Xinjiang - Xinjiang

Xinyang(Chinese: 新疆, Pinyin: Xīnjiāng) is an autonomous region in the west of the People's Republic China.

places

• Urumqi(乌鲁木齐), the capital of the region
• Turpan, an oasis town on the northern route of the Silk Road
• Kashgar(喀什), an oasis city and a hub on the Silk Road

Other goals

background

Xinjiang (新疆) means translated new border and is an autonomous province of the People's Republic of China. It is the land of the Uyghurs, who also make up the majority of the population here.

Xinjiang, sometimes still known to us under the old name Sinkiang, borders the Chinese provinces Gansu, Qinghai and on Tibet. Bordering states are also India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and the Mongolia, with the limit in the range from cashmere is not undisputed.

language

In the autonomous province of Xinjiang, the Uyghurs make up the majority of the population. Even though you are here in China, you won't get very far with standard Chinese. Most of the Uyghurs can speak Chinese, the others don't want to. This means that the main language in Xinjiang is also Uyghur. A few words also help to break the first ice immediately.

Arrival and mobility

Inland you can fly to Urumqi from almost anywhere. You can also travel through the province itself by plane. From Urumqi there is a train connection to Kashgar, but the journey takes about 24 hours. Otherwise you can also travel cheaply by bus or rent a taxi to certain places.

• Pakistan: You can travel to Pakistan on the Karakoram Highway. It is important to have your travel documents and visa ready beforehand, otherwise you will not be let out of China.

Tourist Attractions

Around Ürümqi

• Tian Chi (天池)

The small but beautiful Sky Lake is located in the Tian Shan Mountains at an altitude of two thousand meters. To get there you either have to take a bus or hire a taxi driver. When you arrive at the parking lot, you can go on a hike of about an hour, where you will be accompanied by gentle classical music that tumbles out of funny, replicated tree stumps. Alternatively, you can take the chairlift, which takes about 20 minutes.

The lake itself is very touristy. Here you meet many Chinese tour groups who all want to take a photo in front of the lake panorama. Uyghur photographers are ready there with original Uyghur rental costumes. You can also take a short, unspectacular boat trip, but it is over very quickly and makes little sense. If you go up the lake to the right, you will come across Kazakh yurts, in which people also live in the summer months (from around May to November). Here you can eat something or even book an overnight stay.

Warning: It can get very cold on Tian Chi, so warm clothing is also recommended when it is warm in Urumqi.

Around Turpan

• Jiaohe (交 河 古城)

The Jiaohe ruins are about 8 km west of Turpan. The ruins themselves are not very impressive, but give a good impression of how life in the ancient desert cities had to be.

The entrance tickets can be obtained directly on site. Price 15 RMB.

• Kares (坎儿井)

The Kares is an irrigation system.

• Tuyoq (吐峪沟)

The village is a green oasis surrounded by the mountains of flames. The place is not yet well known, so you won't come across the usual tourist buses here. For the Uighur Muslims, it is a place of pilgrimage. Those who cannot afford a trip to Mecca can instead take seven trips to Tuyoq to pray at the grave of the first Uighur Muslim; this has the same effect as a trip to Mecca. If you want to visit the grave as a tourist, you have to pay 30 yuan. A visit here is worthwhile.

All around Kashgar

• Karakoram Highway & Karakul Lake

The Karakoram Highway is part of the former legendary Silk Road. One can get from Kashgar to Karakul Lake via this highway. The journey leads through a beautiful mountain landscape. On the way you will meet grazing camels, yaks and sheep. You can also experience some of the smaller residential areas with yurts in which the Tajiks live.

Lake Krakul lies at an altitude of 3,800 meters at the foot of Mustak Ata. This lake is also very touristy during the day. The men from the village, which is an hour's walk across the lake, offer the opportunity to go on short to medium-length tours on horseback or camel. The price for 10 minutes is 10 yuan. For one hour, depending on your negotiating skills, 30-50 yuan.

activities

kitchen

• Nan - a particular specialty. Delicious round breads freshly prepared in stone ovens.
• Samsas - thick baked dumplings filled with mutton.
• Laghman - Hand-drawn pasta, which is served with a mixture of peppers, mutton, tomatoes, eggplant and lots and lots of fresh garlic.
• kebab - You can get mutton with a lot of fat everywhere.

nightlife

The nightlife in Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar takes place in the night markets. The regional culinary specialties are offered there. People eat and chat together.

security

The people in Xinjiang are very friendly. In contrast, driving a car and bus is dangerous. There is no obligation to wear seat belts and it also seems that there are no traffic rules. Taxi drivers in particular have a very fast and risky driving style, and it is said that tourists traveling alone have been sexually harassed. In any case, women should take care to wear clothing appropriate for a Muslim country (covered arms and legs).

climate

The climate is characterized by the continental high mountains with short hot summers. In the large mountains there is regular rainfall. Even in July and August, the nights are cool in the western highlands. The Tarim Basin has a desert climate. June to September are good months to travel.

Web links

• http://www.xinjiang.gov.cn - Xinjiang Official Website