Xinjiang China

Photography by Ken Chan

Total of 30 photos - taken between 2000-2006

新 疆

Automatic advance

Located in land-locked Central Asia, Xinjiang shares border with 7 countries including Mongolia, Russia,

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan

Xinjiang is a primarily Islamic region in northwest China

As part of the ancient silkroad, Xinjiang is known for itsmulti-ethnic Euro-Asian cultures

Xinjiang is multi-lingual: Turkic (Arabic based) languages and Chinese

It does not take long to realize you are in

Islamic territory

where men still feel uncomfortable sitting among women

Part of tradition in Central Asia : people here love carpet …. music …

This instrument resembles

Chinese Erhu

Not surprising because Erhu was originally introduced

by nomadic horsemen from Central Asia

Locals have been using donkey carts like this for centuries

Life in the countryside remains very basic

Sheep are raised everywhere They often take over the road

So are camels except they don’t seem to like walking on paved roads

These 2 humped camels are unique in Central Asia Those in Middle East are single humped

Baked bread here is called

Nang

….. bagels !

Many restaurants here are operated by

Chinese Muslims called Hui

Uyghur

is the biggest ethnic groupIn Xinjiang

Kazakhs live in the north Many of them still lead a nomadic life

A Kazakh hunter and his

golden eagle

A Kyrgyzst family in the Pamir

Tajiks have strong Persian heritage

Regardless of ethnicity or religion everyone here loves this land, and for good reasons

With desert oases nourished by snowmelts from Tianshan Mountains

Most of the rivers seem to disappear in the vast desert

only to resurface at a distant oasis

Try driving through the bone dry Taklimakan Desert

Visit Ghost Town where the movie Crouching Tiger was filmed

Check out where some ancient civilizations

used to thrive

visit this ruin of the Gaochang Kingdom (600 A.D.)

near Turpan

To the west of the desert lies the Pamir mountain range

Yaks grazing by Karakul Lake in the Pamir

Inexpensive lake front property with beautiful views

Heavenly Lake in Tianshan Mountain

Lake Hanas

nested in these Altai Mountainsbordering Russia

Glacier water in Lake Hanas has a milky appearance

Homeward bound for him …. and for me

I will be back …. beautiful Xinjiang