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• Published: 23 August 2024

Current clinical practice and physicians’ insights on Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer habouring epidermal growth factor receptor 20 insertion mutation

• Yuequan Shi 1 , 2 ,
• Yan Xu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2832-2664 1 &
• Mengzhao Wang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9226-5393 1  

BMC Cancer volume  24 , Article number:  1043 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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The present study aimed to investigate physicians’ perspectives on the diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion (exon20ins) mutations in a real-world setting in China using an online questionnaire.

This study was performed via the CAPTRA-Lung collaboration between December 9, 2022 and March 6, 2023. The questionnaire was distributed digitally to physicians around China and was comprised of three sections: basic characteristics of surveyed physicians, diagnosis and treatment status of NSCLC patients with the EGFR exon20ins-mutation, and physicians’ perspectives on treatment options. Physicians who treat more than 10 patients with advanced NSCLC every month and who have treated patients with advanced EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC in the past six months were involved in this study.

A total of 53,729 questionnaires were distributed and 390 valid ones were collected. The EGFR mutation test was performed in 80.9% and 59.9% of patients receiving first-line or second-line therapy and beyond (hereinafter “second-line”)therapy, respectively. In terms of treatment options, chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy was the most common treatment option (30.0% of patients in first-line settings; 25.0% of patients in second-line settings), and a certain proportion of patients received novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents (including tyrosine kinase inhibitors [TKIs] and bispecific antibodies) in first- or second-line settings, which accounted for 11.9% and 15.7% of all treated patients, respectively. Additionally, physicians reported the highest satisfaction score for the efficacy and safety of targeted agents. Most physicians believed that EGFR exon20ins-targeted TKIs represented the most promising treatment option (80.2% in first-line treatment and 73.3% in second-line treatment). Among several novel agents under study, sunvozertinib has received the highest recognition for efficacy and safety.

Conclusions

This study investigated the current diagnosis and treatment status and physicians’ perspective, of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC. The results highlight significant unmet clinical needs in this subgroup of patients. EGFR exon20ins-targeted TKIs were recognized as the most promising treatment regimen and may benefit more patients considering their awareness and acceptance of targeted therapy.

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Introduction

Due to its high incidence and mortality rates [ 1 ], lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies affecting the world population. Therapies that act on various molecular targets of lung cancer have progressed because of scientific and technological advances [ 2 , 3 ]. Among these mutations, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is a common driver mutation detected in 45% of Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 20% of western NSCLC patients [ 4 , 5 ]. The most common EGFR mutations include exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R, which are two subtypes that have demonstrated promising sensitivity to 1st -3rd generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and account for 80-85% of all EGFR mutations [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].

Among the atypical EGFR mutations, exon 20 insertion (exon20ins) mutations are the most common and account for approximately 4-12% of all EGFR mutations in NSCLC patients [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. EGFR exon20ins occurs in two basic domains, the αC-helix and the αC-helix adjacent loop, and greater than 90% of insertion mutations occur in the loop [ 13 , 14 ]. This mutation causes steric hindrance in the binding position of conventional EGFR-TKIs, and patients with EGFR exon20ins generally respond poorly to EGFR-TKIs [ 15 , 16 ]. However, insertion mutations that occur in the αC-helix, such as A763_Y764insFQEA, may be sensitive to 1st -3rd generation EGFR-TKIs [ 11 , 13 , 17 ]. EGFR exon20ins exhibits high heterogeneity, with more than 100 mutation subtypes identified to date [ 18 , 19 ], which has posed an additional challenge to testing technologies and targeted therapies.

The standard of care for patients with advanced EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC primarily includes platinum-based doublet chemotherapies and chemotherapy-based combination regimens, but many studies have shown that these treatments offer only limited benefits [ 20 , 21 ]. These results indicate the demand for more effective therapies. Targeted therapies are under evaluation for the treatment of this subtype of NSCLC [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].Sunvozertinib has been approved by China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC who have experienced disease progression from or intolerant to platinum-based chemotherapy on August 23, 2023. However, there is a lack of study on the current status of the diagnosis and whole process management treatment of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC, and we need a clearer picture for physicians’ understanding of the disease characteristics of EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC and recent advances in this field. Therefore, we performed the present study to assess the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC as well as physicians’ understanding of the structure, function, and research progress of EGFR exon20ins mutations to promote standardised diagnosis and treatment for this condition.

Procedures and participants

This study was initiated by the CAPTRA-Lung collaboration. Physicians across China participated in this survey by completing an online questionnaire. To be eligible for participation, physicians met the following inclusion criteria: (1) practicing at a tertiary hospital; (2) specializing in thoracic surgery, oncology, or respiratory medicine; (3) holding an attending doctor or higher title; (4) treating more than 15 NSCLC patients per month, including more than 10 patients with advanced disease; and (5) having treated patients with advanced EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC in the past six months.

The questionnaire consisted of three parts: (1) basic information of the participant, including the level of the hospital, city, department, and number of patients treated; (2) current status of the diagnosis and treatment of EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC patients, including the EGFR mutation test rate and methodology, the physician’s understanding of the characteristics and common treatment options for EGFR exon20ins-positive patients; and (3) physicians’ perceptions of treatment options, including levels of satisfaction with existing treatment options and views on novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted therapies.

On the basis of the preliminary survey results, treatment options in the questionnaire were further categorised into the following choices: chemotherapy alone, chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy, other ICI-based combination therapies, and 1st -3rd generation EGFR-TKI monotherapy or EGFR-TKI-based combination therapies. We also added novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents as options (including TKIs and bispecific antibodies). In addition, we added a question to investigate the factors influencing physicians’ decision to not perform NGS testing and followed up with respondents on the surveyed items from February 19, 2023 to March 6, 2023.

Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics version 21 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Categorical variables, such as the reasons for not performing genetic tests or performing genetic tests using non-NGS methods, the most promising treatment strategies, and perspectives on novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents were quantified as percentages in all samples, and the statistical significance was determined using the chi-squared test. Continuous variables, such as the proportion of EGFR gene-tested samples, applied testing technologies, selected treatment options for EGFR exon20ins-mutant patients, and the satisfaction score for these therapies, are presented as the mean values, and statistical significance was determined using the F test. At the 95% confidence interval (CI), p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

General information

A total of 53,729 questionnaires were distributed and 390 valid questionnaires from 319 hospitals located in 124 cities around China were collected between December 9, 2022 and March 6, 2023. 94.1% ( n  = 367) of the surveyed physicians were from grade A tertiary hospital and 82.3% ( n  = 321) of them were from general hospital. 59.0% ( n  = 230) were from department of oncology and 32.6% ( n  = 127) were from department of respiratory medicine. The characteristics of participating physicians including city tier, hospital type and departments are shown in Table  1 .

Among the 124 cities, 18 were first-tier/ new first-tier cities, accounting for 95% of all 19 first-tier/ new first-tier cities; 28 were second-tier cities, accounting for 93% of all 30 second-tier cities; and 78 were third or lower-tier cities, accounting for 27% (78/288) of all such cities [ 28 ]. Detailed region distribution of the 390 questionnaires is shown in Fig.  1 .

Region distribution of the 390 questionnaires collected in this study. Note: The first-tier cities : Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen; The new first-tier cities : Tianjin, Chongqing, Hefei, Foshan, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanjing, Suzhou, Qingdao, Xi’an, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Ningbo; The second-tier cities : Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Lanzhou, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Nanning, Guiyang, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Harbin, Changchun, Changzhou, Nantong, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Nanchang, Dalian, Shenyang, Jinan, Linyi, Weifang, Yantai, Taiyuan, Kunming, Jinhua, Shaoxing, Wenzhou; The third-tier cities : Anqing, Fuyang, Wuhu, Ningde, Putian, Zhangzhou, Chaozhou, Qingyuan, Shantou, Zhanjiang, Guilin, Liuzhou, Haikou, Lang fang, Tangshan, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Nanyang, Xinxiang, Jingzhou, Yueyang, Zhuzhou, Huai’an, Taizhou, Yancheng, Zhenjiang, Ganzhou, Jiujiang, Shangrao, Hohhot, Yinchuan, Heze, Jining, Liaocheng, Weihai, Zibo, Xianyang, Urumqi, Huzhou, Taizhou; The fourth-tier cities : Bozhou, Huaibei, Huangshan, Tongling, Maoming, Baise, Chengde, Jiaozuo, Pingdingshan, Shiyan, Xiaogan, Huaihua, Loudi, Yiyang, Jilin, Dandong, Jinzhou, Baotou, Binzhou, Dongying, Zaozhuang, Jinzhong, Linfen, Dazhou, Leshan, Neijiang, Yibin; The fifth-tier cities : Wuwei, Qinzhou, Jingmen, Siping, Pingxiang, Xinyu, HuLudao, Liaoyang, Hulunbuir, Zigong, Shihezi

The survey outcome revealed that the 390 participants on average treated approximately 10 patients with advanced EGFR exon20ins-mutant disease every 6 months, which accounted for 3.8% of all advanced NSCLC patients they were treating during the same period, and there was no significant difference between departments (data not shown).

Overall status of the diagnosis and treatment of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC

The rate of egfr mutation tests and testing methods.

Physicians reported that among patients with advanced NSCLC receiving first- or second-line treatment, 80.9% and 59.9% underwent EGFR mutation tests, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the testing rate across different departments (data not shown). In the first-line setting, 25.0% (98/390) of the surveyed physicians reported a 100% EGFR testing rate. Among the remaining physicians (292/390, 75.0%) who did not reach a 100% EGFR testing rate, the reasons for not performing EGFR testing (based on a multiple-choice question) included patient-related factors (financial considerations and personal willingness, 224/292, 76.7%), patients who were pathologically confirmed to have squamous cell carcinoma (185/292, 63.4%), patients who had already undergone an EGFR mutation test elsewhere prior to the current hospital visit (115/292, 39.4%), and patients with insufficient tumour tissue samples (112/292, 38.4%) (Figure S1 A).

