Brewing milk tea by the Emerald Lake and stumbling upon a fairytale autumn

In October, I ventured into a hidden chapter of Kanas!

While others are crowded around the lake, join me to unlock an exclusive Kanas experience: catch the first bus at 6 AM straight to the Fish Viewing Platform, avoiding the crowds and securing the best spot. When the morning mist flows over the taiga forest like milk, the emerald green lake suddenly splits with a golden light—at that moment, I pressed the shutter and captured the most AI-like real photo of the year.

Secret route tips:
→ Walk 200 meters deeper along the Moon Bay hiking boardwalk to find a "fallen log bridge" lying across the lake. Kneeling here lets you capture a double reflection of the birch forest and the lake water.
→ Bring a mini copper kettle to brew Xinjiang milk tea safely by the lake, and record a video of the tea color gradually changing from dark to light blending with the lake hues.
→ Stay in a small wooden cabin in the scenic area for night shots of the Milky Way, using red leaves as the foreground with a 20-second long exposure, capturing star trails and the golden forest breathing together in the frame.

Essential gear list:
Windproof down jacket (early morning feels close to 0°C)
High-top waterproof hiking shoes (heavy dew on the meadow)
Portable kettle (few supply points inside the scenic area)

Three photos to master the best spots:
The first photo is a landscape shot of the S-shaped river at Moon Bay
The second is a portrait shot capturing fallen leaves on the wooden boardwalk
The third is a creative collage of tea brewing gestures and lake ripples

If you only have one travel budget this autumn, save it for Kanas at 48°N latitude. Now you can take the "Kanas" tourist train from Urumqi and encounter the burning poplar forests along the way~