龙湖踏春记：一场镌刻亲情的沙漠水乡之旅

2023年5月5日，暮春的暖阳洒满新疆和田于田县的大地，带着初夏的微醺暖意。我——奥斯曼托合荪，邀约上亲哥哥依地热斯托合荪，还有哥哥活泼可爱的小孙女，一行三人驱车前往县城西36公里处的龙河旅游风景区，赴一场自然与亲情交织的美好旅程。此刻的龙湖，正褪去春寒，以最灵动的姿态迎接每一位访客，而这场同行，更让这方秘境多了份温暖的牵绊。

longhu spring journey: a trip to a desert water town engraved with family affection

on may 2023, 5, the warm sun of late spring sprinkled on the land of yutian county, hetian, xinjiang, with the slightly tipsy warmth of early summer. iam mr aosiman tuohesun invited my brother mr yidiresi tuohesun , and my brother’s lively and lovely little granddaughter, and a group of three drove to the longhe tourist scenic area, 5 kilometers west of the county seat, to go on a beautiful journey intertwined with nature and family affection. at this moment, longfor is fading away from the spring cold and welcoming every visitor with the most agile attitude, and this peer has added a warm bond to this secret place.

沿着315国道向北行驶，车窗外的风光逐渐从城镇街巷切换为戈壁绿洲。远远望去，龙河景区如一颗翡翠镶嵌在塔克拉玛干沙漠边缘，南枕昆仑山脉，北接浩瀚沙海，独特的地理格局造就了“沙漠藏水乡”的奇观。驶入景区，首先映入眼帘的是成片的绿地与蜿蜒的湖水，240亩水域在阳光下波光粼粼，宛如一条游动的巨龙，这便是“龙湖”得名的由来。哥哥的小孙女刚下车就挣脱了大人的手，朝着湖边的木栈道跑去，清脆的笑声惊起几只水鸟，掠过水面划出优美的弧线。

我们沿着木栈道缓缓前行，身旁是湿地密布的生态廊道，芦苇丛生，繁花点点，偶尔能看到野鸭在水中嬉戏。行至中途，一片形态奇特的古树林映入眼帘，这便是景区著名的“鬼树林”。这里的胡杨树龄最长可达1500多年，最年轻的也有80余年，作为“第三世纪活化石”，它们或苍劲挺拔，或虬枝盘曲，用“活着一千年不死，死了一千年不倒，倒了一千年不朽”的姿态，诉说着大漠的传奇。哥哥抱着小孙女，指着一棵最粗壮的胡杨树干说：“你看这树，就像咱们新疆人一样，坚韧又顽强。”我拿起相机，定格下祖孙俩与古胡杨的合影，阳光透过枝叶洒下斑驳光影，让这一刻显得格外温馨。

午后的阳光渐盛，我们来到景区的感恩林广场稍作休憩。广场旁的科普馆里，详细介绍了龙湖的生态成因与库尔班·吐鲁木大叔的故事——这片感恩林，正是当年大叔躲避追捕时藏身十七年的地方。小孙女听得入了迷，不时向我们追问过往的岁月，哥哥耐心地用维吾尔语缓缓讲述，我在一旁补充，三代人围坐在一起，时光仿佛在此刻慢了下来。休息间隙，我们品尝了随身携带的新疆特色美食：刚出炉的芝麻馕脆香扑鼻，裹着葡萄干的甜抓饭软糯可口，还有提前备好的烤肉，撒上孜然与辣面子，外焦里嫩的香气引得旁人频频侧目 。

傍晚时分，我们来到银沙滩景点。这里的细沙洁白松软，踩上去温热舒适，湖水清澈见底，能清晰看到水底的卵石。小孙女兴奋地脱了鞋子，在沙滩上堆城堡、追浪花，我和哥哥则坐在岸边的石凳上聊天。哥哥感慨道：“小时候只知道于田有戈壁沙漠，没想到还有这样山清水秀的地方。”我深有同感，龙湖既有江南水乡的温婉，又有大漠戈壁的雄浑，南望昆仑雪峰皑皑，北眺沙漠落日熔金，这般独特的景致，让人沉醉不已。我们沿着湖边步道漫步，晚风送来草木的清香，远处的观景台上传来游客的欢声笑语，人与自然在此刻和谐相融。

夕阳西下时，我们依依不舍地告别了龙河风景区。返程的车上，小孙女趴在车窗边，还在回味着白天的欢乐时光，嘴里念叨着胡杨树和沙滩上的浪花。这场旅程，不仅让我们领略了龙湖“不到龙湖，不知天地之神奇”的壮美风光，更让亲情在山水间悄然升温。从鬼树林的古木传奇到感恩林的红色记忆，从湖边的嬉戏打闹到休憩时的美食共享，每一个瞬间都成为了我们心中珍贵的回忆。

