Category Attractions

Complete guide to Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake). How to get there, best time to visit, hiking trails, and practical tips for visiting this mythical alpine lake.

This guide is part of our complete Xinjiang Travel Guide series. If you’ve read anything about Xinjiang, you’ve probably seen the phrase “Silk Road” mentioned. It’s not just a historical reference — the Silk Road runs directly through Xinjiang, and…

If you’ve seen a photo of the Taklamakan and thought “that looks like the end of the world,” you’re not far off. This is the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert — 337,000 square kilometers of dunes that move, swallow caravan…

If Kanas Lake is Xinjiang’s most famous alpine lake, Sayram Lake (赛里木湖, Sàilǐmù Hú) is the one that makes you stop the car and just look. This guide is part of our complete Xinjiang Travel Guide series for foreign travelers.…

If there’s one place in Xinjiang that makes people who’ve been there sound like they’re exaggerating, it’s Kanas Lake. This guide is part of our complete Xinjiang Travel Guide series for foreign travelers. I went there expecting a nice alpine…

Turpan is the hottest place in China — literally. In summer, the thermometer regularly hits 45°C (113°F). The landscape looks like Mars. The grapes are the best you’ll ever eat. And the history goes back 2,000 years. This guide is…

If you’ve seen a photo of Xinjiang and thought “that can’t be real,” it was probably Heavenly Lake. This guide is part of our complete Xinjiang Travel Guide series for foreign travelers. I remember the first time I rounded the…

Old City Youth Hostel: Budget, social, and in the heart of the Old City. Silk Road Hotel: Mid-range, comfortable, and accepts foreigners without hassle. Luxury options: There are a few high-end hotels near the city center, but they feel disconnected…

If Urumqi is just your transit point on the way to somewhere else, you’re making a mistake. I thought the same before my first trip — and then spent two unplanned days there that changed how I think about the…