It was a small adventure - in the idea. To visit Khorgos and find out if everything is so cheap there, as everyone around them says ... In the end, it turned out to be the greatest purchase of all time. Home I dragged a suitcase, a backpack, three heavy compressed bales and a box with a steam iron. The female reflex worked - take it and run. But this is a minor spoiler. Now more.

idea under the pillow

I bought pillows from the store. Caught a taxi. The taxi driver stuffed them into the trunk and said: “Why are you buying here? Drive to Khorgos. There are the most expensive pillows for 1200 tenge. Why did you take it?"

I took out a check from my pocket for 12,000 tenge. The taxi driver laughs - she could buy ten grand. I don't need a dozen pillows, of course, but the thought popped up. He continues: “Textiles, blankets, fur coats and tires!” I remembered that my sister's friend had been going to Khorgos for many years and had been calling us for a long time. The decision was taken. Give me, I think, I’ll move out, I’ll buy panties and socks.

Dear near

You can get to Khorgos by car, by bus and by train. We chose the latter. We listened to knowledgeable people who advised not to go to Khorgos on the weekends, otherwise you risk standing at customs for 4-5 hours. We decided to go on Wednesday. Tickets were taken a few days in advance. We bought the coupe so that no one else was left - only our friendly company for three. Coffee in bags, sandwiches with sausage, pears, apples, boiled eggs - they were going in the Soviet way.

The last time I traveled by train was 15 years ago. Impressions from the road and the car were, to put it mildly, so-so. This time everything is civil, clean and with linens in a sealed bag from the laundry.

"Is this all on Khorgos?" I was surprised to see a crowd of people at the station. “That's not enough! Weekday. Here on Saturday there are 8,000 people, and on Sunday - more than ten thousand, ”the man on the platform said with a knowing look. Night on the road - and we are waiting for the mysterious ICBC.

We arrived on schedule, at dawn. We had breakfast and went to another dimension.

Steppe wind in the face, a bunch of taxi drivers scurrying along the platform. You can get from the station to the border control by bus or minibus, but we did not observe such. Taxi drivers ask 800 tenge per person. “And before it was 500?” our guide asks. “Gasoline has risen in price, if someone is lucky for you for five hundred, I’ll personally let his tires go,” the taxi driver answers, seemingly laughing, but with a formidable squint. Drive twenty minutes to the place.

Ticket price: reserved seat - 1536 tenge, coupe - 2351 tenge

Departure time: 23:45

Arrival time: 05:05

Travel time: 05 h 20 min

Everything's under control

International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation - this is how the mysterious ICBC "Khorgos" is deciphered. This is a duty-free zone on the Kazakh-Chinese border, where you can buy everything and a little more at producer prices. I will say right away, if you want interesting and high-quality clothes and shoes, this is not the place for you. It's cheap and easy here. A mink coat will be quite a fur coat, but with Chinese characters on the label. But here you can buy home textiles, casual outerwear, children's clothing for every day and household appliances at a low price.

It takes a lot of time to queue, which you need to defend in order to pass the passport and customs control. Citizens of Kazakhstan can only carry an identity card. Buses run to shopping centers, the fare is 1500 tenge. And to go to the shopping centers themselves for about seven minutes. There was an organized shopping group with us on the bus. The same guys from Almaty, but under the supervision of a strict guide - a woman over fifty, who threatened them with her finger - do not make noise, do not get up, do not take off your badges, otherwise you will get lost. Honestly, I don’t know if an escort is needed on such a small trip, but oh well. By the way, the cost of the tour in an organized group is 6500 tenge.

• frequency of crossing the border of the Customs Union and / or movement of goods by an individual - 1 time per month (30 days);
• without paying customs duty, it is allowed to transport goods for personal use, the total weight of which does not exceed 50 kg and the customs value of which does not exceed 1,500 euros (equivalent).

running around

Before us stretched 560 hectares of retail space: "Golden Port", "Jian Yuan", "Yiwu", "Zhong He", fur city "King Kong".

At the entrance to the first mall, we met men with tires. On the bus - on the shoulder. They shared information - they bought tires here for 13,000 tenge. Those that are sold in Almaty from 25,000 tenge. Satisfied and happy, they dragged their tires towards the post office. We went to get acquainted with the assortment.

Having bought winter jackets (4500-6000 tenge) and ski pants (3000-5000 tenge) for my “boys” (2 sons + husband), I relaxed with a clear conscience, thinking that the maximum task was completed. Already satisfied, she began to look around for "socks-underpants" and came across old dream: steamer. For example, in Almaty, the cost of the gadgets I encountered started at 15 thousand. Here the price was several times less - from 4500 tenge. I bought for 6000 tenge and it was one of the best steamers that you could find here.

