Tarim Alar Golden Grassland: A Shimmering Oasis of Desert Reclamation and Riverine Beauty

1.The Tarim Alar Golden: Grassland is a unique ecological landscape located in Alar (Aral), a city born from the heroic efforts of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Situated at the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Alar literally means "green island" in the Uyghur language. This "Golden Grassland" refers to the vast reaches of reeds and riverine vegetation along the Tarim River, which transform into a brilliant gold during the autumn months, contrasting sharply with the emerald waters and the shifting sands of the desert.

Historically, this region was part of the Ancient Silk Road, specifically the middle route where the Tarim River once fostered the civilizations of Kucha and Loulan. For centuries, the riverbed has shifted across the landscape like a "wandering dragon," leaving behind the Tarim Ancient Riverbed—a vast outdoor museum of geological history that records the evolution of riverine shifts and marine changes over thousands of years. Before the 1950s, this was a desolate land described as having "no grass on the ground and no birds in the sky," characterized by wild poplars and scorched earth.

The modern "Golden Grassland" is inextricably linked to the spirit of the 359th Brigade, who arrived in 1950 and transformed the "Ancient Arid Wilderness" into a fertile oasis. Visitors can witness the harmony between man-made reclamation and the raw beauty of the Tarim River, where "Ghost Poplar Forests" (dead but standing poplars) stand as silent sentinels along the ancient riverbanks. Standing at the edge of the riverbed during sunset, the golden reeds and autumn poplar leaves reflect in the water, creating a scene of immense spatial depth and historical resonance.