Kumtag Desert Scenic Area is located at the southern end of Shanshan County, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, along the southern section of Donghuan Road in the old city of Shanshan. It is one of the few deserts in the world that have zero distance contact with cities. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and the third national desert park in Xinjiang. The scenic area covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers, with a length of 62 kilometers from east to west and a width of 40 kilometers from north to south. "Kumtag" means "sand mountain" in Uyghur. The desert landforms include sand sand pit land, honeycomb-shaped sand land, flat sand land, undulating dune land, fish scale pattern sand slope land, desert gobi mixed land, etc. The dunes have clear outlines and distinct layers, with smooth and flowing ridge lines. The windward slope of the sand dune is like water, and the leeward slope flows like a waterfall. Standing in the old city of Shanshan and looking south, the golden desert is magnificent and full of scenery. For thousands of years, it has stayed with the oasis and looked at each other silently, like a loyal lover, giving people endless reverie.
History and Culture
The Kumtag Desert in Shanshan County is an important Silk Road in the history of western China. In the Tang Dynasty, there was Chiting here, which was an important channel connecting Central Plains culture and Western Regions culture at that time. The Tang Dynasty poet Cen Shen passed through Chiting many times and left many poems about Chiting. Among them, "The wind at Yinshan Qiakou is like an arrow, and the moon west of Tiemen Pass is like a white silk" vividly depicts the wind and sand landforms here.
The formation of the Kumtag Desert is mainly due to the strong winds from the Qijiaojing wind gap in Tianshan and the Dabancheng wind gap. Along the long wind path, they carry a large amount of sand, and finally meet, collide and deposit in the Kumtag area, forming the unique landscape of "desert with sand mountains".
Nowadays, a strange landscape of "harmony between humans and sand" has been formed in the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. The scenic area has perfect tourist service facilities, integrating scientific research, investigation, adventure, sand sports, sand therapy health care, and desert sightseeing. In November 2014, it was listed as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Main Attractions
Shashan Park
Shashan Park is an important part of the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. It was built in 1990 and is divided into north and south parts, bounded by a gentle flow running east-west along the edge of the sand mountain. The northern part covers an area of 500 mu. The east side is the water activity area, cultural entertainment area, children's activity area, flower viewing area, and grape garden. The west side is the lawn area and botanical garden. The southern area is the desert, with desert activity area, sand therapy area, and desert plant area. Shashan Park has entertainment projects such as sand sliding, sand climbing, camel riding, and go-karting. The sand therapy area also uses the sand of the sand mountain to treat diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism.
Shanshan Dinosaur Museum
Shanshan Dinosaur Museum is located in the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area and is the first county-level dinosaur museum in Xinjiang. The museum displays dinosaur fossils excavated in Shanshan County, including large sauropod dinosaurs, theropod dinosaurs, etc. These dinosaur fossils are about 160 million years old and are of great significance for studying the paleoecological environment and dinosaur evolution in Xinjiang. The museum introduces the living habits and evolutionary history of dinosaurs to visitors through fossil display, model restoration, multimedia interaction, and other methods.
Tuyugou Grand Canyon
Tuyugou Grand Canyon is located in the middle section of Flaming Mountains in Shanshan County and is an important canyon on the edge of Kumtag Desert. The canyon is 8 kilometers long from north to south and 1 kilometer wide from east to west, with an average altitude of 800 meters. Tuyugou Grand Canyon is the most mysterious place in the west and the intersection of many famous religious historical cultures in the world. Tuyugou Thousand-Buddha Caves and Tuyugou Khoja Mazar are powerful testimonies. Tuyugou Mazar Village, which has been named a "Chinese Historical and Cultural Village", is the oldest Uyghur village existing in Xinjiang. With a history of more than 1,700 years, it still preserves the oldest folk customs of the Uyghur people and is known as a "living fossil of folk customs".
Delicacies
Roasted Mutton Skewers
Roasted mutton skewers are one of the most famous snacks in Xinjiang and a common delicacy around the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. Using fresh mutton as raw material, cut into small pieces, strung with iron skewers, roasted over charcoal fire, and sprinkled with salt, cumin, chili, and other seasonings. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich aroma.
Hand-Picked Rice
Hand-picked rice is a traditional food of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, which can also be tasted in restaurants around the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. It uses rice, mutton, carrots, onions, etc., as raw materials. The rice is washed and soaked for a period of time, and then stewed with fried mutton, carrots, onions, etc. It is delicious and nutritious.
Roasted Buns
Roasted buns are one of the characteristic foods in Xinjiang and also one of the delicacies around the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. They use flour, mutton, onions, etc., as raw materials. The flour is kneaded into dough, rolled into thin slices, wrapped with adjusted mutton filling, and then baked in a nan pit. The roasted buns are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, with a fragrant smell.
