How long does the train ride from khorgos. Train timetable: Khorgos. Why we did not go to China and stayed to live in Kazakhstan

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

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

To get to the market in Khorgos, you do not even need a visa - Kazakhstanis can visit Khorgos with an identity card, where the IIN must be indicated (can be located below on the machine-readable line) or with a Kazakhstan passport. Citizens of the CIS can visit Khorgos with foreign passports. For citizens of other countries - the 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 of the trading floors of ICBC “Khorgos” it will be closed from February 1 to February 15.

From the latest news on ICBC "Khorgos": “In accordance with the decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission of November 1, 2018 No. 91“ On Amending the Decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission of December 20, 2017 No. 107 ”, import rules with the exemption from customs payments of goods for January 1, 2019 are reduced personal use in accompanied and unaccompanied baggage when moving across the customs border by rail and road means of transport (excluding air border checkpoints) from 1,500 euros to 500 euros and from 50 kg to 25 kg. " So now:without payment of 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 is not higher than 500 euros (equivalent). In case of exceeding the norm, you will have to pay a customs payment - 30% of the cost of goods (but not less than 4 euros per 1 kg of weight when exceeding the limit on the total cost and / or weight).

Working hours of the ICBC "Khorgos"

ICBC "Khorgos" is open from 7:00 to 19:00 seven days a week.Shopping centers on the Chinese side close at about 5.30 pm Almaty time. If you do not have time to close the checkpoint, you will stay the night on the Chinese side. One day is enough for the main purchases that are concentrated in the shopping center. Boutiques begin to close at 17.00.

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

Frame car seats - 10 000 tenge; frameless - 2 500 tenge.
Samsung TV (plasma, 55 ") - 56 000 tenge.
The fur coat is female long, whole mink - $ 650 - $ 900. Short fur coat mink, whole mink - $ 500 - $ 1,700.
Sheepskin coat short with a hood - from $ 200.
Men's hats 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 bedding - from 1,500 tenge, 2,700 tenge and above.
Winter shoes - from 2 000 tenge.
Leather shoes - from 8 000 tenge.
Sports suit - from 2 500 tenge.
DVD radio with a screen - 20 000 tenge.
Plaid - 3 000 tenge. The 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 МЦПС "Хоргос". Goods. Where, what is for sale?

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

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

If you are traveling for specific goods, it’s best to inexpensively hire a guide at the entrance, who is well oriented among thousands of boutiques in Chinese shopping centers, knows where to buy and even very cheap. 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 basic purchases, you can pay attention to other products.

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

TC "Yiwu" (here, bedding, carpets, dishes, souvenirs, toys, leather goods, interior items, musical instruments, strollers, bicycles, inflatable boats and pools, children's slides, sporting 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 car accessories, leather goods (bags, suitcases), souvenirs, curtains, wallpapers, products of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, and many others.)
TC "Jian Yuan"(toys, mobile phones, household goods (dishes, textiles, curtains, etc.) are sold, jewelry (jewelry and bijouterie), clothes and shoes (women, men, children), sports goods and leather goods, warm underwear, fur coats, accessories (scarves, scarves), medicines, perfumes and cosmetics, televisions, tents, car tires, leather goods, tools, and many others.)
TC "June Ke" (electrical goods, shoes, clothes (for men and children), jeans, plaids, bed and table textile, leather goods (bags, travel bags, etc.), hosiery, cosmetics, jewelry, food, car accessories, titanium wheels, car tires, tourist and sporting goods (tents, sports equipment), souvenirs, dishes, kitchen utensils, parquet, wallpaper, bicycles and much more)
Fur city "King Kong" (these are not only fur products from mink, beaver, fox, arctic fox (fur coats and short fur coats, hats and sheepskin coats, jackets and coats, vests and stoles), but also telephones, tires and tools for motorists)
Shopping center "June Ke - 2" (opened in August 2017) (you can buy fur coats, vests, other fur products, clothes, leather goods).
International Shopping Center "Feng E"

It also has the following functions:

trade and exhibition pavilion "Dong Fang Jin Xu",
hong Kong duty-free duty-free shop,
german duty free duty free shop,
duty free duty korean duty free shop.