With respect to EGFR mutation test methods in first-line setting, NGS was performed for 75.0% of the patients, including 62.0% performed NGS test only and 13.0% performed NGS plus PCR dual test. For the additional question concerning EGFR mutation test methods in first-line that 270 physicians answered, 21.9% (59/270) reported using the NGS method exclusively for EGFR testing. Among the remaining 78.1% (211/270) who did not achieve a 100% NGS testing rate, the following reasons for not performing NGS testing (based on a multiple-choice question) were provided: patient-related factors (financial consideration or personal willingness) (184/211, 87.2%), insufficient/low-quality tumour tissue samples (112/211, 53.1%), unavailability of in-house NGS tests (75/211, 35.5%), and long NGS testing duration (64/211, 30.3%) (Figure S1 B). The proportion of patients who did not receive the NGS test due to the unavailability of the test was greater in third- or lower-tier cities than first-tier cities (27.2% in first-tier cities vs. 49.3% in third- or lower-tier cities, p  < 0.05) (data not shown).

Physicians’ general understanding of the EGFR exon20ins mutation

Physicians’ comprehension of the EGFR exon20ins mutation was assessed via a series of questions related to the characteristics of the EGFR exon20ins mutation, subtypes of the mutation, mutation insertion locations, and the effectiveness of 1st -3rd generation EGFR-TKIs.

Among 390 surveyed physicians, 85.9% ( n  = 335) were aware that EGFR exon20ins was a primary driver mutation, but 14.1% ( n  = 55) of the surveyed physicians considered EGFR exon20ins a secondary drug-resistant mutation (Fig.  2 A). The percentages of surveyed physicians who knew that EGFR exon20ins mutations occurred in the αC-helix and postαC-helix loops were 77.9% (304/390) and 80.3% (313/390), respectively (Fig.  2 B). Regarding the subtypes of the mutation, 70.0% (273/390) and 67.4% (263/390) of the surveyed physicians correctly identified p.767_V769dup and H773_V774insNPH as subtypes of the EGFR exon20ins mutation (Fig.  2 C). Furthermore, 37.4% (146/390) of the surveyed physicians knew that the 1st -3 rd− generation EGFR TKIs were effective against the A763_Y764insFQEA subtype (Fig.  2 D).

The results of questions concerning physicians’ understanding of EGFR exon20-ins mutations ( n  = 390). A . Is EGFR exon20ins mutation a primary mutation or an acquired drug-resistance mutation? (single-choice); B . Where do EGFR exon20in mutations occur? (multiple-choice); C . Which are EGFR exon20ins mutations? (multiple-choice); D . Which one of the following subtype is sensitive to 1st -3rd generation EGFR TKIs? (single-choice). EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Current clinical practices in the treatment of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC

In the case of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutation undergoing first-line treatment, the three most commonly used regimens included chemotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy (30.0%), 1st -3rd -generation EGFR-TKI monotherapies or EGFR-TKI-based combinations (18.3%), and chemotherapy alone (16.8%). For patients receiving second-line therapies, the three most commonly used regimens were chemotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy (25.0%), chemotherapy alone (18.5%), and chemotherapy combined with ICIs (16.4%). In addition, 11.9% and 15.7% of patients on first-line or second-line treatment, respectively, received novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted therapies (including TKIs and bispecific antibodies) (Fig.  3 A).

A . Proportions of physicians using first-line and second-line therapy in EGFR exon20ins-mutant patients. B . Physicians’ scaling scores for the efficacy and safety of each therapy. Notes On a scale of 1–7, a score of 1 indicates the lowest level of satisfaction, and a score of 7 indicates the highest level of satisfaction. * ICI-based combination therapies, including ICI + chemo + VEGF(R)i, ICI + VEGF(R)i, etc. **1st -3rd generation TKI alone or in combination. *** EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents include TKIs and bispecific antibodies. Chemo, chemotherapy; VEGF(R)i, vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor)-targeted inhibitor; ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; Gen, generation; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Physicians’ overall perspectives on treatment options

Physicians’ views on existing treatment options.

A total of 278 physicians answered additional questions on first-line treatment, with 74.8% (208/278) had prescribed novel targeted agents. 270 physicians answered questions on second-line treatments, with 76.7% ( n  = 207) prescribed novel targeted agents.

To further understand the unmet need in the treatment of patients with the EGFR exon20ins mutation, this study assessed physicians’ views on the overall efficacy and safety of existing treatment options. Regardless of the line of treatment, novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents (including TKIs and bispecific antibodies) received the highest score in terms of satisfaction (first-line: 5.3/7; second-line: 5.3/7), followed by the most commonly used chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy (first-line: 4.8/7; second-line: 4.4/7) (Fig.  3 B).

Compared to physicians who had never prescribed novel targeted therapies, those physicians who had ever prescribed novel targeted therapies had higher satisfaction scores (first-line: 5.5/7 vs. 4.8/7; second-line: 5.4/7 vs. 4.6/7) (Figure S2 A). Moreover, EGFR exon20ins-targeted TKI ranked the most promising therapy both in first line and second-line and beyond setting in the future regardless of the prescription history of physicians. (Figure S2 B)

With respect to the safety profile, regardless of the treatment line, the three highest satisfaction scores were given to novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents (including TKIs and bispecific antibodies) (first-line: 5.3/7; second-line: 5.2/7), 1st -3rd generation EGFR TKIs as monotherapies or in combination (first-line: 5.1/7; second-line: 4.8/7), and chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy (first-line: 4.7/7; second-line: 4.4/7) (Fig.  3 B).

Physicians’ views on targeted therapy for the treatment of patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC

Most physicians, regardless of their experience in prescribing novel targeted therapies, considered EGFR exon20ins-targeted TKIs the most promising treatment strategy for patients with EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC (first-line: 223/278, 80.2%; second-line: 198/270, 73.3%) (Fig.  4 A). When all of the given novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents were considered, sunvozertinib received the highest recognition for efficacy and safety (126/390, 33.2% and 126/390, 33.2%), followed by mobocertinib (110/390, 28.9%) and 109/390, 28.7%) (Fig.  4 B).

Physicians’ views on the most promising therapy for EGFR exon20ins-positive patients ( A ), and the novel targeted agents with the highest efficacy and best safety ( B ). *1st -3rd generation TKI alone or in combination. ** ICI-based combination therapies, including ICI + chemo + VEGF(R)i, ICI + VEGF(R)i, etc. EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitor; BsAb, bispecific antibody; ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor; Combo, combination; Chemo, chemotherapy; VEGF(R)i, vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor)-targeted inhibitor

The most important indicators for physicians

This study revealed that overall survival (OS) (297/390, 76.2%), progression-free survival (PFS) (225/390, 57.7%), and safety (214/390, 54.9%) were regarded by physicians as the most important clinical indicators for evaluating novel targeted agents. In comparison, the convenience of drug administration (64/390, 16.4%) and mechanism of action (72/390, 18.5%) were considered less important (Fig.  5 ).

The most important indicators for physicians in choosing novel targeted agents. OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival; ORR, objective response rate; AEs, adverse events

The present study included surveyed physicians from a diverse range of healthcare institutions. This study revealed that approximately 3.8% of all patients with advanced NSCLC harboured EGFR exon20ins mutation. In a prospective molecular epidemiology study of Asian patients with advanced NSCLC of adenocarcinoma histology, the incidence of the EGFR exon20ins mutation was 4.0% of the EGFR mutations in the Chinese subset [ 29 , 30 ].

Our findings indicated that 80.9% and 59.9% of patients with advanced NSCLC receiving first-line and second-line treatment, respectively, underwent EGFR mutation testing. A portion of patients with NSCLC did not undergo the EGFR mutation test, primarily because they had already been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma or had undergone genetic testing prior to their visit. In terms of detection methods, physicians reported that 75% of patients in the first-line setting were performed NGS, which is similar to the data from a study performed in the United States [ 31 ]. There was no difference in the testing rate between cities, which indicates a high level of acceptance of the EGFR mutation test by Chinese physicians.

Nevertheless, a small portion of patients with NSCLC did not undergo the EGFR mutation test or only underwent PCR. Therefore, patient-related factors were the most important, followed by the long turnaround time of the NGS test, high requirements for the quality of tumour tissue samples, and the unavailability of in-house NGS tests. EGFR exon20ins exhibits high heterogeneity with greater than 100 subtypes. Although PCR offers advantages, such as high sensitivity and easy implementation, it may miss the detection of certain EGFR exon20ins subtypes. Comparatively, NGS is capable of detecting a broader range of subtype mutations, which results in a higher detection rate for these patients. To further improve the detection rate of the EGFR exon20ins mutation, we recommend expanding patient education and improving accessibility to in-house NGS testing.

Platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and chemotherapy-based combination regimens are the standard of care for patients with EGFR exon20ins mutation. The present study suggests that the most common treatment choices are chemotherapy and chemotherapy-based combination regimens, including chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy and chemotherapy plus ICIs. Although 1st -3rd -generation EGFR-TKIs as monotherapies or in combination are commonly used in clinical practice, this study revealed that most physicians considered the use of chemotherapy plus antiangiogenic therapy/ICI regimens. Several previous studies showed that, compared with traditional EGFR-TKIs, chemotherapy and chemotherapy-based combination regimens benefited NSCLC patients harbouring EGFR exon20ins mutations [ 21 , 32 ]. However, the OS benefit from chemotherapy and chemotherapy-based combinations is limited. Although double-dosed 3rd -generation EGFR-TKIs are under evaluation in patients with EGFR exon20ins mutations, only a few of these studies exist, and their results remain controversial [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Patients with advanced NSCLC harbouring the EGFR exon20ins mutation represent an urgent unmet need for new treatment options. This study revealed that 34.1% of physicians have ever participated in clinical trials of novel agents targeting EGFR exon20ins mutations, which indicates the need for active exploration of new treatment strategies.

