Live Your Best Lives
"You don't know how big China is until you've been to Xinjiang." Anyone who has been to Xinjiang has a deep understanding of its vastness. Xinjiang occupies one-sixth of China's land area.
What does this mean? To put it in data terms, there is 1 Xinjiang = 1 Iran = 2 Turkeys = 3 Frances = 4 Japans = 5 Italys = 6 New Zealands = 7 Britains = 16 South Koreas = 40 Taiwans = 99 Beijings = 280 Shanghais.
The express train from Beijing to Urumqi takes 30 hours, while the train from Hotan, Xinjiang to Altay takes a whopping 38 hours. It even crosses time zones, being two hours behind Beijing time. Isn't that a shocking difference?
And I only traveled a part of Xinjiang during my more than 100-day trip. Xinjiang is too vast, one visit is not enough to explore it, and a guide cannot be completed in one article.
Let's first talk about northern Xinjiang. What is northern Xinjiang? The 1,700-kilometer-long Tianshan Mountain Range divides Xinjiang into two halves, north and south. Traditionally, the area south of the Tianshan Mountains is called Southern Xinjiang, and the area north of the Tianshan Mountains is called Northern Xinjiang.
This article introduces the Altay Loop, the most beautiful and most commercial tourist route in northern Xinjiang. It is well developed and can be completed by relying on large-scale transportation. Self-guided travelers without a car can save the trouble of chartering a car or sharing a ride.
Urumqi (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum - Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar) - Fuyun (Keketuohai - Irtysh Grand Canyon - Keketuohai Address Exhibition Hall) - Altay - Burqin (Colorful Beach) - Hemu Village - Meili Peak - Jiadeng Valley - Kanas (Guanyutai - Turuk Rock Paintings - Yaze Lake - Shenxian Bay - Wolong Bay - Moon Bay) - Baihaba (Golden Avenue) - Habahe (Baisha Lake Scenic Area - Birch Forest Park) - Urho (Devil City) - Karamay
I personally prefer slow travel, and the itinerary is more about quality than quantity, so this route only introduces the part I walked.
Urumqi, which means "beautiful pasture" in Mongolian, is the city farthest from the ocean in the world. Most travelers arrive in Urumqi first and then start their trip to Xinjiang.
Urumqi is already very urbanized and doesn't have many unique features. Its biggest attraction is probably the beautiful women from Xinjiang who fill the streets. As a transit point, you don't need to spend too much time in Urumqi.
The museum's most notable collection is the renowned Loulan female corpse. The numerous ancient corpses on display in the second-floor mummy hall are truly eye-opening. Dating back over 3,800 years, these bodies, naturally preserved in the dry, high-temperature environment, have retained their hair, eyelashes, nails, teeth, and even skin textures. The shrunken skin still seems to envelop the flesh, a truly astonishing sight! Museums across Xinjiang are distinguished by their mummies, a fact that sets them apart.
Tips:
(1) Free admission with ID card. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays. No admission after 16:30.
(2) On the first floor, you can rent a guide for free by depositing your ID card and 200 yuan. You can also learn more about it through the WeChat public account "Xinjiang Museum". The museum also provides free guided tours at scheduled times, so please pay attention to the time.
Bazaar means "market, farmers' market" in Uyghur language. Uyghurs go to the bazaar just like Han people go to the market, but it means more to Uyghurs. Bazaar is a microcosm of Uyghur life.
The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is the world's largest bazaar, boasting stunning Islamic architecture and impressive columns. You can find all of Xinjiang's specialties here, a large shopping mall for tourist products. Prices are high, so remember to bargain. If you're visiting Kashgar in southern Xinjiang, I don't recommend buying here; the Central and West Asian Grand Bazaar in Kashgar is much more affordable.
There are also various shops in the Erdaoqiao Mosque next to it, which is very commercial.
Tips: If you are tired of shopping, you can walk to the nearby Consulate Lane to eat local food.
Burqin is a small and exquisite town with colorful Russian-style buildings all over the streets. It feels like you are in Europe, and the name of the fairy-tale town is well deserved.
Taxis here are incredibly cheap, starting at three yuan per kilometer, and practically speaking, you can get anywhere in town for three yuan. Drivers will pick up passengers on the roadside, stop when you wave, and drive around town, taking you anywhere you want, a bit like the electric scooters on campus.
