Burqin's Russian-style facades are partly decorative and partly a nod to the town's borderland geography. Pastel fronts, pitched roofs, and timber details give the central streets a different look from southern Xinjiang's oasis cities.
Do not expect an untouched historic quarter. The appeal is lighter than that: a pleasant evening stroll, a few photographs, and a reminder that Altay has always faced north and west as much as south.