Location: Within Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture
Best Season: July to August is the optimal time for mountaineering
Why Visit: Atop the glacier, you’ll find countless ice lakes of unfathomable depths, crevasses hundreds of meters deep, as well as pale blue melt caves, ice stalactites, ice towers, and subglacial rivers – all part of this glacial wonderland. Looking up, you’ll see snow dust billowing not far away, cascading down and stirring up snow waves tens to hundreds of meters high.
There are numerous hot springs near Tomur Glacier. After your glacier tour, you can indulge in a relaxing soak.
At the foot of Mount Tomur and in the valley areas, spruce and pine trees cover the mountains, staying green all year round. If you’re lucky, you might spot some rare wild animals.
Xinjiang’s Tomur Glacier
When people think of glaciers, many imagine towering peaks piercing the clouds, brutal snow and wind, and the desolate loneliness of the surroundings. If that’s the case, consider visiting Tomur Glacier. Its vitality, warmth, and grandeur will melt away any inner fears.
For thousands of years, the Tianshan Mountain range, facing the vast Taklamakan Desert from afar, has not only shielded the northern Xinjiang grasslands from rolling sand dunes but also nurtured uniquely captivating landscapes. Setting out from Aksu City and heading north through Wensu County, the ancient land of the Gushi Kingdom, a series of scenes rich in Western Region flavor gradually unfold before you.
Farmhouses sheltered by green shade, ancient city-like terraces, and endless orchards of red dates and walnuts rise and fall across the landscape. As the altitude changes, seven complete vertical natural zones have developed on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, including warm temperate desert, alpine meadow, and snow zones. This is unique in all of Xinjiang. Thus, the beauty of Tomur Glacier lies not only in its majestic ice but also in its captivating surrounding scenic areas.
Tomur Glacier is located on the southern slope of Mount Tomur, the highest peak in the Tianshan Mountains. Even in the scorching summer, areas above 4,000 meters remain a world of ice and snow, with flying ice dragons and pervasive cold. The glacier runs southeast and is China’s most impressive glacier, as well as the sixth-largest glacier in the world.
At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, Taghlak Pasture’s Kongbaizi Village is the closest settlement to the glacier. As you enter the village, a tranquil rural scene unfolds before you. Dense poplar trees and earthen-yellow hills abound, apricot fruits blush with a faint red hue, and enticing fruit aromas waft from between broad, lush mulberry leaves. Looking around, you’ll see various stones piled on the Gobi Desert. The sharp desert wind, like a fine Yengisar knife, has polished these exposed stones into myriad fascinating shapes, truly a masterpiece of nature.
Tomur Glacier is hidden within these mountains, its visage veiled by high peaks and clouds, enticing visitors to lift its mysterious veil. Traversing the glacier requires ample physical strength and unwavering determination. Visible and hidden crevasses and scattered moraine can be seen everywhere, while the occasional thunderous sound of distant glacier collapse sends chills down one’s spine – each step is a test of oneself and one’s life.
Unexpectedly, the glacier landscape suddenly unfolds before climbers at the perfect angle. The snow-capped main peak is Tomur Glacier itself. Crisscrossing snow ridges and undulating glacial flows create a majestic ice world. You can also witness glacier marvels such as unfathomably deep ice lakes, crevasses hundreds of meters deep, pale blue ice caves, ice mushrooms, and subglacial river channels.
If you’re fortunate enough to reach the central area at the glacier’s front, you can closely experience Tomur Glacier’s towering presence, seemingly supporting the sky, and its nurturing embrace of the Aksu Oasis. Above is the vast sky, below the boundless earth. Between heaven and earth stands Mount Tomur, awe-inspiring to all living beings, proudly erect in this pure and flawless world of ice and snow, radiating dazzling brilliance. The vastness of the universe instills a profound respect for nature’s ingenious craftsmanship.
As you bid farewell to the glacier, you’ll gradually notice several herders’ camps nearby. Here, you can enjoy a cup of hot tea, savor delicious local specialties, and watch sheep, cattle, and horses frolicking around the felt tents. On the grassland, hand-width streams flow incessantly, while white wild roses taller than a person bloom passionately along the riverbanks – as if transitioning from an ethereal fairyland back to the warm human world. The wind sweeps across the grassland, cattle and sheep dot the mountainsides, composing a perfect alpine pasture landscape against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
