Recommended Internet-famous Tourist Attractions in Xinjiang, Must-visit Tourist Attractions in Xinjiang
Xinjiang chartered tour consultation: 0991-8585456 (same number)
Xinjiang is abundant in tourism resources. On this vast land, glaciers and snowy mountains 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, towering peaks, flying waterfalls, and rare animals. Here stands the world’s second-highest peak at an altitude of 8,600 meters, and there are also China’s lowest-lying areas at -154 meters below sea level. It boasts rapid rivers, vast grasslands, dazzling Gobi illusions, mysterious desert wonders, and well-preserved primitive flora and fauna, all highlighting the unique nature endowed by nature.
[Xinjiang Travel Guide] Must-visit Attractions and Travel Routes in Xinjiang
Urumqi, which translates to ‘beautiful pasture’ in Mongolian, is a major transportation hub and a communication center on the Silk Road. Urumqi’s openness and heroism are endearing, attracting countless tourists to experience its unique cultural connotations. Urumqi has numerous beautiful scenic spots worth visiting. The magical Tianshan Tianchi has the nickname of ‘Jade Pool,’ resembling a fairyland, dreamlike and illusionary. Shuimogou Park scenic area gathers a large number of 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 numerous classic scenic spots. Turpan has left us a large number of Silk Road sites, providing us with a wealth of reference materials to understand the Silk Road. Turpan’s unique ethnic atmosphere is also a highlight here. Its special music, dances, and costumes amaze visitors. Grape Valley is a place in Turpan where grapes are produced and is therefore famous worldwide. In summer, the rolling heat rising from Flame Mountain in central Turpan, coupled with the surrounding red mountains, resembles an impending volcanic eruption. Jiaohe Ancient City, Kumtag Desert, Karez Folk Park, and the Silk Road are all places worth seeing here.
Yili in Xinjiang Tourism
Yili is an autonomous prefecture in the northwest of Xinjiang and a home to a considerable number of ethnic minorities. Yili’s unique mountain features and landscapes are fascinating, and the embellishment of green trees and red flowers makes Yili a fairyland on earth. The unique mountain shapes and lush forests in Kuerdining Scenic Area attract a large number of tourists to stop and admire. The scenery of Nalati Grassland is the most beautiful landscape in Yili. The openness of the grassland makes people suddenly feel broad-minded, and any troubles in their hearts can be swept away. Sayram Lake, Yili River, Nalati National Forest Park, and Wild Walnut Valley are all great scenic spots in Yili.
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 poplar trees in Jinhuyang National Forest Park turn yellow, providing a great visual feast from both near and far. Xiangfei Tomb, Kashgar Grand Bazaar, and Kashgar Old Town are all worth-seeing cultural landscapes here.
Must-visit Attractions in Xinjiang Tourism
Balikun Grassland – Situated in a Basin
Nearby Attractions: Hui King’s Tomb, Gayes 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. It is not as endless as the Inner Mongolia Grassland but sits in a basin surrounded by continuous mountain peaks. The mountaintops are covered with white glaciers, and the mountainsides are green. What’s more fascinating is that amid the expanse of grassland, there suddenly appears a unique desert mountain, Mingsha Mountain, and a white stone mountain, Baishitou Mountain.
Flame Mountain – You Can Cook an “Omelette” on Your Car Hood
Nearby attractions: Karez Wells, 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 medium-red sand, conglomerate, and mudstone. Every summer, the intense sunshine shines on the red mountains, creating rolling heatwaves. How hot is the Flaming Mountain? According to local saying, if you break a raw egg and spread it on the car hood, it will become a “fried egg”. There is also a 12-meter-tall thermometer standing there, resembling Sun Wukong’s Golden-hooped Staff.
International Bazaar – You Can Buy All the Local Specialties of Xinjiang Here
Nearby attractions: Xinjiang Museum, Red Hill, May 1st Night Market, Baiyanggou, etc.
The word “Bazaar” originates from Uyghur and means “market”. The International Bazaar is located in Urumqi and gathers tourist souvenirs from all over Xinjiang. These include raisins, saussurea involucrata, Hetian jade, lavender, essential oils, tapestries, Cordyceps sinensis, etc., which are well-known to mainlanders. Besides Xinjiang’s specialties, there are also crafts from Central Asia and Pakistan. It is the “Window of Xinjiang”, the “Window of Central Asia”, and the “Window of the World”. The Bazaar has a rich architectural style. In addition, as the “Hometown of Songs and Dances”, there is also a grand stage for song and dance performances.
