Hemu Village

Hemu lies in a valley in the Altai near the Kanas reserve, and its houses are built the way the forest allows: squared logs notched at the corners with steep shingled roofs, a Siberian rather than Chinese form, occupied by Tuvans, a small Turkic-speaking community with Mongolian cultural ties, alongside Kazakh neighbours. In autumn the birch and larch on the slopes turn yellow and gold around the dark log village, and mist rises off the Hemu river most mornings and pools in the valley, which is why photographers fill the ridge above the village before dawn through late September and October.

What you actually see

• The log houses - notched timber cabins with steep shingle roofs.
• The autumn birch - gold slopes around the village in late September.
• The morning mist - river fog pooling in the valley at dawn.
• The Tuvan community - a small Turkic-speaking group in the Altai.

When to go

Late September to mid-October for the gold and mist, which is the peak and very crowded; June is green, quiet and also fine. Winter closes access for months with deep snow.

Honest expectations

Access is via the Kanas area ticket and compulsory shuttles, which is expensive and slow. Autumn crowds are heavy and accommodation books out months ahead. The village has been substantially rebuilt for tourism.

Nearby

Kanas Lake lies northwest; Burqin is south.