In April, as the snow and ice melt away on the Narat Plateau in Xinyuan County, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, all things come back to life. The grass gradually turns green and the wind becomes softer. The wild lilies are blooming to welcome the spring.

On April 15, 2025, wild lilies quietly bloom on the vast meadows over 2000 meters above sea level, transforming the newly verdant grasslands into a sea of flowers. The flowers tremble gently in the breeze, like countless pearls dotted on a green satin. Together with the snow-capped mountains, blue sky, and white clouds, they create the most captivating ecological scene of the Tianshan Mountains in spring.

Wild lily is also known as crocus alatavicus. The wild lily, which blooms in April each year, not only resembles a lily but also carries people's good wishes for tenacious vitality. It is the earliest blooming herbaceous flower on the Narat grassland, nourished by the melting snow and ice, thus earning the title of "Messenger of Spring on the Grassland." With the blooming of the wild lilies, the grassland ushers in a vibrant spring, and various wildflowers will also bloom successively.

(The Media Convergence Center of Xinyuan County, Reporters: Zhang Wenting, Li Jinwei)