Xinjiang Revisited: Border Crossings

After resting up for a night in Tacheng, we set off for the Bakhtu border crossing the next day. One of the main goals of this trip was to visit some of Xinjiang’s border crossings and broaden our horizons a little.

        Before heading to the Bakhtu border crossing, we tried the distinctive local Russian-style ice cream and sour plum drink in Tacheng. The ice cream had a slightly grainy texture and was fairly ordinary overall, but the sour plum drink was absolutely outstanding. Its rich plum aroma and full-bodied flavor really stuck with us. We even went back for more several times, hahaha. The plums at the bottom of the bottle were delicious too, with a little tartness—definitely worth trying.

        Before leaving Tacheng, we wandered around town. There were Russian-style buildings everywhere, shops with vivid, evocative names, and little lanes that looked as though they’d been sealed away by the snow (that brought back the feel of childhood).

        Tacheng is about half an hour’s drive from the Bakhtu border crossing, but you pass through a border checkpoint on the way. I’d suggest getting your border travel permit in advance; otherwise, you have to apply for one at the checkpoint, which takes quite a bit of time. There are a few scattered shops selling imported goods near Bakhtu, where you can browse and pick up some snacks. Oh, and you can go up to the second floor at the crossing to look across into neighboring Kazakhstan. Honestly, though, when we went up, all we saw was a vast expanse of white, with no recognizable landmarks.

        After leaving Bakhtu, we set off for Alashankou, the city where the Alashankou border crossing is located. We mostly followed National Highway 219, a stretch that runs almost entirely along the country’s farthest frontier. Along the way, we encountered all sorts of road conditions. Each stretch kept pushing the limits of this trip while also taking the whole experience to new heights. Here’s a video stitched together from different sections of the drive so you can get a feel for it.

        About a third of the way into the drive, the sky and the land ahead seemed to merge into one. At that moment, the boundary between them seemed to disappear, and it was hard to tell where the sky ended and the ground began. I really couldn’t help marveling at the wonders of nature.

        We passed several border warning signs, and could even faintly make out the border line in the distance.

        The snow along the way was incredibly deep too. If we pulled over by the roadside, we could barely open the car doors. With snow that thick, we had to try lying down in it, hahaha.

        We even walked a couple of steps off the road ourselves to see just how deep it was. After only two or three steps, it was nearly up to my waist—imagine how deep it must have been farther in!

        We finally reached Alashankou before sunset. Although parts of the drive were challenging, the scenery was simply beyond words. It’s absolutely worth making the drive at least once.

         The Alashankou border crossing is mainly used for road and rail transport, so individual visitors can’t get right up to it and can only look from a distance. We stopped nearby for a while, and plenty of other people also arrived, lingered briefly, and then left.

        Although we couldn’t get right up to the crossing, there were far more shops selling imported goods in town than at Bakhtu. While browsing, we even spotted “Water of Life,” hahaha.

        As we wandered around, Alashankou didn’t seem to have much of a population, and a large proportion of the people we saw were Russian. We later learned that the truck drivers here are mostly Russian, and that Russian is even the main language used when going through the border crossing. This is also a hub linking Asia and Europe.

        After spending a night in Alashankou, we set off for our next border crossing: Khorgos. Credit where it’s due—the heating in our hotel in Alashankou was seriously powerful, the kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night because you’re too hot, hahaha. After several hours of driving, we finally reached Khorgos. There’s a new border gate and an old one, and I’d suggest visiting the old gate first. It’s used for trade, and you can apply for temporary entry and exit documents to go over to Kazakhstan and shop. Of course, if you have a passport, you don’t need to apply for those. The new gate is mainly used for people entering and leaving the country.

        Once you’ve obtained an entry and exit permit near the old border gate, you can head across to Kazakhstan. Most people go to buy local specialties and experience things like standing with one foot in each country. We bought some candy and chocolate too. Honestly, they were pretty decent, but ridiculously sweet. Still, the ingredient lists were quite clean. From chatting with a few shop assistants, we learned that food in Kazakhstan tends to have relatively few additives. I suppose that’s a selling point too, hahaha.

Blue on the Kazakh side, red on the Chinese side—one foot in each country.

The old China–Kazakhstan border gate, which was already there during the Soviet era.

        After looking around the old border gate, we headed to the new one, about a fifteen-minute drive away. It wasn’t far, but when we arrived, its sheer grandeur and imposing presence really hit us.

        After visiting both the old and new border gates, we set off in search of food as night fell. While passing along one of the landmark streets, we spotted a place serving lamb noodle pieces that looked promising. Having tried it, I can confirm it was seriously delicious! The baursak we ordered with it was just so-so, though—soft and a little like fried flatbread. It didn’t feel all that authentic, hahaha.

        Our hotel that night happened to have a view across to Kazakhstan. Although we couldn’t make out any specific buildings, there was still something comforting about it, hahaha.

        That’s it for our overall experience of Xinjiang’s border crossings for now. If you’re only choosing one, I’d recommend Khorgos without hesitation. Not only can you go straight across to Kazakhstan, but you can also get a feel for the bustle of a border crossing. It’s definitely a novel experience.

Xinjiang Revisited: Tacheng