The beauty of Xinjiang is vast and magnificent, and the autumn of Kanas has long been planted in my heart. A friend from Xinjiang sent a photo. In mid-September, the leaves in Kanas were already golden. I don’t want to miss this once-in-a-year beauty. At the end of September, before the Golden Week of November, we will take a holiday and add a weekend. Kanas, here we come.
Because the time is relatively tight, I chose the most efficient mode of transportation. First fly to Urumqi, then fly to Kanas. In fact, since the two main scenic spots in Kanas, Kanas Scenic Spot and Hemu Scenic Spot, private cars are not allowed to enter, and the traffic connection between scenic spots in peak tourist season is relatively convenient, so if you don’t want to enjoy the scenery along the way, There is no need to drive by yourself.
First attach the overall itinerary:
D1, late flight, fly to Urumqi, stay near the airport that night.
D2, morning flight, Urumqi - Burqin Kanas Airport. Airport bus to Kanas scenic spot. Stay in the scenic spot that night.
D3, visit Kanas Sanwan, go out to Hemu Scenic Area after lunch. Stay in the Hemu Scenic Area that night.
D4, Watch the morning mist of Hemu, visit the scenic spot, go to Kanas Airport after leaving the scenic spot, and fly back to Urumqi.
On D5, Urumqi returned to the starting point.
Hotels around the airport generally have a drop-off service. On the second morning in Xinjiang, I got out of the hotel at 6:30 and flew to Kanas by plane at 8:35. The flight time is about one hour. The itinerary was so short that the cabin service was about to descend, and the flight attendant only had time to give each passenger a bottle of mineral water in a hurry. When we arrived in Kanas, it was less than 10 am. It should be just after the rain, the air is clear and cold.
Kanas Airport is in a small valley with only one runway. After the plane landed and taxied stably, it turned around and returned to the apron on the middle side of the runway. The hanging ladder to get off the plane was pushed by four good guys, which is a characteristic of small airports. There are no covered bridges or shuttle buses. Passengers have to walk into the terminal building to pick up their luggage after getting off the hanging ladder. Then an interesting scene appeared. The sun is shining slightly, the surrounding valleys are continuous, and the trees on the mountain have begun to take on colorful colors of green, yellow, and red. No one of the passengers is in a hurry to go in to pick up their luggage. Instead, they are scattered on the tarmac, walking around in twos and threes, take pictures. On the hillside opposite the apron, the characters of Kanas Airport can be seen faintly.
There is a ticket office for the airport bus next to the luggage carousel in the terminal. The round trip from the airport to Jiadengyu is 100 yuan per person. On the square outside the terminal building, there is an inconspicuous wooden house, which is the ticket office of Kanas Tourism Company. The one-way trip to Jiadengyu is 35 yuan per person, and the Skoda with one water will also be responsible for delivering it to the Jiadengyu hotel you booked. There are also private chartered cars sporadically on the square, but not as many as some guides say. In contrast, most tourists choose to take the van of the travel company. Buy a ticket and get on the train, and the train will soon be full. Due to the speed limit and the Panshan Road, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel 50 kilometers. Not long after leaving the airport, after passing a public security checkpoint, the police will come up to check the ID card. Tourists with foreign passports need to get off and register.
Soon the car entered the winding mountain road, and the scenery on both sides of the road began to get better and better. With the elevation of the terrain, under the golden sunlight, the yellowish grassland, green pine trees, golden treetops, cattle and sheep on the grassland, against the blue sky and white clouds, the autumn of Kanas is coming.
After more than 1 hour, the destination was approaching. The shuttle bus first sent several tourists who stayed in Jiadengyu to the hotel gate, and then moved on. On the way, pass the terminal of the airport bus. It is about 1 kilometer away from the ticket office of Kanas Scenic Area, so tourists who take the airport bus still need to walk a certain distance. Private cars are not allowed to enter the scenic spot, and they need to be parked in the parking lot on the side of the entrance of the scenic spot. The van took us all the way to the gate of the scenic spot.
The entrance ticket of Kanas scenic spot is 160 yuan, and the interval ticket is 70 yuan. If you stay in Jiadengyu and want to enter the tour tomorrow after you come out today, you need to buy a two-entry ticket with a total price of 270 yuan. The section ticket needs to be kept well, because when taking a vehicle out of the scenic spot, a second ticket inspection is required. After buying the ticket, check the ticket at the entrance of the scenic spot, line up to take the scenic bus, and drive to the next stop - Kanas Tourist Transfer Center.
