Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region covers over 1,600,000 square kilometers (617,763 square miles), one-sixth of China's total territory, making it China's largest province. Xinjiang borders Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. With a population of over 19 million, Xinjiang is home to 47 ethnic groups including the Uygur, the major ethnic group in Xinjiang.
When to go
Xinjiang has a desert climate with a low annual rainfall of only 150 millimeters (6 inches). Winters are very cold and summers extremely hot. The best time to visit this province is in the autumn, when the days are long, the sky is clear and temperatures more bearable than in the heat of the summer. Another excellent reason to visit at that time is the abundance of delicious melons and other fruits and vegetables which are then available.
History
Xinjiang has a long history. The area was called Xiyu in ancient China which means "West Region". It was plundered by the Huns before the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). During the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), Xinjiang was treated as an integral part of the nation's territory. Since then, Xinjiang was governed by all successive dynasties.
What to see
Superlatives are often used when describing Xinjiang: It is the most arid province; also contains the hottest and the coldest places; the longest inland river, the Tarim; the lowest marsh, the Aydingkol Lake (Moonlight Lake) in the Turpan Basin; the largest inland lake and the largest desert. In Xinjiang tourists can visit the world-famous Yardang Spectacle in Korla, stone forests, enjoy the mystery of the desert with its spectacular sand mountains. The ancient Silk Road brought Xinjiang a mix of eastern and western cultures which left behind stunning relics. Today, those ancient cities, caves, temples and tombs attract countless tourists from home and abroad.
Other Cities of Xinjiang
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Travelers' Voices on Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
1.
May. 13,2009 08:56 Reply
Ms.Audrey(Singapore) said:
Hi I'm Audrey Lee from S'pore.
I'm currently working in Shanghai and I have a 3week-holiday during the month of July and I'm planning to visit Xinjiang. anyone would like to join me?
We can either start of together from Shanhai or meet you at Xinjiang. The more the merrier.
Jun. 28,2009 00:28
Mr.laurent(Belgium) replied:
hey, i plan to go to xinjiang from Shanghai too, my MSN is laurentfrank@hotmail.com Could you add me? Cheers
2.
Jun. 5,2009 08:47 Reply
Mrs.Fidah(Malaysia) said:
Tq Ms. Ruth. It's very helpful and I really appreciate it.
Jun. 17,2009 09:20
Mr.richard(China) replied:
Thank you Mr. Jamie. I shall take the advice you and Mrs Lee give.
3.
May. 20,2009 20:33 Reply
Mr.Richard(China) said:
Great site. Great service. Thank you! I am visiting Xinjiang at the end of June with a small group of fellow teachers.Starting in Urumqi, going north first then to Kashgar (and others). I am English and have a Chinese driving licence (from Beijing). Can I hire a car in Xinjiang (Urumqi and Kashgar)? I read that we may need an official guide if we are travelling (driving) around independently. Is this true? Thanks for your help.
May. 24,2009 23:13
Mrs.Lee(China) replied:
An official guide will help you a lot if you are travelling around independently, otherwise, you may be in trouble.
Jun. 9,2009 09:58
Mr.Richard(China) replied:
Thanks for your reply Mrs Lee. I have just seen it, sorry for the delay. Do you mean I'd have official trouble e.g police, local officials etc? Or do you mean we will have problems getting good prices for hotels, camel rides etc? Do you know if I can hire a car while I'm there?
Jun. 10,2009 01:26
Mr.Jamie replied:
Hi, Richard, suggest you hire a car with local driver or do not do that at all. It is complicated and troublesome for an expats in Xijina to hire a car. There are contract, testing the car and a Xinjiang local as warrantor. I have no idea about the official guide. I guess Lee means a guide will kept you safe and convenient to travel there. If you want to travel alone, be cautious.
4.
Jun. 4,2009 09:20 Reply
Mrs.Fidah(Malaysia) said:
I am a muslim, and i really want to see the muslims in China. I am thinking of visiting Beijing or Xinjiang. Which one is the best? It's a 4-5 days of visits during end november or early disember. It's the only time I have. What is the season during that period? Is it ok to visit Beijing or Xinjiang that time? I really need a suggestion (it's gonna be my 1'st time fo China)
Jun. 5,2009 05:01
Ms.Ruth(China) replied:
You can go to Urumqi and Ili in Xinjiang. At the end of November, Xinjiang has entered the season of winter. It's very cold with snow. You should wear warm clothes.
Beijing is not so cold as Xinjiang. But the Muslims in Beijing are not so many as in Xinjing. Xinjiang is very large. Your 4 to 5 days of visit may not be very enough. So, time is very pressing if you want to visit Beijing at the same time.
Jun. 5,2009 05:05
Ms.Ruth(China) replied:
Additionally, the best place to know Muslims is Ningxia Hui People Autonomous Region. Hui people believe in Islam. You can go to the capital of this region. It's Yinchuan.
