Amazing landscapes of China's Xinjiang

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located in the central part of the Eurasian Continent, on the northwest border of China. It covers about one-sixth of China's total territory.

The northwestern border region of Xinjiang, lauded variously as a land of song and dance, melons and fruits, precious stones, and carpets, is situated in the heart of the Eurasia Continent. Xinjiang was a key link on the Silk Road and a hub for east-west cultural exchanges in ancient times.

Attractions in Xinjiang

Karakul Lake

The Karakul is a lake in Akto County along the highway, located 196 km from Kashgar City. Karakul is a very unusual plateau lake. In fact, it is the highest lake of the Pamir Plateau, at an altitude of 3,600 m. The view is stunning, thanks to the surrounding, snow-covered mountains and beautiful reflections in the crystal-clear water. On a clear day, the scenery is rather mind-blowing and picturesque. Besides the amazing water reflections, grazing goats, yaks and sheep make the experience more alluring and real.

Tianchi (Heavenly) Lake

Tianchi Lake, also known as Heavenly Lake (天池), is located on the northern side of the Bogeda Peak in the Tianshan mountains. It is 120 km from Urumqi City and only a 90-minute drive, and the center of the Tianchi scenic area of startling contrasts – an alpine drift lake at an altitude of 1,980 m (6,496 ft) with glistening glaciers on the mountain peaks nearby when the sun is shining.

Kanas Lake

Kanas Lake is in the Kanas Geopark and is mainly made up of Crouching Dragon Bay, Moon Bay, Immortal Bay and the interesting mystery of the legendary big red monster fish! The water, surrounded by snow-covered mountains, decorates the world like a diamond. The best time to visit Immortal Bay is in the early morning when the area is often covered by thin white mist, giving you a fairy world to enjoy. Walking along the river from Moon Bay to Crouching Dragon Bay is another highlight and offers numerous photographic opportunities.

Delicious food in Xinjiang

Xinjiang boasts a rich and unique food culture. Breakfast here includes melons, jam and milk tea while lunch is often served with flour-based delicacies featuring beef and mutton. Dinner usually entails Nang, tea or noodles.

Nang

Nang is essential to Uighur daily life. The bread, baked in Nang Keng (an earthen stove for cooking the bread), is usually round in shape. Nang has a history of two thousand years. There are more than 50 kinds of Nang in Xinjiang, including meat, oil and sesame.

Zhua Fan

Zhua Fan is cooked using ingredients like fresh mutton, carrots, onions, vegetables, oil, rice and water. It is served at festivals, funerals and weddings of both Uygurs and Uzbeks.

Various products of Xinjiang

Xinjiang specialties include lavender, cotton, tomato, mutton, beef, jujube, and various fruits.

In addition，Xinjiang has the richest mineral resources in China, with 138 different types accounting for more than 80 percent of all minerals discovered in the country. Nephrite is one of China’s top five famous jades and most of it is found in Hetian, Xinjiang.

The Rich Cultural Heritage of Xinjiang

Xinjiang's cultural heritage, as well as her colorful ethnic customs and natural ecological civilization, make it one of China's leading tourist destinations, and the song and dance of Xinjiang people is the highlights.

Xinjiang Uighur is China's ethnic group who are good at singing and dancing, and the folk dance of Kashgar is a treasure of Chinese dance art, so Kashgar in Xinjiang is also known as “the home of song and dance”. In Kashgar, both young and old, they will spontaneously dance with the music. The beautiful dance with the pace of light, particularly the pliable and flexible wrists and neck increases the beauty of dance. Uygur dance has a strong sense of rhythm, sometimes fast while sometimes slow. All the dance movements reflect the daily life of Uighur.