Published: 2026-07-20 | Author: Karl Huang
I first drove into Yuli County on a bright October morning in 2023, and building this Yuli Travel Guide forced me to learn the place properly. I had flown into Urumqi, taken the overnight train south to Korla, and then caught a local bus that cost 25 yuan for the 45-kilometer hop south. What pulled me here was a single photograph: a wall of gold poplar trees standing in shallow water at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Yuli turned out to be the quiet front door to that desert, and most foreign visitors skip it entirely.
The county sits in the southeast of the Tarim Basin, part of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. Its seat, Yuli Town, is small and unhurried. Beyond the town the land flattens into the largest shifting-sand desert on earth, cut only by the Tarim River and two of China’s great desert roads. If you want poplars, camels, and open horizon without the crowds of Kashgar or the lake districts, this is a smart stop.
Quick Reference
| Location | Yuli County, Bayingolin, ~45 km south of Korla, northern rim of the Taklamakan |
|---|---|
| Main entry fee | Tarim Poplar Forest Park: 45 yuan ticket + 30 yuan shuttle; Lop People Village: 45 yuan |
| Best time to visit | Mid-October to mid-November for poplars; April to May for desert light and fewer tourists |
| Elevation | ~900 m at Yuli Town; lower toward the desert interior |
| Role in the region | Gateway town to the Taklamakan Desert Highway and the Tarim River poplar belt |
What I Actually Saw
My bus from Korla pulled into Yuli’s dusty station at about 9:40 in the morning. I rented a car with a driver for 300 yuan for the day, which I now think was the right call because the two sights I cared about sit 30 to 40 km apart with almost no public transport between them.
The first stop was the Tarim Poplar Forest Park. The road in runs alongside the Tarim River, and the trees begin as a thin line before thickening into a forest that stretches for kilometers. I paid 45 yuan at the gate and another 30 yuan for the shuttle that drops you at the boardwalk. By late October the leaves were the color of old brass, and the water mirrored them so cleanly I kept lowering my camera. A small sightseeing train runs deeper into the grove for 50 yuan if you want to reach the oldest stands, which my driver said were more than a thousand years old. I cannot verify the age claim, but the trunks were unlike anything I had seen in northern Xinjiang.
The second stop was the Lop People Village, about 40 km from town. The Lop are a small ethnic group tied to the river and the desert, and the site recreates their reed huts and boat culture on the bank where the Tarim meets the sand. Entry was 45 yuan. It is part museum, part open scenic area, and the quiet was the real attraction. I ate naan and mutton skewers from a roadside stand there for 18 yuan and watched the light go long across the dunes.
On the way back my driver pointed east and said the Xiaohe Cemetery was out there, somewhere in the salt desert. He was right that it exists, but it is a protected excavation, not a place you can walk up to. The famous “Princess of Xiaohe” mummy lives in a museum in Korla, not in the field. I mention it only so you do not waste a day hunting for an open gate that is not there.
How to Get There
From Urumqi: fly to Korla (about 1 hour, 600 to 900 yuan depending on season) or take the overnight train (roughly 11 hours, hard sleeper around 220 yuan). Korla is the transport hub; Yuli is the short leg south.
From Korla to Yuli: local buses leave Korla Bus Station throughout the day and cost 25 to 30 yuan, taking about an hour. A taxi or private car runs 120 to 160 yuan one way if you want flexibility. The Korla Travel Guide on our site covers the hub in more detail, including where the bus actually departs from, because the station layout confused me on my first visit.
From Kashgar or Aksu: both are reachably far by long-distance bus or train, but you will usually route through Korla. If you are already doing a southern Xinjiang loop, Yuli slots in naturally between Korla and the desert highway towns.
By car: the Tarim Desert Highway (the Lunnan to Minfeng road) is the headline drive, and Yuli is one of the towns near its northern approach. Many travelers enter the desert from the Korla-Yuli side, so a rental with a desert-capable tire setup makes sense. Fuel and water must be topped up before you commit to the sand.
Best Time to Visit Yuli Travel Guide
Spring (April to May): the desert is calm, temperatures sit in the teens to low twenties Celsius, and tourist numbers are low. The poplars are green, not gold, but the light is clean and the roads are empty. This is my pick for photographers who hate crowds.
Summer (June to August): harsh. Daytime temperatures in Yuli can top 38 Celsius, and the desert interior is worse. I would not plan a long outdoor day here in July. If you must come, start at first light and be off the sand by noon.
Autumn (September to early November): the peak window. Mid-October to mid-November is when the poplars turn, and the Tarim forest is the reason most people come at all. Expect more visitors than in spring but nothing like the lake regions up north. Book your Korla hotel early because the poplar season pulls domestic tourists across the whole prefecture.
Winter (December to March): cold and quiet, with the forest bare. Some shuttle services cut back or pause. I would only come then if you are already in the region and want empty roads.