In terms of efficacy and safety, the satisfaction scores given by the participating physicians for novel targeted therapy were the highest, especially among the physicians who had prescribed EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents. A total of 88.5% (246/278) and 87.0% (235/270) of the physicians considered targeted therapies (including TKIs and bispecific antibodies) as the most promising treatment for patients in first-line and second-line settings, respectively, and the proportion was even greater among physicians who had not prescribed novel targeted agents, 95.7% and 98.4% in first-line and second-line settings, respectively, which reveals a stronger demand for novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents. Despite the absence of clinical data from pivotal studies supporting the use of new targeted agents in the first-line treatment of EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC patients, more physicians believe that TKIs hold greater clinical potential in first-line treatment than in second-line treatment.

Several novel agents targeting the EGFR exon20ins mutation are currently under clinical development, and some of the results have been published [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 36 , 37 ]. Poziotinib is among the first agents to be investigated for the treatment of EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC [ 15 ]. Although preclinical and early-stage studies suggest that poziotinib has favourable antitumour activity [ 36 , 38 ], the limited efficacy and high incidence of adverse events [ 37 ] led to the discontinuation of the development of poziotinib. Amivantamab is a bispecific antibody that targets EGFR/MET, and it was the first FDA-approved agent for the second-line treatment of EGFR exon20ins-positive patients [ 39 ]. The phase II CHRYSALIS study enrolled 114 patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC that harboured EGFR exon20ins mutations [ 22 ]. These patients had previously received platinum-based chemotherapies and were treated with amivantamab in the study. The overall response rate (ORR), median PFS, and median OS were 36.8%, 6.9 months, and 22.8 months, respectively [ 22 ]. Mobocertinib was approved by the U.S. FDA on September 15, 2021 and by the China NMPA on January 1, 2023 for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon20ins mutations who had progressed on platinum-based chemotherapies. The latest data demonstrated that 114 patients were treated with mobocertinib at 160 mg QD after prior platinum-based chemotherapies, and the ORR was 28%, the disease control rate (DCR) was 78%, the duration of response was 15.8 months, the median PFS was 7.3 months, and the median OS was 20.2 months, as assessed by the Independent Review Committee. However, the incidence of Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events was as high as 52% [ 40 ]. Moreover, due to the unachieved phase 3 clinical (EXCLAIM-2) study outcome, FDA revoked the indication for Mobocertinib on Oct 2 2023.

Sunvozertinib demonstrated encouraging antitumour activity in a pivotal phase II clinical study (WU-KONG6) [ 24 ]. In this study, 97 patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC harbouring EGFR exon20ins mutations who had failed or were intolerant to platinum-based chemotherapies were enrolled and administered sunvozertinib at 300 mg QD. The ORR and DCR, as assessed by a blinded independent review committee, were 60.8% and 87.6%, respectively. Neither the median PFS nor the median OS has been reached, but these results are highly anticipated. Sunvozertinib has received Breakthrough Therapy Designations from the China NMPA and the U.S. FDA, and it has been approved by China NMPA on August 23, 2023.

This study also reveals the current understanding of EGFR exon20ins-mutant NSCLC. This understanding may be attributable to the limited portion of patients with the EGFR exon20ins mutation in the overall population of patients with NSCLC and the slow progress of earlier studies. It is necessary to increase physicians’ awareness and update their knowledge to improve physicians’ understanding of EGFR exon 20ins mutations.

This study has several limitations. First, the questionnaires were collected from September 2022 to March 2023, which reflects the diagnosis and treatment status at that period. With the development of novel targeted drug on exon20 insertion mutation, physicians’ perspective may evolve consistently. Therefore, novel agents are awaited to provide best therapeutic strategy for such patients. Second, this study presented the results gathered via a questionnaire, a format that is subjective to a certain extent, and real-world data are required to further validate the analysis of the current status of diagnosis and treatment.

In clinical practice, chemotherapy and chemotherapy-based combination regimens are the primary treatment options for patients with the EGFR exon20ins mutation. However, these therapies often fail to achieve the satisfactory clinical outcome desired by physicians. In contrast, novel EGFR exon20ins-targeted agents that are currently under rapid development have been widely recognized and are regarded as the most promising treatment modality. Among agents undergoing clinical investigations, sunvozertinib has gained increasing interest and recognition because of its impressive clinical data. In addition, physicians’ high awareness of genetic testing provides important data that will allow more EGFR exon20ins-positive patients to benefit from personalised and precision-targeted therapies.

Data availability

The datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge and appreciate the physicians who took part in this online questionnaire study.

This study is funded by the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding to Mengzhao Wang, No. 2022-PUMCH-B-106; the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding to Yan Xu, No. 2022-PUMCH-C-054, and the Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research funding to Yan Xu, No. 2022-2Z-4017.

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Yuequan Shi, Yan Xu & Mengzhao Wang

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Yan Xu and Mengzhao Wang conceived this study. All authors designed the questionnaire. Yuequan Shi led the statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Shi, Y., Xu, Y. & Wang, M. Current clinical practice and physicians’ insights on Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer habouring epidermal growth factor receptor 20 insertion mutation. BMC Cancer 24 , 1043 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-024-12797-3

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Urumqi Travel Guide - How to Plan a Trip to Urumqi

Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is the largest city in Western China. It also holds the record for the remotest major city in the world , and most "landlocked" as it's 2,500 km (1,400 mi) from the nearest sea. With a population of 3.5 million, it's surrounded my mountains and desert with no city its size in 1,800 km (1,100 miles).

Forty-three ethnic groups, including the Uygur, Kazak, Hui, and Han, live in and around this city. Numerous ethnicities with different customs constitute a colorful Urumqi.

Urumqi offers fascinating music, joyful dances, sweet fruits, and a diverse mix of cultures for you to discover and enjoy.

Xinjiang Travel Restrictions : Xinjiang is open to tourism including Urumqi, Kashgar, Kanas, Yining, Korla, and Aksu. Contact us for more details or scan the QR code to check the up-to-date travel restrictions in English of different cities in China.

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The top 3 things to do in urumqi, best times to visit urumqi, urumqi transportation, accommodation in urumqi, urumqi's specialty foods, nearby popular tourist cities, history of xinjiang.

The Tianshan Mountains have beautiful, forested and snow-capped peaks, lakes, and glaciers like the Alps. There are also many ethnic attractions with a strong Xinjiang-folk-customs feel, like wholesale bazaars.

1. Visit Heavenly Lake in the Tianshan Mountains

The beautiful highland lake is flanked by rugged pines and cypresses and has clear water that reflects the surrounding Heavenly Mountains (Tianshan).

It is very pleasurable to take a boat trip on Heavenly Lake. See the magical colors reflected on the surface of the lake and listen to its many beautiful myths and legends.

You can hike and camp in the valley. For an extended hike, you can hike up Bogda Peak through forests and meadows. You can also hike further up and see glaciers.

Recommended tour : 7-Day Xinjiang Silk Road Highlights Tour

2. View Various Xinjiang Goods at the International Bazaar

If you want to experience an Islamic-style bazaar , you can go to the International Bazaar, also called the Big Bazaar or Erdaoqiao Market . It is especially lively on summer evenings, and you can see a lot of local and regional products for sale.

It is the largest retail and wholesale market for ethnic minority goods in Xinjiang.

One thing to note is that when you shop at a market, bargaining is taboo if you do not intend to make the purchase.

Next to the bazaar is Xinjiang Silk Road Museum. You can learn about the ancient Silk Road and about the region and its history.

3. Go to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum is an excellent resource to learn about Xinjiang's history and culture. The museum displays precious relics dating from four to five thousand years ago until modern times, plus diverse ethnic folk customs and costumes.

The most popular exhibit is its mummies : Beauty of Loulan, one of the world's most famous ancient corpses, is on display there.

See more on Urumqi Atrractions.

The May-to-October tourism high season is the best time to visit Urumqi for weather. Summer is the best season to go to the mountains. A lot of fresh fruit and vegetables are harvested and can be enjoyed in the autumn. And the Silk Road International Ski Resort near Urumqi is perfect for winter skiing.

For more detail and seasonal travel tips see Urumqi Weather .

Urumqi is the ideal place to start a tour of Xinjiang. It has one of China's big international airports and is Xinjiang's transportation hub.

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the center of the city. Most major China cities have flights to Urumqi, such as Beijing (4 hours), Shanghai (5 hours), Xi'an (4 hours), Chengdu (4 hours), Hangzhou (5 hours), and Guangzhou (5 hours).

It is 1 hour's journey by bullet train from Urumqi to Turpan and 2 hours' journey by plane from Urumqi to Kashgar.

See more on Urumqi Transportation .

As the capital city, Urumqi's hotel conditions are best and options are most. Staying in the city center is the most tourists' choice, such as near Renmin Park and Hongshan Park.

To ensure a comfortable hotel experience, we suggest booking 4- or 5-star hotels. They can offer Western-style breakfasts as well as simple English communication.

When booking a hotel by yourself, please make sure the hotel is allowed to accept foreigners.

See recommended Xinjiang tours

Uyghur food is generally like Lanzhou-style food (lots of wheat products, including hand-pulled noodles), but uses fresher ingredients. They also eat more dairy products.

Uyghurs like dried fruits and nuts, and a typical breakfast might be bread and tea with yoghurt, almonds, olives, honey, and raisins. All over China, Uyghurs are known for their big nutty fruitcakes that taste really good if they are well made.

Dapanji ('big-tray chicken'), 'hand-grab' rice, baked samosas, and roast whole lamb are famous Uyghur cuisine.

See more on Urumqi Food .

Turpan is a great travel destination near an extremely arid and hot desert. It is, by contrast, a very lush irrigated area, thanks to the ancient Karez Well System.

Around the city of Turpan are the ruins of Jiaohe, the Flaming Mountains, named in the ancient Chinese fairytale "Journey to the West" (featuring The Monkey King), the Astana Burial Grounds, and the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha caves, which are mostly in ruins.

Kashgar is another Silk Road city on China's far western border just north of the Karakoram Range with the vast Taklamakan Desert to the east. Famous attractions include Kashgar Old City, Id Kah Mosque, Kashgar Grand Bazaar, and Karakuli Lake.

