Kanas Photography Creation – 5-Day Trip to Kanas and Hemu
I’ve heard people say, ‘In a lifetime, there should be at least two impulses: one for love that knows no bounds and one for a spontaneous trip!’ And the only place that can make me pack up and go on a solo, adventurous journey is Kanas.
Kanas, located in the north of Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, is an inland freshwater lake fed by glacial meltwater from mountains such as Kuitun and Youyi Peak, as well as local precipitation. In Mongolian, the name means "beautiful and mysterious," and the scenery here is breathtakingly beautiful, changing with the seasons and the times of day. According to legend, a long time ago, Genghis Khan, on his western expedition, passed by Kanas Lake and, upon seeing such a beautiful place, decided to stay there for a while to rest and regroup his troops. After drinking the lake water, which was particularly refreshing, Genghis Khan asked his generals what kind of water it was. A clever general replied, "This is Kanawus (meaning ‘water of the khan’ in Mongolian)." All the soldiers then echoed, "This is the water of the khan." Genghis Khan said, "Then let’s call this lake Kanawus." Thus, in the legends of the Tuvas, they are descendants of Genghis Khan. After Genghis Khan’s death, his body was sunk in Kanas Lake. The Tuvas, as the personal guards of Genghis Khan at that time, stayed in Kanas Lake to guard the mausoleum for generations. The ‘lake monster’ is the ‘holy lake guardian’ that protects the soul of Genghis Khan from infringement.
My decision to visit Kanas was sparked by a casual glance at a photo my friend took there. The photo filled me with the urge to visit Kanas. Five days allowed me to fully appreciate Kanas, known as a fairyland on earth. People say that traveling alone is beautiful yet lonely! Then, when you find yourself in Kanas, which resembles a fairy tale world, you will be glad you didn’t miss out! A photo taken casually here is like a natural artwork.
5-Day In-depth Tour of Kanas and Hemu
Day 1: Urumqi — Colorful Beach — Burqin
Today, with a backpack and a DSLR camera, I embarked on a journey to explore Kanas. The first day’s journey was relatively long, spent mostly in the car. Fortunately, the scenic beauty of the ‘Flaming Mountains’ along the way filled me with immense anticipation for the rest of the trip. The entire hill area of the Flaming Mountains glowed red under the sunshine, shining brilliantly and looking very spectacular. Being there, one can imagine the magnificent scene of a sea of flames tens of thousands of years ago. Located in the desert zone, the Flaming Mountains are composed of Jurassic strata, with the rocks fully exposed and almost no vegetation. It is a typical Yadan landform landscape. In the afternoon, I arrived in Burqin and visited the ‘Colorful Beach’ by the Irtysh River, the only river in China that flows into the Arctic Ocean, with great anticipation. The Colorful Beach is located in the northern tip of Xinjiang, belonging to the Altay Prefecture and within the territory of Burqin County. It sits on the first and second terraces of the north bank of the Irtysh River, the only river in China that flows into the Arctic Ocean, at an altitude of 480 meters. It adjoins the Irtysh River and contrasts beautifully with the lush and verdant valley scenery across the river, truly embodying the saying, ‘One river separates the two banks, each with its own unique scenery.’ The violent river currents and狂风 erosion have formed the cliff-like Yadan landform on the north bank. The rock strata on the riverbank vary in their resistance to weathering, resulting in an uneven contour. Furthermore, the different minerals contained in the rocks create a variety of colors, hence the name ‘Colorful Beach.’ On the south bank, however, trees are lush and verdant, stretching into a forest, with distant winding mountains and Gobi scenery visible to the eye. Under the setting sun, the place facing the sun showcases a myriad of colors at their fullest extent—red transparency, yellow tinged with green, and blue that appears white. While the area facing away from the sun exhibits various shapes, with exquisitely diverse plants. However, what attracts people is their bizarre and enigmatic appearance, resembling coral reefs underwater. Amidst the strange dynamics and solitude, they sway with a mysterious charm of life, radiating an emotional feeling.
Day 2 Burqin — Hemu
In the midst of silence, I once again embarked on my journey to Hemu Village, known as God’s private reserve. In the early morning, the sky in Burqin was adorned with a bright red dawn. As I wound my way up the mountain, my eyes were filled with lush greenery. Horses, cows, and sheep dotted the hillsides, and in the distance, yurts stood as testament to the nomadic way of life! The scene centered around the yurts truly had a poetic ambiance. The beauty of harmony immersed itself in every frame of the journey, accompanying me as I advanced towards Hemu Village with the dawn. Upon entering Hemu, I realized that this breathtakingly beautiful village, almost isolated from the world, was hidden deep within the mountains, resembling a fairy tale land. Hemu Grassland is located in a graben basin between mountains at the confluence of the Kanas River and the Hemu River in Burqin County. The Hemu River flows from northeast to southwest, dividing the grassland into two halves. The sunny slopes of the mountains are covered with dense forests, verdant and lush, where red deer, marmots, and snowcocks dwell; while the shady slopes are adorned with green grass and colorful flowers, fragrant and inviting, with bees busy collecting nectar and livestock grazing joyfully all over the mountains, presenting a charming and vast grassland scenery. Watch the sunset and morning mist, with houses, rivers, and trees changing with each passing day. A night of rain in Hemu brings an extra visual feast of clouds and dreamscapes. The village is small, with neatly scattered wooden houses arranged from north to south. The village paths are intricate, with grassy streams, cows and horses grazing, and the sounds of chickens and dogs echoing. As dusk approaches, blue smoke rises from the wooden rooftops. Here resides the Tuvas, who have preserved their complete ethnic traditions. The basin is dotted with wooden houses built from logs. Each log house with a triangular roof has curling smoke rising from its chimney. Walking among them, breathing in the fresh air fragrant with earth, I feel the pure wilderness. Staying in a characteristic wooden house in Hemu at night, I blend into this fairyland-like landscape and enjoy it to my heart’s content.
