About Xinjiang
Brief Introduction to Xinjiang
As the largest province in China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest of China covers over 1.6 million square kilometers, taking up one sixth of China’s total territory. With a population of over 20 million, Xinjiang is home to more than 45 ethnic groups besides the major ethnic minority Uygur in Xinjiang. It is a crucial pass that the ancient Silk Road crossed.
Xinjiang is split by its symbolic mountain-Tianshan Mountain range into two large basins: the Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim Basin in the south. Much of the Tarim Basin in the south is dominated by the biggest desert in China and the tenth biggest in the world-Taklimakan Desert. The lowest point in Xinjiang and China is the Turpan Basin which is 155 meters below sea level.
Xinjiang has a desert climate: Winters are very cold and summers extremely hot. The temperature varies so much in the day that there are two famous Chinese sayings can be best used to describe it: One is “Wear a fur jacket in the morning while a thin shirt in the afternoon; the other is “Eat watermelons around the warm stove”. The best time to visit Xinjiang is in the autumn when the daytimes are long, the sky is clear blue, the weather makes you feel comfortable, and the equally important one is that as Xinjiang is known as the “Land of Melons and Fruits”, the abundance of delicious melons, grapes, and other fruits are available in autumn.
The form of superlatives is often used to describe Xinjiang, such as Xinjiang is the most arid province in China; the hottest and the coldest places of China are in Xinjiang; Xinjiang boasts the longest inland river-Tarim River; the lowest point of China- Lake Aydingkol lies in the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang; and the largest desert in China-Taklimakan Desert takes up almost half of the territory of Xinjiang.
Xinjiang is considered as the paradise for tourists. There are 56 kinds of tourist resources in Xinjiang, accounting for 83% of the total kinds of tourist resources. All together, there are more than 1,100 scenic spots in Xinjiang, ranking the highest in the nation.
Mountains, glaciers, cliffs, prairies, waterfalls, rivers, deserts, forests, wild animals, historic and cultural relics, caverns, temples, monasteries, mausoleums… You name it. In this charming land, with the hospitality of the people in Xinjiang, you will certainly agree to the saying that “Xinjiang is the kingdom for poets, the treasure house for painters, and the paradise for historians and tourists”.