Nanshan
Nanshan is just like a fairyland, which is located in Urumqi County, and it is an ice and snow landscape located in the extremely arid region in the heart of Asia and Europe. The main features are lush forests and grasses, peculiar mountains and rocks, superior tourism climate, alpine forest and pastoral scenery and strong ethnic customs, and it is a provincial-level scenic spot that shows modern human landscapes.
The snow peaks are towering, the mountains are rolling, the trees are lush, the flowers and plants are everywhere, the springs are gurgling, and the scenery is charming. Therefore, you can visit Nanshan in hot summer days and it’s a nice place for photography, hiking and sightseeing, etc.
Features
Chinese Name: 南山牧场 [ nánshān mùchǎng ]
Location: About 40 kilometers away from Urumqi
Popular activities: sightseeing, photography, natural scenery, hiking, learn about Kazakh nomadic culture, horseback riding
Suited to: everyone
Time needed: more than 3 hours
Highlights
Charming Natural Scenery
Nanshan was a famous hunting area in the Tang Dynasty, and a famous pasture in the Qing Dynasty. As for summer excursions, it started as early as the Qing Dynasty. The mountain peaks in the scenic area are covered with snow, the undulating mountains are covered with lush green plants, and the trickling spring water drifts down from it, and the scenery is very charming. From April to May every year, the azaleas in the scenic area are all over the valley. At this time, the temperature is a bit low, so pay attention to keeping warm. Besides, there are various wild animals in Nanshan too. And wild animals in the scenic area include snow leopard, ibex, red deer, brown bear, etc. Meanwhile, birds include alpine snow chicken, stone chicken, turtledove, eagle, wild pigeon and so on. If you are interested in wild animals and birds, it’s an amazing place to visit. And in summer, you can enjoy the picturesque scenery here, watch the eagles hovering in the sky and enjoy the comfort and calmness away from the city; in winter, you can fully enjoy the fun brought by snow and ice. If you like nature, then it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Things to Do
Hiking and enjoy beautiful views & Photography
There are a lot of beautiful attractions in Nanshan Pastureland, which are including the Alfalfa Platform, West Poplar Ditch, East Poplar Ditch, and Chrysanthemum Flowerbed, etc. First, the Alfalfa Platform - it is a tourist area on a hilltop grassland platform and is surrounded by mountains on three sides and embraces the lush meadows. From spring to autumn, more than ten kinds of wild flowers bloom one after another in here, yellow, purple, light blue, red, white, colorful and beautiful. In addition, there are many springs gurgling, red deer, wild boars, marmots and other wild animals peeking among the forests and grasses, showing a charming and primitive style everywhere, which is breathtaking and refreshing. If you like hiking, you can enjoy hiking and beautiful views here. Second, the West Poplar Ditch - it is a famous tourist summer resort in Nanshan Scenic Area, named after the gully covered with poplar trees. In addition, the Green Leaf Villa hidden in the green smoke of the East Poplar Ditch is looming, adding a subtle artistic conception to the scenic spot. The scenery is so charming and it’s great to take some nice photos here. The last but not least, the Chrysanthemum Flowerbed is full of wild chrysanthemums and the fragrance is everywhere; in particular, the sunlight casts the shadow of the white clouds on the green grass and roams like flowing water, which adds a different kind of unique scenery to the Nanshan. If you love flowers and photography, don’t miss the chance to visit here.
Experience the traditional nomadic life & Horseback riding
When you come to Nanshan, especially the West Poplar Ditch, you can experience the pleasure of horseback riding, listen to the melodious bells, and feel the serene and dangerous natural scenery of the West Poplar Ditch; you can also lie down on the soft lawn with the help of the sun and watch the eagles hovering in the sky and far away. Here the Kazakh herdsmen are holding recreational and sports activities, so you can watch some performances of Kazakh people such as horse racing, lamb tussling and girl chasing too. You can learn about the Kazakh folk customs; and if you like you can visit a Kazakh yurt and enjoy kumiss, cheese stewed mutton, shish kebab and other foods of folk flavors. Besides, you can have late lunch in the yurt of local Kazakhs where you can experience the traditional nomadic life.
Travel Tips
Best Time for Visiting
The annual average temperature of Nanshan Pastureland is 10.9℃, the average temperature in January is -0.5℃, the average temperature in July is 19℃, and the highest temperature in summer and autumn is 28℃. There is no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer. So visitors can travel to Nanshan Pastureland in any season.
How to Get to the Nanshan Pastureland
a. By bus
There is a shuttle bus at the Nanjiao Passenger Station on Huanghe Road, which runs every hour from 9:00 to 19:00.
b. By car
You can also drive a car to the Nanshan Pastureland.
Travel Information
Opening Time: 09:00-19:00 (January 1st - December 31st)
Customer Service Phone: 0991-5837888
Admission fee: 45CNY/PP