It is considered one of the greatest Uyghur engineering feats and has been nicknamed “The Underground Great Wall”. It is the reason that cities like Turpan exist and is still a primary source of water for many Taklamakan Desert towns.

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.

There are quite a number of people, especially those with political agendas, who claim an intimate understanding of the region’s history, but very few would be qualified to compile it into a book. Thankfully the author of Eurasian Crossroads is not only qualified, he also brings to the table a very objective and apolitical view of Xinjiang.

While oil continues to spew into the Gulf, on the other side of the world a different crack is leaking crude. Strangely, the black oil running jagged down the sides of this mountain have the look of dried blood. It’s only fitting…

What would you think if I told you that parts of Yunan and Sichuan used to be called “Xinjiang”? According to the Chinese history article I’ve translated below, the Xinjiang region is one of 5 regions that have used the name “New Frontier”. This short article was written as a propaganda piece following the Urumqi riots, which make it an even more interesting read: