Xinjiang Travel Guide

Eat

Roast whole lamb: A valuable dish in Turpan that is comparable to Beijing roast duck is roasted whole lamb. For roasting whole sheep, choose a good quality sheep. After slaughtering and skinning, remove the internal organs from the hoof horns, and use a wooden stick with a large iron nail to wear it from head to tail. The sheep's neck is stuck on the iron nail to prevent it from sliding. Mix egg yolk, salt water, turmeric, cumin powder, pepper, and flour into a paste, apply it on the whole sheep, head down, put it in the naan pit and seal it for about an hour, then take it out and eat it.

Pilaf: Sweet pilaf is mostly vegetarian. The main raw materials are rice, eggs, yellow radish, raisins, preserved apricots, peanuts and clear oil. Salty pilaf is mostly meat pilaf, and its main raw materials are rice, beef and mutton, yellow radish, and skin sprouts (i.e. onions).

Grilled Nang: Grilled Nang is the most important noodle food of the Uyghurs in Turpan. "You can live without vegetables for a day, but you can never live without naan for a day." There are many varieties of naan, about 50 kinds. There are mainly meat Nang, You Ka Nang, Wo Wo Nang, Slice Nang and Sesame Nang, etc. Nang noodles contain eggs and clear oil. Because it contains less water, it is dry on the outside and crispy on the inside. It does not go bad after being stored for a long time, and is easy to carry. One pit of naan can be eaten for a week.

Shopping

Xinjiang Knife: Yingjisha Knife is just like Beijing’s “Wang Mazi Scissors” and is quite famous in Xinjiang. Its steel mouth is sharp, durable, and its shape is unique. The handle is gorgeously decorated and crystal clear. There is a mark of "Yingjisha" in U.K. and Chinese on the handle. The scabbard is made of cow and sheepskin molds and stamps, with beautiful patterns.

Jade and jade carvings: Xinjiang has been famous for producing beautiful jade since ancient times, among which Hotan jade is the most famous. Its texture is warm and delicate, with a fat luster. Its sound is like the lingering sound of a golden rock, which is far away and deep, and slowly disappears. It is not comparable to the jade produced in the east and south. Mutton-fat jade is named because its color resembles mutton fat. The texture is fine, "white as cream", especially moisturizing and smooth.

Aidelai silk: Aidelai silk is a unique product with rich ethnic characteristics in Xinjiang. It is the favorite silk material for Uyghur women to make dresses. There are two major production areas: one is silk from Kashgar and Yarkand, which are famous for their colorful and bright colors. The patterns are delicate and rigorous, and colors such as emerald green, sapphire blue, yellow, green lotus, and peach blossom are commonly used. The second is the silk from Hotan and Luopu, which pays attention to black and white effects, changes in reality and reality, rough and unrestrained patterns, and simple and varied colors.

National musical instrument: Almost every Uyghur family has a Dutar. This is a very popular two-string instrument with a large body, a slender handle, a soft and pleasant tone, and is very suitable for self-playing. Sing to yourself. The Uyghurs are good at singing and dancing, and singing and dancing are inseparable from musical instruments. These musical instruments are all very beautifully made and some are decorated by their owners, making them elegant and simple. In addition to being playable, they are also craft treasures.

Good places

Jiaohe Ancient City: Jiaohe Ancient City, known as Yargole Kuola in Uyghur, is located on the 30-meter cliff of Yarnaizi Valley, 10 kilometers west of Turpan City. The platform was once the capital of Cheshi's former kingdom. Jiaohe City was built by the Cheshi people. The construction date was earlier than that of the Qin and Han Dynasties, about 2000-2300 years ago. Cheshi, also known as Gushi, is the earliest primitive resident living here.

