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-20 (Beitun & Yining)

High Speed Train 
Beitun > Yili (445km, 3.5hr) 

Desert Landscape, Beitun > Yili

Hanren Street Grand Bazaar, Yili

Liuxing Street, Yili, Xinjiang

 

D-20 Friday Aug 28 2026 (Yining, Xinjiang) - after a 2 nights stay in Beitun, my next destination is Yili or Yining or Ghulja. For Yili, we stayed initially for 2 nights & then made a visit to Narati before returning to Yili and stay again for 2 nights in the same homestay hotel. From Beitun, we took a high speed train departing 10.34 to Yili (approx 440km). Upon arrival & after the hotel check-in, we took public buses & visited the Han Street, Hanren Street Grand Bazaar & Liuxing Street & & got a feel of the vibrant face of Yili. 

Public Transport: 1 high speed train ride (CNY78) + 2 DiDI rides (CNY7.72 + 5.03).

Beitun > Yining (approx 944km by car)

1) Early morning walk (solo) nearby my hotel in downtown Beitun, Xinjiang. 

2) Bought (takeaway) vegetarian / pork meat bao (CNY3.50) from a morning market nearby my hotel. 

3) DiDI ride (CNY5.03) from my hotel to Beitun Railway Station (4.2km)

4) On board the high speed train departing from Beitun (10.34) > Yining. 

5) The start of our high speed train ride from Beitun > Yining City (445km, 3.5hrs) - scenic desert landscape along the way. 

6) Arriving in Yining Railway Station

7) Hotel Accommodation (Yili or Yining) - my 2 nights stay in Qiyunguan B & B, room tariff Rm123 (US$30), 2 single beds, spacious courtyard planted with few apple & pear trees, tasted some local grapes & plums, a treat from our hotel owner !  

8) Bus ride (CNY1) from hotel to Han Street, downtown Yili. 

9) Han Street, Yining - locally known as Hanren Street, a famous market street in Yining City (Ghulja), it is one of the most vibrant cultural & culinary hubs in the region, it is a bustling multicultural area filled with rich ethnic traditions, lively bazaars & incredible street food. 

10) Hanren Street Grand Bazaar, Yili, Xinjiang - a famous marketplace full of food, culture, & deep history located in Yining City, widely celebrated as one of the most vibrant gatherings for local food & culture in the Yili region.  

11) Bus ride (CNY1) from Han Street > Liuxing Street 

12) Liuxing Street (Six-Star Street) - a unique, star-shaped neighbourhood in Yining known for its cute cafe, musical history & blend of Russian & local architecture; bought a beef pie (CNY6) & fried noodle (takeaway CNY15) as dinner, after the Liuxing Street visit, we took a DiDI (CNY5) back to our hotel for a well earned rest.