Wucai Beach, A Kaleidoscopic Yardang Wonder in Altay

The Wucai Beach, located on the north bank of the Irtysh River in Burqin County, Xinjiang, is a riverbank renowned for its Yardang landform. At an altitude of 480 meters, it has been listed among the "100 Magical Sceneries in Northwest China".

Quick Facts

Chinese name: 五彩滩 Wǔ Cǎi Tān
Suggested time: 2 - 4 hours
Ticket: 45 yuan per person
Open hours: Usually 09:00 - 20:30. However, it's better to check in advance as the opening hours may be adjusted during special holidays.
The best time to visit: From May to October. Also, the best time of a day to visit is around sunset, when the rocks show the most vivid colors.
Address: Located on the north bank of the Ertix River, about 24 kilometers northwest of Burqin County, Altay Region, Xinjiang
How to get there: It is recommended to take a taxi or go on a self-driving tour to reach the scenic area.
Surroundings: Kanas Lake Scenic Area, and some Kazakh villages

Highlights of Wucai Beach

‌Colorful Yardang Landform

The Wucai Beach is a cliff-style Yardang landform. Renowned for its colorful hues, it is hailed as the most beautiful Yardang landform in Xinjiang. Through hundreds of millions of years of joint action by wind erosion and fluvial erosion and cutting, it has formed uneven Yardang shapes. Due to the different minerals contained in the rocks, it presents various colors such as red, green, purple, yellow , and brown. When the setting sun shines in the evening, the colors are gorgeous and magical, creating a spectacular scene.

In order to allow tourists to better appreciate the beauty of Wucai Beach, the scenic area has set up seven viewing platforms, namely "Yunlongtai, Shoushantai, Danxiatai, Guanritai, Ziguangtai, Guanhetai". Each viewing platform has its own unique perspective, allowing you to appreciate the beauty of Wucai Beach from different angles.

South Bank

Opposite Wucai Beach lies the South Bank, a vibrant oasis where green trees provide shady cover and farmlands crisscross. In the distance, the desert shimmers with golden light under the sun, meeting the blue sky to form a grand landscape. The oasis and desert reflected in the river create a beautiful scene, and when autumn brings brilliant yellow leaves, it becomes a perfect spot for photography.

Irtysh River

In Wucai Beach, besides the colorful riverbank, there is a lively "river of life" — the Irtysh River. Like a green silk ribbon, it gently winds through this magical land. As the only river in China that flows into the Arctic Ocean, the Irtysh River possesses unique charm.

Educational Value

Wucai Beach is a typical combination of Yardang landform and river terrace landform. This unique landform combination shows the mutual influence of internal and external geological forces. It is a natural laboratory for studying landform formation and evolution, allowing people to deeply understand how external forces (such as wind erosion and water erosion) and internal forces (such as crustal movement) shape the surface morphology.

Activities to do at Wucai Beach

Photography: The colors and landforms of Wucai Beach provide excellent shooting materials for photography enthusiasts. Especially in the evening, when the afterglow of the setting sun shines on Wucai Beach, the richer colors create an ideal time for shooting silhouettes.

Relaxation: In addition to hiking and photography, the green space of Wucai Beach is also a good place for relaxation. Visitors can have a picnic on the grass or quietly enjoy the beautiful scenery.

By Mia Li
Web Editor