Published: 2026-07-20 | Author: Karl Huang
Most visitors to Xinjiang rush past a small county that I have come to treat as my favorite base camp. This Hejing Travel Guide is built from a June 2023 trip when I stayed in Hejing town for three nights and used it to reach the Bayinbuluke Grassland before the summer buses filled up. Hejing sits in the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, and it is the practical, low-cost stepping stone to some of the region’s widest open country.
Hejing Travel Guide: Quick Reference
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Location | Hejing County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, northern Xinjiang |
| County seat elevation | about 1,100 meters above sea level |
| Cost to enter town | free; Bayinbuluke scenic area ticket ¥65 to ¥140 plus shuttle ¥90 |
| Best time to visit | June through September |
| Main role | Gateway to Bayinbuluke Grassland and the northern Duku Highway |
I arrived by train from Korla on a clear Tuesday morning. The south Xinjiang railway line drops you at Hejing station about two hours after leaving Korla, and my soft seat cost ¥43. From the platform I could already see the long ridge of hills that separates the town from the grasslands to the north. That first view is what convinced me to build two full days here instead of treating Hejing as a pass-through.
The town itself is easy to walk. I checked into a small hotel on the main road for ¥160 a night, dropped my bag, and walked ten minutes to the local night market. For dinner I had a bowl of laghman noodles topped with stir-fried tomatoes and green peppers for ¥22, then watched the square fill with families eating roast lamb on sticks. Hejing is a Mongol prefecture, so the food leans northern: dairy, hand-pulled noodles, and mutton rather than the heavy cumin skewers you find further south.
On my second morning I hired a car through the hotel for the run up to Bayinbuluke. The road climbs steadily for 120 kilometers and the driver quoted ¥350 for the round trip, leaving at 08:00 and waiting while I walked the boardwalks. We passed the first switchbacks by 09:30 and reached the Swan Lake boardwalk just as the mist lifted. I spent four hours there watching the bend of the river and the wild swans before heading back. That single day is the reason I keep sending readers to Bayinbuluke Grassland Travel Guide as a must on any northern loop.
How to Get There
Every solid Hejing Travel Guide begins with the train from Korla, the cheapest way in. Hejing Xinjiang sits where the southern Duku Highway meets the road north to Bayinbuluke, which is why it works as a base. You have three realistic options.
By train from Korla is the budget choice. Trains leave most mornings and the ride runs about two hours. I paid ¥43 for a seat and there was space for my backpack under the table. From Hejing station a taxi to the town center costs around ¥15.
By road from Korla is the most flexible. The drive is roughly 250 kilometers and takes about three hours on good highway. A shared van from Korla bus station ran me ¥55 in 2023, though departures are early. If you are already on a Korla Travel Guide loop, this is the natural next step north.
By self-drive on the Duku Highway works if you are coming from the north. Hejing links to the southern stretch of the Duku route, so many travelers reach it after the mountain pass rather than before. Note the Duku Highway opens only from roughly June to September and closes in bad weather, so check the status before you commit.
Best Time to Visit
Hejing lives and dies by the season. Here is how the year breaks down.
Spring, April to May, is cool and windy. The grasslands are still brown and some passes are closed. I would skip it unless you specifically want empty roads and cheap rooms.
Summer, June to August, is the window most people use. Bayinbuluke turns green, the swans are nesting, and the daytime temperature sits in the teens to low twenties Celsius. Nights get cold at altitude, so pack a jacket. This is my clear recommendation for a first trip.
Early autumn, September, is my personal favorite. The crowds thin after the school holidays, the light is flat and golden, and the hotel prices drop by a third. The grass starts to yellow but the photos are stronger.
Winter, October to March, closes most of the loop. Bayinbuluke shuts to visitors and the Duku Highway is closed. Only go then if you have a specific reason and a local contact.
If you want one answer: plan for June through September, and aim for early September if you can handle slightly cooler nights for far fewer people.
Where to Stay
This Hejing Travel Guide rates the town’s beds as practical rather than fancy. Hejing is a working county town, not a resort.
Budget options sit around ¥120 to ¥180 a night. I stayed at a family-run place on the main road for ¥160, clean and central, with a hot shower that took a minute to warm up. Good enough for a launch pad.
