Tarim Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest｜Don't be too beautiful

This autumn, I came to southern Xinjiang for the Populus Euphratica forest. After looking at many guides, I finally chose the Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest.
I also saw many posts warning to avoid it, so I didn't have high expectations. But! What is this? The Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest is so beautiful! Absolutely stunning!
I recommend driving into the scenic area. Fortunately, there is a discount recently, and the self-driving entrance ticket 🎫 only costs 125 yuan, with the ticket itself being 40 yuan per person. Driving is much more convenient than taking the scenic area shuttle bus—you can stop wherever you find a beautiful spot to take photos 📷.
You don’t have to compete with crowds and elderly tourists for photo spots, so you can easily capture the feeling of solitude.
If you drive, I suggest going to the end station first and choosing the dense golden trees along the way to take photos. The front part of the scenic area is really not as beautiful as the back part.
For outfits, bright colors are preferred. The small train costs 100 yuan per person, but since it’s mainly for saving money, I didn’t try it.
Almost all the leaves in the park have turned yellow, so don’t worry about not getting good shots. The trees along both sides of the road are also super beautiful. You can open the car sunroof to shoot 🎬 videos, which are also very impressive.
I suggest setting off early; arriving around 11 a.m. means almost no tourists inside the scenic area, and the sunlight is the softest then. The temperature difference between morning and evening is large, so remember to dress warmly. Around 5 p.m., it’s about 17 degrees and quite hot.
The Populus Euphratica forest is so beautiful; it really healed me~

Post by ROWAN WELCH | Oct 24, 2025