For most people, Xinjiang is a more distant and mysterious existence than Tibet, yet it has a fatal attraction! But when it comes to which is more fun, southern Xinjiang or northern Xinjiang? The debate never ends. If you ask Xiao Feijun, although the scenery of southern Xinjiang is not as stunning as that of northern Xinjiang, it is more majestic and rugged! Alone, the exotic customs of southern Xinjiang, which cannot be compared to those of northern Xinjiang, are enough to haunt people’s dreams~
For details, please contact: Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456
Here, you can take in the most pristine natural scenery of Xinjiang, the magnificent Pamir Plateau, the dazzling golden desert poplars…
Here lies ancient history, and the ruins also reveal the past glory;
A most exciting journey, replacing the sound of camel bells with the sound of motors, passing through the vast desert to enter the barbaric golden hinterland
Step into the purest life and take a look at the city full of exotic customs. Different cultures blend here;
You can also listen to the most soulful Mukam once, singing and dancing along with the music, feeling the frank folk customs and different attitudes towards life. 10 days and 9 nights, in the most beautiful late autumn, join us to delve deep into the diverse and charming southern Xinjiang!
||The Mysterious Grand Canyon of Tianshan – Red Cliffs
The Grand Canyon is located beside the Duku Highway, a canyon in the Kiziliya Mountains, a branch of the Tianshan Mountains. It combines grandeur, danger, tranquility, silence, and mystery. Discovered within less than 20 years, it has become very famous and is arguably the most unmissable canyon in Xinjiang!
The more than 5,000-meter-long Grand Canyon has red mountains that are very distinctive. From afar, they look like fire, stretching between heaven and earth. Uyghurs call it ‘Keziliya’, meaning ‘red cliffs’, giving off a magnificent vibe.
||Shaya – Hometown of Populus euphratica Forests
Shaya County is located in the north of the Tarim Basin, bordered by the Tianshan Mountains to the north and the desert to the south. China’s largest inland river, the Tarim River, runs from west to east across the middle-north of the county. Shaya County is one of the birthplaces of Qiuci culture and once had a glorious history and culture.
Shaya County is密集 with Populus euphratica forests in the Tarim River basin, and is therefore also known as the Hometown of World Populus euphratica Forests. On the dunes on both sides of the Tarim River, arrogant Populus euphratica trees scatter, standing with a posture unchanged for thousands of years, calmly narrating the ancient history of this vast Western Region.
||Stone City – An Important Stop on the Ancient Silk Road
The Stone City, located on the north side of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, was the former site of the ancient Western Region country of Puli and an important stop on the ancient Silk Road. It has existed since approximately the 1st century AD and is a precious historical monument in Xinjiang. Today, it no longer boasts its former prosperity, only leaving behind ruins.
The castle, standing at an altitude of 3,100 meters, is extremely steep and perilous. Multiple layers of continuous and discontinuous city walls were built outside the city. Between the partition walls, stone hills overlap and rubble piles up, forming a unique landscape of the Stone City. Surrounding it are snowy mountains, grasslands, and rivers.
||Aral Jincaotan – Abundant with Cattle and Sheep
Below the Stone City lies the Aral Jincaotan, where water and grass are abundant, and cattle and sheep are everywhere. The Tashkurgan River flows through, complementing the distant snowy mountains and blue sky, creating a breathtaking beauty!
Jincaotan is also the best place to view and photograph the Stone City. As the sunset approaches, the yellowing ancient city appears particularly solemn and tragic, as if time has frozen.
Crossing the vast desert and taking the most beautiful highway to delve into the authentic beauty of southern Xinjiang requires sufficient time and in-depth experience to fully appreciate. Dive into it and embark on an authentic journey.
||Entering China’s Second ‘Dunhuang’
The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves are the earliest stone caves excavated in China and are listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves lean against the Mingwutage Mountain, facing the Muzart River and the Quletage Mountain in the south, surrounded by mountains and rivers, like a picturesque scroll. Here, there is a unique Western Regions Buddhist culture. Follow the local guide to fully immerse yourself in the Buddhist world of the ancient Western Regions.
The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, famous for their exquisite murals, are even more praised as an “art treasure trove”. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Western expeditions took away a large number of beautiful murals from the caves. To this day, many museums in Western countries still display a large collection of Kizil Grotto murals.
|| Cross China’s largest desert
The Taklamakan Desert is located in the center of the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang. The entire desert covers an area of about 330,000 square kilometers, close to the size of 50 Shanghais. It is China’s largest desert and the second-largest mobile desert in the world. Here, sandstorms are frequent, sand dunes are unique, and it is filled with a mysterious atmosphere.
Crossing the desert is an exhilarating experience. The Populus euphratica forests grow on both sides of the Alar-Hetian Desert Highway. Without villages, pedestrians, cows, and sheep, all that remains is an endless desert, the vastness of the yellow sky is breathtaking!
|| Cross the highest and most beautiful highway in the world
The Karakoram Highway is known as one of the highest and most beautiful highways in the world, with scenic views unfolding continuously along the way, including canyons, lakes, grasslands, and glaciers. You will also pass by Baisha Lake. If the weather is good, the azure Baisha Lake water reflects the elegant Baisha Mountains. Just enjoy the world of blue and white in this extremely serene place.
On this road, there is also the tear-blue Karakul Lake in the Pamir Plateau. The lake water is azure, and to the south is a vast grassland, which complement each other and are beautifully enchanting.
Besides beautiful lakes, there are also magnificent mountains. Mount Muztagh Ata stands at 7,509 meters above sea level and is known as the ‘Father of Ice Mountains’. Three snow-capped mountains over 7,000 meters high, including Mount Muztagh Ata, are lined up in a row, extremely spectacular!
Strolling through the old town and listening to Mukam music reveals a very simple exotic life hidden here. Besides beautiful scenery, what is very attractive in Southern Xinjiang is the local culture. The rich exotic atmosphere here is unparalleled.
|| Search for Hetian jade at Yurungkash River
After crossing the Taklamakan Desert, you will arrive in Hetian, as if returning from ancient times to the present, immediately immersed in liveliness. The streets are filled with Xinjiang cuisine, dazzling to the eye.
There is also the famous Yurungkash River here, which is rich in white jade, green jade, and black jade. The famous Hetian jade originates from here. If you’re interested, you might as well try your luck at Yurungkash River to see if you can pick up some jade~
Heading west, you will arrive at Yarkant, which was once an important town on the ancient Silk Road. Yarkant is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Yerqiang River alluvial fan plain, a name that is remote and unfamiliar to many people.
|| Enjoy a leisurely and slow time in Kashgar
Kashgar is the location of Shule, a very prosperous ancient country among the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. Here, a very pleasant thing to do is to stroll through the old town’s alleys, lose oneself in发呆 (a state of relaxation) and steep tea in a century-old teahouse, and buy fragrant grilled stuffed buns across from the teahouse while you’re at it.
The night in Kashgar is even livelier. Drinking kvass and eating various grilled meats are the very leisurely routines of the locals.
|| Step into Taheman Town to seek a very simple life
Taheman Town gives people a more primitive and natural feeling. When you delve into it, you will be deeply shocked from the bottom of your heart, as if you have escaped to a secluded paradise far from the fast pace of life. Every blade of grass and tree around you makes people want to savor them carefully.
For details, please contact: Xinjiang Tourism Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456