Aksu Between Wetlands and City Life

Aksu offers travelers a range of things to explore: waterscapes and migratory birds, a city museum, parks with varied attractions, and Aksu Old Street with its night market. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, you can plan around the themes you’d like to prioritize. The places below offer a practical overview of nature, culture and leisure in Aksu.

Wetlands and Migratory Birds

The National Wetland Park lies on the northwestern edge of Aksu. It covers more than 7,000 mu, is 60 percent covered by water, and contains 22 lakes. At the National Wetland Park on the Duolang River, visitors can stroll along forest paths. Ducks and cormorants live in the lakes, while butterflies fly among the flowers. The park brings together waterways and paths through a landscape that offers opportunities to observe different kinds of wildlife.

Swans arrive at Aksu National Wetland Park every year and stay until January. During migration season, thousands of birds stop at the National Wetland Park on the Duolang River; some stay for more than two months. The Duolang River scenic area also welcomes thousands of migratory birds each year. For planning purposes, these are different aspects of the nature experience: the swans’ stay, which extends into January, and the birds stopping over during migration season. The wetland park is used year-round for recreation, leisure activities and relaxation.

Museum, City History and Parks

Aksu Museum is located at the city’s West Square and houses 11,200 cultural relics. Bus route 2 can help you find your way there: get off at the Aksu Convenience Service Center stop. Check local transit information before setting out. This lets you make a museum visit a focus of your plans, whether you’re particularly interested in city history or the outdoor areas.

Happiness Park is in the center of Aksu. Its development began in September 2018, and the park officially opened to the public in July of the following year. Its facilities include health trails, sports facilities and public restrooms. The park is used for walking, exercise and playing with children. These activities give the park a different character from the wetlands: here, the focus is on paths, exercise and public park facilities.

Other parks have their own distinct attractions. Longtan Lake Park combines cultural and sports facilities, activities for older people, children’s entertainment and ecological recreation with an area for camping in recreational vehicles. Fengquan Park offers opportunities to spend time by the water, enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, relax and play. Jinxiu Park brings together commerce, culture, recreation and sightseeing in an ecological cultural center. You can choose between these places based on the activities that matter to your travel plans.

Binhe Park is divided into four sections: “Modern Light,” “Soul of Duolang,” “Charm of Qiuci” and “Civil-Military Unity.” These named areas give the park a clearly defined cultural character. Together with the different activities offered by the other parks, they provide options for travelers who want to include relaxation, exercise or cultural themes in their time in Aksu.

Aksu Old Street and the Monument

Aksu Old Street is next to Yiganqi Village in Yiganqi Township, Aksu City. At the night market, visitors can sample a variety of foods and watch performances. A visit to Old Street therefore combines food and entertainment in one place.

The Aksu People’s Heroes Monument stands on the bank of the Duolang River. Its inscription reads “The people’s heroes live forever” and consists of eight Chinese characters. When choosing a hotel in Aksu, you can first consider whether you’d like to prioritize nature viewing, the museum and monument, park activities or the night market. These different themes offer a practical starting point for planning your stay around your own interests.

Discover more destinations: Ürümqi, Karamay, Bortala, Ili, Tacheng, Bayingol, Altay, Hetian.

For the broader travel overview: Xinjiang.