Congratulations!

[Valid RSS] This is a valid RSS feed.

Recommendations

This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

Source: http://www.farwestchina.com/feed

  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
  2. xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
  3. xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
  4. xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
  5. xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
  6. xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
  7. xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
  8. >
  9.  
  10. <channel>
  11. <title>Xinjiang: Far West China</title>
  12. <atom:link href="https://www.farwestchina.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
  13. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com</link>
  14. <description>Travel to Xinjiang, China&#039;s Silk Road</description>
  15. <lastBuildDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 02:01:33 +0000</lastBuildDate>
  16. <language>en-US</language>
  17. <sy:updatePeriod>
  18. hourly </sy:updatePeriod>
  19. <sy:updateFrequency>
  20. 1 </sy:updateFrequency>
  22.  
  23. <image>
  24. <url>https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cropped-FarWestChina-Large-Favicon-32x32.png</url>
  25. <title>Xinjiang: Far West China</title>
  26. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com</link>
  27. <width>32</width>
  28. <height>32</height>
  29. </image>
  30. <item>
  31. <title>Best VPN for China 2024 (that still works despite the ban)</title>
  32. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/best-vpn-for-china/</link>
  34. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  35. <pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  36. <category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>
  37. <category><![CDATA[censorship in china]]></category>
  38. <category><![CDATA[ExpressVPN]]></category>
  39. <category><![CDATA[internet access]]></category>
  40. <category><![CDATA[Internet censorship]]></category>
  41. <category><![CDATA[nordvpn]]></category>
  42. <category><![CDATA[vpn]]></category>
  43. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=7185</guid>
  44.  
  45. <description><![CDATA[<p>Updated May 2024: As you may know, China has systematically been cracking down on the use of VPNs for the past few years. Almost every virtual private network experiences connection troubles, but do the best VPNs for China still work? As an expat who has spent over a decade living here, I&#8217;d like to offer my [&#8230;]</p>
  46. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/best-vpn-for-china/">Best VPN for China 2024 (that still works despite the ban)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  47. ]]></description>
  48. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  49. <p><strong>Updated May 2024:</strong> As you may know, China has systematically been cracking down on the use of VPNs for the past few years. Almost every virtual private network experiences connection troubles, but do the <strong>best VPNs for China</strong> still work? As an expat who has spent over a decade living here, I&#8217;d like to offer my thoughts and recommendations.</p>
  50.  
  51.  
  52. <div class="wp-block-image">
  53. <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="625" height="382" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Best-VPN-for-China-625x382.jpg" alt="Best VPN for China in 2024" class="wp-image-13261" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Best-VPN-for-China-625x382.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Best-VPN-for-China-300x183.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Best-VPN-for-China-768x469.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Best-VPN-for-China.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  54.  
  55.  
  56. <p>Sadly this website, like many others, has been blocked in China since 2009 under what is affectionately referred to as &#8220;The Great Firewall&#8221; (i.e. censorship).</p>
  57.  
  58.  
  59.  
  60. <p>Some websites, Like Facebook, Twitter and even <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/access-instagram-in-china" target="_blank">Instagram in China</a>, are blocked because the government want to retain control of how ideas (or rather, dissent) is shared online.</p>
  61.  
  62.  
  63.  
  64. <p>Other websites, like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, are blocked because they are labeled &#8220;western media&#8221;.</p>
  65.  
  66.  
  67.  
  68. <p>I have no idea why FarWestChina was blocked &#8211; other than the fact that I&#8217;m talking about Xinjiang, one of the most sensitive regions in the country. And there&#8217;s nothing I can do to unblock the site.</p>
  69.  
  70.  
  71.  
  72. <p>Trust me, I&#8217;ve tried&nbsp;<em>everything&nbsp;</em>short of knocking on a government official&#8217;s door.</p>
  73.  
  74.  
  75.  
  76. <p>The only way I&#8217;ve been able to work online from in China is through what is known as a <strong>VPN, or a Virtual Private Network</strong>.</p>
  77.  
  78.  
  79.  
  80. <p>Because I have over <del>8&nbsp;years</del> <s>10 years</s> 15 years of first-hand experience with over 30&nbsp;different VPN services, I get more than a few emails every month from people asking me what I recommend as the <strong>best VPN for China in 2024</strong>.</p>
  81.  
  82.  
  83.  
  84. <p>For the purpose of this article, I&#8217;ve given you three ways to hear my thoughts:</p>
  85.  
  86.  
  87.  
  88. <ul>
  89. <li><a href="#comparison">Check out the comparison chart;</a></li>
  90.  
  91.  
  92.  
  93. <li><a href="#reviews">Read my person reviews for each VPN;</a></li>
  94. </ul>
  95.  
  96.  
  97.  
  98. <p>I&#8217;m not trying to hard-sell anybody here&#8230;more than anything I just want to provide some helpful information for&nbsp;those people who need to get a new VPN. A few of the links here and in the video are affiliate links which means that <em>at no additional cost to you I will be compensated if you purchase the service</em>.</p>
  99.  
  100.  
  101.  
  102. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="comparison">Comparing the Best China VPNs in 2024</h2>
  103.  
  104.  
  105. <div class="wp-block-image">
  106. <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Top-5-VPNs-for-China.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="410" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Top-5-VPNs-for-China.jpg" alt="What is the best VPN for China in 2024?" class="wp-image-7204" style="width:625px;height:410px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Top-5-VPNs-for-China.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Top-5-VPNs-for-China-300x197.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Top-5-VPNs-for-China-185x121.jpg 185w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></a></figure></div>
  107.  
  108.  
  109. <div class="comparison">
  110. <table>
  111. <thead>
  112. <tr>
  113. <th class="tl tl2">&nbsp;</th>
  114. <th class="qbse" style="text-align: center;"><strong>*Recommended VPN*</strong></th>
  115. <th class="qbo" style="text-align: center;" colspan="3">Other Excellent Virtual Private Networks</th>
  116. </tr>
  117. <tr>
  118. <th class="tl">&nbsp;</th>
  119. <th class="compare-heading" style="text-align: center;">ExpressVPN</th>
  120. <th class="compare-heading" style="text-align: center;">NordVPN</th>
  121. <th class="compare-heading" style="text-align: center;">VyprVPN</th>
  122. <th class="compare-heading" style="text-align: center;">PureVPN</th>
  123. </tr>
  124. <tr>
  125. <th>&nbsp;</th>
  126. <th class="price-info">
  127. <div class="wp-block-image no_border"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ExpressVPN-Editors-Choice-new.jpg" alt="ExpressVPN for China" class="wp-image-12622" width="75" height="100"></a></figure></div>
  128. <div style="text-align: center;"><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit</a></div>
  129. <div class="price-try" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hide-mobile">or </span><a href="#expressvpn">read <span class="hide-mobile">review</span></a></div>
  130. </th>
  131. <th class="price-info">
  132. <div class="wp-block-image no_border"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NordVPN-Recommended-New.jpg" alt="NordVPN recommended VPN for China" class="wp-image-12623" width="75" height="100"></a></figure></div>
  133. <div style="text-align: center;"><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn">Visit</a></div>
  134. <div class="price-try" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hide-mobile">or </span><a href="#nordvpn">read <span class="hide-mobile">review</span></a></div>
  135. </th>
  136. <th class="price-info">
  137. <div class="wp-block-image no_border"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/VyprVPN-logo.jpg" alt="VyprVPN for China" class="wp-image-7191" width="70" height="100"></a></figure></div>
  138. <div style="text-align: center;"><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best">Visit</a></div>
  139. <div class="price-try" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hide-mobile">or </span><a href="#vyprvpn">read <span class="hide-mobile">review</span></a></div>
  140. </th>
  141. <th class="price-info">
  142. <div class="wp-block-image no_border"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PureVPN-Logo.jpg" alt="PureVPN logo" class="wp-image-7192" width="70" height="100"></a></figure></div>
  143. <div style="text-align: center;"><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best">Visit</a></div>
  144. <div class="price-try" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hide-mobile">or </span><a href="#purevpn">read <span class="hide-mobile">review</span></a></div>
  145. </th>
  146. </tr>
  147. </thead>
  148. <tbody>
  149. <tr>
  150. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  151. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Rating</td>
  152. </tr>
  153. <tr class="compare-row">
  154. <td>Rating:</td>
  155. <td style="text-align: center;"><figure><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-7191 no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/5-Stars.jpg" alt="5 stars for ExpressVPN" width="50" height="27"></figure></td>
  156. <td style="text-align: center;"><figure><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-7191 no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/5-Stars.jpg" alt="5 stars for NordVPN" width="50" height="27"></figure></td>
  157. <td style="text-align: center;"><figure><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-7191 no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4-stars.jpg" alt="4 stars for VyprVPN" width="50" height="27"></figure></td>
  158. <td style="text-align: center;"><figure><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-7191 no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4-stars.jpg" alt="4 stars for PureVPN" width="50" height="27"></figure></td>
  159. </tr>
  160. <tr>
  161. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  162. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Established:</td>
  163. </tr>
  164. <tr>
  165. <td>Established:</td>
  166. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">2009</span></td>
  167. <td style="text-align: center;">2012</td>
  168. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">2009</span></td>
  169. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">2007</span></td>
  170. </tr>
  171. <tr>
  172. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  173. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Torrent?</td>
  174. </tr>
  175. <tr class="compare-row">
  176. <td>Torrent?</td>
  177. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">✔</span></td>
  178. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  179. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  180. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  181. </tr>
  182. <tr>
  183. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  184. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Phone App?</td>
  185. </tr>
  186. <tr>
  187. <td>Phone App?</td>
  188. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">✔</span></td>
  189. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  190. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  191. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔</span></td>
  192. </tr>
  193. <tr>
  194. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  195. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Simultaneous Connections?</td>
  196. </tr>
  197. <tr class="compare-row">
  198. <td>Simultaneous:</td>
  199. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">5</span></td>
  200. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">6</span></td>
  201. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">5</span></td>
  202. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">5</span></td>
  203. </tr>
  204. <tr>
  205. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  206. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Servers</td>
  207. </tr>
  208. <tr>
  209. <td>Servers</td>
  210. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">1500+</span></td>
  211. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">4000+</span></td>
  212. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">700+</span></td>
  213. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">750+</span></td>
  214. </tr>
  215. <tr>
  216. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  217. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Money Back Guarantee?</td>
  218. </tr>
  219. <tr class="compare-row">
  220. <td>Guarantee</td>
  221. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickblue">✔*</span></td>
  222. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔*</span></td>
  223. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔*</span></td>
  224. <td style="text-align: center;"><span class="tickgreen">✔*</span></td>
  225. </tr>
  226. <tr>
  227. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  228. <td style="text-align: center;" colspan="4">Learn More</td>
  229. </tr>
  230. <tr class="compare-row">
  231. <td>&nbsp;</td>
  232. <td>
  233. <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>ExpressVPN</strong><br><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Try</a></div>
  234. </td>
  235. <td>
  236. <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>NordVPN</strong><br><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Try</a></div>
  237. </td>
  238. <td>
  239. <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>VyprVPN</strong><br><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Try</a></div>
  240. </td>
  241. <td>
  242. <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>PureVPN</strong><br><a class="price-buy" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Try</a></div>
  243. </td>
  244. </tr>
  245. </tbody>
  246. </table>
  247. </div>
  248.  
  249.  
  250.  
  251. <p><em>*Each VPN listed here offers a standard 30-day money back guarantee.</em></p>
  252.  
  253.  
  254.  
  255. <p>As I already mentioned in the video above, there are literally&nbsp;<strong>hundreds</strong> of virtual private networks to choose from on the market and there are quite a few good ones that didn&#8217;t make this list.</p>
  256.  
  257.  
  258.  
  259. <p>So with so many to choose from, how am I setting the criteria to list out the &#8220;best VPNs&#8221;?</p>
  260.  
  261.  
  262.  
  263. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="reviews">Best VPN for China Reviews</h2>
  264.  
  265.  
  266.  
  267. <p>For each of these VPNs, they reach a standard I set that includes:</p>
  268.  
  269.  
  270.  
  271. <ul>
  272. <li><strong>They are at least 5 years old.</strong> This means they have a history of working and serving the China market.</li>
  273.  
  274.  
  275.  
  276. <li><strong>They&#8217;re reliable</strong>: All VPNs have had trouble in China, but not all of them work to resolve the issues quickly.</li>
  277.  
  278.  
  279.  
  280. <li><strong>They offer hundreds of servers across the globe.</strong> I like having choices from multiple countries.</li>
  281.  
  282.  
  283.  
  284. <li><strong>They offer money-back guarantees.</strong> Not every VPN works perfectly, so in those cases where it doesn&#8217;t work well, I want you to be able to get your money back.</li>
  285. </ul>
  286.  
  287.  
  288.  
  289. <p>Here is a more comprehensive look at each of the recommended VPNs that meet this criteria.</p>
  290.  
  291.  
  292.  
  293. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="expressvpn">ExpressVPN in China (Editor&#8217;s Choice + 3 Free months)</h3>
  294.  
  295.  
  296. <div class="wp-block-image">
  297. <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" width="300" height="250" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/general-5.png" alt="Get access to the open internet using ExpressVPN" class="wp-image-12618" style="width:300px;height:250px"/></a></figure></div>
  298.  
  299.  
  300. <p><strong><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ExpressVPN</a></strong> is my go-to VPN for China in 2024. I&#8217;m a huge fan of their overall design (which was redesigned again this year) &#8211; the website, desktop app and mobile app are all beautiful, quick to install and easy to use.</p>
  301.  
  302.  
  303.  
  304. <p>I always recommend <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">ExpressVPN</a> to anybody I know who doesn&#8217;t&nbsp;consider themselves tech-savvy for a couple of reasons.</p>
  305.  
  306.  
  307.  
  308. <ol>
  309. <li>It&#8217;s <em>super easy</em> to set up!</li>
  310.  
  311.  
  312.  
  313. <li>Their software is some of the best in the industry.</li>
  314.  
  315.  
  316.  
  317. <li>They offer a no-hassle, 30-day money back guarantee.</li>
  318. </ol>
  319.  
  320.  
  321.  
  322. <p>For those who desire simplicity and ease, ExpressVPN has been a solid option here for the past few years. You can check out their pricing here:</p>
  323.  
  324.  
  325.  
