Kizil Su Glacier Park is located in Oytak Town, Akto County, Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It covers an area of more than 50 square kilometers, including about 40 square kilometers of virgin forest and alpine meadows. It is a national 4A-level scenic area and has been praised by geologists as "the finest natural ecological landscape in the Western Regions." At an altitude of more than 2,800 meters, it is home to China's lowest-altitude glacier and integrates snow-capped mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, forests, and grasslands, with an average annual temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius. The scenic area contains China's lowest-altitude modern glacier—the Qikilazi Glacier—as well as colorful red rock landforms and lush river valley forests, creating a unique natural landscape. The main buildings in the scenic area include the visitor service center and a themed post office, providing services and rest areas for tourists.
History and Culture
The history of the glacier park can be traced back to the ancient Xinjiang routes thousands of years ago, when people used glaciers as transportation routes or shelters. In recent years, with the improvement of environmental protection awareness, the local government has carried out large-scale ecological restoration work in the park, aiming to protect this precious natural resource. From 2019 to 2024, the scenic area continued to develop, underwent renovation and upgrading, developed homestays, dining, and other infrastructure, established a themed post office, and also issued a bidding announcement for the construction project to upgrade the scenic area to a 5A-level attraction, gradually improving the scenic area's services and quality.
Main Attractions
Qikilazi Glacier
This is one of the core landscapes of the park and China's lowest-altitude modern glacier, at an altitude of about 2,800 meters. The huge glacier pours down from the snow-capped mountains like a silver giant dragon. In summer, if you are lucky, you can even witness the wonder of an avalanche, with a roaring sound and snow mist rising into the air, creating an extremely shocking scene.
Snow Mountain Flying Waterfall
It looks like a silver-white giant dragon descending from the sky, plunging straight into a deep pool. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains, it appears especially spectacular.
Red Rocks
The red rock massifs are sharp-edged and bare, with not a blade of grass growing on them. Under the sunlight, they are as red as flames, even more vivid than the Flaming Mountains of Turpan, and are also known as the "Flaming Mountains of Southern Xinjiang."
Themed Post Office
Located in the visitor service center of the scenic area, it sells commemorative envelopes, postcards, stamp albums, and other products with glacier characteristics, as well as developed glacier culture derivative goods. It provides supporting services such as scenic date stamps and commemorative postmarks, along with rest and tea services, meeting the personalized needs of tourists.
Food
Yak Meat Pilaf
Made by simmering yak meat together with carrots, onions, and other ingredients with rice. It is rich in meat aroma, with each grain of rice distinct, and is highly nutritious.
Roast Whole Lamb
Made from selected high-quality local sheep, marinated with special seasonings, and then roasted in a specially made oven. The outer skin is golden and crispy, while the inside is tender and juicy, with a rich aroma.
Kattama (Layer Cake)
A specialty food of the Kirghiz people, made by stacking multiple thin pancakes. It has a soft texture and a sweet taste.
Yogurt Dough Soup with Noodles
Made by crushing yogurt dough and cooking it together with noodles, adding an appropriate amount of seasoning. It has a unique taste, with a sour and appetizing flavor.
Tickets：
Admission is 51 yuan per person (including shuttle bus). As of 2025-06-12, no official WeChat public account has been found.
Opening Hours：
10:00 - 20:00, with entry stopping at 19:00 (subject to the time announced by the scenic area on the day).
Tour Route：
After entering the scenic area, visitors need to take the shuttle bus, which makes no stops along the way and goes directly to the starting point of the walking trail. Following the 3 km uphill path, you can reach the viewing platform that overlooks the panoramic view of the glacier, which is also the final stop of the tour. After that, you can go downhill along the road on the other side. The entire tour takes about 3 hours if you take your time.
Transportation：
Self-driving: From Kashgar, drive southwest along National Highway 314 and reach the park entrance in about 2 hours. Enter "Kizil Su Glacier Park" in navigation. From the Oytak Glacier gate, travel 30 kilometers to reach the scenic area. Inside the scenic area, take the shuttle bus for 10 minutes to the destination, and then walk for another 20 minutes to the viewing platform.
Chartered car/carpooling: Carpooling from Kashgar city is about 150 yuan per person, and the round trip including waiting time is about 6 hours.
Must-Visit Attractions：
Qikilazi Glacier: China's lowest-altitude modern glacier. You can experience the magnificence of the glacier up close, and in summer there is a chance to see the wonder of an avalanche.
Viewing Platform: Located at the end of the walking boardwalk, it offers a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains and glaciers. The black glacier and the pure white snow mountains set each other off beautifully, making it very photogenic.
Red Rocks: Colorful red rock formations, with gray-green, ochre-red, and gray-black rock layers interwoven, making it a great spot for photography enthusiasts.
Travel Tips：
May to August is the golden period for visiting, but there is more rain during this period, so check the weather and road conditions in advance before traveling.
The temperature in the scenic area is relatively low. Even in midsummer, the temperature is only between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius, so be sure to bring thick clothing, such as a windbreaker or light down jacket.
Check the weather forecast in advance. Only on sunny days can you clearly see the glaciers and snow-capped mountains. Cloudy days with many clouds will affect the viewing and photography results.
There is no restaurant in the scenic area, only a small shop, so it is recommended to bring dry food and water to replenish energy along the way.
Precautions：
When watching an avalanche, be sure to keep a safe distance. Avalanches mostly occur in the afternoon.
Some sections of the walking path in the scenic area are slippery, so it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes.
There is no signal on the mountain, so remember to bring cash.