Khorgos, China: border with Kazakhstan, crossing rules, location, travel, bargain shopping in a variety of malls, markets and shops

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Khorgos is a small Chinese town located on the border with Kazakhstan. The construction of the town began only 3 years ago, but every day its population is growing. This is due to the fact that Khorgos is a duty-free zone where producer prices are set. Thanks to the cheapness of goods, you can buy literally everything: from real Chinese tea to tires or a mink coat.

What city is this?

Khorgos is located between China and Kazakhstan, in the Panfilov district of the Almaty region. As planned by the builders, in Khorgos it will be possible to conclude contracts and buy products directly through manufacturers, which will significantly save time and money. In fact, this is a duty free city.

This idea appeared after Kazakhstan and China expressed their mutual desire to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation and trade. Kazakhstanis increasingly go to China in Khorgosfor shopping, and tour operators offer profitable shopping tours.

Transition and shopping rules

1. All people who want to cross the border must have a valid passport. Tourists from Kazakhstan must also undergo mandatory registration.
2. Each visitor is allowed once every 30 days to buy and export goods for their own use in the amount of not more than 1,500 euros without paying a fee. There is also a weight limit for purchases - 50 kg.
3. Goods can be carried through the customs terminal in a bag measuring 60×40×20 cm, weighing a maximum of 35 kg. This is considered hand luggage.
4. If the goods exceed the allowable dimensions, it must be sent by mail (Kazpost JSC). To have time to do this, it is better to take purchases before 2 pm.
5. The border gates open at 9 am, but the line is already gathering from 7 am and even earlier. About 5-7 thousand visitors pass through Khorgos over the weekend, and about several thousand on weekdays.
6. One-day shopping tour costs about 7000-8000 tenge (about 1300 rubles).
7. To get to Khorgos on the border with China, you will have to drive about 350 km along the Kuldzhinsky tract from Almaty or along the new autobahn.
8. All visitors go through mandatory customs and passport control.
9. From the border to the bazaar, people get by bus, the fare in which is 500 tenge (89 rubles) one way.
10. Purchases can be paid in dollars, yuan or tenge.
11. Large productsit is better to send by "Kazpost" to continue shopping calmly.
12. It is forbidden to export weapons (gas and pneumatic), stun guns, various surveillance devices (camera pens, recording devices, etc.) from Chinese Khorgos.

What items are considered personal items?

• Maximum 2 items of the same name, size, style per 1 customer: leather goods, bedding, miscellaneous items of clothing.
• Maximum 10 kg of any food.
• 3 perfumes, cosmetics, toiletries with the same name.
• 5 pieces of jewelry.
• Maximum 1 item of the same size, style, name: household appliances, fur/leather, prams, bicycles, electrical appliances.

Famous Shopping Centers

Today, there are 7 large shopping complexes on the border between China and Kazakhstan in Khorgos:

• A "Golden Port" offering customers children's products, wedding dresses, a variety of clothing, car accessories, Chinese pharmaceutical products.
• Yiwu is a huge pavilion with more than 7000 shops with a total area of more than 155 hectares.
• Jian Yuan is a center with 300 departments that sell a variety of home and leisure products.
• Zhong Ke - a complex with 500 outlets with products for home and own use.
• "Zhong Ke-2".
• "King Kong" (fur city). It's about 600stalls selling not only furs, but also car accessories and telephones.
• Feng Ye.

In addition to large shopping centers, there are also Hong Kong, Korean, German duty-free shops, duty-free shops, the Dong Fang Jin Xu Trade and Exhibition Pavilion.

How to get there?

You can get to the bazaar by car, train or tourist bus:

• By car you can drive along the new modern autobahn Almaty - Khorgos (China). It's about 3 hours drive. It is allowed to drive at a speed of 110 km/h. The fare on the new autobahn is 300 tenge (53 rubles). You can drive along the old road through the Kuldzha highway. In this case, the journey will be free, but the journey time will be 5 hours.
• On a tourist bus to Khorgos Bazaar in China. Travel time is about 7 hours in the warm season and about 8 hours in the winter.
• On the passenger train Almaty-Altynkol. The train number is 393T, departs at 23:15 from Almaty-2 station and arrives at 5:21 at Altynkol station. The total travel time is just over 6 hours. Train 393Ts is going back. Departs at 20:59 and arrives back at 3:35. Tickets cost 1,626 tenge (290 rubles) in a reserved seat and 2,499 tenge (445 rubles) in a compartment.
• By minibus from Altynkol station. Ticket price - 500-800 tenge (89-143 rubles).

Where can you eat in Khorgos, China?

Dishes of Kazakh cuisine are sold in the following establishments:

• In the canteenbuildings of JSC ICBC Khorgos.
• In the Almaly cafe, which is located near the Suxin hotel.
• In a small pavilion near the Samruk building.
• In a cafe called Qazaq Street Food, which is located in front of the Arka crossing.

Chinese national cuisine can be found in these places:

• In the restaurant of the Dong Fang Jin Xiu complex.
• In the pavilions on the street near the Golden Port shopping center.
• On the 5th floor of the Zhong Ke-2 shopping center.

Where to stay for the night?

If you decide to stay in Khorgos China for the night, then the Dong Fang Hotel, SCO or inexpensive hostels work for you.

A hotel room will cost about 12-15 thousand tenge per day (2139-2674 rubles). In a hostel, of course, the cost of living will be cheaper - 4-5 thousand tenge (713-900 rubles).

Who is prohibited from crossing the Chinese border?

• Visitors wearing hijabs.
• To those with beards.
• Tourists in clothes that depict the moon or a star.

The Chinese police monitors the implementation of this rule, and in case of violation, visitors are turned back.

What do you need to take on the road?

• A foreign passport and a mandatory passport with IIN (located at the bottom of the page).
• Large strong bags or bags.
• Food and food for breakfast and lunch, which will be needed on the road to Khorgos (China) and while crossing the border.
• Personal hygiene items and water.

Reviews aboutKhorgose (China)

Many residents of Kazakhstan regularly go to Khorgos for shopping. It is advised to buy fur coats, textiles, household goods. But Chinese-made shoes and clothes, according to reviews, are not worth going this way. In Khorgos you can stay overnight (there is a hotel with a sauna).

Before, the journey by car took 5 hours, but due to the construction of a new autobahn, the journey has become almost half as long. Riding on it is a pleasure.

Tip from loyal customers: if you want to get it done in one day, it's best to find someone who knows the right place to take you straight to the right places.

If you want to buy cheap goods for the whole family, then the city-bazaar Khorgos is definitely for you. Follow all customs rules, and then shopping will only give you pleasure.