My 29 days Free & Easy Visit to Northern Xinjiang (Urumqi, Fuyun, Beitun, Altay, Burqin, Jiadengyu, Karamay, Kutuin, Yining, Nalati & Tekes Baqua City), China Aug 9 > Sept 6 2026 D-16 (Burgin & Karamay)

The Oil City - Karamay, Xinjiang

Urho Devil City (Ghost City)

Nine Dragon Pool, Karamay

Black Oil Mountain, Karamay

 

D-16 Monday Aug 24 2026 (Burqin & Karamay) - after a 1 night stay in Burqin, this morning, we took a long distance bus departing 10.00 from Burqin > Karamay passing the Urho Devil City (Ghost City). Upon arrival & hotel check-in in Karamay and after a short rest, we made a visit to Nine Dragon Pool & Black Oil Mountain Park. 

Karamay is a prefecture-level city in the north of Xinjiang, it is surrounded on all sides by Tacheng Prefecture, the name of the city comes from the Uyghur language & means "black oil" referring to the oilfields near the city, it is a booming industrial city built around petroleum exploration, drilling & refining. 

Public Transport: 1 long distance bus ride (CNY35, Burqin > Karamay) + 1 DiDi ride (CNY8.40) + 5 bus rides (CNY1 x 5)

Burqin > Karamay (approx 320km, 4hrs)

1) My morning breakfast (CNY4) in a local restaurant nearby our hotel.

2) After the breakfast & hotel check-out, we took a short walk (400m) from our hotel to Burqin Passenger Transport Centre

3) Long distance bus ride (CNY80 = Rm48) from Burqin Passenger Transport Centre > Karamay Passenger Transport Centre (approx 320km, 6 hrs)

4) Desert landscape as viewed from the windows of the moving bus. 

5) Urho Passenger Transport Centre - a brief stopover for passengers to alight in Urho & new passengers boarding the bus to Karamay. 

6) Urho Devil City (Ghost City) - a brief stopover for passengers to alight from the bus to visit this famous tourist attraction, located approx 100km from Karamay city. As we are not staying overnight in Urho, I had a glimpse of the Devil City from the bus's windows only !  

7) A 20 minutes stopover in Urho town centre for light refreshment & toilet run. 

8) The Hundred-Mile Oilfield - a jaw-dropping sight featuring thousands of "kowtowing" pump jacks (oil rigs) moving rhythmically across the desert landscape. "black oil" is abundantly found in the oilfields of Karamay. 

9) Arriving in Karamay Passenger Transport Centre - after almost 6 hours of driving frtom Burqin > Karamay. 

10) Hotel Accommodation (Karamay): my 2 nights stay in Karamay Shangpin Welai Hotel, room tariff@Rm100.50 = US$24), 2 single beds. 

11) Public bus ride (CNY1) from a bus stop nearby our hotel to Nine Dragon Pool (Terminal)

12) Nine Dragon Pool, Karamay - the headwater source of the Karamay River, & serves as the very first artificial waterscape park built in the urban core of the oil-rich city of Karamay, Xinjiang. This scenic park acts as a vital oasis that brought green life & running water to a historically dry desert city, making it a highly popular summer retreat for both locals & travellers. 

13) Black Oil Mountain, Karamay - a park where you can watch natural crude oil bubble up continuously from the ground at this unique geological & educational park, free admission for seniors above 70+, entrance fee for normal adult CNY40. 

14) Bought walnut cookies (CNY12) & garlic sausages & bacon (CNY32) from a nearby bakery shop & minimarket in downtown Karamay.