  326. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a class="btn" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-bestvpn" target="_blank">Try ExpressVPN for China</a></p>
  327.  
  328.  
  329.  
  330. <p>Use the link above to get 3 months of free service when you purchase an annual subscription!</p>
  331.  
  332.  
  333.  
  334. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  335.  
  336.  
  337.  
  338. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
  339.  
  340.  
  341.  
  342. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="nordvpn">NordVPN in China (w/ 68% Discount)</h3>
  343.  
  344.  
  345. <div class="wp-block-image">
  346. <figure class="alignleft size-medium is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" width="300" height="300" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NordVPN-68-Off-Banner-300x300.jpg" alt="Get 68% off NordVPN" class="wp-image-12621" style="width:300px;height:300px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NordVPN-68-Off-Banner.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NordVPN-68-Off-Banner-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></figure></div>
  347.  
  348.  
  349. <p><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn" target="_blank">NordVPN</a></strong> has been a surprise addition to my VPN arsenal over past few years.</p>
  350.  
  351.  
  352.  
  353. <p>They&#8217;ve purposefully entered the China market and are aggressively tackling the blocking issues that plague all the best VPNs.</p>
  354.  
  355.  
  356.  
  357. <p>There are a number of reasons I&#8217;ve come to like the NordVPN software and service.</p>
  358.  
  359.  
  360.  
  361. <ol>
  362. <li>The software is well-designed, both on computers &amp; mobile devices.</li>
  363.  
  364.  
  365.  
  366. <li>They allow 6 simultaneous connections (most VPNs give 3-5)</li>
  367.  
  368.  
  369.  
  370. <li>They also offer a no-nonsense, 30-day money back guarantee.</li>
  371. </ol>
  372.  
  373.  
  374.  
  375. <p>In many cases, I often tell people to purchase both ExpressVPN and NordVPN (I have both) to figure out which one works best in your specific location.</p>
  376.  
  377.  
  378.  
  379. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBmfSkg_KNk" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" width="650" height="365" frameborder="0"></iframe>
  380.  
  381.  
  382.  
  383. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  384.  
  385.  
  386.  
  387. <p>They&#8217;re very competitively priced and run specials throughout the year. I always keep this link up-to-date so click here to learn about the latest deal:</p>
  388.  
  389.  
  390.  
  391. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a class="btn" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn" target="_blank">Try NordVPN for China</a></p>
  392.  
  393.  
  394.  
  395. <p>Using the link above, you can get a multi-year discount with significant savings.</p>
  396.  
  397.  
  398.  
  399. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
  400.  
  401.  
  402.  
  403. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  404.  
  405.  
  406.  
  407. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="vyprvpn">VyprVPN in China (up to 80% Discount)</h3>
  408.  
  409.  
  410. <div class="wp-block-image">
  411. <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" width="250" height="250" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/vyprvpn_best_vpn_china_250x250_en_B.png" alt="VyprVPN, a great option as the best VPN for China" class="wp-image-7974" style="width:250px;height:250px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/vyprvpn_best_vpn_china_250x250_en_B.png 250w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/vyprvpn_best_vpn_china_250x250_en_B-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" /></a></figure></div>
  412.  
  413.  
  414. <p>I was turned on to <strong><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VyprVPN</a></strong>&nbsp;about six years ago and have been incredibly impressed with the transparency of the company (just compare their about page with any other VPN).</p>
  415.  
  416.  
  417.  
  418. <p>Here&#8217;s what I love about VyprVPN:</p>
  419.  
  420.  
  421.  
  422. <ul>
  423. <li>Proprietary &#8220;Chameleon&#8221; connection protocol for added security</li>
  424.  
  425.  
  426.  
  427. <li>Transparency and honesty</li>
  428.  
  429.  
  430.  
  431. <li>Simple-to-use software</li>
  432.  
  433.  
  434.  
  435. <li>A 30-day money back guarantee</li>
  436. </ul>
  437.  
  438.  
  439.  
  440. <p>VyprVPN has been around since 2009 but their parent company, GoldenFrog, has been around for even longer than that providing online services.</p>
  441.  
  442.  
  443.  
  444. <p>I&#8217;ve spoken at length with some of their representatives and really like their focus on the China market, which is comforting considering how much the Chinese internet landscape changes.</p>
  445.  
  446.  
  447.  
  448. <p>If all of this sound good to you, they have given me a special link that will allow you to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">give them a try for 30 days risk-free</a> and then get up to 80% off their 2-year service plan.</p>
  449.  
  450.  
  451.  
  452. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a class="btn" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Try VyprVPN in China</a></p>
  453.  
  454.  
  455.  
  456. <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>Use the link above to get up to 80% off the VyprVPN service!</em></p>
  457.  
  458.  
  459.  
  460. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
  461.  
  462.  
  463.  
  464. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  465.  
  466.  
  467.  
  468. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="purevpn">PureVPN for China Travelers</h3>
  469.  
  470.  
  471. <div class="wp-block-image">
  472. <figure class="alignleft size-full"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" width="150" height="200" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PureVPN-Logo.jpg" alt="PureVPN logo" class="wp-image-7192"/></a></figure></div>
  473.  
  474.  
  475. <p><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PureVPN</a> is another popular option here. They boast over 1 million users world-wide and their market share seems to be growing at a rapid pace.</p>
  476.  
  477.  
  478.  
  479. <p>While I wasn&#8217;t a big fan of their software at first, thankfully they have since updated the design and it functions much better. </p>
  480.  
  481.  
  482.  
  483. <p>Their speeds are excellent and I found them to be the best in terms of streaming &#8211; at least for me out here in Xinjiang.</p>
  484.  
  485.  
  486.  
  487. <p>What you might find useful is their &#8220;Server Selection Tool&#8221; where you tell the software what you want to do (download, stream US content, stream UK content, etc) and it will tell you which servers best suit you needs.</p>
  488.  
  489.  
  490.  
  491. <p>Considering the price &#8211; which is often one of the lowest around &#8211; PureVPN is an excellent VPN option for the price conscious buyer.</p>
  492.  
  493.  
  494.  
  495. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a class="btn" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Try PureVPN for China</a></p>
  496.  
  497.  
  498.  
  499. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
  500.  
  501.  
  502.  
  503. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  504.  
  505.  
  506.  
  507. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">12VPN in China (10% Discount Code)</h3>
  508.  
  509.  
  510. <div class="wp-block-image">
  511. <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/12vpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" width="250" height="248" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/12VPN-Ad.jpg" alt="Get 12VPN for China" class="wp-image-7199" style="width:250px;height:248px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/12VPN-Ad.jpg 250w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/12VPN-Ad-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/12VPN-Ad-185x184.jpg 185w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" /></a></figure></div>
  512.  
  513.  
  514. <p>I&#8217;ve been a <strong><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/12vpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">12VPN</a></strong> customer since 2013 and in many ways it&#8217;s been my go-to VPN on my phone.</p>
  515.  
  516.  
  517.  
  518. <p>Why? <em>It&#8217;s simple and it just works&#8230;every time</em>.</p>
  519.  
  520.  
  521.  
  522. <p>The software isn&#8217;t flashy and they don&#8217;t have a dedicated iPhone or Android app but setup for both was&nbsp;an easy download of one file that took me all of 5 minutes.</p>
  523.  
  524.  
  525.  
  526. <p>One of the things I&#8217;ve truly appreciated about 12VPN is their commitment to communication. I get periodic emails informing me of changes in the VPN&nbsp;and changes in the Great Firewall.</p>
  527.  
  528.  
  529.  
  530. <p>For example, two years ago one of the submarine cables that connects Asia with North America was severed. Out of the 10 VPNs I had running at the time, 12VPN was the only one that let me know what was happening and why I should expect slower speeds on the Los Angeles servers.</p>
  531.  
  532.  
  533.  
  534. <p>In addition to VPN services, 12VPN is also one of the few companies that offers SmartDNS as part of their package (ExpressVPN does as well). I won&#8217;t go into details about what SmartDNS is (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.allthingssecured.com/vpn/faq/what-is-smartdns/" target="_blank">read about Smart DNS here</a>), but suffice to say I use it to <a href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/how-to-setup-apple-tv-with-a-vpn-tutorial" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">watch Netflix on my Apple TV&nbsp;in China</a> and it is&nbsp;<em>so much faster</em> than connecting on a VPN.</p>
  535.  
  536.  
  537.  
  538. <p class="has-text-align-center"><a class="btn" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/12vpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Use 12VPN for China</a></p>
  539.  
  540.  
  541.  
  542. <p>Use my <strong>12VPN Discount Code</strong>. Just enter FWC10 to get 10% off your order.</p>
  543.  
  544.  
  545.  
  546. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/>
  547.  
  548.  
  549.  
  550. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  551.  
  552.  
  553.  
  554. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">VPNs to Avoid (in my opinion)</h2>
  555.  
  556.  
  557.  
  558. <p>Here&#8217;s the thing about the relationship between China and VPNs &#8211; every year the government is making changes that affect the landscape of VPN use within the country.</p>
  559.  
  560.  
  561.  
  562. <p>If the VPN you choose doesn&#8217;t devote resources to&nbsp;adapt to these changes, that spells trouble for you.</p>
  563.  
  564.  
  565.  
  566. <p>This rules out most small VPN services such as <strong>Buffered&nbsp;</strong>or all the free services such as&nbsp;<strong>Hotspot Shield</strong>. Neither seem to have the manpower or resources to play the constant game of cat and mouse with Chinese internet censors. I&#8217;ve had a difficult time connecting to their servers from within China.</p>
  567.  
  568.  
  569.  
  570. <p>Finally, despite its popularity, I personally don&#8217;t recommend&nbsp;<strong>Astrill VPN</strong>.</p>
  571.  
  572.  
  573.  
  574. <p>My biggest problem was their customer support but the deal breaker was that they require users to provide their phone number for authentication.</p>
  575.  
  576.  
  577.  
  578. <p><em>For me, that kind of connection between my VPN and my phone number is a big no-no.</em></p>
  579.  
  580.  
  581.  
  582. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Which is the Best VPN for China?</h2>
  583.  
  584.  
  585.  
  586. <p>Obviously there are plenty of VPN services which have been left out of this list, but I stand by the fact that if you&#8217;re coming to Asia, these are the best VPNs for China 2024.</p>
  587.  
  588.  
  589.  
  590. <ul>
  591. <li><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/expressvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ExpressVPN</a></li>
  592.  
  593.  
  594.  
  595. <li><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/nordvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NordVPN</a></li>
  596.  
  597.  
  598.  
  599. <li><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/vyprvpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VyprVPN</a></li>
  600.  
  601.  
  602.  
  603. <li><a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/try/purevpn-best" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PureVPN</a></li>
  604. </ul>
  605.  
  606.  
  607.  
  608. <p>My best advice for those planning to come to China anytime this year is to download and install multiple VPNs that offer a 30-day money back guarantee (and the above recommended services all do).</p>
  609.  
  610.  
  611.  
  612. <p>Once you arrive in China, you can see which one works best for your specific situation and then get a refund on the rest.</p>
  613.  
  614.  
  615.  
  616. <p>I wish you the best staying connected!</p>
  617.  
  618.  
  619.  
  620. <figure><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hQs8X8KO88c?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" width="625" height="352" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
  621. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/best-vpn-for-china/">Best VPN for China 2024 (that still works despite the ban)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  622. ]]></content:encoded>
  626. </item>
  627. <item>
  628. <title>Xinjiang Public Park (Chinese Style)</title>
  629. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/central-park-chinese-style/</link>
  631. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  632. <pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  633. <category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
  634. <category><![CDATA[central park]]></category>
  635. <category><![CDATA[playground]]></category>
  636. <guid isPermaLink="false">http://farwestchina.webfactional.com/2008/06/central-park-chinese-style/</guid>
  637.  
  638. <description><![CDATA[<p>What the Chinese have mastered, however, is the art of enjoying a public park and it's something that I think we as Americans can learn from.</p>
  639. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/central-park-chinese-style/">Xinjiang Public Park (Chinese Style)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  640. ]]></description>
  641. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  642. <p>China knows how to do city parks. In a country where population density in the city is tight, there is almost always a good Chinese public park nearby. But what does it look like in the remote western region of Xinjiang?</p>
  643.  
  644.  
  645.  
  646. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
  647. <iframe title="Karamay&#039;s New City Park" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VyG2MvAw4ko?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
  648. </div></figure>
  649.  
  650.  
  651.  
  652. <p>Anybody who has lived in any city in China with less than a million people can tell you that entertainment is not a Chinese strong suit. If we want to get out of the apartment to do something our choices are limited to:</p>
  653.  
  654.  
  655.  
  656. <ul>
  657. <li>Eating out;</li>
  658.  
  659.  
  660.  
  661. <li>Bowling;</li>
  662.  
  663.  
  664.  
  665. <li>Shopping;</li>
  666. </ul>
  667.  
  668.  
  669.  
  670. <p>There are very few coffee shops to sit in, no high school sports to watch, no movie theater to relax in, few (if any) outdoor pools, and very few social gathering places besides a restaurant.</p>
  671.  
  672.  
  673.  
  674. <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow">
  675. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  676.  
  677.  
  678. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  679. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  680.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  681.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  682.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  683.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  684.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  685. <script>
  686.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  687. </script></div>
  688.  
  689.  
  690.  
  691. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  692. </div></div>
  693.  
  694.  
  695.  
  696. <p class="has-text-align-left">What the Chinese have mastered, however, is the art of enjoying a public park and it&#8217;s something that I think we as Americans can learn from.</p>
  697.  
  698.  
  699. <div class="wp-block-image">
  700. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="469" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Karamay-City-Park-625x469.jpg" alt="Karamay city park in Xinjiang, China" class="wp-image-12668" style="width:625px;height:469px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Karamay-City-Park-625x469.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Karamay-City-Park-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Karamay-City-Park.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  701.  
  702.  
  703. <p class="has-text-align-left">In our <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/karamay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small town of Karamay</a> (pop. about 100,000 with an area of no more than 5 sq miles) we have numerous parks ranging from a long walking street where no cars or bikes are allowed to a people&#8217;s park (a central square) to small neighborhood parks.</p>
  704.  
  705.  
  706.  
  707. <p class="has-text-align-left">Back in 2008, though, the city unveiled an absolutely gorgeous public park.</p>
  708.  
  709.  
  710.  