Turpan’s Grape Valley: Turpan’s Grape Valley belongs to the Grape Township of Turpan City and is located in the northeast of Turpan City, 10 kilometers away from the city center. The ditch is surrounded by streams and the water is pure. On both sides of the stream, grape trellises are spread all over, and grape vines are layered on top of each other. It is surrounded by dense poplar forests, dotted with flowers, fruits and trees, and farmhouses are arranged in an orderly manner on the gentle slope. Xinjiang folk songs say: "Turpan's grapes and Hami's melons are praised by everyone, Korla's fragrant plows are praised by everyone, and Yecheng's pomegranate tops are croaking." It points out the four famous fruit towns in Xinjiang, with Turpan ranking first.

Flaming Mountain: The famous Flaming Mountain, "The mountain is not high, but it is famous if it has immortals." The Flaming Mountain is such a mountain. The Flame Mountains are located on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin. It is called Chishi Mountain in ancient books and Kiziltag in Uyghur, which means Red Mountain. The Flame Mountains run east-west. It starts from the Liusha River in Shanshan County in the east and ends in Taoergou in Turpan in the west. It is 100 kilometers long and 10 kilometers at its widest point. The Flame Mountain is full of barren mountains and not even a blade of grass can grow on it. In midsummer, the red sun is in the sky, the earth is steaming, and the flame clouds are lingering. It looks like a flying fire dragon, which is very spectacular.

Karez: Karez is the Great Wall that stretches from east to west and runs from north to south. One of the three major projects in ancient my country with the same name as the Grand Canal, it is a great underground water conservancy and irrigation project. It took shape as early as 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Later, with the development of the Silk Road, it gradually spread westward to Central Asia and Persia.

Xiangfei Tomb: Apahoga Tomb, also known as Xiangfei Tomb, is located in Haokand Village, 5 kilometers northeast of Kashgar City. It covers an area of ??30 acres and was first built around 1640 AD. Dating back 350 years, it is a typical ancient Islamic mausoleum building. It is now a national key cultural relics protection unit. The mausoleum consists of five parts: the gate tower, the small mosque, the large mosque, the teaching hall and the main tomb chamber. The main tomb is located in the eastern part of the cemetery. It is the main building of this building complex. It is magnificent in shape and solemn and gorgeous in style. It is the crown of the entire building complex and the most grand and exquisite mausoleum in Xinjiang.

Self-service tips

Tianshan Tianchi 75 yuan/person Kanas 100 yuan/person

Swan Lake 30 yuan/person Bosten Lake 30 yuan/person

Gaochang Old City 20 yuan/person Putaogou 20 yuan/person

Id Kah Mosque 10 yuan/person Xiangfei Tomb 15 yuan/person

Wurhe Devil City 10 yuan/person Karez 20 yuan/person

Bayinbuluk 15 yuan/person Swan Lake 50 yuan/person

Autumn standard itinerary

Plan: 8-day double flight to Kanas Lake, Burqin, Devil's City, Golden Beach, Korla Bosten Lake, Urumqi, Tianshan Tianchi, Turpan, Grape Valley, and Gaochang Old City.

Itinerary:

D1. Fly to Beijing Capital Airport and fly to Urumqi;

D2. Go to Turpan and visit Gaochang Ancient City, Flame Mountain, Grape Valley, Uyghur Visit home, buy specialties, visit Karez, and return to Urumqi on the same day; stay in Urumqi.

D3. Visit Tianshan Tianchi, then go to Burqin in the afternoon to visit Huoshao Mountain, Wucai Bay and other natural landscapes. On the way, we pass through Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve, where we can see wild gazelles, wild donkeys and other animals. Stay in Burqin.

D4. Visit my country's only Nordic scenery belt - Kanas Lake in Eastern Switzerland; Moon Bay, Shenxian Bay, Wolong Bay, etc.; stay in Kanas.

D5. Go to Karamay City and visit the naturally formed Yadan landform - Devil City; stay in Karamay.

D6. Go to Urumqi, rest in the afternoon or visit Erdaoqiao Bazaar (Ethnic Market), Urumqi Commercial Street, and taste Xinjiang snacks in the evening; overnight in Urumqi.

D7. Take a bus to Jinshatan Beach and visit the main reservoir area of ??Bosten Lake, the largest freshwater lake; stay at Jinshatan Beach.

D8. Take a bus to Korla City and take a flight back to Beijing