# Guozigou Valley (果子沟)

Ili, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guozigou-valley
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Free
- **Opening hours:** Open all day (all year 2026)
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Address:** About 40 km northeast of Huocheng County seat, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
- **Getting there:** Buses from Urumqi to Yining must pass through Guozigou
- **Good for:** Nature

## About Guozigou Valley

Also known as Talaqi Valley, this 28-km-long gorge has long been an important gateway linking the Central Plains with Central Asia and Europe. Even today, the Wuyi Highway between Lake Sayram, Bole and Yining still runs through Guozigou. The valley takes its name from the many wild apple trees growing in its mountains. When Genghis Khan campaigned westward, he passed through here and had 48 plank roads built; during the Qing dynasty, 42 bridges were built on the old route. The road winds and turns, and the scenery is unrivalled: sharp peaks rise on both sides, mountain streams murmur, and pine forests and pastures spread across the slopes. Even if you pass through quickly by bus, you will feel as though you have turned straight onto the road to paradise.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 864. 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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