The happy owner of a huge package with jackets and pants and a box with a steamer, I soon realized that it was extremely inconvenient for me to carry all this stuff with me and ... I bought myself a suitcase on wheels (2500 tenge). Then in Almaty I met exactly the same for 8000 tenge.

We looked into the fur city as an excursion, since we were not interested in fur coats, but just stared - there is a large selection: beavers, minks and other rabbits. However, there was also eco-fur (read, artificial). We didn’t waste time on lunch, we had a bite to eat and drank tea from a vending machine.

You can move around the shopping area by bus. But, loaded with things, we decided - to walk like this to walk - and went by taxi. True, we had to pay for three and “that guy” who was not with us - in Khorgos everything counts for four.

I liked the Yiwu Center - several thematic floors, each with its own assortment. For example, the floor of bags or the floor of bed linen. This is where I got stuck. Pillow, blanket, bed linen - give me just two! I'm greedy. And how to hold on? Kids clothes good quality for 2000 tenge.

All my textiles were placed in a vacuum bag, sucked out with a huge vacuum cleaner, and they gave me an unbearable briquette. It's time to return.

Countdown

All purchases were made on the run, because I wanted to see more, but time was ticking: from border area you have to leave at the appointed time, and at the exit, as well as at the entrance, there is a queue that has swelled due to bales, trunks and carts. If you are a gentle nature, with a complex psyche, you will not like all this Brownian movement of things-people-machines. At the exit we were met by the same taxi driver. For which a big thanks to him!

When they saw our modest purchases, they asked at the customs: “Fur coats? Tires? Have you sent the item to the post office yet? No? Why did you go at all then?” the customs officers asked in bewilderment. Yes? And it seemed to us that we were crazy shopaholics!

The return train leaves at 22:00. We got to the platform early - around five, had dinner at the station cafe. We wanted to somehow culturally spend time, but, having entered the car, they fell in all directions, fell asleep like a dead sleep and overslept until they returned home. Still, this is not an easy thing - junk. I didn't buy any socks!

payroll

For 200 conventional units I bought:

2 jackets adults

2 jackets for children

2 ski pants

1 faux fur coat (couldn't resist, I confess)

1 toy for son

1 bag on wheels

children's boots - one

2 children's tights,

2 duvets

2 pillows (yes! - 1200 tenge each)

2 children's sets of linen

ICBC "Khorgos" (International Center for Cross-border Cooperation "Khorgos") is located on the border of China and Kazakhstan. ICBC Khorgos is a FEZ (free economic zone "Khorgos - East gate”) a huge Chinese market, a huge bazaar, a flea market on the border of China and Kazakhstan. In shopping centers of Khorgos you can buy everything, well, or almost everything. People come here who want to buy cheap mink coats, chandeliers, bed linen, etc. for themselves and their families.

Entrepreneurs, wholesalers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and other countries travel to buy goods in large and small quantities for their outlets. Prices for goods in Khorgos, of course, are cheaper than at flea markets in Almaty, Kazakhstan, it will be even cheaper if you buy in Khorgos in bulk or small wholesale.

To get to the bazaar in Khorgos, you don’t even need a visa - Kazakhstanis can visit Khorgos with an identity card, where the IIN must be indicated (may be located at the bottom of the machine readable line) or with a foreign passport of Kazakhstan. Citizens of the CIS can visit Khorgos with foreign passports. For citizens of other countries - a visa regime (the presence of a Chinese visa in the passport).

In 2019, the celebration of the Chinese New Year will last from February 4 to 10. Most trading floors of ICBC "Khorgos" will be closed from February 1st to February 15th.

From the latest news on ICBC "Khorgos":"In accordance with the decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated November 1, 2018 No. 91 "On Amendments to the Decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated December 20, 2017 No. 107", from January 1, 2019, the import norms are reduced with exemption from customs payments of goods for personal use accompanied and unaccompanied baggage when moving across the customs border by rail and road transport (with the exception of air checkpoints) from 1,500 euros to 500 euros and from 50 kg to 25 kg. Thus now: without paying customs duty, it is allowed to transport goods for personal use, the total weight of which does not exceed 25 kg and the customs value of which does not exceed 500 euros (equivalent). In case of exceeding the norm, you will have to pay a customs payment - 30% of the value of the goods (but not less than 4 euros per 1 kg of weight if the total value and / or weight limit is exceeded).

Working hours of ICBC "Khorgos"

ICBC "Khorgos" is open from 7:00 to 19:00 seven days a week. Shopping malls on the Chinese side close at approximately 5:30 pm Almaty time. If you do not make it in time for the closing of the checkpoint, you will stay overnight on the Chinese side. For basic purchases, which are concentrated in the shopping center, one day is enough for you. Boutiques start to close at 17.00.

