Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region travel guide

A tragic story: in the Western Han dynasty, Liu Jian, King of Jiangdu, plotted to usurp the throne of Emperor Wu. When the plot was exposed, he took his own life, and his entire clan was executed, leaving only his daughter, Liu Xijun. Emperor Wu made her a princess and sent her far away to marry the King of Wusun, who was past fifty. The Kingdom of Wusun corresponds to today’s Ili Valley, and it was an ally on which Emperor Wu relied to resist the Xiongnu. Before setting out, the unfortunate princess told Emperor Wu, “So long as the realm is at peace, I will die without regret.” The Ili Valley is a fertile land, embraced by the Tianshan Mountains like a strong pair of arms. She wrote a song, the “Lament of Sorrow,” which is recorded in the Book of Han, Treatise on the Western Regions: “My family sent me far away to a distant land, to wed the King of Wusun. My home is a dome tent with felt walls; my food is meat and my drink is fermented milk. Dwelling here, homesickness wounds my heart. I wish I could become a yellow swan and fly back to my homeland!”

Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, where Korla is located, is the largest prefecture-level division in China by area. The 522-km Taklamakan Desert Highway from Luntai to Minfeng is China's first and the world's longest high-grade desert highway. The Altun Mountains Nature Reserve is the world's largest inland wildlife reserve. The populus euphratica forests of the Tarim Basin account for 89% of China's populus euphratica forest area, making it the largest natural distribution of these trees in the world. The Lop people are one of Xinjiang's oldest ethnic groups; they "do not grow the five grains, do not herd livestock, and live solely by fishing from small boats." Bosten Lake is China's largest inland freshwater lake. The Tarim River, 2,750 km long, is China's longest inland river. Bayanbulak Grassland is China's second-largest grassland and home to China's only swan reserve, Swan Lake.

In Turkic, Turpan means 'a land of abundance', and this basin, nearly a tenth of which lies below sea level, is brimming with grapes and scenery. It is home to some of the sweetest grapes in the world, the seedless white Wuhebai, which is mainly used to make raisins. In the villages, people often sit under grape trellises to cool off, and picking a couple of bunches to eat is pure pleasure. Even in the city, on streets such as Qingnian Road, the entire road is shaded by grape trellises, offering a heavy, refreshing coolness.

This is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, just like a fairy tale. Fallen leaves in the golden birch forest carpet the ground like thick rugs, the owners of the log cabins have gone who knows where, drifting mist nourishes the mushrooms, and the multicolored lake waters lie perfectly still, with no wind and not a single ripple. Several free horses graze lazily on the grass by the lake, and suddenly countless butterflies lift off from the blades of grass. The lake surface, like the mirror said to have been shattered by a lake monster, is very quiet.

Not having been to Kashgar is the same as not having been to Xinjiang, or so the locals say. Kashgar’s Old Town is a purely Uyghur ancient city of mud-brick houses. Standing on a rooftop terrace, you can hear the call to prayer drifting from the minaret, like a melody that never changes. Uyghur merchants are not old-fashioned, but they never shout from the roadside; everything is so familiar that business goes on as peacefully as daily life. Vivid colours flash by, from the dresses and headscarves of little Uyghur girls, a bright spot of liveliness amid the calm that only makes Kashgar feel quieter still. Standing at a crossroads, you feel as if you have been here before, yet you have no idea which way to go.

From Turpan eastward to Wuwei in Gansu stretches an unbroken expanse of desert and Gobi. The Four Commanderies of Hexi are four oases in Gansu, and Hami is the first oasis on entering Xinjiang. In ancient times, travellers who crossed the lifeless, parched desert reached this place to be greeted by Hami's melons and Turpan's grapes. The footprints of earlier travellers have long been buried by sand, but this oasis remains a haven for those on the road.

Ancient Kucha was founded in the early 2nd century BC and was once one of the most important states in the Western Regions. It rose and fell several times before being annexed in 860. Kuqa was the capital of Kucha, and Kucha music and dance is perhaps the most brilliant legacy left by the ancient kingdom. Today, Kuqa is best known for its white apricots and Kuqa waist knives.