Things to do in Aksu Prefecture
Explore top experiences
Top 10 attractions in Aksu Prefecture
Duku Highway
Duku Highwayis the common name for the Dushanzi to Kuqa section of National Highway 217. It starts in the north at Dushanzi and ends in the south at Kuqa, the site of the ancient Qiuci kingdom. It spans approx. 561 km and runs through the Tianshan Mountains, cutting the travel distance between northern and southern Xinjiang, which originally required a detour of over 1,000 km, by nearly half. Half of the highway is at an altitude of over 2,000 m, and it crosses four mountain passes covered in snow year-round. One-fifth of the route lies in the alpine permafrost zone, and one-third consists of cliffs and precipices. It took ten years to build this road before it was fully opened to traffic. More than 100 soldiers who built the road rest forever in the Tianshan Mountains, and the Martyrs' Cemetery in Qiao'erma was built to commemorate them. It can be said that every kilometer was hard-won.Kuytun · 7.2km from downtown
Old City of Kuche
Kuqa Old City is a national historical and cultural city, with the majority of its residents being Uyghurs. The ancient buildings within Kuqa Old City have absorbed cultural elements and architectural styles from Central China and Europe, while also integrating traditional Western Region architecture, painting, and song and dance arts, retaining their traditional layout and historical appearance to this day.Kuqa · 2.9km from downtown
Aksu Old Street
Aksu Old Street is a large-scale "culture, business and tourism" complex integrating eco-tourism, characteristic homestays, Dining and entertainment, leisure shopping and folk experience.In 2020, it was rated as the first batch of tourism and leisure districts in the autonomous region. Here you can taste Xinjiang-style specialties while enjoying passionate singing and dancing. At the same time, you can also watch the national intangible cultural heritage-Dawazi performance, and immerse yourself in Aksufolk customs and multicultural charm.Aksu City · 2.5km from downtown
Aksu Regional Museum
Aksu Museum is the Aksu Regional Museum. The new Aksu Museum was completed and officially opened to the public on December 26, 2017. The new museum is located on the beautiful Duolang River. The design methods inside and outside the museum show the charm of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and the momentum is majestic and solemn, integrating Chinese traditions, local characteristics and the spirit of the times. The total investment is 180 million yuan, the construction area is 18,000 square meters, the exhibition hall area is nearly 9,000 square meters, and the collection of cultural relics is more than 11,000 pieces. It consists of four permanent exhibition halls, namely "Aksu History and Culture", "Xinjiang Ancient Currency", "Aksu Natural Geography", and "Red Boat Sets Sail and Pursues Dreams", three temporary exhibition halls, the first digital exhibition hall in Xinjiang, and the Qiuci Cave Restoration Exhibition Hall, etc., showing Aksu's profound history and culture and unique natural features.Aksu City · 2km from downtown
Resitan Road
Restan Road is a street full of local characteristics, attracting many tourists to explore. As one of the important commercial streets in Kuqa, it combines modern and traditional elements and displays rich cultural heritage. Walking along Restan Road, tourists can find a variety of shops and stalls selling local specialty goods such as handicrafts, traditional costumes and spices. The buildings on both sides of the street are mostly Uyghur style, with bright colors and exquisite decorations, adding a unique charm to the street. Restan Road is also a good place to taste Xinjiang cuisine. Street restaurants and snack stalls offer a variety of authentic flavors, allowing tourists to enjoy the fun of food after shopping. Restan Road is located in the city center and is within walking distance of other major attractions in Kuqa. Tourists are recommended to go there in the evening to experience the lively atmosphere of the street and enjoy the night light landscape. Whether it is shopping, tasting food, or experiencing local culture, Restan Road provides tourists with a rich experience and is an ideal starting point for exploring Kuqa.Kuqa · 2.7km from downtown
