Xinjiang Attractions

East of Hami, wind has carved the Wubu Yadan into a red fortress city. A self-drive guide to the Five-Forts Devil City: the loop road, light, and pairing it with Hami melon country.

Keriya River threads an oasis through the Taklamakan to Darya Boyi, the desert’s last village. A self-drive guide to the desert road from Hotan, permits, and what to expect.

South of Kashgar, the Zepu poplar forest turns the desert gold each October. A self-drive guide to Jinhuyang park: the boardwalks, the best week, and the road via Yarkand.

Between Kashgar and Tashkurgan, Baisha Lake spreads white sand against a wall of grey peaks. A photo and drive guide to this Karakoram Highway stop, with timing and altitude notes.

At Shanshan the Taklamakan’s edge pushes right up to the oasis. A self-drive guide to Kumtagh Desert: the sand mountain, camel tracks, sunset light, and the road south from Turpan.

Jiangbulake’s stepped wheat fields roll from Tianshan forest down toward the Gobi. A self-drive guide to Qitai County: the looping mountain road, the wind farm, and where to eat and sleep.

Drive east to Balikun, a Kazakh county where alpine grassland meets a mirror-still salt lake and a walled Qing-era town. Distances, seasons, yurts, and the road from Hami explained.

A self-drive guide to Manas County in Changji prefecture: Tianshan foothill grasslands, the Manas wetland, a northern silk-road past, and practical fuel, food, and road notes from Urumqi.

North of Hami city, Yiwu County hides wind-carved canyon, desert melon fields, and the lonely road to the Mongolian border. A self-drive detour for travelers who like the edges.

Most visitors see Bosten Lake from one overlook. Drive the quieter eastern shore through Yanqi County for reed beds, water birds, and the calm of Xinjiang’s largest freshwater lake.