Approximate prices for goods in the shopping centers of the ICBC "Khorgos". Retail:

• Frame child car seats - 10,000 tenge; frameless - 2 500 tenge.
• Samsung TV (plasma, 55") - 56,000 tenge.
• Women's long fur coat, solid mink - $650 - $900. Short mink coat, whole mink - $500 - $1,700.
• Sheepskin coat short with a hood - from $200.
• Hats for men from 500 tenge to 18,000 tenge (mink).
• Women's fur vests from 30 000 tenge.
• Down jacket - from 7,000 tenge. Winter short down jacket - from 5 000 tenge.
• Cotton bed linen - from 1,500 tenge, 2,700 tenge and more.
• Winter shoes - from 2,000 tenge.
• Leather footwear - from 8 000 tenge.
• Sports suit - from 2 500 tenge.
• DVD recorder with screen - 20 000 tenge.
• Plaid - 3 000 tenge. Blanket (1.5-sleeping) warm - 2,000 tenge.
• Curtains with eyelets (set) - from 10 000 tenge.
• Toy "Teddy Bear" (180 cm) - from 12,000 tenge. Children's musical rocking chair - from $60. Plastic toys - from 500 tenge.
• Video recorder - from 2 500 tenge. Car speakers - from 3,000 tenge. Car radio Pioneer - from 7 000 tenge.
• Winter tires (11-15") - 6,500 tenge (1 pc.).
• iPhone 5s - from 76,000 tenge.

Shopping centers ICBC "Khorgos". Goods. Where what is for sale?

The Khorgos International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation is a huge duty-free zone on the Kazakh-Chinese border, where you can buy literally everything at producer prices - from Chinese tea to mink coats.

Many Kazakhstanis believe that it is profitable to buy in Khorgos textiles (bed linen, bedspreads, blankets, pillows, etc.), as well as fur coats, fur vests. It is profitable to buy these goods here at a price compared to Kazakhstani markets and the quality is not bad. And we are generally silent about the assortment.

If you are going for specific goods, it is better to hire an inexpensive guide at the entrance, who is well versed among the thousands of boutiques of Chinese shopping centers, knows where to buy something and even very cheaply. This guide will quickly lead you to the trading places where the goods you are looking for are concentrated. So you save time and effort. Having made the main purchases, you can pay attention to other products.

So, on a huge area today there are 7 shopping centers:

• Yiwu shopping center(here and bed linen, carpets, dishes, souvenirs, toys, leather goods, interior items, musical instruments, strollers, bicycles, inflatable boats and pools, children's slides, sports goods, household goods, clothes (women's, men's, children's), underwear, hats, jeans, national costumes, etc.)
• Shopping center "Golden Port"(wedding dresses, goods for children (including clothes and toys), outerwear and sportswear, hats, seasonal shoes, cosmetics and jewelry, dishes, bedding (linen, blankets, pillows, etc.) household appliances and electronics, furniture, power tools and auto accessories, leather goods (bags, suitcases), souvenirs, curtains, wallpaper, products of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, etc.)
• Jian Yuan Shopping Center(toys for sale) Cell phones, household goods (dishes, textiles, curtains, etc.), jewelry (jewelry and bijouterie), clothing and footwear (women's, men's, children's), sports goods and leather goods, warm underwear, fur coats, accessories (scarves, scarves), medicines, perfumes and cosmetics, TVs, tents, car tires, leather goods, tools, and more. etc.)
• Shopping center "Jun Ke"(electrical goods, shoes, clothing (men's and children's), jeans, blankets, bed and table textiles, leather goods (bags, travel suitcases, etc.), hosiery, cosmetics, jewelry, food, car accessories, titanium wheels, car tires, tourist and sporting goods (tents, sports equipment), souvenirs, dishes, kitchen utensils, parquet, wallpapers, bicycles and much more)
• Fur City "King Kong"(this is not only fur products from mink, beaver, fox, arctic fox (fur coats and sheepskin coats, hats and sheepskin coats, jackets and coats, vests and stoles), but also telephones, tires and tools for motorists)
• Shopping center "Jun Ke - 2"(opened in August 2017) (you can buy fur coats, vests, other fur products, clothes, leather goods).
• International shopping center "Feng Ye"

It also works here:

• Trade and Exhibition Pavilion "Dong Fang Jin Xu",
• Hong Kong Duty Free Shop,
• German Duty Free Shop,
• Korean Duty Free Shop.

Shopping malls in Khorgos

King Kong International Fur City- this is about 600 outlets where you can buy not only all kinds of fur products from mink, beaver, fox, arctic fox (fur coats and sheepskin coats, hats and sheepskin coats, jackets and coats, vests and stoles), but also telephones, tires and tools for motorists .

