Xinjiang

18 out of 20 people (90%) think this is worth visiting.

psst: there’s a super-cheap flight from Beijing Nanyuan airport to the airport in Korla, Xinjiang for only 1350RMB. it’s run by China United Airlines (owned by the Air Force; Nanyuan is a military airport) and flies old Soviet-era jets, but is a great deal and puts you a few hours from Kuqa and Urumqi. you won’t find tickets or information online (besides this picture my friend took) but you can just show up at the airport the morning of the flight and buy a ticket.

finally went to xinjiang (really only korla, oil city south of urumqi) this winter! right after the snowstorm. it was bitter cold.

Amazing, amazing, amazing. The culture and people are wonderful. And their fruit is delicious too.

they love to dance & sing. but there’s also sorrow in their hearts. come and see. it’s a wonderful place.

I’ve only ever eaten Uighur food in Beijing. It was brilliant food, but the best part is the Uighur are Turkic, and unrelated to Chinese ethnically or linguistically or culturally and it is now no longer illegal for the Qu’ran to be published, or Islam practiced, in Xinjiang Uighur A.P. This, commingled with Internet access, has led to a revival of pan-Turkic sentiment and increased awareness of Central Asian – Middle Eastern cultural connections. If pink is the new red, and Pamuk the new Calvino, then Central Asia is the next 1980s Japan. Or at least the next _ (you choose).

...only after he/she has been to Xinjiang.

my ex-roommate michael teaches english in xinjiang; i really must go visit him. his sicktastic xinjiang blog (with amazing travel pictures) makes me very jealous, especially ever since he bought a motorcycle…