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-21 (Sayram Lake, Yining)

Sayram Lake, (Sai li mu Hu)
The Last Tear of the Atlantic

D-21 Saturday Aug 29 2026 (Sayran Lake, Yining) - took a day tour bus (CNY49 x 2 roundtrip) departing 09.35 from Yining Passenger Transport Centre > Sayram Lake, a famous high altitude lake in Xinjiang (approx 150km, 2.5hrs drive from Yining), free admission for seniors above 70+, shuttle bus ride CNY30. In Sept 2025 while visiting Pingshanhu Great Canyon, Zhangye, Gansu, a local tourist from Shandong commented that when in Xinjiang, one must make a point to visit Sayram Lake as this is the most beautiful lake in China hence the reason for me to include a visit to Sayram lake in this particular trip ! Another mission accomplished ! 

Public Transport: Bus rides (round trip to Sayram Lake (CNY98) + 2 town bus rides (CNY2)

Yining > Sayram Lake (150km)

1) Took a public bus (CNY1) from our hotel to Yining Passenger Transport (3 stops)

2) On board the Sayram Lake day tour bus (departing 09.35) from Yining Passenger Transport Centre 

The start of my day tour from Yining Passenger Transport Centre > Sayram Lake (approx 150km)

3) The 1st Charm - miles & miles of desert landscapes, simply stunning ! 

4) The 2nd Charm - tall & tall pine trees "greening" the mountainside & mountain-top ! 

5) The 3rd Charm - miles & miles of clear blue water alpine lake, 79km of ring road ! It may take 2 days for one to visit all the scenic spots / stopovers to satisfy one's curiosity in seeing the best of this scenic Sayram Lake ! As we had to rely on internal shuttle bus to move around this huge lake, we had to skip a few stopovers & focussed on the major sightseeing spots. Nevertheless, I managed to take a number of pictures on this magnificent lake  ....... simply awesome looking !

6) The 4th Charm - Sayram Lake is a 5As tourist attraction, the largest & highest alpine lake in Xinjiang, China, perched at an altitude of 2,073m (6,799ft) in the Tianshan Mountains, Also known as the "Last Tear of the Atlantic" because warm, & currents from the distant Atlantic Ocean reach this far & help sustain its ecosystem. 

6) The 5th Charm (Guozigou) - a brief stopover, this well known Guozigou is the natural gateway to the Yining region, it is a steep road that passes through the North Tianshan Mountains, canyons & choke points leading in & out of the Yining river valley.

7) The 6th Charm - clusters & clusters of puffy white cotton ball clouds overhanging the crystal blue water Sayram Lake, my mobile phone's camera chasing a cluster of clouds resembled that of a sea dolphin's nose ! 

8) The 6th Charm - cold, chilling & crystal clear water in Sayram Lake !  Nice to have a dip into the lake but swimming is strictly prohibited ! 

9) Took a public bus (CNY1) from the Yining Passenger Transport Centre back to our hotel thus ending our exciting trip to Sayram Lake, another of my Xinjiang dream has been fulfilled !