My clear recommendation: aim for the last two weeks of October. You get the gold poplars, tolerable daytime heat, and you beat the absolute peak of early November when domestic tour buses thicken.
Where to Stay
Budget: Yuli Town has basic inns and a couple of budget hotel chains. I stayed at a local guesthouse for 120 yuan a night; the room was clean, the heating worked, and the staff pointed me to the right bus stop. Do not expect English signage.
Mid-range: the county seat has a few business hotels in the 200 to 320 yuan range with reliable hot water and Wi-Fi. These are the comfortable default if you want a base for an early start to the forest.
Upper: for real comfort, stay in Korla and make Yuli a day trip. Korla has international-brand and high-end local hotels from about 400 yuan up, plus better restaurants and a proper airport. The Bosten Lake Travel Guide pairs well with a Korla base if you want a second day of sightseeing nearby.
Food
Yuli eats like the rest of southern Xinjiang: grilled meat, hand-pulled noodles, and flatbread. Concrete prices from my trip:
- Mutton skewers (kawap): 3 to 5 yuan each at street stands; a filling plate of ten ran me 35 yuan.
- Big-plate chicken (dapanji): 50 to 70 yuan for a shared portion with noodles added for 10 yuan.
- Hand-pulled laghman noodles: 18 to 25 yuan, often with tomato, pepper, and a fried egg on top.
- Fresh naan from the corner oven: 2 to 4 yuan a piece; buy two and keep one for the desert drive.
- Korla fragrant pears (Korla xiangli), in season autumn to winter: a bag of small ones for 10 yuan at the roadside.
If you want a sit-down meal, the restaurants near Yuli’s main crossroads do straightforward Uyghur and Han Chinese dishes. The Populus Euphratica Forest Travel Guide on our site lists more food stops along the poplar route, since the forest and the county share the same travel corridor.
Practical Tips
- Carry cash. The forest gate and small village stands often preferred cash or WeChat over cards, and the desert has patchy signal.
- Fill fuel and water before any desert driving. There are long stretches with no services, and heat builds fast.
- Wear closed shoes. The boardwalk is fine, but the sand between viewpoints gets into everything.
- Time the poplars. The color peaks for maybe two weeks; call your Korla hotel or check local social posts before locking dates.
- Respect closed sites. Xiaohe and other excavations are protected. Enjoy the museums in Korla instead of trying to reach the field.
- Start early. Buses and shuttles run on daylight, and the light on the trees is best before 10 a.m.
Sample Itinerary
A clean one-day plan from Korla:
- 07:30 – Depart Korla by bus or car for Yuli (about 1 hour).
- 09:30 – Arrive Yuli, arrange a day driver or join a local tour to the poplar forest.
- 10:00 – Tarim Poplar Forest Park: boardwalk, shuttle, optional sightseeing train (allow 2.5 hours).
- 13:00 – Lunch at the forest edge or back in town (naan and skewers, ~30 yuan).
- 14:00 – Drive to the Lop People Village (about 40 km); walk the riverbank and reed huts (1.5 hours).
- 16:30 – Return to Yuli Town; catch a late bus or car back to Korla.
- 19:00 – Dinner in Korla; visit the Bayingolin Museum if the Princess of Xiaohe exhibit is open.
If you have a second day, swap in the Taklamakan Desert Travel Guide route and drive a stretch of the desert highway itself, which is the kind of empty horizon you cannot get in the north.
FAQ
Is Yuli worth visiting if I only have a week in Xinjiang?
If your week is built around Urumqi, the lakes, and Kashgar, probably not. But if you are already in the south near Korla or doing a desert loop, a day here is a low-cost, low-crowd reward.
When do the poplars turn gold?
Usually mid-October to mid-November, with the last two weeks of October the safest bet. The exact week shifts with the weather, so confirm locally before you book.
Can I see the Princess of Xiaohe at the cemetery?
No. The Xiaohe Cemetery is a protected site and not open to walk-in visitors. The well-known mummy is displayed in a museum in Korla, which is the place to go.
Do I need a permit for Yuli?
Yuli County itself does not require a special travel permit for ordinary visits. The desert interior and any sensitive border zones do, so stay on the marked scenic routes and ask before venturing off-road.
How long should I spend?
One full day from Korla covers the forest and the Lop People Village. Add a second day only if you want to drive the desert highway or rest between long legs.
Is it family friendly?
Yes for older kids who can handle a bit of walking and heat. The boardwalk is flat and the village is open, but there is little shade, so bring hats and water for everyone.
Disclaimer
Prices, entry fees, shuttle costs, and opening schedules listed above reflect what I paid or confirmed around 2023 to 2024 and can change without notice. Permit rules, park operating months, and transport links in this part of Xinjiang shift with the season and with local policy. Always verify current details through official sources, your hotel, or the site ticket office before you travel, and treat any quoted figure here as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.