Xinjiang Introduction

Xinjiang is one of the most exciting provinces in China. This is a vast area covering 966,000 square meters, 16% of China's land surface and situated 3,000 km from the coast. Xinjiang borders Mongolia, CIS Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Resourcefully rich and ethnically diverse, this province today attracts many adventurous travellers, keen to discover something about the western area of China.

The area was first settled in about the 3rd century BC , by people of Turkish descent. Xinjiang was made most famous however, with the opening of the Silk Road over 2,200 years ago, while major trading and religous expeditions between east and west took place until well into the 8th century .

Archaeologists believe that the Uigur (the major ethnic group in Xinjiang) are of European descent. Indeed, even in terms of appearance, the Uigur look very different from the Han Chinese and they certainly perceive themselves this way. 50 % of the 15 million population here are Uigur. On numerous occasions this group (especially those based around the Ili valley), have tried to break free of Chinese control and declare their independence. In 1955, Xinjiang was renamed the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region, an attempt by the Chinese to appease the Uigur population.

Despite this difficult history, the people in Xinjiang are extremely friendly and welcome tourists to join in their festivals, celebrations and experience their unique way of life. Kirghs, Kazakhs, Tajiks, Hui, Mongols, Daur and Russians (among others) all inhabit the lands here, using the rich Xinjiang resources in different ways. Although much of the land itself is extremely inhospitable, consisting of vast expanses of deserts and mountains, the resources here are good. Grape, fruit and cattle thrive well and the land itself offers some spectacular scenery. The Tianshan Mountain range divides the whole area into two with Urumqi, Yining and Hami in the north and Turpan, Kashgar and Hotar in the south. The landscape is incredibly diverse, and as you travel across the province the scenery changes from desert to lush green Alpine hills in one hour, and to valleys and Turkish settlements in the next. Xinjiang contains the driest, hottest and coolest spots in all of China. The longest inland river, the Tarim River is here; the lowest area, the Aidin Lake in the Turpan Basin and the largest desert in China can also be found in Xinjiang.

One thing to bear in mind here is the TIME! Although officially run on Beijing time, Xinjiang people also use their own system. Beijing time here means that the sun doesn't rise until 09:00 and it is still light at midnight in the summer months. When making travel arrangements, be sure to check which time zone is being used or you could get caught out!

Local Features: Landforms
With rich natural resources, Xinjiang provides travellers with a real feast for the eyes and an extremely various landscape. Some spectacular Alpine mountain ranges stand against the blue sky here such as Heaven's Lake in Urumqi, covered with white snow and ice on the peaks. At the other end of the spectrum are the Flaming Mountains in Turpan, one of the most impressive collections of desert mountains in the world.

There is abundant water and grass in Ili valley, with plentiful lakes such as Sayram Lake and lush green mountains. The Turpan Basin is known as the stove of China, due to the intense heat and dry temperatures prevalent here. The second largest desert in the world, Taklamakan Desert, is also situated here. The margin between the height of the second highest mountain, Mount Qiaogeli (8,611 meters) and the height of the second lowest depression in the world Adin Lake (-154 meters) in the Turpan Basin, is 8,765 meters.

Xinjiang really does offer scenery that caters to all tastes: from dry deserts to dense green mountains, travelling around this area allows for a glimpse of some incredible and diverse landscapes.

Local Features: Xinjiang Dance and Song

Throughout China, Xinjiang has long been known as 'the land of song and dance'. The local ethnic groups including Uigur, Kazakh, Mongol and Tatar are all famously skilled singers and dancers.

Xingjiang dance and song has a long history. It was as early as the Han dynasty in the 2nd century B.C that Yutian music and dance spread to the Central Plains of China and since then has managed to remain hugely popular throughout the nation. Xingjiang dance and song reflects the manners and practices of the minorities in the north western border areas while each nationality has its own well-defined roles in performances too.

The Uigur people are well known for their love of culture and talent for dancing and singing. Mukamu music is thought to embody the wisdom and extraordinary talents of the Uigur people. Uigur dancing is elegant and tends to revolve around a story with a deep meaning. Dances are typically separated by gender and each type has its own kind of spirit, be it graceful or rigorous.

The Kazakhs love to sing! There is a Kazakh saying that 'Songs and horses are the wings of the Kazakhs'. Their songs have a distinctive style known for its melodious and resounding rhythm accompanied by the Dongbula, a Kazakh stringed instrument. Kazakh dance is also very distinctive with strong rhythms and movements that involve low stances and shaking your shoulders with the confidence that comes from living free on the the pastureland of Xinjiang!

Local Features: Xinjiang Religion

Xinjiang is a region filled with different religious beliefs. These include Islam, Lama Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism), Buddhism, Shamanism and rare pockets of Christianity. Of the above mentioned, Islam has had the greatest influence on the region as Islam is the religion of the Uigur people who are the largest ethnic group in Xinjiang. Their numbers and historic control of the region have exerted great influence over the social customs and life here. Previous to the conversion of the Uigur people to Islam, Buddhism was the major religion of the region. This can be seen in the scale of various Buddhist grottos such as the Baizeklik Thousand Buddhas Caves near Turpan. However, with the conversion of the Uigur people to Islam in around the 13th century AD, Xinjiang developed into the mainly Muslim region that it is today. Mosques, (such as the Id Kah Mosque) have survived the ravages of history and many of these places are filled with worshipers during religious festivals and holy days.

Best Time To Visit: Climate
Xinjiang has a desert climate with very little rainfall. The best time to visit this province is in the autumn, when the days are long, the sky clear and temperatures more bearable than in the heat of the summer.

