Apricot Flower Photography Tour on Pamir Plateau

In Xinjiang, the apricot flowers in Pamir Plateau deserve the top reputation. With an average elevation of 4,500 meters, Pamir Plateau is known for its cool, bleak and desolate scenery. At the end of March, the 300-kilometers Tashkurgan River Valley becomes a spectacular gallery of apricot flowers, filled with pink blossoms that have been waiting here for centuries.

Driving along Yerqiang River, a village covered by apricot flowers jumps into your eyes after a sharp turn, which seems to be the pink clouds floating above the running river. The pink flowers, the white snow mountains, and the roasting river form a delicate watercolor painting. Read the following tips to have a wonderful apricot flower photography tour on Pamir Plateau.

When to Photograph Apricot Flower in Pamir Plateau

Apricot flowers in Pamir Plateau usually bloom between late March and early April. With the different altitudes, the blossom time would be later or earlier. It is suggested to adjust the itinerary flexibly according to the actual situation. If the time permits, it is recommended to head Kashgar at the end of March and enter Pamir Plateau in line with blossom time and climate in that year.

Photography Theme for Flowers

Apricot flowers in Pamir Plateau are mainly distributed in the Yerqiang River Valley, which provides the camera a flexible position, and you can move around freely to find your favorite perspective. The recommended position is on the hillside, shooting down from the top so that the whole valley could put into the image.

For the photographic equipment, it is recommended to shoot with a long focal length. Generally, the length of 70-200 is the best to take the whole image of the valley. The length of 24-70 is suitable for the small scene. 

Photography Theme for Characters

In the folds of these mountains, there the Tajiks lives. They have the strongest relationships with the apricot blossoms. Where there are apricot flowers, there is a Tajik village. The villages are remote, which endows them serenity, simplicity and pureness. When you step into a village, you may not understand how the local people could survive in the condition of steep transportation and surrounded by the high snow mountains and the deep river valley. It seems that the apricot trees are the only living things here and the only hope for them. Without the apricot trees, there would be only winter. The Tajiks and apricot flowers constitute a pair of fairy-like picture scroll. This is a wonderful portrayal of the harmony between people and nature. These elements are the beloved factors to the photographers.

Tips:
 

1. Find the public square in the village. Under the trees, the women are carrying buckets of water, the children are playing, the older people are talking, and the herders are driving the cattle. This is an inspirational scene for a photographer.
    
2. Find a quiet path under the trees and use the snow mountain as background. The pink flowers nod to the white snow in the mountain, which is a meaningful and expressive scene, mighty and fragile, cold and warm, up to the sky and down to the ground.

Photography Theme for Festival

When the apricot flower blooms, it is the time for the Tajiks to celebrate the most important festival for the whole year – Navruz. It is the Spring Festival to the Tajiks. Navruz falls on the vernal equinox at the lunar calendar (21st March every year), so the Tajiks recognize it as the moment for best wishes – good weather, prosperity, harvest. The local people celebrate the festival for 3 days, and they hold many traditional activities, like horse racing, the horse running off the sheep with the mouth, the yak scrambling for the sheep, playing polo, etc.

For the photographers who chase for the apricot flowers, Navruz is the golden opportunity to shoot local customs and experience the exotic charm.

How to Get to Apricot Flower Village

The apricot flower village is very remote and hard to reach, so the chartered vehicle is the only option for transportation. The village is closed to Kashgar, so the flower tour to Pamir Plateau is usually recommended to begin from Kashgar. There are regular flights from the major cities to Kashgar every day.

Have an Apricot Flower Photography Tour in Xinjiang

Usually, we recommend 7 days round trip from Kashgar.
 

Day 01

Leave Kashgar – Baisha Lake – Muztaga Mountain – Kalakuli Lake – Arrive at Tashkurghan
 

Day 02

Leave Tashkurghan – Stone City Site – Alar Golden Grassland – Xiabandi Reservoir – Arrive at Kukosiluk

Tips: It is recommended to stay one more night in Tashkurghan for Navruz Festival if you're interested.

Day 03

Leave Kukosiluk to Tartajik

Day 04

Whole day for flexible arrangement, depending on the blossom time of apricot flowers.

Day 05

Leave Tartajik to Datong village
 

Day 06

Leave Datong village back to Tashkurghan

Day 07

Leave Tashkurghan back to Kashgar
 

Tips:
 

• Entrance Fee. There is no entrance fee to enter the villages. It is recommended to bring some stationery and clothing to the local children.
   
• Transportation. The condition of roads here is very poor. It is dangerous for self-driving, so it's better to hire a local driver who is familiar with the local transportation.
   
• Accommodation. There is a regular hotel in Tashkurghan and Kashgar, but there is only the guesthouse when you enter the villages. The guesthouse could only meet the basic need, so please make sufficient preparation if you would visit here.
   
• Food. The places in the tour could only provide the local food. Make full preparation if you could not accept the food here. 

Driving south from Kashgar, the first stop when you enter the plateau is Baisha Lake, where you will witness the coexistence of the desert and the blue lake. Keep driving, and you will see Kalakuli Lake, which is the holy lake on the plateau. The ice on the lake's shore is glittering and translucent under the sunshine, and the lake reflects the image of Mt. Muztag, which is called the Father of Snow Mountain. When the night falls, you will sit on the observation of Taheman Webland and enjoy the sunset view over Mt. Muztag.

What a heaven-like tour! Come with us if this article inspired you and let us help you plan a wonderful photography tour.