Kanas Scenic Area Halts Oct 3 Ticket Sales at Capacity

Xinjiang’s flagship Kanas scenic area suspended same-day ticket sales on 3 October after visitor reservations reached maximum capacity, as China’s week-long National Day holiday drove a surge of travelers to one of the country’s most sought-after autumn destinations. The Altay Prefecture Culture and Tourism Bureau announced the suspension in the early hours of the morning, invoking China’s Tourism Law to halt sales on safety grounds.

The notice was issued early on the morning of 3 October via the bureau’s “Altay Tourism” WeChat public account, according to The Paper, which reported that the booking platform subsequently showed the Kanas one-day admission ticket as “sold out or already stopped for sale.”

What the Notice Said

Under the Tourism Law of the People’s Republic of China, the scenic area activated an early-warning system and suspended ticket sales to ensure visitor safety, the notice stated. Visitors were directed to reserve tickets for other time slots through the official “Kanas Scenic Area” and “Yuanxingwang” WeChat accounts.

Those who had not yet secured tickets were advised to adjust their itineraries and visit alternative attractions nearby, including Burqin County’s Kanas Tower Bridge, the Sino-Soviet Aviation Memorial Hall, Five-Colored Beach, and White Sand Mountain.

According to The Paper, the scenic area’s comfort level was rated “crowded” for 3 October, improving to “average” for 4 October — a signal that the pressure was expected to ease as the holiday progressed.

A Recurring Pattern at Peak Season

This is not an isolated event. A nearly identical capacity-saturation notice was issued for 19–21 September 2025 by the Kanas Scenic Area Management Committee, which activated a “red alert” and suspended ticket sales under the same legal framework, according to Altay News Network. The recurrence points to a structural pattern: demand at Kanas routinely outstrips capacity during peak windows, particularly around national holidays and the narrow autumn foliage season.

Kanas, a 5A-level — China’s highest rating — scenic area in Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, comprises the core Kanas area along with the villages of Hemu and Baihaba. Its reputation for alpine lakes, forests, and autumn color has made it a centerpiece of northern Xinjiang’s tourism offering.

The timing of the suspension is significant. Altay’s autumn foliage window is short — generally running from mid-September into early October — placing the National Day holiday squarely within peak viewing season and amplifying demand for the limited daily visitor quota.

Riding Xinjiang’s Broader Tourism Boom

The capacity crunch at Kanas reflects a wider surge in Xinjiang tourism. The region has become one of China’s fastest-growing travel destinations, drawing domestic visitors from across the country and a rapidly rising number of international travelers.

During the 2026 “May Day” holiday, Xinjiang ranked among the country’s strongest growth destinations, with flight capacity to cities such as Urumqi, Kashgar, and Yining expanding notably, according to National Business Daily. That report also cited data showing inbound visitor growth to Xinjiang exceeding 60 percent year-on-year, with the region increasingly positioned as a destination for global travelers rather than a substitute for outbound trips.

Industry figures quoted in the same report noted that the true peak season for Xinjiang extends from the July summer months through the National Day holiday and into November — a prolonged high-demand period that keeps flagship sites like Kanas under sustained pressure.

Analysis: Managing Demand at a Fragile Landmark

The suspension highlights a persistent challenge for China’s marquee natural attractions: balancing the economic benefits of booming tourism against the ecological sensitivity and visitor-safety requirements of fragile landscapes.

Kanas sits within a region whose appeal rests heavily on its relatively untouched natural character. The real-name, advance-reservation ticketing system that Kanas has operated in recent years — with a daily maximum capacity cap — represents a deliberate effort to control visitor flow and protect the site. Yet as Xinjiang’s popularity climbs, the gap between demand and capacity has widened, making capacity-suspension notices an increasingly familiar feature of peak travel periods.

The notice’s emphasis on redirecting visitors to surrounding attractions also reflects a broader strategy of spreading tourism benefits across the Altay region, rather than concentrating them at a single overwhelmed site.

What to Watch

For travelers, the immediate lesson is that advance reservation is now essential for Kanas during peak periods, and that same-day entry during national holidays cannot be assumed. For local authorities, the recurring suspensions raise the question of whether current capacity management tools are sufficient as Xinjiang tourism continues to expand.

The easing of the comfort rating to “average” on 4 October suggests the most acute pressure may have passed for this holiday window. But with Xinjiang’s peak season extending well into the autumn and the region’s profile continuing to rise, the underlying dynamic — demand outpacing capacity at one of China’s most iconic natural sites — is unlikely to be resolved soon.