Dalongchi Scenic Area
Starting from Kuqa, go north along Duku Highway for 120 kilometers and enter the hinterland of Tianshan Mountains. Before crossing the Tielimai Tida board, there are two mountain lakes, one big and one small, on both sides of the road, which are the big and small dragon pools. The water surface area of Dalong Pond is about 2 square kilometers. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The mountains are covered with snow, which does not melt all year round. Above the snow line, there is a precious Chinese medicinal material - snow lotus. At the foot of the mountain are green cedars and cypresses, green grass, flocks of cattle and sheep, and the herdsmen's yurts are dotted among them, and occasionally you can see snow chickens, yellow sheep and snow leopards. The water in Longchi is mainly supplied by snowmelt in Tianshan Mountains and rainfall in the mountains. When Xuan Zangxi, a famous eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty in my country, went to India to study Buddhist scriptures, he once passed by Dalongchi. There is a vivid description of the Great Dragon Pond in his book "The Great Tang Western Regions".Kuqa · 86km from downtown
Qiuci Ancient City
Qiuci Kingdomwas one of the ancient states in the Western Regions; its residents were skilled in music, andQiucimusic and dance originated here. Qiuci Ancient City is located in Pilang Village, approx. 2 km west of Kuqa County. During the Han and Tang dynasties of China, the central government usedQiucias a political center, establishing administrative bodies to manage the Western Regions. In the third year of the Yongyuan era of Emperor He of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 91), Ban Chao was appointed as the Protector General and moved the Protectorate of the Western Regions toQiuci. Qiuci Ancient City has a perimeter of nearly 8,000 m, with the north wall 2,000 m, south wall 1,806 m, east wall 1,646 m, and west wall approx. 2,200 m. Except for the east, south, and north walls, which are still identifiable, the west wall has completely disappeared. The entire city is an irregular square, with walls approx. 2–7 m high, built of rammed earth, with a battlement every 40 m or so. In 1985, the famous Chinese archaeologist Mr. Huang Wenbi conducted excavations here, unearthing artifacts such as stone tools, bone tools, painted pottery shards, copper items, Han Wuzhu coins,Qiucismall coins, and Kaiyuan Tongbao coins. Qiuci Ancient Citywas a great state in the ancient Western Regions, located at the transportation hub between the East and West on the Silk Road. As early as the 3rd century, Buddhism spread toQiucivia the Silk Road and became widely disseminated in theQiuciregion. Activities such as building temples, carving caves, sculpting statues, painting, and worshipping Buddha by monks and laypeople were already very frequent. By the time Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang passed throughQiucion his journey to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures, Buddhism inQiucialready had "over 100 temples, more than 5,000 monks, and was studying the Sarvastivada school of Hinayana Buddhism". The historically famous translator Kumarajiva was fromQiuci. Ancient Qiuci Kingdomwas once hailed as the "Buddhist Capital of the Western Regions" and the "Musical Capital of the Western Regions". The Qiuci grotto art and Qiuci music and dance that originated here once widely influenced the Central Plains, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Among them, theQiucigrottoes are hailed as one of the "Four Great Buddhist Grottoes of China".Kuqa · 1.3km from downtown
Aksu Dolan River National Wetland Park
Aksu Dolan River National Wetland Park is a popular local destination. It offers stunning, ever-changing scenery throughout the year, leaving visitors reluctant to leave.Aksu City · 6.1km from downtown
Tarim River