Yiwu International Trade Center (Yiwu Mall) occupies a colossal area - about 155 hectares, and the territory occupied by buildings - 380,000 square meters. m, which allows us to call it the largest market for small goods of the ICBC. More than 7,000 stores in Yiwu Mall offer about 2,000 types of products, which belong to 43 sectors, including bed linen, carpets, dishes, souvenirs, toys, leather goods, home decoration, musical instruments, strollers, bicycles, inflatable boats and swimming pools, children's slides, sports goods, household goods, clothes (women's, men's, children's), underwear, hats, jeans, national costumes, etc.

Zhong Ke World Trade Center is a shopping complex with about 500 outlets selling electrical goods, shoes, clothes (men's and children's), denim, blankets, bed and table textiles, leather goods (bags, travel suitcases, etc.), hosiery , cosmetics, jewelry, food products (including tea and goji berries), car accessories, titanium wheels, car tires, tourist and sporting goods (tents, sports equipment), souvenirs, dishes, kitchen utensils, parquet, wallpapers, bicycles and much more other.

Department store "Golden Port" offers visitors wedding dresses, goods for children (including clothes and toys), outerwear and sportswear, hats, seasonal shoes, cosmetics and jewelry, dishes, bedding (linen, blankets, pillows, etc.), household appliances and electronics, furniture , power tools and auto accessories, leather goods (bags, suitcases), souvenirs, curtains, wallpaper, products of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, and more. others

In the Jianyuan shopping center there are about 300 stores selling toys, mobile phones, household goods (dishes, textiles, curtains, etc.), jewelry (jewelry and bijouterie), clothing and footwear (women's, men's, children's), sports goods and leather products, warm underwear, fur coats, accessories (scarves, scarves), medicines, perfumes and cosmetics, TVs, tents, car tires, leather goods, tools, and more. others

What to buy in Hogos? What do people often buy in Khorgos?

Usually people go to Khorgos to buy profitable goods such as:

• bed dress
• car tires
• outerwear (jackets, down jackets)
• sportswear
• fur things (fur coats, vests, fur scarves)
• clothing (children's, men's, women's)
• leather goods (bags, suitcases)
• hosiery
• electric scooters, segways, etc.
• toys
• Appliances.

What documents are needed for a trip to Khorgos for citizens of Kazakhstan. How to find out if they will let you out of Kazakhstan (find out the debt)

Citizens of Kazakhstan can visit Khorgos with an identity card, where the IIN must be indicated (may be located at the bottom of the machine readable line) or according to the international passport of a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Pay attention to the expiration date of the ID card or passport so that the ID card does not expire.

Before going on a trip to the Chinese Khorgos market, find out if you will be released from Kazakhstan. Maybe you have unpaid alimony, fines, taxes, etc. Check yourself in the lists of debtors temporarily restricted to leave Kazakhstan, follow this link, enter your data and get the result, if your name is in this list of citizens:
http://www.adilet.gov.kz/ru/kisa/zapret

If you have debts to the budget, you will not be able to go through passport control.

What documents are needed to visit Khorgos by citizens of the CIS countries and other countries

Citizens of the CIS can visit Khorgos with a passport.

Citizens of other countries (non-CIS), including those on vacation in Kazakhstan, can visit ICBC Khorgos if they have a Chinese visa in their passport.

What mobile communications (cellular operators) operate on the territory of Khorgos?

Mobile communications in Hogos: Beeline, Altel and Tele2 in normal mode. Kcell and Active in roaming. On the territory of the Khorgos shopping center, our cell phones automatically switch to roaming and start working on Chinese networks. And you have to pay for roaming. So don't miss it when calling. And in the phone settings, manually select the Kazakh telecom operator. There is no Wi-Fi on Khorgos.

Khorgos hotels. Prices. If you did not have time to go through customs or get your goods at Kazpost, where you can spend the night

If you did not have time to go through customs or receive your goods at Kazpost- You can stay overnight in a hotel.

Don't put off going through customs and sending your luggage until the last minute! You may not have time. If you have bulky purchases (for example, car tires), immediately send them to Kazpost, and then return for other purchases. Try to do it before 11:00.

Hotels on the territory of the ICBC where you can spend the night. then accommodation on the territory of ICBC Khorgos - in a hotel (on the Chinese side) - from 5,500 tenge. or in cheap hostels. The price of a place in a hostel on the Kazakh side is 2,500 tenge.

How to pay for purchases, what money to take, where to withdraw money. What money do Chinese sellers accept, how to pay

Chinese sellers accept tenge, yuan, dollars, and rubles. Cash only. Therefore, remove the required amount from the card in advance. There is an ATM on our side near passport control. The queue can be long. Therefore, it is better to have cash with you.

Goods prohibited from being transported across the border from China to Kazakhstan:

• stun guns,
• gas and pneumatic weapons,
• camera pens,
• various recording devices and other "spy" goods.

