Welcome to Xinjiang
September 10, 2000
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Welcome to Xinjiang! If you’re looking for some quick facts or just want to learn a little more about this area, then you’ve come to the right place. Below is what I hope is a brief yet concise overview of this massive province here in China. To skip directly down to a different part of the article, click on the links below:
| Quick Statistics: | Language: | History: | Safety: | Transportation: | Crazy Facts: |
Capital: Urumqi
Alternate Names: Sinkiang (or Sin Kiang)
Location: Xinjiang lies in the north west corner of China, bordering only three of China’s provinces (Tibet, Gansu, and Qinghai) while boasting a 5,600 km border line with an impressive 8 different countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, India and Afghanistan)
Size: 1,600,000 sq km or roughly 641,000 sq miles
Population: 19,631,100 at the end of 2004 according to official numbers
Climate: Xinjiang receives around 2,500 to 3,000 hours of sunshine each year compared to an average of 150ml of rain (approx. 6 inches) per year.
Demographics: (from the 2000 census)
Uyghur: 45%
Han: 40%
Kazakh: 7%
Hui: 4.5%
Kirghiz: 0.8%
Mongol: 0.8%
All others: Less than 0.3%
Language:
The two most spoken languages in Xinjiang are Mandarin and Uyghur, a language from the Turkic family which uses the Arabic script. Many other languages exist but are isolated to certain areas. Most every public sign you see will have both the Arabic and Chinese script together, although in the smaller, minority-filled towns it’s not uncommon to see everything written in Arabic.
Thankfully, unlike what the Lonely Planet will tell you, most Uyghurs can speak at least a basic form of Mandarin, the result of very few Uyghur-speaking schools. This means that if you want to freely travel around Xinjiang, an good amount of Chinese will give you the key, but even a basic understanding of
Uyghur will earn you more respect and kudos than you could imagine.
History:
Note: I am no historian, so the history below is merely a summary of various articles and books which I have read and now use as reference. If you’re looking for something time-consuming, finely detailed, and absolutely boring to read about Xinjiang, by all means, check out Wikipedia’s history of Xinjiang, or Xinhua’s official Xinjiang history and development article.
Xinjiang’s history is long and colorful, without a doubt, but unless you’re willing to read page after mind-numbing page from official sources, it’s very difficult to get a good picture of how this province of China came to be what it is today. Conflicting articles and facts also add difficulty to this already confounding situation.
So let’s just take it from the top.
The Beginning
In the beginning, there were nomadic tribes. Lots of them. Some wandered the pastures of the north with their flocks while others preferred settling in the sedentary oasis of the south and west. Eventually a tribe known called the Xiongnu flexed their muscles to rule the region until, during the 2nd century BC, China’s Han dynasty began to express an interest in the area. The ensuing Sino-Xiongnu War lasted for over 200 years (133 BC – 89 AD) until the Chinese were finally able to push the tribe back into the far northern and western corners of what we now recognize as Xinjiang and set up military garrisons. The garrisons were put in place to protect the trade routes of their beloved imported goods which included the well-known silk and the lesser-known, but equally important, Ferghana horses they nicknamed “Heavenly Horses”.
Of course, saying that the Chinese “ruled” the region would be stretching the truth a bit. Even though the war had officially ended, those pesky tribes never stopped bothering and attacking the military garrisons, and of course the rise and fall of different Chinese dynasties caused its own problems. No one particular group was able to assert power until the 5th and 6th centuries when the Turks included the area into their vast and growing empire.
Finally, in the 7th century China returns to the scene as a role-player, but things aren’t pretty. First China has to defeat the Turks, which took close to 40 years (620-657) but are then surprised when a whole bunch of Tibetans make their move on the region (662-692). Enter the growing Uyghur Empire and the Kyrgyz tribes and things get really messy. Uyghurs beat the Tibetans, Kyrgyz invade the Uyghurs, this tribes beats that tribe, etc., etc., for nearly 400 years. Mongols eventually controlled the region until the Manchu army (of the Qing Dynasty) marched into Kashgar in 1755. This Qing Dynasty is also responsible for naming this region “Xinjiang”, a name which means the “new frontier”.
