Overview
Xinjiang is China's largest province-level region, a vast autonomous region in the northwest spanning deserts, mountains and the ancient Silk Road.
Aut. Region
Xinjiang
新疆维吾尔自治区 · Capital: 乌鲁木齐
Map & Prefectures
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Tip: click a prefecture on the map to open its page.
Prefecture-level cities
Ürümqi乌鲁木齐Karamay克拉玛依Turpan吐鲁番Hami哈密Changji昌吉回族自治州Bortala博尔塔拉蒙古自治州Bayingolin巴音郭楞蒙古自治州Aksu阿克苏地区Kizilsu克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州Kashgar喀什地区Hotan和田地区Ili伊犁哈萨克自治州Tacheng塔城地区Altay阿勒泰地区Shihezi石河子
Read articles about Xinjiang → About Xinjiang
Geography
A land of extremes—the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, the Tianshan range, and the Turpan Depression (one of the hottest places on Earth). It borders eight countries.
History
The crossroads of the Northern and Southern Silk Roads, Xinjiang was home to the oasis kingdoms of Kucha, Khotan and Turpan and many Central Asian cultures.
Culture
A mosaic of Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz and Han peoples, expressed in muqam music (UNESCO), the Meshrep festival, and bazaar culture.
Cuisine
Xinjiang food is aromatic and meat-forward: lamb kebabs, hand-pulled noodles (laghman), pilaf (polu), and nang flatbread, with melons and grapes from Turpan.
Highlights
Highlights: the Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), the ancient city of Kashgar, the Flaming Mountains of Turpan, and the Kanas Lake.