Live Your Best Lives
Do you, like You Xiaoxia, remember Xinjiang in 2022 as if it were stuck in summer? From early August until December, for four long months, Xinjiang remained silent! Watching the leaves outside the window, they turned from emerald green to golden, fluttered off the branches, and now are covered with snow.
After more than 100 days of waiting, we’ve finally seen the beginnings of a new era of epidemic prevention and control policies! We can now openly recommend Xinjiang to you. If you must have a reason to go to Xinjiang, here are 3!
Xinjiang, long absent from the region, is making a full recovery, and airfares to Urumqi are at record lows. ✈ Direct flights to Urumqi from Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are available for under 600 yuan!
Now, to go to Xinjiang, you only need a green code to travel all over the region! And the preferential policies of major scenic spots have also begun to roll in. ▼
Sailimu Lake is free of admission before New Year's Day, and a three-day tour of Kanas, Hemu, and Baihaba costs only 100 yuan. The Autonomous Region's Department of Culture and Tourism will directly issue 50,000 ice and snow tourism consumption coupons totaling 4 million yuan (50 yuan off for purchases over 100 yuan/120 yuan off for purchases over 200 yuan).
This year, Xinjiang may be the least crowded, but winter is truly unique! Enjoy ⛷soft powder snow 🦢rime swans ❄ dreamy blue ice, pillars of light on cold nights, 🥘enjoy an authentic Tuvan hotpot with friends, and 🏔climb to the top of Hemu Mountain to greet the first rays of sunshine in 2023. Every experience is worth experiencing!
Picture @TuChong Creative
If you haven’t made any plans for Christmas and New Year’s Eve yet, perhaps a trip to Xinjiang and leaving some unique memories would be a good choice!
A rock painting depicting the earliest human skiing and hunting was discovered in a cave in a river valley at the southern foot of the Altai Mountains. Dated to the late Paleolithic period, it's 12,000 years old. This proves that the origin of human winter sports lies in Altay, Xinjiang.
Altay City, located in the far northwest of China, is also the first region in China to experience snowfall. Its long winters, with snowfall lasting up to 180 days a year, make it a veritable "Snow Capital of China."
Whenever the mountains are covered with heavy snow, skiing becomes an essential means of transportation for the people living here. A pair of birch boards wrapped with horse front leg fur gave rise to the ancient fur skis that are still in use today. We have to admire the amazing wisdom of the ancients!
Picture @ Keketuohai official account
When going up the mountain, the snowboard has reverse hairline, which increases friction and provides a tight grip. When going down the mountain, the snowboard has forward hairline, which reduces friction and makes sliding faster than today's skis!
Photo @Xinhua News Agency New Media
Ten thousand years ago, our ancestors used it to hunt and collect firewood, marking the first path in human skiing history!
Picture @ "At the Foot of Tianshan Mountains"
Located in the golden skiing latitude of 45° to 47° north latitude, the same as the European Alps and the North American Rocky Mountains, it is no exaggeration to say that Altay has the best skiing resources in the country.
Early snowfall, a long snowy season, and excellent snow quality have made this city a favorite among skiers. But what makes skiers most captivated is Altay's "superb powder snow."
Picture @Photo.net
What is powder snow?
The easiest way to judge is to hold the snow in your hand. It will scatter like a dandelion when blown, and sparkle like broken diamonds in the sun.
Picture @ "Ice and Snow Appointment"
Powder snow has a low moisture content and is composed of small snow particles that are not completely frozen. Just like flour, it is firm, plump and elastic.
Even if you accidentally fall, it won’t hurt much. After skiing many times, there will be no ice grooves on the snow track.
Picture @ "Ice and Snow Appointment"
Powder snow is a standard feature of skiing blockbusters. The snowflakes that are brought up at the moment of turning will instantly make you the most handsome guy on the ski slope!
Picture @ "Ice and Snow Appointment"
Whether it is the gentle slopes at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains or the snowfields of the Altai Mountains, there are dream ski resorts everywhere!
Picture @Photo.net
📍Urumqi
The Silk Road Ski Resort is located at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, less than an hour's drive from Urumqi and is one of the three largest ski resorts in China.
The alpine ski trails that stretch down the Tianshan Mountains are a haven for beginners and a haven for advanced skiers. The renowned Aiwen and Xuanzang Trails, renowned in ski circles for their steep slopes and stunning scenery, attract brave skiers every year.
When you're tired of skiing, have a cup of coffee in the cabin on the top of the mountain and look out over Bogda Peak, the highest peak in the Eastern Tianshan Mountains. A sense of winter bliss will naturally arise.
