Cloud Pastoral Song｜Hardcore Guide to Sek Cloud Prairie

Core Highlights: Xinjiang's hidden gem! A 2800-meter-high aerial prairie with snow-capped mountains, flower seas, and herds in one frame, a free and undeveloped secret spot 🚗 1. Transportation Life-or-Death Situation 📍 Location: Karadala Town, Tekes County, Ili, Xinjiang 🚙 Self-driving route (SUV/off-road vehicles only!) Tekes → Sek Prairie: Navigate to "Qiongkushitai Village," after passing the village turn right at the "Sek Cloud Prairie" sign (50 km total, 3 hours) Ultimate challenge: Last 8 km mountain dirt road, 40° slope + narrow road for passing (⚠ Absolutely no driving in rain!) 🚐 Shuttle option: Charter a car in Tekes County (¥600/car) with a Kazakh driver, look for "XinF·local license plate" Horseback up and down the mountain: Qiongkushitai horse team ¥300/person (about 2.5 hours) 💡 Life-saving tip: Download the OvitalMap app in advance, search for the track "Sek Prairie Wild Road" Fuel station: Fill up in Tekes County! No signal or supplies on the prairie 🏕 2. Accommodation and Survival Guide ⛺ Prairie lodging Nomad yurts: ¥150/person including breakfast (recommended "Tursun’s home," with solar power) Camping: Camp in designated areas (avoid mining sites!) Night temperature 0℃, bring a -10℃ down sleeping bag 🏡 Alternatives at the foot of the mountain Qiongkushitai Shanye Guesthouse: Snow mountain swing + floor-to-ceiling windows (¥800+/night) Tekes Li Street Guesthouse: Core area of Bagua City (¥300+/night) 📸 3. Stunning Photo Spots 1. Twin Peaks Watchtower 🏔 Location: Southwest ridge of the main pasture (40-minute hike) Magic moments: Sunrise (7:00): Sea of clouds flowing over snowy peaks like a fairyland Sunset (21:30): Sheep returning to the pen, trampling golden light 2. Aerial Flower Sea Train 🌸 June-July only: Perilla flower sea (location: east side valley of the mining site) Rapeseed flower fields (behind the nomad’s house "Bazaarbek") Props: Borrow horses in the foreground, drape ethnic wool blankets 3. Milky Way Shepherd 🌌 Best stargazing spot: Platform above abandoned mine cave Shooting settings: Shutter 20s | ISO 3200 | Focal length 14mm August offers Perseid meteor shower! 🐎 4. Immersive Nomad Experience 🎪 Three must-do activities Milking mares: Learn to milk with nomads at dawn, freshly cooked into fermented yogurt tea (beware of drunken milk!) Sheep herding contest: Help sheepdogs drive sheep into the pen, rewarded with fresh sheep dung roasted potatoes Felt making: Make coasters from wild sheep wool (can take home) 🍖 Dark cuisine challenge Baursak set meal: Kazakh fried dough + butter + raspberry jam (nomad home ¥30/person) Air-dried meat slices: Lamb soup with belt noodles (miner’s canteen ¥25/bowl) 📅 5. 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary Day 1 Morning: Shop in Tekes (naan/bottled water/sesame crisps) → Drive to Sek Prairie Afternoon: Shoot sea of clouds at Twin Peaks Watchtower → Drink milk tea at nomad’s home Night: Shoot the Milky Way outside the yurt Day 2 Morning: Milk mares + horseback patrol flower sea → Explore mining site ruins Afternoon: Learn felt making → Pick wild strawberries in the valley (June only) Night: Bonfire roasted lamb (¥150/kg) Day 3 Morning: Herd sheep shooting → Light hike behind Qiongkushitai Afternoon: Return to Tekes Li Street (buy handmade wool socks) ⚠ 6. Life-or-Death Tips 🧳 Gear list Physical sun protection: face mask + sunglasses (UV index off the charts) Medicine: ibuprofen (for altitude headache) + montmorillonite powder (for hard water) Essentials: Portable oxygen canister (county pharmacy ¥25) Shepherd’s staff (to fend off sheepdog attacks) 🚫 Taboos Stay far away from mining operation sites! Possible unexploded explosives No drones (border sensitive area, radar monitored) Do not step on yurt thresholds (Kazakh taboo) 💸 Cost reference ¥500/day per person (including car charter, food, and lodging) Fresh lamb ¥60/kg | Horse riding ¥80/hour 💎 Nomad ancestral secret: Trade candy for photos: Give shepherd boy Alpha candy, he will summon sheep to cooperate in posing Free hot springs: Navigate to "Kurdai Riverside," lift stones to find wild hot springs (water temperature 45℃) Wolf defense: Carry a red plastic bag, wolves fear red (if encountering wolves, light a fire) 🌐 *Road conditions and policies updated to June 2025, be sure to consult Tekes Culture and Tourism Bureau before traveling Take this guide and venture into this nomadic utopia above the clouds! 🏔🐑 ✨ Fun fact: Sek Prairie hides ancient underwater fossils underground, watch your step for shell patterns on stones!