Kalajun Grassland
Kalajun Grassland is one of the most famous grasslands in Xinjiang; it is in the shape of rolling hills, backed by the towering snow-capped mountains, and there are forests, flowers and other landscapes on the grassland. The scenery is vast and beautiful, and it is an excellent resort for sightseeing and photography. Kalajun was rated as an 5A-level scenic spot by the country in 2016.
Beautiful Scenery of Kalajun
Features
Chinese Name: 喀拉峻草原 [kālājùn cǎoyuán]
Location: about 30 kilometers away by car from the Tekes county
Popular activities: sightseeing, photography, learning about Kazakh culture, staying in yurts
Suited to: everyone
Time-needed: 1-2 days
Highlights
Vast and Beautiful Scenery
The Kalajun tourist area is the area with the richest biodiversity and the highest aesthetic value in the "Xinjiang Tianshan" world natural heritage site. The colorful flower clusters, the white yurts during the decoration, the floating sheep scattered on the green carpet, the dark green virgin forest, the deep grand Canyon, together with the blue sky, white clouds and snow mountains and ice peaks in the sky, constitute a beautiful picture scroll! This gift of natural beauty make people go straight into the boundless and charming dream. Kalajun
Kalajun is also a cultural holy land integrating historical, cultural and natural scientific values. Since the 7th century BC, Cypriots, Yuegris, Wusun, Xiongnu, Turkic, Uighur Mongol, and Kazakh people have lived and flourished here. It still retains extremely rich historical and cultural relics, and the Qiongkushitai National Historical and Cultural Village still retains the traditional production and way of life of the Kazakh people. On April 13, 2018, Kalajun was selected as one of the "100 Amazing Scenery in Northwest China".
Kazakh Customs and Culture
"Kalajun" means "black wilderness" in Kazakh language, it is not only the northern route of China's ancient Silk Road, but also the location of Wusun, the largest nomadic country in the western regions of China.
Kazakh people traditionally live in yurts and some of them earn money as shepherds and ranchers or by hosting tourists. Some yurts are beautiful inside, with lots of brightly colored and decorated rugs, quilts and wall hangings; it would be an unforgettable and amazing cultural experience to stay in an authentic Kazakh yurt. Kazakh yurt
Things to Do
Take tour cars to enjoy the views
Snow-capped peaks and valleys, inlaid forests and grasslands, blooming in spring and summer, beautiful colors, soft lines and clear layers under the light of dawn and sunset, constitute an incomparable artistic picture! The Kalajun tourist area consists of five scenic spots, the Kuokesu Grand Canyon, the West Kalajun, the East Kalajun, the Snow Peak of Zhongtian Mountain and the Forest of Teana, with a total area of 2848 square kilometers.
Therefore, you can take a tour car; then you can take your time to appreciate the grassland's spectacular and gorgeous scenery. This is a quieter way to absorb and appreciate the beauty of the grassland.
Photography
The Five-flowered Meadow is a typical "Alpine Five-flowered Meadow" grassland in Kalajun. The foothills of the slope are gentle and boundless, like a wonderful blue carpet, which has been spread to the foot of the snow-capped Tianshan Mountains.
Five Flowered Meadow
From April to May, green grass and drops, and the ground is covered with green blankets; from June to July, the flowers are splendid and colorful, and the grassland blooms with a sea of flowers. And from August to October, the Autumn grass turns yellow, the thicket turns red, the gentle hills are continuous, and the golden borders show the beauty of the colorful grassland. If you like photography, it would be a nice chance to take some beautiful and unique photos of the Kalajun Grassland.
Green Blankets
Enjoy Kazakh food
If you would like to try some local food, you can enjoy the Kazakh food at the homes of herdsmen. There are usually special Kazakh foods such as noodles, balsak, hard sour cheese, Kazakh special milk tea, etc. And the prices are relatively affordable.
Travel Tips
Best Time for Visiting
It is recommended for visitors to go to the Kalajun grassland from June to September, which is also the golden season of Kalajun tourism. And the temperature near the grassland is low, even in summer, the night is very cold. It is recommended to prepare warm clothes before visiting.
How to Get to the Kalajun Grassland
From Urumqi to Yining
a. By plane
It takes more than an hour to get to Yining by plane from Urumqi; the whole journey is about 614 kilometers.
b. By train
It takes about 7 hours by train to reach Yining City.
From Yining to the Kalajun Grassland
a. By bus
For the convenience of tourists, the Kalajun Scenic Spot has opened a direct bus from Yining to the Kalajun Scenic Spot, and tourists can take the direct bus in Yining Great World. The first bus departs at 9am and returns at 6pm; the fare is 60 yuan for one way trip and 99 yuan for round trip.
Accommodation
When visiting the scenic spot, many tourists will stay on the grassland for one night. The accommodation here is only the yurt of the herdsmen, but it has the characteristics of the Kazakh people. Therefore, it would be a good opportunity to learn more about Kazakh culture and enjoy Kazakh food.
Travel Information
Opening Time: Year-round 08:00-20:00
Customer Service Phone: 0999-7765295/0999-7765111/0999-7765293
Admission fee
80CNY/PP
Scenic tour car (round-trip)
90CNY/PP
