A lavender field in Yining County, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, entered its flowering season 10 days earlier than usual this year as temperatures rose this month in the Ili River Valley. Spanning more than 1,300 hectares at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the field features different lavender varieties in shades of purple. Tourists have been enjoying the fresh fragrance and taking photos of the early-summer scenery.