With a surface area of 35 square kilometers, the Populus Euphratica scenic spot is located 160 kilometers from the Mori Kazakh Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China. You can go to the Scenic spot from Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, about 450 kilometers away. We got there to take photos for the fall color of Populus Euphratica.

木垒胡杨林景区位于木垒哈萨克自治县城内，距离县城160公里，距离乌鲁木齐市也有450公里左右，比较偏僻，周围没什么可以住宿的地方。我们来这里就是为了拍摄木垒胡杨林的秋色。

ISO 200, 1/160s, f/11, 17mm Populus diversifolia belongs to a deciduous tree and willow family and is considered a living fossil for studying the earth's early activity. It is a rare species and is one of China's many endangered plants. According to research, Populus Euphratica is one of the oldest tree species which dates back 65 million years ago and is also know as the "World's Populus Euphratica King''.

胡杨属杨柳科落叶乔木，是第三纪残余珍惜树种，是国家二级濒危保护植物，更是研究地球早起活动的活化石。据考证，木垒胡杨林距今约6500万年，是世界最古老的树种之一，有着“世界胡杨王”的美誉。

We arrived the scenic spot at night on 7 October drove from Urumchi. Unfortunately, we missed to catch the sunset. It was very cold and with a poor accommodation in the year of 2012. We have to sleep in a big tent that provided by scenic spot office with other visitors we don't know. But there is a dinning room. You don't worry about the food.

我们十月7日的时候，从乌鲁木齐市包车出发到达木垒胡杨林景区已经是晚上，非常遗憾地错过了当天的日落拍摄。新疆是典型的早晚温差大，晚上非常冷，2012年的时候住宿条件也不好， 100来块钱租一个床位，大家认识的不认的都住同一个景区提供的大帐篷。但是有景区有餐厅，吃的不用愁。

Driving from Urumqi to Scenic Spot

Because the scenic spot far away from city. It's easy to catch the Milky Way at night when the sky is clear.
We were so lucky for the photography at this time. Because the populus euphratica leaves had turned into golden. And it's the last day of China National Day holiday. Many people had finished their travel and no more people here.

景区远离市区，没有光污染和工业污染，晚上熄灯后，只要天气晴朗，可以轻松地拍摄银河，当然，你的拍摄设备得跟上。其实这次行程我们还是比较幸运的，首先是我们到达的日期刚好是胡杨黄得最好的时候，其次10月7日国庆收假，没有太多的人流，当然天气晴朗才是最重要的，不过我想这个地方降雨量应该不多，碰上好天气是大概率的事情。

We had to get up at 6 o'clock because needed to catch the sunrise. The road is dark before sunrise. It was hard to find where is the best place for photography. So here are a few tips: you need to stay here for 2 days. Looking for your best place for the photography and catch the sunset in the first day. Then you will know where is the best place to catch sunrise for you in the next day.

为了拍摄日出的景色，我们只能一大早6点起床，比北京晚两个时区，6点的路也是黑的，我们也只能瞎猫碰死耗子，随便找个地方等待拍摄日出。所以在这里给大家提示：如果想拍更好的日出景色，那么最好安排两天的行程，最起码第一天的下午已经到达景区，利用半天的时间寻找你认为的最佳拍摄地，并且当天晚上你还可拍一次日落的景象。第二天你可以轻车熟路地找到你拍日出的地点。

We were looking for some Populus Euphratica trees with strange shape before the sunrise. I think the below photos are not good choice for me because without the preliminary exploration. Even so, it looks so quiet and mysterious. At that time, we like photography had been unable to hold down the ecstasy.

在太阳没有升起之前，可以先找一些的形状特异的胡杨树干拍摄剪影，因为没有前一天的准备，我也只能随便找棵树干做剪影拍拍了。在深蓝的天空背景下的胡杨树剪影显得如此安静神秘，这时喜欢摄影的我们已经按捺不住心中的狂喜。

ISO 200, 1s, f/8, 25mm

ISO 200, 1/2s, f/9, 21mm


ISO 100, 1/5s, f/9, 17mm
Maybe they are a couple.
也许他们是一对情侣
There is no mountain around the scenic spot. The ground was dyed red when the sun rose over the horizon.

因为这里没有高山，一望无际的平原，当太阳从地平线升起的时候大地被染成通红一片，这绝对是你狂按快门的好时机。

ISO 400, 1/800s, f/5.6, 200mm

ISO 200, 1/50s, f/11, 20mm


ISO 200, 1/100s, f/11, 20mm
Do you think it like a tennis or volleyball serve?
像不像网球或排球的上手发球姿势？


ISO 200, 1/160s, f11, 17mm


ISO 100, 1.3s, f/11, 17mm
Twins
The Populus Euphratica trees are exceedingly strange and varied forms. You will feels if you are in a mythical world. We were shocked by its noble temperament and romantic charm.

在木垒胡杨林中，树龄在400年以上的约有上万株。木垒胡杨林千姿百态、奇形怪状。有像人的，有像动物的，形态各异，枯死和茂密的的胡杨一起展现着其顽强的生命力。我们都无不为其神韵所和气质所折服。

ISO 200, 1/200s, f/11, 17mm

ISO 100, 1/125s, f/11, 17mm


ISO 200, 1/400s, f/11, 31mm


ISO 200, 1/400, f/11, 17mm


ISO 200, 1/640, f/11, 25mm


ISO 100, 1/125s, f/11, 17mm
If you look at this group of trees at another position it looks like a family.
其实当你在这张照片里左边位置时，你会发现这个组树丛很像一个家庭


ISO 100, 1/160, f/11, 40mm


ISO 100, 1/250s, f/11, 17mm
Tenacious life.
顽强的生命
There is even adage regarding these types of tree species, "Living for one thousand years without dying, being dead for one thousand years without falling, and having fallen for one thousand years without decay."

关于胡杨树当地有一句谚语：“生而不死一千年，死而不倒一千年，倒而不朽一千年”。其实胡杨是生长在盐碱地，由于盐分较大，天气干燥，细菌生长也不多。

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/11, 31mm
What do you think it looks like?
大家认为这个像什么呢？

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/11, 17mm


ISO 100, 1/200s, f/11, 17mm


ISO 100, 1/250s, f/11, 17mm
I think it looks like ox horn.
看起来很像个牛角


ISO 100, 1/250s, f/11, 17mm
I think it looks like a girl dancing traditional Chinese dance.
我看着这个像一个跳着传统舞蹈的少女


ISO 100, 1/200s, f/11, 17mm
Unfortunately, we had no more time to stay here. I just took some photos for half day. I can't show you the best of the Populus Enphratica of Mori.

不过非常的遗憾，我只有半天的时间匆匆拍照，没办法将最好的东西展现和分享给大家。

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All photos above were taken by me.

Camera Gears
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 500D

Lens: Canon EF 17-40/4L, EF 70-200D/2.8L, EF 50/1.4

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