Xinjiang
From ChinaTravelGuide
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[edit] Overview
Xinjiang's (新疆) terrain can be summarized as the "two basins separating three mountains". At the north is the Altai Mountains (阿尔泰山), and the south are Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山) with Tianshan Mountains (天山) running across the central part of Xinjiang. Between the Tianshan Mountains and Altay Mountains lies the Junggar Basin (准噶尔盆地), and the Tarim Basin (塔里木盆地) covers the area between the Kunlun Mountains and the Tianshan Mountains.
Inside the Tarim Basin is the Taklimakan Desert (塔克拉玛干沙漠). Covering a total area of 337,600 square kilometers, it is China's largest and the world's second largest shifting desert. Xinjiang's unique natural landscape, diverse climate, its frigid mountains, scorching deserts and oases, will surely make your trip an unforgettable experience.
[edit] History
[edit] Geography
Xinjiang is the largest political subdivision of China — it accounts for more than one sixth of China's total territory and a quarter of its boundary length. It is divided into two basins by Mount Tianshan. Dzungarian Basin is in the north, and Tarim Basin is in the south. Xinjiang's lowest point is the Turfan Depression, 155 metres below sea level (lowest point in the PRC as well). Its highest peak, K2, is 8611 metres above sea level, on the border with Kashmir. Most of Xinjiang is young geologically, having been formed from the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate, forming the Tian Shan, Kunlun Shan, and Pamir mountain ranges. Consequently, Xinjiang is a major earthquake zone. Older geological formations occur principally in the far north where the Junggar Block is geologically part of Kazakhstan, and in the east which is part of the North China Craton. Xinjiang has within its borders the point of land remotest from the sea, the so-called Eurasian pole of inaccessibility (Lat. 46 degrees 16.8 minutes N, Long. 86 degrees 40.2 minutes E) in the Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert, 1,645 miles (2648 km) from the nearest coastline (straight-line distance). The Tian Shan mountain range marks the Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan border at the Torugart Pass (3752 m). The Karakorum highway (KKH) links Islamabad, Pakistan with Kashgar over the Khunjerab Pass.
--from wikipedia.org
[edit] Cities
| • Aksu (阿克苏) | • Hami (哈密) | • Hetian (和田) | • Ili (伊犁) |
| • Karamay (克拉玛依) | • Kashgar (喀什) | • Shihezi (石河子) | • Turpan (吐鲁番) |
| • Urumqi (乌鲁木齐) |
[edit] Other Places
[edit] Videos
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[edit] Attractions
Xinjiang boasts a variety of cultures that are full of history and customs. Among some of Xinjiang's historic sites are Jian Lake, the relics of Gongning Town, the Wen Temple and the Arabic ancient city.
Also worth visiting are the beautiful Nanshan natural pasture, the aromatic Gangou chrysanthemum meadow.and "Da Bazha"( an open-air market), with its wide-variety of cultural sights and sounds.
The best time to visit Xinjiang is from May to October, during which flowers are in full bloom and fruit is ripe and sweet.
Due to the considerable temperature difference between night and day, it is advisable to bring a sweater or jacket even if visiting in the hottest month. Bring a thick winter coat if visiting Xinjiang between November and April.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Language
As everywhere in China, the official language is Mandarin. However, many other languages are spoken in Xinjiang. The most common is Uyghur, a Turkic language similar to Uzbek. Other languages include Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Mongol.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Cuisine
The cuisine in Urumqi is rich and abundant. Mutton shashlik, roasted whole lamb and zhuafan (rice eaten with one's hands) are just a few of many Xinjiang delicacies enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Xinjiang fruits are also highly praised by visitors and are often used in Xinjiang cooking.
Because the Urugur, Hui and Kazak nationalities practice Islam, tourists should remember that pork products are forbidden. Talk related to pigs is also discouraged.
[edit] Music
[edit] Notables
[edit] Ethnic Groups
East Asian migrants arrived in the eastern portions of the Tarim Basin about 3,000 years ago, while the Uighur peoples arrived after the collapse of the Orkon Uighur Kingdom, based in modern-day Mongolia, around the year 842. [24] Xinjiang is home to several distinct ethnic groups of various religious traditions, however, the majority of the region's total population are adherents of Islam. Among ethnic groups who are of the Muslim faith, most notable are Muslim Turkic peoples including the Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tatars and the Kazakhs; there are also Muslim Iranian peoples including Pamiris and the Sarikolis/Wakhis (often conflated as Pamiris); and Muslim Sino-Tibetan peoples such as the Hui (i.e. Muslim Han Chinese). Other PRC ethnic groups in the region include Han Chinese, Mongols, Russians, Xibes, and Manchus. The percentage of ethnic Han Chinese in Xinjiang has grown from 6 percent in 1949[25][unreliable source?] to an official tally of over 40 percent at present. This figure does not include military personnel or their families, or the many unregistered migrant workers. Much of this transformation can be attributed to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a semi-military organization of settlers that has built farms, towns, and cities over scattered parts of Xinjiang. The demographic transformation is held by Uyghur independence advocates as a threat to Uyghurs and other non-Han ethnicities in maintaining their culture, similar to the case of Tibet. In 1953 about three-fourths of the population lived south of the mountains in the Tarim Basin and the Han influx was directed mainly to the Dzungaria (north of the mountains in the Tarim Basin ) because of its resource potential. [26] The minorities of Xinjiang have been exempted from the one-child policy and many Uyghur people emigrated out of Xinjiang to other parts of China, and consequently the percentage of Uyghur people in the total population of China has increased steadily. In general, Uyghurs are the majority in western Xinjiang, including the prefectures of Kashgar, Khotan, Kizilsu, and Aksu, as well as Turpan prefecture in eastern Xinjiang. Han Chinese are the majority in eastern and northern Xinjiang, including the cities of Urumqi, Karamay, Shihezi and the prefectures of Changji, Bortala, Bayin'gholin, Ili (especially the city of Kuitun), and Kumul. Kazakhs are mostly concentrated in Ili prefecture in northern Xinjiang. Some Uighur scholars claim descent from both the Turkic Uighurs and the pre-Turkic Tocharians (or Tokharians, whose language was Indo-European), and relatively fair-skin, hair and eyes, as well as other so-called 'Caucasoid' physical traits, are not uncommon among them. In general Uyghurs resemble those peoples who live around them in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. In 2002, there were 9,632,600 males (growth rate of 1.0%) and 9,419,300 females (growth rate of 2.2%). The population overall growth rate was 10.9‰, with 16.3‰ of birth rate and 5.4‰ mortality rate. --from wikipedia.org
[edit] Colleges and Universities
[edit] Area and Postal Codes
| City | Area Code | Postal Code | City | Area Code | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aksu (阿克苏) | 997 | 843000 | Hami (哈密) | 902 | 839000 | |
| Hetian (和田) | 903 | 848000 | Ili (伊犁) | 999 | 835000 | |
| Karamay (克拉玛依) | 990 | 834000 | Kashgar (喀什) | 998 | 844000 | |
| Shihezi (石河子 ) | 993 | 832000 | Turpan (吐鲁番) | 995 | 838000 | |
| Urumqi (乌鲁木齐) | 991 | 830000 |