  711. <p class="has-text-align-left">There is no doubt that it cost the government here a couple million US dollars to build it and everybody is quite proud of it. It is about 1 sq. km in size (which is a large portion of our land here) and even though you can&#8217;t ride your bike around there&#8217;s plenty to keep you entertained as you&#8217;re walking around.</p>
  712.  
  713.  
  714.  
  715. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What to Do at a Chinese Public Park</h2>
  716.  
  717.  
  718.  
  719. <p class="has-text-align-left">Here&#8217;s some of the things that you&#8217;ll find at our new park, named 世纪公园 or &#8220;Century Park&#8221;:</p>
  720.  
  721.  
  722.  
  723. <ul>
  724. <li>A man-made hill that gives you a good view of the city to the north, the desert to the south, and the sunrise in the east (the sun sets over the city and thus isn&#8217;t quite as spectacular).</li>
  725. </ul>
  726.  
  727.  
  728. <div class="wp-block-image">
  729. <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="640" height="480" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Xinjiang-Central-Park.jpg" alt="A large park in the Chinese province of Xinjiang" class="wp-image-3452" style="width:480px;height:360px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Xinjiang-Central-Park.jpg 640w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Xinjiang-Central-Park-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Xinjiang-Central-Park-583x437.jpg 583w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure></div>
  730.  
  731.  
  732. <ul>
  733. <li>Water everywhere &#8211; obviously we love to see water here in the desert! A stream (man-made) runs through the park into a small lake with an island and is diverted to different places within the park including a a couple waterfalls. Pumps bring this water to the top of the hill, back to the stream source and to a couple other places throughout the park.</li>
  734.  
  735.  
  736.  
  737. <li>A large kids play area (see picture on right) which includes a couple large sand &#8220;boxes&#8221;, playgrounds galore, a skate park that would make Tony Hawk jealous, and plenty of area to run around.</li>
  738.  
  739.  
  740.  
  741. <li>Beautiful bridges, lighted pathways, electric trees that light up different colors at night, clean public bathrooms, pavilions to play Majong or cards, and even a place where movies are projected onto a wall of water!</li>
  742.  
  743.  
  744.  
  745. <li>You can even take a <a href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-09-13/Live-The-first-Cloud-Computing-Industrial-Park-in-Xinjiang--TKyamyZzmE/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">night cruise on the man-made river</a>!</li>
  746. </ul>
  747.  
  748.  
  749. <div class="wp-block-image">
  750. <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="640" height="480" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ladies-in-Chinese-Park.jpg" alt="Two ladies in a city park in Xinjiang, China" class="wp-image-12669" style="width:480px;height:360px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ladies-in-Chinese-Park.jpg 640w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ladies-in-Chinese-Park-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ladies-in-Chinese-Park-625x469.jpg 625w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure></div>
  751.  
  752.  
  753. <p>No doubt we have good parks in America with lakes and paths and playgrounds, but in my experience they are used by only a small portion of people. Here in China, seeing as there&#8217;s not much else to do, the parks are full of people after 7pm when the weather has cooled.</p>
  754.  
  755.  
  756.  
  757. <p>The time we visited in the video above there were at least 250 kids in the play area (not including their parents or guardians), every pavilion was full of people playing music or games, the benches were mostly taken and there were hundreds of people walking everywhere. And that was a weekday!</p>
  758.  
  759.  
  760. <div class="wp-block-image">
  761. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="469" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/China-Park-Equipment-625x469.jpg" alt="Exercise equipment at a Chinese park in Xinjiang" class="wp-image-12670" style="width:625px;height:469px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/China-Park-Equipment-625x469.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/China-Park-Equipment-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/China-Park-Equipment.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  762.  
  763.  
  764. <p>We&#8217;ve also been there on special occasions, such as the earthquake candlelight vigil and there are literally thousands of people that can pack into the large spaces in this park.</p>
  765.  
  766.  
  767.  
  768. <p>To an American mind so many people in the park might feel uncomfortable, but I think that&#8217;s the difference. To an American a park is a place to exercise, to release some of your kid&#8217;s extra energy, or to just get away while for the Chinese a park is a chance to socialize and one of the few places to relax with friends and family. It&#8217;s a very foreign concept to us but I think it&#8217;s beginning to grow on us.</p>
  769.  
  770.  
  771.  
  772. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  773.  
  774.  
  775. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  776. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  777.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  778.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  779.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  780.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  781.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  782. <script>
  783.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  784. </script></div>
  785. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/central-park-chinese-style/">Xinjiang Public Park (Chinese Style)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  786. ]]></content:encoded>
  790. </item>
  791. <item>
  792. <title>The Most Popular Uyghur Song in Xinjiang, China (Oynasun)</title>
  793. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-popular-song-video-oynasun/</link>
  795. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  796. <pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  797. <category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
  798. <category><![CDATA[ethnic music]]></category>
  799. <category><![CDATA[Uyghur]]></category>
  800. <category><![CDATA[uzbekistan]]></category>
  801. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=3523</guid>
  802.  
  803. <description><![CDATA[<p>If you've spent any amount of time in Xinjiang, chances are you've heard this song more times than you can count. It is, in my opinion, the most popular song in Xinjiang.</p>
  804. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-popular-song-video-oynasun/">The Most Popular Uyghur Song in Xinjiang, China (Oynasun)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  805. ]]></description>
  806. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  807. <p>If you&#8217;ve spent any amount of time in Xinjiang, chances are you&#8217;ve heard this Uyghur song more times than you can count. It is, in my opinion, the most popular song in Xinjiang, China.</p>
  808.  
  809.  
  810.  
  811. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/shahrizoda.jpg" alt="Shahrizoda, a Uzbek Uyghur trio of singers originally from Xinjiang, China" class="wp-image-3524" width="420" height="359" title="Shahrizoda" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/shahrizoda.jpg 420w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/shahrizoda-300x256.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px" /></figure></div>
  812.  
  813.  
  814.  
  815. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  816.  
  817.  
  818. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  819. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  820.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  821.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  822.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  823.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  824.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  825. <script>
  826.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  827. </script></div>
  828.  
  829.  
  830.  
  831. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  832.  
  833.  
  834.  
  835. <p>How popular, you ask?</p>
  836.  
  837.  
  838.  
  839. <p>It&#8217;s so well known that even Han Chinese &#8211; most of whom can&#8217;t speak the Uyghur language &#8211; can sing along and know the meaning of the words. I find myself humming the tune every once in a while for no reason as well.</p>
  840.  
  841.  
  842.  
  843. <p>Check out the video of this most popular Uyghur song yourself and see if you recognize it:</p>
  844.  
  845.  
  846.  
  847. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_lXF9KVAKko" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" width="650" height="365" frameborder="0"></iframe>
  848.  
  849.  
  850.  
  851. <p>Oddly, the three women in this video aren&#8217;t from Xinjiang. They are actually Uyghur from Uzbekistan and they represent the finest of what is Uyghur pop.</p>
  852.  
  853.  
  854.  
  855. <p>The trio, named Shahrizoda (شهريزاده), have quite a few other well-known songs, but this is by far the most popular.</p>
  856.  
  857.  
  858.  
  859. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  860.  
  861.  
  862. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  863. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  864.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  865.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  866.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  867.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  868.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  869. <script>
  870.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  871. </script></div>
  872. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-popular-song-video-oynasun/">The Most Popular Uyghur Song in Xinjiang, China (Oynasun)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  873. ]]></content:encoded>
  877. </item>
  878. <item>
  879. <title>How to Fly as an Air Courier in 2021</title>
  880. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/how-to-be-air-courier/</link>
  882. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  883. <pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  884. <category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>
  885. <category><![CDATA[air courier]]></category>
  886. <category><![CDATA[airmule]]></category>
  887. <category><![CDATA[budget travel]]></category>
  888. <category><![CDATA[travel hack]]></category>
  889. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=9760</guid>
  890.  
  891. <description><![CDATA[<p>Is it still possible earn extra money flying as an air courier? Back in the day, being an on-board courier used to be a popular travel hack that would get you free flights. Ever since the attacks on September 11th, though, the industry took a nosedive and looked like it would never recover. Now with Covid, [&#8230;]</p>
  892. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/how-to-be-air-courier/">How to Fly as an Air Courier in 2021</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  893. ]]></description>
  894. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  895. <p><strong>Is it still possible earn extra money flying as an air courier? </strong>Back in the day, being an on-board courier used to be a popular travel hack that would get you free flights. Ever since the attacks on September 11th, though, the industry took a nosedive and looked like it would never recover. Now with Covid, is it still possible to find air courier jobs in 2021?</p>
  896.  
  897.  
  898.  
  899. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-be-an-Air-Courier-625x416.jpg" alt="How to be an air courier 2020" class="wp-image-9858" width="625" height="416" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-be-an-Air-Courier-625x416.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-be-an-Air-Courier-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-be-an-Air-Courier-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-be-an-Air-Courier.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure>
  900.  
  901.  
  902.  
  903. <p><strong>IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR 2021:</strong> <em>Currently, due to the global pandemic, there are no air courier opportunities available. The experience outlined in this article is currently unavailable, as you&#8217;ll see if you click any of the Airmule links. Sorry!</em></p>
  904.  
  905.  
  906.  
  907. <hr class="wp-block-separator"/>
  908.  
  909.  
  910.  
  911. <p>Since the process intrigued me, back in 2018 I took a round-trip flight between Los Angeles and Shanghai for the sole purpose of trying out a new air courier service.</p>
  912.  
  913.  
  914.  
  915. <p>Everywhere I&#8217;d read online told me that <a href="https://www.gonomad.com/6364-air-courier-flights-have-lost-their-appeal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>air courier jobs are dead</em></a> and <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/decline-of-courier-flights-459054" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>being an air courier is seldom practical today</em></a>.</p>
  916.  
  917.  
  918.  
  919. <p>Yet here I&#8217;d run into a company that was promising to revive the industry in such a way that regular travelers like me (no, I&#8217;m not a professional air courier) could save some money by selling their unused baggage.</p>
  920.  
  921.  
  922.  
  923. <p>Armed with just a backpack and plenty of questions, I set off for Los Angeles, the headquarters for this company known as <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/go/airmule" target="_blank">Airmule</a>.</p>
  924.  
  925.  
  926. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  927. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  928.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  929.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  930.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  931.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  932.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  933. <script>
  934.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  935. </script></div>
  936.  
  937.  
  938.  
  939. <p class="has-small-font-size"><em><strong>Note:</strong></em>&nbsp;<em>Some of the links within this article are affiliate links. What this means is that, at no extra cost to you, you will be helping to support FarWestChina if you decide to use some of the services listed. I hope you find this helpful&#8230;thanks for your support!</em></p>
  940.  
  941.  
  942.  
  943. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is an Air Courier?</h2>
  944.  
  945.  
  946.  
  947. <p>An air courier is a logistics service where individual passengers escort document or goods either on their person or in their baggage to a destination to be hand-delivered.</p>
  948.  
  949.  
  950.  
  951. <p>The purpose of using an air courier is to ensure quick and safe delivery of items that are either time sensitive or too valuable to send by another means.</p>
  952.  
  953.  
  954.  
  955. <p>While companies regularly use air couriers internally to transport intellectual property they don&#8217;t want to get lost or stolen, it is also a means by which major logistics companies (FedEx, UPS, etc.) outsource some priority deliveries.</p>
  956.  
  957.  
  958.  
  959. <p>Finding air courier jobs and getting paid to fly with these kinds of deliveries used to be commonplace. Security regulations have certainly changed this a bit, but it&#8217;s a practice that is starting to see a small surge in popularity.</p>
  960.  
  961.  
  962. <div class="g g-2"><div class="g-single a-6"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NiwyLDEsNjA=" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=252&aff_id=466&url_id=1020&source=fwc" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nordvpn_special_deal_728x90.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try NordVPN to secure your internet traffic" /></a></div></div>
  963.  
  964.  
  965.  
  966. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  967.  
  968.  
  969.  
  970. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Being an Air Courier (My Experience)</h2>
  971.  
  972.  
  973.  
  974. <p>While below you&#8217;ll find a written explanation of my experience being an air courier, you might best be served by actually watching me go through the process.</p>
  975.  
  976.  
  977.  
  978. <p>I took a couple cameras along with me on my journey and the result was this video I suggest you watch:</p>
  979.  
  980.  
  981.  
  982. <div class="wp-block-button aligncenter is-style-outline"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-text-color has-background" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LAFYphbVP4" style="border-radius:27px;color:#ffffff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Watch the Video on YouTube</a></div>
  983.  
  984.  
  985.  
  986. <p>As I showed in the video, <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/go/airmule" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Airmule</a> has essentially taken the concept of the &#8220;gig economy&#8221; or &#8220;shared economy&#8221; and applied it to the opportunity of wasted checked luggage on international flights.</p>
  987.  
  988.  
  989.  
  990. <p>Honestly, if you&#8217;re traveling for vacation and you&#8217;re checking two bags, you&#8217;re doing something wrong. Even business travelers don&#8217;t need more than a carry-on most of the time.</p>
  991.  
  992.  
  993.  
  994. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p>If you&#8217;re traveling for vacation and you&#8217;re checking two bags, you&#8217;re doing something wrong.</p></blockquote>
  995.  
  996.  
  997.  
  998. <p>Being an air courier used to mean connecting with businesses that needed items shipped fast and being available to fly at a moment&#8217;s notice. Jobs were hard to find and it wasn&#8217;t practical for most travelers.</p>
  999.  
  1000.  
  1001.  
  1002. <p>This new method changes the game a bit. Here&#8217;s how it works:</p>
  1003.  
  1004.  
  1005. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-6"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NiwxLDEsNjA=" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=252&aff_id=466&url_id=1020&source=fwc" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nordvpn_special_deal_728x90.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try NordVPN to secure your internet traffic" /></a></div></div></div>
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008.  
  1009. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1010.  
  1011.  
  1012.  
  1013. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 1: Listing Your International Flight</h3>
  1014.  
  1015.  
  1016.  
  1017. <p>When I decided to give <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/go/airmule" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Airmule</a> a try, I signed up for their service and listed my flight. In all, it took about 10 minutes.</p>
  1018.  
  1019.  
  1020.  
  1021. <p>Notice here that I haven&#8217;t committed to anything yet and I&#8217;m not scheduling around their needs.</p>
  1022.  