Who is banned from entering China

If you are going to ICBC Hogos, please note that people with a beard, people in hijabs, as well as in clothes with the image of a "star" and "moon" are prohibited from entering China. There is a reminder at the entrance. The armed police of China vigilantly monitors the implementation of this rule and returns tourists back.

Photo from the site https://motor.kz/. Photo enlarges

Rules for the transport of goods by individuals through Khorgos. Latest news and changes

In accordance with the decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated November 1, 2018 No. 91 “On Amendments to the Decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated December 20, 2017 No. 107”, from January 1, 2019, the import norms are reduced with exemption from customs payments of goods for personal use in accompanied and unaccompanied baggage when moving across the customs border by rail and road transport (with the exception of air checkpoints) from 1500 euros to 500 euros and from 50 kg to 25 kg.

In particular:

• frequency of crossing the border of the Customs Union and / or movement of goods by an individual - 1 time per month (30 days);
• without paying customs duty, it is allowed to transport goods for personal use, the total weight of which does not exceed 25 kg and the customs value of which does not exceed 500 euros (equivalent).

Personal goods include:

• no more than 2 units of the same name, style and size for 1 person: clothing items, bedding sets, floor coverings, hats, shoes;
• 1 item of the same name, style and size: fur and leather products, household appliances, electrical appliances, bicycles, baby strollers;
• no more than 2 units: mobile phones, laptops, netbooks, tablets;
• no more than 5 pieces of jewelry;
• no more than 3 units of one item of toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes;
• no more than 10 kg of food;
• no more than 2 units of each item of other (not mentioned above) items.

Through the Khorgos customs terminal, you can carry goods in a bag, the dimensions of which do not exceed 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.2 m, and the weight is not higher than 25 kg. This is considered hand luggage. Carrying excess cargo (more than 25 kg) - 300 tenge/kg.

Goods over this weight must be sent to Kazpost JSC (up to 25 kg.) - 50 tenge per 1 kg. The reception point at the ICBC "Khorgos" is open until 16.00 (but it is better to start taking purchases before 14.00). Receipt on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan immediately behind the customs terminal (the point is open until 19.00).

Goods, the quantity and weight of which is more than allowed, are classified as commercial cargo and are subject to customs clearance.

ICBC Khorgos - how to get there?

Khorgos Bazaar can be reached in three ways: by train, tourist bus and by car.

Train. Passenger train Almaty - Altynkol 393T leaves at 23.15 (on odd numbers) from the station. Almaty-2 and arrives at Altynkol station at 05.21 the next day (on the way 6 hours 06 minutes). In the opposite direction, the departure of the train Altynkol-Almaty 393C from the station. Altynkol at 20.59 (on even days) and arrival in Almaty - at 03.35 (travel time - 6 hours 36 minutes). The train follows with a stop at the station. Almaty-1.

Ticket prices approx: 1 626 tenge (place in reserved seat car), 2 499 tenge (coupe). Carriage of baggage weighing more than 35 kg - 30 tenge per 1 kg.

Tickets can be purchased at railway ticket offices or online ticket offices - https://epay.railways.kz/

From Altynkol station to Khorgos ICBC can be reached by minibus (fare is approximately 500-800 tenge one way).

By tourist bus

On a comfortable tourist bus (usually such buses carry out shop tours of travel agencies) a trip to Khorgos takes 6-7 hours, in winter - 7-8 hours.

By car (autobahn Almaty - Khorgos)

Automobile. Almaty - Khorgos. Distance. Autobahn "Almaty-Khorgos". If earlier the road from Almaty to Khorgos took about 5 hours along the Kuldzha highway (distance - approximately 350 km). Now a new, modern autobahn "Almaty-Khorgos" has already been launched and is operating. On the new highway 305 km long. the journey from Almaty to Khorgos now takes only 2.5 - 3 hours! The official speed limit is 110 km/h.

Photo from the site https://motor.kz/.

This is a 4-lane road with a cement-concrete surface. Thanks to new road it became much faster to get from Almaty to Shelek, Zharkent, turning to Chundzhu. got even closer! The new highway "Almaty-Khorgos" - if you drive from Almaty - then turn from the Kapchagay highway to the road to Khorgos (on the left), and then follow the road signs. The road will be tolled in 2018. Built toll points at the beginning and end of the journey will collect tolls on the road. The cost will be 1 tenge per 1 km. It turns out about 300 tenge. There are also several arches with CCTV cameras installed along the route.

Well, the old free way from Almaty to Khorgos along the Kuldzha highway:

Leaving the city, following the Kuldzhinsky tract (highway A351). Having passed with Shelek, turning left at the fork and after 200 m - smoothly right. Continuing on the track. After 99 km turn left onto the R-21 road. On the ring near Turning Koktal onto the 1st exit onto the A353 and further along the highway for another 52 km (through the city of Zharkent and the village of Pidjim) to the village. Khorgos.

