Eight Scenes of Northern Xinjiang | If you miss these eight scenes, don’t say you’ve traveled around Northern Xinjiang!
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
Scene 1: One of China’s Most Beautiful Highways – Xinjiang Duku Highway (Across Tianshan Mountain)
The Duku Highway, voted by netizens as ‘one of China’s top ten most beautiful highways’, truly deserves its reputation. If there were rankings, it would definitely make the top three. Which highway can offer the scenery of the four seasons within just two hours of driving: spring flowers, summer grass, autumn leaves, and winter snow…
Tour route:
1. Urumqi – Dushanzi – Duku Highway (380 km)
2. Nalati Grassland (or Bayinbrook) – Joerma – Duku Highway – Dushanzi (260 km)
Ticket price: Free
Visiting Time: Early June to Early September each year
Entry Method: Self-driving, chartered car, carpooling (roads restrict vehicles with more than 7 seats, so only vehicles with 7 seats or less, including 7 seats, can be chosen for these three methods), due to vehicle type restrictions, there are no travel products for entering with large groups.
Scene 2: Sunset at the Nine-Bend River in Bayinbrook, Xinjiang
Standing on top of Bashilike Mountain overlooking Swan Lake, the ancient Kaitun River slowly walks towards you from the horizon. This is the Nine-Bend River, where ‘such a scene should only exist in heaven, and how many times can it appear on earth?’ It resembles a fairy’s ribbon formed by converging spring and snow water passing through Swan Lake, and more like a holy scarf bestowed by heaven upon the emerald kingdom of Bayinbrook. When the sunset shoots myriad rays of golden light onto the grassland through the gaps in the clouds, the winding Nine-Bend River reflects the nine suns shot down by Hou Yi.
Tour route:
1. Nalati Grassland – Bayinbrook Grassland – Nine-Bend River (80 km)
2. Kuqa – Bayinbrook Grassland – Nine-Bend River (300 km, vehicles with more than 7 seats are restricted)
3. Hejing – Bayinbrook – Nine-Bend River (260 km)
Entrance Fee: 65 yuan; Scenic Area Shuttle Bus: 90 yuan
Visiting Time: Early May to Late September each year
Entry method: Self-drive, group tour, chartered car, carpooling (roads are smooth and in good condition, no specific vehicle requirements)
Scene 4: Sunrise at Sayram Lake, Bortala Prefecture, Xinjiang
I don’t know which scholar or poet evaluated Sayram Lake like this, calling it ‘a tear from the Atlantic Ocean’. This description always feels a bit melancholic, but it does have a healing effect there. Waiting for the sun to gradually rise from the mountainside and the lake surface, you will feel that no matter what you have experienced, the sun will always rise, and every day is a brand new day, a new beginning…
Tour route:
1. Urumqi – Sayram Lake (550 km)
2. Yining – Guozigou Valley – Sayram Lake (150 km)
Entrance Fee: 70 yuan
Scene 3: China’s Provence – Xinjiang Yili Lavender Fields
The azure sky, clean sunshine, golden and bright sunflowers, and large fields of lavender that resemble deep purple waves cascading up and down, this is the visual experience that Huocheng lavender brings us. In summer, the lavender blooms, and the purple-blue sea of flowers undulates with the wind, as if it is an extended dream on the earth. For several miles around, it is enveloped in the fragrant aroma of lavender. Its scent is faint yet extremely penetrating, as if it can seep into the bloodstream and permeate the soul.
Tour route:
1. Urumqi – Huocheng County – Lavender Field (650 km)
2. Yining – Huocheng County – Lavender Field (50 km)
Ticket price: Free
Best visiting time: June 10th to June 30th each year
Entry method: Self-drive, group tour, chartered car, carpooling (roads are smooth and in good condition, no specific vehicle requirements)
Best visiting time: Early May to late October each year
Entry method: Self-drive, group tour, chartered car, carpooling (roads are smooth and in good condition, no specific vehicle requirements)
5th scenic spot: Starry sky over Kanas Lake, Altay, Xinjiang
The starry sky over Kanas Lake is said to be very beautiful. I was previously tempted by various pictures, but after seeing it in person, I realized it was truly beautiful, beyond description…
Tour route:
1. Burqin – Jiadengyu – Kanas Lake (180 km)
2. Hemu – Jiadengyu – Kanas Lake (90 km)
Ticket price: 180 yuan, Shuttle bus: 130 yuan
Best visiting time: Late May to early October each year
Entry method: Take the scenic area shuttle bus to enter Kanas Lake scenic area and stay inside the scenic area!
6th scenic spot: Morning mist at Kanas Shenxianwan Bay, Altay, Xinjiang
To see the morning mist at Kanas Shenxianwan Bay, two conditions need to be met: 1. Stay inside the scenic area; 2. Get up early. Forget it if you don’t meet these two conditions. Words can hardly describe the morning mist…
Tour route:
1. Jiadengyu – Kanas Lake – Shenxianwan Bay (30 km)
2. Hemu – Jiadengyu – Kanas Lake – Shenxianwan Bay (90 km)
Ticket price: Free
Best visiting time: Late May to early October each year
Entry method: Take the scenic area shuttle bus to enter Kanas Lake scenic area and stay inside the scenic area! The next morning, you can either hike (about 5 km) or hitchhike to get there.
