Bayingolin travel guide
巴音郭楞
Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, where Korla is located, is the largest prefecture-level division in China by area. The 522-km Taklamakan Desert Highway from Luntai to Minfeng is China's first and the world's lo…
10 places · In the guidebook: pages 869–879
Bayingolin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Bayingolin in 3 days
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Korla→
- Ruoqiang County→
- Lop Nur→
- Loulan Ancient City
The feel of the place
- China's Superlatives
- Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, where Korla is located, is the largest prefecture-level division in China by area. The 522-km Taklamakan Desert Highway from Luntai to Minfeng is China's first and the world's longest high-grade desert highway. The Altun Mountains Nature Reserve is the world's largest inland wildlife reserve. The populus euphratica forests of the Tarim Basin account for 89% of China's populus euphratica forest area, making it the largest natural distribution of these trees in the world. The Lop people are one of Xinjiang's oldest ethnic groups; they "do not grow the five grains, do not herd livestock, and live solely by fishing from small boats." Bosten Lake is China's largest inland freshwater lake. The Tarim River, 2,750 km long, is China's longest inland river. Bayanbulak Grassland is China's second-largest grassland and home to China's only swan reserve, Swan Lake.
Along the Way
Travelling from Korla to Kuqa is convenient. With enough time, you can follow the national highway, the oil road and the desert highway deep into the heart of the desert. Along the way, the gobi, saline-alkali land, populus euphratica forests and deserts are distinctive. Uyghur villagers by the roadside sell very tasty melons.
Essentials for Travellers
The Bayingolin area has many deserts, so keep up your supply of water and other essentials, and carry medicines such as eye drops, anti-diarrhoea tablets and cold medicine. Also guard against the cold, and make sure your photography equipment is heat-resistant and dust-proof. Do not venture alone into the depths of the desert.
Things to see
Bosten Lake
“Oasis” in the Xinjiang Uyghur language. The Bosten Lake Scenic Area has vast waters, misty expanses, winding channels, dense reeds, and blooming lotus flowers, with birds calling and fish leaping. It is a classic Jiangnan water-town scene, earning it the nickname “Pearl of the Western Frontier.”
3–4 hours · ¥42 (individual attractions charge separately)
Swan Lake
Swan Lake is a place everyone dreams of visiting. In Bayin Township on Bayanbulak Grassland lies a marshy lake system covering more than 1,000 square kilometres in total, scattered across the grassland like pearls. Every April, countless migratory birds fly to this peaceful land to nest, court, and raise their young. In October, when the weather turns cold, they fly away with their offspring. Swans are regarded as the masters of this lake, so please do not disturb them, or the herders, who see swans as sacred birds, will not let you off. The best place to watch swans is the “Baxilekendele” Birdwatching Platform in the eastern part of the nature reserve. It is built on a small hill with road access. Around June each year, swans lay and hatch their eggs, which makes it the best time for observation.
1–2 hours · The county government operates a toll booth on a bridge, charging ¥48 per person; this bridge toll is the grassland entrance fee. Foreign visitors must join a tour group. The birdwatching platform charges ¥50.
Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve
It is China's largest high-altitude nature reserve, home to many endangered alpine wildlife species, including wild yaks, Tibetan antelopes, and Tibetan wild asses. Large numbers of birds also gather on its high-altitude lakes, rivalling the numbers at Qinghai Lake.
2–3 days
Luoburen Village Scenic Area
Luoburen Village borders the Taklamakan Desert, China's largest desert. The Tarim River, the longest inland river in China, flows through the scenic area, and it contains the largest protected area of primeval populus euphratica forest. It is a distinctive scenic spot that combines natural and cultural landscapes. The Lop people are one of Xinjiang's oldest ethnic groups, and their folk customs, folk songs, and stories have unique artistic value. Visitors can wade across rivers, walk through forests, ride camels, and watch the sand sea. They can also go hunting, sandboarding, and fishing by boat, listen to Lop folk songs, watch Lop dances around a bonfire, and sleep in reed huts, experiencing the ancient Lop culture and the joy of returning to nature.
2–3 hours · ¥35; sightseeing bus ¥15
Loulan Ancient City
At the ruins of the Loulan Kingdom, which vanished suddenly between the 4th and 5th centuries, there are traces of human activity dating back 10,000 years. This mysterious ancient kingdom has left many abandoned ancient cities along the Tarim River and in the Taklamakan Desert, along with countless enigmas that remain unsolved. Famous sites in the region include Luntai Ancient City, ancient tomb clusters, the Qiemo ruins, ancient beacon towers, and ancient rock paintings.
1 day
Kaidu River
Legend has it that this was the last of the 81 ordeals Tang Monk faced on his journey to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. The unique scenery of the Kaidu River's 18 bends can be admired from the highest point of the scenic area, reached by sightseeing bus, with wide and open views. At sunset, if you're lucky and find the right angle, you may see nine suns reflected in the river, making it a prized spot for photography enthusiasts.
Photography · Nature
Lop Nur
This is an endless expanse of desert, where a silence devoid of any sign of life prevails. Many Chinese and foreign explorers have come here to investigate. Known as Asia's mysterious “Devil's Triangle,” it has claimed many lives, yet even more brave adventurers are eager to test themselves against it.
1–2 hours
Golden Sand Beach
The boundless Bosten Lake stretches to the horizon, its misty waters possessing the spirit of the sea. Across its vast expanse, water and sky meet. The fine silver sand is soft, and the lake water is so clear you can see the bottom, earning it the nickname “Hawaii of Xinjiang.” Take a boat out to the middle of the lake: to the north, high mountains rise, armoured in ice and snow; to the south, sand dunes roll on, and sand and water coexist in a mysterious, unpredictable scene.
3–4 hours · ¥40
Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest Park
The world's largest natural primeval populus euphratica forest. Some trees stand lush, some wither, some stand upright and some lie fallen, displaying an ancient mystery. They play an important role in windbreak, sand fixation, and improving the ecological environment, and are praised as: “Alive, they last a thousand years; dead, they stand for a thousand years; fallen, they do not rot for another thousand years.”
3–4 hours · ¥40
Getting there & around
Getting In and Out
Air
Korla has daily return flights to Urumqi, and you can also take flights to Beijing, Chengdu, Jinan and other cities.
Rail
From here you can take the train to Urumqi, Turpan and Hami, or head east into Gansu to reach the Central Plains. From Korla to Urumqi, it is just one overnight sleeper journey.
Road
Korla is 471 km north to Urumqi, 361 km east to Turpan, 440 km south to Ruoqiang, 280 km west to Kuqa, 640 km to Yining and 1,003 km to Kashgar. From Ruoqiang you can travel east into Qinghai. From Luntai you can take an oil company long-distance coach along the 522-km desert highway, crossing the Taklamakan Desert to Minfeng. Coach departures on this route are not guaranteed and are provided for reference only, for those who are interested.
Korla Airport Telephone
Korla Airport Telephone- Phone:
- 0996-2364033
Korla Railway Station
Rail- Phone:
- 0996-8642222
Long-Distance Bus Station
Long-Distance Bus Station- Address:
- Xinhua Road
- Phone:
- 0996-2111969
Where to stay
Aishang Hotel (Korla branch)
Aishang Hotel (Korla branch)- Address:
- Intersection of Jiaotong West Road and Beishan Road, Korla; Donfanghong Hotel, No. 3 Beishan Road
- Phone:
- 0996-8877999
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 869–879. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version