Shopping centers Khorgos

International fur city "King Kong" - 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 short fur coats, hats and sheepskin coats, jackets and coats, vests and stoles), but also phones, 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 ICPS. In more than 7,000 stores of the Iu Shopping Center, about 2,000 types of products are offered, which belong to 43 sectors, including bedding, rugs, dishes, souvenirs, toys, leather goods, interior items, musical instruments, strollers, bicycles, inflatable boats and pools, children's slides, sporting goods, household goods, clothes (women's, men's, children's), underwear, hats, jeans, national costumes, etc.

World Trade Center Zhong Ke It is a shopping complex in which there are about 500 outlets selling electrical goods, shoes, clothes (for men and children), denim, rugs, bed and table textile, leather goods (bags, travel suitcases, etc.), hosiery , cosmetics, jewelry, food (including Goji tea and berries), car accessories, titanium wheels, car tires, travel and sporting goods (tents, sports equipment), souvenirs, dishes, kitchen utensils, parquet, wallpaper, bicycles and much more another.

Department store "Golden Port" It 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 accessories, leather goods (bags, suitcases), souvenirs, curtains, wallpapers, products of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, and many others. other

In the shopping center "Jian Yuan" there are about 300 stores selling toys, mobile phones, household goods (dishes, textiles, curtains, etc.), jewelry (jewelry and bijouterie), clothes and shoes (women, men, children), sporting goods and leather goods, warm underwear, fur coats, accessories (scarves, scarves), medicines, perfumes and cosmetics, televisions, tents, car tires, leather goods, tools, and many others. other

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

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

bed dress
car tires
outerwear (jackets, down jackets)
sportswear
fur things (fur coats, vests, fur scarves)
clothes (children’s, men’s, women’s)
leather goods (bags, suitcases)
hosiery
electric scooters, segways, etc.
the toys
appliances.

What documents are needed for a trip to Khorgos for citizens of Kazakhstan. How to know whether you will be released from Kazakhstan (to find out the debt)

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

Pay attention to the expiration date of the certificate or passport so that the expiration date of the identity card does not come to an end.

Before going on a trip to the Chinese market of Khorgos, find out if you will be released from Kazakhstan.Maybe you still have unpaid child support, fines, taxes, etc. Check yourself in the lists of debtors temporarily limited to leave Kazakhstan, follow this link, enter your data and get the result if your surname 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 for citizens of the CIS countries and other countries to visit Khorgos

Citizens of the CIS can visit Khorgos with a passport.

Citizens of other countries (not the CIS), including those on vacation in Kazakhstan, can visit the ICBC Khorgos if they have a Chinese visa in their passport.

What mobile communication (mobile operators) works on the territory of Khorgos?

Mobile connection on Hogos: Beeline, Altel and Tele2 in normal mode. Kcell and Asset in roaming. On the territory of the Khorgos shopping center, our hundreds will automatically switch to roaming and start working on Chinese networks. And you have to pay for roaming. So do not miss it when making calls. And in the phone settings manually select the Kazakhstan telecom operator. No Wi-Fi at Khorgos.

Hotels of Khorgos. Prices. If you do not have time to go through customs or receive your goods at Kazpost, where you can spend the night

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

Do not delay customs and baggage to the last! You may not be in time. If you have large purchases (for example, car tires), immediately send them to Kazpost, and then return for the rest of the purchases. Try to do this before 11.00.

Hotels on the territory of the ICBC where you can spend the night. then accommodation on the territory of ICBC Horgos - in a hotel (on the Chinese side) - from 5 500 tg. or in cheap hostels. The price of a hostel on the Kazakhstan 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, and yuan, and dollars, and rubles. Cash only. Therefore, remove the required amount in advance from the card. There is an ATM on our side near passport control. The queue can be big. Therefore, it is better to have cash with you.

Goods forbidden to be transported across the border from China to Kazakhstan:

stun guns,
gas and pneumatic weapons,
handles with a camera,
various recording devices and other spyware products.

Who is denied entry to China

If you are going to the ICBC Hogos - keep in mind that people with a beard, people in hijabs, and also in clothes with the image of a “star” and “moon” are forbidden to enter China. At the entrance there is a reminder. The implementation of this rule is closely watched by the armed police of the PRC 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 of November 1, 2018 No. 91 “On Amending the Decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission of December 20, 2017 No. 107”, the import rates with exemption from customs payments of goods for personal goods are reduced from January 1, 2019 Use in accompanied and unaccompanied baggage when moving across the customs border by rail and road means of transport (excluding air checkpoints) from 1,500 euros to 500 euros and from 50 kg to 25 kg.

