A four-day trip to Yili, Xinjiang from Chengdu (non-special forces)

November 29th - December 1st, Chengdu ✈️ Yining, 4 days 3 nights, no special forces involved! Food and accommodation were great, average cost 2.7k RMB per person. You can use this as a reference~ 🌲We visited five places in total: Yining, Sayram Lake, Khorgos, Kuldning, and Qapqi Lake Day 1: Chengdu ✈️ Yining Airport, Sichuan Airlines arrived at 2:30 PM (our flight was delayed that day TT). After landing, we picked up our rental car 🚗 and headed to 📍Sayram Lake to watch the sunset. We checked into our hotel at the East Gate, AC (a bit expensive, but the service and environment were excellent, the closest hotel to Sayram Lake 🏨). 🍽️: We ate at Aizezibag, ordered pilaf, braised pork, and kebabs, all quite good! Day 2: Sunrise is relatively late, so you can go out to watch the sunrise after breakfast at the hotel, drive around a bit, then go back to the hotel to do your makeup 🪞, check out, and go for a drive around the lake. We walked clockwise 🔁 to Keryongzhu and exited from the South Gate. The original plan was to climb Songshutou, but it was a bit cold. We went to the Guozigou Bridge viewing platform for photos, and on a whim, we passed by Horgos and went to the border gate for a quick visit! For 15 RMB, you can get a temporary pass to stroll around the cooperation zone. The whole city felt very new; if you have enough time, it's worth a visit! That evening, we ate at Aunt Ga's Noodles in this city; the spicy noodles and the braised pork noodles were both delicious! Finally, we returned to Yining and stayed at the Atour Hotel. A helpful auntie at the hotel recommended a naan-pit barbecue restaurant called "Xiaohuamao Barbecue," which was excellent! The lamb chops without the numbing sauce were very fresh and burst with juice. On the third day, after breakfast at the hotel, we set off for Kuldning. It took about two and a half hours to reach Bairui Camp for photos, and then we went horseback riding for an hour. It was very cold when the sun wasn't out! If you're staying in town, be sure to leave the scenic area before dark. Kuldning Town was especially quiet during the off-season, and the Spruce Hotel where I stayed was practically empty. On the fourth day, on the way back to Yining, we passed by Qapqal Lake (so secluded! Not a soul in sight!) and the Tekes River, both very beautiful! It took about two and a half hours to get back to Yining. The "Thousand Skewers Barbecue" we ate there was so delicious! A very authentic place. If there's still time, you can stroll around Liuxing Street. Finally, at 5:45 PM, I took Spring Airlines back to Chengdu!