📍Altai
Known as the "alpine ski resort at home," this resort is only 1.6 kilometers from the city of Altay and serves as the playground for physical education classes for primary and secondary school students. Jiangjun Mountain is also renowned for its low crowds, excellent snow, and numerous ski slopes.
Sunset at Jiangjunshan Ski Resort is perhaps the most romantic moment for snow tubing. The clouds in the sky begin to "burn," and the rosy glow illuminates the slopes, making everyone stop and admire this gentle winter romance!
📍Fuyun
This winter, Keketuohai will likely be the most popular ski resort on social media, with its extended operating hours, from National Day (October 1st) to May Day (May 1st).
Picture @ Keketuohai International Ski Resort Subscription Account
In addition, there is powder snow nearly 2 meters thick, the longest snow trail is 10 km long, with a drop of 1,200 meters. At the top of the mountain at an altitude of 3,070 meters, there are natural powder snow trails everywhere, a clean and boundless sea of snow, and majestic and steep mountains.
📍Hemu
The ski resort is adjacent to the century-old village of Hemu and is known as the "China Powder Snow Manufacturer".
Picture @ Photography Network - God's Enlightenment
It was newly opened last year and is currently the largest ski resort in Xinjiang. This year, 108 ski slopes will be fully open, from the top of the mountain at 2,800 meters to the foot of the mountain at 1,300+ meters. The maximum drop of 1,466 meters is the highest in the country. After it is fully completed, it will become the largest ski base in China.
Are you eager to try it after reading this? China-TravelNote Xinjiang Station has specially customized a ski tour for you, [Ski Winter Camp: Xinjiang Station]
We also specially hired a local ski coach from Xinjiang, an authentic Kazakh man named "Buick", to teach us while we visited major ski resorts in Xinjiang, so that our skiing skills can be fully improved!
Besides skiing, Xinjiang in winter is also a treasure trove of untapped opportunities. The snow-covered Kanas and Hemu Villages resemble the world of a childhood crystal ball, with snowflakes gently falling, delicately dotting the rooftops.
The snow mushrooms on the treetops and river banks look like freshly baked cream cakes, fluffy and soft, making people want to taste them.
Picture @ Photography Network - God's Enlightenment
Kanas is hidden in the northernmost part of the snow country, saying goodbye to the noisy crowds. It is so quiet that you can hear the call of ancient times. Hemu is as quiet as an ink painting, and the wisps of smoke make this place a real paradise.
God temporarily retracts the palette in this season, and the familiar Kanas Three Bays have also lost their lively colors and put on a pure and simple dress.
The branches of the mist pines by the river are crystal clear, and the snow mushrooms are round and cute.
During the coldest days of winter, Kanas Lake freezes over, its surface even accommodating off-road vehicles. China-TravelNote arranges a horse-drawn sleigh ride across the vast glaciers of Kanas Lake, reaching the inaccessible depths of Sandaowan and visiting Tuva families living alone in the snowy plains.
In winter, Hemu Village bids farewell to the influx of tourists. The Tuva people return to the village from the mountains and forests, leisurely preparing for the New Year.
During the long winter, the Tuva people are very good at finding fun for themselves, and the heavy snow on the mountains has become their playground.
Picture @ Photography Network - God's Enlightenment
Every New Year’s Day, the first day of the new year, villagers from several kilometers around will dress up and come here in groups to attend the New Year’s party.
Horse-drawn sleighs, sheep-grabbing in the snow, girls chasing... various traditional events were on display. You can even witness the ancient "fur skiing" with your own eyes. The New Year atmosphere reached its peak amidst cheers!
In the west of Xinjiang, there is a magical secret place, Sayram Lake, known as "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean". It seems to have been cast under a spell and is completely frozen, forming a spectacular blue ice lake, like a blue gem inlaid in the Tianshan Mountains.
Admire the frozen blue lake from different angles. There are large pieces of blue ice, icicles, and ice flowers on the lakeside. In places with many microorganisms on the bottom of the lake, clusters of ice bubbles will form, from large to small, layered, and you can't help but marvel at the magic of nature!
Of course, if you are lucky enough, you can also encounter little foxes coming down the mountain to look for food in the snow and ice at Sai Lake.
In the Ili River Valley, there is also a magical hot spring, which is affectionately called the "Swan Spring". Wild mute swans from Siberia fly here every year to spend the winter. The number increases year by year, and at one point it exceeded 300!
Picture @ Photography Network - Covering the sky with one hand
Every morning, the water vapor from the hot spring condenses on the branches, forming crystal rime, and white swans play and frolic in the water, making it look like a fairyland on earth.
This winter, walk on ice and snow with China-TravelNote, cross the ancient northern wonderland, and span thousands of years of human civilization to have a "date with ice and snow".