Entry to the territory of the ICBC takes place through block "B" from 8.30 (spring and summer), from 9.00 (winter and autumn).

The car remains in the parking lot. Leave the car in the parking lot, go to passport control and show your ID.

Then you immediately need to go to the ticket office and buy a bus ticket that will take you to the shopping centers. The ticket price is 1,500 tenge, the ticket is valid in both directions, so do not lose it. Otherwise, he will go back by taxi, at a price of up to 4000 tenge per person. Only if you have a ticket will the exit door be opened for you.

Boarding the transport takes place at the landing site of block "B".

If you decide to spend the night in Khorgos and continue shopping the next day, then accommodation on the territory of ICBC Khorgos - in a hotel (on the Chinese side) - from 5,500 tenge. or in cheap hostels. The price of a place in a hostel on the Kazakh side is 2,500 tenge.

Shopping tour from Almaty to Khorgos: program, prices, addresses, features

Many travel agencies in Almaty offer Shop-Tours to China from Almaty (IPCS "Khorgos").

1 or 2 day tours to the bazaar in Khorgos are usually carried out tourist buses having a large luggage compartment. Trips are organized regularly, several times a week. The group is accompanied by a guide who freely navigates the Khorgos market, who can advise, if necessary, on purchases (where and what is sold, what are the approximate prices, where you can buy cheaper).

General information:

• distance one way: 356 km,
• total tour duration: 26 hours,
• travel time one way: about 6-7 hours in summer and 7-8 hours in winter.

Approximate trip itinerary:

21.00 - collection,
21.30 - Departure from Almaty.
7.00 - arrival of buses to the parking lot at the ICBC "Khorgos".
8.00-10.00 - border control, travel from the terminal to the shopping center by bus (7 km.) price 1,500 tenge per person (tickets are bought at the terminal box office),
10.00-14.00 - purchase of goods in the MPCS "Khorgos",
14.00-16.00 - travel from the shopping center back to the terminal, customs clearance, passport control, collection at the tourist bus,
16.00-17.00 - receipt of goods at the branch of Kazpost JSC,
17.00 - departure to the city of Almaty,
21.00-21.30 - sanitary stop, dinner in a cafe,
22.55 - arrival in Almaty.

The tour program is indicative. Depending on the chosen travel agency, the time may be changed.

Tour cost: from 5,000 tenge - one-day tour, two-day tour - from 6,500 tenge.

• The cost of the trip includes transport services and transportation of cargo up to 50 kg (for 1 person).
• "Extra" weight is paid according to the tariff (200 tenge per 1 kg).
• Overnight at the hotel is paid separately (from 168 to 300 yuan - from 8,500 tenge).

In the morning we decided to go back to Khorgos and take a bus there to Urumqi (and then, according to the plan, take a ticket for the Urumqi-Xi'an train). The reasons were as follows: there is no flow of cars in the right direction, since the locals drive across the road to Khorgos, before reaching it and turning towards Urumqi - this is how Ikram and his father explained to us. In addition, we remembered the prices for buses when we were in Khorgos, and they turned out to be lower than Inin-Urumqi. Finally, we underestimated the local weather, and we were not ready to stop towards Urumqi through mountainous cold areas in light clothes, and most importantly, in light sleeping bags.

Distance Khorgos-Inin (Ghulja): 115 km, one and a half hours by car.
Distance Khorgos-Urumqi: 660 km, 7 hours by car or all night by bus.

We got out to the outskirts for a couple of hours, even took a ride on a passing bus. Once in front of the tollgate (the checkpoint on the autobahn), through the fences and the embankment, they got out onto the road - on the right side, and quite quickly caught the car in the direction of Khorgos. The man behind the wheel, smiling, showed that he also wears a backpack, and shaking the thermos, made it clear that he was a tourist.

§ Khorgos

In Khorgos, we immediately bought tickets for an eight-hour bus at the bus station, and in order to kill time, we went for a walk around the area. It turned out that the city is not as big as it seemed at first: literally one big central street, from which smaller streets diverge. And everywhere there is construction, everywhere something is being drilled, sawn, twisted out of the ground and poured with concrete. Vague associations hovered in the air with the country of the Soviets, which succeeded - with the five-year plans and the construction of a bright future. They were complemented by a sickle and a hammer on calico posters with slogans, which are placed here and there in the corners. Interestingly, in other cities we almost did not see any communist propaganda, and a couple of the locals interviewed shrug their shoulders, not even remembering that the sickle and hammer fluttered on the flag of the USSR. Hearing the word "Union", the Chinese, by the way, energetically express their sympathy and approval (some even remember that Kazakhstan was part of the USSR).

