# Bayingolin travel guide (巴音郭楞) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · 10 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/xinjiang-uygur/bayingolin ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Nalati Grassland/Hejing County → Bayanbulak Grassland (after touring Ili, you can travel directly from Nalati Grassland to Bayanbulak; the drive is much shorter than from Hejing) - **Day 2:** Bayanbulak Grassland → Bosten Lake → Korla - **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. ## The feel of the place ### 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. ## 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 Railway Station** — - **Long-Distance Bus Station** — (Xinhua Road, 0996-2111969) ## Where to stay - **Aishang Hotel (Korla branch)** — (Intersection of Jiaotong West Road and Beishan Road, Korla; Donfanghong Hotel, No. 3 Beishan Road, 0996-8877999) ## Things to see - **Bosten Lake** (★★★★): Admission ¥42 (individual attractions charge separately); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bosten-lake - **Bayanbulak Grassland** (★★★★★): Admission ¥65; shuttle bus ¥75; Opening hours 8:30–18:30 (June–September), 9:30–18:00 (October), closed November to May of the following year; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bayanbulak-grassland - **Swan Lake** (★★★★): Admission 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.; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/swan-lake - **Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve** (★★★★): Time needed 2–3 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/altun-mountains-national-nature-reserve - **Luoburen Village Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥35; sightseeing bus ¥15; Opening hours 9:00–21:30 (summer), 10:00–18:30 (winter); Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/luoburen-village-scenic-area - **Loulan Ancient City** (★★★★): Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/loulan-ancient-city - **Kaidu River** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kaidu-river - **Lop Nur** (★★★★): Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lop-nur - **Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest Park** (★★★): Admission ¥40; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tarim-populus-euphratica-forest-park - **Golden Sand Beach** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/golden-sand-beach --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 869–879. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.