Bayinbuluke lies in Hejing county in the middle Tianshan, at around 2,400 metres, and is one of the largest alpine grasslands in China. It is a wide, flat basin of grass and water surrounded by snow-capped ranges, and it is reached by a long mountain road - which is precisely why it still feels remote.
Swan Lake
The Swan Lake reserve is a network of shallow lakes, marshes and channels fed by the Kaidu river, and it is a breeding and staging ground for whooper swans and other waterfowl. Swans arrive in spring and stay through the summer, and the reserve is a protected area with boardwalks and viewing points built to keep visitors out of the nesting zones. Bring binoculars if you have them; the birds are often distant.
The Nine Bends
The most famous view in Bayinbuluke is the stretch of the Kaidu river known as Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns, where the water loops back and forth across the flat grassland in a series of tight curves. At sunset, the loops catch the light one after another and the whole riverbed turns into a ribbon of reflected sky. The viewing platform fills up in the last hour of daylight, so arrive early and take a jacket - the wind on the grassland at 2,400 metres is cold even in August.
Practical information
Bayinbuluke is reached by road, most commonly from the Duku Highway route between Dushanzi and Kuqa, or from Korla and Hejing. The mountain roads are only fully open in summer, generally from June to early October, and are closed or restricted by snow for the rest of the year. There are guesthouses and yurt camps in the basin and hotels in the small town at the entrance; standards are basic. The reserve charges admission and runs internal shuttles.
Who it suits
Anyone travelling between Urumqi and the southern oases who wants a night on a high grassland rather than another hotel in a city. The distances are large and the driving is slow, so treat Bayinbuluke as an overnight stop rather than a day trip, and pack warm clothing whatever the forecast says for the desert.
