Hemu Scenic Area
Hemu is the seat of the Kanas Mongol Ethnic Township government, about 70 km from Kanas Lake. Snow-capped mountains surround the village, and dense white birch forests grow around it.…
Hemu Scenic Area, Altay
Key facts
- Admission
- ¥50 (peak season), ¥25 (off-season); shuttle bus ¥52; maintenance fee ¥20
- Opening hours
- 8：30—20：00
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 847. Open in Google Maps
About Hemu Scenic Area
Hemu is the seat of the Kanas Mongol Ethnic Township government, about 70 km from Kanas Lake. Snow-capped mountains surround the village, and dense white birch forests grow around it. Although Hemu is now full of mountain lodges and guesthouses, it remains a relatively unspoiled wooden village with no electricity and no mobile signal, though some guesthouses run generators. Tuvan people, a Mongolic group, live by the forest. Their houses are usually built on grassland beneath pine and cypress trees by the water, and their foundations, floors, walls and roofs are all made of timber.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Hemu Scenic Area cost?
Admission to Hemu Scenic Area is ¥50 (peak season), ¥25 (off-season); shuttle bus ¥52; maintenance fee ¥20, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Hemu Scenic Area?
Hemu Scenic Area is open 8：30—20：00.
How long should I spend at Hemu Scenic Area?
Plan on 1–2 days for Hemu Scenic Area.
Where is Hemu Scenic Area?
Hemu Scenic Area is in Altay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in the Northwest of China.
More places in Altay
Keketuohai World Geopark
Known as China's “Cold Pole”, Keketuohai is also a nationally renowned “Hometown of Gemstones” and a rare “natural mineral museum” of the world. Mining here has gone on for several decades, and large-scale extraction has carved the mountains deep into the ground, resembling the Roman Colosseum. Mountains of slag pile up along the banks of the Kuyirte River, a modern-day echo of the legend of the Foolish Old Man who moved the mountains.
Irtysh Grand Canyon: ¥90 (peak season), ¥45 (off-season) · 1 day
Kanas Scenic Area
“Kanas” is a Mongolian word meaning “beautiful and mysterious”. Kanas has some of the most beautiful scenery north of the Tianshan Mountains. Foreign travellers who visited long ago said this was perhaps the last place on Earth where pristine natural beauty could still be found. Sadly, this scenery is diminishing as visitor numbers grow. Every guide to Xinjiang now features this place, and I really don't want to tell more people about it, because here is paradise. The steady influx of tourists has damaged the simple local customs, and the newly built little wooden cabins with red roofs have also marred the landscape. This is China's only scenic area with Siberian vegetation, and it has almost no summer. Birch and pine-cypress forests are so still that you hold your breath, afraid that a single deep breath might wake you from a dream. The waters of Kanas Lake hold every shade of blue, as well as gold, pale green and silver-white. The water is so clear that it reflects like a mirror, turning into whatever it sees. Everyone who has been to Kanas regrets that their photos never quite capture its beauty, yet even the view from an ordinary camera leaves viewers full of praise.
Two-day ticket: ¥160 (May–October 15), ¥80 (October 16–April); shuttle bus: ¥70 for one entry, ¥110 for two entries; all-area pass ¥195 (covers the Kanas, Hemu and Baihaba scenic area tickets) · 1–2 days
Hemu Birch Forest
Located at the northern edge of Altay city, the park consists of several river islands covering nearly 800 mu (about 53 hectares) in total and stretching roughly 2 km. Altay is one of China's best-known “cool cities”, with average summer temperatures of around 20°C, so there is almost no scorching heat here. The golden colours of the birches stand out against the unpolluted blue sky, while the Kelan River flows gently past, making the scene look like a fine oil painting.
Included in the Hemu Scenic Area ticket · 1 hour
Tuva Villages
The Tuvan people are a gradually forgotten ethnic group with a long history. Among China's 56 ethnic groups, they are classified as part of the Mongol group. They are warm and free-spirited. Their customs and script are similar to those of the Mongols, but their language is closer to Kazakh, so some Mongols struggle to understand it. If you are lucky in winter, you may see them hold archery competitions in Hemu.
Included in the Kanas Scenic Area ticket (a separate shuttle bus is needed; round trip ¥40)
Wucai Beach and Wucai City (Rainbow Beach and Rainbow City)
Rainbow Beach lies in Burqin County and is a must-see on the way to Kanas Lake. Its rugged, undulating hills are richly coloured. Under sunlight in particular, the beach dazzles with dreamlike hues, and vivid, otherworldly colours surround you from every direction, bright and passionate, leaving you spellbound. Rainbow City is the heart of Rainbow Beach. Within a radius of about 3 km, layers of colourful mudstone in deep red, blue-grey, black-grey, grey-white, red, yellow and green form a natural “rainbow fortress”, which is truly remarkable.
Rainbow Beach: ¥45 (April–October), off-season ¥22 (November–March); Rainbow City: ¥70 · 1 day
Baisha Lake Scenic Area
Often called the “Jiangnan of the North”, Baisha Lake is a pristine desert lake set apart within the vast desert. Its scenery is very distinctive. Reeds, calamus and other plants grow around the lake, and wild lotus flowers survive in its waters in solitude. In June, the lotus flowers bloom across the lake, with wild ducks swimming among them. In golden October, red and yellow leaves flutter in the wind, and the views from near and far are endlessly varied.
¥70 · 5–8 hours