Tarim River is China's largest inland river. It is formed by the confluence of the Aksu River (originating in the Tianshan Mountains), the Yarkand River (originating in the Karakoram Mountains), and the Hotan River, before flowing into Taitema Lake. Geographically, the Tarim River basin encompasses the 114 headstreams of the nine major water systems that converge toward the center of the Tarim Basin, the main stream of the Tarim River, the Taklamakan Desert, and the eastern desert region. Tarim River water flow varies significantly with the seasons. Whenever the scorching summer arrives, snow and glaciers melt, causing the river's flow to surge dramatically, racing and roaring through deserts and grasslands like an "unbridled wild horse." Many water conservancy facilities have been built in the Tarim River basin. Through the diligent efforts of people from all ethnic groups, the former deserts have been transformed into fertile fields, with orchards full of fruit and the scent of rice blossoms filling the air along both banks of the river.Xayar · 34.3km from downtown
Kuqa Old City International Bazaar
Kuqa Old City International Bazaar is a lively spot in Kuqa, located at Tuanjie New Bridge. The bridgehead was once an ancient ferry crossing and a bustling hub of the ancient Kingdom of Kucha. It remains vibrant today and is a great place to experience local culture. Under the bridge, you will find countless donkey carts where people sell all kinds of daily necessities.Kuqa · 2.1km from downtown
Free things to do in Aksu Prefecture
Duku Highway
Kuytun · 7.2km from downtownOld City of Kuche
Kuqa · 2.9km from downtownAksu Old Street
Aksu City · 2.5km from downtownAksu Regional Museum
Aksu City · 2km from downtownResitan Road
Kuqa · 2.7km from downtownDalongchi Scenic Area
Kuqa · 86km from downtownQiuci Ancient City
Kuqa · 1.3km from downtownAksu Dolan River National Wetland Park
Aksu City · 6.1km from downtownTarim River
Xayar · 34.3km from downtownKuqa Old City International Bazaar
Kuqa · 2.1km from downtown
More ways to travel from Aksu Prefecture
Private Tours in Aksu Prefecture
View More Private Tours in Aksu Prefecture
Group Tours in Aksu Prefecture
View More Group Tours in Aksu Prefecture
What travellers say about Aksu Prefecture
M54***5211 July 2026
4.0
Xinjiang Trip Day 9 ✨ Tangbula Hundred-Mile Gallery—Duku Highway—Urumqi
What incredible luck today! I woke up this morning to find out the Duku Highway was reopened! ✨ What would have been an 11-hour drive was reduced to just 8 hours! What amazing luck!
🌄 Surprise at the start: The Hundred-Mile Gallery is breathtakingly beautiful! Every snapshot is wallpaper-worthy scenery 🏞️
The Duku Highway truly deserves its title as Xinjiang's most beautiful highway 🏆 Today we witnessed:
✓ 20°C summer at the foot of the mountain vs. a sub-zero snowy world at the summit ❄️
✓ A changing panorama of scenery throughout the four seasons: grassland → spruce forest → snow-capped mountains → Danxia canyons
✓ A southerner screamed with excitement upon touching a real snow-capped mountain for the first time (I won't say who it was 😝)
🚗 Driving Tips:
1️⃣ Duku Highway Opening Hours: June 1st - October 15th
2️⃣ Restricted Hours: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
3️⃣ Essential Items: Thick coat! Sunscreen! Sunglasses! (Don't ask how I know, I just got three shades tanned 😭)
💯 Today's highlights:
A snowball fight at the foot of the snow-capped mountains ☃️ Zero traffic jams + zero livestock = a silky smooth experience
Still savoring the experience on the way back to Urumqi, this was definitely the most worthwhile day of my Xinjiang trip! I highly recommend that everyone visiting Xinjiang add the Duku Highway to their must-see list~
#XinjiangTravel #DukuHighway #HundredMileGallery #TangbulaGrassland #UrumqiTourism
Duku Highway
didiann20018 June 2025
5.0
Kuche Old Town, Kuche Grand Temple, Qiuci Music and Dance, Qingcheng Lane, Linjilu Memorial Hall, and Kuche Palace are all nearby. You can visit them all at once. It's quite nice and worth a visit!
Old City of Kuche
迪肯孔裴矩1 February 2023
5.0
Aksu Old Street is a new attraction for homestays and night markets that was renovated from the old city. It has a strong ethnic flavor. The homestay can rent a courtyard. I asked for a price of 1,600 yuan for five rooms at Dexiang Homestay. It was just right for dinner at the night market at around 8 or 9 in the evening. The streets and courtyards have been built and packaged as a whole. There are no homes. The original homes have been moved to new residential areas. All of them are homestays designed and renovated by the Tourism Bureau. You can come and experience them.