Xinjiang has a tragic and interesting history, going through lots of changes of rule since the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). A Silk Road route went through the city.

The area around Urumqi has a history of interaction and conflicts of many peoples.

Relationship with Europe

Archeological evidence, like the mummies found in the Xiaohe Tombs near the far western border of Xinjiang and in other places, show that 3,000 or 4,000 years ago Caucasians lived in the area. Since no Mongoloid mummies or Mongoloid people's artifacts have been found that date before 1,000 BC, this is evidence that the original inhabitants of the area were Caucasians. It was thought previously that Caucasians mainly lived in Europe.

DNA testing on certain mummies showed that they were related to Scandinavians, and their woolen clothing was found to be similar in make and style to clothing from the same period in Europe. The clothing and artifacts that have been studied in the last few years show that their technology was more advanced than thought possible for the region at that time.

So, in the last few years, historians have had to rewrite the history of Eurasia. It is obvious that Central Asia was linked culturally to Europe. Some mummies and their artifacts can be seen in the Xinjiang Uyghur Regional Museum.

Perhaps it was these people who supplied jade to the Shang Dynasty (1766–1122 BC), since the jade found in the Shang Dynasty tombs was known to be from an area of Xinjiang near Tibet.

When Silk Road trade started to flourish between the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and the West, Urumqi was a trading town and garrisoned by Han troops.

It was an outpost far west of the Great Wall and the Gansu Corridor that the Han Empire controlled. Caucasian Tocharians built Buddhist temples and cities in Turpan and along the Silk Road, and they helped to convert China to Buddhism.

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Discovering the Hidden Gems of Urumqi: A Travel Guide

Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China, is a city that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. With its diverse population and fascinating history, Urumqi is a destination that is often overlooked by travelers visiting China, but is well worth a visit. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at what the city has to offer and give you some tips on how to make the most out of your visit.

One of the must-see destinations in Urumqi is the Xinjiang Regional Museum, which is a great place to learn about the history and culture of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The museum has a wide range of exhibits, including artifacts from the region’s various ethnic groups, such as the Uygur, Kazakh, and Hui, as well as a collection of ancient mummies that were discovered in the region.

Another popular destination in Urumqi is the Hong Shan Park, which offers a great opportunity to escape the city and experience the natural beauty of the surrounding area. The park is a great place for hiking, with several trails that offer scenic views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Visitors can also see the ancient tombs that were discovered in the park, which are believed to date back to the Han Dynasty.

For those looking to experience the culture of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi is home to several ethnic minority villages, such as the Uygur village of Tiemenguan, which is located on the outskirts of the city. Visitors can see traditional Uygur houses, take a traditional Uygur dance performance and taste local Uygur food.

Urumqi is also known for its food, which is a unique blend of Chinese, Uygur, Kazakh and other ethnic flavors. Visitors can try traditional Uygur dishes, such as the hand-pulled noodles, laghman and Uygur-style BBQ, as well as Chinese and Kazakh dishes. The night markets and street food in Urumqi offer a great opportunity to try a wide variety of local dishes.

In conclusion, Urumqi is a city that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. With its diverse population and fascinating history, Urumqi is a destination that is often overlooked by travelers visiting China, but is well worth a visit. The city offers a wide range of activities, from visiting museums and parks to experiencing the culture of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and trying the local food.

It is important to note that the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is a complex issue and the political situation in the region is sensitive. Please check the latest regulations and travel restrictions before planning your trip and also, keep yourself updated with the latest situation of the country you are visiting.

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Urumqi Travel Guide

Urumqi (written Wulumuqi in Chinese) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur (also Uighur) Autonomous Region in the far northwest of China . It was a major hub on the Ancient Silk Road, but today it is mostly known as the world’s most inland city, meaning it is the farthest city on earth from any ocean. Urumqi is a fascinating place, with a large mix of ethnicities and some great food. It serves as a base for exploring the stunning Xinjiang region, including the remote market town of Kashgar and China’s hottest city (temperature-wise only), Turpan .

Best Time to Go

Urumqi  has very hot summers and incredibly cold winters. Due to the lack of humidity, the extreme heat in the summer isn’t as uncomfortable as in most other cities in China. Nevertheless, early autumn is the best time to visit; late spring is nice as well.

Getting to Urumqi

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is located 20 km outside the city. To get downtown, take the Airport Shuttle for 15 Yuan. Taxis will try to get some pretty ridiculous fares, but if you insist they use the meter a ride will cost around 50 RMB.

As the gateway to Xinjiang Province, the Urumqi Railway Station (located on Qingfeng Road) serves trains from as far away as Beijing , Shanghai and Chengdu , as well as closer destinations (relatively speaking, of course) like Xi’an , Lanzhou or Dunhuang .

The Northern Long Distance Bus Station is at Heilongjiang Road and the Southern Long Distance Bus Station lies across from the Shuishang Amusement Park. Both bus stations and the train station are well-connected by bus, but taxis are cheap here too.

Transportation

Public buses are the best way to get around the city, especially the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines, which run on a segregated busway and are thus much faster than regular buses. Taxis start at 6 Yuan and you should never pay more than 20, even if taking an illegal black taxi (that’s actually the color of the car). They’re fine, but you’ll have to bargain for a fair rate.

Accommodation

As usual, the cheapest hotels are located near the train station. Most of them are not technically allowed to accept foreign guests, but if you speak a little Chinese, you might be able to get a room. Even if you don’t know a word, you’ll probably be able to find something. Whether you want one of these rooms is another matter—they’re generally pretty basic.

There are supposedly two hostels, but I couldn’t even find the Maitian International Hostel . I found the White Birch International Hostel and spent one night there on my first visit to the city, before finding something better. It was not nice and not conveniently located. Nevertheless, these are probably your easiest options for cheap accommodation in the city (assuming the Maitian exists).

I ended up staying at a hotel about 2 kilometers from the train station, where I paid 50 Yuan for a single, which is only slightly more than a dorm bed. I wish I remembered the name of this place or where exactly it was, but there are many like it around town. The trick, as always, is finding one that will allow foreigners.

If you don’t mind paying a bit more, it becomes easier. I’d go with the Green Tree chain. They have branches all over the city, but the Green Tree on South Xinehua Road is the best. Don’t expect to be wowed by the rooms here, but the location is great and you’ll pay under $25 per night.

Eating & Drinking

The food in Xinjiang is my favorite in all of China, with fresh bread, kebabs and hand-stretched noodles being the most famous dishes. You’ll find Uyghur restaurants all over the city, but the biggest concentration is around the Grand Bazaar (see ‘Things to Do’ below). You’ll find a lot of street food stalls, too and these will be the cheapest options.

When I was in Urumqi, I ate mostly Uyghur food from street stalls. The few times I wanted some variety, I went to food courts in department stores and got something from a different area of China.

Urumqi is a safe place and you’ll mostly have to worry about petty crimes like pickpocketing. Just pay attention to your valuables, especially on crowded buses and at the markets and you should be fine.

There is always a small danger of riots breaking out. The last major rioting took place in 2009 and since then, police presence has been extremely heavy ( Wikipedia article on the riots ). When I was last in Urumqi (Aug 2011), you couldn’t walk 5 minutes without running into a patrol in full riot gear.

Things to Do

• Grand Bazaar (Erdaoqiao Market): traditional Islamic market area (the largest on earth by scale) and the main Uyghur neighborhood; great for food and people-watching, especially in the evenings; near Erdaoqiao at South Jiefang Road
• People’s Park: great for people-watching, especially in the early mornings and the evenings; between Guangming Road and Hellongliang Road
• Tianshan Tianchi National Park: scenic area which includes the beautiful, alpine ‘Heavenly Lake’; take a bus from the north end of People’s Park, leaving every morning at at 9:00 (note: this will be a Chinese tour, which is quite a surreal experience); ¥130 for the bus, ¥140 for entrance to the park; alternatively, go on your own by taking a bus to Fu Kang (1 hour 15 min, 12Y) then getting a bus to the lake (about 30 minutes 5Y), which opens up the possibility of spending a night in a local yurt at the lake for 50 RMB
• Nan Shan: beautiful mountains south of Wulumuqi, including the Number One Glacier; great for hiking or horseback riding; in summer you can stay in Kazakh Yurts for ¥50-100 per night including food; buses are ¥8-25 and leave from the bus station south of People’s Park (Renmin Gongyuan)

Money Saving Tips

• do not take a taxi from the airport or the stations; take the bus instead
• use the public buses to get around and avoid taxis
• eat at the street food stalls, at local restaurants or at the food courts in department stores; avoid western food—it’s either cheap and bad or decent and expensive
• you can’t bargain much in the hostel, but if you’re staying in a hotel, you can usually lower the price quite a bit

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, author: Josesan .

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Urumqi Attractions

One of the landmarks of the city is Red Hill with its emerald greenery, pagoda, and shrines. The hill rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name Red Hill. Historical sites on the hill once included the Ebo (stone cairn used by tribesmen to worship and sacrifice to their gods) built by the nomadic Oyrat Tribe; and the Temple of the Jade Emperor and the Temple of the Great Buddha built in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). These splendid temples attracted swarms of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshipers chanted Buddhist sutras and conducted religious ceremonies. Unfortunately, almost all the buildings were destroyed during the war, leaving only the pagoda at the top. Today, local people regard the hill as the symbol of the city. People's Park, also called 'the park for sharing happiness', is on the west bank of the Urumqi River. It was originally a stretch of marshland and lakes surrounded by luxuriant centuries-old trees. Now it is a scenic, tree-shaded park with pavilions and a lake where you can hire a rowboat. The best time to visit is in the morning when local people exercise.  

