National 5A Scenic AreaNorthwest China
Kanas Lake & Nature Reserve
喀纳斯湖 · Xinjiang, Altay
A glacier-fed turquoise lake in the Altay mountains, surrounded by Siberian taiga and Tuva log villages.
Kanas is a remote, glacier-fed alpine lake in the Altay Mountains of northern Xinjiang, its water an otherworldly milky turquoise that shifts colour with the glacial melt. Around it lie larch and birch forests (spectacular golden in autumn), the Hemu and Baihaba Tuva log-cabin villages, river bends and snow peaks, blending the feel of Siberia with Central Asian frontier culture.
The Kanas region is home to the Tuvans, a semi-nomadic people of Mongolian origin who have grazed these high valleys for centuries. The nature reserve protects one of Xinjiang's most pristine ecosystems and was developed into a flagship scenic area from the 1990s, famed for its autumn colours and the lake's legendary 'lake monster'.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
