Take a flight to Urumqi (flight departure/ arrival, 12:40/18:00). Upon arrival, our local representative will meet you at airport, and then we drive to hotel.

Heavenly Lake – International Grand Bazaar.

    After breakfast, we drive to visit Heavenly lake. It nestles in the middle of Bogda Peak(about 110km away from Urumqi). Covering 4.9 square kilometers, this crescent-shaped water area deserves its name, Pearl of Heavenly Mountain. With melted snow as its source, Heavenly Lake enjoys crystal water. Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.

    Afterwards, we transfer back to city, and visit International Grand Bazaar which has become the window of this autonomous region and Central Asia. The building with a rich Islamic style is the landmark in Urumqi as a city of minorities, as well as the prosperous symbol of Xinjiang business and tourism.  Here visitors can taste local featured food, admire singing and dancing and buy all kinds of ethnic craftworks.

Then, we drive back to hotel.

    After breakfast, we drive to the Heavenly Mountain Grand Canyon.This area is surrounded by mountains on three sides and average altitude is 2020 meters with average temperature of 4-6℃. The Canyon almost covers all Xinjiang’s natural scenery except deserts which makes it the living.We can see eight special scenic spots here: Tianshan Dam leisure area, Screen Wall Mountain vacation and recreation area, Jiasidaban sightseeing area, Swan Lake scenic area, Cattle Yak Lake forest sightseeing area, Kazakh Folk customs park, High mountain and Grassland ecological zone, Snow Mountain and glacier sightseeing area.

    This morning, we drive to Turpan.  Firstly visit the Ancient city of Jiaohe which was one of the world's architectural wonders hiding in Yarnaz Valley. Like a willow leaf, the ancient city of Jiaohe with a history of 2300 years lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30 meters. The city is the largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world. Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth, and wood was rarely used.

    Continue to Grape Valley which has already won a great fame in the world, as it is a place with both beautiful landscapes and unique cultural features.

    Afterwards, we go to visit Karez irrigation system which is an irrigation system of wells connected by underground canals, and considered as one of the three great ancient projects in China, with the other two being the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.

    Flaming Mountains is very popular thanks to a classical novel(The Journey to the West).The mountain is barren and extremely  hot in summer. During the trek approaching it, visitors will find the soles of their shoes soften in the intense heat. With the red sun overhead, the red mountain looks like a fiery dragon-truly an unforgettable spectacle!

    Finally, we visit Emin Minaret (Sugong Minaret) which is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang and the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Right beside the minaret stands Su Gong Ta Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Xinjiang. The grand mosque can accommodate 1000 people despite the inconspicuous appearance. Atter dinner, we drive to train station and take a train to Liuyuan Town. Overnight on train. 

   This morning (about 6:00am), you will arrive at Liuyuan train station. Our local tour guide will meet you there, then we drive to Dunhuang Yadan National Geological Park which features unique and wonderful scenes and landscapes of gobi desert. We will find varied land structures here like animals, personal images, pagodas,  temples, buses and boats. Yadan has been created over time by the sort part of the earth surface having being eroded by wind and rain, with the hard part of the rocks remaining in the desert. The unique rock formations in the park developed over a period of 700,000 years. After tour, we drive back to hotel in Dunhuang city. 

   This morning, we' ll visit Mogao Cave. The cave is located 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang, and is regarded as the premier Buddhist spot in China, perhaps in the whole world. The artistic features of the treasured Buddhist murals represent perfectly the artistic style of the Northern Wei (386-543), Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties through the combination of the architecture, statues and murals in the caves. Presently, there are about ten caves and two exhibition centers open to the public, occasionally more during public holidays.

    After lunch, we drive to visit Mingsha hill. Seen from afar, the hill looks like a golden dragon winding its way over the horizon. As you approach you become aware that the sand has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. On days when a strong wind blows, the fast shifting sand roars; but when the wind is little more than a light breeze, the sand produces gentle, dulcet sounds akin to music. It is the same when you are sliding down the mountainside. At first, the sand under your feet just whispers; but the further you slide, the louder the sound until it reaches a crescendo like thunder or a drum beat. Some say that the sand is singing, while to others it is like an echo and this is how the mountain gets its name.

   Encircled by the mountain, there is Crescent Lake so called because of its shape. The water in the lake is so pure and sweet that it looks like an emerald set in the sand. Many of the visitors who have made their way down the mountain like to drink from the lake. According to historical record, the lake has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand; it is really a geological wonder. After tour, we drive to hotel in Dunhuang city.

After breakfast, we drive to Jiayuguan pass. The pass represents the western starting point of a section of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The pass is constructed in three concentric layers: the central area is made up of an inner city, containing the largest of the pass' buildings; an outer city section, surrounded by a large wall dotted with watchtowers, turrets, and high-terrace pavilions; and finally, for purposes of defense, a moat. All of these features combined to make it a daunting prospect for any would-be attackers.

Continue to visit Overhanging Great Wall which is an important part of the defensive work of Jiayuguan Pass. It was built in the year 1539 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) in order to strengthen the defensive capability of the Jiayuguan area. Viewed from a distance, the Great Wall appears very like a dragon overhanging the slope, hence the name. After tour, we drive to hotel in Jiayuguan city.

No tour is arranged this morning, we just relax ourselves in hotel. Our local representative will meet you at hotel (10:00am-10:30am), then we drive to airport and fly back to Shanghai.

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adult: RMB 13,300 incl tax per person

adult: RMB 13,700 incl tax per person