Cocodala Travel Guide

Cocodala is a county level city directly under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is to the east of Yining City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, west of Khorgos City, south of the Durata Port, north of the Gulqin Mountain of the northern Tianshan Mountains. It covers an area of 6,040 square kilometers and has a total population of 256,551. There are 22 ethnic groups in the city. In addition to Han, there are Hasak, Uygur, Mongolian, Hui and other ethnic minorities. 

"Coco" is a Kazakh word meaning "Green" and "Dala" is a Mongolian word meaning "Field". "Cocodara" is the word after the synthesis of Kazakh and Mongolian language which means "Green Field". 

● What to do & where to go in Cocodala

Changfeng Rice Culture Exhibition Scenic Spot was built and put into use in 2017. With rice culture as the theme, Changfeng Rice Culture Exhibition Spot is a tourism brand created by relying on "China's beautiful countryside - paddy field landscape". It is an ecological tourism industrial park integrating viewing, entertainment, leisure and shopping. Set rice cultivation, agricultural cultivation demonstration, sightseeing agriculture, leisure and holiday facilities and other multi-functional. The scenic area is mainly divided into six functional sections: tourism service area, rice museum, scarecrow display area, rice experience area, parent-child picking garden and rice field landscape appreciation area.

Cocodara Grassland Night Scenery Park is located in the northwest of Cocodara Grassland in front of the 312 national highway and behind the Ili River, 12 kilometers away from Khorgos Port. Here is the gathering place of Genghis Khan's army and the headquarter of his western expedition. The ancient city of Alimari, known as the "Capital of the Central Empire" and "Paradise of Central Asia" by Europeans, is the former place of the palace of Chagatai Khan.

● What to eat in Cocodala

Pea noodles, Ili pilaf, mutton noodles, pilaf stuffed bun, various Naan - crispy cakes and so on.

● Transportation

Railway: China-Kazakhstan International Railway passing through Cocodara 

Highway: Cocodara City is only 20 kilometers away from Yining Airport with major traffic arteries such as the national highway 312 and 218.

Airport: Cocodara City is only 20 kilometers away from Yining Airport.  

● Climate

Cocedala belongs to sub-humid continental temperate climate, mild and humid with large temperature difference between day and night, less hot in summer and severe in summer, less cold in winter, fast but unstable temperature rise in spring and fast decline in autumn. The annual average temperature is 8.9℃, the highest temperature is 39.5℃ and the lowest temperature is -35.2℃. Sunshine duration ranges from 2,700 to 2,900 hours and frost free period ranges from 150 to 180 days.