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 Xinjiang
Uygar Autonomous Region is China's largest province measured in terms of territory, spans the National Highway 312 with
Urumqi and Turpan in the east to Horgas and Yili in the west, marked by major cities and towns along the way, including
Changji, Kuiton and Shihezi.
Until 1955 October 01
Xinjiang was a province with the major cities of Karamay and Urumqui designated as prefectures and Shihezi as a county.
There are eight prefectures, five autonomous prefectures, eight cities under the
administration of prefectures, six autonomous counties, 54 counties and seven self-governed urban districts. |
Location: Xinjiang lies in northwest China, bordering on
Gansu and Qinghai provinces to the southeast and the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south, sharing a 5,000-km border
line with eight countries. |
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Area: 1,600,000 square kilometres |
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Climate: While Xinjiang enjoys between 2,500 to 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, the amount of
annual precipitation for the entire region averages a mere 150 milliliters (ml), and thus the air is quite dry. |
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Provincial capital: Urumqi |
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Population: 16.25 million (2001 March) |
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Population: Xinjiang, boasting a total population of nearly 1.56 million, was home to 47 of
China's 56 ethnic groups, including the Uygur (47.47%), Han(37.58%) and Kazak (7.3%) ethnic groups, as well as the
Mongolian, Khirghiz, Xibe, Tajik, Uzbek, Manchu, Daur, Tartar and Russian ethnic groups. The predominant languages in
use today, however, include Chinese, Uygur, Kazak, Mongolian, Xibe and Kirghiz. |
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Ethnic groups: Uygur (47.47%), Han(37.58%) and Kazak (7.3%) ethnic groups, as well as the
Mongolian, Khirghiz, Xibe, Tajik, Uzbek, Manchu, Daur, Tartar and Russian ethnic groups. |
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Religion: Xinjiang's religion is equally diverse with major religions ranging from Lamaism
(Tibetan Buddhism), Islam, Buddhism and Taoism to Christianity, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox and Shamanism. |
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Agriculture: the region has had 15 successive years of good harvests with total grain output for
the end of the year reaching 7.06 million ton, in addition to over 34.59 million head of livestock. The output of staple
crops increased significantly, with unprecedented figures recorded for the output of cotton and sugar beets. |
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Industry: The region's relatively well developed industrial structure focuses on a whole range
industries, such as textiles, foodstuff processing, leather, paper, sugar, carpets, raw and refined oil, iron and steel,
metallurgy, machinery, chemicals, power generation, building materials and the light industry. |
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Tourism: Xinjiang is also known far and wide for its magnificent scenic vistas and enchanting
spectacles of the nature. The region, the driest area in China, is home to China's longest inland river, the lowest
depression in terms of elevation, most expansive desert, and both the warmest and coldest areas in the country. |
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Tourists visiting Xinjiang have the unique opportunity to visit one of the world's most spectacular and
divergent regions which features unique rock and sand formations naturally sculpted over the millennia by erosion,
ancient grottos, stone forests, desert mirages, mysterious echoing sand dunes and a treasure trove of flora and fauna. |
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divergence has given rise to the saying that Xinjiang is home to an area where 'the four seasons coexist simultaneously
in the same valley, and the gamut of weather conditions can be found in an area on larger than 100 square miles'. While
mountains and hills cover some 44 percent of the total land in Xinjiang, the region is also home to numerous inland
rivers, alpine lakes, hot springs and glaciers. The mountain peaks offer breathtaking vistas of deserts, oases, lakes,
basins and snow-covered ranges stretching as far as the eye can see, while the grasslands below are teeming with
thriving herds of livestock grazing amongst the brilliantly colored flora. |
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Xinjiang is famous for the ancient Silk Road, it is also home to 256 ancient cultural sites, tombs, ruins, Buddhist
caves, stone sculptures and numerous contemporary monuments, some 154 of the sites are under state protection. In recent
years, the region has opened 22 nature reserves for the protection of flora and fauna. The discovery of petroglyphs in
Altay and dinosaur fossils has aroused the interests of experts, scholars and tourists alike.
Xinjiang is known as the land of fruits and melons, and is the home of music and dance. When
visiting Turpan visitors may watch but are welcome tor join in singing and dancing the 'maixilaipu' with friendly Uygurs.
While sitting under trellises laden with grapes and enjoying the sweet fragrance of grapes, melons and various other
fruits wafting through the air, one is most often entertained by Uygurs singing rousing folk songs to the accompaniment
of a three-stringed dotar. |
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