Situated in the heart of the desert and the furthest city in the world from the ocean, temperatures here tend to be very extreme. Winters are VERY cold and summers, extremely HOT. The average rainfall in Xinjiang is about 6 inches, although this does vary according to the region. Generally speaking, winter temperatures in northern Xinjiang are higher than those in the south of the province. In the coldest month (January), the average temperature is more than 20 degrees below. The average temperature in the so called 'oven' of Turpan in the hottest month (July) is above 33 degrees.

Winter here falls between November and April although there is a strong sun all year round. Realistically, the only way to prepare for travelling in this region is to be ready for all eventualities. Be SURE to take sunblock and always carry plenty of drinking water, even in the cooler months. Also take warmer clothes for the nights and winter here, when the drop in temperatures can be quite severe.

Suggested Itineraries
The most convenient place to begin a tour of Xinjiang is Urumqi, the provincial capital, which has easy access to most of China's major cities. For details please refer to the Transportation Overview.

Day 1: Take bus to Heaven's Lake, and spend the night here. Stay overnight in Urumqi.

Day 2: In the morning take the bus to Turpan (3 hours). Visit by minibus/car or by bike Emin Minaret, Jiaohe Ruin, Baizeklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Grape Valley. Stay overnight in Turpan.

Day 3: Visit Gaochang Ruin, Astana Graves, Flaming Mountains. Take bus back to Urumqi in late afternoon. Stay overnight in Urumqi.

Day 4: City tour of Urumqi in the morning, visit Red Mountain, Minority People's Museum. Take late flight to Yinin. Stay overnight in Yinin.

Day 5: Take bus to the Fruit Valley, visit Fruit Valley and return. Stay the night in Yinin.

Day 6: Take bus to Sayram Lake, visit the lake and back. Stay in Yinin.

Day 7: Take early flight to Kashgar (about 1 hour). Visit Abakh Hoja Tomb and the Id Kah Mosque. Stay overnight in Kashgar.

Day 8: Take bus to Lake Karakuri and the Muztagata Mountain and back. Stay in Kashgar.

(Optional day: If you happen to be at Kashgar on Sunday, you can visit the Kashgar Grand Bazzar.)

Day 9: Return to Urumqi, finishing the tour.

Dining Overview
Food in Xinjiang has much more of a Central Asian flavour than elsewhere in China and many of the dishes use Turkish and Islamic spices and flavourings. Much of the food here tends to be very spicy too, with peppers and chili used to much the same effect as they are in Sichuan, for their apparent cooling properties in the intense heat.

The staple food here is not rice, (as it is elsewhere in China) but noodles. La mien and Ban mien (noodles served with mutton and a spicy vegetable stew) are hugely popular in all the cities in the region. Grilled mutton kebabs (Kaoyangrouchuan) are another common specialty, familiar to western taste buds too! These kebabs are usually bought on the street and often accompanied by a large, flat oven baked bread, resembling Indian Nan and going under the same name.

Xinjiang also harvest some wonderfully tasty and fresh fruit. Turpan has an abundance of grapes and raisins. Every home here harvests grape either for personal consumption, to export, to be made into raisins, or for wine. Hami melon is also very good.

The local Uigur people tend to be extremely friendly and eating is a real part of the lifestyle here. Pull up a chair at one of the small Uigur restaurants and even if you don't speak the language, someone will always make the effort to help you eat!

Uigur food aside, standard Chinese fare is available in the bigger cities of Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar. Western food is more rare, although there are numerous branches of John's Information Cafe set up across the province, catering to western and backpacker tastes serving up pancakes, coffee and burgers!

Shopping Overview

Local crafts and arts are very rich in multi-ethnic Xinjiang. Both Urumqi and Kashgar are great places to shop. However, Kashgar, famous for its status as a trading and staging post on the ancient Silk Road, is still a major Central Asian trading town, filled with both local Uigur crafts and other items made by the peoples of the region.

Some of the specialties available in Xinjiang include: Kashgar carpets,knives, Uigur silk, hats and caps,wood dyed cloth, clay pottery, jewelry, and ethnic musical instruments.

Xinjiang is also famous for its fruits, especially Turpan grapes (and raisins), and Yining's apples. However, apricots, water melons, Hami melons, peaches, figs, and many more kinds of fruit are all available in different parts of Xinjiang.

Transportation

Transportation to and from Xinjiang is fairly developed and mainly focuses on Urumqi as the major hub for traffic to the region. Flights to and from Urumqi are the most convenient method of accessing the region. Browse our transport sections for Urumqi, Kashgar, Turpan, and Yining for more detailed transport information.

By plane:
From Urumqi, daily domestic connections to Beijing, Guangzhou and other major cities are available as well as daily connections to Kashgar. Some international flights (not all daily) to Moscow and Islamabad, are also available.

By train:
This is the best way to travel east into the rest of China. To and from Urumqi, you'll find direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu. Express trains to take a few days. Trains to and from Beijing take around 44 hours, and to and from Shanghai takes around 48 hours. We strongly recommend taking hard or soft sleeper trains. Anyone on a budget who tries taking a train to Urumqi with a hard seat will quickly discover that the extra few RMB spent on a sleeper ticket are good value for money.

By road:
The best way to get around in Xinjiang is by bus as the highway system is relatively good. In most of Xinjiang, foreigners are charged artificially jacked up foreigner prices which can be as much as 200% of the original. If you purchase tickets at the bus stations, then you may be charged a more reasonable 'official' price.

If you don't plan to join a tour group in Urumqi, transport around the region can be awkward. Public buses are infrequent and it is sometimes worth considering hiring a car or a jeep to tour about the area if your budget will stretch to it.