Modern History
This is where Chinese rule, in my opinion, really begins. Of course the struggle for power, and in some cases autonomy, has never ceased. The only notable attempt to establish an independent state came in the 1940’s when Kazakhs led a rebellion and created a new republic, although they were persuaded to abolish it by the then-rulers of China, the KMT. Once the communist came to power in 1949, a veil of secrecy settled over Xinjiang as they began to flood the region with Han people and plenty of military.
Although uprisings and protests still exist in Xinjiang, much of it is kept silent and isolated to certain areas. Ethnic tensions are still present everywhere within Xinjiang, and although at times the situation does look bleak, I believe there is a mutual understanding growing within the younger people here. History may not be a good indication, but a time of stability is within reach…hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.
Is Xinjiang Safe?
One of the most common questions we receive from friends both outside of and even within the borders of China is whether or not Xinjiang is a safe place to live or visit. It’s hard to ignore the negative press that this area receives – the bombings, wanted lists, suspects, etc., so it’s an understandable question.
The fact is, though, that in most every part of Xinjiang you are very safe, especially if you’re a foreigner. Most problems within Xinjiang are an internal struggle and have nothing to do with visitors, so your money and the opportunity you provide to practice English are welcomed by most everyone you meet.
In any case, though, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your safety while living or visiting Xinjiang:
- Watch your Stuff: The only prevalent form of crime present all throughout Xinjiang is theft. I’ve had two bikes stolen while living here.
- Be Careful with your Camera: Taking pictures of police roadblocks, protests, or anything that might be considered sensitive in nature could result in your camera being confiscated at best and has even been known to result in a night in the slammer.
- Have Your Papers in Order: Have your passport always with you when you travel and make sure that your destination doesn’t require a special permit. Not all places are open to the public.
- Just Have some Common Sense!: The best advice for safety is just to use your noggin. Doesn’t feel safe to walk around the streets at night? Then don’t. Not sure your stomach will like that food? Don’t eat it. Pretty simple, but you’d be surprised at how some people get into trouble by doing the dumbest things.
Transportation
The main hub for all transportation in Xinjiang is its capital, Urumqi. Because of Xinjiang’s strategic economic importance (major exports which include oil and textiles), its transportation has been undergoing a major overhaul. New highways and railways are being built all the time so that a map which was current last year might not be the right this year.
Travel around Xinjiang can be done by these three major methods:
- Bus
- Train
- Airplane
Buses are the most practical of all transportation and have the furthest reach into the province. If you’re uncomfortable with buses you will be limited in how much of Xinjiang you will be able to see. Most cities have more than one bus station, so check to make sure which one you need to leave from.
Trains are your next cheapest option although at this point they cover fewer destinations. At this point the railway system has only three legs with Urumqi as its center: one coming in from Kazakhstan, a newer line arriving from Kashgar in the west, and the main line connecting Xinjiang to the rest of China through the Gansu province to the east.
Air travel within Xinjiang has grown amazingly fast with daily flights to many different cities around the province. Kashgar has one international flight, but the majority of flights from outside Xinjiang come from Urumqi, and it are serviced by a multitude of different domestic and international carriers. These tickets are best bought online. Within the province alone there is only one major carrier, China Eastern Airlines, where you can find flights and these are best bought at a China Eastern office. I have always paid the exact same price as I was quoted on the internet and have more piece of mind holding an actual piece of paper in my hand.
It is possible, although quite expensive, to rent a private car with a driver, however, renting a personal car is virtually unheard of and not recommended.
Crazy Xinjiang Facts
Looking for some things you never knew about Xinjiang? Try these:
- Xinjiang is the largest province in China, making up 16% of China’s land mass.
- Urumqi is known in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most inland city farthest from the sea in the world (nearest major body of water is 2,250 km away).
- Xinjiang boasts the largest glacier in China, the Yinsugaiti Glacier in the Pamirs with a length of over 40km.
- The longest inland river in China, the Tarim River, is located in Xinjiang (2,179 km).
- Here you can find the only beaver natural reserve (Altay Region), swan natural reserve, and camel natural reserve in China.
- The largest mosque in China, the Id Kah mosque, is located in Xinjiang’s westermost city, Kashgar.
- Xinjiang’s Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China and the 15th largest non-polar desert in the world.
- Various areas of Xinjiang are famed as being the hottest place in China (Turpan), the sunniest place in China (Kuche County), or the driest place (Turpan).
Crazy Xinjiang facts based on this article.
Josh
Urumqi
kahraman
Fred
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