Crossing Kanas Lake: What can you see when hiking in the northernmost part of Xinjiang?

I still remember that my initial motivation to go to Xinjiang came from this place called Moon Bay The place.

A curve of blue water passes through the colorful forest. I secretly vowed to visit Moon Bay once in my life.

I'm going to explore the secrets and discover what other scenery there is at the other end of Moon Bay.

Moon Bay is in Kanas, and Kanas is at the northernmost tip of Xinjiang. I have long heard that the autumn scenery in Xinjiang is unparalleled, and the autumn scenery in Kanas is the best in Xinjiang.

Crossing Kanas is said to be one of the most beautiful hiking routes in China. My body hasn't moved yet my mind is far away. As long as I close my eyes, I seem to be able to see the extremely gorgeous autumn colors of Northern Xinjiang.

Finally, one accidental autumn, I set foot on the road to northern Xinjiang and encountered the legendary Kanas Autumn.

I came to the other end of the long-coveted Moon Bay. Hiking in autumn in Northern Xinjiang, it is indeed a colorful world.

Let’s set off and go to Xinjiang!

Xinjiang, Tibet, and Sichuan are the three most beautiful provinces in China in my mind. I am even more curious about Xinjiang than Tibet.

Compared with Tibet, which is arid and drier, Xinjiang will surely be more beautiful. Compared to Xiaojiabiyu’s Sichuan, Xinjiang will surely be more magnificent.

I am very curious, is the autumn in Xinjiang the most beautiful autumn in China? Eating a large plate of chicken in Xinjiang is as satisfying as eating hot pot in Chongqing.

On the way to Kanas, I experienced many firsts. Passing by Karamay, I saw a real oil field for the first time. For the first time, I saw what a cotton field looked like, and for the first time, I saw patches of sunflowers.

Also, it was the first time I ate super sweet and super cheap cantaloupe, and the first time I ate a huge tub of yogurt.

Of course, for the first time, I came to the chicken tail in China. On the chicken tail, I met the mysterious Kanas Autumn.

Poetry and the Distant Village: Hemu

Starting from Sichuan, it takes almost two and a half days to reach Hemu Village, the first stop of the Kanas trip. It can be said that this is the far away place.

Hemu Village is one of the three ancient villages of the Wa ethnic group on the banks of Kanas Lake. White birch trees cover the mountains, clusters of wooden houses, and winding rivers. This is the typical landscape of Hemu Village.

It is worth noting that in Burqin County, a stop on the way to Hemu Village and Kanas Lake, there are some unscrupulous black car drivers who deceive and mislead tourists. You must be vigilant! From the county seat to Kanas Lake or Hemu Village, there are regular passenger buses, so there is no need to take an illegal bus.

Blue sky and white clouds, flowing rivers, and white birches turn yellow. This is the autumn of Hemu. Faced with such autumn colors, all those who like beauty come here. Maybe take photos, paint, or just walk by the river.

The scenery of Hemu Village is very simple, not as stunning as imagined. But the hidden villages hidden in the mountains can easily make people have some reveries. Thousands of miles away from the city, with beautiful scenery and simple villagers, perhaps there are no worries at all.

But the owner of the village inn seemed a little irritable. Because tourists kept calling to book rooms, he was in a hurry. The poetry and distance in my eyes are very embarrassing to him at the moment.

After lunch, I told my boss that I wanted to hike from Hemu Village to Kanas Lake. Wherever I go, my boss would take me to explore the route.

"It's between the two mountains. Go up there and follow the horse trail. You'll reach Kanas in two days. There are many travel friends and caravans along the way. If you follow them, you won't get lost."

Outdoor hiking is a dangerous activity, and the news media reports from time to time about travelers dying while hiking, which inevitably causes people to worry.

However, what is it like to walk in the endless autumn forest of Kanas? You definitely won’t know if you don’t take risks. All I can say is that you need to be well prepared and do what you can when hiking.

Whether hiking or not, the sunrise and sunset in Hemu cannot be missed. When I was in Yading, Daocheng, I met a friend who told me that there is a place called Hemu in Xinjiang. The smoke from the kitchens curls up at sunset, and it is so beautiful.

Dang Dang Dang! Finally, I also ushered in Hemu’s sunset. I saw the legendary grass trees with smoke curling up from cooking stoves, and the birch trees that became even more golden under the setting sun.