  1023.  
  1024.  
  1025. <p>I&#8217;m listing&nbsp;<em>my flight</em> and offering&nbsp;<em>my luggage</em>. Maybe I have only one piece of luggage; perhaps I have two. It&#8217;s&nbsp;<em>my choice</em>.</p>
  1026.  
  1027.  
  1028.  
  1029. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-a-Trip-Airmule-625x234.png" alt="Listing a trip while being an air courier with Airmule" class="wp-image-9856" width="625" height="234" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-a-Trip-Airmule-625x234.png 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-a-Trip-Airmule-300x113.png 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-a-Trip-Airmule-768x288.png 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/List-a-Trip-Airmule.png 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1030.  
  1031.  
  1032.  
  1033. <p>When I list my flight as an on-board courier, I&#8217;m providing Airmule with the following information:</p>
  1034.  
  1035.  
  1036.  
  1037. <ul><li><strong>My Flight Details</strong>: This could be just one way or round-trip flight details.</li><li><strong>My Luggage Availability</strong>: I can get more money offering two pieces of luggage, but will that work with my travel needs?</li><li><strong>Contact Information</strong>: Obviously they&#8217;ll need to be able to reach me.</li></ul>
  1038.  
  1039.  
  1040.  
  1041. <p>During my time in Los Angeles, I met up with a member of the Airmule team named Winston. He explained to me how they work with logistics companies to match shipping needs with travelers who have listed their luggage.</p>
  1042.  
  1043.  
  1044.  
  1045. <p>I&#8217;m never guaranteed that my luggage space will be purchased, but since I listed my trip a couple weeks before departure, the odds were in my favor.</p>
  1046.  
  1047.  
  1048.  
  1049. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 2: Receiving Your Digital Manifest</h3>
  1050.  
  1051.  
  1052.  
  1053. <p>The biggest concern that I had being an air courier is that of security &#8211; and I suspect most people feel the same way.</p>
  1054.  
  1055.  
  1056.  
  1057. <p><em><strong>Can I trust that what I&#8217;m bringing across an international border won&#8217;t get me in huge, huge trouble?</strong></em></p>
  1058.  
  1059.  
  1060.  
  1061. <p>Each courier company works differently, but this is how Airmule approaches this problem.</p>
  1062.  
  1063.  
  1064.  
  1065. <p>About 24 hours prior to my departure from Los Angeles back to Shanghai, I received an email from Airmule saying that my luggage had been purchased. If I wanted to, I could log into my account to see exactly what I would be bringing with me to China.</p>
  1066.  
  1067.  
  1068.  
  1069. <p>So I did.</p>
  1070.  
  1071.  
  1072.  
  1073. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Airmule-Digital-Manifest-625x350.jpg" alt="The digital manifest for Airmule air couriers" class="wp-image-9857" width="625" height="350" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Airmule-Digital-Manifest-625x350.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Airmule-Digital-Manifest-300x168.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Airmule-Digital-Manifest-768x430.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Airmule-Digital-Manifest.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption><em>Photo courtesy <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com" target="_blank">TravelChinaCheaper</a></em></figcaption></figure></div>
  1074.  
  1075.  
  1076.  
  1077. <p>Attached to my trip listing, Airmule had given me a digital manifest, a listing of every item that would be packed in each piece of luggage.</p>
  1078.  
  1079.  
  1080.  
  1081. <p>For this particular trip, it looks like I would be taking over a number of designer hand bags, a couple iPhone X&#8217;s, a porcelain statue and even a gold coin.</p>
  1082.  
  1083.  
  1084.  
  1085. <p>Is this for real?</p>
  1086.  
  1087.  
  1088.  
  1089. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 3: Checking in as an Air Courier</h3>
  1090.  
  1091.  
  1092.  
  1093. <p>I woke up the next morning and drove to the LAX airport. I already had all the contact information for the Airmule concierge that would be dropping off the luggage. All I had to do was arrive at my terminal and let him know I was there.</p>
  1094.  
  1095.  
  1096.  
  1097. <p>There are two things that were going to be very important to me in this process of being an air courier:</p>
  1098.  
  1099.  
  1100.  
  1101. <ol><li><strong>I wanted to open the luggage and see for myself what I was taking.</strong></li><li><strong>I wanted to be clear to the airline what I was doing. No sneaking around.</strong></li></ol>
  1102.  
  1103.  
  1104.  
  1105. <p>When Airmule dropped off the luggage at the curb of the LAX airport, I spend about 5-10 minutes looking through the bags and comparing it to the digital manifest I had been given. As a first-time on-board courier, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was taking!</p>
  1106.  
  1107.  
  1108.  
  1109. <p>Thankfully, all the items were wrapped in see-through bags.</p>
  1110.  
  1111.  
  1112.  
  1113. <p>At this point the luggage was closed and sealed with special tape and I finally signed a formal agreement with Airmule. The agreement stated that I would deliver the bags to an Airmule representative in Shanghai, but should anything happen with customs or lost baggage between now and then, Airmule would take responsibility.</p>
  1114.  
  1115.  
  1116.  
  1117. <p><em>So far, so good.</em></p>
  1118.  
  1119.  
  1120.  
  1121. <p>After standing in line at the airport, I walked to the counter to check the two bags I had been given. Within 2 minutes I had announced that I was acting as an air courier, these weren&#8217;t my bags and I hadn&#8217;t packed them. The lady looked at me a bit surprised and then went to speak with her supervisor.</p>
  1122.  
  1123.  
  1124.  
  1125. <p>I was ready to prove this concept wrong, yet she returned with a smile on her face and checked in my bags. She never asked for my digital manifest (though I had it ready) and she never asked any further questions.</p>
  1126.  
  1127.  
  1128.  
  1129. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 4: Flying and Delivering the Package</h3>
  1130.  
  1131.  
  1132.  
  1133. <p>The 14-hour flight was long and boring. That&#8217;s pretty much all there is to say about that.</p>
  1134.  
  1135.  
  1136.  
  1137. <p>Landing in Shanghai, I picked up my bags at the baggage claim and made my way through customs. According to Winston at <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/go/airmule" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Airmule</a>, the company is very careful to pack the bags based on customs regulations.</p>
  1138.  
  1139.  
  1140.  
  1141. <p>In other words, I didn&#8217;t have to declare the bags at customs. I just walked through.</p>
  1142.  
  1143.  
  1144.  
  1145. <p>An Airmule representative met me on the other side of customs and I handed off the luggage. Within 24 hours I had been sent an email saying that the luggage had been processed and payment would be forth coming.</p>
  1146.  
  1147.  
  1148.  
  1149. <p>I had just saved $300 on my $650 round-trip tickets by being an air courier!</p>
  1150.  
  1151.  
  1152. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-5"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NSwxLDEsNjA=" href="https://www.linkev.com/?offer=3monthsfree&a_aid=farwestchina&data1=fwc&data2=banner" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ExpressVPN-1.png" class="no_border" alt="Get ExpressVPN to bypass censorship in China" /></a></div></div></div>
  1153.  
  1154.  
  1155.  
  1156. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1157.  
  1158.  
  1159.  
  1160. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to Find Air Courier Jobs in 2021</h2>
  1161.  
  1162.  
  1163.  
  1164. <p>I realize that being an on-board courier isn&#8217;t for everybody. And you&#8217;re not going to get a full flight paid for by using a service like Airmule.</p>
  1165.  
  1166.  
  1167.  
  1168. <p><strong>But is it possible to be an air courier in 2021?</strong></p>
  1169.  
  1170.  
  1171.  
  1172. <p>No, unfortunately, it no longer is.</p>
  1173.  
  1174.  
  1175.  
  1176. <p>Airmule has been in business for a few years, but due to the pandemic known as COVID-19, they&#8217;ve had to shutter there operations.</p>
  1177.  
  1178.  
  1179.  
  1180. <p>As far as I&#8217;m aware, because passenger flights are not running on regular schedules and international packages are receiving more and more scrutiny, it is currently impossible to act as an air courier in 2021.</p>
  1181.  
  1182.  
  1183.  
  1184. <p>Hopefully all that will change later this year!</p>
  1185. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/tips/how-to-be-air-courier/">How to Fly as an Air Courier in 2021</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1186. ]]></content:encoded>
  1190. </item>
  1191. <item>
  1192. <title>Uyghur Christians in Muslim Xinjiang</title>
  1193. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/culture/uyghur-christians-in-muslim-xinjiang/</link>
  1195. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  1196. <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1197. <category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
  1198. <category><![CDATA[china christians]]></category>
  1199. <category><![CDATA[christianity]]></category>
  1200. <category><![CDATA[islam]]></category>
  1201. <category><![CDATA[muslim]]></category>
  1202. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=1805</guid>
  1203.  
  1204. <description><![CDATA[<p>The Shanghaiist website has picked up on a story that I've been reading about with interest over the last few months.  A Uyghur Christian named Alimjan Yimit was sentenced to 15 years in prison late last year and was recently allowed to visit with his wife and son for the first time in 2 years.</p>
  1205. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/culture/uyghur-christians-in-muslim-xinjiang/">Uyghur Christians in Muslim Xinjiang</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1206. ]]></description>
  1207. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1208. <p>Uyghur Christians are a rare find in Xinjiang, making up less than 2% of this primarily Muslim people group.&nbsp; Although the Uyghur as a whole have never been extremely devout Muslims, Islam is such an integral part of their identity that conversion isn&#8217;t common.</p>
  1209.  
  1210.  
  1211.  
  1212. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Muslim-Uyghur.jpg" alt="Muslim Uyghur pray on the last day of Ramadan" class="wp-image-1807" width="640" height="428" title="Muslim Uyghur" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Muslim-Uyghur.jpg 640w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Muslim-Uyghur-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure></div>
  1213.  
  1214.  
  1215.  
  1216. <p>Unfortunately what isn&#8217;t as rare is China&#8217;s paranoid attitude toward religion in Xinjiang. </p>
  1217.  
  1218.  
  1219.  
  1220. <p>To be clear, when I say &#8220;China&#8221; I really mean the local security bureau. And to their credit, they aren&#8217;t biased toward any particular religion &#8211; they despise pretty much all of them.</p>
  1221.  
  1222.  
  1223.  
  1224. <p>In their eyes, any religion presents a threat to national security.</p>
  1225.  
  1226.  
  1227.  
  1228. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kashgar Christian Sentenced to 15 Years (2010)</h2>
  1229.  
  1230.  
  1231.  
  1232. <p>A perfect example of this is a Uyghur Christian named Alimjan Yimit. He was arrested back in January of 2008 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for &#8220;preaching Christianity&#8221;.</p>
  1233.  
  1234.  
  1235.  
  1236. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Alimjan-Yimit-Xinjiang-625x413.jpg" alt="Alimjan Yimit, a Uyghur Christian from Kashgar" class="wp-image-12066" width="625" height="413" title="Alimjan-Yimit" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Alimjan-Yimit-Xinjiang-625x413.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Alimjan-Yimit-Xinjiang-300x198.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Alimjan-Yimit-Xinjiang.jpg 726w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption>A picture of Alimjan</figcaption></figure></div>
  1237.  
  1238.  
  1239.  
  1240. <p>In 2011, <a href="https://www.chinaaid.org/2011/03/xinjiangs-higher-peoples-court-rejects.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">he was denied an appeal</a>. For years, nobody heard from him (including his wife Gulnar) until he was transferred from the Kashgar prison to one in the capital of Urumqi.</p>
  1241.  
  1242.  
  1243.  
  1244. <p>His family was given permission to visit him, but not his lawyers. Apparently, authorities in Xinjiang are worried that &#8220;preaching&#8221; is going to lead to violence??</p>
  1245.  
  1246.  
  1247.  
  1248. <p>Here&#8217;s the official story in China:</p>
  1249.  
  1250.  
  1251.  
  1252. <p>Alimjan Yimit was initially arrested for his religious activity but was later charged with &#8220;selling state secrets&#8221; (which is similar in ambiguity to the American phrase &#8220;irreconcilable differences&#8221;). </p>
  1253.  
  1254.  
  1255.  
  1256. <p><em>What secrets, you ask?</em></p>
  1257.  
  1258.  
  1259.  
  1260. <p>He conducted a couple interviews with foreign media.</p>
  1261.  
  1262.  
  1263.  
  1264. <p>His case has been called &#8220;arbitrary&#8221; by the UN&#8217;s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and was listed as the &#8220;Top 10 Cases of Religious Persecution in China&#8221; by China Aid. <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/why-a-uyghur-journalist-was-sentenced-15-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">It&#8217;s not the first time something like this has happened</a>, but that doesn&#8217;t make it any more devestating.</p>
  1265.  
  1266.  
  1267.  
  1268. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The State of Christianity in Xinjiang</h2>
  1269.  
  1270.  
  1271.  
  1272. <p>Many people don&#8217;t realize that there are actually government-approved Christian churches in Xinjiang&#8217;s capital of Urumqi.&nbsp; I have personally been inside and sat in on a couple services.</p>
  1273.  
  1274.  
  1275.  
  1276. <p>According to Chinese law, the government is required to supply registered religious organizations with a plot of land and a building in which to meet.</p>
  1277.  
  1278.  
  1279.  
  1280. <p>Key word: <em>registered</em>.</p>
  1281.  
  1282.  
  1283.  
  1284. <p>The ambiguous maze of legality in China is difficult for Christians, both Uyghur and Han, to navigate. </p>
  1285.  
  1286.  
  1287.  
  1288. <p>Activities such as distributing religious materials and intending to convert people to Christianity violate laws in all of China, but since in Xinjiang the stakes are higher the enforcement of these laws tends to be more strict.</p>
  1289.  
  1290.  
  1291.  
  1292. <p>House churches exist, but they have been heavily persecuted over the years (both Han and Uyghur). </p>
  1293.  
  1294.  
  1295.  
  1296. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Problem for Uyghur Christians</h2>
  1297.  
  1298.  
  1299.  
  1300. <p>The problem for Uyghur Christians is how all of this &#8211; society and the law &#8211; work against them.</p>
  1301.  
  1302.  
  1303.  
  1304. <p>Conversion for a Uyghur, as with many Middle-Eastern peoples, usually results in friction with or abandonment by their family.&nbsp; When they lose their families they must look elsewhere to find support and like-minded believers.</p>
  1305.  
  1306.  
  1307.  
