Baihaba白哈巴

Baihaba (officially Akkaba) presses against the border river facing Kazakhstan — the last village in China's northwest corner, hence 'the Northwest's First Village.' It's home to Kazakh herders and Mongolic Tuvans: a 2023 count cited by state media puts the population at about 965 — 575 Kazakh, 390 Tuvan. China's Tuvans number only two to three thousand, spread across just three villages: Baihaba, Hemu and Kanas. The whole settlement is notched-log cabins with steep snow-shedding roofs; each autumn the birch slopes above turn translucent gold, making this the quietest stop on the Kanas loop. Note: the village sits inside a border management zone — see the access card and reminders below.

Peoples & log cabins

Where Tuvans and Kazakhs share one valley

• Log-notching craft: walls of interlocked timber, no nails needed
• The Tuvans — two to three thousand people nationwide — speak a Turkic language
• Kazakh herders still practice seasonal migration
• A filming site of 'To the Wonder' (2024); horseback and throat-singing experiences have multiplied since

Autumn & the valley

The last of the three villages to turn gold

• Birches and larches turn from late September; the window runs to mid-October
• Batur platform: morning mist, stove smoke and the full village panorama
• The 'lonely tree' larch stands as the village's natural landmark
• Winter snows seal the valley — beautiful, but transport and lodging shrink to almost nothing

The border's presence

River, sentry post and routine document checks

• The border river runs just past the village — hence 'the Northwest's First Sentry Post'
• Border zone rules: carry documents, expect checks
• Keep clear of the river and border installations; no photos of either
• The border's presence is part of the village's character