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September 21: Explore Altay and northern Xinjiang’s autumn colors with instructor Ou Mingwei2026-09-21 · Linked trip

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September 21: Explore Altay and northern Xinjiang’s autumn colors with instructor Ou Mingwei
BEYOND THE FRAME / FIELD JOURNAL 01

China

September 21: Explore Altay and northern Xinjiang’s autumn colors with instructor Ou Mingwei

A photographic expedition

2026-09-21 — 2026-09-29Date timezone: Beijing · Asia/Shanghai
9 days/ 8 nightsTime to create
Up to 5 photographersGroup size

Go beyond the view.

Ranked first among ‘China’s Ten Best Autumn Landscapes’ by Chinese National Geography, northern Xinjiang holds some of China’s most extraordinary autumn beauty. Every September, autumn winds replace Altay’s summer green with a gilded mantle: mountains glow with color, forests shimmer gold and lakes become crystal clear, transforming the landscape into a vast oil painting rich in layers and atmosphere. Beyond the gentleness of ordinary autumn scenery, northern Xinjiang offers both breathtaking mountains and rivers and a millennia-old epic of nomadic life. Altay adds a vivid, deeply rooted and comforting human dimension to nature’s pure autumn colors.

01

Kanas Lake and its bays

Photograph layers of water, autumn woodland and valleys around Kanas Lake, Fish-Watching Pavilion, Fairy Bay, Moon Bay and Wolong Bay.

02

Baihaba and Hemu

Explore Baihaba, Hemu, birch forests and scenery around Meili Peak for autumn village and landscape photography.

03

Autumn roads of northern Xinjiang

Follow Tiejia Road and Ahe Road between villages and valleys, with photography stops arranged according to conditions.

THROUGH THE LENS

The journey in pictures

Leading photographers: Mingwei Ou →

Destination illustrations · select a photo to explore

A different way of seeing.

Portrait of Mingwei Ou

Mingwei Ou

Specializes in landscape, night-sky, macro and computational photography using Planit. He has taught introductory photography classes on multiple occasions for an extracurricular club at the Foreign Languages Middle School affiliated with Shenzhen University.

A rhythm shaped by light.

Shooting locations, accommodation and transport are subject to confirmation before departure and may change with the weather.

Photography may be adjusted for weather and transport conditions. The day 3 connection from Burqin to Kanas Airport awaits operator confirmation.

Itinerary dates and text times without their own zone use: Beijing · Asia/Shanghai。Exact times use your selected timezone; dates alone and descriptions such as “morning” are not converted.

DAY 01Sep 21 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 1: Arrive in Altay

From your departure city–Pickup at Altay Airport–Altay hotel

Accommodation:Four-star hotel in Altay

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 02Sep 22 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 2: Altay–Burqin

Altay–Overnight in Burqin

Accommodation:Four-star hotel in Burqin

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 03Sep 23 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 3: Kanas Airport–Baihaba

Kanas Airport–Baihaba

Accommodation:Hotel inside Baihaba Scenic Area

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 04Sep 24 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 4: Baihaba–Tiejia Road–Jiadengyu

Baihaba–The Lone Tree–Tiejia Highway–Jiadengyu

Accommodation:Four-star hotel in Jiadengyu

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 05Sep 25 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 5: Jiadengyu–Kanas Lake–Fish-Watching Pavilion

Jiadengyu–Kanas–Kanas Lake–Fish-Watching Pavilion–Overnight in Kanas

Accommodation:Four-star hotel at Kanas Lake

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 06Sep 26 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 6: Kanas bays–Bulalehan Bridge–Jiadengyu

Kanas–Fairy Bay–Moon Bay–Crouching Dragon Bay–Bulalehan Bridge–Overnight in Jiadengyu (Rezen Retreat · Xiyu, Kanas Scenic Area branch)

Accommodation:Jiadengyu; planned stay at Rezen Retreat Xiyu Kanas Scenic Area, final hotel awaiting operator confirmation

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 07Sep 27 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 7: Jiadengyu–Hemu–birch forest–Meili Peak

Jiadengyu–Hemu–Birch Forest–Meili Peak–Overnight in Hemu

Accommodation:Hotel inside Hemu Scenic Area

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 08Sep 28 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 8: Hemu–Ahe Road–Altay

Hemu–Ahe Highway–Overnight in Altay

Accommodation:Four-star hotel in Altay

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief
DAY 09Sep 29 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 9: Depart Altay

Altay Airport–Your destination–End of trip

Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure brief

Where we stay

Day 1: Four-star hotel in Altay Day 2: Four-star hotel in Burqin Day 3: Hotel inside Baihaba Scenic Area Day 4: Four-star hotel in Jiadengyu Day 5: Four-star hotel at Kanas Lake Day 6: Jiadengyu; planned stay at Rezen Retreat Xiyu Kanas Scenic Area, final hotel awaiting operator confirmation Day 7: Hotel inside Hemu Scenic Area Day 8: Four-star hotel in Altay Hotels and final stay arrangements await operator confirmation.