Shuttle bus is a major feature of Xinjiang tourist attractions. It often takes more than 1 hour to drive from the ticket gate to the scenic spot, so buying a ticket for the section is a fixed item. Of course, it is acceptable to think about protecting our earth and our homeland. On the way out, you will also pass through the famous three bays in Kanas (Wolong Bay, Moon Bay, and Shenxian Bay). The driver will ask who wants to get off for a tour. However, many tourists got on the bus with large and small boxes, so no one got off the bus halfway. After 1 hour, arrive at the tourist transfer center, go to the lake to take a yacht or go to Baihaba, Guanyutai, etc., where you need to transfer.
Baihaba is also a Tuva village. Because it is close to the border, you need to apply for a border permit to go there. It is very convenient to apply for documents in the lobby of the transfer center. Considering that the boundary marker of Baihaba has been closed and tourists are not allowed to approach, and another scenic spot, Hemu Village is also a Tuva village, so we did not choose to go to Baihaba. Just after noon, we decided to go sightseeing first, and then go to the hotel to stay.
Here I have to talk about the accommodation in the Kanas scenic area. The most beautiful autumn scenery in Kanas is about 20 days from mid-September to early October, so this period is the most stressful time for accommodation. Accommodation in the scenic area is not only expensive, but also needs to be booked in advance. Accommodation is concentrated in three areas - the old village, the new village and Kanas Lake. Both the old village and the new village are rebuilt from Tuva villages. The appearance is wooden houses, which are basically homestays. There are only two or three hotels with better facilities by the lake, and of course the prices are more expensive. The old village is close to the transfer center, so it is convenient to take the free morning shuttle bus to Sanwan to see the morning fog, so it is the most popular place for tourists. Our departure date was determined relatively late, and the accommodation in the old village could not be booked a week in advance. On the balance, we reserved the Jianyuan Villa located on the west side of Kanas Lake.
Guanyutai is located on the top of the mountain on the east side of Kanas Lake, which is the best place to watch Kanas Lake. From the transfer center to Guanyutai, you need to buy an additional section ticket, 20 yuan per person, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The winding mountain roads are very narrow, and many places have set up special avoidance places for the up and down interval cars to meet. The shuttle bus takes tourists to the half-mountain, and the remaining 1068 steps have to be conquered step by step.
Although there are many tourists in the peak tourist season, the planning of the scenic spot is still good. The plank road up and down the mountain is separated, so it doesn't feel crowded. Keep going up along the plank road, the landscape in front of you is constantly changing, and the lake and mountains of Kanas gradually come into your eyes.
Indulging in the beautiful scenery, 1068 has been stepped on by us. Climbing high and looking far away, you can see Kanas Lake with towering snow peaks, green slopes and black forests. The lakes and mountains are indeed beautiful.
Go down the mountain along the plank road and return to the transfer center by car. Kanas cruise is not to be missed. Purchased a cruise ticket in the transfer center hall, 120 yuan per person. Then go to Channel 2 and take a car to the cruise ship wharf by Kanas Lake.
The shuttle bus to the lake is free, passing through Tuva Old Village, tourists staying in the old village can get off here. There is an elementary school beside the road in the old village, which shows that there are still Tuva people living here. The end point of the scenic car has reached the Kanas Lake, and continue along the plank road by the lake, you can go directly to the cruise ship wharf.
The cruise ship has two floors, the lower floor is closed and has seats. The upper floor is an open platform surrounded by fences, where you can take pictures of the scenery. There are guides on board to explain, introducing some coastal landscapes, rock paintings and historical legends. The boat sailed to the center of the lake and stopped on purpose. The tour guide opened the door to the second-floor platform and set aside time for everyone to take pictures. Blue sky, clear water, green slopes, yellow leaves, the water reflects the mountains, the mountains reflect the water, the water and the sky are the same color, a fairyland on earth.
The boat trip to Kanas takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Back at the pier, it was almost dusk. The originally scheduled Jianyuan Villa has free pick-up vehicles at the transfer center. Looking at the mobile phone map, it seems that the hotel is not far away. When I called the hotel, the little girl at the front desk told me that I would walk westward along the plank road by the lake, and I could walk to the hotel in ten minutes. So without further ado, let's go! The plank road by the lake, the puddles beside the road, and the moss in the water are also a sight!
The villa is located on the west bank of Kanas Lake, with a plank road connecting the lake, 5 minutes away. The villa is built on a large grassland in the valley, with a beautiful environment. The exterior of the building is a villa with a wooden structure, and the facilities and services in the scenic area are relatively good. The lobby manager is polite and the service staff is professional and enthusiastic. Of course, the price is relatively high. Interestingly, on the grass outside the hotel, there is a family of cows living for a long time. Seven or eight cows, big and small, graze leisurely on the grass, and there are special staff to take care of them. This adds a lot of fun to the hotel.
