Far West China

Visiting Xinjiang’s Jurassic Park (aka “Tianshan Safari Park”)

April 4 | No Comments

Driving our car through the high, double gates of the Xinjiang Tianshan Safari Park, it was hard not to think that we had just entered Jurassic Park. The guard tower was vacant and not a single park ranger was in sight. My family and a couple friends had decided to make our first visit to this park an […]

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How to Cross Xinjiang’s Irkeshtam Border to Kyrgyzstan

April 3 | No Comments

Border crossing from Xinjiang into other countries in Central Asia isn’t necessarily difficult, but getting reliable, up-to-date information is. Take the Irkeshtam border crossing for an example – it’s one of the most common ways to travel from China to Kyrgyzstan and yet I have a hard time finding any published info on the process. Thanks […]

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Urumqi Walking Tour | The REAL Xinjiang

April 2 | No Comments

If you have a little extra time in Urumqi and you don’t quite know what there is to do, I have a suggestion for you. Perhaps you’ve already bought all the souvenirs you need at the Urumqi Grand Bazaar and you’ve said hello to the mummies on display at the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum – but that […]

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Hiking the Urumqi NanShan in Winter | 乌鲁木齐南山

March 30 | No Comments

I’m a bit ashamed to say that it’s taken me years of living in Xinjiang to actually visit the Urumqi NanShan. It’s part of the TianShan range, which I’ve hiked on a couple different occasions, but never NanShan.

Now I’ve done it in the winter, and the pictures are awesome, beautiful proof!

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Day Hike Around Urumqi | Yamalike Park 雅玛里克山

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The pollution in and around Urumqi Xinjiang is getting about as bad as any other major city in China. The thought of any sort of exercise – whether that’s running, basketball or any other sport – just doesn’t feel like a good idea. So when the opportunity to join some Uyghur locals to hike the Tian Shan mountains that surround Xinjiang’s capital, I was thrilled.

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The Many Ways to Travel to Hotan, China (Khotan)

March 27 | No Comments

So you’ve heard of Khotan – also spelled Hotan – and you’re interested to travel there. As early as a decade ago such a journey would have taken days, but recently that time has been cut dramatically. Traveling to Hotan has now become easier than ever thanks to the completion of a new railroad line […]

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Traveling China’s Karakoram Highway | Traveler’s Guide

February 3 | No Comments

If you are traveling to Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang region, the Karakoram Highway is a must-see destination! Often regarded as the “Eight Wonder of the World”, this long stretch of highway links China with Pakistan, cuts through snow-capped mountains and features diverse cultures along the way. It’s a trip that you’ll never forget. For travelers […]

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