8 hundred meters wide and three thousand miles deep, even a soft goose feather cannot floats on the water and the reed catkins sanks to the bottom of the river. ”
It is introduced by the tour guide that it is the junction of Blunko River and Muji River in the west of Kashgar with plain terrain and wide river. There accumulats a large quantity of sands to form a way of sands and a flow of river, tier upon tier of sands and water wriggle and flow, which is the real “Quicksand River”.
The heavy wind which always blows to the northwest all year along brings sands to the hill, forming a wonderful scenery that sands climb the hill. The twinkling sands seem so white and soft like a baby’s skin, moving us a lot!
Miles of White-sand Hill is made up of tens of big and small hillocks, whose relative heights are alomost more than 100 meters. Overlook from far away, in the setting of distant green hills and nearby green grasses, some of the Whitesand Hills like a Pyramid of Egypt, some like the European buildings and some like a silver dragon lying on the rippling sea.
If you would like to have a tour of Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, you can go there to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Quicksand River and the Whitesand Hills.