Day3 Hemu – Kanas – Jiadenyu
In the morning, in order to capture the breathtaking sunrise, we headed to the Hemu Observation Deck to prepare. The moment we reached the observation deck, what appeared before our eyes was not the stunning sunrise, but tripods everywhere, as if everyone was welcoming an extremely important festival. The morning mist illuminated by the dawn light, like the flowing white skirt of a fairy, shrouded over the silent village. The curling smoke rising slowly rose into the golden-tinged birch forest among the mountains. The morning mist and cooking smoke gathered together, lingering and constantly changing. It was a picture full of mystery no matter how you looked at it! The sleeping Hemu Village did not forget to present us with an ink painting of a primitive village! The distant mountains were blue-green, with layers upon layers of peaks. The log cabins of the Tuvans, with distinct angles, were neatly arranged and hidden among the layered birch forests. The paved roads laid between the villages were harmonious, making me unwilling to tear my gaze away from this tribal village among the clouds even when my vision was blurred. After recording this magnificent sunrise and having breakfast, we left Hemu for Kanas. Upon arriving at Jiadenyu, we took the shuttle bus to the tranquil [Moon Bay], which changes with the Kanas Lake water. It is indeed a pearl embedded in the Kanas River, a fairyland on earth. Looking at the lake surface from the backlit side, it sparkled with fine light under the sunshine, as if countless pearls were scattered arbitrarily. The clouds swirled around, making it seem like a fairyland. At the climax and conclusion of the Kanas Lake scenery, [Dragon Bay] summarized the scenery with a river bend winding like a dragon! Whether from the enchanting colors in photos and albums or from the animated descriptions of fellow travelers, have you not physically moved yet, but your heart has already traveled far? [Fairy Bay] is actually a riverbank where the river divides the forest and grassland into small islands that seem connected yet separate. The lake and cloud-capped mountains were shrouded in mist, transcendental and dreamlike, like a fairyland! [Duck Marsh Lake] has an open perimeter, and the lake is like a mirror. In summer, flocks of wild ducks and wild geese inhabit the lake area to breed and multiply, quietly watching birds spread their wings! In the evening, we stayed in the living area of Jiadenyu
Day4 Jiadenyu – Burqin
On the day of entering Kanas again, I went to the Fish Viewing Pavilion, the only place where you can see a panoramic view of Kanas Lake. The Fish Viewing Pavilion is located within the Kanas scenic area in Burqin, Xinjiang, and was built on the top of Haralahte Mountain (meaning ‘Camel Peak’ in Mongolian) at an altitude of 2030 meters, with a vertical drop of over 600 meters from the lake surface. It is named the Fish Viewing Pavilion because it is in a position to observe ‘lake monsters’. The Fish Viewing Pavilion is the best attraction in Kanas and the only great platform where one can pause and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Kanas. To get to the Fish Viewing Pavilion, you have to climb. Take the shuttle bus to the platform of the Fish Viewing Terrace and then walk up the thousand-step ladder to see a tower-like building, and above it is the Fish Viewing Pavilion. The Fish Viewing Pavilion is an excellent location to view the panoramic view of Kanas. The Fish Viewing Terrace is basically one of the must-visit attractions for every tourist to Kanas. The location where the water monster was discovered was here. In the evening, we returned to Burqin to the famous foodie gathering place – the Burqin Riverbank Night Market. Both sides of the road are filled with stalls selling jade, accessories, and other items. Stores selling various Xinjiang souvenirs are also lined up. We first followed the brightly lit pavilion building to admire the Burqin River and the Burqin Bridge under neon lights. Then we went straight to the point. Food stalls were arranged in sequence. Grilled mutton is a must, but the grilled fish here is famous. Northern pike, crucian carp, and shelfish, which are not uncommon in Xinjiang, have increased in value here. Even the air is filled with an enticing aroma.
Day 5 Burqin – Devil’s City – Urumqi
Today is the Kanas tour – Urho Devil’s City. Before entering the city, let’s hear a story: Legend has it that this place was originally a magnificent castle. The men in the castle were handsome and strong, the women beautiful and kind. The people in the castle worked diligently and lived a carefree life with ample food and clothing. However, as wealth accumulated, evil gradually took hold of people’s hearts. They began to indulge in pleasures and debauchery. To compete for wealth, the city was filled with deceit and bloody fights, and everyone’s face became grotesque and terrifying. In order to awaken people’s conscience, the gods transformed into a ragged beggar and came to the castle. The gods told the people that it was evil that turned him from a rich man into a beggar. However, the beggar’s words did not work and instead, he was abused and ridiculed by the people in the castle. In a fit of rage, the gods turned this place into ruins, and everyone in the castle was buried under the rubble. Every night, the souls of the dead moan within the castle, hoping that the gods can hear their voices of confession. If Tibet is desolate, at this moment, all I feel in my heart is desolation. Apart from the occasional sunflower that flashes by, only wormwood strives to add color to the desert. After more than two hours of seeing desolation everywhere, we arrived at Devil’s City. After tens of thousands of years of wind erosion, the yellow sandstone bodies present various strange shapes. Visiting Devil’s City also means that the 5-day trip will come to an end. On the way back, I couldn’t help but pick up my camera again to relive the photos I took over the past few days. Although the journey was long, when I saw my full harvest, it was all worth it.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456