In particular:

the frequency of crossing the border of the Customs Union and / or the movement of goods by an individual - 1 time per month (30 days);
without payment of 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 is not higher than 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;
on 1 subject of the same name, style and size: fur and leather products, household appliances, electrical appliances, bicycles, prams;
no more than 2 units: mobile phones, laptops, netbooks, tablets;
no more than 5 pieces of jewelry;
no more than 3 units of one name 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 the goods in a bag whose dimensions do not exceed the dimensions of 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.2 m and the weight is not higher than 25 kg. This is considered carry-on baggage. Carrying excess cargo (more than 25 kg) - 300 tg / 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 handing over purchases before 14.00). Reception in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan immediately after the customs terminal (the point is open until 19.00).

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

MTSPS Khorgos - how to get there?

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

A train. Passenger train Almaty - Altynkol 393T leaves at 23.15 (on odd numbers) from Art. 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 Altynkol-Almaty 393Ts train from the station Altynkol at 20.59 (on even days) and arrival in Almaty at 03.35 (travel time - 6 h 36 min). The train follows with a stop at st. Almaty-1.

Ticket cost approximately: 1 626 tenge (a place in a reserved seat car), 2 499 tenge (compartment). Baggage with a weight of more than 35 kg - 30 tenge per 1 kg.

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

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

On a tourist bus

On a comfortable tour bus (usually on such buses conduct travel tours of travel agencies) a trip to Khorgos takes 6-7 hours, in winter - 7-8 hours.

By car (highway Almaty - Khorgos)

Car. Almaty - Khorgos. Distance. Autobahn "Almaty-Khorgos". If earlier the road from Almaty to Khorgos took about 5 hours along the Kuldzhinsky highway (distance - about 350 km). Then a new, modern Almaty-Khorgos Autobahn has already been launched and is working. On the new road 305 km long. the journey from Almaty to Khorgos now takes only 2.5 - 3 hours! The officially permitted speed is 110 km / h.

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

This is a 4-lane cement-paved road. Thanks to the new road, it became much faster to get from Almaty to Shelek, Zharkent, a turn to Chunju. got closer! The new highway "Almaty-Khorgos" - if you go from Almaty - then turn from the Kapchagai highway to the road to Khorgos (left), and then focus on road signs. The road will be paid in 2018. Constructed toll points at the beginning and at the end of the journey will charge for road tolls. The cost will be 1 tenge per 1 km. It turns out about 300 tenge. Several arches with CCTV cameras are also installed on the highway.

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

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

Entrance 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 present 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. Ticket price is 1,500 tenge, the ticket is valid for round-trip, so do not lose it. Otherwise, you will go back by taxi, at a price of up to 4000 tenge per person. Only with a ticket will the exit door open.

Landing in transport takes place on 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 Horgos - in a hotel (on the Chinese side) - from 5 500 tg. or in cheap hostels. The price of a hostel on the Kazakhstan side is 2 500 tenge.

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

Many Almaty travel agencies offer Shop Tours to China from Almaty (IPCC "Khorgos").

1 or 2-day tours to the market in Khorgos are usually carried out by tourist buses, which have a large luggage compartment. Trips are organized regularly, several times a week. The group is accompanied by a guide freely guided by the Horgos 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:

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

Sample travel program:

21.00 - collection
21.30 - Departure from Almaty.
7.00 - Arrival of buses in 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 is 1,500 tenge per 1 person (tickets are bought at the box office of the terminal),
10.00-14.00 - procurement of goods at the IPCC “Khorgos”,
14.00-16.00 - travel from the shopping center back to the terminal, passing customs, passport control, picking up on a 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 - a one-day tour, a two-day tour - from 6,500 tenge.

The cost of the trip includes transport services and shipping up to 50 kg (for 1 person).
Excess weight is paid at the rate of (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, because the locals drive across the road to Khorgos, before reaching it and turning towards Urumqi, as 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 were not ready to stop towards Urumqi through mountainous cold terrain in light clothing, and most importantly, in light sleeping bags.

Distance Khorgos-Inin (Kuldzha): 115 km, an hour and a half 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. Facing the tollgate (checkpoint on the autobahn), we climbed out through the fences and the embankment onto the road — on the right side, and quickly caught the car in the direction of Khorgos. The guy at the wheel, smiling, showed that he also wears a backpack, and shocking with a thermos, he made it clear that he was a tourist.

