North Xinjiang 2011

This is the first stop of my recent trip to North Xinjiang in Northwestern China. The scenic zone is located in the middle of Gurbantonggut Desert in the Junggar Basin, about 4 hour drive from Urumqi. Cyclical variations of temperature and humidity, and movements of earth's crust created rock strata in bright colours such as dark red, yellow, orange, green, bluish gray, grayish green, grayish white.... It's a area of about 10 square kilometers. some of the hills look like wheat stacks, some like pyramids, some like castle, towers, etc... The appearance of the scenery is also changes with the angle of light. We arrived at a late afternoon, and shot till dark...