Hemu Village - One of the Three Last Tuva Villages & A Private Land of God

Hemu Bridge is a landmark and a must pass to Hemu Village. It’s an old wooden bridge above the Hemu River. Both ends have wooden doors. The solid bridge has been through over 100 years’ strike from the Kanas glacier run-off. The bridge is the best place to capture the flowing Hemu River and luxuriant birch forests astride. You will pass the bridge if you want to climb up to the sightseeing platform, hike to Beautiful Peak and Kanas Lake. The Ticket Office for renting a horse is next to the bridge (outside).

Hemu Village 禾木村 - Photographer's Paradise & Traveler’s Arcadia

Hemu Village covers an area of 3,040 square meters, not big. Current inhabitants are over 1,800 and Tuva people have 1,400. The isolated village lies on a riverside flat surrounded by mountains, and its periphery are rows of poplar and birch trees. Dotted wooden Tuva houses, green lands, lush forests, delicate mist floating in the air, leisurely grazing horses and cows, all draw an idyllic land and tranquil realm people have long dreamed of. Hemu Village has eyeful green colors in summer. However, the best-known sight of Hemu Village is the fascinating autumn photos. Colorful birch trees, rustic wooden houses are shrouded in milky misty, showing a fantastic oil painting. When snow falls, Hemu Village becomes a real snow-white fairyland and a breathtaking ink painting. Snow mushrooms seem like lovely cream marshmallows. Thick snow covers everywhere. Once you get there, see the fairyland, you will fully understand why it’s praised as “the Private Land of Gods” and why travelers and shutterbugs love Hemu Village. Time slows down here and you get a great chance to savor the fresh air and natural beauty, and learn a new kind of ethnic culture.

Birch Forest (白桦林) & Beautiful Peak (美丽峰)

Birch Forest is situated in the south of Hemu Village. When autumn comes, the trees change to golden coats. Looking afar, the vertical white body and further-like pretty leaves are so poetic that you will feel like you enter an authentic fairyland. When walking through the forests, the golden leaves and nature sounds, air purifies your eyes and minds.

Beautiful Peak is attractive for its pyramid-shape and snow top. The peak actually consists of two peaks - Big Beautiful Peak and Little Beautiful Peak. You can choose to hike or ride a horse to the viewing platform of the peaks. It’s easy to finish the hike and the scenery along the trail is impressive as well.

● Photograph: The Hadeng Sightseeing Platform across Hemu River is the best place to shoot the panoramic view of Hemu Village. Get up early if you plan to catch the morning mist.

● Ride a Horse: You can ride a horse to get around Hemu Village to save time, energy and experience this traditional transport.

Horse Rental Price:

● Walk around Hemu Village and Enjoy Leisure Time: You can walk on well-paved village paths to closely watch different Tuva wooden houses, see the wild flowers and greet the cute cattle. Or, find a bar and restaurant to enjoy the scenery quietly.

● Tuva Family Visit: If you travel with us, we can arrange a Tuva family visit for you. You can communicate with the local hospitable Tuva people, taste local ethnic snacks, enjoy their singing and dances. It’s a memorable trip to spend some time with those nice people.

● Skiing, Splashing ice, Taking a Horse Sledge, Snowmobile & Other Winter Events: Various kinds of winter activities are available for you to enjoy winter fun. Enthusiastic skiers don’t miss the Hemu Ski Resort, a huge new ski resort which is about 5 km from Hemu Village.

● Take a River Rafting: Drifting along Hemu River (about 8.8 km long) is an exciting and special trip when you visit Hemu Village in summer.

● Attend Local Festivals: Tuva people will celebrate Spring Festival, Aobao Festival and Zoulu Festival (Winter Day) and hold many traditional activities.

Hemu Village represents different natural beauty all year round. Under the influence of its Continental North Temperate Zone Cold Climate, the village has a moderate summer, cool autumn but very long and cold winter and huge temperature difference between day and night. Most travelers visit Hemu Village during May and Mid-October, when the temperature is pleasant and the scenery is stunning. Mid-September and late September are the peak seasons because they’re the best times for shooting Autumn colors.

Spring (March~May) - Off Season: Many local hostels and restaurants are closed. Few tourists come in March and April, for early Spring is still quite cold with some snow. The temperature rises to relatively warm in May, which is suitable for a trip.

Summer (June~August): The temperature is comfortable and sunshine is common. Hemu Village is a nice summer resort. Visitors can enjoy dreamy morning mist, wild flowers and lush green forests in this Switzerland-style Xanadu.

Autumn (September~November): Early Autumn is the most beautiful season as well as the peak season of Hemu Village. The temperature drops to cooler and cooler. Multi-colored birch forests appeal to numerous nature lovers and photography. Night is cold, so prepare thick clothes. Snow often starts in October.

Winter (December~Next February) - Off Season: It’s extremely freezing cold. The wooden houses, birch trees, grasslands are all covered with heavy snow, and it lasts until next April. Hemu Village is a real fairyland right now. There are fewer tourists, but you can experience many interesting traditional winter activities.

Staying over in Hemu Village is a novel and popular experience, because travelers can view the famous morning sunrise, watch sunset and starry sky, spend more time walking around and feeling the traditional Tuva ethnic lifestyle.

The wooden houses scattered around Hemu Village are the iconic residences of Tuva People. They look simple and plain but are specially made to be strong and cold-resist. You can choose one wooden house to accommodate. They’re guest houses and inns, providing clean, comfortable rooms, and artistic interior decorations and wooden furniture. All rooms offer glass windows so that guests can directly view outside scenery and morning sunshine. Some have air conditioners, private bathrooms while some don't. Better book earlier if you are going to Hemu Village during the Autumn peak season.

Kanas is one of the top-rated attractions in Xinjiang and a must-visit site in Northern Xinjiang. It is often visited with Hemu Village. Known as a national AAAAA tourist attraction, a national geopark, forest park, nature reserve and natural heritage, Kanas boasts sapphire clean and colorful lake water, dense primitive forests, magnificent snow-capped mountains, pretty grasslands and various natural wonders. You can hike up to Fish Watching Pavilion to get a panoramic view of Kanas Lake, hike through green forests to explore the notable three bays - Wolong Bay, Moon Bay and Fairy Bay, and take a cruise trip above Kanas Lake and learn the mysterious story of Kanas water monster. Likewise, scenic shuttle buses are provided for getting around Kanas.

Kanas Nature Reserve is vast. Its highlights are Kanas Lake, Kanas Rivers, Kanas Three Bays, Hemu Village, Beautiful Peak, etc. To explore Kanas to the fullest, you should stay at least 3 full days in the nature reserve, usually 1 day for Hemu Village and 2 days for Kanas Lake Scenic Area (Kanas Lake, Kanas Rivers, Kanas Three Bays...). Below are two recommended Kanas tour packages. They are all flexible private tours which can be tailored to meet your own needs.

☛ 4 Days Kanas Hemu Village Best Hiking Tour
☛ 4 Days Relaxing Kanas Holiday Tour

Kanas is only a small part of the vast Xinjiang. When planning a trip to Xinjiang, you shouldn’t miss the Golden-triangle destinations - Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar. If you want to try something unusual, what about a desert adventure to Taklimakan Desert or a grassland tour to Yili? Xinjiang has much more to offer. Here are some recommended valuable Xinjiang tour packages (find more tours here).

☛ 7 Days Classic Road Trip to Heavenly Kanas Lake
☛ 9 Days Kanas Lake Fairyland Tour from Urumqi
☛ 11 Days Best Xinjiang Landscape Tour to Sayram Lake