Aksu Old Street
小虫_00126 April 2023
5.0
The ancient coin hall on the second floor is worth seeing. There are ancient Chinese coins (minted in Aksu) and gold and silver coins from various ancient countries (Byzantine, Parthia, etc.), proving that Aksu has been an important transportation station on the Silk Road and an important node for cultural exchanges among countries since ancient times.
Aksu Regional Museum
加纳果11 August 2023
5.0
The colorful streets of Restan are lined with various shops and delicacies. Next to it is the Qiaotou Night Market, which is very lively after 10 o'clock. This is the essence of traveling to southern Xinjiang, integrating into the local people!
Resitan Road
🐮普拉斯19 August 2022
5.0
Starting from Kuqa, drive north along the Duku Highway for 120 kilometers into the heart of the Tianshan Mountains. Before crossing the Tielimati Daban, there are two alpine lakes on both sides of the road, one large and one small, which are the Big Dragon Pond and the Small Dragon Pond. The Big Dragon Pond has a surface area of about 2 square kilometers and is surrounded by mountains. The mountains are covered with snow that never melts all year round. Above the snow line grows the precious Chinese medicinal material, snow lotus.
Dalongchi Scenic Area
潇洒1哥29 October 2020
5.0
This ancient desert city makes people curious and amazed by the ambitions of the people at that time. They were not afraid of hardships, but built it with wisdom and sweat. What it leaves to future generations is a journey of curiosity and admiration, and they can feel the happiness of their current life in the desolation.
Qiuci Ancient City
gdzhcyf68981 June 2023
5.0
The Aksu National Wetland Park is very large. It is recommended to enter from the east gate, first visit the east half to the south, and then visit the west half to the north. If you walk, it will take 2 to 3 hours to complete the tour. The scenery is really beautiful.
Aksu Dolan River National Wetland Park
郭润龙浪迹天涯16 September 2023
5.0
20230725 afternoon:
1. "Tarim River" is located in the 4A scenic spot "Lobu Village". Lobu Village is an original Lobu theme cultural park, with large and small desert lakes scattered all over the place, commonly known as "Lop Nur", gathering oasis, poplar forest, Taklimakan Desert, Goddess Lake, Tarim River and other different landforms, is a good place for sightseeing photography, desert entertainment, and cultural experience. The scenic area is divided into four major areas: Lobu Cultural Exhibition Hall, Abudan Square, Desert Area, and Goddess Lake. The scenic area is the filming location of TV series such as "China Exploration", "The Great Protector of the Western Regions", and "Anarhan".
① Address: No. 53, Forestry Bureau, Bayingu West Road, Yuli County, Bayingol Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
② Transportation: No public transportation, easy to park by car.
③ Peak season: In autumn, the poplar forest is golden, and the hottest season has passed.
④ Time: 4 hours.
2. On the big screen in the visitor center, the beautiful scenery of golden poplar trees dotted in the desert oasis in autumn is played in a loop. However, it is summer now and most of the poplar trees are green leaves, so you can only feast your eyes on the screen. Below the screen is a sand table model map of the core area of the scenic area, which is more intuitive.
3. The Tarim River is the longest inland river in China and the mother river in southern Xinjiang. It originates from the Tianshan Mountains and the Karakoram Mountains. It is 2,179 kilometers long. The main road flows into the "Taitema Lake" and once flowed into Lop Nur in ancient times. The river is relatively wide, and there is a wooden bridge on the lake. The totem signs at both ends of the bridge are photo spots.
Tarim River
yuyanjia~12 October 2020
4.0
Kuqa Grand Bazaar is located at Tuanjie New Bridge. The bridgehead here was the ancient ferry crossing and the most prosperous place of the former Qiuci Kingdom. There are no fixed stalls in the bazaar, all stalls are set up on the ground.
Kuqa Old City International Bazaar
