Tianshan Wildlife Park is located in Banfanggou Township, Urumqi County, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The park covers a total area of 75 square kilometers, making it one of the largest wildlife parks in northwest China. With the natural ecology of the eastern section of the Tianshan Mountains as the background, the scenic area has various landforms such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. It is divided into 11 functional areas including herbivore areas, beast areas, and avian areas. It houses more than 240 species and nearly 10,000 wild animals, including 30 national first-class protected animals and 60 second-class protected animals. It is a comprehensive park integrating wild animal protection, science education, and sightseeing tourism.
History and Culture
The predecessor of Tianshan Wildlife Park was Urumqi Zoo. In 2005, it was relocated to the current site and renamed Tianshan Wildlife Park. The new park is located at the foot of Bogda Peak on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. This area was once the passage of the new northern route of the ancient Silk Road and was a historical activity area for nomadic peoples. When constructing the park, great attention was paid to protecting the local natural ecology, preserving the original desert vegetation and mountain terrain, while integrating Western Regions cultural elements. The tourist service center and science venues display the history and achievements of wildlife protection in Xinjiang, as well as animal cultural symbols along the Silk Road.
Main Attractions
Beast Area
Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, it is divided into 7 areas including the Siberian Tiger Area, African Lion Area, and Brown Bear Area. Visitors need to take a special sightseeing vehicle to tour. The Siberian Tiger Area houses more than 20 Siberian tigers, the African Lion Area has 15 African lions, and the Brown Bear Area has 30 brown bears, making it one of the most ornamental areas in the park.
Herbivore Area
With an area of 8 square kilometers, it houses more than 40 species of herbivores such as wild camels, wild yaks, and Tibetan antelopes. The wild camel population reaches 25, making it one of the largest artificially raised wild camel populations in China; the Tibetan antelope exhibition area covers 1.2 square kilometers, housing more than 50 Tibetan antelopes.
Aviary Area
It includes a raptor hall, waterfowl lake, and bird garden. The raptor hall has more than 30 species of raptors such as golden eagles and steppe eagles. The waterfowl lake houses more than 20 species of waterbirds such as swans and pelicans. The bird garden covers 0.8 square kilometers and is home to nearly 100 species of migratory and resident birds.
Desert Animal Area
Simulating the ecological environment of the Gurbantünggüt Desert, it houses more than 20 species of desert animals such as sand foxes, Pallas's cats, and jerboas. The Pallas's cat exhibition area covers 0.5 square kilometers, making it a rare centralized display area for Pallas's cats in China.
Science Education Hall
With a construction area of 3,000 square meters, it is divided into an animal specimen exhibition hall, ecological science exhibition hall, and interactive experience area. It displays more than 200 animal specimens, including specimens of rare species such as snow leopards and Siberian ibexes. It is an important place for carrying out nature education.
Cuisine
Roasted Buns
The park's food square offers Xinjiang-style roasted buns with mutton and onion fillings. Each bun weighs about 100 grams, has a crispy outer skin, and is sold at 8 yuan per piece, with a daily sales volume of more than 500 pieces.
Mutton Pilaf
Made from high-quality Xinjiang rice and mutton, each plate is 250 grams, paired with carrots and raisins, and sold at 25 yuan per plate. It is a popular choice for visitors' lunch.
Yogurt Shaved Ice
Made from Xinjiang handmade yogurt and ice cubes, each serving is 300 milliliters, added with honey and nut crumbs, sold at 15 yuan per serving. The daily sales volume in summer exceeds 300 servings.
Surrounding Cuisine
There are farmhouses within 5 kilometers around the scenic area offering Big Plate Chicken and Nang Pit Roast Meat. Each serving of Big Plate Chicken is 1.8 kilograms, sold at 98 yuan; each skewer of Nang Pit Roast Meat is 200 grams, sold at 15 yuan, both made with local ingredients.
Admission Tickets
The admission ticket is 70 yuan per person, and the self-driving car ticket is 90 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "新疆天山野生动物园" in WeChat to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
The scenic area is open throughout the year, with daily opening hours from 10:00 to 18:00 (extended to 19:00 in summer). April to October each year is the best visiting period. The beast area sightseeing vehicles operate from 10:30 to 17:30 daily, with a frequency of every 30 minutes. Subject to the actual opening hours of the scenic area.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: After entering the park at 10 am, first take a sightseeing vehicle to tour the beast area (about 1.5 hours) to watch Siberian tigers, African lions, and other beasts; then go to the herbivore area and visit the wild camel and Tibetan antelope exhibition areas on foot (about 1 hour); have lunch at the food square; in the afternoon, tour the aviary area (1.5 hours) and desert animal area (1 hour) in sequence, and finally go to the science education hall to study (1 hour), ending the tour before 17:30.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Start from downtown Urumqi, drive south along the Lianhuo Expressway for 45 kilometers, then turn to Urumqi County Road. The whole journey takes about 1.2 hours. The scenic area parking lot can accommodate 500 cars, with a parking fee of 15 yuan per time.
- Tourist Bus: Nianzaigou Bus Station in Urumqi has tourist buses directly to the scenic area at 10:00 and 11:30 daily. The one-way ticket price is 35 yuan per person, and the journey takes about 1.5 hours.
- Bus: Take Urumqi Bus No. 312 to Banfanggou Township Station, then transfer to a shuttle bus to the scenic area entrance. The whole journey takes about 2 hours, with a total fare of 12 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- Beast Area: Take a sightseeing vehicle to watch Siberian tigers, African lions, and other beasts up close. The sightseeing vehicle tour takes about 1.5 hours, with the first shift at 10:30 daily.
- Herbivore Area: The wild camel exhibition area has 25 wild camels, and the Tibetan antelope exhibition area houses more than 50 Tibetan antelopes, suitable for taking photos.
- Science Education Hall: The 3,000-square-meter hall has more than 200 animal specimens, among which the snow leopard specimen is the treasure of the hall.
- Aviary Area: The waterfowl lake has whooper swans and black-necked cranes. The raptor hall offers golden eagle hunting displays at 11:00 and 15:00 daily.
Tour Tips
- Recommended visiting time: 4-5 hours. In summer, carry sunscreen and a sunhat as the ultraviolet rays in the park are strong.
- Sightseeing vehicles in the beast area need to purchase tickets in advance. It is recommended to choose the first shift at 10:30 when animals are more active.
- Visitors with children can rent a park children's stroller (30 yuan per vehicle). The walking area of the park is large to avoid children getting tired.
- It is recommended to bring your own drinking water and snacks. Mineral water in the park is sold at 5 yuan per bottle, and snacks are about 30% more expensive than in the urban area.
Precautions
- When visiting the beast area, it is strictly forbidden to get off the vehicle or open the window to avoid danger. Do not stand while the sightseeing vehicle is moving.
- Do not feed animals at will. Designated feeding points are set up in the park, and special feed (10 yuan per portion) should be used to feed herbivores.
- Respect the guidance of park staff. Keep quiet when animals are active nearby to avoid scaring animals with loud noise.
- Mobile phone signals are weak in some areas of the park. It is recommended to inform fellow travelers of the meeting time and place in advance.
- The temperature in the park is high in summer. Avoid prolonged exposure at noon, and it is recommended to carry anti-heatstroke medicines with you.