Koktokay – Beautiful Location with Lot of Mineral Deposits

Koktokay is place in Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, in the province of Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China. Situated in the northeast direction of Fuyun County, this place is famous for Scenic Spot and Koktokay National Geopark. This place is a wonderful location for sightseeing, photographing, hiking, vacationing, educational and scientific expedition. The Irtysh River, originate from this region and flows in to Arctic Ocean. This is the only river in China that flows in to Arctic Ocean.  This area is rich in mineral deposits; hence it has lot of economic importance.

Close by cities:

The nearest towns to Koktokay are Fuyun, Fuyun, Halatungku and Halatungkou. Major cities close to Koktokay is Kashi, Biyask, Shihezi and Urumqi. People who wish to travel to Koktokay can reach to any of these cities and from there it is easier to catch a tourist bus or taxi service.

The geo park has four major divisions; the Irtysh Grand Canyon, Cocoa Sullivan Lake, Kalaxianger Earthquake Fault Zone and Ilaymu lake. The meaning of Koktokay in Kazakh language is “green forest” and in Mongolian dialect the meaning is “blue river bend”. It is evident from the name that the location has been a naturally beautiful serine spot since ancient times on wards. 

Largest mineral mining pit in the world:

Very close to the river you can see the largest mining pit in the world namely “No. 3 pegmatite”. This mine pit is having 84 rare minerals. In the Irtysh Grand Canyon section of Geopark of Koktokay, you can see huge granites in different sizes scattered all over the Irtysh River. It is a wonderful feast to watch the brooks, springs and falls in every nook and corner of the landscape. The birch forest and green meadow add beauty and tranquility of the location.

Plentiful leisure activities:

Tourist can engage in to various leisure activities here. For hiking enthusiasts this is the perfect place. Those who wish to negotiate with the challenges while trekking, they will have all the thrilling, nerve taking experiences. During trekking keep the right kind of shoes with solid rubber grips that can provide safe holding, when you trek on the virgin red stones.

Tourist can also engage in the horse riding and check the horse riding abilities. Kazhak people are excellent horse riders, including men and women. You can engage in to various forms of horse spots too and make your tourist days meaningful.

Tourists can have one of the best natural scenes from Koktokay.  From the gate of Geopark to Cocoa Sullivan Lake, you need to travel 23 kilometers. The lake is having area of 178 hectares and having lot of aquatic plants. The lake is also known as Wild Duck Lake. Lot of beautiful floating islands in the lake with beautiful flowering plants make this a very attractive location. Also, the island attracts lot of wild ducks, swan gooses and moorhens.

Ideal season:

Mid June to early August are considered as the best season to visit Koktokay. The weather condition will be moderate. It will be neither too hot nor too cold. However tourists are advised to keep warm cloths and sleeping bags to meet any challenging climatic condition.  Also, it is recommended to have a good English speaking guide who can take you or accompany you to the right spot which you should not miss. Have a wonderful trip to Koktokay.