5.
Jun. 2,2009 09:12 Reply
Ms.Florence Tan(Singapore) said:
Thank you Mr Leo. I'm now clearer on the option of routes between Beijing and Xinjiang.
6.
Jun. 1,2009 07:53 Reply
Ms.Florence Tan(Singapore) said:
Eight of my family members between 14 years to 70 years old would like to visit Beijing and Xinjiang in December (school holiday). We have been through -10degree snow before. Will Xinjiang be colder? What is the best travel route if we wish to cover these 2 cities? We only have 12 days in total.
Jun. 2,2009 04:16
Mr.Leo replied:
Well, it seems that you could consider a silk road tour starting from Beijing. I have searched some tour lines on this website, maybe you get some ideas:
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/silk_road/
7.
May. 26,2009 02:48 Reply
Mr.richard mak(Malaysia ) said:
I understand best time to visit Xinjiang is autumn, do you think July is the best time?
May. 27,2009 01:58
Ms.Evelyn replied:
Xinjiang boasts different landscapes in the four seasons. No matter which season you go there, different beautiful scenery will be shown to you. The good time to visit Xinjiang is from May to October. July and August are the best time.
May. 28,2009 01:00
Mr.richard mak(malaysia) replied:
Thanks Evelyn for your speedy response. Just wonder, how is the tempreture in July and August? Will it be very hot?
Jun. 2,2009 04:12
Mr.Shan replied:
Yes, July is the hottest time in Xinjiang through a year when the temperature could reach 40c degrees at midday and the average temperature is over 30C degrees. But, the temperature varies greatly at daytime and night.
8.
Apr. 17,2009 02:19 Reply
Ms.adeline(singapore) said:
I would like to visit xinjiang in october will this be start of cold month, my itinery should start form guangzhou to urumuqi and end in islamabad hopefully. Alone the way i hope to see places like kashgar, turpan, tianchi mt,kunlun, lake kanas, kunjerab pass
karakoram highway all these for 3 wks, am i too ambitious, could anybody give me an advice, or does anyone organise a tour for a small group for something like this. Please help me.
Apr. 17,2009 21:03
Mr.Jerry replied:
Yes, it will be cold in October. You can get to Turpan and then the route can be divided into south and north.North: Urumqi, Tianchi, Lake Kanas. Comparatively, the south route has more of your favored places. You can get to Korla from Turpan, then to Hetian through the desert railway, visite the Kunlun mountain, then transfer to Kashgar, arrive he Kunjerab Pass though Karakoram Highway. Wow, it is a long journey. Good Luck!
Apr. 18,2009 08:38
Ms.adeline(singapore) replied:
Thanks Jerry for the info. It would be helpful to join a tour group to visit these places some if not all, but upon checking with some agencies on-line the cost is extremely high does anyone know any reliable
agent locally that charges resonable . Travel between sept-oct 2009 or perhaps april-may2010
Apr. 21,2009 19:57
Mr.Jerry replied:
It is a long way to travel all you destinations, and I think it is hard to find areliable agency offering such a route to cover all the places you want to. You can think about this: to participate in a one or two day group in one place. Or you can find a travel companion?!
Apr. 29,2009 09:12
Mr.Vladimir(Russia) replied:
Hi Adeline!
I,m planning to visit Xinjiang at end September.
I think after arrival in Urumchi to make short jumping to Kashgar/2 hours by plane/.I know chinese man from tourist office and he,ll drive me around Kashgar.After Kashgar I,ll drive with my guide to Khotan/400 km/.Hotan is 2 days. After Hotan my way is to north across desert/500 km/ to Aksu across Tiansheng and arriving to Urumchi.I think my way across southern and most interesting part of Xinjiang will near 5 days. Rates of hotels in province is cheap.
Vladimir
May. 10,2009 22:44
Mr.White(China) replied:
Hello, Ms.adeline,
If you want to travel to so many places, the best way and the least costly one is to find a reliable local agency to arrange that. I see there are some others like Mrs.KL(USA) aslo want to go there. So I suggest you try to find some travel companions, the more people in a group, the less expensive!
May. 22,2009 04:03
Ms.Gwen(China) replied:
Hello Adeline
My family are coming over in Oct and I want them to travel with me to Xinjiang. We will start off in Guangzhou or meet them in Beijing.
But the Singaporeans need convincing.
9.
May. 20,2009 16:02 Reply
Mr.gunnar(USA) said:
thx mrs.lee that helped alot again thx
10.
May. 19,2009 13:42 Reply
Mr.gunnar(USA) said:
hi im wondering if anyone knos the currency in xinjiang
May. 19,2009 21:59
Mrs.Lee(China) replied:
RMB