于田县龙河旅游风景区的春日之旅，是一次自然的邂逅，更是一场亲情的相聚。这里的山山水水镌刻着新疆的壮美与灵秀，而同行的亲人则为这趟旅程注入了最温暖的底色。愿这份美好永远留存，也愿更多人能走进这片沙漠水乡，感受自然的馈赠与亲情的珍贵。

driving north along national highway 315, the scenery outside the car window gradually switches from town streets and alleys to gobi oasis. from a distance, the longhe scenic area is like an emerald inlaid on the edge of the taklamakan desert, resting on the kunlun mountains in the south and the vast sand sea in the north, and the unique geographical pattern has created the wonder of “desert water town”. driving into the scenic spot, the first thing that catches your eye is a patch of green space and a winding lake, 240 acres of water shimmering in the sun, like a swimming dragon, which is the origin of the name “dragon lake”. as soon as her brother’s little granddaughter got out of the car, she broke free from the adult’s hand and ran towards the wooden plank road by the lake, and the crisp laughter startled several waterfowl and swept across the water to draw a beautiful arc.

we walked slowly along the wooden plank road, surrounded by an ecological corridor densely covered with wetlands, reeds, flowers, and occasionally wild ducks playing in the water. halfway through, an ancient forest with a strange shape comes into view, which is the famous “ghost forest” in the scenic spot. the poplar trees here can be up to more than 1500,80 years old, and the youngest is more than <> years old, as a “living fossil of the third century”, they are either vigorous and upright, or twisted branches, with the posture of “living for a thousand years without dying, dying for a thousand years, and immortalizing for a thousand years”, telling the legend of the desert. the brother hugged his little granddaughter, pointed to the thickest poplar trunk and said, “look at this tree, just like us xinjiang people, tenacious and tenacious.” “i picked up the camera and froze the photo of the grandparents and the ancient poplar, and the sunlight sprinkled the mottled light and shadow through the branches and leaves, making this moment particularly warm.

the afternoon sun gradually increased, and we came to the thanksgiving forest square in the scenic spot to take a break. in the popular science museum next to the square, the ecological causes of longhu and the story of uncle kurban tulum are introduced in detail – this thanksgiving forest is the place where the uncle hid for 17 years when he was hiding from pursuit. the little granddaughter was fascinated by it, and asked us about the past years from time to time, and my brother patiently told it slowly in uyghur, and i added that three generations sat together, and time seemed to slow down at this moment. during the break, we tasted the xinjiang specialties we carried with us: the freshly baked sesame naan was crispy and fragrant, the sweet pilaf wrapped in raisins was soft and delicious, and the barbecue prepared in advance, sprinkled with cumin and spicy noodles, and the aroma of burnt outside and tender inside attracted frequent sideways glances from others.

in the evening, we came to the silver beach attraction. the fine sand here is white and soft, warm and comfortable to step on, the lake water is crystal clear, and you can clearly see the pebbles at the bottom of the water. my little granddaughter excitedly took off her shoes, built castles on the beach, and chased the waves, while my brother and i sat on stone benches on the shore and chatted. my brother sighed: “when i was a child, i only knew that yutian had the gobi desert, but i didn’t expect there to be such a beautiful place. “i deeply feel the same way, longhu has both the gentleness of the water town of jiangnan and the majesty of the desert gobi, looking south at the snowy peaks of kunlun, and looking at the desert sunset to the north, such a unique scenery is intoxicating. we strolled along the lakeside trail, the evening breeze brought the fragrance of grass and trees, and the laughter of tourists came from the observation deck in the distance, and man and nature were harmonious at this moment.

as the sun set, we reluctantly bid farewell to the longhe scenic area. on the return car, the little granddaughter was lying by the car window, still reminiscing about the happy times of the day, muttering about the poplar trees and the waves on the beach. this journey not only allowed us to appreciate the magnificent scenery of longhu “not to longhu, i don’t know the magic of heaven and earth”, but also made the family affection quietly warm up in the mountains and rivers. from the legend of the ancient trees in the ghost forest to the red memories of the thanksgiving forest, from the frolic by the lake to the sharing of food during rest, every moment has become a precious memory in our hearts.

the spring trip to longhe tourist scenic area in yutian county is a natural encounter and a family gathering. the mountains and rivers here are engraved with the magnificence and beauty of xinjiang, and the relatives who travel with them inject the warmest background color into this journey. may this beauty remain forever, and i hope that more people can walk into this desert water town and feel the preciousness of nature’s gifts and family affection.