§ Khorgos

In Khorgos, we immediately bought tickets for the eight-hour bus at the bus station, and to kill time, we went for a walk around the district. It turned out that the city is not so big as it seemed at first: literally one big central street, from which smaller streets diverge. And everywhere, construction, everywhere they drill, saw, turn it out of the ground and fill it with concrete. There were vague associations in the air with the country of soviets, which succeeded - with the five-year plans and the construction of a bright future. They were supplemented by a sickle and a hammer on Kumach posters with slogans that are here and there placed in the corners. Interestingly, in other cities, we almost did not see any communist agitation, and a couple of local respondents shrug their shoulders, not even remembering that the sickle and hammer fluttered on the flag of the USSR. Having heard the word “Union”, the Chinese, by the way, vigorously express their sympathy and approval (some even recall that Kazakhstan was part of the USSR).

At the station, we asked a guy in the shop where the toilet is, and in response we received: a toilet, a pack of water with energy, sincere empathy and a desire to help. That water is needed is understandable, but the guy argued with the energy that our backpacks are heavy, and we need to walk a lot - you can’t argue with that. Assuring our new philanthropist that we definitely do not 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 man of average Chinese height). We drove all night, with one stop on double-u-si. Hello! Double-u-si! ”And a hand gesture, meaning zero - for free, that’s what the locals who for some reason meet the bus there happily told me. The free double-u-si on the road to Urumqi is a brick nook and a stone wall around - fresh, eco-friendly.

§ Urumqi, September 25

We arrived in Urumqi in the early morning, it was cool and crowded at the station. The new arrivals were attacked by a squadron of taxi drivers and beggars - looking up from the chase, we moved towards the railway station for our two.

Urumqi (Uygh. ئۈرۈمچی, Үrүmchi; Chinese administration., Pinyin: Wūlǔmùqí) is an urban district in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the PRC, the seat of government of the Autonomous Region. The population is 3.1 million inhabitants. Urumqi is the world's largest city farthest from the sea. Located on the northern slopes of the Tien Shan mountains.

First impressions, and what caught my eye:

Around the bus station is very dirty; directly opposite the exit, we saw a cafe where rams are cut on the street, and the skins are stacked nearby. Bloody streaks, smell, flies.
Toilets at the station are not for the faint of heart: they do not have doors, they are just partitions above a metal tiled ditch upholstered in metal - everything is visible!
After a couple of blocks at the crossroads, a pair of shepherds easily parked a herd of sheep on the sidewalk - their waste and smell are attached.
Huge queues at the station: at the entrance and for tickets.

Having stood in one such queue, after half an hour of waiting, we got to the window of the necessary cash desk - and then it suddenly became clear that the previously budgeted budget for the Urumqi-Xi'an train did not cover the current price: the tenge against the dollar managed to drop significantly during our preparation for the trip. Having discussed this news, we decided to leave for some city closer, and from there go hitchhiking towards Xian. Having got to the cashier for the second time, we suggested that he pick up some ticket to his taste, within the specified amount. Without blinking an eye, the cashier wrote us a couple of tickets to a certain Lanzhou, and we finally left the station building, spending half a day there.

§ Urumqi-Lanzhou train, September 25-26

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

Earlier, during our trip with the Aktau-Almaty reserved seat, we decided to establish a comfort scale for transportation. For zero we took this reserved seat, not suspecting the existence of Chinese trains with seats. So, on this scale, we assigned the Urumqi-Lanzhou train −4 (minus four) points. Not minus five, because the passengers did not smoke or bark in the compartment (and yes in the vestibule), and there was no fight between gypsies and demobilization (there was a small child). The wagon is crowded with people; it was more convenient for some to lie on the floor instead of riding while sitting, so that in the aisles and under the seats here and there, people were sleeping on bedding or their clothes. Those passengers who bought standing (!) Seats, guarded the seats that were vacant for the time being, and occupied them, and the rest of the time they lay in the aisle, stood in the compartment, slept on washbasins, in the vestibule, near the toilet. Everywhere.
The cars have toilets, a faucet with boiling water and a washbasin. Periodically, all passengers take out beach packages, brew them and eat, eating some dried chicken paws and cardboard sausages on sticks. In general, everything that happens seems like a revitalized picture of Bosch, and Orff's best soundtrack would be O Fortuna.