  1308. <p>Unfortunately, because of fear between the Han and Uyghur, their presence in a government-approved church is difficult. Racial tension aside, none of the materials or services in these churches are offered in the Uyghur languages (at least from what I have personally witnessed).</p>
  1309.  
  1310.  
  1311.  
  1312. <p>Finally, to try to convert their friends is against Chinese law. Such was the case for Alimjan Yimit who was the leader of a house church in Kashgar. </p>
  1313.  
  1314.  
  1315.  
  1316. <p>The result of this unfortunate situation is 15 years in a Urumqi jail with only monthly visits from his wife and two kids.</p>
  1317.  
  1318.  
  1319.  
  1320. <p><strong>What does China fear about religion?</strong></p>
  1321.  
  1322.  
  1323.  
  1324. <p>I&#8217;m still not entirely sure, but if nothing else, China is good at one thing: forgetting history.</p>
  1325.  
  1326.  
  1327.  
  1328. <p>What happens when you persecute religion, particularly Christianity? This, at least in history, is when it thrives the most.</p>
  1329.  
  1330.  
  1331.  
  1332. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sources &amp; Extended Reading:</h2>
  1333.  
  1334.  
  1335.  
  1336. <ul><li>Joshua Project: <a href="https://www.joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15755/CH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uyghur of Ethnic China</a></li><li>ChinaAid: <a href="https://www.chinaaid.org/2010/01/gulinuer-wife-of-uyghur-christian.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gulinuer, Wife of Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti, Petitions for Prayer</a></li></ul>
  1337. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/culture/uyghur-christians-in-muslim-xinjiang/">Uyghur Christians in Muslim Xinjiang</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1338. ]]></content:encoded>
  1342. </item>
  1343. <item>
  1344. <title>Xinjiang&#8217;s High Speed Train &#124; Traveler&#8217;s Guide</title>
  1345. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-new-high-speed-train/</link>
  1347. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  1348. <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1349. <category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
  1350. <category><![CDATA[high-speed train]]></category>
  1351. <category><![CDATA[Urumqi]]></category>
  1352. <category><![CDATA[Xinjiang transportation]]></category>
  1353. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=7111</guid>
  1354.  
  1355. <description><![CDATA[<p>In December of 2014, Xinjiang&#8217;s first high speed train was opened to the public. At the time, it only reached as far as Hami, but in 2015 it connected the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi with the Gansu capital of Lanzhou. Here&#8217;s the story of this high speed train and my experience taking it. Sitting here [&#8230;]</p>
  1356. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-new-high-speed-train/">Xinjiang&#8217;s High Speed Train | Traveler&#8217;s Guide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1357. ]]></description>
  1358. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1359. <p>In December of 2014, Xinjiang&#8217;s first high speed train was opened to the public. At the time, it only reached as far as Hami, but in 2015 it connected the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi with the Gansu capital of Lanzhou. Here&#8217;s the story of this high speed train and my experience taking it.</p>
  1360.  
  1361.  
  1362. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1363. <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="451" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Xinjiang-High-Speed-Train.jpg" alt="Xinjiang's High Speed Train" class="wp-image-7118" style="width:600px;height:338px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Xinjiang-High-Speed-Train.jpg 800w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Xinjiang-High-Speed-Train-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Xinjiang-High-Speed-Train-625x352.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Xinjiang-High-Speed-Train-185x104.jpg 185w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure></div>
  1364.  
  1365.  
  1366. <p>Sitting here in this comfortable high-speed train watching the Xinjiang countryside whiz by forces me to remember the first time I stepped foot in this incredible region.</p>
  1367.  
  1368.  
  1369.  
  1370. <p>I remember the majestic snow-capped TianShan presiding over the vast swaths of farmland.</p>
  1371.  
  1372.  
  1373.  
  1374. <p>I remember seeing herds of sheep and camels out the window.</p>
  1375.  
  1376.  
  1377.  
  1378. <p>I remember feeling like Xinjiang&#8217;s desert wasteland extended on forever.</p>
  1379.  
  1380.  
  1381.  
  1382. <p>I also remember being cramped in a small car that felt like it was going to fall apart at speeds exceeding 60km/hr. Today, I&#8217;m cruising in a beautiful new high-speed train that glides smoothly along Xinjiang&#8217;s desert at 200km/hr.</p>
  1383.  
  1384.  
  1385.  
  1386. <p>The views of Xinjiang are essentially the same, but the window through which I see them has changed.</p>
  1387.  
  1388.  
  1389.  
  1390. <p>Below I want to share with you a little background on this new train line as well as tips for travelers who want to give it a try themselves.</p>
  1391.  
  1392.  
  1393.  
  1394. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1395.  
  1396.  
  1397. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  1398. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  1399.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  1400.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  1401.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  1402.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  1403.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  1404. <script>
  1405.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  1406. </script></div>
  1407.  
  1408.  
  1409.  
  1410. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1411.  
  1412.  
  1413.  
  1414. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Xinjiang&#8217;s High Speed Train (Video)</h2>
  1415.  
  1416.  
  1417.  
  1418. <p>To start, I&#8217;m going to share a video I filmed back in 2014 when the high speed train line first opened up. </p>
  1419.  
  1420.  
  1421.  
  1422. <p>At the time, the train line only went to Hami (which I mention in the video), but as you&#8217;ll learn in the rest of this article, it has since stretched all the way to Lanzhou.</p>
  1423.  
  1424.  
  1425.  
  1426. <figure><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qvqJNe-U0M0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" width="625" height="358" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
  1427.  
  1428.  
  1429.  
  1430. <p class="has-text-align-center"><i>Don&#8217;t miss any more Xinjiang videos! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=farwestchina" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to FarWestChina on Youtube</a>!</i></p>
  1431.  
  1432.  
  1433.  
  1434. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Era of High Speed Rail in Xinjiang</h2>
  1435.  
  1436.  
  1437.  
  1438. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote alignleft is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  1439. <p>The train line now spans from Lanzhou to Urumqi&#8230;&#8221;</p>
  1440. </blockquote>
  1441.  
  1442.  
  1443.  
  1444. <p>Back in January of 2010, when construction of the LanXin high speed rail line officially began, five years seemed like an eternity away.</p>
  1445.  
  1446.  
  1447.  
  1448. <p>Truthfully, I didn&#8217;t think I was going to be around here long enough to see it completed.</p>
  1449.  
  1450.  
  1451.  
  1452. <p>Back in 2009, I had met my family in Shanghai and <strong>subjected them to a grueling 46 hours in a <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/traveling-by-train-from-urumqi-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">train to Urumqi</a></strong>.</p>
  1453.  
  1454.  
  1455.  
  1456. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1457.  
  1458.  
  1459. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-7"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NywxLDEsNjA=" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=252&aff_id=466&url_id=1020&source=fwc" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/NordVPN-banner-2.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try NordVPN to get past censorship in China!" /></a></div></div></div>
  1460.  
  1461.  
  1462.  
  1463. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1464.  
  1465.  
  1466.  
  1467. <p>Although I don&#8217;t think any of us regret the trip, I doubt it&#8217;s one we would willingly take again. The idea that a high speed train could cut that time down to less than 20 hours seemed like a pipe dream at the time.</p>
  1468.  
  1469.  
  1470.  
  1471. <p>Progress marches on, though, and on October 16, 2014 Xinjiang officially entered the era of high-speed rail transport. I bought my first ticket to ride less than two weeks later.</p>
  1472.  
  1473.  
  1474.  
  1475. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quick Look at the LanXin Line</h2>
  1476.  
  1477.  
  1478.  
  1479. <p>This high speed train is part of what&#8217;s known in China as the &#8220;Lan-Xin&#8221; rail (兰新高铁), which is shorthand for saying &#8220;Lanzhou to Xinjiang&#8221; railway.</p>
  1480.  
  1481.  
  1482. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1483. <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="600" height="400" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Map.jpg" alt="A Map of the LanXin High Speed Train in Xinjiang and Gansu" class="wp-image-7119" style="width:600px;height:400px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Map.jpg 600w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Map-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Map-185x123.jpg 185w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure></div>
  1484.  
  1485.  
  1486. <p>The line spans from southern Gansu province, through Qinghai and into Xinjiang. Between Lanzhou and Urumqi there are only 8 stops which include some great tourist spots like Dunhuang, <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/xinjiang-hotels/hami-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hami</a> and <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Turpan</a>.</p>
  1487.  
  1488.  
  1489.  
  1490. <p>Engineers had to overcome quite a few technical challenges during the construction of this rail line.</p>
  1491.  
  1492.  
  1493.  
  1494. <p>Most importantly, they had to figure out <strong>how to safely navigate a high speed train through famously windy sections of Xinjiang desert</strong> without toppling over, something which had tragically happened before.</p>
  1495.  
  1496.  
  1497.  
  1498. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1499.  
  1500.  
  1501. <div class="g g-3"><div class="g-col b-3 a-13"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MTMsMywxLDYw" href="https://www.xnylfcp.com/unrestricted-1?offer=3monthsfree&a_fid=farwestchina&data1=fwc&data2=banner" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img decoding="async" class="no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ExpressVPN-Ad-300x250.jpg" alt="Access blocked websites in China with ExpressVPN!"/></a></div><div class="g-col b-3 a-18"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MTgsMywxLDYw" href="https://geni.us/travelguidekindle" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img decoding="async" class="no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/TCC-Travel-Book.png" alt="Get the bestselling China travel handbook by TravelChinaCheaper!" /></a></div></div>
  1502.  
  1503.  
  1504.  
  1505. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1506.  
  1507.  
  1508.  
  1509. <p>Due to these concerns and others, large wind barriers and tunnels have been erected all along the route and thanks to security concerns a large barbed wire fence guards both sides of the entire line.</p>
  1510.  
  1511.  
  1512.  
  1513. <p>All that to say, <strong>the view outside the train window &#8211; while beautiful &#8211; is often obstructed</strong>.</p>
  1514.  
  1515.  
  1516.  
  1517. <p>New train stations have been built to accommodate the high speed train in Turpan, Dunhuang and Hami (which unfortunately burned just months before opening).</p>
  1518.  
  1519.  
  1520.  
  1521. <p>This also includes a beautiful <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/traveling-by-train-from-urumqi-station/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new Urumqi train station</a>.</p>
  1522.  
  1523.  
  1524.  
  1525. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to Take the Xinjiang High Speed Train</h2>
  1526.  
  1527.  
  1528.  
  1529. <p>What really excites me about this high speed train, however, is how it improves travel along the Silk Road in Xinjiang.</p>
  1530.  
  1531.  
  1532.  
  1533. <p>Turpan, formerly a 3 hour bus ride from the capital of Urumqi, is now an easy day trip. I I took the 9am train which arrived in Turpan within an hour.</p>
  1534.  
  1535.  
  1536.  
  1537. <p>I had the full day to explore before getting on a return train at 10:30pm. Considering tickets are about the same price as a&nbsp;bus, taking the high-speed train is a no-brainer.</p>
  1538.  
  1539.  
  1540.  
  1541. <div style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><iframe style="border: none;" src="https://www.chinahighlights.com/api/api.asp?method=cht.train.searchForm&amp;t=32083" name="I1" scrolling="no" width="250" height="365"></iframe></div>
  1542.  
  1543.  
  1544.  
  1545. <p><strong>Buying tickets really isn&#8217;t that difficult either</strong>. While it&#8217;s entirely possible to <a href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/how-to-buy-china-train-tickets-online" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">purchase China train tickets online</a> (which is what I did), you need to be able to read Mandarin and have a China bank account with which to pay.</p>
  1546.  
  1547.  
  1548.  
  1549. <p>A simple alternative is to either purchase at the station or pay a little extra for a <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/china-train-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">travel company to buy the tickets</a> and deliver them to your hotel.</p>
  1550.  
  1551.  
  1552.  
  1553. <p>Although many budget travelers may squirm at the idea of paying an extra fee for someone to buy your tickets, just remember that Xinjiang is not Beijing. We don&#8217;t have &#8220;English-speaking&#8221; ticket windows and nobody cares that you&#8217;re a foreigner.</p>
  1554.  
  1555.  
  1556.  
  1557. <p>It took me, a seasoned Xinjiang traveler, over an hour to navigate the buying/will call process.</p>
  1558.  
  1559.  
  1560.  
  1561. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1562.  
  1563.  
  1564. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  1565. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  1566.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  1567.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  1568.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  1569.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  1570.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  1571. <script>
  1572.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  1573. </script></div>
  1574.  
  1575.  
  1576.  
  1577. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1578.  
  1579.  
  1580.  
  1581. <p>However you purchase your tickets, be prepared for <strong>airport-like security</strong> when you enter the Urumqi train station, thanks in part to recent events. I had to walk through no less than three metal detectors, X-ray machines, pat downs and ID checks.</p>
  1582.  
  1583.  
  1584.  
  1585. <p>Oh, and that cool <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/uyghur-knife-yengisar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uyghur pocket knife</a> you just bought at the bazaar? Don&#8217;t expect that to make it through.</p>
  1586.  
  1587.  
  1588.  
  1589. <p>Sorry.</p>
  1590.  
  1591.  
  1592.  
  1593. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">View Inside Xinjiang&#8217;s High Speed Train</h2>
  1594.  
  1595.  
  1596.  
  1597. <p>There are currently two class options available on Xinjiang&#8217;s high-speed train: first class and second class.</p>
  1598.  
  1599.  
  1600.  
  1601. <p>Of the 8 cars which make up each high-speed train, there is one first class car, six second class cars and a single restaurant car.</p>
  1602.  
  1603.  
  1604. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1605. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="338" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-First-Class-625x338.jpg" alt="Xinjiang's High Speed Train first class cars" class="wp-image-7113" style="width:625px;height:338px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-First-Class-625x338.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-First-Class-300x162.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-First-Class-185x100.jpg 185w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-First-Class.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>First class seats are two to a side with plenty of legroom.</em></figcaption></figure></div>
  1606.  
  1607. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1608. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="325" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Second-Class-625x325.jpg" alt="Xinjiang High Speed Train Second Class" class="wp-image-7114" style="width:625px;height:325px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Second-Class-625x325.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Second-Class-300x156.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Second-Class-185x96.jpg 185w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/High-Speed-Train-Second-Class.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Second class seats are a 3-2 setup which is a bit tighter but still comfortable.</em></figcaption></figure></div>
  1609.  