Xinjiang Regional Museum located in the downtown area since 1953, displays archaeological treasures and local relics from the Silk Road. Cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road include silk, pottery, porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures, even some mummies discovered in the vast desert. In addition, articles from various ethnic groups are shown. These include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting tools, and musical instruments, as well as a Uygur house and various yurts. The most famous landscape gem near Urumqi is Heavenly Lake (also named Tianchi Lake), particularly refreshing to visitors arriving in the city from the barren Xinjiang deserts or from China's granite cities. A moraine lake hemmed in by majestic snow-crowned peaks west of Bogda Mountain, Tianchi is 3,400 meters (11,125 feet) long, 1,500 meters (4920 feet) wide, 1,980 meters (6494 feet) above sea level. The pristine scene is stunning. A one-day tour usually consists of a boat ride on the lake, or a ride or walk along the lakeshore. Southern Pasture is an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain 75 kilometers (46 miles) south of Urumqi. One of the most spectacular spots here is the West White Poplar Gully. Traveling through this narrow verdant gully is a unique experience for sightseers who love snowcapped peaks, waterfalls, dragon-spruce trees and wild flowers. An ideal place for an excursion, visitors can take a horseback adventure guided by local Kazakhs.

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Urumqi Travel Guide

Urumqi introduction.

Urumqi--  the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China. It is a vibrant city known for its diverse culture, bustling markets, and stunning natural scenery. Urumqi is a melting pot of ethnicities and a gateway to the Silk Road, making it a unique and fascinating destination for travelers.

Urumqi is famous for its claim that it is the most inland major city in the world and is the farthest one from any ocean. Geological factors result in an arid continental climate with dramatic temperature changes between days of too-abundant sunshine and night's coldness. Therefore, Xinjiang fruits are juicy and sweet, nicknamed the "Hometown of Fruits."

There are  13 main minorities  in Xinjiang. The city's major ethnic groups are Han, Hui, and Uyghur. Culture is so diverse in any other place that each group has its unique cuisine and traditions. 

Why Visit Urumqi

Islamic Architecture 

In Xinjiang, you can not only experience the local customs but also the style of architecture is also magnificent. Take Grand Bazaar for an example. It is a landmark of Urumqi and a must-visit spot. The Bazaar is in the Erdaoqiao Uighur Residential Area, built by combining Uighur polished grey brick joints with modern stage techniques to produce the atmosphere of retro and Silk Road prosperity. 

Beautiful Landscapes

Explore the beautiful natural landscapes surrounding Urumqi, including the Tian Shan Mountains, Heavenly Lake, and the Gobi Desert. The Natural scenery is unique and beautiful, company with the scenery, fresh air, and blue sky are all so perfect.

Fascinating Ethnic Cultures

One of the reasons for visiting the city is to experience diversifying cultures, including exceptional food, music, dance, clothing, various products with ethnic features, customs, yurt, wedding ceremonies, etc. The Uyghurs as the main ethnic groups of Xinjiang, here you can also Experience the unique Uyghur culture, cuisine, and traditions in Urumqi, which is a melting pot of various ethnicities.

Adventure Activities

Engage in outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and camel riding in the surrounding mountains and deserts. There are several natural ski resorts in the city's suburbs for outdoor enthusiasts and skiing fans. You are filled with amusement as skiing while you enjoy the white scenery dashing through.

Paradise for Food Lovers

Pilaf, shish kebabs, and latiaozi are mouth-watering and blurted out as people mention Xinjiang. However, in Urumqi, smart Uyghur restaurant owners keep developing new dishes such as Naren, Meisitewa, Xiweigu, and Yaerma used to be eaten by Uyghur people in the past time but now for banquets. It is surprising and delightful to see inventions.

Top Urumqi Attractions

The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is a popular tourist destination in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. It is a vibrant and bustling market that showcases the rich culture and traditions of the region. The bazaar features a wide variety of stalls selling local handicrafts, textiles, spices, and traditional Uyghur food. Visitors can explore the maze-like alleyways, interact with local vendors, and experience the lively atmosphere of the market. The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is a great place to shop for souvenirs, sample authentic Uyghur cuisine, and immerse yourself in the unique sights and sounds of Xinjiang's vibrant culture.

97 kilometers east of Urumqi, located on the hillside of Bogda Peak and with an altitude of 1980 meters, this place is surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the south and dense fir and spruce forests in the west. It's a great location for outdoor activities such as boating on the lake and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

60km around to the city center, covers an area of 120km2, and features exquisite scenery including splendid snow mountain, vast grassland, verdant forest sea, flying waterfall, clear stream, besides that, the colorful meadows with beautiful butterflies flying around and the unique Kazakh ethnic culture add more charm to this land. The cool temperature, fresh air, and lovely scenery all make Nanshan Pasture the closest travel resort to Urumqi.

Situated on the east bank of the Urumqi River, the Red Hill gets its name from the ochre sandstone of its body. The mountain has an elevation of 910 meters and is believed to resemble a giant dragonfly from the Heavenly Lake by Bogda Peak. Conversely, the Yamalik Mountain on the west bank of Urumqi River is believed to be the avatar of a demon. According to local beliefs, if these two mountains were to meet, Urumqi would be transformed into a place of vast sea.

People's Park in Urumqi is a popular urban park located in the heart of the city, offering a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The park is a favorite spot among locals and tourists alike, providing a serene environment for relaxation, leisure activities, and social gatherings.

Bogda Peak, also known as Bogda Feng or Bogda Mountain, is the highest peak in the Bogda Shan range of the Tian Shan Mountains, located near Urumqi in Xinjiang, China. The peak stands at an elevation of 5,445 meters (17,864 feet) above sea level and is a popular destination for mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Xinjiang Museum, located in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, is a prominent cultural institution that showcases the rich history, culture, and heritage of the Xinjiang region. The museum features a diverse collection of artifacts, exhibits, and displays that highlight the unique blend of cultures and traditions that have shaped Xinjiang over the centuries.

The Modern Glaciers in Daxigou Valley are a fascinating natural wonder located near Urumqi in Xinjiang, China. Daxigou Valley is known for its unique geological formations and stunning landscapes, including modern glaciers that have formed in the area.

Best time to Urumqi

The best time to visit Urumqi is during the late spring and summer months , from May to September . 

From May to September in Urumqi, you can expect daytime temperatures ranging from around 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) . However, evenings can be cooler, dropping to around 10°C (50°F) or lower.

In addition, Urumqi experiences a significant temperature difference between day and night , so  It’s best to pack a mix of light, breathable clothing for the daytime and warmer layers for the cooler evenings. Don’t forget sunscreen for protection against the sun, as Urumqi experiences low humidity.

If you're interested in winter sports like skiing, visiting Urumqi during the winter months from December to February can also be a great option.

In this time, the weather is usually cold, with temperatures ranging from around -10°C (14°F) to 0°C (32°F) during the day. Nights can be even colder, dropping to around -20°C (-4°F) or lower. It is important to pack warm winter clothing, such as heavy jackets, hats, gloves, and insulated boots, to stay comfortable in the chilly temperatures. Additionally, be prepared for occasional snowfall during this time.

Transportation in Urumqi

Urumqi is the traffic hub of Central Asia. It is quite convenient for tourists to take  flights  to arrive in.  Urumqi Diwopu International Airport  has direct flights to most of the inner cities of China as well .

So far, there are two railway stations in Urumqi. The new one is  Urumqi Railway Station , built quite magnificent and modernized, providing express trains to go to inner cities. The other one is named  Urumqi Railway South Station .

Urumqi has a well-developed  public transportation system  that includes  buses ,  taxis , and  the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system . Buses are a convenient and affordable way to travel within the city and to nearby attractions.

Coach routes  from Urumqi almost cover all cities, towns, and villages in Xinjiang . In short, public transportation in Urumqi is getting better and cleaner.

Urumqi also has a  metro system  with several lines connecting key areas of the city. The metro is a fast and efficient way to travel around Urumqi.

Taxis  are readily available in Urumqi and can be hailed on the street or booked through ride-hailing apps. Taxis are a convenient option for getting around the city, especially for shorter distances.

Renting a car  is another option for exploring Urumqi and the surrounding areas at your own pace. There are several car rental companies in the city.

Urumqi has a growing network of  bike lanes  and  rental services ,  making cycling a popular and eco-friendly way to get around the city.

Accommodation

Don't worry about finding a hotel in Urumqi. International chains like Sheraton and Hilton are available there. Even in Heavenly Lake Scenic Spot, you can find accommodations with great service and full facilities for tourists. It's quite exciting that tourists can choose to stay overnight in a Kazakh yurt to experience the ranch life of the locals in Nanshan Pasture. Travelers can also opt to stay in a youth hostel or other chain hotels.

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Tianchi Lake - Heavenly Lake of Tianshan & A UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site

Tianchi Lake Facts

Tianchi Lake, called Yaochi (Jade Pool), is a top -rated attraction of Xinjiang, a half-moon alpine lake on the north side of Bogda Peak of Tianshan Mountains. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains that are covered with tall, upright, verdant spruces and pine trees, and has sapphire-like serene waters reflecting the grandiose Bogda Peak. This fairyland, said to be the residence of Queen Mother of the West, now is most known as the Heavenly Lake for its wonderful scenery and mythological significance.

Type: World Natural Heritage Site, Bodies of Water, Points of Interest, Landmarks, Lookouts, Nature & Parks, Mountains.

Best Time to Visit: May ~ October

Recommended Visiting Time: Half a day-one day

Open Hours: 08:30 ~ 20:00 (April~October); 09:30 ~ 19:00 (November~March Next Year)

Tickets: ¥95/person (April~October); ¥45/person (November~March Next Year); shuttle bus: ¥60/person (round-trip)

Address: Fukang City, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang

Why Visit Tianchi Lake of Tianshan Mountains?

Located about 68 km east of Urumqi, Tianchi , or Tianchi Lake , Tianshan Tianchi Lake or some people prefer to call it Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountains , is one of the landmarks of Xinjiang, a national key scenic sport (AAAAA) and a UNSCO World Natural Heritage property with unique, valuable natural resources and rich, distinctive humanistic connotation.

