Barkol

An alpine-grassland county town on the northern slope of the Eastern Tianshan, with Barkol Lake, Singing Sand Mountain, Qing-dynasty twin Han and Manchu walled cities, and Songshutang, set among cool summer Kazakh pastures.

Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County belongs to Hami, Xinjiang, and lies in the Barkol Basin on the northern foot of the Eastern Tianshan. The county seat is at about 1,600 m, separated from Hami city by the Tianshan; crossing the pass takes about 2 hours by car. Since the Han and Tang dynasties this has been a key point on the northern Silk Road. Known as Zhenxi Prefecture in the Qing dynasty, it still has the remains of two walled cities, the Han City and the Manchu City, along with many temples, and it is also a grassland herding region where Kazakhs live. The main sights fall into three groups: grassland and lakes (Barkol Grassland, Barkol Lake, and Singing Sand Mountain to the east, surrounded by pasture); Tianshan scenery (the Songshutang forest and Tianshan Temple at the mountain pass); and historical sites (Barkol Ancient City, Dizang Temple, the Tang-dynasty Dahe ancient city, and ancient nomadic sites such as Donghei Gou and Lanzhouwanzi). The best season is Jun–Sep, when the grassland is green and the weather cool, with flower fields and wheat fields in Jul–Aug; winters are severely cold and the pass is snowbound. Most visitors self-drive. Hami has an airport and a high-speed rail station, and most sights are within 20–60 km of the county seat. Plan 1–2 days: one day for the Eastern Tianshan (Tianshan Temple, Songshutang, Singing Sand Mountain) and one for Barkol Lake, the ancient city and the Tang city. Day–night temperature swings are large, so bring a jacket even in summer.

Top sights

• Barkol Grassland – A vast grassland at the northern foot of the Tianshan, where snowy peaks, wheat fields and herds intermingle. It is rich in Kazakh nomadic…
• Barkol Lake – A high-plateau saline lake at about 1,580 meters on the northern foot of the Tianshan, with white saline shores set against distant snowy m…
• Barkol Ancient City – The seat of the Qing-era Zhenxi Prefecture, where the rammed-earth walls of the Han City and Manchu City still stand. Temples and old stree…
• Songshutang – A pine-forest pasture on the road over the Tianshan to Barkol, once a post station on the ancient route. Its dense spruce groves and open g…
• Barkol Singing Sand Mountain – A golden sand mountain ringed by green grassland, with dunes about 100 meters high that hum as you slide down them. It is the star attracti…
• Tianshan Temple (East Tianshan Scenic Area) – An old Guandi temple at the Tianshan pass on the road from Hami to Barkol, at about 2,700 meters above sea level. From here you can look ov…
• Dahe Ancient City – A Tang-dynasty earthen city ruin northeast of Barkol County town, believed to be the garrison of the Tang Yiwu Army. Its rammed-earth walls…
• Dongheigou Site – A large ancient pastoral settlement in the Shirenzi Gou valley on the northern slopes of the Tianshan, with stone-built platforms, tombs an…
• Lanzhouwanzi & Xiheigou Sites – A Bronze Age site complex about 5 km southwest of the county town, featuring giant stone houses and rock carvings. Stone structures on the…
• Dizang Temple (Barkol) – A Qing-style Buddhist temple inside Barkol County town, with upturned eaves and halls beside the ancient city walls. It is the representati…

Where to eat

• Xueyuan Restaurant (Barkol Food Street Branch) – A long-established restaurant of around thirty years on Barkol's food street, best known for mutton braised flatbread a…

Itineraries

• Eastern Tianshan Loop: Qitai, Barkol, Hami & Turpan – A loop from Urumqi around the Eastern Tianshan, connecting wheat fields, grasslands, the Hami King's Palace, and the an…