# Big and Small Dragon Lakes (大小龙池)

Kuqa, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/big-and-small-dragon-lakes
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥20
- **Opening hours:** 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 07:00-21:00
- **Time needed:** 0.5–2 hours
- **Address:** 50 m west of National Highway 217, Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
- **Getting there:** The Big and Small Dragon Lakes are located along the Duku Highway (独库公路); it is recommended to hire a car to get there.
- **Good for:** Photography, Nature

## About Big and Small Dragon Lakes

The Big and Small Dragon Lakes lie about 120 kilometres north-northeast of Kuqa Station. The Big Dragon Lake is an alpine lake formed from Tianshan snowmelt. Its broad waters are crystal clear, like a mirror. Surrounded by mountains, with snow-capped peaks, spruce-clad slopes and green meadows dotted with herds of cattle and sheep, it is breathtaking. Legend has it that the Queen Mother of the West once bathed here. Four kilometres away is the Small Dragon Lake, which sparkles like a flawless gemstone and echoes its larger sibling. The two lakes are famed for their scenic beauty. When summer arrives and gentle rain falls, the green spruces and grasses on the hillsides, set against the snowy peaks, form layer upon layer of beauty that refreshes the spirit and makes you linger.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 884. 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.
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