Kashgar is the most historical city in the west China, the two routes of the Silk Road were joined in Kashgar, Caravans stopped here to exchange goods, buying and selling, this endows this city having the rich diversity of cultures and history behind it.
Kashgar has many interesting places, you can see places very cultural, historical, as well as beautiful natural landscapes, deserts, grasslands, Local markets etc. Here we prepared for you 3 days Kashgar tour which including above featured places.
If you have limited time around Urumqi and want to see the most valuable places around it, we suggest you take our 3 days tour around Urumqi and Turpan, you will enjoy the most important and historical sites.
Located on the western edge of China, Xinjiang is a land of contrasts – home to the second highest point in the world and the second lowest point in the world. Throughout history, the land has long been home to many different ethnic groups and religious beliefs. Apart from the Han Chinese, the Uyghur people are the main ethnic group found today in Xinjiang. The historical Silk Road passed through this region and many traces of it are found today in the historical cities of Xinjiang such as Turpan and Kashgar.
Taklamakan means “no coming back after go in” in Uyghur language. The Taklamakan Desert covers an area of 337,000 km2 (130,000 sq mi), located in the Tarim Basin south Xinjiang, which is 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) long from east to west, and 400 kilometres (250 mi) wide from north to south. The two ancient silk road passed along the north and south of the Taklamakan desert. It is the largest desert in China and second largest shifting sand desert in the world.
Kashgar located to the southwest of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Taklimakan Desert is on its east, Karakoram Mountain is on its south, the Pamir is on its west and it is next to five countries, namely Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. The city’s historical importance originates from the fact that it was a pivotal city along the Silk Road in ancient times. There were three paths of the silk road in Xinjiang area, and Kashgar is place where the two middle and south branches met in ancient times. Trade and other commercial activities were largely conducted in Kashgar, as caravans from the West and other parts of the world stopped to exchange and buy goods.
The Kum Tag Desert covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers, is the nearest desert to a city in the world as it is only one kilometer away from the Piqan(Shanshan) county of Turpan. The “Kumtag” means sand mountain in Uyghur language, is located eastnorth of the Taklamakan desert, Like all deserts, the temperature in the Kumtag desert varies from freezing at night to baking during the day. It is one of the most beautiful part of Taklamakan desert.
Tuyuk ancient Village is maybe not your typical travel destination. If you are looking for something different and a unique experience, then it’s the right place for you! Located 60km east of Turpan city, it is an oasis village north of the Taklamakan desert. It is rich in well-maintained Uyghur culture, which attracts people from different places. Tuyuk Village is also famed for its delicious fruits and ancient Buddhist caves.
Turpan is one of the cradles of Uyghur people. It is located to the southeast of Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uyhgur Autonomous Region, covers an area of 70049 square kilometers (6,076.5 square miles). Population is about 600,000, Uyghurs make up over 70% of the total number. Turpan is an important oasis city along the ancient Silk Road and one of the ancient trade centers.
The Tianshan Grand canyon is the first national 5A scenic area in Urumqi, is located in Urumqi county, 24 km away from Urban district, the scenic are is situated in the middle section of Tianshan mountain, one of the World Natural Heritage, with the total planning area of 1038km2 . It is ringed on three sides by mountains and has an average elevation of 2020m. Here you can enjoy every sight of the natural landscape of Xinjiang except desert, and you can also see that the north slope of Tianshan Mountain is known as the most complete and most ornamental primitive forest -- snow lotus forest.
