Baerluke Mountain

Baerluke Mountain, in Yumin and Tuoli counties, in Tacheng, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is known for its picturesque views of hills, canyons, forests and meadows. Baerluke means "abundance" in Kazakh. The mountain is often referred to as the world of flowers, garden of wild plants and natural museum of wildlife.

The annual Mountain Flower Festival, launched by Yumin County's government in 2007, has become a name card of Baerluke Mountain. From April to August each year, various types of mountain flowers, including the wild tulip, wild peony and amygdalus nana L. flowers, bloom on the mountain. With colorful flowers swaying, and their fragrance in the air, Baerluke Mountain is like a huge hanging flower basket.

Amygdalus nana L., commonly known as wild almond, is an endangered wild relative of the cultivated almond. It is called a living fossil plant. Yumin has more than 10 mu (6,667 square meters) of amygdalus nana L., and most of the plants grow on the northwestern slope of Baerluke Mountain.

The months-long festival, which begins at the end of April or early May, has helped Yumin and the mountain gain in popularity, and it has boosted the development of the local tourism industry, and that has helped residents escape poverty.

The mountain is also home to dozens of species of wild animals, such as the snow leopard, golden eagle, brown bear, red deer and snow hare.

To better protect wild plants and animals on the mountain, Xinjiang's government in 1980 established a natural reserve area management department. The department was renamed Baerluke Mountain Natural Reserve Area Management Bureau in 2005.

In 2009, Tacheng's government invited experts from Xinjiang University to research the animal and plant species, floristic composition and types of vegetation on the mountain.

The Autumn of Baerluke Mountain

A relatively complete collection of wild plant specimens and photographic samples was established. Three years later, Baerluke Mountain Natural Reserve Area became a national-level natural reserve area.

On the western edge of the mountain lies the famous Small Poplar Border Guard Post, the birthplace of the popular song, Small Poplar, which pays tribute to China's frontier soldiers.

The song was based on a true story that involved the border guard post, situated on the Chinese border with Kazakhstan. In 1980, Cheng Fusheng joined the army and was assigned to Tasiti Border Guard Post, on the western edge of the mountain. Two years later, he returned home to visit his family, in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, in Xinjiang. He told his mother about the harsh environment at the post, and also the story of Sun Longzhen (1940-1969), a woman militia member who sacrificed her life on the western edge of the mountain to protect the country's border. Her tomb is next to the border guard post.

Cheng's mother was affected by the story, and she gave 10 poplar saplings to frontier soldiers. She told Cheng, "Guarding the frontier of our motherland is a glorious mission. Plant these poplar saplings at the post, and let them accompany you and other soldiers as you guard the border together," Only one sapling survived.

When Liang Shangquan visited the guard post in 1983, he was moved by the story, and he wrote the lyrics to Small Poplar. Shi Xin composed the music. The next year, Yan Weiwen sang the song during the Spring Festival Gala. The song was immediately a hit.

Tasiti Border Guard Post was later renamed Small Poplar Border Guard Post. In 2003, a new border guard post was built, and the original border guard post was transformed into a "red tourism" scenic spot, a "red education" base and a national defense education base. It attracts numerous visitors each year. 

Photos Supplied by Dang Tong

(Women of China English Monthly September 2021 issue)