Tourism in Xinjiang this year has been incredibly popular. The strategy of revitalizing Xinjiang through tourism implemented across the region, coupled with ongoing cultural and tourism activities, has boosted Xinjiang’s tourism market. The advertising effect across the entire internet has also driven the number of active tourists. Large numbers of tourists have visited out of admiration, making a trip to Xinjiang this summer a trend. Xinjiang has always been a wonderful place, vast in territory and abundant in resources, with diverse scenic beauty. Below, I recommend eight must-visit attractions. If you plan to visit Xinjiang, be sure not to miss them! Remember to bookmark them!
1. Phantom Lake
Phantom Lake – Yiwu Salt Lake, also known as Tuolekule Lake, is located 2 kilometers north of the Yiwu County Salt Lake Township Government. It is a typical inland evaporation lake with a current lake surface area of less than 30 square kilometers and an altitude of 1896 meters. The Uyghurs call it "Tulkule", meaning a tranquil lake. Phantom Lake contains over 3 million tons of salt minerals, sodium sulfate, and more than 20 other minerals. The color of the lake water changes with temperature and weather conditions. When the sky is clear and cloudless, the lake surface resembles the sea, presenting a turquoise blue color. At sunset, under the reflection of the setting sun, the lake water turns green with hints of red and blue with yellow reflections, displaying a breathtaking beauty. When a sudden gale arises, the lake surface will appear pink. If it rains that day, the lake water will turn blue-purple, hence the name Phantom Lake.
The main minerals in the Phantom Lake are salt, sodium sulfate, and black mud. According to expert research, bathing in this highly saline water can not only cleanse and disinfect but also has a good therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis. It’s worth mentioning that although the black mud here may not look impressive, it is an excellent beauty product. Using it as a face mask is no less inferior to any other cosmetics!
2. Tianchi in the Tianshan Mountains
Tianchi Scenic Area in the Tianshan Mountains is located halfway up Bogda Mountain in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains, within the territory of Fukang City, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is 67 kilometers away from Urumqi, with convenient transportation and telecommunications. Taking the shuttle bus up the mountain within the scenic area, the S-shaped winding mountain road is both dangerous and exciting, with picturesque scenery along the way. Upon first arriving at Tianchi, one will be amazed by the clear and transparent lake water. The peaks around the lake are covered in snow, and visitors can also take a boat tour.
3. Kanas
The Kanas Scenic Area is located in the middle section of the Altai Mountains in northern Xinjiang, bordering the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation to the north and the People’s Republic of Mongolia to the east. Its natural and cultural landscapes have maintained their primitive charm and are known as the "Pure Land on Earth".
Kanas is the only protected area in China located at the junction of four countries. Centered around Kanas Lake, it features beautiful Siberian fir, conical Siberian spruce, vigorous Siberian pine, Siberian larch, and numerous birch trees, forming primitive deciduous forests across the mountains. The trees here are well-arranged, flowers and plants are abundant, and the scenery is breathtaking. The lake surface is vast and calm, with peaks reflected in the water. The lake’s color changes with the seasons and weather, earning it the name of the "Color-Changing Lake". Every autumn, the forests are painted in layers of colors, creating a picturesque scene. Snow-capped peaks surround the area, with green slopes and dark forests, offering a breathtaking view of lakes and mountains!
4. Lavender Garden
Heading towards Yining from the Khorgos Port, one will pass through a vast lavender field, presenting a spectacular scene. You can also learn about the extraction process and product introduction of lavender essential oil, and visit the lavender fields for sightseeing and photography. This is the Lavender Production Base of the 65th Regiment of the 4th Agricultural Division. It boasts bright and colorful flowerbeds and fields of lavender. The purple-blue lavender flowers sway with the wind, emitting a faint fragrance.
Strolling through the Lavender Manor in Yili, one’s eyes are filled with dazzling purple hues. A gentle breeze blows, bringing waves of distant fragrance. Taking a deep sniff, the unique medicinal scent of lavender is refreshing and uplifting! It doesn’t have the intense emotion of roses, nor the indifference of lilies, yet its elegance cannot be erased, like the fragrance that remains in the heart after the wind has passed.
5. Nalati Grassland
Nalati Tourist Scenic Area is located in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, at the eastern end of the Ili River Valley, known as "the Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall". It is one of the six most beautiful grasslands in China. The grassland is adorned with snow-capped mountains, forests, and wildflowers. The beautiful grassland scenery combined with local Kazakh folk customs has made it a famous tourist and resort area in Xinjiang.
"Three sides of green mountains form a jade screen, with rivers winding like a jade belt around its waist" is a good description of Nalati. It forms a natural landform with beautiful scenery, a serene environment, and rich vegetation. With unique natural landscapes, a long historical culture, and rich ethnic customs, it constitutes a unique frontier scenery. In the vast deserts of Xinjiang, Nalati is like a jade inlaid on a yellow silk scarf, particularly dazzling. The rolling mountains and lush green grass here offer both the vastness of the grasslands and the softness of streams; both the beauty of the mountains and the momentum of pine forests like waves. With its unique primitive natural landscape, it showcases to the world a scenic corridor like a three-dimensional painting deep in the Tianshan Mountains.
6. Urho Devil City
Devil City is located at the midpoint of the Northern Xinjiang tourist route, 100 kilometers northeast of Karamay City, a famous city in western China. It complements Kanas Lake and Tian Chi, together forming the golden tourist route in northern Xinjiang.
Urho Wind Devil City is a sight to behold from afar but not to be taken lightly. Viewing it from afar, you will marvel at its spectacular and majestic appearance, marveling at the wonders wrought by nature. When you venture deep into the Wind City, you will sense its extraordinary terror. Surrounded by numerous strangely shaped hills, some as high as four-story buildings, with steep side walls, you can clearly see the principle of deposition from the cross-section of the side walls. Underfoot is all cracked loess, barren of any vegetation, and all around is a deathly silence. If you come here alone, you need to pinch your face hard with your hands, otherwise you won’t believe that everything you see before you is real. Even on nights when there is no strong wind, it can make people shiver with fear.
7. Sayram Lake
Sayram Lake is located within Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, with National Highway 312 passing by its eastern side. It has ancient names such as "Celestial Lake" and "Western Pure Sea". It is a high-altitude and large-area alpine lake in Xinjiang, mainly featuring natural ecological landscapes such as lakes, wetlands, grasslands, forests, and snow-capped mountains. It is a national scenic area of alpine lakes and grasslands, with main activities including sightseeing, ecological leisure, exploring the historical culture of the Northern Ancient Silk Road, and experiencing the folk customs of ethnic minorities such as Mongolians and Kazakhs. It enjoys the reputation of "a mysterious western land, a sacred soil beyond the mortal world".
8. Kashgar Old City
Kashgar Old City is located in the center of Kashgar, Xinjiang, and has a history of several hundred years.
The houses here also have their own characteristics. On a limited plane, ordinary families will build two to three-story small buildings with a civil engineering structure. Some even extend downwards to create basements. Living rooms and bedrooms are connected by wooden stairs and ladders. Every family has a balcony located on the flat roof. Each household has a small courtyard used for growing flowers or placing bonsais.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456