Baishuijian Ancient Town Scenic Area in Dabancheng District is located in the south of Dabancheng District, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bordered by the Baiyang River in the south, adjacent to National Highway 312 in the north, facing Tuwu Expressway in the west, and reaching the Heigou River in the east. The scenic area covers an area of 750 mu. In December 2024, the scenic area was upgraded to a national 4A-level tourist attraction.
The scenic area features Silk Road, military garrison, and folk culture. It is surrounded by Tang-style buildings, including towering city gates, sparkling moats, suspension bridges spanning them, and quietly standing beacon towers, reproducing the majestic posture of the border military town in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In addition, the scenic area also has a wetland park, a large open-air starry sky camp, etc., making it a comprehensive scenic area integrating cultural resources and natural landscapes.
History and Culture
Baishuijian Ancient Town was an ancient city built for military needs in the Tang Dynasty and was an important post town on the Xinjiang section of the Ancient Silk Road. The "Xizhou Tujing" records: "Baishuijian Road starts from the boundary of Shanhe County on the right, leading to various tribes west of Chuyue in the northwest, with sufficient water and grass, allowing traffic for vehicles and horses," hence this road was called Baishuijian, and Dabancheng Ancient Town is also known as Baishuijian Ancient Town.
Many historical figures such as Zhang Qian, Cen Shen, Ji Xiaolan, Lin Zexu, and Zuo Zongtang once stayed here, leaving rich lyrics, poems, and great achievements, making it full of historical profoundness.
The ancient city was built on a large piece of iron-black rock. The city walls were rammed with local gravel and sand, following the mountain rocks. The measured perimeter of its outer wall is nearly 300 meters, with rammed layers 10-25 centimeters thick. In the best-preserved sections, the walls are still over 5 meters high.
Main Attractions
Baishui Ancient City Ruins
The existing ancient city ruins are a witness to history. The city walls are divided into inner and outer layers, rammed with broken gravel and sand. Although weathered by time, only some broken city walls remain, but they still make people feel the strength and danger of the ancient city.
Wang Luobin Art Museum
The museum displays the life stories of Wang Luobin, the modern folk song king of the Western Regions, and his many classic works, such as "The Girl of Dabancheng," allowing visitors to deeply understand Wang Luobin's artistic life and his contribution to Western Regions music culture.
Military Drill Ground
The Tang-style military drill ground seems to let people see the scene of Tang soldiers drilling here, feeling the majesty and solemnity of ancient military culture.
Silk Road Style Street
Both sides of the street are distributed with various Silk Road merchants, including ethnic handicraft workshops selling characteristic handicrafts such as Aidilaisi silk, Xinjiang carpets, and ethnic musical instruments, as well as various flavor snack bars, full of rich Western Regions customs.
Wetland Park
The wetland is opened up as a park to maintain the original ecology. Wooden bridges are built over the water streams, and wooden boardwalks are laid on the wetland. Reeds sway in the wind, forming a green water and mountain ecological picture scroll where water is in green, green is in water, and people are in the painting, creating a strong beauty of hardness and softness with the resolute Tianshan Mountains and the majestic Bogda Peak.
Kangbarhan's Former Residence
Here displays the life stories and artistic achievements of Kangbarhan, a famous dancer, allowing visitors to understand the development process of Xinjiang dance art and feel the unique dance culture of Xinjiang.
Large Open-Air Starry Sky Camp
Covering an area of 3,000 square meters, it is equipped with starry sky camping, barbecue squares, and walking paths. Visitors can camp here, enjoy the starry sky, experience the fun of outdoor barbecues, and enjoy a unique nighttime tourism experience.
Delicacies
Jiuwan Sanxingzi (Nine Bowls in Three Rows)
It is a traditional famous dish of the Hui nationality in Xinjiang, arranging nine bowls of dishes in a square, three bowls on each side, forming a nine-square grid. The dishes are rich in variety, with a combination of meat and vegetarian dishes, good in color, aroma, and taste, reflecting the food culture and hospitality of the Hui people.
Roasted Buns
Using flour, mutton, etc., as the main raw materials, cut the mutton into small pieces, mix it with onions, seasonings, etc., wrap it in the dough, and bake it in a nan pit. The outer skin is crispy, the inner filling is fresh and juicy, and the aroma is overflowing.
Oil Fragrance
It is a traditional food of the Hui and other Muslim ethnic groups, made of flour, yeast, sugar, etc., into a dough, kneaded into a round cake, and fried in oil until golden. It has a soft taste and a sweet taste, often appearing in various festivals and celebrations.