For nightlife in Burqin, you can go to the riverside night market for shopping and eating. The nearby Wucai Beach scenic area is not recommended by many travelers because you can see many Danxia landforms on the road in Xinjiang, so there is no need to check in specifically. Moreover, the mosquitoes in Wucai Beach are really ferocious.
Tips:
Transportation: From Urumqi to Burqin, you can take a bus to Nianzigou Long-distance Bus Station. The ticket price is 185 yuan and the journey takes 12 hours.
The most beautiful season in Kanas is autumn from September to early October. The colorful autumn scenery is picturesque, but there are too many tourists at this time and the experience is poor.
If you are like me, arriving in July can be considered an off-peak travel period. You won’t have to worry about crowds and the prices will be much more affordable.
Jadengyu is the gateway to Kanas Scenic Area. You need to buy a ticket here before entering Kanas. If you have enough time, you can also go to Hemu first.
Tips:
(1) There are two buses from Burqin to Jiadengyu every day, at 10:00 and 16:00, with a fare of 40 yuan. Tickets can be purchased on board. The bus will depart as soon as it is full. It is recommended to wait in advance.
(2) Jiadengyu-Kanas: One-day ticket in peak season is 185, two-day ticket is 215, and shuttle bus is 100. The shuttle bus goes to the transfer center (about 30 kilometers) and then transfers to various tourist spots in the scenic area. No matter where you go, you need to transfer at the transfer center.
(3) You can stay in the old or new Tuva village within the scenic area. (The old village has more tour groups, but the atmosphere is better and there are Tuva family visits. The new village is quieter and has better facilities.) We recommend staying one or two nights within the scenic area. Accommodation is expensive during peak season and reservations are required in advance. Prices are high, so if you want to save money, it is recommended to bring plenty of food and water.
The Kanas Scenic Area is divided into two main sections: Kanas Lake (Guanyutai - Turuk Rock Paintings) and Kanas River (Yaze Lake - Shenxian Bay - Wolong Bay - Moon Bay). Here's a map to help you understand the layout of Kanas.
Kanas, in Mongolian, means "beautiful, rich, mysterious". Kanas Lake is an alpine lake in the deep mountains and dense forests of Altai. It is famous for its "water monster" and "color-changing lake". It presents different colors in different seasons and is known as "a paradise on earth and the garden of God".
Fish Watching Terrace, the most scenic viewing platform, offers a panoramic view of Kanas Lake. The views are incredible and shouldn't be missed. In the morning, you can watch the sunrise and the sea of clouds (if it rains in Kanas that night, there's a high chance you'll see a spectacular sea of clouds the next morning). The shuttle bus runs after 9:00 AM, so you'll need to hike up the mountain. Of course, if you're familiar with the scenic area police, like I was, you can ask them to take you to the Fish Watching Terrace.
If you are lucky, you may be able to see the wonder of Kanas - the Buddha's light in the sea of clouds after the rain. In addition, the chance of seeing a rainbow in Kanas during the rainy season is very high. After living in Tuva New Village for more than 20 days, I have gradually gotten used to the initial surprise of seeing a rainbow.
Tips:
Transfer Center - Guanyutai, interval fare is paid separately, round trip 60
The shuttle bus operates from 9:00 to 20:00. It is recommended to buy a one-way ticket for 30 yuan. You can walk one way and enjoy the scenery along the way.
In addition to going up to the Fish-Watching Terrace to overlook Kanas Lake, you can also take a shuttle bus to the lakeside plank road, stroll along the lakeside as the sun sets, and appreciate the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains up close.
The hiking trail of Kanas Lake only reaches one bay, and the end point is the Turuk Rock Paintings. Kanas Lake has six bays, and you can only reach the fourth bay by boat. The fifth and sixth bays are protected areas and are not open to the public. Only those with strong connections have the opportunity to take an in-depth tour.
The plank road, lake and woods are harmonious and beautiful, making it a great place for taking photos.
The main attractions of the Kanas River are the Three Bays: Shenxian Bay, Moon Bay and Wolong Bay. The best way to visit the Three Bays is to hike along the riverside plank road. This is a great hiking route with low difficulty. The one-way distance of the Three Bays is only 5.4 kilometers.