Getting there

The instructor's outbound and return flights are: Outbound: September 21 | Shenzhen–Xi’an | CZ3213 / 08:00 / 10:45 September 21 | Xi’an–Altay | MU2377 / 17:15 / 20:45 Return: September 29 | Altay–Xi’an | MU6246 / 14:15 / 17:35 September 29 | Xi’an–Shenzhen | CZ3226 / 20:45 / 23:45 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website. These services are for reference and do not constitute confirmed group transport. Final services and meeting times await operator confirmation.

Know what is included.

USD 3,087.65 Original CNY 20,680 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurterperson

Platform service fee to be confirmed

Deposit USD 1,493.06 Original CNY 10,000 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurter / person

Included

Hotels: four-star hotels in almost every location (except inside scenic areas);

Meals: meal expenses throughout;

Transport: three participants per off-road vehicle;

Admission: itinerary admission tickets and shuttle buses (drive in wherever allowed; where self-drive tickets require competitive booking, we will try to obtain them and use shuttle buses if unsuccessful);

Local services: photography instruction from a local instructor;

Tour leadership: photography course fees for the accompanying instructor.

Complimentary travel accident insurance;

Not included

Long-distance round-trip transportation between your departure city and the destination;

A single supplement applies if a roommate is unavailable or a private room is requested. The amount awaits operator confirmation.

In exceptional circumstances involving force majeure, such as natural disasters, war, strikes, airline delays or cancellations, or consular visa delays, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or alter the itinerary. Additional expenses, including visa extensions abroad, accommodation, meals, transportation, or adjustments to national air travel charges, may be charged at expense. We will nevertheless do everything within our ability to minimize participants' losses;

Invoice taxes.

Service fees, supplements, taxes and the final total are subject to written confirmation.

Clarity before departure.

Availability and registration

This website accepts expressions of interest in this trip and does not synchronize the operator's remaining places in real time. Please contact us to confirm group departure, availability, the final quotation and booking conditions.

Cancellation and breach provisions

Participants and the organizing team may give written notice before departure to terminate the trip agreement. If notice is given more than 7 days before departure, calculated as the difference in calendar days between departure and receipt of the termination notice, neither party is liable for breach provided no actual expenses have been incurred, such as flight or high-speed rail tickets booked with both parties' knowledge. For later termination, the party terminating the agreement bears liability for breach. [Liability of the organizing team] If the organizing team announces cancellation within 7 days of departure, it must refund all fees and pay compensation: 10% of the total travel fee for notice 7–4 days before departure, including day 7; 15% for 3–1 days before; and 20% for notice on departure day. [Participant liability] Participants withdrawing within 7–4 days before departure, including day 7, must compensate the organizing team for business losses according to these percentages: 50% of the total travel fee for 7–4 days before departure; 60% for 3–1 days before; and 80% on departure day. If these percentages do not cover the organizing team's actual losses, the participant must compensate the actual losses, up to the total trip fee. After deducting the business-loss charge, the organizing team must refund the remaining travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the participant's cancellation notice.

Trip information

[Registration] Registration for this trip is confirmed upon receipt of the deposit. [Transport] 1. Flights booked by the organizing team are economy-class group tickets. Once issued, they cannot be endorsed to another carrier or refunded. 2. Actual flight, driving and boat travel times on the day apply. 3. Airlines and flight schedules above are for reference only. Changes to flight times may require minor itinerary adjustments; the departure notice takes precedence. [Accommodation] The total is based on 2 people sharing 1 room. We will try to pair solo participants with another participant of the same gender. Participants who do not wish to share, or cannot be matched, must pay the single supplement for a room of their own. [Group meals] We try to choose meals suited to Chinese tastes and ensure that every guest receives an adequate portion. [Photography] 1. Photography activities follow the itinerary. In exceptional circumstances, time spent photographing each location will depend on the actual conditions that day. 2. Please read this itinerary carefully and choose a photography trip suited to your circumstances. If you give up part of the itinerary for personal reasons, including health, or request to forgo accommodation or transport, this is considered voluntary withdrawal. expenses already incurred are non-refundable. You are responsible for your personal safety while not participating in the itinerary. 3. Participants may not leave the group without permission during group photography activities, except during free time. Leaving partway through the trip is considered a breach by the participant. Unused photography activities, meals, accommodation and vehicle services are non-refundable, and the organizing team is not responsible for accidents occurring while the participant is away from the group. 4. If force majeure events such as typhoons or blizzards prevent travel according to the agreed itinerary, additional or reduced expenses following changes will be settled according to the travel agency's actual group operating expenses. [total adjustments] the organizing team reserves the right to adjust amounts if major fluctuations in international oil amounts cause substantial increases in fuel surcharges. If the increase is within what we can absorb, the trip fee will not be adjusted. [Departure notice] 1. The departure notice will be sent no later than 1 day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed earlier, we will notify you as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the departure notice, the departure notice takes precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from organizing or arranging optional activities at additional expense, guests wishing to join such activities should contact the service provider themselves for information, amounts and participation. If language difficulties lead you to ask a guide or tour leader for additional assistance, any paid or unpaid help is provided solely in that person's individual capacity, not on behalf of the organizing team or the local receiving agency. the organizing team has no involvement in the expenses, transaction amounts or service standards of free-time activities; guests bear the outcomes themselves.

Fitness, equipment and conditions

Equipment and fitness requirements will be provided by the operator.

USD 3,087.65 In progress · person
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