Traveling to Xinjiang during the National Day holiday
The golden autumn of October, with clear skies and crisp air, is a good season to travel. At this time, Xinjiang will usher in the first hint of autumn colors. Inadvertently, the green mountains have put on colorful autumn clothes, and under the contrast of the blue sky and snow-capped mountains, they are especially enchanting. Meanwhile, autumn is also the harvest season in Xinjiang, with the fragrance of fruits and melons. So what can tourists see when visiting Xinjiang in October? I have compiled for you several good places to visit in Xinjiang in autumn, as well as precautions. Let’s take a look!
October precautions: Firstly, in terms of temperature, Xinjiang is located in the northwest inland area of China, with a temperate continental climate. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. The weather begins to cool down in October. Therefore, visitors should pay attention to keeping warm when traveling to Xinjiang at this time. A coat is a must, especially for tourists from the south who should be more cautious. The diurnal temperature variation is large, so attention should be paid to timely adding or removing clothing; Secondly, in terms of precipitation, Xinjiang has less precipitation throughout the year. Therefore, tourists should pay attention to the protection of water resources and make rational use of them, and must not waste them; In addition, in terms of terrain, Xinjiang’s terrain is known as the "three mountains sandwiching two basins", with mountains and plains alternating and rugged terrain. Therefore, tourists must pay attention to wearing appropriate clothing, such as sportswear, sneakers, hiking shoes, etc., otherwise, given the local terrain, tourists will surely feel very tired. And for tourists who like camping, please note that due to the heavy moisture in the mountains and the large diurnal temperature variation, it is not suitable for camping in the wilderness.
Recommended Northern Xinjiang Tourism Route during National Day: Kanas Lake, Hemu Village, Baihaba, Koktokay Scenic Area, Wucaitan, and Urho Devil’s City Tourist Scenic Area
Recommended First Option for Northern Xinjiang Tourism during National Day: Kanas Lake and Hemu Tourist Scenic Area in Golden Autumn:
The Kanas Scenic Area in Xinjiang is the top choice for National Day tourism; if we say that autumn in Xinjiang holds most of China’s beauty, then autumn in Kanas holds 90% of Xinjiang’s beauty. Kanas is known as the ‘Pure Land of Humankind’. Blue skies, white clouds, icy peaks, snowy mountains, forests, meadows, and rivers are all essential elements here, making Kanas possess both the grandeur of northern scenery and the delicacy of southern landscapes.
Recommended Second Option for Northern Xinjiang Tourism during National Day: Koktokay Tourist Scenic Area
The canyon preserves well-preserved pristine forests, with dense pine forests on the shady slopes and birch forests interspersed on the sunny slopes. During the golden autumn season,
The Irtysh Grand Canyon is located in the middle and southern slopes of the Altai Mountains, with abundant precipitation and a vegetation coverage rate of up to 80-90%. The landforms and vegetation naturally combine to create a magnificent and beautiful natural landscape.
The stone mountains within the canyon have peculiar shapes and are known as the ‘108 Generals’, including attractions such as Shenzhong Mountain, General’s Peak, Camel Peak, God Elephant Peak, and Xiaoshimen. Shenzhong Mountain, with a relative height of 365 meters, is the most prominent mountain scenery in the Altai Mountains. The Irtysh River flows through the Koktokay Scenic Area for more than 70 kilometers, with Shenzhong Mountain as the boundary. The upstream waters are magnificent, while the downstream waters are gentle.
Kekesuli, also known as the Wild Duck Lake, has a lake area of 1.9 square kilometers and an average water depth of about 2 meters. There are more than 20 floating islands of various sizes in the lake, with abundant aquatic plants. Every summer and autumn, thousands of wild ducks, gray cranes, sand鸥, swans, cormorants, and other birds gather here to breed, creating a picturesque waterscape.