If you really don't want to walk, you can take a shuttle bus, which stops at every station. You can only see from a distance. There are many tour groups, and taking tourist photos with the aunties will be less fun.
If you want to take it easy, you can also choose to hike in one of the sections. The Shenxian Bay - Wolong Bay section has the best scenery. When you walk to the plank road by the river, you will find that you have immediately left behind most of the tourists.
A famous spot for watching the morning mist, the mist-shrouded Shenxian Bay is like a fairyland where fairies live. However, Shenxian Bay without the morning mist is not fairy at all, and it is difficult to appreciate its beauty.
The driver at the scenic spot told me that starting from August, you can generally see morning fog if you take the earliest shuttle bus at 7 o'clock. If you want to see the morning fog, it is recommended to get up early.
The S-shaped bend, like a crescent moon, should be familiar to everyone. It is one of Kanas’s business cards. There are too many large photos of Moon Bay on the Internet. It is also the most beautiful of the Three Bays. It is highly recommended for close hiking.
It is named after the grassland in the center of the river that looks like a lying dragon. During this hike, you will be surprised to find many wild strawberries growing beside the plank road. The fruits are small and cute, and taste sour and sweet, full of childhood memories. If you are not in a hurry, you can enjoy them.
Tips:
Regarding shuttle buses to Sandaowan and out of the scenic area:
(1) You can ride for free unlimited times during the validity period of the ticket (within the scenic area). If the ticket expires, you need to pay a one-way fare of 50 yuan at the transfer center.
(2) From 7am to 9am, there is a shuttle bus from Xincun that goes to Sandaowan to watch the morning mist. Tickets are not checked and you can ride it as many times as you want. It stops only at Sandaowan and does not stop at the transfer center. It also does not stop at the Jiadengyu ticket station. Shuttle buses after 9am must transfer at the transfer center and require ticket checking.
(3) In summary, if your ticket has expired and you don't want to pay for the shuttle bus, you can take a bus between 7 and 9 a.m. to Sandaowan and then take the shuttle bus to Jiadengyu after 9 a.m.; or you can hike to Yazewan and then take the bus out of the scenic area (which is a bit far). In other words, except for the Jiadengyu ticket station and the transfer center, there is generally no ticket inspection at the intermediate stops (I have to complain about the Kanas tickets and shuttle bus being too expensive).
The Tuva people, a branch of the Mongolian ethnic group, only have a little over 2,000 left in China, so they receive generous state welfare subsidies. Currently, the Tuva people are only found in Kanas, Hemu, and Baihaba. Within Kanas Scenic Area, there are only two Tuva villages offering accommodation: Old Village and New Village.
If you're looking for a secluded mountain retreat, you can stay here for a while, witness the day and night of Kanas, live alongside Kazakhs, listen to the Dongbula (Dongbula), attend a Mongolian wedding, capture the 10:30 pm sunset in Xinjiang, learn horseback riding with the children of Tuva New Village, and experience the joys of a mountain villager's childhood.
A folk performance experience in Tuva Old Village allows you to listen to the Tuva people's national stories. The highlight is "Hoomai", where the Hoomai performer uses his or her vocal organs to sing two or more parts simultaneously. The Tuva people regard "Hoomai" as the soul of the nation, and the live performance is indeed wonderful.
Tips:
Tuva home visit costs 80 yuan per person, 40 minutes. Of course, if you become friends with the Humming Hand Chat like me, it is free.
The most northwestern village in China, a small village on the border between China and Kazakhstan. You can take panoramic photos of the village at the stone tablet of "The First Village in the Northwest", or you can ride a horse to visit the local people's homes and climb over the hill to enjoy the scenery.
Tips:
Transfer center - Baihaba, ticket price is 50, shuttle bus price is 80, Baihaba and Tuwa Village are both small cabins, the surrounding alpine jungle scenery is very similar, and the cost-effectiveness is low. If you have already been to Hemu or Kanas, it is not recommended to go there.
This is a typical Yardang landform, and won the first place in the National Geographic China's "Three Most Beautiful Yardangs".
"Yardang" means "steep hill" in Uyghur. The magnificence and grandeur of the Devil City will make you marvel at the wonders of nature. Such a unique landform is truly shocking. Going deep into it, accompanied by the strange sound of the wind in the Devil City, in addition to horror, it is more mysterious.
