According to recent information revealed by Kashgar Local Government officials visit to Singapore, they reveal to TTG Asia that they are promoting Kashgar tourism to Singaporeans. They appointed the firm in Singapore for marketing of Kashgar to those regions. The firm revealed that there will be 7 five star hotel properties by the end of 2012 owned by local government and managed by international brands at the same time, there will be weekly chartered flights between Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and Paris which is under negotiation. The connection flight to Singapore and Hong Kong Tentatively scheduled to start this summer.

So far, there is a one Singaporean Chinese owned Café in the city of Kashgar and hotel in Tashkurgan at Pamir Plateau who came to Kashgar few years back. We at Kashgar Guide and Xinjiang Travel team hope to see positive benefit of government development projects to local peoples live and culture. Developments always have both positive and negative effect but we want to see more positive benefit than negative for Kashgarians.

Recent years, we are receiving more enquires and tourist about Xinjiang Tour and Travel packages from Singaporeans and Malaysians. The possible direct flight connection to Xinjiang might bring more tourist to Xinjiang and encourage more people to visit Xinjiang and understand about the Uyghurs and other minorities.

Source: TTG Asia

There are three famous mountains in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They are, Kunlun Mountain, Tianshan Mountain and Altay Mountain.  Among which, Tianshan Mountain (Heavenly Mountain in English) divides Xinjiang into Southern and Northern Xinjiang. The whole length of the mountain is 2,500 km, and borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The length of the Mountain in Xinjiang is 1,700 km or 2/3 of entire range. The average width of the mountain is 100 km to 400 km with average elevation of 4,000 meters above the sea level.

According to recent information revealed by Tianchi Administration Committee of Xinjiang to Xinhua News Agency. Local government recently submitted application to include Tianshan Mountains to U.N.’s World Heritage list due to its spectacular glaciers and diverse wildlife. The mountain is home to 15,953 glaciers, and 66% of 2500 endangered snow leopards.  You can get complete information regarding to the minerals and wild life in Tianshan mountain from the UNESCO site. You can access to the article from this link. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5534/

(Source is Xinhua)

Due to its coldness in winter, best time to travel in Xinjiang is from April to Oct. High season for tourism is from June to first week of Oct. But, generally speaking, tourist comes to Xinjiang all year around but less during winter. Tourism in the region starts from beginning of March and ends beginning of Nov. We hope this quick post will help to those who are planning to visit Xinjiang in the future to better plan their holiday.

There are various options for travelers to exchange money in Kashgar.

In order to solve this problem, Ministry of Railway launched it is online booking system end of 2011 which allows people to book their train tickets online. In order to avoid ticket scalpers to take advantage of these special occasions, China’s Railway system will carry out an online ticket booking system and a real name ticket purchasing system, which requires passengers to provide their ID numbers when buying tickets during peak travel seasons. The tickets can be bought by the Ministry’s online booking system. Here is their website: www.12306.cn

If one needs to buy train ticket in Kashgar, they can buy it from city or from Railway Station of Kashgar. The one in the city situated at the lobby of Kashgar Prefecture Bus Station.

Availabilities and affordability of flights from Xinjiang to various surrounding countries and regions are important in order to boost the Xinjiang’s local tourism.  Most recent initiative taken by China Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines were to open direct flight route between Urumqi and Istanbul of Turkey. Because,  we Uyghur’s are closely related to our brothers and sisters in Turkey. We have so much in common in our, language,  culture and custom. The direct flight routes between Urumqi and Istanbul will make it available and affordable for two countries citizens to visit each other.

China Hainan Airlines offered the direct linking Shanghai with Urumqi and the Istanbul of Turkey on 11^th July 2011. There will be two weekly flights from Shanghai Pudung International Airport to Istanbul with layover for the flights in Urumqi. It is considered fourth biggest airline in the county. (source: People’s Daily Online)

China Southern Airlines offered direct flight service linking Beijing with Urumqi and Istanbul of Turkey on 22^nd Nov 2011. There will be three flights each week on every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. The Urumqi International Airport will act as a stop – over for the journey. (source: Xinhua )

Turkish Airlines have direct non-stop flight service to Beijing from Istanbul. We wish that the direct flight between Turkey to Urumqi will benefit both sides by promote the cultural exchange and economic benefit for both sides.

(References: People’s Daily Online, and Xinhua)

Welcome to Tashkorgan… peaceful, calm, green, fresh, clean, and relaxing small town. These are some of the words that come first to your mind when you get to this really nice scenery.

It feels so nice to arrive at this amazing place after a few hours trip from Kashgar. Actually, it can take anywhere from 6 to more than 10 hours whether the road is destroyed by the rain or not!! But to tell the truth it is worth all the pain in the world!

Only spend a few hours and you will begin to forget what city noise is. It is like an another world. When you get there feel free to walk around and explore (or get lost in) this amazing country side. If you want to enjoy it to the fullest, you’d better buy some goulashes before hand. That way you can enjoy the freedom as the local cows do in the grasslands.

Feel free also so to take a walk into the fields not far from Tashkurgan village and stop a little while to chat with the local farmers. They are shy but really welcoming!
If you go by car you can even go there and be back to Kashgar in a day. But to rush it would be a huge shame since the place is so amazing…especially if you get up early and enjoy the scenery under the morning light.

You can find very cheap motels in Tashkorgan. For example the traffic hotel is the cheapest. You can get a bed for 15 yuan a night. It is Chinese standard, this is the place where most of the drivers stay for the night. It is ok clean and comfortable enough but there is no bathroom in the room…actually there is just one restroom shared by everybody else renting the cheap beds (they also have more expensive rooms with bathroom included!).

