A Little Like Switzerland – Yet Still Very Much China

Today our journey continued, and we were once again able to enjoy the beauty of Sayram Lake. It has a very special atmosphere, especially when the water is perfectly calm and reflects its surroundings like a mirror. We drove along the lakeshore and stopped repeatedly to admire the scenery from different viewpoints—just like the many other tourists visiting the area. Even here in China, skipping stones across the water is one of the classic activities at such a beautiful and peaceful lake.

As soon as we left the lake, the landscape changed completely and it felt as though we were suddenly surrounded by mountains. The scenery, much like the final section around the lake itself, strongly reminded me of Switzerland. The major highway we later traveled on even features a huge looping tunnel that functions like a switchback, something I had previously only seen on railway lines. Eden also had the opportunity to take a short horseback ride here, which he clearly enjoyed very much.

After passing through the looping tunnel and continuing south on the highway, we lost a considerable amount of elevation. While it had still felt rather cool in the morning, it now became quite hot again.

On our way to Yining, we made a stop at a lavender field. Apparently, this region has the third-largest concentration of lavender in the world, after Provence and another area in France. The fragrance was wonderful, and the fields themselves were beautiful to look at—a perfect attraction for tourists.

After arriving at the hotel in Yining, I parted ways with Yanan’s family for the evening and spent time with Xiangning. Like Suliya, he is also a friend of Lijun, but he had not been in town a week earlier, as he had used the holiday period to travel to Shanghai with his family. I was happy that we could meet today and that I also had the chance to get to know his wife and daughter. He invited me to a restaurant that is well known for its many vegan options, and the food was truly excellent. After dinner, we went for a walk and I once again saw something that can be found in virtually every Chinese city: people dancing together in public squares.

Although Xinjiang and Yining are special places, they are still very much part of China and therefore share many distinctly Chinese characteristics. My conversations with Xiangning were extremely interesting and gave me a new perspective on life in China. It is fascinating to observe how rapidly both technology and society continue to evolve here. Every time I return to China, I encounter a new snapshot that differs from the previous one. One small example: Xiangning lets his car park itself because if the autonomous parking system causes a scratch or something worse, the well-known electric vehicle manufacturer will cover the damage. If he parks the car himself and something happens, he has to pay for it. What once seemed like an unrealistic feature found only in spy movies has already become reality here.