I recommend the highest observation deck in the scenic area near the second stop of the shuttle bus. It’s great to watch the sunset at the highest point. Photography enthusiasts should not miss it.
Tips:
(1) Jiadengyu-Burqin costs 35 yuan (10:00/16:00/17:00). There are three buses a day, and there are four security checks along the way, which is quite annoying.
(2) The bus from Burqin to Urho town to Karamay costs 50 yuan one way and there is only one bus per day.
(3) From Wuerhe Town to Devil City, there are government buses that provide free transportation from the town to Devil City. There is a timetable. It is a good time to have a meal and then take the last bus. The bus leaves at 19:15, so wait a little in advance. If you take a taxi, you can ask the hotel owner to contact the driver. The one-way fare is 20 yuan.
(4) The entrance fee to the scenic area is 46 yuan, and the entrance fee to the scenic area + the train is 98 yuan. The train only connects the four middle stations. There is a train that takes you to the first station on the way there. There is no need to take the train. It is suitable for hiking. In fact, you can take the train without buying a ticket. It seems that no one checks tickets.
(5) The best time to visit Devil City in summer is 8-10 pm. If you want to take pictures of the sunset, you can tell the staff in advance and leave your contact information. The staff will pick you up when they get off work. You can contact the driver to pick you up on the return trip. The fare is 20.
Karamay Oil City is a very clean and tidy city. Relying on oil, the local people are relatively wealthy. There are a large number of oil fields and oil production operations around it. Hanbo Central Square was built at a huge cost. Compared with the vast Gobi Desert surrounding the city, it is like a nouveau riche.
If time is limited, you can end your trip to northern Xinjiang here. Northern Xinjiang is beautiful, but you rarely see Uighurs along the way, and it feels like you're not actually in Xinjiang. If you have more time, I highly recommend stopping at Dushanzi and taking the Duku Highway to southern Xinjiang to experience the authentic ethnic customs.
Tips:
From the Urho-Karamay Bus Station, the one-way bus costs 22. On the way to the Baiyanggou Valley, there is a free scenery - the Populus euphratica forest. If you have enough time, you can take a look.
Travel should be prepared. The only thing that's essential for a meaningful trip is self-indulgence. This preparation means reading more about the destination before going, rather than just a travel guide, trying to understand the local politics, economy, and culture, and respecting local traditions and beliefs.
This is especially true in a region like Xinjiang, where ethnic and border situations are complex: China borders the most countries, eight of them, and has the longest borders, the most ports of entry, six ethnic groups straddling the border, and independent states belonging to the same ethnic groups beyond the borders. Xinjiang is the true geographical center of the Old World.
There are 47 ethnic groups here, second only to Yunnan in terms of ethnicity. It is also a multi-religious region with Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism... Therefore, it is very necessary to understand the local culture and religion in advance.
books:
(1) Li Juan’s “My Altay” depicts the daily life of the Kazakh people in Altay
(2) Return to Kashgar by Gunnar Yalin depicts the real life and changes in Kashgar
(3) Liu Changming's book series "Into Xinjiang" introduces Xinjiang's humanities, history, geography and economy.
Documentary:
(1) "Taste of Xinjiang" documentary featuring nearly 80 kinds of Xinjiang cuisine
(2) “I Come from Xinjiang” by Kurbanjan Saimati: The true stories of one hundred Xinjiang people working in the inland areas.
(3) "I Go to Xinjiang" by Kurbanjan Saimati tells the stories of 27 mainland Chinese people working and living in Xinjiang
(4) The Last Desert Watcher, a Sino-Japanese co-production documentary, captures the survival stories of the Kiryas, a tribe living in the heart of the Taklamakan Desert.
Movie:
(1) The Kite Runner, directed by Marc Forster, filming locations: Kashgar Old Town, Gaotai Residences, Kashgar Kurgan
Music album:
(1) Twelve Uyghur Muqams: Traditional Uyghur Folk Classical Song and Dance Music
(2) "Morink huur" Amurdala, the throat singing artist of the Marmot Band and a Mongolian musician from Xinjiang. Xinjiang is truly a treasure trove. I will definitely go there again if I have the chance!