In the restaurant of the hotel that night, I ordered the local special cold-water fish "Qioltai" and Xinjiang's special "barbecue fried naan". The overall taste is good. Many non-local guests have never seen the "barbecue and fried naan", and it attracted a few people to inquire, which is very interesting.
Usually from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, the scenic spot will provide free sightseeing cars to take tourists to the famous "Sanwan" to see the morning fog. However, the departure point is at the Tourist Transfer Center, and the hotel is still 3 kilometers away from there, so I gave up the morning fog and went to the lakeside to watch the scenery in the morning.
The Kanas Lake in the early morning is quiet and beautiful, with the unique depth and atmosphere of Northwest China. In the mist and mist, the shimmering lake water reflects the colorful mountains, which is a different scene.
After breakfast, depart for "Sanwan". First take the hotel's free shuttle bus to the transfer center, then line up at the No. 1 entrance of the transfer center, and take the shuttle bus to "Sanwan". This direction is also the direction of going out of the scenic spot, so there are still many tourists with large and small boxes in the queue. In fact, there is a plank road from the transfer center directly leading to "Sanwan". If physical strength and time permit, walking all the way to watch is also an option. On the way, you will also pass "Duck Lake", where the shuttle bus does not stop.
From the direction of the scenic spot, "Shenxian Bay" is the first bay that passes through, and the shuttle bus is the first stop here. It is famous for its rich and changing colors. Although the time of cloud and mist has passed, the river water is shining brightly under the sun, against the green grass and yellow leaves by the lake, it is indeed like a dream, like a fairyland.
There is a path in Shenxian Bay that leads directly to the lake, and many tourists go to the lake to play. The reeds by the lake are half the height of a person, and they are already golden in color. They are really beautiful against the high mountains and flowing water. It is about 3 kilometers from Shenxian Bay to Moon Bay, connected by plank roads all the way, on the hillside for a while, at the bottom of the valley for a while, and walk through the dense forest for a while. We stopped and went, played and took pictures, and after about 1 hour, we came to the second bay-Moon Bay.
Moon Bay is one of the most famous landscapes in Kanas, and many promotional videos of Kanas feature her as the protagonist. I saw the Kanas River meandering through the valleys, and turned an S-shaped bend here. The pine forests along the coast are densely covered with layers of forests. Depending on the depth of the water, the river water is sometimes green, sometimes blue, and sometimes dark ink. Sparkling, translucent, reflecting the autumn sun, like fine wine, like jade liquid. Some people say that Kanas is God's overturned palette, and in Moon Bay, you will feel that this statement is true.
After Moon Bay is Wolong Bay. The two places are also connected by plank roads, about 2.5 kilometers, and an hour's walk is enough. Considering the following itinerary, in order to save energy, we chose to continue to take the shuttle bus. Here I want to praise the scenic management of Kanas. Although it is the tourist season and there are many tourists, the management of the scenic spot is meticulous and standardized. There are people coordinating and commanding at each shuttle station, and passengers line up in an orderly manner. Therefore, the waiting time for each bus did not exceed 10 minutes. Recalling the chaotic scene of taking the shuttle bus at Sailimu Lake during the summer vacation, it is simply unbearable to look back.
"Wolong" is actually a sandbank in the Kanas River that looks like a Wolong, hence the name of the landscape. The water here is blue, the river is soothing, and the open water reflects the colorful forest on the mountain. The scenery is beautiful and magical.
After visiting the "Three Bays", our trip in Kanas came to an end. Take the shuttle bus at the boarding point, go out of the scenic spot, and run to the next destination——Hemu.
There are two buses a day from Jiadengyu Ticket Station to Hemu, at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, and the one-way fare is 51 yuan. The departure point is at the parking point of the civil aviation bus, that is, it is about 1 km away from the ticket office. We came out around 1pm and it didn't seem worthwhile to wait until 3. Following the advice of the little girl at the consultation office at the door, I found a private car in the parking lot, 100 yuan per person, and sent it to the Hemu Ticketing Center. The mountain road is tortuous, but the road condition is very good, and the car will arrive in about 50 minutes. Similarly, the scenery along the road is also shocking enough.
Like Kanas Scenic Area, Hemu Scenic Area also needs to buy tickets and interval tickets, which add up to 102 yuan. It is worth noting that Hemu Scenic Area is relatively remote and the infrastructure conditions are not perfect. When we arrived, there was a power outage and the Internet was cut off. We can only pay in cash to buy tickets. And some tourists who book tickets online can only "wait for the online arrival" at the gate of the ticket office.