Recommended Third Option for Northern Xinjiang Tourism during National Day: National 4A Scenic Area – Wucaitan Scenic Area
Wucaitan has a river flowing through it, dividing it into two banks with distinct landscapes on the north and south sides, making it a National 4A Scenic Area; Wucaitan has a unique landform. The long-term arid climate and strong winds have carved out many steep cliffs, hills, and shallow valleys from the originally flat ground. The Uyghurs call this landform ‘Yadan’, also known as ‘Yardang’.
Recommended Third Option for Northern Xinjiang Tourism during National Day: National 4A Scenic Area – Wucaitan Scenic Area
Golden Autumn Populus euphratica – Tears of Populus euphratica in the Depths of the Desert
Populus euphratica is always the protagonist in October, in the desert, in the Gobi, by the Tarim River, in southern Xinjiang, in northern Xinjiang, every October, the Populus euphratica forest turns into a golden world. The transparent yellow leaves and the reeds swaying in the wind make it feel like walking into a gold palace under the Xinjiang sky in October.
What are some recommended tourist route options around Urumqi during the National Day holiday?
Nearby attractions include Tianshan Heavenly Lake, Flaming Turpan, Shanshan Kumtag Desert, Tianshan Grand Canyon, and Nanshan Pasture. In the urban area, one can visit Hongshan Park, the Museum, and the Erdaoqiao International Bazaar Scenic Area, among others.
A one-day boutique tour from Urumqi to Tianshan Grand Canyon
★Route Introduction:
The valleys are dense with deep forests and grass, creating a very quiet and steep environment. Wild animals such as elk, roe deer, marmots, and wild boars frequently appear. Walking into the depths of the Tianshan Mountains, one can feel the charm of the Tianshan Mountains, experience the boundless scenery of the Tianshan Mountains, and enjoy forest valleys, alpine lakes, alpine meadows, and Tianshan glaciers. It is an excellent destination for sightseeing, hiking, tourism, leisure, vacation photography, and other adventure tourism activities.
A leisurely one-day tour from Urumqi to Nanshan Pasture
★Route Introduction:
The Nanshan Natural Scenic Area is located in the mountainous area at the northern foot of the Kalawucheng Mountains, a branch of the Northern Tianshan Mountains, 80 kilometers away from Urumqi. There are ten large and small valleys running east-west. It belongs to the mountain and forest-grassland structural type. It is both an excellent natural pasture and a natural scenic area for summering, recuperation, and tourism. Here, snow-capped peaks pierce the clouds, glaciers are crystal clear, mountains wind their way, steep cliffs stand tall, valleys are deep, forests are lush, flowers and grass cover the slopes, springs and waterfalls flow gently, the air is fresh, and the scenery is fascinating. During the Tang Dynasty, it was also a famous hunting area and a famous pastoral area.
What are some recommended tourist route options for visiting southern Xinjiang during the National Day holiday?
Recommended tourist attractions in Bohu County:
It is currently the harvest season in southern Xinjiang. The drying of autumn harvests in southern Xinjiang is a magnificent beauty. The pure and bright colors and fiery red drying scenes are only earth paintings that appear in the autumn of Bohu County!
Bosten Lake:
In the late autumn, Bosten Lake is covered in the setting sun, gently lapping against the lake water. A few birds lazily perch on the shore, longing for the sweet fragrance of rice after the harvest.
Recommended tourist attractions in Yuli County:
Introduction to Lop Nur Village
The Lop Nur Village is located on the banks of the Tarim River in Dunkuotan Township, Yuli County, on the northeastern edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. The scenic area takes Lop Nur culture as its soul, ecological construction as its foundation, comprehensive resource development as its goal, and folk culture and adventure tourism as its characteristics. It is a tourist area that integrates deserts, Populus euphratica forests, rivers, and lakes, with diverse natural scenery and beautiful ecological environments. The vast Taklamakan Desert, which is the largest desert in China, lies to the south of the scenic area, undulating endlessly and boundlessly. Ride the "boat of the desert" into the depths of the sand sea, enjoy the desert scenery, listen to the lingering sound of camel bells, and feel a sense of relaxation and joy. There are various shapes of primitive Populus euphratica forests here. The Tarim River and the Weigan River add radiance and beauty to each other here. The Taklamakan Desert stretches endlessly. Canoeing, eating grilled fish, and speaking the Lop Nur dialect, the Lop people live here.
