Xinjiang Travel Guide: Must-visit Attractions and Itineraries in Xinjiang
Xinjiang chartered tour group consultation: (same as above)
Xinjiang is abundant in tourism resources. On this vast land, glaciers and snowy peaks coexist with Gobi deserts. The plateau landscape is embedded in world-famous mountains such as the Tianshan, Altai, and Kunlun mountains, featuring numerous snowy domains, glacier-capped peaks, cascading waterfalls, and rare animals. Here stands the world’s second-highest peak at an altitude of 8,600 meters, and there is China’s lowest depression at -154 meters below sea level. It boasts rivers that flow thousands of miles, vast grasslands with azure waves, fantastical Gobi deserts, mysterious desert wonders, and well-preserved primitive flora and fauna populations, all of which highlight the unique natural essence of this gifted land.
[Xinjiang Travel Guide] Must-visit attractions and travel routes in Xinjiang
Tourist attractions in various regions of Xinjiang
Urumqi in Xinjiang Tourism
Urumqi translates to “beautiful pasture” in Mongolian and is a major transportation hub and communication center on the Silk Road. Urumqi’s openness and boldness are endearing, attracting countless tourists to experience its unique cultural connotations. Urumqi has many beautiful scenic spots worth visiting. The magical Tianshan Tianchi has the nickname of “Jade Pool”, resembling a fairyland, like a dream. Shuimogou Park scenic area gathers numerous natural landscapes and various cultural relics. These landscapes are the park’s unique natural endowments. Xinjiang Salt Lake, Bogda Peak, and Hongshan Park are all must-visit attractions in Urumqi.
Turpan in Xinjiang Tourism
Turpan is a basin area in Xinjiang, with plenty of classic scenic spots. Turpan has left us with a large number of Silk Road sites, providing a wealth of reference material for understanding the Silk Road. Turpan’s unique ethnic atmosphere is also a highlight here. Its special music, dances, and costumes amaze visitors. Grape Valley is where Turpan produces grapes and is thus famous worldwide. In the middle of Turpan, the rolling heat rising from Flame Mountain in summer, coupled with the surrounding red mountains, resembles an impending volcanic eruption. Jiaohe Ancient City, Kumtag Desert, Kanerjing Folk Park, and the Silk Road are all places worth visiting here.
Yili in Xinjiang Tourism
Yili is an autonomous prefecture in northwestern Xinjiang and a home to many ethnic minorities. Yili’s unique mountain features and landforms are fascinating, and the点缀 of green trees and red flowers make Yili a fairyland on earth. The unique mountain shapes and lush forests in Kuerdining Scenic Area attract many tourists to stop and admire.
Kashgar in Xinjiang Tourism
Kashgar means a place like jade. Its stunning natural scenery and rich cultural landscapes are the highlights of tourism here. Kashgar has a unique climate, coupled with abundant rainfall, making the local produce rich and the fruits fragrant. In autumn, the leaves of the large poplar trees in Jinhuyang National Forest Park turn yellow, providing a great visual enjoyment from both near and far. Xiangfei Tomb, Kashgar Grand Bazaar, and Kashgar Old Town are all cultural landscapes worth visiting here.
Must-visit attractions in Xinjiang
Balikun Grassland – Situated in a basin
Surrounding attractions: Huiwang Tomb, Gayis Tomb, Mingsha Mountain, Baishitou Mountain, etc.
Driving along National Highway 312 on the Silk Road into Xinjiang, the first place you will arrive at is the Hami region. That’s right, the place where Hami melons are produced. Balikun Grassland is located in Hami. Unlike the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, it sits in a basin surrounded by continuous mountain peaks. The mountaintops are covered with white glaciers, while the middle sections are green. What’s unique is amidst the vast grasslands, there suddenly appears a unique desert mountain, Mingsha Mountain; and suddenly a white stone mountain, Baishitou Mountain.
Flame Mountain – You can cook an “omelette” on your car hood
Surrounding attractions: Kanerjing, Sutong Tower, Aiding Lake, Grape Valley, Jiaohe Ancient City, Tuyugou, etc.
The ‘Eight Hundred Li Flaming Mountain’ mentioned in ‘Journey to the West’ is here. Locals call the Flaming Mountain ‘Red Hill’. It is composed of red sand, conglomerate, and mudstone. Every summer, the intense sunlight shines on the red mountain, creating rolling waves of heat. How hot is the Flaming Mountain? According to local saying, if you break a raw egg and spread it on the hood of a car, it will turn into a ‘fried egg’. There is also a 12-meter-tall thermometer standing there, like Sun Wukong’s Golden-hooped Staff.
International Bazaar – You can buy all kinds of local specialties from Xinjiang here
Surrounding attractions: Xinjiang Museum, Red Hill, May 1st Night Market, Baiyanggou, etc.
Tianchi Lake – A concentration of the essence of the Tianshan Mountains
In Urumqi, on a clear day, you can see the majestic snow-capped Bogda Peak. Tianchi Lake is located on the mountainside of Bogda Peak, 110 kilometers away from Urumqi. Tianchi Lake is a high-mountain lake located at an altitude of 1980 meters. Because the lake water is as clear as jade, myths say that Tianchi Lake is the magical mirror on the dressing table of the Western Queen Mother. It integrates high-mountain lakes, spruce forests, and snow-capped mountains,浓缩了天山的精华景致, and is known as the ‘Bright Pearl of the Tianshan Mountains’.
Colorful City – Wild asses and gazelles by the roadside
Surrounding attractions: Karamay hoofed wildlife reserve, Gurbantünggüt Desert, etc.
Colorful City is located in Gurbantünggüt Desert, the second largest desert in China. Over billions of years, coal seams, sand layers, and ore layers have formed there. After being eroded by wind and rain, exposed to sun and lightning, it has formed ‘Yardang landform’ predominantly in ochre, mixed with yellow, white, black, green, and other colors. From a distance or up close, it resembles a castle.
Kanas Lake – The Eastern Switzerland
Surrounding attractions: Ulungur Lake, Irtysh River, Alashan Hot Springs, Baihaba, etc.
Devil’s City – A ‘castle’ created by the wind
Surrounding attractions: Karamay Oilfield No. 1
Both in Mongolian and Kazakh, it is unanimously called the ‘Devil’s City’. The Devil’s City is not a castle; it is a rare wind-eroded landform in China, with various ‘buildings’ created by the wind.
Sayram Lake – You can see the lakebed more than 10 meters below the surface
Surrounding attractions: Guai Shigou, Alataw Pass, etc.
. Sayram Lake is known as the ‘Pure Sea’, and you can see the lakebed more than 10 meters below the surface.
Nalati Grassland
Surrounding attractions: Ili River, Guozigou Valley, Gongnais Grassland, Tangbula Grassland, etc.
Thousands of tourists stay there every day. The grass on the Nalati Grassland is over half a meter tall. It rains frequently there, so the cattle and sheep are fatter. Historically, Nalati Grassland was known as the ‘Deer Park’, and due to its high altitude, it is also called the ‘Aerial Grassland’.
Mount Muztagh Ata – Father of Glaciers
Surrounding attractions: Tashkurgan Stone City, etc.
Desert Highway – Drive freely through the desert
Surrounding attractions: Tarim River, Populus euphratica Forest Nature Reserve
Xinjiang chartered tour group consultation: (same as above)