The Silk Road
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Silk Road - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Heavenly Lake
After a three-hour ride from Ürümqi you'll reach what is quite possibly the prettiest lake in China, surrounded by snow-sprinkled mountains. The water is crystal clear with a sapphire tint. In summer, white flowers dot the hillsides. Unfortunately, tourism is leaving its ugly footprint. The lake's northern shore is crowded with tour groups posing for snapshots with Mount Bogda in the background. To better appreciate the lake's natural beauty, arrive before the hordes, or stay until after the last bus has departed. Kazakh families still set up traditional felt tents along the shores of Heavenly Lake from early May to late October, bringing their horses, sheep, and cashmere goats. The Kazakh people have a long history as horse breeders and are known to be skilled riders. From Ürümqi, day-tour buses to Heavenly Lake leave at 9 am from a small street beside the north gate of People's Park (Heilongjiang Lu near Gongyuan Bei Ji). Expect to pay Y25 each way plus the Y215 entrance fee to the lake. You'll have from about noon to 6 pm to explore the lake, arriving back in the city at 8 pm. Tickets—usually available up until the bus leaves—can be purchased near the buses.
Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu, ChinaSight Details
Rate Includes: Y215, including mandatory shuttle from tourist center to lake -
2. Huashan
A few hours east of Xi'an lies one of China's five sacred mountains, a traditional watercolor come to life. The 7,218-foot mountain has stunning scenery, Taoist temples, pines reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss creation, and sheer granite walls that rise shockingly out of the surrounding plains. The five peaks of Huashan reminded ancient visitors of flower petals, hence the name; translated it means "Flower Mountain." Climbing the mountain is not a trip for the fainthearted: unless you're an Olympic athlete, hiking the main trail to the highest South Peak will take a good seven to nine hours, some of it along narrow passes on sheer cliffs. Thankfully, there are cable-car rides to the North and West Peak that bring you most of the way up the trail. Thrill-seekers can walk the plank path, a narrow wooden ledge built around a cliffside thousands of meters above ground level, dubbed the most dangerous trail in the world.From Xi'an you can take a D train (Y35) or G train (Y55) to Huashan North Station or take one of the coaches that leave hourly every morning from the parking lot in front of the Jiefang Hotel, across from the train station. Tours can be arranged, but it's better to go on your own to have more time on the mountain. On a rainy day, bring a raincoat or buy one there, don't bring an umbrella. Gusts of wind can come out of nowhere, and you could be yanked off balance while hiking the narrow trails. The danger is so real that locals go so far as to call them death umbrellas.
Xian, Shaanxi, ChinaSight Details
Rate Includes: Mar.–Nov., Y180; Dec.–Feb., Y100, Mar.–Nov., 7–7; Dec.–Feb., 9–5 -
3. Singing Sand Mountain
South of Dunhuang, where the oasis gives way to desert, you'll find a gorgeous sweep of sand dunes named for the light rattling sound that the sand makes when wind blows across the surface. At 5,600 feet above sea level, the half-hour climb to the summit is difficult but worth it for the views, particularly at sunset. Nestled in the sand is Crescent Moon Lake (月牙泉, Yuèyá quán), a lovely pool that by some freak of the prevailing winds never silts up. Camels, sleds, and various flying contraptions are available at steep prices; try your bargaining skills.
Mingshan Lu, Dunhuang, Gansu Sheng, 736200, ChinaSight Details
Rate Includes: Y120, 8–5 -
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