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.

In Xinjiang, camels aren’t just for riding. Take a look at this crazy photo captured by a FarWestChina reader during her travels through Hotan, Xinjiang.

Do you like Xinjiang? Do you like free stuff? Then read this. You’ll be glad you did.

If you have unlimited time – if you already know Xinjiang – if you really love adventure travel – then you can probably skip exploring the region with a tour.

One of the most frustrating realities for any Xinjiang enthusiast or activist is the relative obscurity of the province and its Uyghur people. Unlike their Tibetan neighbors to the south, international understanding of Uyghur culture is tainted by the only kind of news that makes it out of the province: bad news.

So you’ve heard of Khotan – also spelled Hotan – and you’re interested to travel there. As early as a decade ago such a journey would have taken days, but recently that time has been cut dramatically.

What is FarWestChina’s most controversial post? Most beautiful post? How about the one post that I believe is least appreciated? Check them all out here as part of the My 7 Links promotion. It’s good!

Book review: From Mark Vranicar, US expat who spent over three years living and traveling in China (and Xinjiang), comes a photography book you won’t want to miss.

Most people associate the Uyghur oven with flat bread, that wonderful food that the Uyghur are appropriately known for. However, these ovens are used to cook so much more, including lamb and the samsa you see above.

You may not know this, but FarWestChina currently broadcasts daily news and information about Xinjiang using 3 unique platforms, each targeted to different methods of consumption: