Visiting Xinjiang during the Qingming Festival holiday is an excellent choice. It is springtime, when flowers bloom everywhere in Xinjiang, especially apricot blossoms, providing tourists with a stunning viewing experience. Below are detailed recommendations for traveling to Xinjiang during the Qingming Festival holiday:
Recommended tourism routes:
Southern Xinjiang Apricot Blossom Tour: The apricot blossoms in southern Xinjiang start in the Tashkurgan Valley of the Pamir Plateau. As you travel along the valley, you can see lakes, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, meadows, and ancient villages dotted with apricot blossoms, creating a splendid view.
. Recommended routes include the 7-day Pamir Flower Season Limited Self-Drive Tour, with check-in points such as Baisha Lake, Tahman Wetland, Panlong Ancient Road, and Bandier Blue Lake.
Northern Xinjiang Spring Snow Tour: Northern Xinjiang regions, such as Altay, are the "Cradle of Human Skiing", where you can still enjoy skiing in the spring. The recommended 5-day Cocotohai Spring Snow Skiing Tour includes visits to Irtysh Lake, Kekesuli, and the Keketohai International Ski Resort.
Yili Valley "Apricot" Lucky Tour: The Sayram Lake scenic area adjoins apricot blossoms covering the mountains, forming a beautiful picture scroll. Recommended routes include the Sayram Lake scenic area – Yining Kazanqi Folk Tourism Area/Liuxing Street scenic area – Xinyuan County Nalati Apricot Blossom Valley – Nalati Grassland, with a suggested travel time of 3 days.
Highlights of tourism activities:
Flower appreciation activities: Various regions in Xinjiang have launched a series of flower appreciation activities centered around spring flower appreciation, such as Turpan’s "Nice to Meet You Among the Apricot Blossoms" flower appreciation tour and Yili’s "Apricot Blossom Sea as Radiant as Clouds and Mist" spring appreciation tour.
Cultural experience: During the Qingming Festival holiday, Xinjiang will also host many cultural and tourism activities, such as the 13th Xinjiang·Yili Apricot Blossom Cultural Tourism Promotion Event and the Cultural Tourism Consumption Season Launch Ceremony, providing tourists with a rich cultural experience.
Preferential measures:
Ticket reductions: To attract tourists, many scenic areas in Xinjiang have introduced preferential policies such as ticket reductions during the Qingming Festival holiday. For example, the ticket price for the shuttle bus in the Sayram Lake scenic area has been reduced from 75 yuan/person to 60 yuan/person.
Other discounts: Some scenic areas also offer preferential measures such as half-price tickets or free admission for specific groups (such as children, students, seniors, etc.)
In summary, visiting Xinjiang during the Qingming Festival holiday not only allows you to enjoy stunning natural scenery and rich cultural activities but also to take advantage of various preferential measures. Whether you are a tourist who loves flower appreciation or one who adores skiing, you can find a suitable tourist route and activity in Xinjiang.