Red Hill is a symbol of Wulumuqi, owing to its uniqueness. The body of the mountain, made up of aubergine rock, has a reddish brown color, hence the name. It is 1.5km (0.93miles) long and 1km (0.62miles) wide from east to west. Less than 1km away, Yamalike Hill stands facing Red Hill. Legend has it that in ancient times a red dragon fled from Heavenly Lake and the Heavenly Empress caught him and sliced him in two with her sword. Later on, the western part of the dragon turned into Yamalike Hill and the eastern turned into Red Hill. The sword turned into the Wulumuqi River. Oddly enough, topographic pictures tell us the two hills were once one and were separated into two parts due to stratum rupture.
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Wulumuqi is the biggest bazaar in the world, covering a wide area of 39,888 square meters (47,706 square yards). Bazaar refers to a market or fair in Arabic. Brand Islamic buildings and prosperous booths make it the ideal place for visitors to ensure the unique ethnic flavor of the local Uyghur. Sometimes, Uyghur street singers and dancers give an impromptu performance. There are over 3,000 booths in Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar for selling garments, musical instruments, potteries, jewellery, nuts, fruits, and carpets. Other than shopping, you may attend the Banquet and Performance Theatre, taste snacks at the food square, join the excitement at Merry Square, and get a bird's eye view of the whole bazaar from the No. 1 Sightseeing Tower.
Tian Shan Mountains, also called Tien Shan, Celestial Mountains or Heavenly Mountains, is a large system of mountain range situated in the Eurasia hinterland. Tian Shan Mountains location makes it the furthest mountain system from the sea with widespread drought regions. As one of the Seven Mountain Systems in the world, Tian Shan Mountains stretches through four countries (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) with a length of 2,500 kilometers (about 1,553 miles) from east to west. And what makes the Tian Shan Mountains more remarkable is that a high mountain lake - the Heavenly Lake. About 110 kilometers (68.4 miles) away from Wulumuqi, the lake is located in a valley at 1,943 meters (6,375 feet) on the northern slope of Bogda Peak. The melt water in the lake is crystal clear and quiet like a mirror, which is very beautiful with reflection of the snow peaks and jade green spruces.
Kanas Nature Reserve, also known as Xinjiang Kanas National Geopark, is located in Burqin County of Altay City within the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and shares borders with Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The scenic area boasts a beautiful natural ecosystem formed by lakes, rivers, glaciers, forests, and grasslands. Kanas, which means 'rich and beauty, mysterious and enigmatical' in Mongolian, might be the most alluring resort in northern Xinjiang. The highlight of the Nature Reserve would probably be Kanas Lake. Originating from the Kanas Glacier in Altay Mountain, the Kanas River runs through the mountains for about 125 kilometers (77.7 miles) and the lake is like a pearl shining on the beautiful river. The China Kanas Lake is 1,375 meters (4,511 ft) high above sea level and covers an area of 45.73 sq kilometers (11,300 acres). With Kanas Lake weather and seasons changing, the color of the lake also varies. Sometimes it's blue, sometimes green, while sometimes it's as white as milk.
The word 'Wulumuqi' originally means 'Beautiful Pastures' in Mongolian. Fortunately in the suburb of the city of Wulumuqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer. Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, is located in the Southern Mountain, the area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain. It takes you about one hour by bus from Wulumuqi to get to West White Poplar Gully which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, hear the gurgle of springs, and smell the lush spruce trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland.
Keketuohai National Park is honoured as the "Chinese Yosemite". Covering an area of 777 square kilometers (300 square miles), it is 56 kilometers (35 miles) from Fuyun County in Altay City and 482 kilometers (300 miles) from Wulumuqi City. Featuring beautiful natural scenery such as valleys, rivers, peaks, forests, mines, and seismic belts, the park was listed as a UNESCO World Geopark in 2017. It comprises of four main scenic areas: Irtysh Grand Canyon, Ilavmu Lake, Cocoa Sullivan Lake, and Fuyun Quake Remains.
Flaming mountain, also called “Red Mountain”, is located in the north of Turpan in China’s northwest Xinjiang Region. It lies 6.2 miles (10 km) to the east of Turpan city, stretching about 62 miles (100 km) from the east Shanshan County to the west Turpan with a width of 5.6 miles (9 km). The average height is 1,640 feet (500 meters), while the highest peak is around 2,726 feet (831 meters). It is the hottest place in China with the highest temperature around 47.8 °C (118 °F) and surface temperature over 70 °C (158 °F) in summer. Because of the high temperature, eggs can even be roasted at that time and no vegetation exists there. It became very popular due to a classical Chinese novel, The Journey to the West by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer, Wu Cheng'en, and its charming hero – the Monkey King.
In the boundless desolate Gobi desert stand the ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang, shining like a resplendent precious stone inlaid in the barren desert and shining on the Silk Road. It is located at the foot of the Flaming Mountain, about 46 kilometers (about 29 miles) southeast of Turpan. Withstanding the test of time and weather, the ancient city of Gaochang, and the ancient city of Jiaohe, are the best-preserved ruins of the ancient cities in China. These two cities were added to the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.
