Kanas lies in the far north of Xinjiang, in the Altay mountains close to the borders with Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The lake sits at around 1,370 metres in a valley of spruce, fir and larch, and the water is a distinctive opaque blue-green that changes with the light and the season. The surrounding area is a nature reserve and one of the most scenically rewarding places in China.
The lake and the river
The lake is about 24 kilometres long and quite narrow, and it is best seen from the viewpoints along the western shore, reached by shuttle and then by foot or on the water. Downstream, the Kanas river runs through a series of well-known bends - Moon Bay, the Immortal Bay and the Sleeping Dragon Bay - each with a boardwalk and, in autumn, a wall of gold larch behind the water. Boats run on the lake, and there is a gentle trail along the shoreline for those who want to walk rather than look from a platform.
Hemu and Baihaba
The two famous villages in the valley, Hemu and Baihaba, are settlements of log-built houses with steep roofs, home to Tuvan and Kazakh families, surrounded by pasture and forest. Hemu is the larger and busier, with guesthouses and a viewing platform above the village that everyone climbs for sunset and sunrise. Baihaba is quieter and further west. Both are genuinely inhabited, which means the visitor infrastructure sits alongside ordinary village life - be considerate about where you walk and what you photograph.
Autumn and access
The valley is at its most photographed in the second half of September and early October, when the larch turns yellow against the dark conifers and the first snow falls on the peaks. That is also the busiest period, and accommodation in Hemu books out weeks ahead. Access is by flight to Altay or Burqin and then a long drive, or by road from Urumqi, which takes two days with stops. The internal shuttle system moves visitors between the gate, the lake and the villages, and private cars are restricted.
Practical notes
Nights are cold even in summer and genuinely freezing from October. Cash is useful in the villages, mobile signal is patchy and ATMs are unreliable. The altitude is modest but the terrain is hilly; wear boots. Photography of local residents should always be asked for first, and payment is not expected but is sometimes requested.