● Outstanding Natural Landscape: Tianchi Lake Scenic Area owns four vertical natural landscape zones, exhibiting a variety of natural scenery. Visitors can enjoy peaceful mountain lake, snow-covered peaks, alpine meadow, giant glaciers, primitive forests, steep valley, greenish-blue ponds, old trees and many cultural relics and historical sites among them.

● Unique Chinese Cultural Charms: Tianchi Lake of Tianshan Mountains has kept many ancient Taoist architectures and folk stories relate to China’s famous mythology of the Queen Mother of the West. This place still witnessed special Kazak folk culture and other regional ethnic cultures along the ancient Silk Road together with the nomadic history, like the past burial system and rocking painting art. Massive poems, calligraphy and paintings of the celebrities add more aura of Tianchi Lake.

● World Top-Level Natural Values: Between the 5445-meter-high Bogda Peak and the 500-meter desert of the scenic area, a complete geological evolutionary structure formed several billions years ago has been well-preserved as the only example in Central Asia and a rare case in the world. Tianchi Lake with an elevation of 1,910 meters is one of the world’s oldest alpine moraine lakes. Besides, the rock paintings in the Bogda Peak are around 3,000 years old, the volcanic rocks forest in Mount Maya scenic spot is scarce throughout the world and the fossils of the Ankylosaurus and Lystrosaurus have a great scientific value.

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Highlights to Explore in Tianshan Tianchi Lake Scenic Area

Covering an area of 548 square kilometers, the Tianshan Tianchi Lake consists of 8 scenic areas ( Tianchi Lake, Denggan Mountain, Mount Maya, Bogda Peak, Baiyanggou, Huaer Ditch, Shuimogou and North Desert ), which are subdivided into 15 attraction groups and 38 scenic spots. The essence of the park belongs to the Tianchi Lake-centered 36.52-square-meter core scenic area. Whether you’re planing a trip for sightseeing, or for adventure, leisurely hiking, ethnic culture admiration and scientific expedition, Tianchi Lake of Tianshi Mountains can always impress you in both vision and sense. The Eight Sights of Tianchi Lake are the most-known and best scenery to explore within the park.

1.Tianchi Lake Scenic Area - the Core Scenic Area

Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake) 天池 - Seapeack and Morning Glory

Tianchi Lake, located in the central valley of Bogda Peak, is praised as “ the Pearl of Tianshan Mountains ”. It is the biggest and the most important spot inside the scenic area. It is 3.5 km long and 0.35 to 1.5 km wide, with a maximum depth of 105 m and a large area of 4.9 square kilometers. Natural precipitation and melting glaciers flow through valleys and join with some underground water, forming this radiant lake. Legends say it was the looking glass of Queen Mother of the West, thus, gets its title of “Floating Sky Mirror”. From the viewing platform, you can capture splendid Tianchi Lake like a jade mirror and layered green-covered mountains around and distant Bogda Peak. The color of water in Tianchi Lake changes with the sunlight and weather. Morning sunrise creates the most thaumaturgic views when the snowy peaks, dense forest and lake water display different colors. Dusk is another fantastic moment to shoot the illusive scenery of Tianchi Lake.

You can walk around the lake to feel the serenity and stunning views from different angles and rent a nice Kazak costume near the lake to take some photos. If you like, you can take a cruise to closely see the crystal clean water and see the upright ridges, forests and peaks ashore.

Stone Gate - A Heavenly Gate

The stone gate in 5.9 km north of Tianchi Lake is a mountain pass to Tianchi Lake. Its alitude is about 1,500 meters. Hard rocks have been cut and shaped by the river and formed a deep valley called Stone Valley or Iron Gate Pass. The river roars though the vertical cliffs and the narrow gap looks like a stone gate for entering the heaven.

Dinghaishenzhen - Fixed Sea Spirit Needle

The old elm growing in the north bank of Tianchi Lake is another sightseeing highlight. As the folk story goes, Queen Mother of the West used one of her emerald hairpin to tame the water sprite who raised the devil when the goddess held the Flat Peach Banquet. The hairpin afterwards turned into an elm and safeguard by the Tianchi Lake. The alpine area with an altitude of around 2,000 is unsuitable for elm to grow. But this elm is surprising luxuriantly green and vigorous in both wet and dry seasons, really amazing. No wonder people call it a magic needle that can stabilize the sea.

Feilong Lake (East Small Tianchi Lake) - Hanging Spring & Flying Waterfall

Waters of Tianshi Lake outflows via the northeast outlet, and then a 10,000-square-meter pool - Feilong Lake (飞龙潭) forms on the hillside. The lake sits about 1,875 meters above sea level and its depth is around 6 to 11 meters. In the inlet and outlet, there are magnificent waterfalls drops with ethereal moisture, like a flying white dragon from the sky. People thus call it Bailong (white dragon) Valley. Folklore regards it as the foot basin of Queen Mother of the West and the nest of the black dragon. The aquamarine lake is circled by green picea schrenkiana and wild flowers, quiet and elegant.

Qianlong Lake (West Small Tianchi Lake) - Moon Reflection on Dragon Pool

Qianlong Lake (潜龙渊), converged by the infiltration water of Tianchi Lake, is said to be another foot basin of Queen Mother of the West. It is a sister lake of the Feilong Lake, daughter lake of Tianchi Lake. It’s also called Yunvtan for the clear, jade-like lake seem a fairy, or Qianlong Lake for the story of dragon existence. When taking a tourist shuttle bus from the entrance to Tianchi Lake, you will drive pass by Qianlong Lake. Its elevation is 1,600 meter or so and about 7 to 13 meters deep. Green hills enfold the blue water silently. When night falls, white moon and nearby mountains and woods reflect on the pond, superlative deep and serene, therefore, wining the sight of “Moon Reflection on Dragon Pool”.

Western Mountain - View Picea Schrenkiana in the Western Mountain

The Western Mountain of Tianchi Lake is the best place to appreciate the lush picea schrenkiana forest while the Eastern Mountain is good for watching peaks, the Southern Mountain for snow and the Northern Mountain for dragon. On the slope of the Western Mountain, the spruce trees stand erect, stack up and spread boundless. They carpet the mountains and draw a fabulous painting with the lower gem-like lakes. When heavy snows fall in winter, they maintain their green colors and upright bodies, and present a spectacular forest sea harmoniously beautiful land of pure white. Tale said the trees were the fairy who suffered injustice, so they emit cold air all the time.

Fushou Temple (Tiewa Temple)

Fushou Temple (福寿观), about 700 meters from Tianchi Lake is a Taoist palace originally built in Qing Dynasty (1776 AD). It has been reconstructed to 6240.75 square meters. Current buildings are characterized in Taoist features, including immortal halls, towers and mountain gate and worshiped ancestral statues.

Fairyland Bay

Fairyland Bay in southwest of Tianchi Lake is best site to look the reflection in the lake. Here is considered the bathing pool of Queen Mother of the West and her fairies. Visitors now can see a white marble caved fairy sculpture playing a flute. Immerse yourself in the peace bay and image the moving sound.

Moreover, you can visit Wangmu Temple, Mountain of the Queen Mother of the West and some other cultural sites about her in this zone.

2.Bogda Peak Scenic Area

Bogda Peak (elevation: 5,445 meters) is the tallest mountain of the east range of Tianshan Mountains. Its melting glaciers is the source of Tianchi Lake. The peak standing in the center is called Lingfeng (Divine Peak, elevation: 5,287 meter) and the westernmost peak is Shengfeng (Sacred Peak, elevation: 5,213 meters). Locals respect it “the Guardian of Junggar Basin”. The snow-topped peaks sparkle and reflect on the azure Tianchi Lake sketch a stunning vista you can’t help keeping your eyes open, when viewing from the Tianchi Lake at a distance. Except the alpine and subalpine pelouse, there are many well-preserved rock paintings. Different subjects and contents were painted, and wild animals yak, tiger, snow leopard, sheep, horse, deer, ancient figures and dance scenes and unknown symbols are very common elements. It’s interesting to see the ancient traditional paintings and learn their lifestyle and culture.

3.Denggan Mountain Scenic Area

Denggan Mountain Scenic Area is mainly comprised by Denggan Mountain, Big & Small Pot Pits, Mountain God Temple and so on. Denggan Mountain (elevationL 2,718 meters) is the second-highest peak among all western peaks of Tianchi Lake. It stands about 4 km west of Tianchi Lake and has an elevation. The mountain top has great vision for a panoramic view of Tianchi Lake, Bogda Peak and Urumqi City. According to ancient texts, a Taoist set a pine stick and hung red lanterns to pray peace and happiness. Afterwards, the mountain was named after its light role. Three giant stalagmites standing at the summit is reputedly split up by Queen Mother of the West to support the falling Western Heaven. Three Sky-Touching Rocks are one of the Eight Tianchi Lake Sights.

4.Mount Maya Scenic Area

Mount Maya (elevation: about 3,056 meters) in southwest bank of Tianchi Lake is the highest mountain among all the peaks wrapping around Tianchi Lake. Seen from afar, the mountain looks very like the horse’s teeth. In the north hillside, there are many columnar effusive rocks eroded by wind and water into a grotesque rock forest. A zigzag wooden walking trail goes through it and offers you a great chance to closely observe amazing landform and strange shapes, such as the verisimilar stone dog and fat magnate. During rainy summer, Tipchak grows everywhere on the mountain, so the kazak people call it Mayasan - “Mountain of Thipchak”. After your first ride from the entrance, you need to transfer to another bus and take a cable car up to Mount Maya. From a viewing deck near the upper cable car station, you can catch a wonderful panorama view of surrounding peaks and the lower lake. It takes another hour to reach the top.

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5.Baiyanggou Scenic Area

Baiyanggou (Aspen Valley) stretches 20 kilometers long and covers an area of 76 square kilometers in the northeast of Tianchi Lake. The area mainly features in extraordinary valley and grassland scenery with lush trees and shrubs. And it’s a representative of the North Tianshan Mountains’ biodiversity. The “V”-shape valley exhibits mixed colors and patterns of the spruces, birth trees and wild mountain plants. It’s a eye-catching natural painting and a paradise to recording the natural colors for photographers. A flower base in Baiyanggou plants the mysterious and legendary snow lotus (Yacon).