Mid-range hotels run ¥250 to ¥380. These add elevators, better breakfast, and staff who can call a driver for the Bayinbuluke run. I looked at one near the square that quoted ¥320 including a simple buffet.
Upper-end choices are limited in town but reach ¥500 to ¥700 at the better business hotels. If you want a real resort feel, book inside the Bayinbuluke scenic area instead, where yurt camps and lodges charge more but put you on the grassland at sunrise.
Food
Hejing eats like the north of Xinjiang. Expect mutton, milk tea, and noodles rather than the spice-heavy dishes of the south.
Laghman, the hand-pulled noodle stir-fry, cost me ¥18 to ¥25 a bowl. The version with tomatoes and peppers is the safe pick.
Roast lamb skewers, called kawap, ran ¥5 to ¥8 each at the night market. I ate six with a plate of onions and called it dinner.
Mongolian milk tea is ¥8 to ¥12 a cup, salty rather than sweet, and it warms you fast at altitude. Try it once even if it surprises you.
Samsa, the baked stuffed buns, were ¥6 each from a corner oven near my hotel. The mutton and onion one was the best value bite in town.
For groups, a whole roast lamb runs ¥1,200 to ¥1,800 and feeds eight easily. I split one with a tour group at a grassland yurt and it was the meal I still describe to friends.
Practical Tips
The following Hejing travel tips come from notes I took during the trip, and they cover the things that actually went right or wrong.
- Book the Bayinbuluke shuttle early. The scenic area caps daily entries in peak season, and the ¥90 bus is the only way into the core zone.
- Carry cash. Small stalls and the station taxi sometimes cannot take cards, and the mountain signal drops.
- Pack a warm layer even in July. Bayinbuluke sits near 2,500 meters and the evening wind cuts through a t-shirt.
- Use Hejing as a two-night base, not a one-day stop. The morning drive up and the afternoon back leave little time otherwise.
- Confirm Duku Highway status the day before. The pass closes without much notice when it rains or snows.
- These Xinjiang cities notes on transport helped me plan the rail leg, and I checked them again before booking.
Sample Itinerary
This is the three-day shape I used, and it works for most first-timers.
Day 1, morning: train from Korla to Hejing, arrive around 11:00, check in, walk the town. Afternoon: night market for laghman and skewers. Evening: early sleep for the grassland run.
Day 2, 08:00: private car to Bayinbuluke, 120 km, reach the boardwalk by 09:30. Midday: Swan Lake and the Nine-Bend River viewpoint. 16:00: drive back to Hejing. Evening: milk tea and a rest.
Day 3, morning: local breakfast and the small Hejing museum if open. Late morning: train or van back toward Korla, or continue north if the Duku is open. Many travelers extend to Kuqa Travel Guide country from here on the southern Duku stretch.
FAQ
Is Hejing worth a stop if I only have a week in Xinjiang?
Yes, if your week includes the north. It is the cheapest way into Bayinbuluke, and two nights costs less than a single resort night inside the scenic area.
Can I visit Bayinbuluke without staying in Hejing?
You can, but you will pay more for a yurt or lodge inside the park. Hejing gives you a budget base and a short morning drive, which I prefer.
Do I need a permit for Hejing?
The county town needs no special permit for most visitors. Bayinbuluke sells a standard scenic ticket. Always check current rules before you travel, since border areas nearby can change.
How cold does Bayinbuluke get?
Daytime in summer is 15 to 22 Celsius, but the wind at the viewpoint drops the feel by several degrees. I wore a fleece at 18:00 and was glad for it.
Is the train from Korla reliable?
In my experience the morning train ran on time and the cars were clean. Buy the ticket a day ahead in summer, when seats fill.
Disclaimer
Prices, train times, ticket fees, and road openings in this Hejing Travel Guide reflect what I saw in June 2023 and can change without notice. The Bayinbuluke entry fee, shuttle cost, and Duku Highway season are set by local authorities and operators, not by this site. Permit and access rules for nearby border zones can shift with little warning. Always confirm details with official sources and your accommodation before you travel, and treat any figure here as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.