Guozigou

Guozigou is a natural gateway to the Ili region, a famous canyon passage that runs north to Sailimu Lake and south to the Ili River Valley. In ancient times, it was the throat of the Silk Road North New Route leading to Central Asia and Europe in China, known as the "Iron Pass". At the same time, it was also praised as a "scenic spot in Ili" and a "fantastic fairyland" due to its pleasant scenery. Ancient people wrote poems praising it as "the wonder of mountains and waters, comparable to Guilin, and the strangeness of cliffs and rocks, surpassing Yan Rock". Guozigou is 28 kilometers long and has a dangerous terrain. During Genghis Khan's western expedition, he began to dig mountain passages and built 48 bridges, which shows the steepness of the road. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt into 42 buildings and remained an important section of the Wuyi Highway. Guozigou is a natural treasure trove bestowed by nature, renowned for its vast distribution of wild fruits and abundant medicinal resources. The Guozigou Mountains are high in the northeast and low in the southwest, with an altitude of over 800 to 3000 meters and an annual precipitation of about 600 mm. The streams have abundant water flow and are relatively humid in the Eurasian arid region. The mountains stretch and undulate, with ravines crisscrossing and varying in height. The distribution of soil, climate, and plant resources shows significant vertical changes and differences with the height of the mountains. Different ecological and geographical conditions provide unique conditions for the growth of various wild medicinal plants, and there are many types of medicinal plants