Hemu Village was once a village where hunters lived. So when hiking from Hemu Village to Kanas Lake, will you encounter bears or wolves?

But seeing so many guns and cannons squatting at the sunset in Hemu Village, I had a hunch that I would not encounter bears and wolves.

I would like to take this picture to prove that I have been to Hemu Village and watched the sunset in Hemu Village.

In the evening, it started to rain lightly in Hemu, which made me a little depressed. How can I hike when the rain keeps falling?

Fortunately, the rain stopped in time. Although I didn’t see the morning fog at sunrise, there were more clouds and mist.

A bit depressing: Hemu in the fog, Hemu in the rain. But no matter what, I’m going to start hiking to Kanas Lake! ! !

I bought two large naan cakes in the village, which became the food for the next two days of hiking. Xinjiang naan bread tastes great and is easy to carry. It is the best dry food I have encountered in all my years of travel.

Looking back at the morning fog in Hemu Village, isn't it beautiful? The mist slowly rises from the village, which I think is quite beautiful.

Is the snow-capped mountain forest in Hemu Village beautiful? I think it's quite beautiful. From here, we walked towards the snow-capped mountains and started our two-day crossing of Kanas Lake.

Altai Mountain Hiking: Crossing Kanas Lake

Hiking from Hemu Village to Kanas Lake takes two days, a distance of 35 kilometers. I can’t wait to travel through pastures, forests, snow-capped mountains, canyons, and rivers.

It was a joy to see the pasture like this at first.

Looking back, we gradually moved away from Hemu Village.

The first day's journey is 20 kilometers, and climbs 1,000 meters above sea level.

The weather began to clear up gradually, and the snow-capped mountains, forests, and pastures gradually became brighter.

The previous innkeeper said that if you follow the horse trail, you won't get lost in the mountains.

However, the horse paths are not very clear in some places and there is still a risk of going the wrong way.

Fortunately, there were quite a few caravans coming and going, as well as some other hikers. They became important guides on the first day of hiking and we didn’t get lost.

I originally thought this would be an easy trip, but in reality it was not. There were quite a few climbing sections along the way. Because I was carrying a lot of things, the second half of the walk was very difficult.

Canyon scenery along the traverse route.

We passed through a very magical forest along the way, but after walking for 8 hours, my physical strength was on the verge of collapse and my whole body ached. In the end, I had no intention of taking pictures when faced with this unique scenery.

A landscape photo I took when my physical strength collapsed. I couldn’t hold the camera steady at the time, and I didn’t have the energy to compose the picture properly. When I came back and looked at it on my computer, it turned out to be blurry.

But when I passed by this place, I felt like I was in a dream. It may also be that you are too tired and confused to feel like you are dreaming.

Seeing a group of people in front, I had a hunch that we were almost at our destination. After climbing over the mountain in front, you can rest.

Before the sun set, I finally arrived at Xiaohei Lake, a hiking station with half my life. I knew I was saved when I saw the owner of the tent hotel riding towards me.

Xiaohei Lake is a small glacial lake with dark water color. Probably because of this, it is called Xiaohei Lake.

The yurt where Kazakh herdsmen once lived has now become a resting station for travelers. That night, a dozen young people slept in a yurt and ate half-cooked hand-meal.

That night, we discussed how we were living in the city, and then how we came to poetry and the distance, and fell asleep unknowingly. That night, I slept very comfortably and woke up naturally.

That night, in this isolated mountain, I saw such a starry sky and Milky Way. However, the camera was not adjusted properly at the time, and the Milky Way was blurred, so I could only post one photo as a souvenir.

I woke up early in the morning and came out to take a breath, and unexpectedly saw the Rizhao Jinshan Mountain.

Because of the high latitude of northern Xinjiang, this snow-capped mountain is only over 3,000 meters tall. This is a rare morning to get close to the snow-capped mountains.

A Kazakh cat in a tent hotel. As soon as I sat down, it quietly sat on my lap and startled me, thinking it was something, but it turned out to be a big-faced cat.

Departing from Xiaohei Lake, we started our second day’s trip. After a night's rest, my physical strength recovered a lot. The next day was basically downhill, and it was much easier.

Climb over snow-capped mountains and cross meadows.

In fact, when I think about it, I'm quite lucky that we encountered a sunny day while hiking. If it snows, you may really get lost in this barren mountain.