7th scenic spot: Smoke rising from Hemu Village, Altay, Xinjiang
This primitive village has too many things to make people linger, such as log cabins, the Hemu River, birch forests… When you climb up to the viewing platform and overlook the smoke curling up from Hemu Village at dusk, it feels like returning to the little village of your childhood.
Tour route:
1. Jiadengyu – Hemu Village – Viewing Platform (60 km)
2. Burqin – Hemu – Viewing Platform (180 km)
Ticket price: 80 yuan, Shuttle bus: 200 yuan
Best visiting time: Early June to late September each year
Entry method: Take the scenic area shuttle bus to enter Hemu Village
8th scenic spot: Sunset at Colorful Beach, Haba River, Xinjiang
There are many Yardang landforms and various Ghost Towns in northwest China, but the beauty of Colorful Beach, also a Yardang landform, is unique! Not to mention the Echoing Erqis River that ‘separates the two banks with one river, creating two different worlds’, just its own colorful appearance is enough to overshadow other similar landscapes. Some say that God overturned his palette here…
Best visiting time: Early May to late October each year
Entry method: Self-drive, group tour, chartered car, carpooling (roads are smooth and in good condition, no specific vehicle requirements)
Tour route:
1. Burqin – Colorful Beach (25 km)
2. Jiadengyu – Colorful Beach (120 km)
Ticket price: 50 yuan
Recommended way to play and explore the eight scenic spots of Northern Xinjiang in one go
Carpooling self-guided tour for 8 days (a great way for young people to make friends and have fun together)
Experience the essence of Northern Xinjiang attractions in one go, suitable for young people and friends who enjoy making new acquaintances. You don’t have to worry about other unnecessary expenses, and you can see all the eight scenic spots of Northern Xinjiang mentioned earlier in the article.
Day 1: Urumqi – Duku Highway – Bayinbuluke Sunset;
Day 2: Bayinbuluke – Nalati Aerial Grassland – Sayram Lake;
Day 3: Sayram Lake Sunrise – Kuitun Grand Canyon – Kuitun;
Day 4: Kuitun – Ghost City – Burqin;
Day 5: Burqin – Kanas – Starry Sky within Kanas Scenic Area;
Day 6: Kanas Morning Fog – Fish Viewing Terrace – Hemu Chimney Smoke;
Day 7: Hemu Morning Scene – Colorful Beach Sunset – Burqin Night Market;
Day 8: Burqin – Urumqi.
Boutique Luxurious Leisurely Travel 10 Days
If you are traveling with your parents and children, I suggest spending more time on these eight scenic spots. After all, Xinjiang is relatively large, and the distance between attractions is relatively far. Moreover, elderly people and children may feel uncomfortable sitting in a car for a long time. Personally, I suggest adding 2 more days. In terms of accommodation, since they are your family members, I suggest staying in better places. When visiting Kanas, you can choose to stay within the Kanas Scenic Area. Although it is slightly more expensive, it saves a lot of travel time~
Day 1: Urumqi – Beitun;
Day 2: Beitun – Hemu Chimney Smoke;
Day 3: Hemu Morning Scene – Kanas Fish Viewing Terrace – Kanas Starry Sky;
Day 4: Kanas Morning Fog – Hakpa;
Day 5: Kanas Three Bays – Colorful Beach Sunset – Grilled Fish at Burqin Night Market;
Day 6: Burqin – Ghost City – Kuitun;
Day 7: Kuitun – Sayram Lake – Lavender Base – Yining;
Day 8: Yining – Bayinbuluke Sunset;
Day 9: Bayinbuluke – Nalati Aerial Grassland – Grassland Starry Sky;
Day 10: Nalati – Duku Highway – Urumqi.
Chartered Car Free and Easy 9 Days (Bring friends and family for a trip filled with memories)
You can also say you and your friends chartered a car. How to play and for how long are all up to you. You can stop anywhere along the way. These eight scenic spots can be visited at the time suggested by the driver uncle, such as waking you up to see the sunrise, arriving slowly at Colorful Beach to enjoy the sunset, etc. Anyway, if you charter a car, it will be more expensive than other methods, but I think it’s not easy to come to Xinjiang once, so I’m willing to spend a little more money.
Day 1: Urumqi – Duku Highway – Bayinbuluke Sunset;
Day 2: Bayinbuluke – Nalati Aerial Grassland – Grassland Starry Sky;
Day 3: Nalati – Lavender Base – Sayram;
Day 4: Sayram Lake Sunrise – Kuitun Grand Canyon – Kuitun;
Day 5: Kuitun – Ghost City – Burqin;
Day 6: Burqin – Kanas – Starry Sky within Kanas Scenic Area;
Day 7: Kanas Morning Fog – Fish Viewing Terrace – Hemu Chimney Smoke;
Day 8: Hemu Morning Scene – Colorful Beach Sunset – Burqin Night Market;
Day 9: Burqin – Urumqi.
Take a trip to Northern Xinjiang. If you have seen these eight scenic spots too, then let’s have a discussion. If you look at me with a confused face, then I advise you to take time to revisit. Because these eight scenic spots are the essence of traveling in Northern Xinjiang.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456