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Xinjiang Travel Blogs

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

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By turkishraf
November 21st 2009

CA 1041. The Flying Bus to Sinkiang. Asia » China » Xinjiang » Turpan

The wind Farm at Turpan. It was mighty windy and mighty cold.

My previous experiences departing from Peking’s new Terminal 3 were atrocious. There was no climate control, the shuttle trains ran every 45 minutes, and water or food was not available for sale anywhere after security. This time, we checked in reasonably smoothly, breezed through security and found ourselves drinking atrocious cappuccinos in a nice chilly café with a view of the apron. This was changed china. I was most impressed. The efficiency of the airport put all of continental Europe to shame. There was no aircraft at our gate, we descended to Tarmac level and were bussed arou [View Full Entry]

Driving out of Urumchi on the Northern Silk Road

Oil on the silk road, China has found black gold, and so will never relinquish Sinkiang.

By xmingf
September 15th 2009

Xin Jiang, Nationality vs. Ethnicity Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

Karakul Lake

Kashgar, the city that used to be central Asia's nexus on the southern silk road, now borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. While Urumqi is the official provincial capital , Kashgar is the Uighur's unofficial capital in Xin Jiang. Kashgar's population is 94% Uighur, with the rest made up by Han (4%) and other ethnicity. Tajiks are Shi'ite, while Kyrgies and Uighurs are Sunni. The latter two have some inter-marriage, but overall it's a very separated community. Similar to Tibet, the entire region here is high altitude, averaging 3200m, with highest inhabited zone at 4200m. Our [View Full Entry]

By appletree
September 2nd 2009

My xingjiang Hanas trip Asia » China » Xinjiang

I heared very early that Hanas is a human elysium. I wanted to see but always have no chance, this time I achieved! My five friends and I took the car from Urumqi to Hanas. Our guide told us that the way is hard, because there is a long way to go. However, the landscape is fascinating, I'm so excited. After about two hours in high-speed road, we entered into the GuErBanTongGuTe desert. Landscape of desert on both sides of the road reminds me of the Taklamakan desert, but the scenery is very different. You can see drifts green plant everywhere [View Full Entry]

By Hans
August 28th 2009

#118 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China (Part 1,The Silk Road near Urumqi/Turpan, Xinjiang) Asia » China » Xinjiang » Turpan

Silhouette of the "Imin Ta Mosque" of Turpan, Xinjiang

The summer of 2009 will be the one I remember with special affection, for it took me to places that have long been in my imagination and in my dreams. These summer travels and experiences also remind me of the diversity and vastness of this amazing country called China. Much of the thanks for my unique summer adventure is offered to my wonderful College, Taizhou Teachers College, it's genteel and respected President, Mr. Xu, my dear friend, Mr. Lee, and three other travel companions, representing the college administration, Mr. Yang, Ms. Yang, and Mr. Huang. Each added so much to this [View Full Entry]

Like a chimney, though so very graceful.

Geometric patterns are created with the use of yellow clay-bricks.

The simple interior of the Imin Ta Mosque.

By kalomania
August 6th 2009

Xinjiang Asia » China » Xinjiang

Die Strasse nach Dunhuang

Urumqi, 6. August 2009 Am Abend setze ich mich an einer zentralen Kreuzung in Jiayuguan auf einer Terrasse mit Plastikstuehlen nieder und trinke ein Bier. Ein Junge schaut neugierig auf meinen Reisefuehrer: “ Can I be your friend?” Huangli redet ein gebrochenes Englisch. Die jungen Chinesen lesen und schreiben oft besser Englisch, als dass sie die Sprache reden koennen. Wir verstaendigen uns indem wir Saetze auf ein Blatt Papier schreiben. Er moechte mich zu sich nach Hause zum Essen einladen. Ich habe an diesem Abend aber eher Lust alleine zu sein. Anderseits habe ich noch nich [View Full Entry]

Sandduenenlandschaft am Rande der Oasenstadt Dunhuang

Abendstimmung in der Naehe des Bahnhofs von Liuyuan

Lagman - Frischgemachte Nudeln sind eine der Hauptspeisen der Uiguren

By Drinkthewater
May 20th 2009

Urumqi Asia » China » Xinjiang » Urumqi

Tian Shan Mountains

I was pleasantly surprised that the train journey only took about 40 hours, rather than the 44 I was expecting. This time I had a “hard sleeper” with a middle bunk - in the hard sleeper compartments they cram the bunks in three deep. So the train ride from Beijing to Urumqi was much more comfortable than the one from Guilin to Beijing had been. Still the beds were very small (almost exactly the same width as my hips) and being on the middle bunk there was nowhere save to put my day-pack in which I keep all my valuables such [View Full Entry]

By Miss Chris
May 20th 2009

A day in the life of XinXiang Asia » China » Xinjiang

My son had envisioned a tour company that would bridge the two cultures so when we discussed a tour we said we'd like to combine both sightseeing and the life in China. Dragon's Village has two people in Xin Xiang a city SE of Beijing who are helping, Feng Xhao and Jiang Jiang. Both people were our guides for two days. Feng arranged for us to go to his family's village where we would have lunch. They picked us up from the train station at a.m. and after dropping our stuff in our hotel room we were off. We had a [View Full Entry]

By Miss Chris
May 20th 2009

XinXiang Day 2 Asia » China » Xinjiang

Our bus was to leave at 4 p.m. so it was an early start. Today was the artists day. On our way to the first stop we got a call saying a tv crew was waiting for us Our 1st stop was at Mr. Wang's who sculpts from the roots of trees. He does minimal carving so that the piece is still natural yet you can see it is a figure of something. The art work was remarkable. Again i'll post photos when possible. After touring the studio we had to go to the Wang's apartment upstairs to see his garden [View Full Entry]

By around_the_world
May 7th 2009

Across the Taklamakan desert... Asia » China » Xinjiang

Keziliya Canyon

Heading East again across the Taklamakan desert which in the Uyghur language (Takla Makan) means "go in and you'll never come out"…mmm…sounds like fun but decided to opt for the “safest” way to cross the desert! No motor hand gliding this time, but a 29 hours train ride along the Tian Shan mountain range and a stopover in Kuche a lively oasis located half way between Kashgar and Urumqi. Early morning departure, the train station waiting hall is quickly filled with locals carrying about everything they can possibly carry from the silk bought in Kashgar to hu [View Full Entry]

By around_the_world
May 4th 2009

Kashgar, the gate to Central Asia! Vibrant & colourful! Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

Id Kah Mosque

10am, Kashgar wakes up…Vibrant, colorful, multicultural, Kashgar well deserved its reputation of “gate to Central Asia”. The name of the city had somehow always brought up a sense of adventure, mysterious journey where nomads & traders stop in this oasis before heading to the Taklamakan desert in the east or down west toward Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nowadays, Kashgar still plays its role as an oasis along the Silk Road and is a live testimony of past and present glory. Grabbing the now usual freshly baked nan on the way to the old town, I was quickly to l [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Xinjiang