Hami

Hami has a large temperature difference between day and night, so bring warm clothing if you plan to visit the Gobi or mountain areas.

Hami is not only known for Hami melons. It is also an important Silk Road city with Gobi yardangs, alpine grasslands, salt lakes, poplar forests, and the everyday atmosphere of an old town. The eastern Tianshan Mountains divide the local landscape into two distinct sides: south of the mountains is mainly desert and Gobi, while north of the mountains has grasslands and lakes. In a single day, you can experience sharply contrasting natural scenery.

• Hami Dahaidao: The only uninhabited yardang area in China that can be legally crossed by self-driving travelers. The wind-eroded landforms are striking, with a desolate, Mars-like landscape. At sunset, the rock layers turn orange-red, making the view especially impressive.

• Hami Museum: Free to enter. The square displays the world’s largest assemblage of pterosaur fossils, while the museum mainly presents Silk Road relics and the history of Hami. The museum is closed every Monday.

• Hami Altun Ancient Street: A free-to-visit old street with Uyghur character. The rammed-earth houses are earthy yellow, paired with colorful wooden doors and windows. After the lights come on in the evening, it is a good place to enjoy the night view, browse the night market, and experience neighborhood life.

• Hami King’s Palace: Known as the “Little Forbidden City of the Western Regions,” its architecture blends Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Uyghur, and other ethnic styles. From Wangye Terrace, you can look out over the surrounding scenery. It is a good place to learn about historic architecture and take photos.

• East Tianshan Scenic Area: On the route across the Tianshan Mountains, you can see snow-capped peaks, grasslands, and coniferous forests at the same time. Tianshan Temple Viewing Platform and Songshutang Grassland are important viewpoints along the way. This area is also known as the “Little Duku.”

• Barkol Grassland: The second-largest grassland in Xinjiang, with abundant water and pasture. Cattle and sheep graze across the open meadows, with snow-capped mountains and Barkol Lake forming a scenic backdrop. The climate is relatively cool in summer, making it suitable for escaping the heat.

• Huancai Lake: The lake’s color changes with the light and weather, shifting between pink and blue. Search for “Huancai Lake Best Viewing Point” in navigation to get there. It is currently free to visit.

• Yiwu Poplar Forest: One of the world’s three major primeval poplar forests, with 470,000 mu of poplars spread across the Gobi. The best viewing period is from late September to mid-October, when the forest turns a broad expanse of golden yellow.

Four-Day Classic Self-Drive Itinerary Reference

• Day 1: Urban Culture and Leisure Route

In the morning, visit Hami Museum and the Muqam Heritage Center to learn about pterosaur fossils and intangible cultural heritage. In the afternoon, walk to Hami King’s Palace and the King’s Tomb to see ancient architecture of the Western Regions. In the evening, go to Altun Ancient Street to browse the night market, try baked buns and gangzi meat, and enjoy Uyghur-style street scenes. The day’s activities are all concentrated in the city, so they can be done on foot or by taxi.

• Day 2: Crossing the Dahaidao Uninhabited Area

Set off from the city in the morning and head to the east gate of the Dahaidao Scenic Area. A four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle is recommended inside the scenic area. Along the way, you can pass Tongtian Cave, the Mars Base, Pterosaur Grand Canyon, and other sites, and observe yardang landforms shaped by hundreds of millions of years of wind erosion. Around sunset, you can photograph the “golden light through the cave” and the Gobi sunset, then return to the city for the night. There is no signal inside the scenic area, so download offline maps before setting off.

• Day 3: Crossing the East Tianshan and Visiting Huancai Lake

Depart from the city and follow Provincial Road 303 across the East Tianshan Mountains. Stop at Tianshan Temple Viewing Platform to overlook the snow-capped mountains and grasslands. At noon, go to Koumenzi to try mutton soup. In the afternoon, visit Baishitou Scenic Area to see the pine forest, then navigate to the best viewing point for Huancai Lake. Arrive in Barkol County or Yiwu County in the evening for an overnight stay.

• Day 4: Barkol Ancient City or Yiwu Poplar Forest

If you stayed in Barkol the previous night, you can visit Barkol Ancient City and Barkol Lake in the morning to enjoy the quiet scenery known as the “Jiangnan beyond the frontier.” If you stayed in Yiwu, head to Yiwu Poplar Forest and admire the thousand-year-old poplars in the sunset. In the afternoon, return to Hami city according to your flight or train schedule to end the trip.

Must-Try Local Foods in Hami

Practical Travel Guide

• Best time to visit: Temperatures are more comfortable from April to June and September to October, and the light is also good. Visiting Dahaidao from June to August is not recommended: ground temperatures can exceed 60°C, the sun is intense, and there are no rescue conditions. If visiting the East Tianshan or poplar forests after October, bring a down jacket.
• Transport advice: City attractions are relatively concentrated and can be reached on foot or by taxi. To visit Dahaidao, the East Tianshan, and Barkol, you must self-drive or hire a car. Road conditions in the core area of Dahaidao are complex and require a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle; ordinary sedans are not allowed onto the washboard roads.
• Time difference and daily schedule: Xinjiang has about a two-hour time difference from many other regions. It does not get dark until around 10 pm, and many shops are still open after 10 pm, so you can plan your schedule a little later.
• Sun protection and warmth: The local UV rays are strong, so bring sunglasses, a hat, and high-SPF sunscreen. The day-night temperature difference in the Gobi and mountain areas can exceed 20°C, so it is recommended to carry a shell jacket or a light down jacket.
• Dahaidao safety requirements: Entering with only one vehicle is prohibited; at least two vehicles should travel together. There are no gas stations or supply points inside the scenic area, so fill up before entering and prepare 5 liters of drinking water per person plus dry food. Do not leave the main road while driving. It is easy to lose your way among the yardang landforms, and rescue is difficult if an accident occurs.
• Buying Hami melons: Stalls sell them on Altun Ancient Street and outside Hami Museum. Cut Hami melon costs 5 yuan per box. You can choose “Qingwa Wangzi” melon or “Laohan” melon; those with a more yellow color and softer texture usually taste better, while overly hard melons tend to have poorer texture.