Oil Tower
Made of flour and sheep oil, roll the dough into a thin pancake, spread sheep oil and seasonings, roll it up layer by layer, then coil it into a tower shape, and steam it. The oil tower has distinct layers, is soft and oily, and has a rich taste.
Mutton Offal Soup
Taking mutton heart, liver, lung, tripe, intestines, etc., as the main ingredients, after cleaning, cooking, and chopping, put them into the pot with high soup, seasonings, etc., and cook. The soup is delicious and nutritious, and it is a warm stomach food.
Seven-Color Sweet Rice
Also known as "Parmuddin," it is made of glutinous rice, carrots, raisins, apricots, walnuts, etc., with colorful colors, sweet taste, rich nutrition, and is a characteristic sweet rice in Xinjiang.
Tickets
The ticket price is 30 yuan per person. Subject to the actual price of the scenic area. As of May 29, 2025, the official WeChat public account of the scenic area has not been found.
Opening Hours
Usually 10:00 - 19:00. Subject to the actual opening hours of the scenic area.
Tour Route
Visitors can enter from the scenic area gate, first visit the Tang-style city gates, moats, suspension bridges, and other buildings to feel the majestic posture of the border military town in the prosperous Tang Dynasty; then go to the military drill ground to imagine the scene of ancient soldiers drilling; then come to the Silk Road Style Street to experience the fun of shopping and tasting delicious food; then visit the Wang Luobin Art Museum to understand Wang Luobin's artistic life; after that, go to the Baishui Ancient City Ruins to explore historical relics; cross the wetland park to enjoy the natural scenery; finally come to the large open-air starry sky camp to enjoy the comfort of camping and barbecuing. If time permits, you can also visit other attractions such as Kangbarhan's Former Residence.
Transportation
- Self-driving: You can go to the scenic area through National Highway 312, Tuwu Expressway, etc. The scenic area is located in the south of Dabancheng District, Urumqi City, bordered by the Baiyang River in the south, adjacent to National Highway 312 in the north, facing Tuwu Expressway in the west, and reaching the Heigou River in the east. Just set the navigation to "Baishuijian Ancient Town Scenic Area."
- Public Transportation: Take a bus from Urumqi urban area to Dabancheng, and after arriving in Dabancheng Town, you can take a taxi or local transportation to the scenic area.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Baishui Ancient City Ruins: As the core representative of the scenic area's history and culture, the broken city walls tell the history of thousands of years, and it is a must-visit place to feel the profound historical heritage of the ancient city.
- Wang Luobin Art Museum: It is a must-see for visitors who love music and culture. The rich exhibits in the museum can help people deeply understand Wang Luobin and his music creation, as well as the charm of Western Regions music culture.
- Wetland Park: With unique natural scenery, wooden bridges, wetlands, reeds, etc., form a beautiful ecological picture scroll, which is a good place for photo check-ins and leisurely walks, allowing visitors to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature during the journey.
- Large Open-Air Starry Sky Camp: For visitors who like outdoor experiences, camping, barbecuing, and looking up at the starry sky here is a unique travel experience that can make people linger.
Tour Tips
- The recommended play time is half a day to a day. If you want to fully experience the various activities and attractions of the scenic area, you can choose to stay overnight at the starry sky camp in the scenic area.
- When going to the scenic area in summer, the sunlight is strong, so take sun protection measures, such as carrying sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hats, etc.; at the same time, there are many mosquitoes in summer, so you can carry anti-mosquito bite medicines.
- There are many walking paths and wooden boardwalks in the scenic area. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes for convenient walking and visiting.
- When participating in interactive projects such as horseback riding and camel riding, follow the guidance of the staff to ensure your own safety.
- You can understand the performance time and activity arrangements of the scenic area in advance, plan the tour route reasonably, and not miss the wonderful performances and interactive experiences.
Notes
- Respect local customs and religious beliefs, especially when visiting some scenic spots and places with national characteristics.
- Take care of the environment of the scenic area, do not spit or litter, and do not damage the vegetation and public facilities in the scenic area.
- In the cultural relic protection areas such as the ancient city ruins, do not touch or carve the cultural relics, abide by the regulations of the scenic area, and visit civilly.
- If you camp in the scenic area, pay attention to fire safety, abide by the fire regulations of the camp, and avoid fires.
- When taking transportation, pay attention to keeping personal belongings, especially in places with many people, to prevent the loss of property.