At the station, we asked a guy in a shop where the toilet was, and in response we received: a toilet, a pack of water with energy drinks, sincere empathy and a desire to help. That water is needed is understandable, but the energy guy argued that our backpacks are heavy, and we need to walk a lot - you can’t argue with that. After assuring our new patron that we definitely don’t need anything else, thanking and taking another photo, we went to the park, where we lay on the grass and basked in the sun.

The bus turned out to be sleeping, and, in principle, comfortable (if you are a Chinese of average Chinese height). We drove all night, with one stop at the double-u-ce. "Hello! Double-u-si!” and a hand gesture meaning zero - free of charge, that's what the locals gladly told me at this stop, who for some reason meet the bus there. Free double-U-C on the road to Urumqi is a brick corner and a stone wall around - fresh, environmentally friendly.

§ Urumqi, September 25

We ended up in Urumqi early in the morning, the station was cool and crowded. The new arrivals were attacked by a squadron of taxi drivers and beggars - breaking away from the chase, we moved towards the railway station on our own two feet.

Urumqi (Uyg. ئۈرۈمچی, Үrumchi; Chinese: 乌鲁木齐, pinyin: Wūlǔmùqí) is an urban district in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, the seat of the government of the autonomous region. Population - 3.1 million inhabitants. Urumqi is the most remote from the sea major city in the world. Located on the northern slopes of the Tien Shan mountains.

First impressions and what caught my eye:

• Around the bus station is very dirty; right opposite the exit, we saw a cafe where sheep are slaughtered in the street, and the skins are piled nearby. Bloody streaks, smell, flies.
• The toilets at the station are not for the faint of heart: they have no doors, they are just partitions over a metal-lined tiled ditch - you can see everything!
• After a couple of blocks at the crossroads, a couple of shepherds easily parked a herd of sheep on the sidewalk - their waste products and the smell are attached.
• Huge lines at the station: at the entrance and for tickets.

Standing in one such queue, after half an hour of waiting, we got to the window of the required ticket office - and then it suddenly became clear that the budget for the Urumqi-Xi'an train, which had been laid down earlier, did not cover the current price: the tenge exchange rate against the dollar managed to fall significantly during our preparation for the trip. After discussing this news, we decided to leave for some city closer, and from there hitchhike in the direction of Xi'an. Having got to the cashier for the second time, we offered him to pick up some kind of ticket to his taste, within the specified amount. Without batting an eye, the cashier wrote us a couple of tickets to a certain Lanzhou, and we finally left the station building, having spent half a day there.

§ Urumqi-Lanzhou train, September 25-26

We got tickets for the class K train: seats, a day on the road, departure at 23:40. In a nutshell: never do that.

Earlier, during our Aktau-Almaty reserved seat trip, we decided to set a comfort scale for transportation. We took this reserved seat for zero, unaware of the existence Chinese trains with seating. So, according to this scale, we assigned the Urumqi-Lanzhou train -4 (minus four) points. Not minus five, because the passengers did not smoke and did not spit in the compartment (but in the vestibule, yes), and there was no fight between the gypsies and the demobilized ( Small child was). The car is packed full of people; some found it more comfortable to lie on the floor instead of sitting, so that in the aisles and under the seats here and there people slept on bedding or their clothes. Those passengers who bought standing (!) Places, guarded the seats that were vacant for a while, and occupied them, and the rest of the time they lay in the aisle, stood in the compartment, slept on the washbasins, in the vestibule, near the toilet. Everywhere.
The carriages have toilets, a tap with boiling water and a washbasin. From time to time, all passengers take out beach bags, brew them and eat them, snacking on some dried chicken feet and cardboard sausages on sticks. In general, everything that happens seems to be a Bosch painting come to life, and Orff's "O Fortuna" would be the best soundtrack.

The next morning, after a thousand and one attempts to fall asleep while sitting, everything seems not so scary (and you almost begin to feel jealous of those who slept on the floor). The people rode simple, the Laowai were seen infrequently, but after a period of increased attention, a recession set in, and no one in our cars almost stared at us with an open mouth. I forgot to mention that we got seats in two different carriages, so traveling to each other for a cup of tea was like walking through the circles of some smelling noodles and cigarettes of a purgatory prison. At first, I sat in tension, hugging my backpack, which did not fit on the shelf, expecting anything from people with bad teeth and ugly tattoos on their hands, but then they helped me to fit my luggage among their trunks, and even gave way so that we could sit with Julia together. By the fullness of the car and the shelves, it became clear why the people ran so briskly along the platform, trying to get inside first.

Separately, I remember the child from the place opposite. Already walking, but not yet talking - this baby was allowed to do everything, with the unanimous approval of others. At one fine moment, I even had a chance to see the slit on his panties in action - the kid sat down in the middle of the compartment on his haunches and began to do his own thing, and the adults around cheered for him and encouraged him with advice. After such a native Kazakh reserved seat seems like a fairy tale and a pleasure trip.

