Travel Guide to Tekes Bagua City: Essential Tips for Driving and Exploring

"Driver, why are there no traffic lights in the city?"
"Not needed at all, the roads are laid out like a bagua, no matter how you drive, it’s all smooth."

I was intrigued by this magical line and hit the gas from Yining to Teks, spending 3 days and 2 nights exploring all the hidden spots in the city, and I'm here to smooth out the bumps for you.

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How to Get There

Self-Driving
Start from Yining, navigate to "Teks Bagua City," it's 130 km on paved roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h, taking about 2.5 hours.
Make sure to fill up at the Piri Qinghe Bridge area—there are only 2 small gas stations in town, and expect long queues in peak season.

Chartered Ride
You can call a Didi ride (a shared car) straight from Yining city for around 200 yuan, and the drivers know the area well, so you can relax while they drive.
If you land at Zhaosu Airport, it's even quicker, just 1.5 hours to get to the edge of the city.

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4 Must-Do Activities

① Launch Your Drone for a Bird's-Eye View of the Bagua

There are no traffic lights in the city, so aerial shots will reveal all eight neat entrances like "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun..."

There’s only 1 legal spot to launch:
A tiny 2 m² platform next to the Taiji Pond Police Station, make sure to bring your ID and drone model for a report a day in advance—it’s free, just fill out a form.
I took off at 19:00, capturing the daytime bagua patterns before the lights came on, and it's like a whole new world.

If you don’t want to report, just hop on the Ferris wheel instead; at 54 m high, you can look down on the entire bagua layout with its beautiful night lights, saving battery life.

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② Use the Streets as Your Background Wall

The street is less than 500 m long, with colorful wooden houses hanging hand drums, flower blankets, and wool felt.
Here are 3 recommended photo spots:

• The "I Miss You in Teks" sign—expect to queue at least 5 minutes, just give your phone to a passerby for a shot.
• The rooftop of a second-floor café, perfect for capturing the entire rainbow lane.
• The flower wall at a homestay, best light at 4 PM.

Don’t forget to grab a cup of Kazakh salty milk tea (ask for less salt, or you’ll be questioning life after the first sip).

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③ Night Ride on the Ferris Wheel

This is Asia's biggest Taiji-themed Ferris wheel, and each rotation takes 18 minutes, expect to wait in line at peak times (8-9 PM).
My trick: I went up at 6:30 PM to catch the sunset, then queued again at 7:45 PM for the night view, and used just two tickets for two rides.

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④ Learn a Little About the I Ching in Half an Hour

Entry to the Taiji Pond Museum is 20 yuan; the basement has a sand table replicating the entire layout of Bagua City, and you're free to snap photos.
The guide will let you touch a "lucky bagua plate" at the end—don’t push too hard, I've heard stories of people scraping the paint off it.

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3 Nearby Grasslands to Visit

Place	Distance from Bagua City	Recommended Activities	Notes
Karakun Grassland	1 h drive	Buy tickets to enter West Kalalang, explore patterned forests and Crocodile Bay, horseback ride to Karakun Lake	You can return to the city the same day
Qionkushitai	2.5 h	Starting point of the Wusun Ancient Road, stay in a wooden cabin, get up early to see the morning mist	Poor road conditions, go with an SUV
Aktaisi	1 h	Free wild grasslands, blooming yellow and purple flowers from June to July, bring a picnic mat and relax	No restrooms, so plan accordingly

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Getting Around the City

• Walking: You can roam freely within 2 km of the city center, and with no traffic lights, there's no concern about traffic jams.
• Shared Electric Scooters: Scan to use for 3 yuan/hour, they're everywhere, just remember to wear a helmet—police really do pull over those without one.
• Taxis: Just 5 yuan to drive across the city; the drivers are friendly, but it's hard to find one after 10 PM.

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What I Ate

Restaurant	Must-Order	Price
Ma Bai Kai Lai	Lamb chops and pulled dough, soup so fresh it’ll blow your mind	Pilaf 18 yuan, pulled dough 25 yuan
Zan Yi Kou Yogurt House	Yogurt with blackcurrant sauce, the milk skin is thicker than my debit card	10 yuan/bowl
Lijie Night Market	Grilled buns 3 yuan, Barsi 2 yuan, Kvass 6 yuan	Average 30 yuan to feast

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Last 3 Pointers

1. Drone registration should be planned on a working day; the police station is closed on weekends.
2. Always get permission when photographing people, especially kids—they are super friendly, just show them the replay.
3. From 2 PM to 4 PM in summer, the sun is so harsh you’ll feel like evaporating, sunscreen + ice sleeves are must-haves, don’t call them girly.

If you have any questions, just message me directly, I reply faster than Wi-Fi!