Xinjiang

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region - Xinjang


Xinjiang is located in the northwest of China. It is one of the biggest provinces, and has borders to Mongolia, Russia, Kazakstan and Kyrgystan and India. Because of its location in the center of Asia, this province does not get much rain, and so most of its area are deserts. Unfortunately those deserts grow because of the current change in global climate with certain problems for the district.

The old silk road, used during Medieval times to sell silk to the western countries as far as Europe, runs through this district. Along the silk road there are several important cultural and religious centres, today some are tourist centers.

The geology is not suitable for caves, the lack of water is also not a good precondition for karstification. There are several important mines, but so far none of them has been developed for tourism. But there are numerous subterranea, artificial caves made for living and for religious purposes. Probably the most important buddhist caves are located here. And the Loess cave houses of the Gobi desert are world famous too.