The East Kazakhstan region is set to build a new cross-border road for tourists from China. The road will span from Kanas Lake in China to Lake Markakol in the Katon-Karagay district of Kazakhstan, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, citing the administration of the East Kazakhstan region.
Interested state agencies are already discussing the project. For example, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Finance have begun negotiations with their Chinese counterparts to promote the opening of an international border crossing near Markakol village.
«When all necessary arrangements are made and the most suitable location for a border crossing is found, the Ministry of Transport will address the issue of constructing a cross-border tourist road between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China,» said Maksat Bayakhmet, deputy chair of the Committee of Highways, in an interview with Kursiv.media.
The official emphasized that the route would facilitate the influx of tourists to unique nature resorts across the region.
Currently, the only way to the lake is a 60-kilometer unsurfaced road, which can be challenging for motorists during rainy weather.
Why Lake Markakol is unique
The lake and its surroundings are home to snow leopards, epibiotic Siberian musk deer, sables and Siberian weasels.
The surroundings of the lake are part of the Markakol National Reserve, one of the most biodiverse regions in Kazakhstan.
Many describe Markakol as the second Switzerland due to its picturesque natural beauty. The lake sits between the Kurchum and Azutau mountain chains at an altitude of 1,447 meters. The nearby mountains are covered with relict forests, while the lake’s waters are crystal clear and vary in color from deep blue to silver.
The lake is rich in grayling and other fish. The protected area is also home to rare species like the black stork and the steppe eagle, symbols of the borderless steppe and high mountains of Kazakhstan.
The prospects for the cross-border tourist road between China and Kazakhstan were discussed on April 28 by Nurtas Karipbayev, chair of Kazakhstan’s Tourism Industry Committee, and Zhang Zhengqi from China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited (CTG International).
In 2023, Lake Markakol was added to UNESCO’s list of non-material cultural heritage.
