新疆维吾尔自治区

Why this place

Xinjiang is China's largest province-level division — bigger than most countries — and it is where the Silk Road's two branches met. Its oases have Uyghur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz cultures, and its landscapes run from the Taklamakan desert and Turpan's depressions to the Tian Shan and the Pamirs.

What to see

• Kashgar's old town and its Sunday livestock market
• Turpan — the karez canals, the ancient cities and the Flaming Mountains
• The Tian Shan and Sayram Lake; the Bayanbulak and Nalati grasslands
• Urumqi's regional museum, with the Tarim mummies
• Kanas Lake in the far north, and the Taklamakan's poplar forests

What to eat

• Uyghur food: pilaf, lamb kebabs, naan from clay ovens and 'samsa' pastries
• Korla pears, Hami melons, Turpan grapes and Kashgar's dried fruit
• Kazakh food in the north: boiled mutton, kumiss and milk tea

How to plan

Two weeks: Urumqi two, Turpan two, Kashgar three, plus Ili or Kanas.

Best time

May–October; the far north is best June–September

Practical tips

• Xinjiang is vast and internal flights are often the only practical link between oases
• Some areas near borders need permits — check current rules before planning the far west and the Karakoram route

Cities 14

乌鲁木齐市 Urumqi克拉玛依市 Karamay吐鲁番市 Turpan哈密市 Hami昌吉回族自治州 Changji博尔塔拉蒙古自治州 Bortala巴音郭楞蒙古自治州 Bayingolin阿克苏地区 Aksu克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州 Kizilsu喀什地区 Kashgar和田地区 Hotan伊犁哈萨克自治州 Ili塔城地区 Tacheng阿勒泰地区 Altay