I feel very lucky to be able to hike in Kanas. After all, it is rare to have this kind of opportunity, and it is also rare to have this kind of mood. Maybe one day I won’t be able to hike again, but I will be glad that I once went hiking in Kanas.

Behind it is another glacial lake, the Great Black Lake. Standing on the top of the mountain and looking at the snow-capped mountains and grasslands is a magnificent scene.

Passing by a beautiful wetland and swamp, I only dared to look at it from a distance but did not dare to play close up. It would be a bit dangerous if I fell in, right?

The first day of the trip was basically walking through the misty forest, and the second day was walking on the open meadow.

Kanas is located in the Altai Mountains, with an altitude of two to three thousand meters. It is very comfortable to hike here without carrying anything.

It is deserted and the sky is vast. Walking alone in the depths of the Altai Mountains, you will find that solitude is so beautiful.

Here, you only need to keep walking to feel happy.

I saw a large larch forest in front of me and couldn't wait to go over and take pictures.

Check in at the larch forest in the Altai Mountains. I would like to take this picture to prove that I have traveled through autumn in the Altai Mountains.

The minimalist beauty of the Altai Mountains: snow-capped mountains, pine forests, and grasslands.

Couldn't help but add a touch to this picture.

From Hemu Township to Kanas Lake, you can also choose to go there on horseback, and the price of horseback riding is not too expensive.

This pine forest is a place where people and landscapes can be seen, but unfortunately it is too remote and inaccessible.

The 15-kilometer journey the next day was not too long. After 7 hours of slow driving, we arrived at the bank of Kanas Lake.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of Kanas Village, I met an old man who loved taking photos. He asked me if I was here for a trip and happily motioned for me to take a photo of him.

We stayed at the Kanas Lake for the night and rarely saw the Milky Way starry sky again. Look carefully, there is also a shooting star passing by the Milky Way.

The first scene of Kanas Lake: Morning fog in Sanwan

As mentioned before, the biggest reason why I came to Kanas was because I wanted to come to Moon Bay and see what else is around the blue stream running through the colorful forest.

The water from Kanas Lake flows into the valley, forming three wider beaches. At sunrise, water mist will rise from the beach, forming a magical misty forest.

I rushed to the first beach in the morning - Shenxian Bay . Due to the bad weather, there was no very enchanting morning fog, only a few clouds floating in the air. Although this morning fog is a bit forced, let's go here.

Shenxian Bay is the widest of the three beaches and the main place to see the morning fog. At least I saw a few wisps of clouds, so my luck wasn't too bad.

The blue water of Shenxian Bay. Looking at China, such scenes are rare.

Walking along the Shenxian Bay, I finally came to the place I once worried about - Moon Bay.

Yes, this is the legendary Blue Moon. An extremely standard S-shaped river, why does it curve so beautifully?

As usual, I would like to take this picture to prove that I have been to Moon Bay.

What other scenery is there at the other end of Moon Bay? I finally had the opportunity to explore this mysterious question myself.

The answer is that there is a moon rain at the other end of Moon Bay...

I thought that there was a paradise behind Moon Bay, but it turned out that there was nothing special behind Moon Bay. That is to say, keep walking along the river, and there are continuous birch forests growing on both sides of the river valley.

However, continuing along Moon Bay, there is a third beach - Wolong Bay.

Check in at Wolong Bay and visit here.

Does the colorful Wolong Bay look like Jiuzhaigou? There is indeed some resemblance.

Remember, in Kanas Lake, seeing the morning mist in Sanwan Bay is the main thing, and the water monster is the secondary thing.

Water Monster Legend: Kanas Lake

Most of the people who come to Kanas are probably here for the Kanas Lake Monster.

But now it seems that the water monster may be just a misunderstanding, and the water monster is no longer visible.

So besides water monsters, what else can you see in Kanas Lake?

First, let’s take a look at the whole picture of Kanas Lake, a long and narrow barrier lake. Originally we could see the main peak of the Altai Mountains in the distance, but unfortunately it was obscured by clouds.

In the early morning, Kanas Lake was covered by a sea of ​​clouds. At the foot of the mountain, you can see the looming fish viewing platform, a place where water monsters can be seen in legend.

Looking down at Kanas Lake from the fish viewing platform on the top of the mountain, you can't see a single water monster, but you can see many cruise ships.

