Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture

I've been trying to figure out why Hui ethnic looks like Chinese Han, but they believe in Islam. The more I read, the less I know. Just in short, Hui is aboriginals of Xinjiang and first settled in Changji Area. Now it is called Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, located at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountains and the southeast edge of Junggar Basin, adjacent to Hami in the East, Shihezi City in the West, Turpan and Bayingolin Prefecture in the south, Tacheng and Altay in the north.Urumqi is surrounded by it in the east, West and north.

Why visit Changji Hui Prefecture

1. Historic fans

Beiting duhufu, an administrative unit in today's Beipo Chengzi of Jimusar in Changji, set up by the Chinese first Queen Wuzetian of Tang Dynasty. The administrative area started from Yiwu in the East, extended to the Aral Sea in the West, reached the Irtysh River to the Balkhash Lake in the north, and to the Tianshan Mountains in the south. Emperors of the Tang Dynasty had political aggression. As a poem wrote, "All the lands in the world belong to the King, and all the human in the world are King's people."

2. Wild hiking

The hiking route is a bit dangerous because the peak is 5445 meters above sea level. The glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain are unmelted all year around but attracts brave men. 

3. Artificial green Great Wall in desert

Land desertification in Xinjiang is severe. In order to protect farmland from wind and sand erosion, a large area of Haloxylon ammodendron forest was planted in Qitai desert, which became a spectacular green barrier.

4. Rock carvings

Kangjia shimenziyan carving painting is a rare reproduction worship rock painting in China and even the world, located in the hinterland of Hutubi County, Changji Prefecture. In the sexual revolution, China is one of the most conservative countries. It is rare of a worship reproduction in rock paintings.

5. Dinosaur Museums

There are dinosaur fossils such as Sagittarius, Qitai Tianshan dragon, and Chinese Raptor, which have been unearthed in Changji Prefecture, are displayed. 

6. The Street of Hui Cuisine

The architectural style of Hui people's snack street combines the traditional Islamic architectural style with the Chinese classical architecture by using earthy yellow bricks and pointed tower mode. It adopts a green tile roof, red iron hollow doors and windows and Islamic green to represent Hui Muslims' yearning for a feeling of peace.

You will love to try Hui special snacks such as nine bowls of sanxingzi, Yougao, Youxiang, youtazi, mianfeizi, Jiaoma chicken, Dapan chicken series, meatball soup, etc.,

7. Tianshan saussurea involucratai 

It is a rare precious medicinal plant, also known as snow lotus, which grows in the high mountain flowing stone slope with an altitude of 4800-5800 meters and the gravel near the snow line.

Top attractions

1. Jiangbulake Prairie

In National Forest Park in Qita of Changji Hui Prefecture, known for its unique geographical environment. Along Bogda peak to the East, most of the views are barren and depressing. But when the Tianshan Mountain extends to banjiegou in Qitai County, the majestic mountain suddenly turns a curve, as if bending an arm to holds up the snow water happily giving birth to the vast and vigorous Jiangbulake grassland. 

From August to October, Jiangbulake grassland becomes wheat fields paved with golden color. With the rise and fall of the mountains, the golden wheat fields are like a picture that Van Gogh described to his brother Theo "I'm painting a new subject - far away, fields of yellow and green everywhere".

Jiangbulake grassland is a fine picture composed of precise color and geometric composition, leading our eyes from the foreground to the far distance step by step, and touching again and again by its pure golden yellow with green mountains and blue sky in the distance.

Autumn in Jiangbulake grassland is gorgeous, surging, full of uncontrollable excitement and enthusiasm and the theme of life and power.

2. Bogda Trekking

Bogda Peak is the highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains with an altitude of 5445 meters. It means "the God of mountains" in Mongolian, which is the spirit of the Urumqi people. On a fine day of summer, Bogda peak can be seen silver shining rising from the clouds.

Trekking from the Three Chahe River Valley. After entering the gully, you can shuttle up in the white poplar forest as if getting into a paradise. After hiking 5km, you will arrive at No. 1 Sheepfold as the slope increased sharply. It is the summer ranch, and then to No. 3 Sheepfold. Here is 2500 meters above sea level, and many rock paintings left by ancient nomads on the slopes.

After leaving the No.3 Sheepfold, you will climb up to the top of the slope (3000 meters above sea level). You can see the Bogda Peak snow mountain and then go south to cross the most difficult route to the watershed of Bogda mountain with 3550 meters above sea level. It is snowy all year-round, and there are many large and small glaciers. Passing the ice lake is the Base Camp of Bogda.

Along the way, you will see snow-capped mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes, grasslands, meadows, forests and deserts. They are not only harmony but also contradictions. Tianshan juxtaposes cold and hot, dry and humid, flat and steep, tall and deep, ice and snow and green, rich and monotonous in the same time and space.

3. Changji Dinosaur Museum

Located on Jianguo West Road Changji City, it was built in 2009 and officially opened on May 18, 2012. It is the only dinosaur theme museum in Xinjiang, the first pale-ontological Museum in Xinjiang, and the fourth largest dinosaur museum in the world.

In the museum, Zhongjiamamen dinosaur the largest dinosaur in Asia, Multicolored crested dinosaur the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rex, 

Sinoraptor large theropod dinosaur, Junggar general dinosaur Asia's largest Stegosaurus, Titanosaurus the earliest beaked theropod dinosaur, sauropods, theropods, Stegosaurus, and paleontological skeleton fossils are displayed in the museum.

Transportation

Because Changji is very close to Urumqi, it is convenient to travel Changji by coach. Private vehicles running to scenic spots are available too.

Accommodation

Although Changji is not the main tourist destination, hotels are developing wonderfully in recent years. Most of the hotels and guesthouses in Changji Prefecture are two or three-star, distributed in Changji City. There are also a variety of clean and sanitary, cheap hotels for tourists and backpackers to stay. Please check the following hotels as reference.

Hongdu International Hotel

Huadong · Rongjin International Hotel

Guesthouse

Maps of Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture you might need need