Three major areas worth visiting in Xinjiang, a guide to enjoy Xinjiang-

After reading this guide, you will gain

1. Understand the distribution of scenic spots in Xinjiang from the geographical distribution

2. The scenery characteristics of Xinjiang are specific according to the scenery Decide where to go

3. Travel time and travel suggestions in Xinjiang

Xinjiang’s geographical features are “three mountains sandwiched between two basins”. From north to south, they are the Altai Mountains, the Junggar Basin, Tianshan Mountains, Tarim Basin and Kunlun Mountains. Those famous scenery are almost all on the edge of these mountains or basins under the mountains. The Tianshan Mountains in the middle separate the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin, dividing Xinjiang into southern Xinjiang and northern Xinjiang.

The northernmost part of Xinjiang is the Altay region. The largest city is Altay City, with the Altai Mountains running across it. This is the most important tourist area in Xinjiang, and many of the most well-known attractions in Xinjiang that we are familiar with are here. Kanas, Coco Tuohai, Hemu, etc.

The notch at the western end of the Tianshan Mountains is a natural funnel-shaped terrain area, which intercepts all the warm and humid Atlantic airflow in the funnel terrain. This forms the Ili River Valley with the wettest climate and the softest landform in Xinjiang. . Ili is the general name of this area. Its full name is Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The largest city is Yining. Although Ili belongs to northern Xinjiang, its summer attractions are very concentrated and it is the second largest tourist area in Xinjiang.

The southwest corner of Xinjiang, where the Pamir Plateau and the Karakoram Mountains meet, is the third most important area to visit. From the living ancient city of Kashgar to numerous geological landscapes such as snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and volcanoes, they are all gathered here.

! ! Key landscapes

In the northernmost part of Xinjiang, although there are not many scenic spots, it may be this scenic spot that first introduced us to Xinjiang. From the rumors of the Kanas Lake monster 20 years ago, to the shepherds of Coco Tuohai sung in songs today, as well as Hemu Village, Burqin and other places. Modern glaciers and snow-covered alpine frozen zones, the altitude difference creates vertical landscape stratification. Lakes, rivers, cedar forests, and snow-capped mountains, these landscapes come together to make it difficult to imagine whether it is beautiful or not.

! ! Travel time

Altay’s fir forests change into yellow and green colors in autumn, and the natural landscape is the most beautiful from September to October. In winter, it is a paradise for ice and snow tourism lovers. In Kanas and Hemu in winter, the mountains are not closed, the tickets are halved or even free, and you can drive into the scenic spots by yourself. If you want to ski, you can go to Keketuohai. The winter ski resort here is one of the best in the country. Some tourists stay there for a period of time every winter.

! ! Travel and transportation suggestions

1. Fly directly to Urumqi, and then transfer to Altay City. Some cities can also fly directly to Altay City. After arriving in Altay City, rent a car and drive there from Urumqi. The cost of gas and tolls will be higher for four or five days. The two or three days of driving along this road were basically no man's land with bad scenery.

2. If you really want to depart from Urumqi, you can take the Awu Expressway S21. This is a newly built highway crossing the Gurbantunggut Desert, which is nearly 200 kilometers shorter than the original route. Since this is a newly built expressway, it is recommended to fill up the tank in Wujiaqu City before departure. In long-distance uninhabited areas, you may encounter a situation where there is no gas in the service area.

! ! Key landscapes

Along the Tianshan Mountains, walking from east to west, the key landscapes include Haidao, Barkol, Turpan, Tianshan Tianchi, Bayinbuluke, Nalati, Duku Highway, Tangbu La Grassland, Qiongkushtai, Kalajun, Xiata, Zhaosu, Yining, Daxigou and Sailimu Lake. There are many scenic spots along the way, too many to list here.

Ili’s landscape is the wettest in Xinjiang, and its unique snow-capped mountains, grasslands and forests are comparable to many famous tourist towns in Europe. With the Ili River Valley as the center, the most worth visiting are Sailimu Lake, Duku Highway, Nalati and Bayinbuluk. The grassland landscapes of Gongliu, Kalajun and Tangbula are almost the same as those of Nalati. If it were not for the map positioning, they might think they are the same place. Compared with these overcrowded grasslands in the peak season, Xiata and Qiongkush Terrace are more niche, and they are more difficult to enter and exit and require more documents.

Yili has two divine self-driving highways, the Duku Highway and the Yizhao Highway. These two highways are only open for a few months each year and are closed for maintenance at other times. The Duku Highway is generally opened in June, and the Yizhao Highway is generally opened in July. The scenery along the way is very superior, and the dangers of uncertain road driving also coexist.

! ! Travel time and transportation suggestions

1. Xinjiang has a very vast territory, and key travel areas are thousands of kilometers apart. It is recommended that you fly to Yining City and then rent a car to visit the scenic spots you want to visit.

2. The most beautiful time in Yili is spring and summer, and summer is also the most expensive season. The grass is the greenest in summer, there is snow that never melts all year round on the top of the mountain, there is a sea of ??lavender flowers in Huocheng, and the seasonal highways are also open.

If you travel in depth, it will take 8-10 days to check out the key attractions.

! ! Key landscapes

The third most important tourist area is the southwestern corner of Xinjiang, the Pamir Plateau. The Pamir Plateau in my country is only a small part of the Pamir Plateau, but its landscapes are among the best in the world. As long as you walk along the 314 National Highway under the Karakoram Mountains, you can see these beautiful scenery in one go. Starting from the ancient city of Kashgar, it passes through the Oytak Glacier, Baisha Lake, Muji Volcano Group, Karakul Lake, Muztag Peak, Jincaotan, and the Panlong Ancient Trail, all the way to the Hongqi Lapu Port.

The ancient city of Kashgar has a strong cultural flavor of Xinjiang. Going all the way south to the Oytak Glacier and Muji Volcano Group, you need to leave the main National Highway 314 and return to the 14th Main Road after the tour. Almost all other scenery is along the main road of National Highway 314. Muztag Peak, the father of glaciers, stands beside the road. The road turns past Baisha Lake. The Panlong Ancient Road has gone through all the detours in this life. From now on, life will be smooth.

Most scenic spots on the Pamir Plateau are free. Even if you do not enter the toll scenic spots, many landscapes can be seen in full on the highway. With a distance of more than 300 kilometers, the self-driving distance is short, the difficulty of self-driving is low, and the scenic spots are densely packed, so you can visit it in depth in a few days.

! ! Travel suggestions

1. First go to Kashgar, the largest city in the region, apply for a border defense permit and rent a car.

2. Except for winter, other seasons are suitable for the Pamir Plateau. It is recommended to visit the Pamirs for 4-5 days.