Depending on which direction you’re going Taxkorgan (sometimes spelled Tashkorgan) is either your first stop in Xinjiang, China or a final goodbye.

There is a poll up on the FarwestChina Facebook page right now that I’d love to get your opinion on. It has to do with how the world views Uyghur in light of all that has happened over the past year and a half (or longer, depending on your familiarity with Xinjiang history).

Most foreigners these days are welcomed to Xinjiang with open arms. There is, however, a list of foreigners – both past and present – who will forever be scorned in the Xinjiang history books. This is the Xinjiang Most-Wanted Foreigners List.

It’s amazing to me that the crumbling mud walls of this ancient town outside Turpan was once a vibrant city along the Silk Road. Gaochang, also known as “Kharakhoja”, was once a capital of the region for both Han and Uyghur kingdoms.

At 10:30am on Thursday morning, August 19th, a Uyghur man in Aksu, Xinjiang threw a bomb into a group of people while riding his motorized tricycle. According to reports, 7 people have died and 14 more are injured. The man responsible for the attack was injured but survived and is now under arrest.