Recommended Travel Routes and Scenic Spots in Southern Xinjiang in October
With the gradual decrease in temperature, we welcome another small peak in tourism in Xinjiang. In the golden autumn of October, besides the Kanas Lake in Northern Xinjiang, Southern Xinjiang not only boasts rich cultural landscapes but also unique natural beauty. So, how should one travel in Southern Xinjiang? Which scenic spots should be focused on? I have compiled the beautiful routes and scenic spots for traveling in Southern Xinjiang in October for your reference.
II. Recommended Travel Routes in Southern Xinjiang in October
Day 1: Urumqi to Yuli (about 590 km, about 8.5 hours by car)
Day 2: Yuli to Kuqa (about 480 km, about 7 hours by car)
Day 3: Kuqa to Aksu (about 420 km, about 6.5 hours by car)
Day 4: Aksu to Kashgar (about 500 km, about 5 hours)
Day 5: Kashgar to Taxkorgan (about 300 km, about 6 hours)
Day 6: Taxkorgan to Kashgar (about 300 km, about 6 hours by car)
Day 7: Kashgar to Hotan (about 500 km, about 7 hours by car)
Day 8: Hotan to Alar (440 km, about 5.5 hours by car)
Day 9: Alar to Luntai (350 km, about 5 hours by car)
Day 10: Luntai to Bohu County (250 km, about 5 hours by car)
Day 11: Bohu County to Urumqi
III. Recommended Scenic Spots in Southern Xinjiang
1. Lop Nur Village
The Lop Nur Village is a hidden paradise that has been inaccessible and forgotten for many years. In the Lop Nur Village scenic area, you can wade through rivers, walk through forests, ride camels to view the desert, go hunting, slide down sand dunes, fish in boats, listen to Lop Nur people singing folk songs, watch Lop Nur dances around bonfires, sleep in huts, experience the ancient Lop Nur folk customs, and enjoy the fun of returning to nature.
2. The Mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon
The Mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon is located beside the G217 Kuqa-Yili Highway, about 70 kilometers away from Kuqa County. It is a canyon in the Kiziliya Mountains, a branch of the Tianshan Mountains. It was selected as one of "China’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Canyons" in 2003.
3. Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves
Kizil Grottoes are large grotto groups that were carved early and are located in the west in terms of geographical position. Together with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, they share the reputation of China’s "Four Great Grottoes". They were probably carved in the 3rd century AD and gradually ceased construction in the 8th to 9th centuries AD.
4. Kuqa王府
The full name of Kuqa王府 is "Kuqa Hereditary Uyghur王府". In 1759, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty sent Han Chinese craftsmen from the interior to build it in honor of E, the local Uyghur chief, for his assistance in suppressing the rebellion of the two Hojas.
5. Wensu Tomur Grand Canyon
It is a very large rock salt karst geological attraction in China and also a very beautiful danxia geological wonder in western China. It is known as the "Living Museum of Geological Evolution" in Xinjiang.
6. Kashgar Old Town
It is the only labyrinthine urban neighborhood in China characterized by culture. The streets and alleys are crisscrossed and wind through secluded paths, with a flexible layout. Most of the residences are constructed with earth, wood, and brick, and many traditional residences are even over a hundred years old.
8. Karakul Lake
It is an alpine glacial lake at an altitude of 3,600 meters. It is surrounded by the majestic and mysterious Mount Muztagh Ata, with snow-capped peaks and the same color as the water and mountains, creating a very charming scenery. The Subashi Grassland by the lake is lush with water and grass, and flocks of cattle and sheep graze there.
9. Stone Castle
In Uyghur, it means "Stone Castle". It is a former city ruins from the Tang Dynasty. It was once the royal city of the Poli Kingdom, one of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. It is the intersection of the middle and southern routes of the ancient Silk Road. Many passages connecting Yingjisha, Yarkant, Kashgar, and Yecheng to the Pamir Plateau converge here.
10. Yulongkashi River
Originating from the Kunlun Mountains, it flows through the Tarim Basin and converges with the Karakash River to form the Hotan River. The river is rich in jadeite, black jade, and white jade. It has been the main river for jade production in Hotan since ancient times. It is also known as White Jade River due to its production of Hotan jade, and it is a river in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang, China.
11. The 359th Brigade Memorial Hall
Located in the First Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Alar City, it has successively been awarded the titles of regional patriotism education base and the third batch of national classic red tourism scenic spots. It has become a red tourism base for visitors from both inside and outside the region to receive revolutionary tradition education and an important window for understanding the division, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and their construction achievements.
12. Tarim Huzhang Forest Park
Tarim Huzhang Forest National Park is located 70 kilometers away from the desert highway in the south of Luntai County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, in the middle reaches of the Tarim River on the northeastern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. It is a very large original Huzhang forest park in Xinjiang and also a region with the most concentrated original Huzhang forests in the entire Tarim River basin.
13. Bosten Lake
Bosten Lake is a very large inland freshwater lake in China, anciently known as West Sea. Its main water source is the Kaidu River, and it is also the source of the Kongque River. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456