6.Huaer Ditch Scenic Area

Huaer Ditch (Flower Valley), about 9 km north of Stone Gate, is an undeveloped and unopened scenic area of Tianchi Lake. It is named after the diverse flowers in this area and owns rare rock stratum of ankylosaur (Dragon Star of Tianchi Lake), stone animals and many other strange masterpiece of nature.

7.Shuimogou Scenic Area

Shuimogou (Levigation Ditch) lies in the south of Fukang City, west of Sankong River and extends north-south for 40 kilometers. Springs in the valley fertilizes lush vegetation from the bottom to the high mountain. The Duopozigou Alpine Grassland is a good place for summer holiday for it has fresh hillside meadow and well-laid valley forests. Exposed orange oil in the Laoxia (Old Valley) and the colorful rainbow mountains inside are quite impressive and unique. The 6-kilometer-long Lugu (Road Valley) used to be a lumbering way but today is a path to Mount Maya and Denggan Mountain with lavish primitive forest by sides.

8.The Northern Desert Scenic Area

The Northern Desert Scenic Area in the north of Fukang City is an enclave spot of the Tianshi Lake. Visitors seldom visit here as it’s isolated from the main scenic areas of Tianchi Lake. Instead of green mountains and many lakes, this places has another different landscape, tough and dry, with desert, gobi, Yardang landform, marine fossils and an ancient Tang Dynasty Road - a must pass of the Northern Silk Road where keeps a few ancient city ruins, beacon towers, etc.

How to Get to Tianchi Lake of Tianshan Mountains?

Tianchi Lake is located about 11 km southeast of Fukang City and 68 km northeast of Urumqi. Usually, travelers get to Tianchi Lake from Urumqi. There are two ways available.

By Private Drive: It’s the most efficient and convenient way to visit Tianchi Lake. If you travel with China Discovery, we can pick you up at the airport, train station and your hotel in downtown Urumqi, and then take you to Tianchi Lake directly. The drive takes about 1 hour. The road condition is good, and our transfer is by a clean, comfortable, safe, licensed and no-smoking private car.

By Bus: Urumqi Beijiao Bus Station (乌鲁木齐北郊客运站) and Urumqi Bayi Jungong Bus Station Tourist Distribution Center (乌鲁木齐八一军供客运站旅游集散中心), Urumqi Nanjiao Bus Station (乌鲁木齐南郊客运站) and Urumqi Gaotie International Bus Station (乌鲁木齐高铁国际汽车客运站) run direct buses to Tianchi Lake daily. The bus takes about 1.5-2 hours. Hongshan South Airlines Pearl Hotel in central Urumqi also has non-stop buses to Tianchi Lake.

Buses depart from the above stations at 09:30 am and 10:30 am each day and retun back to Urumqi between 17:30 and 18:30 in the afternoon.

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Transportation in the Tianchi Scenic Area

Travelers, whether taking the private car or bus, will all get off at the entrance. The entrance is about 35 km away from Tianchi Lake. With a purchased ticket, you need to pay and take a sightseeing back to enter the scenic area. It’s better to take a seat by the right window, for you can see the Qianlong Lake (West Small Tianchi Lake), a folklore garden and dotted Kazak yurts by the twisting mountain road. An official tour guide will explain the attractions along the drive.

You will get off after 40 minutes’ drive. Then, you can either walk or take a battery chart (RMB 10) to get to the Tianchi Lake. The distance is about 800 meters, within 10 minutes’ walk.

By Walk:  There is a well-paved walking path built around the lake, about 12.6 km long, and it will take about 4 to 5 hours to finish one loop. It’s quite meaningful to stroll around to see the beautiful lake and visit nearby sites. Depending on your fitness, you can choose one section or a longer route to walk.

By Cruise Ship (Optional):  Taking a cruise ship is a popular way to tour the Tianchi Lake. The ship departs from the wharf in the north bank and drives one circle around the lake. The entire cruise ride takes about 45 minutes. The cruise ride will be suspended during winter when the lake freezes. Cruise price is RMB 100 per person.

By Cable Car (Optional): Cable cars are offered to ascend up to the Mount Maya. The price is RMB 220 per person for the round-trip ride. (Walking takes about 2.5 hours). To reach the summit, you need to hike on a wooden path after debarkation. You can overlook Bogda Peak from the sightseeing platform on the summit.

Best Time to Visit

Heavy snows fall on Tianchi Lake and Tianshan Mountain from November to March of next year. So tourists usually visit Tianchi Lake during April to October when the temperature is moderate and the weather is good. April is still a little bit cold and temperature will rise to fairly comfortable from May. Most places experience hot summer while the Tianchi Lake on Tianshan Mountain has a cool temperature with very beautiful scenery. The prairie during this time is stunning, and you can see magnificent waterfalls and wide-spread colorful wild flowers, and the lake is peaceful and pure, reflecting the shape of snow-capped mountains, with herds of cows and sheep scattering on the prairie eating grass. Summer (June, July and August) is the peak tourist season.

In autumn, forests of Tianchi Lake Scenic Area wear golden coat and shows a multi-colored world. When winter comes, the dominant tone is white for the lake, mountains and trees are all blanketed to be a silver world. It’s a good time to enjoy the snow scenery and enjoy skiing at the international ski resort at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Besides, from mid-November to the next March, there is Ice and Snow Festival held travelers can attend.

Generally, you can visit Tianchi Lake at any time and the best time is from May to October .

If you like to explore natural scenery and enjoy refreshing air, Nanshan Pasture is a good recommendation. It's very beautiful in summer. Besides, you can check more wonderful natural attractions of Xinjiang and get the best trip experiences with us.

Accommodation and Dining

Accommodation in & around tianchi lake.

Tourists normally make a day trip to Tiachi Lake and drive back to Urumqi for accommodation for the downtown area has various hotels and hostels at different prices. It’s also convenient to transfer from Urumqi city center to the airport and train station to catch a flight or train to an onward destination.

▶ Places to Stay in Urumqi & Recommended Hotels

If you want to spend one more day exploring the Tianchi Lake Scenic Area, there are two kinds of accommodation choices . One is the distinct Kazak yurts in the Kazak Folklore Garden inside the scenic area. Lodging in a yurt, you can not only taste authentic Xinjiang cuisine but also can listen to dombra performance by Kazak people. One yurt can accommodate several people and the room facilities is simple and basic without private bathroom. (The yurts are open in summer and autumn only.) Another option is the Wujiang Tianshan Hot Spring Holiday Hotel (五江天山温泉度假酒店) located merely 200 meters north of the ticket office. The hotel offers fine facilities, clean and comfortable room, hot spring and various entertainments, such as cinema, children’s playground, fitness center, etc. The price is a little higher than that in Urumqi; however, you can enjoy good service with great views.

Dining in Tianchi Lake

There are restaurants near the ticket office and tourist center, selling classic Xinjiang dishes and snacks. Also, you can buy food and drinks from stores by the Tianchi Lake. You can prepare some food and things to eat in Urumqi, as you have more choices and usually cheaper than inside the scenic area.

Useful Tianchi Lake Travel Tips:

1. Visitors need to make online preservation ahead and enter with valid identification before the scheduled time.

2. Lighters and smoking are not allowed.

3. Respect the wild animals and no approaching, feeding and disturbing and buying any related samples and products.

4. Protect the natural environment, walk on tourist paths, not to pick flowers and grass.

5. Collect and take away your own garbage.

6. Speak in a soft voice, create a quiet nature for other visitors and animals.

7. Respect the local ethnic culture and customs.

8. Wear comfortable shoes (flats), bring warm clothes, sunblock and some food.

How to Plan A Urumqi Xinjiang Tour

How to Get to Urumqi: Fly to Urumqi from Beijing (4-4.5hrs), Shanghai (5.5hrs), Guangzhou (5hrs), Shenzhen (5.5hrs), Xian (3.5hrs)..., or take a high speed bullet train from Dunhuang (4hrs), Zhangye (7-7.5hrs), Turpan (1hr), etc.

Best Time to Visit Urumqi: May to October when the temperature is comfortable and the seasonal scenery is very beautiful.

Top Places to Visit Urumqi: Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) of Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, Xinjiang Regional Museum, Red Hill Park, Nanshan Pasture.

Most travelers start a Xinjiang tour from Urumqi and take Urumqi as the transfer center of visiting the Northern Xinjiang. Usually, tourists spend one day exploring Urumqi’s highlights in the down area, including the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, Red Hill Park and Xinjiang Regional Museum. Making a day trip to Tianchi Lake is a popular itinerary if you won’t visit Kanas. Nanshan Pasture is a good summer resort worthy of your visit if you happen to visit Urumqi in summer.

☛ 3 Days Urumqi Tour including Heavenly Lake and Mummy Visit

Xinjiang is vast and beautiful. The Northern Xinjiang is most known for the natural beauty while the Southern Xinjiang is characterized rich cultural and historical treasures. Depending on your time and personal interests, you can extend trip to more destinations, such as the Turpan , fairyland Kanas Lake and Hemu Village in Altay, incredibly beautiful Sayram Lake , Wu’erhe Ghost City in Karamay, Ili (Kalajun Grassland, Narati Grassland, Guozigou...) in Northern Xinjiang, and travel further to the Southern Xinjiang’s Kashgar and vicinal Tashkurgan , Taklamakan Desert, Bosten Lake, Tomor Peak, Kuqa, Khotan, etc. You can pick up some highlighting places for a week's travel or haven an in-depth discovery for up to one month.

☛ 8 Days Urumqi Turpan Kashgar Xinjiang Tour ☛ 9 Days Kanas Lake Fairyland Tour from Urumqi

Northwest and Southwest China are two mysterious regions travelers love to visit. Following the ancient Silk Road from Xian to Xinjiang is also a popular travel route. It’s highly suggested that you visit Xinjiang with Dunhuang, Zhangye, Jiayuguan along the ancient Silk Road , or with the holy land of Tibet (Lhasa, Shigatse, Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Nyingchi...). The nature scenery and distinctive culture will impress you deeply. China Discovery provides not only all-inclusive Xinjiang tours , Silk Road tours , but also can help you customize a wonderful trip on your own.

