Things to do in Habahe

🌈Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop, Stop 4: Kanas 🌈Beauty: Photos simply aren't enough to capture the breathtaking scenery. It's arguably the most beautiful scenic area in Northern Xinjiang, and perhaps the most representative natural landscape of the entire region. I'm not sure if it's the only one, but I think it is. 🌈Fish Viewing Platform: A must-see. There's a long queue at the visitor center for the shuttle bus; this is the most popular spot. There are 1068 steps to reach the platform, offering a panoramic view of Kanas. The turquoise lake stretches out before you, dotted with azure sky and golden primeval forests—truly stunning. 🌈Kanas Three Bays: The day before, I took a shuttle bus from Jiadengyu to the new village to check in. My mistake was bringing my suitcase. Fortunately, I could transfer my luggage at the visitor center the next day; otherwise, hiking through the Three Bays would have been quite arduous. Retrieving my luggage from the exit of the scenic area to Jiadengyu was also convenient—the design was very reasonable. Also, when hiking through the Three Bays, pay attention to the order. Hiking from the visitor center towards Jiadengyu is easier and involves less climbing. The entire hike was very comfortable, with beautiful scenery along the way. The most iconic attraction, in my opinion, is Moon Bay. It's a popular spot for photos and social media check-ins; it's the view featured on the cover of our Chinese textbooks and is also very popular on Douyin (TikTok). One thing to note: the restrooms near the shuttle bus stop on the third bay back to Jiadengyu are extremely small. Men have to queue, and the queues for women are even longer. It's best to find a place to relieve yourself beforehand, otherwise it can be quite uncomfortable. 🌈Summary: Kanas is absolutely stunning! We all agree that this is the most beautiful spot. There's a unique shade of green called "Kanas Green"—highly recommended!

Baihaba: You can easily get there directly from the Kanas Scenic Area by shuttle bus. Very convenient. It's a village similar to Hemu. The scenery is slightly inferior to Hemu, but the village has a more border feel, with a sentry post (the first sentry post in Northwest China). Drones are also prohibited [smug face]. There's no such thing as a more authentic village; they all have the same commercial atmosphere. In fact, prices are higher than in Hemu. Overall, Kanas is the cheapest, Baihaba is the most expensive, and Hemu is in the middle.

The waters of Kanas Lake change colors with the light and shadow, surrounded by pristine taiga forests, possessing both beauty and mystery. The Fish Viewing Platform offers the best panoramic view. The scenic area is quite extensive, and shuttle buses often have long wait times during peak season.

At Baisha Lake in the 185th Regiment, a 10-minute walk southwest along the lakeside boardwalk leads to the Watcher's Cafe, featuring pavilions, benches, sand dunes, lake views, and coffee. In late September, the soft light is excellent between 4 PM and 6 PM; however, visiting at midday or facing backlighting will inevitably result in poor photos. The Northwest North Regiment Management Area, located at the tail end of the "rooster" map, on the China-Kazakhstan border, and the terminus of G331, tells the story of a couple's outpost: On April 23, 1988, the Altai Mountains experienced an unprecedented rapid snowmelt, causing a massive flood in the border river. The river flowed directly into the Karasu Natural Gully within my country's territory, rushing into the Ertis River. If the flood had been allowed to carve out this new river channel, the border line would have followed the river's course, and 55.5 square kilometers of land would have become a disputed area, separated from the area—the land of today's Northwest North, the area of ​​the couple's outpost. The 185th Regiment, with over 600 members, worked continuously for 16 days and nights, eating and sleeping on the dike, finally managing to block the floodwaters back to the original channel of the Alakbek River, saving 55.5 square kilometers of land. Ma Junwu, then 19 years old, was one of the militia members who participated in the flood control efforts and personally experienced the battle. After the flood, Ma Junwu voluntarily stayed behind, and he and his wife, Zhang Zhengmei, remained there, dedicating their lives to the area. They were even received and praised by President Xi Jinping, which is how the "Couple's Outpost" came to be.

It's pretty good, it's not tiring to walk around here, there are not many people, it feels very fresh, you can come and have a look when you have time. It's pretty good, it's not tiring to walk around here, there are not many people, it feels very fresh, you can come and have a look when you have time. It's pretty good, it's not tiring to walk around here, there are not many people, it feels very fresh, you can come and have a look when you have time.

From Baihaba Village, along National Highway 219, to the China-Kazakhstan border Grand Canyon, passing through Tierekti Township, the beautiful scenery along the way, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, golden pine and cypress trees, all the way to Habahe County, I was amazed. The road conditions are good, there are few cars and beautiful scenery, which is suitable for self-driving.

The ranch is located on the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, at a relatively high altitude. It is the summer pasture of local Kazakh herdsmen. Here, the mountains are winding, forests and grasslands alternate, cattle and sheep stroll leisurely on the grass, and eagles soar in the sky. The scenery is endless.

The scenic area is small, not far from Burqin County. It features typical cliff-style Yardang landforms, with rock layers displaying vibrant colors of red, yellow, purple, and green due to varying mineral composition. On the opposite bank are a river valley oasis and poplar forests. At sunset in October, the combination of the sunset and the golden poplar forests on the opposite bank creates an exceptionally high saturation of colors.

The green ecological environment of Baihaba Forest Park is really good, with a majestic atmosphere. Various greens and flowers form a colorful world here. All you have to do when traveling is to enjoy it to your heart's content.

Known as the most beautiful lake in China, it is an unpolluted area with few people and charming scenery.