Yanshuigou Valley
盐水沟
A canyon of red folded mountains beside the northwest highway out of Kuqa, with tilted rock layers in vivid colors. It is a famous viewpoint on the way to the Kizil Caves.
Yanshuigou lies about 20 km northwest of Kuqa city. The road to Baicheng and the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves cuts through this stretch of the Chilletag Mountains. Red sandstone and mudstone layers have been strongly compressed into tilted folds. Once weathered, they look like rows of upright stone slabs, and both their colors and forms are spectacular. The stream in the gorge is high in salt, which is how the valley got its name, “Salt Water Gully.” There are free roadside viewpoints along the way. The best light for photos is in the late afternoon, when the rocks are backlit. The road has many bends, so do not stop in the middle of the road to take photos. You can combine it with the Kizilgaha Beacon Tower and the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves in a one-day western route.
Opening hours
All day