☛ 10 Days Classic Silk Road Tour from Xian ☛ 11 Days Wild In-depth Silk Road Adventure Tour ☛ 15 Days Classic Ancient China Silk Road Tour with Bullet Train Experience

Keep Reading About Urumqi

• Urumqi Tours
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• Urumqi Hotels
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• Urumqi Railway Station
• Urumqi to Tianchi Lake
• Nanshan Pasture
• Xinjiang Museum

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• Ili Travel Guide
• Taklamakan Desert

Recommended Urumqi Tours

Top 3 Urumqi tours chosen by most customers to explore Urumqi in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

11 Days In-depth Wild Silk Road Adventure Tour (Cultural Relic & Unrivalled Landscape)

Lanzhou / Zhangye / Jiayuguan / Dunhuang / Turpan / Urumqi / Kashgar

Xian / Dunhuang / Turpan / Urumqi / Kashgar

Urumqi - Turpan - Kashgar - Tashkurgan

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• Best Time to Visit Urumqi
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Top Tourist Attractions in Urumqi

• Things To Do In Urumqi

Best Things To Do in Urumqi, China

Are you looking for what to do in Urumqi?

PLACES TO SEE

• Tianshan Mountains (Celestial Mountains/ Heavenly Mountains) : An hour drive from Urumqi will take you to this beautiful mountain range, situated in the Eurasia hinterland. It is one of the popular tourist attractions of Urumqi that has been declared a World Heritage List by the UNESCO in 2013.
• Tianshan Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake) : It is one of the adventurous things to do and see in Urumqi. People often refer this beautiful lake as a ‘pearl of Heavenly Mountain’ because of its crescent shape and the crystal clear water in it that comes from the melting snow of the Heavenly Mountain. You can go for boating on this lake.
• Xinjiang Regional Museum : It is the largest integrated museum and has been the center for preserving around 50,000 collections displaying the revolutionary spirit of the people of Urumqi and the ancient corpse that was said to be dried by natural process.
• Red Hill : Made of aubergine rock which is of reddish brown in color explain the fact as to why the name ‘Red Hill was given to this mountain. The hill is around 1 kilometer wide from east to west and 1.5 kilometer long and is near to this hill lies Yamalike Hill.
• People’s Park : It is said to be the biggest park in the urban city and is one of the best things to see in Urumqi. The park is said to be ‘the park for sharing happiness’. 

Below we have a list of things to do in Urumqi and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Urumqi getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Urumqi with confidence.

• Adventure activities in Urumqi
• Things to do with Family & Kids in Urumqi
• Leisure Activities in Urumqi
• Entertainment Activities in Urumqi
• Historical Places in Urumqi
• Museums in Urumqi
• Art & Cultural Attractions in Urumqi

Tourist Attractions in Urumqi

Here is the list of things to do in Urumqi and tourist attractions in city.

Tianshantianchi Lake

View Point, Lake, Nature

Xinjiang Regional Museum

Tianshan Mountains

Outdoors, View Point, Nature

Peoples Park

Garden, Park, Entertainment, Picnic Spot

Dabancheng Wind Power Station

View Point, Hill, Nature

Grand Bazaar

Food And Drinks, Market, Street Market, Shopping Center

Shuimogou Eco Tourism Area

Forest, Water Body, Park, View Point

Urumqi Botanical Garden

Garden, Botanical Garden, Nature

Tianshan Wildlife Reservation

Park, Wildlife Park, Nature

View Point, Hiking Trail, Nature

Silk Road Ski Resort

Trail, Adventure Sport, Cable Car, Nature

Southern Mosque

Mosque, Religious Site, Architecture , Hall

Mt. Tianshan Ski Area

Outdoors, Entertainment, Adventure, Adventure Sport

Urumqi Water Amusement Park

Amusement Park, Garden, Park, Boating

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• What to do in Urumqi in 3 days
• What to do in Urumqi in 5 days

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Trip.Best: Urumqi

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Things to do in Urumqi

The Xinjiang Museum

Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar

Grand Canyon of Tianshan Mountains

Yema Ancient Ecological Park

Liyushan Park

Li Jian <As Everything Is All Right> World Tour

Dabancheng District Ancient Town

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Silk Road Mountain Resort

Where to stay, yaduo hotelurumqi youhao wanke kexi road, grand mercure urumqi hualing, ruby elegant hotel (xinjiang international grand bazaar erdaoqiao subway station), kunlun hotel (8f), urumqi hengyu international hotel (dehui wanda plaza changjiang road), urumqi high-speed railway station licheng hotel, jianzhi hotel (urumqi people's square), urumqi beijing road torch building intercity hotel, ji hotel (urumqi airport), moshang light residence hotel (urumqi midong branch), atour s hotel (urumqi exhibition center wuyue plaza), yili hotel (urumqi south railway station wanda), what to eat.

絲路有約·新疆菜（萬宴城店）

SHI LIU HONG LE

Wei jia yang gao rou

LOVELY XINJIANG

小尕子·新疆菜（明園店）

巔峯食客（天易大廈店）

納瓦新疆音樂餐廳（銀都店）

Lvzhouda Restaurant

Urumqi moments: through travelers' eyes.

How much do you know about Urumqi?

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World Mystery Town

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Narat Scenic Spot

The Ancient City of Jiaohe

Turpan Karez Museum of Folklore

Duku Highway

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Changji Guesthouse

Wyndham Urumqi North

Wyndham Garden Hotel

Hotels in Turpan West

Yanling Qishe B&B (Turpan Yuefeng Suji Branch)

Popular scenic hotels near urumqi.

Nalati see the Aoyama Hotel again

Duku Tangbra Wild Luxury Resort

Nalati Yixiansen Fanjing Eden Garden Hotel

Nalati Muxing Valley Starry Sky Hotel

Trip.com Group Country Retreats (Nalati River Valley Grassland)

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Popular vacation homes near urumqi.

Munarge Homestay (Turpan Yuefengsuji Branch)

Chixia Homestay

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Konghou Courtyard Suxia Guesthouse

turpan Ah Fan-ti Village

Popular 4-star select hotels near urumqi.

Changji Garden Hotel

Dongsheng Hongfu Hotel

Atour Hotel Changji Wanbo College

Changji Xilong Aotai Hotel

Hongdu International Hotel

HAOWEIJIA International Hotel

Changji Wanda Meihua Hotel

Huayi Hotel

Haotai Hotel

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Yaxuan International Hotel

Fuyuanjiarijiudian

Popular water fun attractions near urumqi.

Bosten Lake

Antler Bay Ranch

Kongque River

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Far West China

Urumqi Walking Tour | The REAL Xinjiang

April 2 | No Comments

If you have a little extra time in Urumqi and you don’t quite know what there is to do, I have a suggestion for you. Perhaps you’ve already bought all the souvenirs you need at the Urumqi Grand Bazaar and you’ve said hello to the mummies on display at the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum  – but that would be pretty sad if that’s all there is to do here.

UPDATE: As of early 2018, this beautiful alley has now been torn down and no longer exists. I am keeping this article published as a record of the Uyghur culture beauty that used to exist in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi.

Why not take a walking tour of the back alleys of Urumqi ? Experience real life in the city instead of the tourist facade.

If this interests you at all, then join me as I share with you one of my favorite spots to bring people who are first-time visitors to my home here in Urumqi.

The Back Alleys of Urumqi

Before I go further, I want to say that I don’t take credit for this walking tour. This is a little gem that has been passed down to me by foreigners who have lived here longer than I have.

I’m grateful that somebody took the time to walk me through these alleys and my desire is that this can help you appreciate all the beautiful culture hidden deep within Urumqi, a city that sadly most people try to avoid.

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The Urumqi Walking Tour begins across the street from the Grand Bazaar, whose minaret acts as well-known icon for the city.

Frankly, I’m not too fond of the bazaar. It’s fun to walk around for those who have never been but it’s an expensive place to buy generally poor-quality souvenirs.

Across the street is ErDaoQiao (二道桥), a long market that also panders to the tourists. By following the street on the north side of the market, however, you can slowly make your way into the back alley.

Using the map below you should be able to get a good idea of where this is.

All throughout these narrow alleys there are small shops selling almost everything you could imagine (some of which might make great souvenirs!), hole-in-the-wall restaurants that you can try at your own risk, and snack stands every few feet.

The alleys run east for a bit and then north for a long while basically until you reach the South Gate (Nanmen 南门). One of my favorite things to do is make this walk and end it by having coffee or ice cream at the Texas Cafe.

Urumqi Walking Tour Tips

If you plan to take this walking tour in the back alleys of Urumqi, here are a few tips:

• Don’t be Scared : yes, you may be the only white face and you’ll get plenty of stares because of that but people don’t really mind that you’re there.
• Take Small Bills : I’m referring to money here, and I say this not because of theft (although you should always take care of your belongings) but because you’ll want to have plenty of small change to pay for things like ice cream, drinks, kebabs or other low-cost items whose sellers may not have change for a 100RMB note.
• Be Adventurous : make it a point to try at least 3 things you’ve never had before – even if it looks weird! This even includes fruit that maybe looks familiar but you can’t quite tell what it is. If it’s in-season, it’s going to be awesome.
• Mosques + Cameras Don’t Mix : don’t be surprised if the men outside the mosque ask you not to point the camera their way.

So what do you think? I hear most people say that they want to get out of Urumqi as quickly as possible but perhaps this might be something you would enjoy. I know I did.

Helpful Urumqi Links

Traveling to Urumqi? Check out these other free resources from FarWestChina:

• Urumqi City Guide  –  what to see, where to go and how to do it
• Urumqi Hotels – My Personal Reviews and Ratings
• Helpful Guides to the Urumqi Train Station and the Urumqi Airport
• About the Author

About Josh Summers

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