Koktokay
A UNESCO Global Geopark: Pit No. 3 is a "meritorious mine" — in the 1950s-60s it produced rare metals such as beryllium, lithium, tantalum and niobium, making special contributions to repaying Soviet debts and the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program; now a patriotic education base, with the Ayiguozi Mine Tunnel open for underground visits
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 09:00-18:00
- Ticket
- Approx. CNY 90 + shuttle bus
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
A UNESCO Global Geopark: Pit No. 3 is a "meritorious mine" — in the 1950s and 1960s it yielded rare metals such as beryllium, lithium, tantalum and niobium, making special contributions to repaying Soviet debts and to the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program; today it is a patriotic education base, and the Ayiguozi Mine Tunnel can be visited underground. Shenzhong Mountain (Divine Bell Peak) in the Irtysh Grand Canyon is a striking 108-meter granite bell-shaped peak; Koktokay International Ski Resort has a vertical drop of more than 1,200 meters, one of the largest in China, operating in dual seasons — skiing in winter and hiking in summer.
Getting there: Self-drive to Fuyun County (approx. 280 km)
Photos
More in Altay
- Jiangjunshan Ski Resort
A ski resort on the outskirts of Altay City; with the city lying right beside the slopes, it is known as an urban ski resort where 'the whole city skis'
- Hualin Park (Birch Forest Park)
A white birch forest park on the banks of the Kelan River in downtown Altay, scenic in all four seasons: spring buds, summer shade, a golden sea of woods in autumn, and winter rime ice and snow sculptures
- Qiemuerqieke Stone Figure Tombs · Five-Finger Spring
The grassland stone figure tomb complex in Qiemuerqieke Township is a stone-cist burial site from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age: stone statues stand before the tombs watching over the grassland, earning the name 'Guardians of the Grassland' — a typical relic of the Altai grassland stone figure culture
- Kelan Grand Canyon · Yekaxia Gorge
Yekaxia in the Wulasigou river valley is an experience camp for traditional fur skis — the ancient craft of pressing horse foreleg fur onto the ski base so they glide only downhill and never uphill, handed down as a national-level intangible cultural heritage experience
- Erdaoxiang Old Street
An old-town district of Altay City that became a filming-location city experience spot thanks to the hit TV series To the Wonder (My Altay), adapted from Li Juan's essays: Kazakh milk-tea houses, big-plate chicken and Irtysh River grilled fish restaurants line the streets, the Jinshan Road night market bustles winter and summer, and the everyday street warmth of the 'Altay Old Tavern' style...
- Wucai Beach (Five-Color Beach)
Yardang hills on the north bank of the Irtysh River in Burqin County: named for the brilliant red, golden-yellow and gray-purple hues the rock layers show at sunset thanks to their different minerals — 'one river separates two banks, each with its own world': oasis white birch on the south bank, rolling colorful hills on the north