There’s lots to see in Xinjiang. Photos: Vera Penêda/GT

I have only two regrets about Xinjiang: that it took me so long to visit, and that I don’t know when I can return. Overlooked by media, the heart of the ancient silk route is ignored as foreigners flock to Tibet for a taste of atypical China. Obscured by friction, many Chinese worry about stepping into China’s westernmost region to explore the “new frontier,” the Mandarin name of Xinjiang, out of fear or ignorance. Those who venture into the dusty desert never forget the exotic balm of Xinjiang and long for more as soon as possible.

Fly directly to the heart of the Uyghur territory in southwest Kashgar. Landing alone in a remote region where you don’t master the language, the religion or the local customs immediately fill you with a sense of adventure. Yahshimusiz! – an informal “Hi!” in Uyghur – is often a safe pass to go around and receive a welcoming smile. I booked a guide online who helped me with a hotel reservation and directed the taxi driver at the airport.

Silky, sandy ‘highway’

I started my journey with a two-day tour along the Karakoram highway, famous for being one of the most scenic roads in the world. Leaving villages behind, the road trip took us along Oytagh, the red rusty range that then gave way to Corner Lake, in a valley surrounded by multi-colored mountains of sand topped by snowcapped peaks. We stopped regularly for photos and a bite of honey watermelon in scenic spots where an occasional fly or a stream of pristine water snaking down a mountain were the only sounds.

Driving towards Tashkurgan, a small town nestled on the Pamir plateau, we could feel the drastic change of temperature. Mostly a market town for sheep and wool, Tashkurgan is the town to the Tajic, many of whom are blonde and have blue eyes. Most Tajic only speak Sarikoli, and have no grasp of Uyghur or Mandarin. Located on the borders of both Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Tashkurgan was an old and important crossroad stop on the Silk Road for major caravan routes leading to other destinations.

Back to the road, we spent the night by Karakul Lake in a yurt owned by the nomadic Kyrgyz people with whom we shared dinner and a modest yet unforgettable breakfast of yak milk, nan bread and watermelon. Stepping out of the tent, the view of Karakul Lake is beyond words. A horse or camel ride is the perfect tour to awe at the lake’s blue hues.

Uyghur haven

At the foot of the imposing Pamir Mountains lies Kashgar, a vibrant metropolis with an exotic feel of the Silk Road era that physically and culturally indulges the senses. The smell of lamb meat from the kebab stalls mixes with the aroma of freshly baked nan bread coming out of clay ovens. From the gosh dirde (meat pies) to the mutton-filled puff-pastries called samsas or the fried fish, you’ll want to try every street delicacy before you set foot inside a restaurant in Kashgar.

A Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, Uyghur people are predominately Sunni Muslims but Kashgar has a fascinating mix of ethnicities – Uyghurs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. Men with their Xinjiang-style hats keep guard over the streets where women covered with veils watch their children. Id Kah Mosque, China’s largest, sets the pulse of Uyghur life in Kashgar.

You can’t miss Kashgar’s colorful and lively markets, where thousands of people from the far corners of the region trade everything from cattle to raisins. The Sunday market ranks first, but the night market and livestock one are also exciting.

Two-faced Urumqi

After Kashgar, only old inner cities along the Takala Makan Desert ike Hotan, Kucha and perhaps Turpan will quench your appetite for a bit more of exotic ecstasy.

In the outskirts of Urumqi, Tianchi Lake is well worth a visit when you get away from the traditional Polaroid spots and venture into the woods by the lake.

“I see some resemblance with the French Alps. If only this were closer to Shanghai,” said a French couple on the tour. Enjoy a deep breath of the morning breeze and the silence while you see the horses and cows of the Kazakh people wondering free. You can stay overnight at the lake.

Back to the center of Urumqi, you’ll find a rambling metropolis mainly inhabited by Han Chinese and a good transport hub to cross over to Tibet and Central Asia. There’s a feeling of segregation between north and south. Mandarin speakers, sprawling consumerism and poor service rule at north, where the only place worth visiting is Urumqi’s huge museum Heading south, the architecture recovers its Muslim flare on the way to the lively market at Erdaoqiao, where you’ll find anything from Uyghur handicrafts, knives, silk carpets and clothing alongside dry fruits and kebabs. The Old Town area gives a glimpse of the Uyghur urban way of life, and if you stop by the night market don’t forget to try the self-service chuanr on the street.

Trip tips

Off the beaten path and with English speaking service, these are the tips that you can’t find in Lonely Planet:
Where to stay: Eden Hotel at 148 Seman Lu in Kashgar offers affordable accommodation. The rooms are average but the location is great as well as the breakfast.

Where to go for Wi-Fi and cappuccino: Karakoram café opposite the street from Chini bagh hotel,www.crowninntashkorgan.com/karakoramcafeesp.html

Where to book your tour: Contact Imam and Tudaji at www.kashgarguide.com

Where to buy your carpet: Kashgar carpet shop also boasts a shop in Beijing with the same name. It sells the real deal and delivers (call 135-5254-6031).

Uyghur man selling Nan bread

There’s lots to see in Xinjiang. Photos: Vera Penêda/GT

Uyghur man in Kashgar Old Town

There’s lots to see in Xinjiang. Photos: Vera Penêda/GT

 

Kashgar Id Kah Mosque

There’s lots to see in Xinjiang. Photos: Vera Penêda/GT

Completion of this hotel and five star building of Qinibagh (Qiniwake in Chinese) hotel will help both local government and local travel companies to promoting the Kashgar tourism to another new level. We are also hoping that the big projects like this contributes to local economy by benefiting local people and reduce the government burden by reducing the unemployment.