Hemu Village, Xinjiang|God's Reserved Land I captured the photo of a lifetime
by ABBY FLEMING
Oct 24, 2025
⚠️ **I. Pre-trip Preparation**
🎈* **Best time to visit:** June to October is the best travel season, with the most beautiful grasslands in July and August, and golden poplar forests in September and October.
✈️* **Transportation:** It is recommended to fly directly to Urumqi, and take a train or rent a car within the province (book in advance).
❗❗* **Documents:** Carry your ID card with you. Border areas (such as Kanas) require a border pass.
🌸* **Clothing:** The temperature difference between day and night is large, so bring a windbreaker, sun protection clothing, and comfortable sneakers.
👉* **Other:** Sunscreen, sunglasses, moisturizers, common medicines, and a small amount of cash.
❣️ **II. Must-Visit Attractions**
🌳* **Northern Xinjiang Loop:**
💞 * **Kanas Lake:** A fairyland on earth, with stunning colorful forests in autumn.
🌴 * **Hemu Village:** A Tuva village with picturesque morning mist and cooking smoke.
🎈 * **Sayram Lake:** "The last tear of the Atlantic Ocean," with azure blue waters.
* **Southern Xinjiang Customs:**
❣️ * **Kashgar Old City:** The center of Uyghur culture, with maze-like streets full of exotic charm.
🍃 * **Pamir Plateau:** Muztagh Ata, Panlong Ancient Road, and magnificent plateau scenery.
💐 * **Taklamakan Desert:** Cross the desert highway and experience vastness and solitude.
🌾 **III. Featured Experiences**
🐏* **Cuisine:** Grilled mutton skewers, dapanji (big plate chicken), hand-grabbed rice, nang (flatbread), cantaloupe (summer), and grapes (autumn).
💃🏻* **Folk customs:** Watch the opening ceremony in Kashgar, shop at the bazaar, and enjoy Uyghur song and dance.
👣* **Hiking:** Light hiking in Kanas and the Xia Tower Ancient Road to experience nature up close.
⚠️ **IV. Precautions**
🕰️* **Time difference:** Xinjiang uses Beijing time, but the actual schedule is 2 hours later. Restaurants serve lunch after 2pm.
🌸* **Safety:** The public security is good, but avoid going to remote areas alone late at night.
🌾* **Respect customs:** Do not make noise in mosques, and do not take photos of locals at will.
❗* **Environmental protection:** Take your trash with you and protect the fragile ecology.
🌴 **V. Reference Itinerary**
🌵* **7 days in Northern Xinjiang:** Urumqi - Tianshan Tianchi - Koktokay - Kanas - Hemu - Ghost City - Sayram Lake - Yining.
☘️* **5 days in Southern Xinjiang:** Kashgar - Karakul Lake - Taxkorgan - Golden Poplar Forest - Desert Highway - Hotan.
💐🌸 **Tips:** Xinjiang is vast, so it is recommended to focus on either Northern or Southern Xinjiang for in-depth travel. Renting a car or joining a small group is more flexible, and book accommodations in advance (especially during peak season).
Post by ReedMatthew20 | May 3, 2025























