North-South Xinjiang Road Trip (27) "God's Reserved Land" - Kanas

North-South Xinjiang Road Trip (27) "God's Reserved Land" - Kanas Altay Region June 19, 2023 Weather: Cloudy, 15-28 degrees Celsius. Today's weather was pleasant. After breakfast, we leisurely headed to Kanas, 120 km away. By 11:30 am, when we arrived at Jiadengyu, there were already many people and vehicles, even though the scenic area had opened at 8 am. After taking the scenic area's bus and shuttle, we reached the central transfer point for the internal shuttle bus around 11:30 am. We had originally planned to go to Baihaba first, but seeing the fixed schedule for the shuttle bus, we adjusted our plans as it seemed a bit rushed. Since we purchased two-entry tickets, we decided to explore Kanas Lake and the Three Bays today. The Kanas Scenic Area (5A) is located in the middle section of the Altai Mountains in northern Xinjiang, a golden zone bordering Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. It boasts China's most beautiful lake, integrated with snow-capped mountains, fir forests, and grasslands. It possesses both the grandeur of the north and the elegance of the south, somewhat resembling "Little Switzerland" (Figure 1). Driving along the way, the Kanas River accompanied us. The river was swift and the water splashed due to the significant drop in the riverbed (Figure 2). We took the bus to the mountainside and then climbed the 1,068 steps to the Fish Viewing Platform (Figure 3). From there, we overlooked the panoramic view of the azure Kanas Lake, with a gentle breeze on our faces and clouds drifting across the sky. In the distance was Friendship Peak, located at the junction of the four countries (Figure 4). The Fish Viewing Platform is the highest point of the scenic area, with an altitude of 2,030 meters, nearly 600 meters above the lake surface (Figures 5-6). After descending, we took the internal shuttle bus from Kanas to Jiadengyu. Along the way, it stopped at the Three Bays, small lakes formed by the Kanas River. Their emerald green color is likely due to the shallow water. Shenxian Bay (Fairy Bay) is a river beach where the water divides the forest and grassland into small islands, seemingly connected yet separate (Figure 7). Yueliang Bay (Moon Bay) is nestled between two mountains and beside a fir forest. The river channel meanders with the mountains, resembling a crescent moon (Figure 8). Wolong Bay (Sleeping Dragon Bay) features a small shoal in the center of the bay, just above the water's surface, shaped like an ancient pterosaur lying quietly in the water (Figure 9). Wooden walkways connect the Three Bays. Strolling along the lake, we enjoyed the leisure and tranquility of Kanas. Autumn is the best season to visit and appreciate Kanas. The public bus, shuttle bus, and internal shuttle bus take about an hour for a one-way trip into or out of the park, covering approximately 30 km. We left the park at 7 pm and stayed overnight in Jiadengyu. Tomorrow, we will continue exploring Kanas, visiting Baihaba and Hemu.