Kunlun Mountain Scenic Area in Xinjiang is located at the junction of Cele County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang and the First Ranch of the 14th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, bordering Wuluk Sayi Township in the north and connecting to the Kunlun Snow Mountains in the south, with a total area of 596.39 square kilometers. As a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national high-quality adventure tourism scenic area, the scenic area takes the "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains" Kunlun Snow Mountains as the core, integrating natural landscapes such as alpine meadows (Banlange Meadow is a national first-class natural meadow), glaciers (above 5,000 meters above sea level), and grand canyons (the Kunlun Grand Canyon has a depth of 12 kilometers), and is equipped with facilities such as RV camps (80 beds), vacation cabins (50 buildings), and Kunlun Hotel (120 guest rooms). In 2024, it received 807,000 tourists and is fully committed to creating a national 5A-level scenic area (the infrastructure improvement project was launched in 2025 with an investment of 660 million yuan).
History and Culture
Kunlun Mountain is known as the "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains" and the "Ancestor of Dragon Veins". The Classic of Mountains and Seas and Biography of King Mu of Zhou record the myth of the meeting between the Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou. The scenic area preserves cultural symbols such as the Sculpture of King Mu's Journey to the West and the Sculpture of Pangu Creating the World. Historically, it was a vital passage on the southern route of the Silk Road. The Akeqige Folk Village retains intangible cultural heritages such as traditional Uyghur costumes and the Twelve Mukams dance. The Jade Mine Ruins (traceable to the Han Dynasty) witnessed the rise and fall of the "Jade Road". Kunlun culture is deeply integrated with grassland culture and nomadic culture, forming the cultural main line of "Exploring Kunlun and Visiting Historic Sites", and was awarded the "Important Carrier of Kunlun Culture" in 2023.
Main Attractions
Banlange Meadow
At an altitude of 2,800-3,200 meters, covering an area of 120 square kilometers, it is a national first-class natural meadow, growing more than 200 kinds of forage such as Kunlun wormwood and wild onions, with a wildflower coverage rate of over 70% in summer. It is equipped with a horse-riding experience area (200 horses) and a pet paradise (including animals such as argali and marmots). In 2024, a starry sky camp (10 stargazing platforms) was newly added.
Kunlun Grand Canyon
With a depth of 12 kilometers and a narrowest point of only 3 meters, the canyon is distributed with Colorful Springs (containing 7 minerals) and Tag Mountain (altitude 4,200 meters). At the north entrance of the canyon, there is a "First Gate of Kunlun" archway. The walking boardwalk has a total length of 5.8 kilometers. In 2025, a canyon cableway was newly added (one-way 8 minutes, height difference 600 meters).
Diru Peak
At an altitude of 4,800 meters, it is named for its mountain shape resembling breast milk and symbolizes the "Mother Earth" in Kunlun culture. A viewing platform (300㎡ in area) is set up on the peak, offering a 180° overlook of the snow mountain range (including 7 peaks above 5,000 meters such as Qunyu Peak and Xuanpu Peak).
Akeqige Folk Village
Preserving Uyghur adobe houses with a history of 300 years, it displays hand-woven carpet weaving (5 intangible cultural heritage inheritors) and nang pit roast meat techniques. A cultural square is set up in the village, and the live performance Love of Kunlun is staged every Saturday (45 minutes in duration).
Food
Kunlun Snow Water Stewed Mutton
Using Hotan sheep raised above 2,500 meters above sea level in Kunlun Mountain, slowly stewed with glacial meltwater for 4 hours, the meat contains 18 kinds of amino acids (detection report shows a protein content of 22%), with a per capita consumption of 80 yuan.
Cele Pomegranate Juice
A national geographical indication product, 12,000 mu of "Piya Man" pomegranates are planted in the scenic area. The freshly squeezed juice retains 92% of vitamin C, and the single cup is sold for 15 yuan (500ml).
Desert Nang Pit Roast Meat
A feature of the Akeqige Folk Village, mutton is skewered with red willow wood and baked in a 400℃ nang pit for 15 minutes, with daily sales of over 500 skewers, and each skewer is 25 yuan (200 grams).
Tickets
Tickets start from 40 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "新疆昆仑山景区" to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
Open throughout the year (some roads are closed in the snow season), 8:00-20:00 (April 1-October 31), 9:00-18:00 (November 1-March 31). Operating hours of the Grand Canyon Cableway: 10:00-18:00 (limited to 800 people per day), Starry Sky Camp 22:00-2:00 (appointment required).
Tour Routes
【One-day Essence Tour】: First Gate of Kunlun (30 minutes) → Horse riding at Banlange Meadow (1 hour) → Lunch at Kunlun Hotel → Hiking in the Grand Canyon (3 hours) → Akeqige Folk Village (1.5 hours) → Sunset at Diru Peak (1 hour).
【Two-day In-depth Tour】: The same as the first day, and the next day adds Jade Mine Ruins (2 hours, guide required), Jade Searching Journey (3 hours, professional tool rental 50 yuan/set), and Starry Sky Camp accommodation.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Urumqi → Tuhe Expressway → Cele County (8 hours) → Scenic area special line (95 kilometers, asphalt road, speed limit 60km/h). Vehicles below 7 seats are allowed to enter the scenic area (need to purchase a 30-yuan traffic ticket).
- Chartered Car: Round-trip chartered car from Cele County is 400 yuan/vehicle (including driver, limited to 5 people), with a driving time of 2.5 hours.
- Scenic Area Bus: The Cele County Bus Station departs at 9:00 and 11:00 daily, with a fare of 35 yuan, and the return last bus is at 18:00.
Must-visit Attractions
- Banlange Meadow: The largest alpine flower sea in Xinjiang (flowering period from June to August), stargazing at the starry sky camp (light pollution level 2).
- Kunlun Grand Canyon: The narrowest canyon in Xinjiang (narrowest 3 meters), and the minerals in Colorful Springs reach medical grade (water temperature 28℃).
- Diru Peak: A viewing platform at an altitude of 4,800 meters with a 180° view of the snow mountain range (including 7 snow peaks above 5,000 meters).
- Akeqige Folk Village: Intangible cultural heritage carpet weaving experience (30 yuan/person, finished products can be taken away), and nang pit roast meat has an average queue of 1 hour per day.
Tour Tips
- Wear a windbreaker from June to August (day-night temperature difference of 20℃), and prepare a down jacket in October (minimum -5℃).
- Non-slip shoes are required for canyon hiking, and it is recommended to carry 1.5L of drinking water (no sales points along the way).
- The starry sky camp needs to be reserved 3 days in advance , and sleeping bags are provided for rent (50 yuan/night).
- The jade mine ruins need to be filed with the scenic area (free of charge, ID card registration is required), and private jade mining is prohibited.
Notes
- Altitude sickness: Some areas are over 4,000 meters above sea level. It is recommended to carry glucose oral liquid, and patients with heart disease should enter with caution.
- Fire prevention regulations: Smoking is prohibited throughout the scenic area, and violators will be fined 500-2,000 yuan.
- Wild animals: Do not feed argali or marmots when encountering them, and keep more than 500 meters away from brown bear activity areas (marked areas).
- Folk etiquette: Take off your shoes when entering Akeqige Village, and seek permission before photographing villagers.
- Environmental protection requirements: Take away your own garbage, and violators will be fined 200 yuan (12 recycling points are set up in the scenic area).