The geological sights along the Karakoram Highway were varied and contrasting: Rugged mountainscapes, sand marshes, crystal clear lakes, glaciers, green marsh lands. Although I’m not an expert on geology, it certainly piqued my interest to research more about what I saw along my journey.

“Sometime in the future when others will ply the KKH, little will they realize the amount of sweat, courage, dedications, encourage and human sacrifice that has gone into the making of this road but as you drive along…” – Karakoram Highway Memorial Plaque

Are you hoping to make a trip out to Xinjiang sometime in the next couple of years? If not…you should!… but if you are planning a trip I’d like to point you to a new section of the FarWestChina website that I am proud to unveil…the Xinjiang Travel Resources!

This week I’m continuing my Top 5 series on Xinjiang travel with a new guest, Glen Russell. Today Glen shares with us some of his memories of Xinjiang and a few beautiful photos you don’t want to miss!

Traveling to Xinjiang this summer? For those who can’t live without their email while on the road, here is a step-by-step guide to opening an email account on Sina.com.cn, the only mail portal that is open for use in Xinjiang’s post-riot web world.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in my years of traveling through Xinjiang and around China, it’s that travel books don’t catch everything. It would be impossible, I realize, but I still think it’s a shame that travelers miss some really cool gems. I’ve become friends with a few foreign small business owners and have come to appreciate the incredible red tape they have to overcome to open their cool cafes.