It takes 1 hour to drive from the ticket office to Hemu Interchange Station. After getting off the bus, you can change to the free bus to Hemu Village here. The bus circles the village, and basically all the scenic spots and main places in the village are along the route.
Hemu Village is also a Tuva village, known as "the first village in China". The houses in the village are all made of logs, full of ancient and primitive flavor. A Hemu River flows from the northwest, bringing vitality to the small village, and at the same time forming a unique landscape of small bridges and birch forests. On the hillside to the east of the village, there is a large area of white birch forest. The most beautiful autumn of Hemu is the large area of golden yellow contributed by them. After the wind and rain, the birch leaves were scattered all over the place, and the forest was covered with a golden carpet. On the top of the mountain to the west of the small village, there is a viewing plank road. This is also the best place to watch Hemu Village. From early morning to sunset, there are always tourists stopping there to capture the most beautiful moment of Hemu.
It was already afternoon when we arrived at Hemu Village. Find the inn to put away your luggage, and stroll around the small village leisurely. There are secluded forests in the valley, small bridges and flowing water, and there are many tourists, and there are still horse herders passing through the forest. The five-star red flag is flying in front of the primary school in the village, and the children are playing in the yard, creating a beautiful scene of harmonious coexistence.
In the birch forest, a lady in red was about to step into the forest. She quickly took out her mobile phone and seized this beautiful moment.
According to the local people, the yellow leaf period of the birch forest in Hemu Village is very short, around mid-September every year. A strong wind may blow off the gold that is full of trees. Snow may fall at any time after October. Not only will the golden landscape disappear, but the mountain roads will be difficult to travel, and the shuttle bus may be canceled at any time. The owner of the inn said that they are going to open until October 8th, and they will close the door on the 9th and go down the mountain for the winter.
Dinner will be settled at the inn. I ordered the Kazakh specialty Hordak, which tasted pretty good.
Hemu Village is famous for "watching the star river at night and watching the morning fog when getting up early". It's a pity that the weather was not good that night, and the galaxy was not seen, only a few stars looming. I had no choice but to go to bed early to prepare for getting up early tomorrow to watch the morning fog.
According to the suggestion of the young man in the inn, I got up at 6:30 the next day, crossed the Hemu Bridge, and went to the viewing platform to wait for the sunrise and morning fog. Not wanting to open the door, I was shocked by the bright galaxy. The sky is full of stars, clear and brilliant, the Milky Way, the Big Dipper, and the Cowherd and Weaver Girl seem to be close at hand. It is a pity that although the starlight is shocking, it cannot illuminate the darkness before dawn. The mountain road leading to the viewing platform still depends on the flashlight function of the mobile phone. Ever since, the twists and turns of the mountain road are dotted with long snakes. It illuminates people's feet and shakes their anticipating hearts.
As the dawn dawned, the crowd on the mountain gradually increased. The rivers, villages, and woods in the distance slightly reveal their figures in the morning light. On the mountain in the early morning, the temperature is close to zero, and the waiting time is getting longer and longer. Wandering around tremblingly, the waiting crowd suddenly cheered, a round of red sun, as if breaking free from the shackles, suddenly jumped out of the opposite hill, illuminating the small village and reflecting the people's hearts. face.
Not long after sunrise, the temperature rose, and the fog in the valley gradually thickened. After a while, the morning mist covering the small village rose. People who get up early have already started making breakfast. Smoke from cooking, a small village, a river outside the village. Of course, there are also spectators on this hillside.
In fact, the sunrise should be after 8 o'clock, and the morning fog will form around 8:30. Going out at 6:30 is a bit early.
After watching the sunrise, the purpose of this trip is basically fulfilled. I went back to the inn to pack my things, planned to check out and wander around, and then went out to the scenic spot to go to the airport. At that time, the door was open, and she swaggered in, jumped onto the bed, and fell asleep like that. See I'm going out and start meowing. After feeding water and food, he still lingered, rubbing against his feet. Well, anyway, the flight is in the afternoon, so don’t be in a hurry, you might as well slow down and pamper the cat to bask in the sun.
After lunch, come out of the scenic spot, take the Hemu bus to the transfer station, then transfer to the shuttle bus, and return to the Hemu ticket station after more than an hour. There is no direct shuttle bus to Kanas Airport, you need to take a bus back to Jiadengyu, and then transfer to the airport bus. The bus to Jiadengyu is the same as when it came, with two shifts every day at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. I didn't want to bother, and to save time, I still found a private car, 80 yuan per person, and it took about 1 hour to get to the airport.
It was nearly dusk when the plane took off. The setting sun leans against the wings, reflecting the colorful woods on the hilltops. Wave your hand to say goodbye to the autumn of Kanas.