Recommended tourist attractions in Luntai County:
Luntai Populus euphratica Forest National Forest Park
The primitive Populus euphratica forest reserve in Luntai, Xinjiang, enters its most gorgeous season from October to mid-November. This newly released dynamic panorama is breathtakingly beautiful!
Taklamakan Desert
The boundless desert resembles a yellow sea, integrating with the blue sky and sunset, looking vast and magnificent, like a painting and a dream…
Recommended tourist attractions in Kuqa County:
Kuqa Tianshan Grand Canyon
Kuqa, the Qiuci Kingdom mentioned in the Tang Dynasty’s Records of the Western Regions, is also the Daughter Kingdom that makes men dream day and night. It is a desert oasis town but an important town on the ancient Silk Road.
The Thousand Buddha Caves are located on the river terrace 7 kilometers southeast of Kizil Town in Baicheng County. They are backed by Mingwudage Mountain, facing Muzhati River and Querdage Mountain, with the Weigan-Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves River winding through. It is about 69 kilometers east of Kuqa County. With shady trees and an elegant environment, it is a famous tourist attraction for ancient cultural relics in Xinjiang.
Kizil is the transliteration of Uyghur, meaning ‘red’. Kizil Grottoes and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes share the reputation of being among China’s ‘Four Great Grottoes’. They are located on cliffs and extend for thousands of kilometers. Among them, there are more than 80 caves with preserved murals, covering a total area of about 10,000 square meters.
Recommended tourist attractions in Aksu:
Wensu Grand Canyon
Wensu Grand Canyon boasts rare ancient rock salt geological landscapes in China, unique Yadan geological landscapes in western China, and unique giant karst erosion geological secrets in China. It is known as the "living geological evolution museum" of Xinjiang. Entering the scenic area is like entering a magnificent natural gallery. The rock layers of the mountain walls in the canyon are clearly distributed, with folds formed by compression and curved lines very visible. Fractured rocks are sandwiched in the rock layers of the mountain walls. After hundreds of millions of years of wind and rain erosion, they have formed steep cliffs, towering peaks, various shapes, rugged and strange forms, vivid colors, and diverse and colorful unique landscapes.
Recommended tourist attractions around Kashgar
Kashgar Old Town Scenic Area AAAAA
The Kashgar Old Town scenic area is located in the center of Kashgar, with a total area of 3.6 square kilometers. The scenic area covers the core area of the old town, with crisscross streets and alleys and buildings scattered at different heights. It is currently the only preserved complete labyrinthine urban block in China. The Kashgar Old Town scenic area is located on a high cliff in the north of Kashgar City, with Jiangkurgan Lane and Blakebexi Lane as the main lines. It covers an area of about 2 square kilometers and is inhabited by 2,094 households with a population of over 10,000 people.
Karakul Lake
Karakul Lake is located at the foot of Mushtagh Peak, the Father of Ice Mountains, 191 kilometers away from Kashgar. The China-Pakistan Highway passes by the lake. It is not far from the base camp for climbing Mushtagh Peak (a 5-hour walk or camel ride). ‘Karakul’ means ‘black sea’, and it is a high-mountain glacial lake. The lake surface reflects the majestic and mysterious Mushtagh Peak, with snow-capped mountains and water sharing the same color, creating a fascinating scenery.
Pamir Plateau
The Pamir Plateau has beautiful autumn scenery similar to northern Xinjiang. When the golden leaves are gently blown by the wind, they shimmer like waves, creating a breathtaking view beyond imagination.
Tashkurgan Stone City:
Tashkurgan Stone City is one of the three famous stone cities in China’s history. It is located on a highland by the Tashkurgan River in the north of Tashkurgan County. Built in the 7th century, it is listed as one of China’s three major stone cities, along with Stone City in Nanjing and Stone City in Liaoning.