Xinjiang is an autonomous region of China. It is over 1.6 million sq. km (larger than the combined area of all the European states from Germany to Spain), which takes up about 1/6 of the country’s territory. “Xinjiang” means “New Frontier” in Manchu, a name given during the Manchu Qing Dynasty. A number of different ethnic groups live here in Xinjjiang. The largest one is the Uyghur people.
In my point of view, the best time to visit Xinjiang is June – September. You can see the beautiful flowers and trees, eat some special Xinjiang fruits here during this period of time. There are lots of flights connecting Urumqi (capital city of Xinjiang) with other big cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xi an, etc). It is about 4 hours and 20 minutes’ flight from Shanghai to Urumqi, 3 hour and 30 minutes’ flight from Beijing to Urumqi, 8 hours’ flight from Guangzhou to Urumqi.
Here are the most popular travelling routes of Xinjiang:
(1). Xinjiang Heavenly Lake (Tianchi): This is a one-day travelling route. You can start from Urumqi and it only takes 1 and a half hours to get to the Xinjiang Heavenly Lake(Tianchi) from Urumai.
(2). Xinjiang Canus: You can start from Urumqi in the morning and you will arrive at Buerjin in the night. If you wanna stay in Buerjin for a night, you can try the roast fishes here. These fishes are really specail and you will not be able to find the same species in other places. Another good stuff here is the famous “Mrs Russia” wine. It is a Russian wine( its real name is kvass ) made from barley and honey. Because it is brought here by an old Russian lady, the local people here name it the “Mrs Russia”. You can buy some “Mrs Russia” here but they are not suitable for the long journey (they will begin to ferment in 2 or 3 days). Leaving Buerjin, it is about 3 hours’ ride to the Xinjiang Canus. There are hotels in Canus but they are a little bit expensive. The Tuwa wood cabin is another choice for you. It is about 30 – 40 rmb for one person if you stay in this cabin. The restaurants in Canus are expensive too because all the food materials have to be transported to Canus from the towns very far away. Canus is a big scenic spot and you’d better make a 2 days’ plan for it. ( To get more info about the China vacations and Lhasa travel, you can visit Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM )
(3). Xinjiang Ili: The purpose of this trip is to visit the beautiful prairie of Xinjiang. The accomadation condition is not so good for this trip ( it is the prairie, 🙂 ). The good thing is that the food expense is low here. For this trip, you will need to make a 2 days’ plan.
Some tips for your Xinjiang travel:
(1). The climate of Xinjiang is very dry and the ultraviolet radiation will damage your skin. The high SPF sunscreen or sunblock will be a must have for your travel.
(2). The difference in temperature between day and night is big in Xinjiang and you will need to bring a sweater or jacket here even you are planning to visit Xinjiang in the Summer.
(3). Xinjiang is so big and you will need a long time plan for your Xinjiang travel. You will not feel the real attraction of Xinjiang if your plan is only about 1 or 2 days.
(4). There are south Xinjiang travel and north Xinjiang travel for the tourists. North Xinjiang is for the travellers to see the beautiful natural scenes and the South Xinjiang is more like a Minority folk tourism of China.