  1610. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1611. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="332" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Restaurant-Car-625x332.jpg" alt="Xinjiang High Speed Restaurant Rail Car" class="wp-image-7117" style="width:625px;height:332px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Restaurant-Car-625x332.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Restaurant-Car-300x159.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Restaurant-Car-185x98.jpg 185w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Restaurant-Car.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The rail car has no seating but it&#8217;s a nice place to stretch the legs!</em></figcaption></figure></div>
  1612.  
  1613.  
  1614. <p>I was hoping that there would be power outlets in first class but alas, they&#8217;re only found in the bathroom.</p>
  1615.  
  1616.  
  1617.  
  1618. <p>Cell coverage has been terrible the entire trip which means I haven&#8217;t been able to make any calls or check email. I&#8217;m grateful, however, that leg room is spacious, which says a lot coming from a 6&#8217;2&#8243; (1.8m) guy.</p>
  1619.  
  1620.  
  1621.  
  1622. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1623.  
  1624.  
  1625. <div class="g g-2"><div class="g-single a-6"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NiwyLDEsNjA=" href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=252&aff_id=466&url_id=1020&source=fwc" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nordvpn_special_deal_728x90.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try NordVPN to secure your internet traffic" /></a></div></div>
  1626.  
  1627.  
  1628.  
  1629. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1630.  
  1631.  
  1632.  
  1633. <p>If you&#8217;re traveling in a group of three or more, there are some seats which face each other that would allow for great conversation and games.</p>
  1634.  
  1635.  
  1636.  
  1637. <p>Finally &#8211; and this is huge &#8211; the first class car has a toilet that meets western standards, meaning it is both clean (for now) and it has an actual seated toilet.</p>
  1638.  
  1639.  
  1640.  
  1641. <p>This is different than what you might normally <a href="https://www.travelchinacheaper.com/china-toilets-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expect with bathrooms in China</a>.</p>
  1642.  
  1643.  
  1644. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1645. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="376" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bathroom-625x376.jpg" alt="The toilet in Xinjiang's new High Speed Train" class="wp-image-7112" style="width:625px;height:376px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bathroom-625x376.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bathroom-300x180.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bathroom-185x111.jpg 185w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Bathroom.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1646.  
  1647.  
  1648. <p>It truly is a comfortable ride, particularly for those of us who have lived here in Xinjiang for a while and aren&#8217;t used to these kinds of luxuries.</p>
  1649.  
  1650.  
  1651.  
  1652. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Riding the Train in China</h2>
  1653.  
  1654.  
  1655.  
  1656. <p>I can now see NanShan through the south facing windows of the train, which means that I&#8217;m reaching the end of my trip back home to Urumqi.</p>
  1657.  
  1658.  
  1659.  
  1660. <p>Soon I&#8217;ll be jumping into a Urumqi taxi which more than likely won&#8217;t be such a peaceful and picturesque ride.</p>
  1661.  
  1662.  
  1663.  
  1664. <p>Nor will I be traveling at 200km/hr.</p>
  1665.  
  1666.  
  1667.  
  1668. <p>No doubt I&#8217;ll be boarding this train again soon, if for no other reason than to give my young son the pleasure of his first ride. I know he&#8217;s going to love it.</p>
  1669.  
  1670.  
  1671. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1672. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="625" height="342" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mountains-625x342.jpg" alt="The mountain view outside the Xinjiang train window" class="wp-image-7116" style="width:625px;height:342px" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mountains-625x342.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mountains-300x164.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mountains-185x101.jpg 185w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mountains.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1673.  
  1674.  
  1675. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1676.  
  1677.  
  1678. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  1679. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  1680.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  1681.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  1682.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  1683.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  1684.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  1685. <script>
  1686.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  1687. </script></div>
  1688. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-new-high-speed-train/">Xinjiang&#8217;s High Speed Train | Traveler&#8217;s Guide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1689. ]]></content:encoded>
  1693. </item>
  1694. <item>
  1695. <title>Buddhist Stupas in Xinjiang &#124; &#8220;A Tale of Two Towers&#8221;</title>
  1696. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/xinjiang-buddhist-stupas/</link>
  1698. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  1699. <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1700. <category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
  1701. <category><![CDATA[ancient ruins]]></category>
  1702. <category><![CDATA[buddhism]]></category>
  1703. <category><![CDATA[silk road]]></category>
  1704. <category><![CDATA[turpan]]></category>
  1705. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=7901</guid>
  1706.  
  1707. <description><![CDATA[<p>Thousands of years of history can be found scattered throughout China&#8217;s remote, western region of Xinjiang. Traveling along these old routes, you&#8217;ll run across ancient cities, painted caves, stone men and mysterious, crumbling&#8230;Buddhist stupas. This is the fascinating story detailing my discovery of two of these Buddhist stupas in Xinjiang. Have you ever seen the [&#8230;]</p>
  1708. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/xinjiang-buddhist-stupas/">Buddhist Stupas in Xinjiang | &#8220;A Tale of Two Towers&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1709. ]]></description>
  1710. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1711. <p>Thousands of years of history can be found scattered throughout China&#8217;s remote, western region of Xinjiang. Traveling along these old routes, you&#8217;ll run across ancient cities, painted caves, stone men and mysterious, crumbling&#8230;<strong>Buddhist stupas</strong>. This is the fascinating story detailing my discovery of two of these Buddhist stupas in Xinjiang.</p>
  1712.  
  1713.  
  1714.  
  1715. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Buddhist-Stupas-625x424.jpg" alt="Xinjiang's historic Buddhist stupas from the ancient Silk Road" class="wp-image-9734" width="625" height="424" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Buddhist-Stupas-625x424.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Buddhist-Stupas-300x204.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Buddhist-Stupas-768x521.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Buddhist-Stupas.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1716.  
  1717.  
  1718.  
  1719. <p>Have you ever seen the old Indiana Jones movies where Harrison Ford, playing an archaeologist, discovers ancient tombs filled with forgotten treasures? I remember watching those films as a kid and thought about how great it would be to explore uncharted territories and unearth priceless antiquities.</p>
  1720.  
  1721.  
  1722.  
  1723. <p>Somewhere down the line, <strong>I began to believe that exploration and discovery were no longer possible</strong>.</p>
  1724.  
  1725.  
  1726.  
  1727. <p>There was nothing left to find, right?</p>
  1728.  
  1729.  
  1730.  
  1731. <p>That&#8217;s what I love about life in Xinjiang. Living here has convinced me there are still corners of the world that haven&#8217;t been documented in history books and travel guides.</p>
  1732.  
  1733.  
  1734.  
  1735. <p>This is especially true after searching for and discovering the two lost Buddhist towers of Turpan.</p>
  1736.  
  1737.  
  1738.  
  1739. <p><em><strong>*Note:&nbsp;</strong>The information found here is part of the comprehensive <a href="https://www.xjtravelguide.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">FarWestChina Xinjiang Travel Guide</a>. If you&#8217;re traveling to Xinjiang anytime in the future, grab a copy for yourself!</em></p>
  1740.  
  1741.  
  1742.  
  1743. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Discovering Buddhist Stupas in Xinjiang</h2>
  1744.  
  1745.  
  1746.  
  1747. <p>Before continuing on, join me on my adventure to discover these two Buddhist stupas by first watching the video below.</p>
  1748.  
  1749.  
  1750.  
  1751. <p>Then you can keep reading to learn more about the two towers as well as how to plan your own adventure to discover these towers for yourself.</p>
  1752.  
  1753.  
  1754.  
  1755. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6diMP_ITf6Y?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" width="625" height="352" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
  1756.  
  1757.  
  1758.  
  1759. <p><em>If you enjoyed this video, check out all the others on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=farwestchina" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FarWestChina YouTube Channel</a>!</em></p>
  1760.  
  1761.  
  1762.  
  1763. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1764.  
  1765.  
  1766. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  1767. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  1768.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  1769.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  1770.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  1771.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  1772.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  1773. <script>
  1774.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  1775. </script></div>
  1776.  
  1777.  
  1778.  
  1779. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1780.  
  1781.  
  1782.  
  1783. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are Buddhist Stupas?</h2>
  1784.  
  1785.  
  1786.  
  1787. <p>A Buddhist stupa is generally a type of structure or mound that is hemispherical in shape. The purpose of the stupas varies, but often includes housing Buddhist relics, commemorating events in Buddha&#8217;s life or symbolizing Buddhist theology.</p>
  1788.  
  1789.  
  1790.  
  1791. <p>Buddhism swept through Xinjiang in the 1st century AD with the flow of merchants and armies. This was well before the spread of Islam in the 11th century.</p>
  1792.  
  1793.  
  1794.  
  1795. <p>As the teachings of Buddhism traveled throughout the region, towers were built to display statues and art. Some of these stupas were huge towers and some of them were small mounds, such as the stupas on the northern end of <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/jiaohe-ancient-ruins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Turpan&#8217;s ancient city of Jiaohe</a>&nbsp;(seen below).</p>
  1796.  
  1797.  
  1798.  
  1799. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Jiaohe-Stupa-Grove-625x439.jpg" alt="The stupa grove at the Turpan Jiaohe Ancient City ruins in Xinjiang" class="wp-image-6387" width="625" height="439" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Jiaohe-Stupa-Grove-625x439.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Jiaohe-Stupa-Grove-300x211.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Jiaohe-Stupa-Grove.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1800.  
  1801.  
  1802.  
  1803. <p>What interests me most, though, are the tall towers that ancient explorers used to write about. There&#8217;s not a mention of them in any travel guide and yet I had heard they existed.</p>
  1804.  
  1805.  
  1806.  
  1807. <p>I was determined to find what were known as the &#8220;Sirkip&#8221; and &#8220;Taizang&#8221; towers reportedly located about an hour east of the <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oasis town of Turpan</a>.</p>
  1808.  
  1809.  
  1810.  
  1811. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1812.  
  1813.  
  1814. <div class="g g-3"><div class="g-col b-3 a-12"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MTIsMywxLDYw" href="https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7557479-15379704" target="_top">
  1815. <img decoding="async" src="https://www.tqlkg.com/image-7557479-15379704" width="300" height="250" alt="" border="0"/></a></div><div class="g-col b-3 a-20"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MjAsMywxLDYw" href="https://geni.us/xinjiang-guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" class="no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Xinjiang-2019-ad_300x250.jpg" alt="Buy the bestselling Xinjiang travel guide on Amazon" /></a></div></div>
  1816.  
  1817.  
  1818.  
  1819. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1820.  
  1821.  
  1822.  
  1823. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">History of Sirkip and Taizang Towers</h2>
  1824.  
  1825.  
  1826.  
  1827. <p>Known as the Sirkip and Taizang Towers, Chinese sources indicate they were built sometime between the 6th and 7th centuries AD. While the Taizang Tower still stands and is a protected landmark, the Sirkip Tower unfortunately collapsed and has now disappeared.</p>
  1828.  
  1829.  
  1830.  
  1831. <p>Reaching 20 meters in height, the Taizang Tower features Buddhist shrines on all four sides. Prior to its collapse, the Sirkip Tower was also constructed in similar fashion. Archaeologists claim that the structures were tied to the ancient city of Gaochang, which emerged as a trading center along the ancient Silk Road. Ancestors to the Uyghurs even had established a kingdom at Gaochang in the early 9th century and called it Qocho.</p>
  1832.  
  1833.  
  1834.  
  1835. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Taizang-Tower-625x402.jpg" alt="Xinjiang's Taizang Tower near Turpan in Xinjiang" class="wp-image-9735" width="625" height="402" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Taizang-Tower-625x402.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Taizang-Tower-300x193.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Xinjiang-Taizang-Tower-768x493.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1836.  
  1837.  
  1838.  
  1839. <p>What the ruins at Gaochang and the two towers of Sirkip and Taizang have in common is that they together reflect the prominence of Buddhism in Xinjiang during the height of the Silk Road trades.</p>
  1840.  
  1841.  
  1842.  
  1843. <p>For Uyghurs, the ruins are also a reminder of their Buddhist cultural heritage prior to their conversion to Islam.</p>
  1844.  
  1845.  
  1846.  
  1847. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Two Towers and the Great Game</strong></h2>
  1848.  
  1849.  
  1850.  
  1851. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein.jpg" alt="Xinjiang explorer Aurel Stein" class="wp-image-9736" width="272" height="397" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein.jpg 272w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein-206x300.jpg 206w" sizes="(max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px" /></figure></div>
  1852.  
  1853.  
  1854.  
  1855. <p>Although Indiana Jones amounts to nothing more than mere fiction and fantasy, the two Buddhist towers west of Turpan feature in an actual tale of <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-wanted-foreigners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Western explorers in Xinjiang (opens in a new tab)">Western explorers in Xinjiang</a> discovering treasure and antiquities along China’s Ancient Silk Road.</p>
  1856.  
  1857.  
  1858.  
  1859. <p>The most prominent of these Western explorers is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aurel-Stein" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Aurel Stein (opens in a new tab)">Aurel Stein</a>, a Hungarian-British archaeologist who made four expeditions to Central Asia in the early 20th century.</p>
  1860.  
  1861.  
  1862.  
  1863. <p>Inspired by his “patron saint” Xuanzang, Aurel Stein set out to discover the wealth of the Silk Road described by Xuanzang in his travels from Chang’an to India.</p>
  1864.  
  1865.  
  1866.  
  1867. <p>Across his expeditions Aurel Stein documented and photographed the ancient locations he visited, which included the Sirkip Tower and Taizang Tower.</p>
  1868.  
  1869.  
  1870.  
  1871. <p>As for Silk Road treasures, Aurel Stein uncovered and took with him ancient tablets, relics, frescoes and his largest find of 40,000 scrolls including the world’s oldest printed text the Diamond Sutra.</p>
  1872.  
  1873.  
  1874.  
  1875. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sirkip-Tower-Photo-Map-625x430.jpg" alt="An old photo and map of Sirkip Tower by Aurel Stein" class="wp-image-9737" width="625" height="430" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sirkip-Tower-Photo-Map-625x430.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sirkip-Tower-Photo-Map-300x206.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sirkip-Tower-Photo-Map-768x528.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Sirkip-Tower-Photo-Map.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1876.  
  1877.  
  1878.  
  1879. <p>All these discoveries did not come without a little competition however. It did not take long for news of Aurel Stein’s discoveries to reach competing factions and nations.</p>
  1880.  
