Nearly two decades have passed since the worst fire in Xinjiang’s history claimed the lives of 325 people, 288 of them school children. Now you can view the documentary that captured it all.

Less than 6 months following a Hotan riot that left 18 people dead in July of 2011, this small, Xinjiang city has made international news yet again with a string of suspicious deaths. In what is becoming a familiar trend in Xinjiang news, conflicting reports and changing stories have made it hard to pin down exactly what occured.

The city of Bole, a small town in western Xinjiang only 20 miles from the Kazakhstan border, has found a new use for all their stray cats. Watch out if you’re a rat!

On Monday, July 18th 2011, a deadly clash between Uyghur civilians and Chinese police has left at least 18 people dead. According to Chinese reports this includes 2 policemen, 2 hostages and 14 Uyghur. But what exactly happened here?

It seems as though one of Xinjiang’s most popular tourist destinations is about to get a makeover. Kanas Lake, located in the northern tip of the Xinjiang province, is known by most people for its incredible natural beauty and a “Loch Ness”-like monster, but it might soon be home to a majestic new theater as well.

For the past month, sealed cases full of Xinjiang artifacts and two incredibly preserved mummies have been sitting in the back rooms of the Penn Museum unopened. Guarded by curiously unsigned documents and layers of bureaucratic red tape, it looked as if the museum exhibit “Secrets of the Silk Road” was doomed. Thankfully, this isn’t so…

February 5th, 2011 was supposed to be a special day for the Penn Museum as it opened the final leg of a 3-city tour of Xinjiang’s “Secret of the Silk Road” exhibit. Camels circled the building and dancers took to the stage. The only thing missing at the museum that day were all the Silk Road artifacts – including the mummies.

I was asked a great question on the FWC Facebook page last week. From the new crazy tax hike, how much of this new revenue will actually stay in Xinjiang? I promised I would contact a friend who works in the local Xinjiang government and surprisingly I got a great answer from him yesterday.

China is known for its bold initiatives to solve urgent problems. Whether it’s building a huge dam, diverting the Yangtze River, or erecting an incredibly long Wall to keep out invaders, it’s hard to determine whether it’s a sign of Chinese ingenuity or an elaborate attempt to impress the world. Their most recent project is no different.

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.