It is said that it takes about 20 days to a month to travel around Xinjiang
The main attractions in Northern Xinjiang are concentrated in three places: one is around Urumqi in the east, the other is around Ili in the west, and the third is the large Kanas Scenic Area in the north.
Kanas is known as the ‘Eastern Switzerland’. It is actually cost-effective to travel freely to Kanas. Here are some methods for reference:
①: Pickup from Beitun Railway Station – Kanas – Baihaba – Jiadenyu – Hemu – Colorful Beach – Beitun
The price for a shared car from Beitun Railway Station to Kanas Scenic Area is (200 yuan/person before 14:00 Beijing time, 300 yuan/person after 14:00, no pickups or drop-offs after 18:00. Special circumstances requiring pickups or drop-offs can be discussed in detail). Consultation Hotline: 0991–8585456
Take a shared car to Kanas to purchase tickets and take the shuttle bus (Kanas ticket price is 185 yuan, one-entry shuttle bus is 100 yuan, and two-entry shuttle bus is 130 yuan). Transfer to the shuttle bus to play within the scenic area. When you are almost done playing, you can go to the transfer center from Kanas to Baihaba to apply for a border pass and take the shuttle bus to Baihaba.
Let’s talk about the distribution of scenic areas first: The key area is Kanas Scenic Area, followed by Hemu Village and Baihaba Village. There is also the Colorful Beach near Burqin County. Jiadenyu is located between Kanas Scenic Area and Hemu Village. It is a hub with concentrated hotels and convenient transportation. It is basically a transfer station. It is about 20 kilometers from Jiadenyu to the gate of Kanas Scenic Area, and 18 kilometers from Jiadenyu to the gate of Hemu Scenic Area in a different direction. To get to Baihaba, you need to enter from within Kanas Scenic Area.
Talking about transportation: It is said that one does not truly understand how vast the territory of the motherland is until they visit Xinjiang. Both airports and train stations are located 300 kilometers away from Jiadenyu (except for the Kanas Airport, which is only open for four months a year and has very expensive tickets, so generally, people fly to Altay instead). If you have plenty of time and are not afraid of tiredness, taking a car is a good choice. You can play all the way north from Urumqi without wasting time. If you are short on time and looking for cost-effectiveness, then taking the train is the way to go. They are all overnight trains, which can also save you accommodation expenses. If you are in a hurry and afraid of tiredness, then take a plane! Flights from Urumqi to Altay often cost less than 300 yuan. It is not easy to find a ride to Jiadenyu after arriving by train or plane. It is recommended to go to Burqin first, where there is delicious food everywhere (especially grilled fish from the delicious Irtysh River), and prices are cheap.
Regarding attractions and tickets: The entrance fee for Kanas Scenic Area can be said to be the most expensive in the country. The entrance fee for Kanas Lake, including the shuttle bus, is 275 yuan. There are two areas by the lake: one side is for rafting and boating, and the other side is for viewing walkways. You can stroll and sit leisurely by the lake. Guanyutai is a must-visit place, as it is where you can overlook the panoramic view of Kanas Lake. It takes 20 minutes to climb the 1068 steps to reach there.
Kanas Lake, the most beautiful lake in China
Kanas Lake viewed from Guanyutai in the morning
The misty Shenxian Bay
These attractions mentioned above are popular tourist destinations, but there are still many undeveloped scenic spots inside Kanas, such as Baihu Lake, Daxiaohei Lake, Baisha Lake, and so on. These primitive places are the essence.
On the way to Hei Lake
Kazakh children herding on Hei Lake
The admission fee for Hemu includes the shuttle bus and costs 180 yuan. Hemu Village is known as ‘God’s Private Reserve’ and is also a favorite among many photographers today. It’s a leisurely tour, strolling through the birch forest, daydreaming by the Hemu River, viewing the wooden cabins in the village from the observation deck, riding a horse up Meili Peak to overlook the entire village, and visiting the market to see various items with Western Regions characteristics and taste various local delicacies. From Hemu to Kanas, besides taking the car, you can also hike or ride a horse. It usually takes two days, with overnight stays in Zhenfang. There are beautiful sceneries such as Xiaohei Lake along the way.
Hemu Village in the morning
The birch forest in Hemu Village
Hemu River
The admission fee for Bahaba includes the shuttle bus and costs 110 yuan. I heard that Bahaba is somewhat similar to Hemu but is much smaller. Many people go there for the Sino-Kazakhstan border, and some people go to stargaze. Originally, we could have arranged to go there for one night, but because we wanted to see Colorful Beach at sunset and savor the cuisine of Burqin, we spent that night in Burqin instead.
The most beautiful Yadan landform – Colorful Beach
The birch forest across the colorful beach
Regarding the weather, near Urumqi and in the Altay region, we all experienced going from winter to summer and from summer to winter within a single day. The most unforgettable experience was on the way from Burqin to Kanas, passing through Heilutan, which backpackers consider even more beautiful than the Xinduqiao area of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Master Sha let us get off the car to take photos. As soon as we opened the car door, we immediately shrunk back and quickly searched for the thickest clothes in the car, grabbing whatever we could find to wear. But even with a down jacket on, I couldn’t stand up straight to take photos and was shivering… So when you come to Xinjiang, bring both your thinnest and thickest clothes for all four seasons.
When it comes to food, I only hate that I can’t always be a Xinjiangese. The melons and fruits here are so sweet that they will melt in your heart and evoke the fragrance of your childhood memories… The grills here are the best in China. They excel in using the simplest and most primitive cooking methods. They skewer the meat directly and roast it on unique grilling utensils of the Western Regions, then sprinkle it with salt, cumin, and chili powder, which are loved by Xinjiang people. They cut the mutton slaughtered that day into strips or small chunks. Every four pieces of lean meat must be interspersed with a piece of fat meat on the iron skewers. The meat particles are as full and plump as Hetian dates, with fat and lean meat intertwined, creating a variety of flavors on the tip of your tongue! And the Uyghur naan bread is the best ‘pizza’ I’ve ever tasted! But it’s dry and can be stored for many days. When Uyghurs go on business trips or long journeys, they bring this naan and drink some tea, making it an ideal convenient meal. Legend has it that when Tang Monk was on his pilgrimage to fetch Buddhist scriptures and crossed the desert and Gobi, the food he brought was naan. These days, we all brought naan to satisfy our hunger on the road. There are also cold noodles, big plate chicken, mixed noodles, mutton soup, and hand-grabbed rice…
In a word: Xinjiang is only beautiful