Tianchi Lake – A浓缩 of the Essence of the Tianshan Mountains
In Urumqi, if the weather is clear, you can see the magnificent Bogda Peak of the snow-capped mountains. Tianchi Lake is located on the mountainside of Bogda Peak, 110 kilometers away from Urumqi. Tianchi Lake is a high-altitude lake at an altitude of 1980 meters. Because its water is crystal clear like jade, mythology describes Tianchi Lake as the mirror on the dressing table of the West Queen Mother. It integrates alpine lakes, spruce forests, and snow-capped mountains into one,浓缩了天山的精华景致, and is praised as the “Pearl of the Tianshan Mountains”.
Colorful City – Wild Donkeys and Goiters by the Roadside
Nearby attractions: Karamay Hooved Wildlife Reserve, Gurbantünggüt Desert, etc.
Colorful City is located in the Gurbantünggüt Desert, the second largest desert in China. Over billions of years, coal seams, sand layers, and ore beds have formed there. After being eroded by wind and rain, exposed to sun and lightning, it has formed “Yardang landforms” dominated by reddish-brown hues mixed with yellow, white, black, green, and other colors. From afar or nearby, it resembles a castle. Near Colorful City is the Karamay Hooved Wildlife Reserve, which has received considerable attention in recent years. On a self-driving trip, you can see wild animals such as wild donkeys, argali sheep, and goiters along the way.
Kanas Lake – Eastern Switzerland
Nearby attractions: Wulungu Lake, Irtysh River, Alashan Hot Spring, Baihaba, etc.
Xinjiang boasts countless beautiful scenery. If you have to choose where is the most beautiful, many people would choose Kanas Lake. Kanas is known as the “Eastern Switzerland”. Due to its special geographical location, the vegetation there resembles the European Alps. Different plant communities are well-defined and colorful. Kanas Lake is like a colorful gem. It is a paradise for photographers. When visiting Kanas, you can also see the ancient indigenous people, the Tuwa people.
Devil’s City – A “Castle” Blown by the Wind
Surrounding attractions: Karamay No.1 Oilfield
Both in Mongolian and Kazakh, the place is called "Devil’s City" without prior agreement. Devil’s City is not a castle but a rare wind erosion landform in China, where various "buildings" are blown by the wind, resembling the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the Pyramids of Egypt, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia… The terrifying time at Devil’s City is when the night falls and the wind blows violently, creating a eerie atmosphere with the sound of flying sand and stones. However, during the daytime, one may find crystal-clear agate stones there.
Sayram Lake – Can see the lakebed 10 meters below the surface
Surrounding attractions: Guai Shi Gou (Weird Rock Gorge), Alataw Pass, etc.
Some people compare Xinjiang’s Sayram Lake to Tibet’s Namtso Lake because Sayram Lake is also an alpine lake, a large alpine cold-water lake. Sayram Lake is known as the "Pure Sea", and one can see the lakebed 10 meters below the surface. The best time to appreciate Sayram Lake is during the transition from spring to summer when the lakeside is covered with alpine wildflowers. Every July, local Mongolians hold the traditional "Nadam" festival on the grassland by the lake.
Nalati Grassland – The Grassland with the Fattest Cattle and Sheep
Surrounding attractions: Ili River, Guozigou Valley, Gongnais Grassland, Tangbula Grassland, etc.
The Ili River region is abundant in grasslands, with the famous Nalati Grassland being one of them. At the same time, Nalati Grassland is a well-developed grassland suitable for tourism, accommodating thousands of tourists every day. The grass on Nalati Grassland grows to over half a meter tall. Due to the abundant rainfall in the area, the cattle and sheep there are fatter. Historically, Nalati Grassland was known as the "Deer Enclosure" and is also called the "Aerial Grassland" due to its high altitude.
Mount Muztagata – Father of Glaciers
Surrounding attractions: Id Kah Mosque, Xiangfei Tomb, Tashkurgan Stone City, etc.
Starting from the southern Xinjiang city of Kashgar and driving towards Hongqilapu at the China-Pakistan border, the journey presents a breathtaking view of snowy mountains and grasslands. Before you know it, you’re already at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. Looking beside, you’ll see a huge glacier-covered mountain, which is Mount Muztagata, known as the "Father of Glaciers", resembling a creamy cake. Mount Muztagata stands in contrast with K2, the world’s second-highest peak at 8,611 meters in altitude.
Desert Highway – Enjoy driving through the desert
Surrounding attractions: Tarim River, Populus Euphratica Forest Nature Reserve
The Desert Highway runs vertically through China’s vast Taklamakan Desert, which covers an area of over 330,000 square kilometers and has long been considered a "forbidden zone for life", making it difficult for tourists to visit its hinterland. However, after the opening of the Desert Highway, self-driving tourists can now traverse it. The Desert Highway is 446 kilometers long and is currently the longest highway built in a mobile desert in the world. It generally takes five to six hours to drive, and it is essential to prepare sufficient water in the car before setting out.
Xinjiang travel guide, must-visit attractions in Xinjiang tourism
Xinjiang chartered tour consultation: 0991-8585456 (same number)