魔鬼城，这座神秘的风蚀“城堡”，以其鬼斧神工的地貌和苍凉的气势，让人仿佛置身奇幻世界。岁月与大风共同缔造了它的壮观，也赋予了它无尽的神秘与艺术美感。不妨随我们一起，探索这片荒野绝境的独特风貌。
Devil’s City: Nature’s Wind-Carved Wonderland in Xinjiang
At the northwest edge of the vast Junggar Basin, a landscape emerges like a phantasmagoric (梦幻的) dream—welcome to the Devil’s City (魔鬼城), also known as Urho Wind City (乌尔禾风城). Sprawling across ten square kilometers like the remains of an ancient city, this otherworldly yardang (雅丹地貌) labyrinth is shaped entirely by the relentless force of the wind.
Here, the wind (风) is the true architect. In this barren, sun-baked land, gales howl over 300 days each year. It is said that at peak strength, gusts can reach level 12, making the sound of howling (呼啸) winds echo like the cries of a thousand spirits. The formations (地貌/地形) themselves look like fortresses, castles, temples—even pyramids—standing sentinel over the bronze desert, with every corner bathed in blood-red and golden ocher stones.
Wandering through Devil’s City is like entering a grand open-air museum (博物馆) built by time and storms. Each structure (建筑物/结构) is unique: some bear a striking resemblance to famous buildings around the world; others look like eagles spreading their wings, or ancient beasts eternally frozen in their tracks. The local Mongolians and Kazakhs gave this place names that reflect its eerie charm: “Sulumuhaque” and “Shaitan Kersey,” both translating to “Devil’s City” in their languages.
Not just a curiosity, Devil’s City was crowned by Chinese National Geography magazine as the most beautiful yardang landform in China. Its surreal beauty has captivated filmmakers for decades—including as the haunting, windswept backdrop to globally acclaimed movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” When dusk falls or a desert storm engulfs the city, shadows stretch and shift over the land, giving rise to countless legends and a palpable sense of mystery (神秘).
Millions of years ago, this region was once a vast freshwater lake bustling with life. Successive geological movements slowly raised the lakebed, and millennia of wind erosion sculpted the loose and hard sediments into whimsical shapes. Today, Devil’s City stands not only as a testament to nature’s creative force, but also as a silent witness to Earth’s long history.
Travelers can easily reach Devil’s City from Karamay, about 90 kilometers away, making it a highlight on the golden tourism route between Urumqi and Altay. The best time to visit is from May to October, when the colors of the land and sky are at their most dramatic. As you gaze upon the “ghost towers” and listen to the whistle of the wind, you will feel the solitude (孤寂) and rugged beauty that define this breathtaking wilderness.
魔鬼城：风塑荒原的神奇雕塑群
在广袤的准噶尔盆地西北边缘，有一片宛若梦境的荒凉地带，这便是著名的魔鬼城，又名乌尔禾风城。方圆十公里的雅丹迷宫，就像一座被风雕琢成形的“废墟古城”，充满奇幻与神秘。
这里的风，才是真正的艺术大师。每年超300天，强风肆虐，有时狂风高达12级，风声呼啸，仿佛万千恶鬼咆哮，整座“城市”回荡着空灵尖利的“哭泣”。地貌/地形千姿百态，有如城堡、寺庙、金字塔，亦或奇兽展翼，棱角沾染血红与金黄石子的色彩，在烈阳下如同一场色彩的盛宴。
行走在魔鬼城，如同徜徉在时光和风雕琢的博物馆。每一组建筑物/结构都独一无二：有的犹如世界名建筑，有的像巨鹰、怪兽，宛如一场远古的神话。当地蒙古族和哈萨克族分别称它为“苏鲁木哈克”和“沙依坦克尔西”，意为“魔鬼之城”。
魔鬼城不仅具备奇特的科考和游赏价值，还获评《中国国家地理》中国最美雅丹地貌第一名，是诸多电影如《卧虎藏龙》的经典外景地。傍晚或风暴来临时，奇影迷离，神秘莫测，荒原的孤寂与辽阔令观者叹为观止，催生无数传说。
谁能想到，这里亿万年前还是一座生机勃勃的淡水湖。地质变化令湖床抬升，风雨千年雕琢出松散或坚硬的层层岩石，造就了如今魔鬼城这壮丽与奇异同在的模样。如今，无声的雕塑群见证着大地的变迁，也成为人们追寻自然与历史的绝佳去处。
游客自克拉玛依驱车90公里即可到达魔鬼城，这里是乌鲁木齐通往阿勒泰、喀纳斯“黄金旅游线”的重要一站。每年5至10月，是欣赏这片荒原最绚烂时光。当你驻足于“鬼堡”之下，聆听呼啸的风声，必将感受到这片苍凉大地上那份独有的孤寂与壮美。
✍️词汇速记 Vocabulary Notes
- phantasmagoric [ˌfæntæzməˈɡɒrɪk] 梦幻的，奇异的
- Devil’s City [ˈdevlz ˈsɪti] 魔鬼城
- Urho Wind City [ˈu:rhəʊ wɪnd ˈsɪti] 乌尔禾风城
- yardang [ˈjɑːrdæŋ] 雅丹地貌
- wind [wɪnd] 风
- howling [ˈhaʊlɪŋ] 呼啸（的）
- formations [fɔːˈmeɪʃənz] 地貌、地形
- museum [mjuˈziːəm] 博物馆
- structure [ˈstrʌktʃər] 建筑物、结构
- mystery [ˈmɪstəri] 神秘
- solitude [ˈsɒlɪtjuːd] 孤寂
