Altay Travel Guide

Lying at the middle of the Altay Mountains' southern slope in the northernmost part of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Altay Prefecture borders on Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. Covering a total area of 118,015 square kilometers (45,566 square miles), it is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture has jurisdiction over 1 county-level city and 6 counties, Altay City, Jeminay, Habahe, Burjin, Fuyun, Fuhai, and Qinghe, having a population of 640,000 (2004), of which most people are ethnic groups such as the Kazak, Mongolian, Uygur, and Hui.

 History 
'Altay' in Mongolian and Turkic means 'Gold Mountain', since Altay Mountain has been a producer of gold since ancient times, and 84 other ferrous and non-ferrous minerals have been found in Altay Prefecture. In the third century B.C., before the Sakas people were driving to this, descendants of the Huns, Hsian-peis and Turks had ruled here. During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the khanate was governed by Grand Anxi Frontier Command of the Tang Empire. The Uyghurs, and in the 12th century the Kara-Khitai, took possession of it in turn. The Oirats controlled the area until 1755 as Jagatai Khanate, when Qianlong's Manchus annexed it.

 Topography 
Altay Mountains with colorful scenery is located in the northern part of Altay Prefecture while Junggar Basin is in the south. The topography tilts from northeast to southwest low. Its central part is occupied by a fluvial plain where the Ertix River and Ulungur River rising in Altay Mountain flow westward, and a desert is in its southern part.

 Climate 
Located in the typical cold continental climate area, the Altay Prefecture has windy spring, rainy summer, cool autumn and cold and long winter. The mean annual temperature is 3.7 degrees Celsius (38.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and the annual precipitation is 171.5 millimeters (6.8 inches).

 Tourist Sites
The famous tourist sites are the Kanas Lake Nature Reserve, the Ulungu Lake Resort, the White Sand Lake, the Mingsha Mountain, and the Qierqiek ancient tombs and grassland stone figures. The Kanas is a magical and appealing place for all ages. Maybe it is an enchanting Mongolian name which means 'a lake in a gorge'. The landscape around Kanas Lake can match that of Switzerland, and the lake area is now a national nature reserve. Altay Prefecture is also known for its cultural relics. Pictures on the rock faces, color paintings on the walls of the caves, and carved figures form an art gallery.

 What to see: Kanas Lake