Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region新疆维吾尔自治区رايونى ئاپتونوم ئۇيغۇر شىنجاڭ

Junxiao Shi, 2015-11-19

Xinjiang• a region in northwestern China • area: 642,800 sq mi

• largest Chinese administrative division

• population (2010): 21 million• language: Uyghur, Mandarin, etc

Junxiao's visit• Jun 13-18, 2009• northern Xinjiang• Turpan• Tianchi• Burqin & Kanas Lake• Karamay• Ürümqi

©Google https://goo.gl/crsrB0

Turpan 吐鲁番• mountain basin• cold desert climate• very hot and long summers• very cold but short winters

• annual precipitation: 0.62in• bright sunshine: 2912

hours/yr

Turpan• The very heat and dryness of the

summer,• when combined with the area's

ancient system of irrigation,• allows the countryside around

Turpan to produce great quantities of high-quality fruit.

Turpan karez water system• a vertical tunnel

system• vertically dug wells,

linked by underground water canals

©Samual Bailey

Turpan Grape Valley

Uyghur dance

Tianchi: Tianshan Mountain Heaven Pool

Naan 馕

13-hour drive to Kanas Lake• Kanas Lake is in the

north end of Xinjiang region.• It's a 13-hour drive

from Tianchi.• And you need enough

fuel to pass "no man's land".

13-hour drive to Kanas Lake: wild animals

Overnight stay at Burqin Town• This photo was taken at 10pm

Beijing time.• The sky is still bright, because• Xinjiang is much west of Beijing,• and Burqin County is at a high

latitude: 48.3833°N.

Burqin: Irtysh River 额尔齐斯河 Ертiс• Local food: grilled fish

wild caught from the cold waters of Irtysh River

Kazakh residences• Major ethnic group in Burqin

County is Kazakh.• Kazakh residences are adapted

to their nomadic lifestyle.

Inside Kazakh residence: fresh yogurt

Kanas Lake 喀纳斯湖• formed 200,000 years ago as a

result of glacier movement• crescent moon shaped lake

©HERE http://binged.it/1WZYQEE

Fir tree vs Spruce Tree

117 kinds of birds live along Kanas Lake

Hemu Village

Hemu Village• 2.5 hour drive from

Kanas Lake.• Ethnic group: Tuvan• Tuvans live in wood

cabins, built without nails.• Local food: grilled lamb

Karamay 克拉玛依• "Karamay" means "black oil" in

Uyghur language.• In 1955, one of the largest oil

fields in China was discovered here. Since then, the city has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.

Picture of Wind City of Wu'erhe, Karamay• A typical yardang feature:

bedrock carved by wind erosion.• Everything shown in

those pictures are natural.

Ürümqi 乌鲁木齐• Ürümqi is the capital and largest

city of Xinjiang region.• Xinjiang International Grand

Bazaar• largest bazaar in the world by

scale,• combining Islamic culture,

architecture, ethnic commerce, tourism, and entertainment.

Xinjiang, China's northwest• Slides available on http://www.slideshare.net/yoursunny• More pictures in Facebook albums• Turpan https://goo.gl/ii2rC5• Tianchi https://goo.gl/8Bzjyn• Burqin https://goo.gl/5z6ATM• Kanas Lake https://goo.gl/j0Lxk8• Karamay https://goo.gl/ffEb0K• Ürümqi https://goo.gl/FUYItK

• Photos ©Jack Shi & Junxiao Shi, all rights reserved• Some text ©Wikipedia contributors, CreativeCommons BY-SA