Xinjiang Grand Loop｜Day 15 Zhaosu to Yining

The beauty of Ili lies not only in its grasslands and villages, but also in the yurts scattered across mountain slopes and the clusters of blue houses lining the streets 🏘️. Today we took the reverse route along the Yizhao Highway 🛣️ from Zhaosu to Yining. Due to weather ☁️ conditions and previous mudslides/landslides, we didn't linger at the highway's highest point—Baishi Peak ⛰️. Instead, we just stopped halfway up the mountain for some skewers, milk tea, and baked naan before hurrying downhill. 📅 Itinerary: First stop📍 Baishi Peak ⛰️ The highest point of Yizhao Highway. Second stop📍 Kazanqi Folk Tourism Zone 🚗 Self-drive tips: The Yizhao Highway gets quite busy, especially near Baishi Peak. ⛱️ Must-visit spots: 📌【Kazanqi Folk Tourism Zone】 We strolled into Kazanqi around dusk and visited two century-old ice cream 🍦 shops—one with stretchy ice cream, the other with rich flavors, both absolutely delicious 😋. As the sun began to set, we wandered through this naturally filtered "fairy-tale town" where windows, doors, walls, and even the streets are painted blue... 🏨 Accommodation guide: Tianyuan International Hotel, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. After several nights in homestays, checking into this hotel in Yining was a relief! Great environment, spacious rooms, decent cleanliness, and even a barbershop 💈 at the entrance for a post-long-journey hair wash—perfect for travelers. 💓 Additional tips: 1️⃣ Kazanqi Folk Tourism Zone is mainly for trying century-old ice cream 🍦 shops and taking photos. We visited "Yizihai'er Cream Ice Cream (Qianjin Street Branch)" and "Awulali Handmade Ice Cream"—the latter had a better ambiance.