Nan (Uygur Bread)
Nan is one of the main pasta loved by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and can be seen everywhere around the Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. It uses flour as raw material, adds appropriate amount of yeast, salt, water, etc., kneads into dough and ferments, then rolls into a round shape, sprinkles with sesame seeds, onions, and other seasonings, and bakes in a nan pit. There are many types of nan, such as large nan, small nan, sesame nan, etc., with a crispy taste and sweet flavor.
Tickets
The ticket price is 30 yuan per person. There are also some entertainment projects in the scenic area, such as sand sliding, camel riding, go-karting, etc. The prices of these projects vary, and visitors can choose to participate according to their interests and budgets.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "鄯善库木塔格沙漠" in WeChat to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of Kumtag Desert Scenic Area are 09:30-21:30 (peak season: April 21-October 20) and 10:00-18:30 (off-season: October 21-April 20 of the following year). The scenic area may adjust the opening hours according to actual conditions. Before going to the scenic area, visitors had better check the official website of the scenic area or consult by phone to confirm the opening hours.
Tour Route
Visitors can enter from the scenic area gate, first visit Shanshan Dinosaur Museum to understand the living habits and evolutionary history of dinosaurs. Then take a sightseeing bus to Shashan Park, where you can participate in entertainment projects such as sand sliding, sand climbing, camel riding, and go-karting, or experience sand therapy in the sand therapy area. After that, visitors can go to Tuyugou Grand Canyon to visit Tuyugou Thousand-Buddha Caves, Tuyugou Khoja Mazar, and Tuyugou Mazar Village to feel the traditional culture and folk customs of the Uyghur people. Finally, visitors can taste Xinjiang characteristic foods such as roasted mutton skewers, hand-picked rice, and roasted buns in the restaurants of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Public Transportation: Walk from the southern section of Donghuan Road in the old city of Shanshan to Kumtag Desert Scenic Area, the whole journey is about 1.5 kilometers, and the walking time is about 20 minutes. In addition, there are also buses in Shanshan County directly to the scenic area. Visitors can take Shanshan County Bus No. 1, 2, or 3 and get off at the scenic area gate.
- Self-driving: Starting from Turpan City, drive about 90 kilometers along the Lianhuo Expressway, exit at Shanshan, and then drive about 5 kilometers along National Highway 312 to reach Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. Starting from Urumqi City, drive about 280 kilometers along the Lianhuo Expressway, exit at Shanshan, and then drive about 5 kilometers along National Highway 312 to reach the scenic area.
- Chartered Car: Visitors can charter a car in Shanshan County to go to Kumtag Desert Scenic Area. The charter fee varies according to the vehicle type and itinerary, generally about 100-200 yuan.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Shashan Park: As the core attraction of Kumtag Desert Scenic Area, Shashan Park has spectacular sand mountain landscapes and rich entertainment projects, making it one of the must-visit attractions for visitors.
- Tuyugou Grand Canyon: Tuyugou Grand Canyon is the most mysterious place in the west, with a long history and culture and unique folk customs, making it a good place to understand Xinjiang traditional culture.
- Shanshan Dinosaur Museum: As the first county-level dinosaur museum in Xinjiang, Shanshan Dinosaur Museum displays rich dinosaur fossils and models, making it a good place to understand the evolutionary history of dinosaurs.
Tour Tips
- Understand the opening hours and ticket prices of the scenic area in advance and arrange the itinerary reasonably.
- The sunlight in desert areas is strong, and the ultraviolet radiation is large. Visitors should carry sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats, and other sunscreen supplies.
- The climate in desert areas is dry, and visitors should drink more water to maintain body moisture.
- When participating in entertainment projects such as sand sliding and camel riding, follow the guidance of staff and pay attention to safety.
- Respect local customs and religious beliefs, and do not take photos of local residents and religious places at will.
- When playing in the desert, pay attention to environmental protection and do not litter.
Notes
- The wind and sand in Kumtag Desert Scenic Area are relatively large. Visitors should wear protective supplies such as masks and scarves to prevent sand from entering the mouth and nose.
- The temperature difference between day and night in desert areas is large. Visitors should carry warm clothes to prevent getting cold at night.
- The terrain in the scenic area is complex. Visitors should play according to the designated route and do not enter undeveloped areas without permission.
- When playing in the desert, pay attention to replenishing water and electrolytes to prevent dehydration and heat stroke.
- There are some wild animals in the scenic area. Visitors should avoid contact with them to avoid accidents.
- Visitors should abide by the regulations of the scenic area and do not damage the facilities and environment of the scenic area at will.