Travel Guide

Kanas vs Sayram Lake: a first-hand comparison of Xinjiang’s two alpine lakes on getting there, best season, cost, stays and which lake fits your trip.

Turpan vs Dunhuang: we compare two desert Silk Road stops on heat, sights, transport and cost, then show you exactly how to visit both towns in one week.

Kashgar vs Hotan: a practical southern Silk Road decision guide. Compare old cities, bazaars and transport to choose the city that fits your Xinjiang trip.

Kokpar Xinjiang: how Kazakh and Kyrgyz horsemen play the steppe goat-grabbing game, where to watch it in Ili, and what first-time visitors should expect.

Xinjiang transhumance is one of Asia’s last great pastoral migrations. Learn when Kazakh herders move, where to watch them, and how to travel responsibly.

Xinjiang Silk Road history told as a traveller’s timeline, from Han watchtowers to Kashgar’s living bazaars, with the sites you can still visit today.

Discover Xinjiang Russian heritage in Yining and Tacheng: blue-doored lanes, timber houses, Orthodox church spires, kvass carts, and quiet streets here.

Explore Xinjiang Hui culture through its mosques, halal food and faith, from Urumqi’s Shaanxi Mosque to hand-pulled noodles and three-cannon tea. Read on.

Discover the Xinjiang Mongols: the Torgut of Bayingolin, whose 1771 journey home from the Volga shaped China’s largest prefecture. Routes, food, Naadam.

Meshrep Xinjiang is a Uyghur gathering of music, dance and food, recognized by UNESCO. This guide explains where to see one and how travelers can join.