Guo Zi Valley

Chinese name: 果子沟（Guo Zi Gou）
Location: Hocheng County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang.
Ticket: Free
Estimated time of tour: 1-2 hours
Recommended time of visit: May to Oct
Nearby attractions: Guozi Valley, Sayram Lake, Ili River, Kazanqi Folk-custom Village, Huocheng Lavender Fields, etc.

Guozi Valley also known as Talqi Valley, it is a well-known Canyon passageway that north goes to the Sayram Lake and south to the Yili Valley. In ancient times, it was the significant passage of the new North Silk road leading to Central Asia and Europe, and it was called "Iron Gate".

Guozi Valley  is 28 kilometres long and it has a dangerous terrain, but it is an important section of the Wu-Yi Highway during the reign of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty. Although the Guozi Valley is no longer famous for its fruit trees, however, tourists can still enjoy the beautiful views, such as river valleys, rocks, peaks, birches, mountains and flowers, waterfalls and springs, which is quite worth to visit.

● Guozi Valley Bridge

China is never short of amazing and eye catching infrastructures, even in its remote provinces and regions, or on impossible terrains. Guozigou Bridge is one of them. Its construction started in 2006 and was completed in 2011. It is built above Guozi Valley, hence the name Guozi Valley Bridge. It is one of the vital links of Lianyungang-Khorgas Expressway (G30 national highway system) and was considered one of the high profile key projects in Xinjiang. It sits in a north-south direction. It started in Mengqiongkule in the north, goes across Guozi Valley and joins Jiangjungou tunnel in the south, with total length of 4.4km. The bridge itself is 700m long with a designed speed of 80khp in a two-way and four-lane layout.

It is considered as one of the highest cable stayed bridges in the world, the Guozi Valley may also be the most remote large sized cable stayed span in the world. Its4-lane structure consists of two extremely tall H-frame ladder towers 707 feet (215.5 mtrs) and 687 feet (209.5 mtrs). The crossing is the largest structure on the remote G30 Lianhuo Expressway.

Also impressive is the Guozigou Approach Bridge that is located just north of the Guozi Valley Bridge and begins the giant spiral descent into the river valley. These two giant viaducts mark the beginning of an amazing and rare feat of highway engineering that includes a spiral loop and tunnel that winds the G30 Lianhuo Expressway around and back underneath itself. In a stretch of just 40 kilometers the G30 expressway drops a total of 1200 meters in elevation from the Sayram Lake area at 2000 meters to Lucaogouzhen city at 800 meters. A rest stop visitors center and overlook is located between the two Guozigou bridges.

It is a technologic breakthrough for China’s bridge engineering sector. Many new materials, new technique and new machineries were applied during the process of construction. It provides an example on how to design and build large bridges in China’s vast mountainous regions.

● Guozi Valley Scenery

It is an aesthetic success too with its astonishing turns and suspending cables perfectly blending into the beautiful surroundings of Guozi Valley.

As one of the attractive natural gateway along the silk road, it is the best place where you can not only enjoy the natural landscape but also see the variety of remarkable rocks.

When you traveling along the highway through the gorge, you will be attracted by dark green forest and light green apple trees. The cool and fresh air make them delighted, two or three Kazakh herdsmen’s yurts are doted in the forest with a light cooking smoke floating in the air, make a paradise view.

Every Spring, Summer, and Autumn are the best time to travel to Gouzi Valley, In which I have to say that the scenery of Guozigou is quite magnificent, especially at the late spring and early autumn. Mountains and river valley take different colours under the sunshine, pink and white apple flowers make the valley like a fairyland in spring, golden leaves make the valley to gold. Winter makes the valley like a shining crystal.