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

Separately, the child from the opposite place was remembered. Already walks, but still does not talk - this baby was allowed everything, with the unanimous approval of others. At one point, I even happened to see a slot in his panties in action - the baby squatted in the middle of the compartment and began to do his own thing, while the adults around him cheered for him and encouraged him with advice. After such a native Kazakhstan reserved seat seems like a fairy tale and a pleasure walk.

Having worked out 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 some time. We like China and everything connected with it. And this is not only because we met there.

Why didn’t we leave for China and stayed to live in Kazakhstan?

The main reason we never left for China is a visa! A regular tourist visa to China for a period of one month is inexpensive, both for me - Russian women, and for Max - 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 do not end there. Almost all travel agencies told me that Max, as a citizen of Kazakhstan, will be able to get a Chinese visa only when at least two individual visas are in his passport, that is, tourist visas that permit a stay in China for a period of not more than one month. As for employment and work in China. It’s difficult to find work in China without Chinese knowledge, but if you really want to, it’s quite possible. If you are fluent in English, then you can get a good and well-paid job. For example, in China, English teachers are very appreciated. And if you are an artist, model, circus or dancer, then China is also open to you. The Chinese will provide all the conditions, pay for a round-trip flight, provide free housing, make a visa, just to get a professional artist for a contract. As for me, I worked on the Chinese island of Hainan, first as a children's animator, then as a manager in a travel agency.

What is there, what is there, I did not require 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, while traveling in Southeast Asia and living in China.

As for our joint fees to China, the search for work did not lead to anything useful. We could leave and find work directly in China, but because of these visa difficulties for 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 the ICBC Horgos, which is located on the border between China and Kazakhstan. And I was just about to leave the country, since every six months I was obliged to leave the territory of Kazakhstan.

Initially, we were going to leave for Kyrgyzstan, but we liked the idea with Khorgos more. We really wanted to go to China, and then there was the opportunity to visit China and not bother with the registration of Chinese visas.

Is the International Center for Cross-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, Khorgos is supposed to trade not only Chinese, but also Kazakhstani goods. But, apparently, Kazakhstanis flock to Khorgos mainly as buyers and merchants, but by no means as sellers and producers.

To visit the ICBC Horgos, only a passport is required. But this is not exactly the territory of China. ICBC Khorgos is not part of the People’s Republic of China, but is located only in the neutral zone between China and Kazakhstan. But, despite this, having been in Khorgos, I can confidently say that this is the most that neither is China, only at the initial stage. Construction 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 well done!

How to get to Khorgos through a travel agency?

Almaty travel agencies organize special shopping tours to Khorgos from Almaty. To lovers of shopping, cheapness and goods from China I can advise the company "BRAZZERStuR". Alexander and Marat are wonderful guys who will turn your shopping into a real pleasure. A shopping tour at ICBC Horgos from BRAZZERStuR for one day will cost 6500 tenge, and overnight 7500 tenge. We considered different options for getting to Khorgos. Instead of a shopping tour, we went to Khorgos by train ourselves.

How to get to Khorgos by train?

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

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

I can say right away that if the purpose of our trip was shopping, we would go with the “BRAZZERStuR”, because for money the shopping tour in the ICBC Khorgos is not much more expensive than an independent train ride. I would tell you for what other reason we recommend to shopaholics a shopping tour, rather than an independent trip to Khorgos. But I do not want to reveal all the cards, as there will be a separate article and video about the ICBC Horgos 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 ourselves.

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Indicate the route and date. In response, we will find Russian Railways information on the availability of tickets and their cost. Select the appropriate train and place. Pay for your ticket in one of the proposed ways. Payment information will be immediately transmitted to Russian Railways and your ticket will be issued.

How to return a purchased train ticket?

Can I pay with a card? Is it safe?

Oh sure. Payment takes place through the payment gateway of the processing center Gateline.net. All data is transmitted over a secure channel.Gateline.net Gateway has been designed to meet the requirements of the PCI DSS International Security Standard. The gateway software has successfully audited version 3.1.The Gateline.net system allows you to accept payments with Visa and MasterCard cards, including using 3D-Secure: Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode.Gateline.net payment form is optimized for various browsers and platforms, including for mobile devices.Almost all railway agencies on the Internet work through this gateway.

What is an electronic ticket and electronic registration?