As soon as we reached the top of the mountain, there was a shower. At first, we were sorry that the weather was not good, but as a result, the mountain forest suddenly turned into a misty forest.

As a troublesome person, I walked slowly and leisurely down the mountain after the rain. Looking at the mountain, the wind blows and the clouds soothe, this is an accident in the autumn of Kanas.

The ever-changing light and shadow, a burst of golden light just fell on the woods.

The Tuva villages around Kanas Lake are said to be one of the most beautiful ancient villages in China.

As usual, I would like to take this picture to prove that I have been to Kanas Lake.

Kanas Lake outlet. In fact, Kanas Lake is a relatively wide river, and the water is always flowing.

Slow down the pace, stroll along the river, and enjoy the small bridges, flowing water, and snow-capped mountains and forests of Kanas. In the arid northwest, the existence of Kanas is a miracle.

Check in at the center of Kanas Lake.

Taking a boat to the center of the lake to see the scenery of Kanas Lake and the mountains, I felt that it was nothing special. People here said that the water monster was scared away by the cruise ship.

Zheluo salmon, a fish that grows in Kanas Lake. It is said that this kind of fish will turn red during the breeding season, float in groups on the water surface, and be mistaken for water monsters.

Hidden Village: Baihaba

Legend has it that a long time ago, in a very distant place, there was a hidden village. This village is under the snow-capped mountains and in the forest.

Here there are green grass in spring, flocks of cattle and sheep in summer, colorful autumn, and white snow in winter.

And such villages do not only exist in legends. Because Baihaba Village is such a village.

Going further west from Kanas Lake, we came to the third tourist destination - Baihaba Village, a village where Tuva and Kazakh people gather.

Baihaba Village is one of the northwestmost villages in China, adjacent to Kazakhstan.

The road to Baihaba Village is a very magnificent picture of snow-capped mountains, grasslands and forests.

Except for the occasional scene of tourists swarming, this small village seems quiet most of the time.

Walking in Baihaba Village is nothing special. It feels like walking in a rural town.

But standing on the hilltop outside the village and overlooking Baihaba Village is a different picture.

A rare ray of sunlight appeared at sunset, and the spears and cannons immediately began to take pictures frantically.

At dusk, the magic of light and shadow in Baihaba Village. The weather was not very good, and the sun came and went. Every time the sun comes out, everyone shouts, "Shoot!" Snap! ! Snap! ! !

This is what a hidden village in the forest feels like.

The first northwest post near Baihaba Village. Take one more step forward and go abroad.

Baihaba Village is adjacent to Kazakhstan. The boundary river next to the village is the border between China and Kazakhstan.

The continuous white birch forest growing along the Zhongha Grand Canyon is stunning.

The water of the Sino-Kazakhstan Grand Canyon under the sun is blue, and the color is no less than that of the three bays of Kanas Lake.

According to my speculation, this river valley must have extremely beautiful morning fog in the morning. I hope a competent photographer can take the photo.

It is a good experience to ride a horse from Baihaba Village to the Birch Forest.

Cycling to Baihaba Village to the northwest of China. Looking at the Altai Mountains from here, doesn’t it look like a painting?

Amazing scenery by the Irtysh River: Colorful Beach

In Kanas, there is another must-visit attraction - Colorful Beach. However, this landscape is extremely demanding on the weather and requires luck.

Only during extremely clear sunrise and sunset moments can the colorful beach emit the most brilliant colors.

It's a pity that I have no chance to see the Yadan landform for the time being, and I didn't wait for the best sunny day.

The transportation to Wucaitan is convenient and it is crowded with tourists. Find a place with few people and quickly take a photo. I would like to use this photo to prove that I have been to Colorful Beach.

What flows next to Colorful Beach is the only river in China that flows to the Arctic Ocean - Irtysh River.

The colorful beach was formed by the erosion of this river. On one side of the river is a colorful stone beach without grass, and on the other side is an oasis in the Gobi Desert. This strange combination is where the big pictures come from.

Self-driving tourists camped on the opposite side of the river. The smell of beer, mutton, and honeydew melons was the real poetry and distance.

Waiting for the sunset on the colorful beach, waiting to see the colorful stones. I waited and waited and waited. Before the sunset was so beautiful, I had to wait for the shuttle bus back to the city.

But later, a kind female taxi driver took us back to Burqin city. The search for autumn colors in Kanas ushered in a happy ending.

