Regions & prefectures
ChinaRegions & prefectures
Xinjiang
A sixth of Chinese territory, two deserts, eight borders and the Silk Road.
- Capital
- Ürümqi
- Status
- Autonomous region
- Region
- Northwest China
- Must-see
- The bazaar and old town of Kashgar
- Local specialty
- Laghman, lamb skewers, Turpan raisins
Larger than Iran, Xinjiang is split by the Tian Shan mountains between the Dzungarian basin in the north and the Tarim basin in the south, filled by the Taklamakan desert. The oases along its rim, Kashgar, Khotan, Turpan, punctuated the Silk Road and live off an underground irrigation system, the karez. The region is home to Turkic-speaking Muslim Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Han, and has been the subject since 2017 of security policies extensively documented and contested internationally.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.