Buying an electronic ticket to the site is a modern and quick way to get a travel document without a cashier or operator.When purchasing an electronic train ticket, seats are redeemed immediately, at the time of payment.After payment, to board the train, you must either go through electronic registration or print a ticket at the station.Electronic registration not available for all orders. If registration is available, it can be completed by clicking on the appropriate button on our website. You will see this button immediately after payment. Then, to board the train, you will need the original ID and printout of the boarding pass. Some conductors do not require a printout, but it is better not to risk it.Print e-ticket it is possible at any time before the train leaves at the ticket office at the station or at the self-registration terminal. To do this, you need a 14-digit order code (you will receive it by SMS after payment) and the original ID.

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

Idea under the pillow

I bought pillows in the store. I caught a taxi. A taxi driver stuffed them into the trunk and said: “Why are you buying here? Go to Khorgos. There are the most expensive pillows at 1200 tg. How much did you get? ”

I took a check from my pocket for 12,000 tenge. A taxi driver laughs - could buy ten pieces. I do not need a dozen pillows, of course, but the thought struck. He continues: “Textiles, blankets, fur coats and tires!” I remembered that my sister’s friend had been visiting Khorgos for many years and had been calling us for a long time. The decision was taken. Let me think I’ll go, I’ll buy socks.

Dear week

You can get to Khorgos by car, by bus and by train. We have chosen the latter. We listened to knowledgeable people who advised me not to go to Khorgos at the weekend, otherwise you risk staying at the customs control for 4-5 hours. We decided to go on Wednesday. Tickets took in a few days. We bought a coupe so that there would be no one else - only our friendly company for three. Coffee bags, sandwiches with sausage, pears, apples, boiled eggs - gathered in Soviet style.

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

“Is this all at Khorgos?” I was surprised to see a crowd of people at the train station. “This is not enough! Weekday. On Saturday, there are 8,000 people, and on Sunday there are more than ten thousand, ”said the man on the platform with a knowing look. A night on the road - and the mysterious MTsPS awaits us.

We arrived on schedule at dawn. 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 have not seen such. Taxi drivers ask for 800 tenge per person. “And before it was 500?” - asks our attendant. “Gasoline has risen in price if you are lucky for five hundred, I personally will let him down the tires,” a taxi driver replies with a formidable squint. Drive to the place for about twenty minutes.

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

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

A queue takes a lot of time to be defended in order to pass through passport and customs control. Citizens of Kazakhstan can carry only an identity card. Buses go to shopping centers, the fare is 1500 tenge. And go to the shopping centers themselves for about seven minutes. An organized shopping group was with us on the bus. The same guys from Almaty, but under the supervision of a strict guide - a woman in her fifties who threatened them with a finger - don’t make noise, don’t get up, don’t take off your badges, otherwise you’ll get lost. Honestly, I don’t know if an accompanying person is needed on such a short trip, but oh well. By the way, the cost of the tour in an organized group is 6500 tenge.

the frequency of crossing the border of the Customs Union and / or the movement of goods by an individual - 1 time per month (30 days);
Without payment of 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 is not higher than 1,500 euros (equivalent).

Running around

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

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

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

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

We looked into the fur city as an excursion, since we were not interested in fur coats, but simply stared - the choice was wide: beavers, minks and other rabbits. However, the eco-fur (read, artificial) was also. They didn’t spend time for lunch, had a snack on stocked food and drank tea from a vending machine.

You can move inside the shopping area by bus. But, stuffed with things, they decided - to walk like that for a walk - and they went by taxi. True, I had to pay for three and the “guy” who was not with us - in Khorgos everything counts as four.

I liked the Yiwu Center - several thematic floors, each with its own assortment. For example, the floor of bags or the floor of bedding. Here I am stuck. Pillow, blanket, bedding set - give me only two! I'm greedy. And how to resist? Children's underwear of good quality for 2000 tg.

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

Countdown

All purchases were made on the run, because I wanted to see more, but the time was ticking: we had to get out of the border territory at the right time, and at the exit, like at the entrance, there was a queue that was swollen due to bales, trunks and trolleys. If you are gentle, 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 many human thanks to him!

At customs, they asked, seeing our modest purchases: “Fur coats? Tires? Have you returned the goods to the post office? Not? Why then did they go at all? ”The customs officers asked in bewilderment. Yes? And it seemed to us that we are crazy shopaholics!

The return train leaves at 22 hours. We went to the platform early - about five, had dinner at the station cafe. They wanted to somehow have a cultural time, but when they got into the car they fell somewhere and fell asleep in a dead sleep and slept until they returned home. Still, this is not an easy task - a run-of-the-mill. I never bought a pair of socks!