Irtysh River Grand Canyon: Cocoto Sea

After leaving Kanas, the trip to Northern Xinjiang did not end here. With the belief of leaving no regrets, before leaving Northern Xinjiang, I visited the second 5a scenic spot in Northern Xinjiang - Cocotuo Sea .

Keketuohai is also in northern Xinjiang, about half a day's journey from Kanas Lake. I thought, I may not have a second chance to visit Northern Xinjiang in this life, so why not win a national geological park by the way?

Cocotuo Sea is not a lake, but a long and narrow river valley. The river inside is the Irtysh River that flows to the Arctic Ocean.

Here, I didn’t make too many stops and only stayed in the scenic area for one night. I just remember that there are still white birch forests on both sides of the river, and stone mountains on both sides of the river valley.

The highlight of Keketuohai is that it is a granite canyon, mainly looking at granite rocks. For example, it is said that the mountain resembles an eagle. However, I personally feel that there is nothing particularly stunning about this scenic spot.

The internal structure of the Kazakh yurt is a bit like a yurt. Residents here also drink drinks similar to butter tea.

Coco Tuohai birch forest, tourists take photos to commemorate the eternal theme. But I have seen too many white birch forests in Kanas, and I am a little tired of the aesthetics.

The wetland park near Cocotuo Sea - Cocosuli, I didn't stay too much because I was tired from playing. Pass by here and take a photo as a souvenir.

After inspecting Keketuohai, we took the sleeper train back to Urumqi from Beitun City.

Urumqi and large plate chicken

Although I am not a good eater, when I come to Xinjiang, I always feel that it is inseparable from food. When I was studying in Sichuan more than ten years ago, I ate a dish called Dapanji and fell in love with it ever since.

At that time, my classmates from Xinjiang said that the chicken is a Xinjiang dish. I have always wanted to go to Xinjiang and eat the authentic chicken. Eating chicken in Xinjiang must be as delicious as hot pot in Chongqing.

I remember that there used to be a large chicken shop in front of the school called "Blood War Large Pan Chicken". For many years, I always thought it was named this because the shop owner likes to play Chengdu Mahjong and "fight to the bitter end."

It wasn't until I arrived in Urumqi that I discovered that Urumqi also has "bloody chicken". But it's called "blood station" instead of "bloody battle".

It turns out that this old shop is called Blood Station Da Panji because it is located next to the Urumqi blood collection station, not because the boss likes to play mahjong. The misunderstanding that had existed for more than ten years was also resolved.

Anyway, today, I finally had authentic and delicious Xinjiang chicken. I came to the conclusion that the big plate chicken in front of the school back then tasted quite authentic...

In addition to large plates of chicken and cantaloupe, Xinjiang’s pomegranates are also huge, but they are expensive.

There are also mutton skewers from Xinjiang. I finally tasted Xinjiang’s authentic grilled mutton.

After eating Xinjiang barbecue kebabs, I came to the conclusion that the red willow barbecue in Xi'an Huimin Street is also okay...

Xinjiang noodles are also very famous. So, on the recommendation of many friends, I ate the famous Lanzhou Ramen in Urumqi.

Urumqi Grand Bazaar, a large market for tourist dry goods. The atmosphere here feels as lively as the Lotus Pond Wholesale Market in Chengdu.

Why are red dates sold with walnuts and raisins? I still don't understand this issue.

On the streets of Xinjiang, which are full of exotic customs, many guns and cannons are stationed to take pictures of passers-by.

Along the way, I also secretly took a lot of photos.

Finally, don’t say you’ve been to Xinjiang if you haven’t eaten Qie Gao! But Xinjiang is so big that eating cut cakes is nothing.

There are many things I have not seen in Xinjiang. The desert poplar forest in Tarim, the sunset in the Bayinbulak grassland, the K2 snow peak in the Karakoram Mountains, the apricot blossoms in the Yili grassland, the streets of the ancient city of Kashgar, the glaciers of the Muztag Peak, the Wolf Pagoda Road, the Wusun Ancient Road, summer The Tegu Trail... there are still many places to go!

Flying away from the last snow-capped mountain in the northwest, we bid farewell to the autumn trip in Xinjiang. I hope that next time, I can find the summer in southern Xinjiang. Because I really want to know what the snow-capped mountains held up by rapeseed flowers look like.

(over)