Having worked off our karma in this way, we arrived in Lanzhou at 12 at night.

Max and I decided to go to China. In fact, we have been going there for a long time, and do not even mind living there for a while. We like China and everything connected with it. And it's not just because we met there.

Why didn't we go to China and stay in Kazakhstan?

The main reason why we never left for China is the visa! Plain tourist visa to China for a period of one month is inexpensive, both for me, a Russian woman, and for Max, a Kazakhstani. With a long-term visa, things are much more complicated. And the difficulty is not only in design, but also in cost. If for citizens of the Russian Federation an annual visa to China costs around 2,500 yuan, then for citizens of Kazakhstan a Chinese visa will cost almost four times more. It all depends on the agency that will do this visa. But the difficulties don't end there. Almost all travel agencies told me that Max, being a citizen of Kazakhstan, will be able to obtain a Chinese visa only when his passport contains at least two individual visas, that is, tourist visas that allow stay in China for a period of not more than one month. As for employment and work in China. Without knowledge of Chinese, it is difficult to find a job in China, but if you really want to, then it is quite possible. If you are fluent in English, then you can get a good and well-paid job. For example, in China, teachers are highly valued in English. And if you are an artist, model, circus performer or dancer, then China is also open to you. The Chinese will provide all the conditions, pay for the flight in both directions, provide free accommodation, make a visa, just to get a professional artist on a contract. As for me, I worked for Chinese island Hainan, first as a children's animator, then as a manager in a travel agency.

What is there, what is there, I did not need knowledge of the Chinese language. I will say more - at that time I spoke English at the school level, but I did not need it. I pulled it up later, during my travels around South-East Asia and life in China.

As for our joint collections in China, the search for work did not lead to anything useful. We could have left and found work directly in China, but due to these visa difficulties for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, we were forced to change our minds and decided to stay in Kazakhstan.

How to get to China without a visa?

And just recently, Max's mother told us about ICBC Khorgos, which is located on the border between China and Kazakhstan. And I was just about to leave the country, since every six months I am obliged to leave the territory of Kazakhstan.

Initially, we were going to go to Kyrgyzstan, but we liked the idea of ​​Khorgos more. We so wanted to go to China, and then there was an opportunity to visit China and not bother with the issuance of Chinese visas.

- This International Center Border Cooperation for duty-free trade between China and Kazakhstan. Simply put, this is a trading city in neutral territory, where you can buy Chinese goods at low prices. In fact, in Khorgos, trade is expected not only in Chinese, but also in Kazakh goods. But, apparently, Kazakhstanis flock to Khorgos mainly as buyers and merchants, but by no means as sellers and producers.

To visit the ICBC Khorgos, only a passport is required. But this is not exactly the territory of China. ICBC Khorgos is not part of the Chinese People's Republic, but is located only in the neutral zone between China and Kazakhstan. But, despite this, having been in Khorgos, I can say with confidence that this is the most that neither is China, only at the initial stage. Construction here is in full swing. And I am sure that in the near future ICBC Khorgos will turn into a full-fledged chinese city with developed trade and infrastructure. The Chinese are great!

How to get to Khorgos through a travel agency?

Almaty travel agencies organize special shop tours to Khorgos from Almaty. For lovers of shopping, cheapness and goods from China, I can advise the company "BRAZZERStuR". Alexander and Marat are great guys who will turn your shopping into a real pleasure. A shopping tour to ICBC Khorgos from BRAZZERStuR for one day will cost 6500 tenge, and with an overnight stay 7500 tenge. We considered different options on how to get to Khorgos. Instead of a shopping tour, we went to Khorgos by train on our own.

How to get to Khorgos by train?

To get to Khorgos on your own, just buy a ticket for the 394Ts train from the Alma Ata 1 or Alma Ata 2 stations to the Altynkol station and you are almost there. The train leaves Almaty at 23:00 on odd days and back to Almaty at 18:53 on even days. Travel time averages 7 hours. The fare on the train 394Ts Alma Ata - Altynkol is 1373 tenge in a reserved seat and 2086 tenge in a compartment.

So, what is better: a shop tour or an independent trip to Khorgos?

I can say right away that if the purpose of our trip was shopping, then we would go with BRAZZERStuR, since in terms of money, a shopping tour to Khorgos ICBC is not much more expensive than an independent trip by train. I would tell for what other reason we advise shopaholics a shop tour, and not independent trip in Khorgos. But I don’t want to reveal all the cards, since there will be a separate article and video about ICBC Khorgos, in which you will see everything with your own eyes. Follow us, it will be interesting. In our opinion, the trip turned out to be very eventful and unexpected even for us.

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