  1881.  
  1882.  
  1883. <p>During the first quarter of the 20th century, archaeologists from Great Britain, Russia, Germany, Japan and other nations competed for shares of Silk Road treasure.</p>
  1884.  
  1885.  
  1886.  
  1887. <p>These archaeological exploits even got tangled up in what has been termed <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/south-asia/1980-03-01/great-game-asia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Great Game</a> where Great Britain and Russia competed for political influence along the crossroads of their empires.</p>
  1888.  
  1889.  
  1890.  
  1891. <p>Apart from the Western archaeologists that traversed China’s far west at the behest of their governments, Christian missionaries also happened to find their way out to Xinjiang.</p>
  1892.  
  1893.  
  1894.  
  1895. <p>Among the most famous include Francesca French and Mildred Cable who documented the Tower of Sirkip and the Taizang Tower in their book, <em><a href="https://geni.us/the-gobi-desert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">The Gobi Desert</a>.</em></p>
  1896.  
  1897.  
  1898.  
  1899. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1900.  
  1901.  
  1902. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-22"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MjIsMSwxLDYw" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7557479-15379715" target="_top">
  1903. <img decoding="async" src="https://www.awltovhc.com/image-7557479-15379715" width="728" height="90" alt="" border="0"/></a></div></div></div>
  1904.  
  1905.  
  1906.  
  1907. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1908.  
  1909.  
  1910.  
  1911. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How to Visit the Taizang Tower</strong></h2>
  1912.  
  1913.  
  1914.  
  1915. <p>The Taizang Tower, or <em>taizangta</em> 台藏塔, is located 40 kilometers east of Turpan in Sānbǎoxiāng. It is also less than two kilometers from the ancient city of Gaochang and not too far from the <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/astana-tombs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astana Tombs</a>.</p>
  1916.  
  1917.  
  1918.  
  1919. <p>If the Astana Tombs are of interest to you, you can stop there before heading out to Taizang Tower or the ancient city of Gaochang. However as Taizang Tower is absent from travel guides, it may take some exploring on your part to discover this site on your own.</p>
  1920.  
  1921.  
  1922.  
  1923. <ul><li><strong>Transportation</strong>: You need to hire a private taxi to visit Taizang Tower. Rates depend on the size of your party and how many places you would like to visit on the way, but generally you can push to have a standard taxi take you to Astana, Gaochang, and Taizang Tower for 400-600 RMB.</li><li><strong>Entry Fee</strong>: When I visited, the gate was locked and visitors were not permitted inside. I was told that the entry fee used to be 30 RMB. Information I found indicated a man across the street held the key and would let us in, but after much negotiating he wouldn&#8217;t allow it. Fortunately, even if you come up against the same problem, it&#8217;s still possible to walk around the perimeter of the tower.</li></ul>
  1924.  
  1925.  
  1926.  
  1927. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taizang-Tower-Turpan-Xinjiang-625x386.jpg" alt="The Taizang Tower in Turpan, Xinjiang" class="wp-image-9738" width="625" height="386" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taizang-Tower-Turpan-Xinjiang-625x386.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taizang-Tower-Turpan-Xinjiang-300x185.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taizang-Tower-Turpan-Xinjiang-768x474.jpg 768w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taizang-Tower-Turpan-Xinjiang.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  1928.  
  1929.  
  1930.  
  1931. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong> on Buddhist Stupas in Xinjiang</h2>
  1932.  
  1933.  
  1934.  
  1935. <p>If you are a history buff or if the thought of exploring ancient Silk Road ruins sounds appealing, be sure to check out the Taizang Tower during your visit to Turpan.</p>
  1936.  
  1937.  
  1938.  
  1939. <p>You may even experience the feeling of being Indiana Jones discovering a lost city!</p>
  1940.  
  1941.  
  1942.  
  1943. <p>Remember, all of this information and so much more can be found in the <a href="https://www.xjtravelguide.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">FarWestChina Xinjiang Travel Guide</a>. Grab a copy for yourself &#8211; I promise you won&#8217;t be disappointed!</p>
  1944.  
  1945.  
  1946.  
  1947. <p><strong>Have you visited the Taizang Tower or ruins of Sirkip in Turpan?</strong> Do you have any interesting historical facts on the tower not covered in this guide? Please share your thoughts below!</p>
  1948.  
  1949.  
  1950.  
  1951. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1952.  
  1953.  
  1954. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  1955. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  1956.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  1957.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  1958.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  1959.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  1960.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  1961. <script>
  1962.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  1963. </script></div>
  1964. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/xinjiang-buddhist-stupas/">Buddhist Stupas in Xinjiang | &#8220;A Tale of Two Towers&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1965. ]]></content:encoded>
  1969. </item>
  1970. <item>
  1971. <title>Golf in Xinjiang, China &#124; Elite Sport in a Poor Province</title>
  1972. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/golf-in-xinjiang-elite-sport-in-poor-province/</link>
  1974. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  1975. <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1976. <category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
  1977. <category><![CDATA[golf]]></category>
  1978. <category><![CDATA[karamay]]></category>
  1979. <category><![CDATA[nanshan]]></category>
  1980. <category><![CDATA[Urumqi]]></category>
  1981. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=2662</guid>
  1982.  
  1983. <description><![CDATA[<p>A short distance south of Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi there is a portion of beautiful land known as Nanshan, or "South Mountains". For years tourist and locals have traveled away from the noisy, polluted city life seeking the peaceful scenery that Nanshan provides, but soon they will have an entirely different reason to visit: a new luxury golf course.</p>
  1984. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/golf-in-xinjiang-elite-sport-in-poor-province/">Golf in Xinjiang, China | Elite Sport in a Poor Province</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  1985. ]]></description>
  1986. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1987. <p>As fun as the game is to play, golf is viewed across the globe as an elite sport that sucks up a lot of natural resources and is useful only to the rich. So why is golf growing in China&#8217;s western Xinjiang province, one of the poorest in all the country?</p>
  1988.  
  1989.  
  1990.  
  1991. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Golf-in-China.jpg" alt="Growing sport of golf in China" class="wp-image-12073" width="625" height="450" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Golf-in-China.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Golf-in-China-300x216.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure>
  1992.  
  1993.  
  1994.  
  1995. <p class="has-text-align-left">A short distance south of <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/urumqi/">Xinjiang&#8217;s capital of Urumqi</a>, there is a portion of beautiful land known as Nanshan, or &#8220;South Mountains&#8221;.</p>
  1996.  
  1997.  
  1998.  
  1999. <p class="has-text-align-left">For years tourist and locals have traveled away from the noisy, polluted city life seeking the peaceful scenery that Nanshan provides. They can picnic, hike, bicycle and now&#8230;</p>
  2000.  
  2001.  
  2002.  
  2003. <p>&#8230;play golf in China at Xinjiang&#8217;s new luxury course.</p>
  2004.  
  2005.  
  2006.  
  2007. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2008.  
  2009.  
  2010. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  2011. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  2012.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  2013.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  2014.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  2015.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  2016.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  2017. <script>
  2018.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  2019. </script></div>
  2020.  
  2021.  
  2022.  
  2023. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2024.  
  2025.  
  2026.  
  2027. <h2 class="has-text-align-left wp-block-heading">Growing Golf Market in Xinjiang</h2>
  2028.  
  2029.  
  2030.  
  2031. <p class="has-text-align-left">Of course, very few people I met in Xinjiang know how to play golf &#8211; much less can afford to play.</p>
  2032.  
  2033.  
  2034.  
  2035. <p class="has-text-align-left">But that&#8217;s beside the point.</p>
  2036.  
  2037.  
  2038.  
  2039. <p class="has-text-align-left">The worldwide image of golf as an elite, rich-man&#8217;s sport has somehow enticed developers in one of China&#8217;s poorer provinces to begin building golf courses.</p>
  2040.  
  2041.  
  2042.  
  2043. <p class="has-text-align-left">It should be noted that golf won&#8217;t be the first sport to entertain visitors of Nanshan.</p>
  2044.  
  2045.  
  2046.  
  2047. <p class="has-text-align-left">As you can see from the picture, <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/see-xinjiang-winter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skiing in Xinjiang has become quite popular</a> among the middle class as well (note the ski lift). Ski resorts have popped up everywhere around Urumqi and a few other wealthier Xinjiang cities.</p>
  2048.  
  2049.  
  2050.  
  2051. <p class="has-text-align-left">Skiing, however, is affordable.</p>
  2052.  
  2053.  
  2054.  
  2055. <p class="has-text-align-left">Golf is not.</p>
  2056.  
  2057.  
  2058.  
  2059. <p class="has-text-align-left">So the question remains: <strong><em>if you build it, will they come?</em></strong></p>
  2060.  
  2061.  
  2062.  
  2063. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2064.  
  2065.  
  2066. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-5"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="NSwxLDEsNjA=" href="https://www.linkev.com/?offer=3monthsfree&a_aid=farwestchina&data1=fwc&data2=banner" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ExpressVPN-1.png" class="no_border" alt="Get ExpressVPN to bypass censorship in China" /></a></div></div></div>
  2067.  
  2068.  
  2069.  
  2070. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2071.  
  2072.  
  2073.  
  2074. <h2 class="has-text-align-left wp-block-heading">Golfing in the Middle of Nowhere</h2>
  2075.  
  2076.  
  2077.  
  2078. <p class="has-text-align-left">Karamay is a small, young city by China standards (pop: 200,000, 60 yrs old).</p>
  2079.  
  2080.  
  2081.  
  2082. <p class="has-text-align-left">It is located in northern Xinjiang about 4 hours away from Urumqi and boasts one of the <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/karamay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highest standards of living anywhere in China</a> thanks to the booming oil industry.</p>
  2083.  
  2084.  
  2085.  
  2086. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf-Course.jpg" alt="A golf course in Karamay, Xinjiang" class="wp-image-2665" width="480" height="301" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf-Course.jpg 480w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf-Course-300x188.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /><figcaption>An empty golf course in Karamay, Xinjiang</figcaption></figure></div>
  2087.  
  2088.  
  2089.  
  2090. <p class="has-text-align-left">Part of the excess money that has poured into the city thanks to oil has been spent on a <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/central-park-chinese-style/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">million-dollar city park</a>, <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/religion-in-xinjiang-desert-worship-of/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">incredible water attractions</a>, and &#8211; now &#8211; a golf course.</p>
  2091.  
  2092.  
  2093.  
  2094. <p class="has-text-align-left">As far as the park is concerned, every day hundreds of people young and old visit the park and flocks gather to watch the water and light show along the man-made river.</p>
  2095.  
  2096.  
  2097.  
  2098. <p class="has-text-align-left"><em>Not once in four years did I ever see anybody play on that golf course.</em></p>
  2099.  
  2100.  
  2101.  
  2102. <p class="has-text-align-left">The course is beautiful, well-kept and dotted with lovely fake oil rigs.</p>
  2103.  
  2104.  
  2105.  
  2106. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf.jpg" alt="A fake oil rig on the Karamay golf course in Xinjiang, China" class="wp-image-2664" width="480" height="208" title="Karamay Golf" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf.jpg 480w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Karamay-Golf-300x130.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></figure></div>
  2107.  
  2108.  
  2109.  
  2110. <p class="has-text-align-left">I was quite interested to play a round of golf there but unfortunately I could find no person to play with me. The cost was too high for my Chinese and Uyghur friends and they didn&#8217;t even know how to play.</p>
  2111.  
  2112.  
  2113.  
  2114. <h2 class="has-text-align-left wp-block-heading">The State of Golf in China</h2>
  2115.  
  2116.  
  2117.  
  2118. <p class="has-text-align-left">Dan Washburn, a Shanghai-based writer, teamed up with photographer Ryan Pyle earlier this year for a Financial Times story about<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/22639c8a-ef65-11de-86c4-00144feab49a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> a secret new golf course in China&#8217;s Hainan province</a> (paid firewall&#8230;sorry)</p>
  2119.  
  2120.  
  2121.  
  2122. <p class="has-text-align-left">In the article, Dan dives into the world of golf in China and how, despite a moratorium on golf course construction, developers are working to finish the largest collection of golf courses in the world.</p>
  2123.  
  2124.  
  2125.  
  2126. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2127.  
  2128.  
  2129. <div class="g g-2"><div class="g-single a-8"><a class="gofollow" data-track="OCwyLDEsNjA=" href="https://www.linkev.com/?offer=3monthsfree&a_aid=farwestchina&data1=fwc&data2=banner" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ExpressVPN-2.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try ExpressVPN to get past the Great Firewall of China" /></a></div></div>
  2130.  
  2131.  
  2132.  
  2133. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2134.  
  2135.  
  2136.  
  2137. <p class="has-text-align-left">How then, can these courses in Hainan be built?</p>
  2138.  
  2139.  
  2140.  
  2141. <p class="has-text-align-left">How can Xinjiang be constructing new courses if it&#8217;s against the law?</p>
  2142.  
  2143.  
  2144.  
  2145. <p class="has-text-align-left">Dan&#8217;s answer:</p>
  2146.  
  2147.  
  2148.  
  2149. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p style="text-align: left;">There’s an answer to these questions, too, and it is also China. In the years since the government announced its supposed golf course moratorium, the number of courses has nearly trebled to an estimated 600 or so. In China, there is always a way.</p></blockquote>
  2150.  
  2151.  
  2152.  
  2153. <p class="has-text-align-left">Naturally all the money spent on golf raises concerns of corruption.</p>
  2154.  
  2155.  
  2156.  
  2157. <p class="has-text-align-left">Years ago, government officials in Wenzhou were given an ultimatum: either <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110906164044/https://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66102/7102940.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">quit a new golf association</a> or take part in a &#8220;self-criticism&#8221; &#8211; the Chinese way of saying &#8220;be publicly humiliated&#8221;.</p>
  2158.  
  2159.  
  2160.  
  2161. <p class="has-text-align-left">Needless to say, most of them chose the former.</p>
  2162.  
  2163.  
  2164.  
  2165. <h2 class="has-text-align-left wp-block-heading">Why Golf in China</h2>
  2166.  
  2167.  
  2168.  
  2169. <p class="has-text-align-left">Despite the moratorium on course construction; despite the government frowning on golf association memberships; despite the few people in Xinjiang who can afford to play&#8230;</p>
  2170.  
  2171.  
