Beitun

Beitun lies between Altay City and Fuhai county, its town spread across the plain built by the Irtysh and Ulungur rivers, with Deren Hill at its centre. More than fifty rivers and streams cross the area, and their valleys hold Euphrates poplar, birch and reed beds, home to beavers, sable, otters and rare fish such as northern pike and burbot. Winters are extreme, with lows near minus forty-nine degrees and only about 120 frost-free days a year. The gravelly alluvial soils suit hardy crops such as wheat and sunflower, while rivers and lakes support fishing. Its character comes from the Irtysh, flowing toward the Arctic, and the cold temperate valleys along its banks.