Khabarovsky District

In Khabarovsky District, Sikachi-Alyan brings two distinct aspects of its history and culture into focus: the site's petroglyphs and Nanai traditions at the national homestead “Stoibishche Sorodichey”. The rock carvings date from the Neolithic, the Early Iron Age and the Middle Ages. At the homestead, visitors can enjoy a cultural performance and dishes from the national cuisine. This means you can shape your stay around history and tradition as well as landscape and nature.

Petroglyphs spanning three eras

The site of Sikachi-Alyan is designated a cultural heritage site of regional significance and is located in Khabarovsky District. It lies on the right bank of the Amur and the Malyshevskaya Protoka, in the area of the Gasya rock and the adjacent terrace. The petroglyphs at this site are classified as an archaeological monument of federal significance. They date from the Neolithic through the Early Iron Age to the Middle Ages. In Sikachi-Alyan, you can therefore encounter evidence from several eras, not just one period of the past.

Nanai traditions and cuisine in Sikachi-Alyan

At the Nanai national homestead “Stoibishche Sorodichey”, Indigenous residents of the Amur region perform in traditional dress. The garments are sewn according to old traditions and decorated with ornaments typical of the people of the Amur region. The host's stories also turn the focus to local history: she talks about how the Nanai and Ulchi lived here more than 100 years ago. There is also a community family museum.

Food is also part of the cultural experience. At “Stoibishche Sorodichey”, visitors can try fresh tala, fish soup, dumplings made with Far Eastern fish, teas brewed from local herbs and other dishes from the national cuisine. The selection combines specific culinary samples with the stories and clothing at the homestead, without requiring a set programme.

Depending on the season, there are various ways to reach the Sikachi-Alyan petroglyphs from the homestead: visitors can get to the Upper or Lower Petroglyphs by boat, on foot or by snowmobile. If you are planning this excursion, check the arrangements before your trip. The season also affects which modes of transport are available.

Nature destinations in the wider Khabarovsk Krai destination

Beyond Sikachi-Alyan, the wider Khabarovsk Krai destination offers other nature-focused attractions. Anyuysky National Park was established on 15 December 2007 and covers 429,400 hectares on the western slope of the central Sikhote-Alin, in the basin of the Anyui, a large right tributary of the Amur. Its natural environment attracts people interested in active educational tourism. Shantar Islands National Park protects marine mammal habitats and bird nesting grounds, as well as the archipelago's coastal ecosystems, rock massifs and island vegetation. Bureinsky Nature Reserve, meanwhile, was established in 1987, covers almost 357,000 hectares and includes a representative section of montane taiga.

The region's nature trails also vary in length, time required and season. The 2.55-kilometre “Zapovedny Khekhtsir” trail in the Bolshekhekhtsirsky State Nature Reserve is open year-round and takes about two and a half hours. It passes through the natural communities of the Ussuri taiga, offering a glimpse of its characteristic vegetation and the forest landscapes of Greater Khekhtsir. It may only be visited in organised groups accompanied by a staff member of “Zapovednoye Priamurye” and a state environmental protection inspector.

The “Rodnichok” ecological trail is shorter at 600 metres, takes about an hour and is open from May to October. It passes through coniferous-deciduous mixed forest to Bykova Creek. This trail may also only be visited in organised groups accompanied by a staff member of “Zapovednoye Priamurye” and a state environmental protection inspector. The comparison highlights the different time and seasonal details without combining the two routes into a single excursion.

Choose the right focus for your trip

When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to decide on your preferred focus first: Sikachi-Alyan brings together petroglyphs, Nanai storytelling traditions and cuisine; the other nature examples are part of the wider Khabarovsk Krai destination.

Discover more destinations: Krasnorechenskoye, Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, Komsomolsky District, Khabarovsky District, Nikolayevsky District.

Go to the wider travel overview: Khabarovsk Krai.