After spending a few months traveling in Xinjiang, I have gained a certain understanding of the region. Let me share my thoughts. It is partly true that Southern Xinjiang is for culture, and Northern Xinjiang is for scenery. Most of Xinjiang’s breathtaking landscapes are concentrated in Northern Xinjiang. Although Southern Xinjiang also has beautiful natural scenery, compared to Northern Xinjiang, it is slightly inferior in terms of both landscape types and stunning degree.
Distribution of scenic spots in Xinjiang
Let me first briefly introduce the distribution of northern and southern Xinjiang. Xinjiang is divided by the Tianshan Mountains, with the area north of the mountains called Northern Xinjiang and the area south of the mountains called Southern Xinjiang, while Hami and Turpan are referred to as Eastern Xinjiang.
Northern Xinjiang
Northern Xinjiang includes Urumqi, Changji Prefecture, Yili Prefecture, Bortala Prefecture, Altay Region, Tacheng Region, etc. The Han population constitutes the majority in Northern Xinjiang, and there are also ethnic minorities such as the Kazakhs, Uyghurs, Hui, Xibo, Mongolians, and others.
I. Natural and Cultural Landscapes
Northern Xinjiang boasts a wide variety of natural landscapes, encompassing almost all types of landscapes in China, including snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, grasslands, deserts, forests, canyons, Gobi deserts, and more.
Many people say that Northern Xinjiang is for scenery, and Southern Xinjiang is for culture. In fact, there are also many cultural landscapes in Northern Xinjiang, but you need to visit the counties, towns, and villages below.
For example, the spring, summer, autumn, and winter pastures in the Altay region allow you to witness the nomadic life of Xinjiang’s nomadic peoples. If you happen to encounter them during their seasonal migration, you can see horse-riding herdsmen driving thousands of sheep from one pasture to another hundreds of kilometers away, creating a very spectacular scene.
II. Scenic spots in Northern Xinjiang
There are many attractions in Northern Xinjiang, and only some of the more well-known ones are listed here.
Ili Prefecture
The grasslands of Ili are places that many people from the mainland yearn for. The more famous ones include the Nalati Aerial Grassland in Xinyuan County and the Karakjun Grassland in Tekes County. In summer, the grasslands are lush with green grass, blooming flowers, continuous snow-capped mountains, lush forests, open valleys, and beautiful lakes dotted around the grasslands.
In addition, Ili has attractions like Tuergen Township Apricot Blossom Valley, Qiongkushitai, Kuerding, Qiaxi, Tangbula Grassland, etc. There are also famous hiking routes like the Xiate Ancient Road and Wusun Ancient Road.
Altay Region
Autumn in the Altay Region is the most beautiful place in Xinjiang, with Kanas, known as the "Fairyland on Earth, God’s Garden", and
The "Most Beautiful Village in China", Hemu, has the "First Village in the Northwest", Baihaba, as well as the beautiful Koktokay.
Bortala Prefecture
The most well-known attraction in Bortala Prefecture is Sayram Lake, known as the "last tear of the Atlantic Ocean".
, and there is also the little-known Xiarxi, which is not well-known to the public.
Southern Xinjiang
Southern Xinjiang includes the Kashgar Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Hotan Prefecture, and Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture.
The natural landscapes of Southern Xinjiang include deserts, gobies, poplar forests, snow-capped mountains, and plateaus, among which the most famous are the world’s second-largest mobile desert – the Taklamakan Desert, and Mount Muztagh Ata on the Pamir Plateau.
Attractions in Southern Xinjiang
Kashgar
Kashgar is the political, economic, and cultural center of Southern Xinjiang, with attractions like Kashgar Old Town, Gaotai Residences, and Kashgar Grand Bazaar.
Tajikistan County
Tajikistan County borders Pakistan and is a beautiful small county on the Pamir Plateau. It has the world’s highest-altitude port, the Khunjerab Pass, as well as attractions like Karakul Lake, Father of Iceberg – Mount Muztagh Ata, the world’s second-highest peak K2, Stone City, and Golden Grassland.
In addition, Southern Xinjiang has the Bayinbrook Grassland with its beautiful nine-bend river and Swan Lake, the desert highway crossing the Taklamakan Desert, the thousand-year-old poplar forest, the mysterious Kuqa Grand Canyon, as well as attractions like the Ancient City of Loulan, Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, Lop Nur Village, and Bosten Lake.
Which should you choose for your first trip to Xinjiang, Southern Xinjiang or Northern Xinjiang?
If you have time, it’s naturally best to visit both Southern Xinjiang and Northern Xinjiang together. If time is limited, it depends on personal preferences. Northern Xinjiang’s natural scenery is really beautiful, the kind of stunning beauty that amazes people. While Southern Xinjiang has a very strong ethnic flavor and is the most exotic place in China.
As for food, both Southern Xinjiang and Northern Xinjiang offer a rich variety of cuisine, such as hand-grabbed rice, big plate chicken, baked buns, grilled mutton skewers, ice cream, yogurt, baked naan, and more. There are also Xinjiang fruits like grapes, Korla fragrant pears, Hami melons, Aksu walnuts, Ruoqiang dates, etc. Xinjiang can be considered the food capital of China.
The above is just my personal opinion. If you have different opinions, don’t take it to heart. I share travel stories every day.
Both Southern Xinjiang and Northern Xinjiang are well worth visiting. If you like natural scenery, it is recommended to go to Northern Xinjiang first; if you prefer cultural experiences, you can choose Southern Xinjiang.
Xinjiang tourism consultation: (same) 0991-8585456