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Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
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| posted by Gum Tree 993 days ago (edited 993 days ago) |
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Has anyone visited here? We met someone from there when we were in Beijing and she has invited us there for their Spring Festival on 10 January (seems a bit early to me, but whatever). I imagine it will be very cold. Any suggestions welcome.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by The Cerne Abbas Giant 993 days ago |
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Erm... I think you could choose a better time of year to visit.
How would you get there? Fly from Shenzhen?
Watchu talkin' about Willis?
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| posted by Gum Tree 993 days ago |
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Giant, have absolutely no idea at the moment. Just got the email from this lovely art student we met accidentally in Beijing and exchanged email addresses, as you do, wondering if we would like to visit and thought it would be a very different part of China to go to, almost not China in a way. Yeah, looks a trifle cold. But we don't have a lot of time left here!
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by The Cerne Abbas Giant 993 days ago |
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Why not go the long way to Europe? Take the train & go via Urumqi, Kazakhstan, Moscow...
You may never get another chance!
Watchu talkin' about Willis?
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| posted by Lucy Lu 993 days ago |
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It'll be snowy and cold, maybe down to -20 and certainly about -10. That said, the Tian Shan Mountains are nearby and they look like the Swiss Alps. I say wrap up warm and go for it !!! It'll be an experience you won't forget - as long as you invest in some damarts thermal underwear you'll be fine.
Here's some essential Uyghur - "Hosh" = "Bottoms Up"
Love
Lucy
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| posted by Juno Watt 993 days ago |
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GT > Well, strictly speaking it is not China, but its cultural individuality is being swamped by Han migration. Yes, go there and see it noe rather than later. Get out of the cities though -- they are very Chinese and you would be wasting your time going so far to see nothing different.
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| posted by Lucy Lu 993 days ago (edited 993 days ago) |
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Er...well I wouldn't want to comment on the above except to say the short-lived country of East Turkestan lasted for just three years as a 'state' made up as part of the Great Game by Britain and Russia. Apart from that it's never been a Uyghur territory, in fact it had always been a nomadic, lawless region until the Chinese - who have possessed it on and off from warlords over centuries - finally secured it with a deal with the local lawlord in 1953. That's probably given the region more security than not. The point about Uyghur repression is mildly valid however, although like all these things overplayed by the pc. The Uyghurs had 4,000 years to secure the area and couldn't. So the Chinese did. Like, whats up ?
Arabic language predominates over Chinese incidentally on sign posts, traffic signage and shop fronts so that'll give you an indication.
Urumqi is a Han Chinese city like the boy says, but then it still has a large Uyghur area which is the most interesting. The Urumqi Museum houses the Mummies of Taklimakan and the "Beauty of Lolan" - 4,000 year old nomadic caucasians who lived in the Taklimakan Desert when the River Lop still flowed (now long ago dried up). A large part of the Uyghur population in Urumqi is still nomadic, not a trait known to the Chinese. So there are cultural differences right there.
Places to go within reach of Urumqi:
Tian Shan Mountains: Two hour drive. Stop over in a yurt and go trekking. Probably your best bet.
Turpan: Wine country. Fantastic dried fruits and nuts, even at winter. "The Oasis Hotel" is the place to stay. The second lowest place on earth and in the middle of the Taklimakan Desert. Well cool.
Incidentally, Chinese New Year is 25th January so the 10th is a bit early, you're right. But Urumqi is interesting enough and just because the Chinese govern it (Hello ! Hong Kong !) isn't a reason not to go. It's getting wild west out there, so stop over and enjoy the flavour !
Almaty is just across the border with Kazakstan too so if you can get a visa that is a 24 hour train journey through the mountains which is neat.
Don't listen to the politically correct - someone has to govern the place and the areas history before was bandits and warlords. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Anyway, it's cool, and I try and visit every year. And I'm Han Chinese.
Kisses
Lucy
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| posted by vendage 993 days ago |
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Excellent Mary Dew Arna!
Are you here as part of the problem, or part of the solution?
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| posted by The Cerne Abbas Giant 993 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by Lucy Lu
Don't listen to the politically correct - someone has to govern the place and the areas history before was bandits and warlords. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Anyway, it's cool, and I try and visit every year. And I'm Han Chinese.
Do you have the same views on Tibet? Just interested.
Watchu talkin' about Willis?
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| posted by Gum Tree 993 days ago |
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Thanks giant and lucy. The picture I have seen look superb. A fantastic idea giant ... would love to follow the silk trail, but not an option at the present time ... maybe once we have retired!
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by Juno Watt 993 days ago |
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Hi Lucy, you do a good job of not commenting! 
Seriously, if you are Han Chinese, then I think you have a pretty open-minded view. It would be great if more Chinese argued the issues like this instead of resorting to jingoism and insults, which often happens on web forums.
I'm not sure that 'better the devil you know than the one you don't' is valid though, since without any free elections or meaningful autonomy, we don't know what devil we might have. And that devil is being distorted by Han migration and monopolization of the economy anyway.
Still, we agree that to see the sights, getting out into the smaller towns and countryside is a good idea.
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| posted by Gum Tree 992 days ago |
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Thanks again Lucy and Juno ... I really hope we get outside the capital ... just looks like another boring "go ahead" grey Chinese city from the photos I have seen, but the photos of the plains and yurts and clothing and markets and mountains look amazing! Reminds me of South America more than Switzerland ... especially the weaving of the clothing. Fortunately we will have a "local" who will be a willing guide for us, so we will tell her your suggestions. I guess we can hire a car and driver too and go places outside the tourist traps too. If you know of any special places, please let me know. We have read up on the politics of the area and it is so interesting ... but China has never really been a true "nation" as such, has it? It is more a federation of fairly autonomous states until Mao came about. Is that right? Probably the wrong thread to ask this question, lol.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by Juno Watt 992 days ago |
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Hi GT, no, China has always been a fairly centralized state, but areas on its fringes (Tibet, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Mongolia etc) have passed in and out of Chinese control over the centuries.
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| posted by manda 948 days ago (edited 948 days ago) |
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I travelled extensively in china years ago and my favorite place is Xinjiang, for its spectacular natural scenery and unique culture. but you must go beyond urumuqi and up to krizigar(?) and even go beyond krizigar.
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| posted by Gum Tree 948 days ago (edited 948 days ago) |
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Thanx manda and yeah urumuqi is where our new 'friend' lives. We couldn't get there in Jan and now looking at early March ... will it still be freezing cold?
Oh, and welcome to the site 
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by manda 947 days ago |
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I think march is slightly better. but it will still be cold, not freezing cold though.
your forum is friendly.
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