[2025 Tekes Attraction] Travel Guide for Starting Point of the Wusun Ancient Trail (Updated Jun)

✅1. Trail Background: 🚩Historical Significance: The Wusun Ancient Trail was a military and trade route during the Han Dynasty, connecting the Wusun Kingdom (modern-day Ili River Valley) and the Qiuci Kingdom (modern-day Kuqa). It was likely traversed by Zhang Qian during his missions to the Western Regions and Princess Jieyou during her diplomatic marriage. 🚩Geographical Boundary: Spanning the Tianshan Mountains, the trail starts from Tekes County (Qiongkushitai Village) in the north and ends in Baicheng County (Heiyingshan Township) of Aksu Prefecture in the south, covering approximately 120 km🥾. The highest point is Akebulake Pass at 3,860 meters above sea level. ✅2. Hiking Highlights: 💓 🚩Diverse Landscapes: Includes grasslands🌱, dense forests🌲, wildflowers🌼, snow-capped mountains🏔, glaciers🧊, and lakes💧. - Qiongkushitai Grassland: A Kazakh herding village at the starting point, where forests and meadows intertwine. - Kokesu River Canyon: Requires river crossings (fast-flowing and waist-deep in summer) between steep, cliff-like banks. - Heaven Lake💦 (Akkul Lake): A glacial lake at 3,100 meters with milky-blue water💎, known as the "Eye of Wusun," offering stunning reflections of snow-capped mountains. - Akebulake Pass⛰: The most challenging section, featuring scree slopes and snow, requiring a climb to the 3,860-meter-high pass. - Heiyingshan Canyon: Red Danxia landforms at the endpoint, resembling the desolate surface of Mars. ✅🚩Challenges💪: - River Crossings: About 50 icy crossings of the Kokesu River, requiring ropes or horses🐎. - High Altitude: Risk of altitude sickness at the pass, with temperature swings exceeding 20°C🥶. - No Supply Points: 5 nights of camping⛺️ with no showers or signal📶, except for temporary herder camps near Heaven Lake (horses available for rent). ✅3. Best Time to Hike: - Ideal Season: June–September (Heaven Lake is most beautiful in July–August, but rivers are at their highest; September offers vibrant autumn colors but colder temperatures). ✅4. Itinerary: D1: Gather in Yining D2: Yining–Qiongkushitai Herding Village–Qiongkushitai Valley Camp D3: Qiongkushitai Valley Camp–Qiong Pass–Kunuosayi Camp D4: Kunuosayi Camp–Zip Line–Grassland Station Camp D5: Grassland Station–Koke Alapiye Gorge–Heaven Lake D6: Heaven Lake–Second Lake–Akebulake Pass–Bozikelige Valley D7: Bozikelige Valley–Heiyingshan Township–Kuqa D8: Free Departure ✅5.🎒Recommended Gear: 🪧Clothing Waterproof jacket/pants🧥, fleece, quick-dry clothes, down jacket/pants, other personal clothing, hiking boots👟, water shoes, moisture-wicking socks, sun hat, fleece hat, gloves🧤, sunglasses🕶️, neck gaiter 🪧Accessories Thermos, headlamp💡, trekking poles, knee pads, large backpack/duffel, daypack🎒, raincoat, power bank, down sleeping bag 🪧Other Gear Utensils, trail snacks🥯, toiletries🪥, ID🪪, etc. ✅🚩Lightweight hiking with professional outdoor guides (1:6 ratio)✅ 🚶Trips start in June! Ready to join us?✌

The Wusun Ancient Road, a beautiful road that spans across the Tianshan Mountains from north to south, is one of the three classic routes in Xinjiang and is loved by many hikers every year. This year, we want to allow more people to come to the Wusun Ancient Road and experience the beauty of Xinjiang. We specially organized a hiking group of 100 people, bringing together hiking enthusiasts from all over the country to explore this top hiking route in Xinjiang and experience the beauty of Wusun. The first phase of this Wusun Ancient Road 100-person hiking group: 24.6.28-24.7.5 has started! On June 28, the launching ceremony of the first hiking festival of the Wusun Ancient Road held in Qiongkushitai Village, the northern entrance of the Wusun Ancient Road, was successfully concluded, marking the official start of the first hiking festival of the Wusun Ancient Road. This Wusun 100-person hiking group set out from Qiongkushitai Village, passing through the Koksu River and Tiantang Lake to Heiyingshan Township in southern Xinjiang-Kuqa, crossing two major passes-Qiong Pass and Akbulak Pass. Itinerary: D1: All over the country - Urumqi - Yining D2: Yining→Tekes→Qiongkushitai Village→Hike to the valley camp D3: River Valley Camp→Small Bridge Camp→Qiongda Pass→Snow Mountain View Camp D4: Snow Mountain Scenic Area → Kekesu River → Forestry Management Station Camp D5: Forestry Station Camp→Alpine Pasture→Heaven Lake D6: Paradise Lake→Second Lake→Akbulak Pass→Bozikrig River Valley D7: Bozikrig River Valley → Heiyingshan Township → Kuqa D8: Kuche→Return Highlights of this trip: 1. Provide professional camping equipment and fixed camp tents 2. Provide brand waterproof camel bag 3. 1:8 service by dedicated tour leader 4. Dedicated horse team to transport luggage 5. Give away a magic headscarf 6. Free use of trekking poles 7. Rich camp breakfast and dinner 8. Free travel accident insurance 9. Western Impression Direct Service PS: The total length of the Wusun Ancient Road is about 114 kilometers. It takes 6 days of hiking, with an average of about 20 kilometers per day. The highest altitude is Akbulak Pass, which is 3,840 meters above sea level. There are more than 40 river crossings along the way. It is suitable for hikers with experience in high-altitude hiking and camping. Xinjiang, China Yili, Xinjiang

Hiking on the Wusun Ancient Trail is of moderate difficulty for experienced hikers, but more difficult for beginners. It attracts more and more young people with its natural beauty and the thrill of going from heaven to hell in one step. The following is a guide specifically for beginners. Best hiking time: June to early October Hiking difficulty: Difficulty of forward trekking < Difficulty of reverse trekking The three main difficulties of hiking the Wusun Ancient Trail are: 1. The entire hike is 121 kilometers; 2. Crossing the river forty or fifty times; 3. Crossing two steep slopes. The charm of the Wusun Ancient Road lies in the fact that your body is in hell and your eyes are in heaven, so difficulty is indispensable. It is not recommended if you have a partner who is not physically fit. Equipment recommendations for hiking the Wusun Ancient Road: There are 5 days of camping: sleeping bags are required. Light hiking: You need a large backpack or camel bag (luggage limit 15 kg) and a 30-liter carry-on bag. Hiking: You will need mid-to-high-top waterproof hiking shoes, sweat-wicking clothing (2-3 pieces), fleece clothes, windbreaker clothes, down jackets, several pairs of long hiking socks, and trekking poles. Crossing the river: quick-drying pants, river trekking shoes (covered toes, hard soles), and waterproof bags (multiple). Sun protection: Sun hat, sunscreen and headscarf are required. Other items such as motion sickness medicine, gloves, and common medicines should be prepared according to your own situation. Public equipment: camping tents, egg nest moisture-proof mats, waterproof woven bags, dining tables, chairs, cooking utensils, food, fuel, walkie-talkies, emergency medicines, satellite phones, ropes, etc.