  2172.  
  2173. <p class="has-text-align-left">&#8230;construction of new golf courses continues in China.</p>
  2174.  
  2175.  
  2176.  
  2177. <p class="has-text-align-left">But why?</p>
  2178.  
  2179.  
  2180.  
  2181. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Xinjiang-Golf-Ad-583x421.jpg" alt="An advertisement for golf in Xinjiang" class="wp-image-2666" width="583" height="421" title="Xinjiang Golf Ad" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Xinjiang-Golf-Ad-583x421.jpg 583w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Xinjiang-Golf-Ad-300x217.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Xinjiang-Golf-Ad.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px" /></figure></div>
  2182.  
  2183.  
  2184.  
  2185. <p>It could be a number of different things.</p>
  2186.  
  2187.  
  2188.  
  2189. <ul><li>Maybe it&#8217;s the internationally-promoted image of golf as representative of a developed country or city. Tourism literature like what you see above boasts high-class facilities available to businessmen and foreign visitors.</li><li>Maybe the upper-class Chinese really do enjoy golf and are a market ready to be tapped.</li></ul>
  2190.  
  2191.  
  2192.  
  2193. <p class="has-text-align-left">Whatever the reason, it has the potential to further divide Xinjiang&#8217;s rich and poor in a way that can&#8217;t easily be overlooked.</p>
  2194.  
  2195.  
  2196.  
  2197. <p class="has-text-align-left">Interesting how luxury golf courses are being built in an area that is receiving <em><strong>trillions</strong></em> of dollars in government aid, don&#8217;t you think?</p>
  2198.  
  2199.  
  2200.  
  2201. <p class="has-text-align-left"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Update:</strong></span> Apparently, Karamay and Urumqi aren&#8217;t the only two cities capitalizing on golf courses. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stefangeens/4934865159/in/set-72157624705827811" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Kashgar is getting a golf course</a> as well.</p>
  2202.  
  2203.  
  2204.  
  2205. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2206.  
  2207.  
  2208. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  2209. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  2210.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  2211.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  2212.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  2213.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  2214.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  2215. <script>
  2216.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  2217. </script></div>
  2218. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/golf-in-xinjiang-elite-sport-in-poor-province/">Golf in Xinjiang, China | Elite Sport in a Poor Province</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  2219. ]]></content:encoded>
  2223. </item>
  2224. <item>
  2225. <title>Xinjiang&#8217;s Most Hated Foreigners</title>
  2226. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-wanted-foreigners/</link>
  2228. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  2229. <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2230. <category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
  2231. <category><![CDATA[aurel stein]]></category>
  2232. <category><![CDATA[von le coq]]></category>
  2233. <category><![CDATA[yaqub beg]]></category>
  2234. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=2738</guid>
  2235.  
  2236. <description><![CDATA[<p>Most foreigners these days are welcomed to Xinjiang with open arms. There is, however, a list of foreigners - both past and present - who will forever be scorned in the Xinjiang history books. This is the Xinjiang Most-Wanted Foreigners List.</p>
  2237. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-wanted-foreigners/">Xinjiang&#8217;s Most Hated Foreigners</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  2238. ]]></description>
  2239. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  2240. <p>With the exception of journalist and one particular woman named Rebiya Kadeer, most foreigners these days are &#8220;welcome&#8221; to visit Xinjiang as tourist. But it wasn&#8217;t always like this. China has it&#8217;s own list of most-wanted foreigners associated with Xinjiang and you might be surprised to find who is on it.</p>
  2241.  
  2242.  
  2243.  
  2244. <div class="wp-block-image no_border"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Wanted-e1283133928383.jpg" alt="Xinjiangs Most Wanted List" class="wp-image-2744" width="365" height="132" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Wanted-e1283133928383.jpg 365w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Wanted-e1283133928383-300x108.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 365px) 100vw, 365px" /></figure></div>
  2245.  
  2246.  
  2247.  
  2248. <p>I&#8217;d like to present to you a list of foreigners (i.e. non-Chinese), both past and present, who will forever be scorned in the Xinjiang history books and erased from memory at the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/urumqi/xinjiang-autonomous-region-museum/" target="_blank">Xinjiang museum in Urumqi</a>.</p>
  2249.  
  2250.  
  2251.  
  2252. <p>Fair or not, these men and women have been branded by words and stories that leave Chinese people in the province shaking their head in disgust.</p>
  2253.  
  2254.  
  2255.  
  2256. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2257.  
  2258.  
  2259. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  2260. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  2261.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  2262.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  2263.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  2264.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  2265.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  2266. <script>
  2267.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  2268. </script></div>
  2269.  
  2270.  
  2271.  
  2272. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2273.  
  2274.  
  2275.  
  2276. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Yaqub Beg (Central Asian)</h2>
  2277.  
  2278.  
  2279.  
  2280. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Yaqub-Beg.jpg" alt="Xinjiang ruler (or tyrant?) Yaqub Beg" class="wp-image-2741" width="200" height="334" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Yaqub-Beg.jpg 200w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Yaqub-Beg-179x300.jpg 179w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></figure></div>
  2281.  
  2282.  
  2283.  
  2284. <p>Born in modern-day Uzbekistan, Yaqub Beg is one of the most hated figures in Xinjiang&#8217;s history. </p>
  2285.  
  2286.  
  2287.  
  2288. <p>Throughout the 19th century Yaqub held considerable sway over the western portion of Xinjiang and was known as a harsh leader. Xinjiang history articles (written by the Chinese, of course) describe his birth as such:</p>
  2289.  
  2290.  
  2291.  
  2292. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p>His father was a religious [person] who chanted sutras for patients. Soon after Yakub was born, his parents divorced. His mother remarried a butcher. Butcher&#8217;s adopted son was still a butcher. The only difference was that he slaughtered people.</p></blockquote>
  2293.  
  2294.  
  2295.  
  2296. <p>The feelings toward his place in history still remain: in 1978 during a renovation of the <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/kashgar/apak-khoja-mausoleum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Apak Khoja Mausoleum in Kashgar (opens in a new tab)">Apak Khoja Mausoleum in Kashgar</a> where Yaqub was buried, his <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.thwaites.com.au/rlc/chap13.htm" target="_blank">tomb was razed</a>.</p>
  2297.  
  2298.  
  2299.  
  2300. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2301.  
  2302.  
  2303. <div class="g g-1"><div class="g-single a-21"><div align="center"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MjEsMSwxLDYw" href="https://geni.us/xinjiang-guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Xinjiang-2019-ad_728x90.jpg" class="no_border" alt="Buy the bestselling Xinjiang travel guide on Amazon" /></a></div></div></div>
  2304.  
  2305.  
  2306.  
  2307. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2308.  
  2309.  
  2310.  
  2311. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Albert von Le Coq (German)</h2>
  2312.  
  2313.  
  2314.  
  2315. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Albert-von-le-coq.jpg" alt="German archeologist Albert von le Coq" class="wp-image-2739" width="180" height="237"/></figure></div>
  2316.  
  2317.  
  2318.  
  2319. <p>If you&#8217;ve ever visited the Gaochang ruins or the Beziklik caves in <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/turpan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Turpan</a>, you&#8217;ve seen von Le Coq&#8217;s work. Likewise you&#8217;ve also seen the signs in the caves that tell of how the foreigner &#8220;thieves came in and stole&#8221; the precious paintings.</p>
  2320.  
  2321.  
  2322.  
  2323. <p>Albert von Le Coq was one of many foreign archeologist to explore Xinjiang and take back countless paintings and artifacts to Berlin where many were bombed to pieces during World War II.</p>
  2324.  
  2325.  
  2326.  
  2327. <p>If you have the time, writer Peter Hopkirk published an amazing account of <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/book-review-foreign-devils-on-silk-road/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="foreign exploration and exploits in western China (opens in a new tab)">foreign exploration and exploits in western China</a>.</p>
  2328.  
  2329.  
  2330.  
  2331. <p>Regardless of your opinion about whether archeologist in the early 20th century &#8220;stole&#8221; paintings or &#8220;rescued&#8221; them, one thing is certain &#8211; the Chinese hate the legacy he left in Xinjiang.</p>
  2332.  
  2333.  
  2334.  
  2335. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2336.  
  2337.  
  2338. <div class="g g-3"><div class="g-col b-3 a-18"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MTgsMywxLDYw" href="https://geni.us/travelguidekindle" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img decoding="async" class="no_border" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/TCC-Travel-Book.png" alt="Get the bestselling China travel handbook by TravelChinaCheaper!" /></a></div><div class="g-col b-3 a-12"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MTIsMywxLDYw" href="https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7557479-15379704" target="_top">
  2339. <img decoding="async" src="https://www.tqlkg.com/image-7557479-15379704" width="300" height="250" alt="" border="0"/></a></div></div>
  2340.  
  2341.  
  2342.  
  2343. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2344.  
  2345.  
  2346.  
  2347. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Aurel Stein &#8211; (Hungarian / British)</h2>
  2348.  
  2349.  
  2350.  
  2351. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein.jpg" alt="Xinjiang explorer Aurel Stein" class="wp-image-9736" width="272" height="397" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein.jpg 272w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Aurel-Stein-206x300.jpg 206w" sizes="(max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px" /></figure></div>
  2352.  
  2353.  
  2354.  
  2355. <p>Right up there with von LeCoq, Stein is also despised for what he took out of both Xinjiang and Gansu.</p>
  2356.  
  2357.  
  2358.  
  2359. <p>His work can be seen all around the Taklamakan and he was credited with finding and excavating many lost desert cities during his expeditions.</p>
  2360.  
  2361.  
  2362.  
  2363. <p>Perhaps his most famous footnote in history, however, was when he was able to gain access to a padlocked cave near Dunhuang (Gansu) that housed the Diamond Sutra &#8211; the world&#8217;s oldest printed text.</p>
  2364.  
  2365.  
  2366.  
  2367. <p>The story it amazing<a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/2010/03/book-review-foreign-devils-on-silk-road.html"></a>, but suffice to say the Chinese believe a young monk who didn&#8217;t have a clue what he was protecting was hoodwinked by an educated foreigner.</p>
  2368.  
  2369.  
  2370.  
  2371. <p>Stein was somehow able to exit Xinjiang with crates upon crates of Central Asian treasure, much of which is still stored and sometimes displayed in the British Museum to the ire of Chinese officials.</p>
  2372.  
  2373.  
  2374.  
  2375. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2376.  
  2377.  
  2378. <div class="g g-2"><div class="g-single a-8"><a class="gofollow" data-track="OCwyLDEsNjA=" href="https://www.linkev.com/?offer=3monthsfree&a_aid=farwestchina&data1=fwc&data2=banner" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ExpressVPN-2.gif" class="no_border" alt="Try ExpressVPN to get past the Great Firewall of China" /></a></div></div>
  2379.  
  2380.  
  2381.  
  2382. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2383.  
  2384.  
  2385.  
  2386. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Rebiya Kadeer &#8211; Exiled Uyghur Leader (US)</h2>
  2387.  
  2388.  
  2389.  
  2390. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Rebiya-Kadeer.jpg" alt="Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer" class="wp-image-2742" width="300" height="448" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Rebiya-Kadeer.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Rebiya-Kadeer-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div>
  2391.  
  2392.  
  2393.  
  2394. <p>The exiled Uyghur Rebiya Kadeer, pictured on the right, holds the distinction of being the <strong>only woman</strong> on this list as well as the <strong>only living person on Xinjiang&#8217;s Most Wanted list</strong>.</p>
  2395.  
  2396.  
  2397.  
  2398. <p>Technically she&#8217;s not a foreigner since she was born in Xinjiang, but considering her current residence in the US it&#8217;s safe to call her a stranger in her own land.</p>
  2399.  
  2400.  
  2401.  
  2402. <p>Her story is quite interesting, working her way from being a poor business woman doing laundry to eventually becoming the richest woman in China and a part of the Xinjiang government.</p>
  2403.  
  2404.  
  2405.  
  2406. <p>Her criticism of the government, however, eventually earned her a spot in a Chinese prison where she was incarcerated for years.</p>
  2407.  
  2408.  
  2409.  
  2410. <p>Upon release she left for the US where she still actively works on behalf of the Uyghur, but since the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiang-crippled-by-urumqi-riots/" target="_blank">Urumqi riots in 2009</a> and the accusations that she was the mastermind behind it all, her reputation among Han Chinese in Xinjiang has become that of a wanted criminal.</p>
  2411.  
  2412.  
  2413.  
  2414. <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  2415.  
  2416.  
  2417. <div class="a-single a-4"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
  2418. <ins class="adsbygoogle"
  2419.     style="display:block; text-align:center;"
  2420.     data-ad-layout="in-article"
  2421.     data-ad-format="fluid"
  2422.     data-ad-client="ca-pub-0068199719738392"
  2423.     data-ad-slot="6282705113"></ins>
  2424. <script>
  2425.     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
  2426. </script></div>
  2427. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/blog/xinjiangs-most-wanted-foreigners/">Xinjiang&#8217;s Most Hated Foreigners</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  2428. ]]></content:encoded>
  2432. </item>
  2433. <item>
  2434. <title>How to Travel From Urumqi to Kazakhstan</title>
  2435. <link>https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/how-to-travel-from-urumqi-to-kazakhstan/</link>
  2437. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Summers]]></dc:creator>
  2438. <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2439. <category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
  2440. <category><![CDATA[kazakhstan]]></category>
  2441. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.farwestchina.com/?p=11962</guid>
  2442.  
  2443. <description><![CDATA[<p>Since you&#8217;re already pretty deep into Central Asia when you visit China&#8217;s western region of Xinjiang, many people take the opportunity to visit some neighboring countries as well. Kazakhstan makes an excellent introduction to “the Stans” and is easily reachable from far west China. Here&#8217;s how to travel from Urumqi to Kazakhstan. There are plenty [&#8230;]</p>
  2444. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/how-to-travel-from-urumqi-to-kazakhstan/">How to Travel From Urumqi to Kazakhstan</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  2445. ]]></description>
  2446. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  2447. <p>Since you&#8217;re already pretty deep into Central Asia when you visit China&#8217;s western region of Xinjiang, many people take the opportunity to visit some neighboring countries as well. Kazakhstan makes an excellent introduction to “the Stans” and is easily reachable from far west China. Here&#8217;s how to travel from Urumqi to Kazakhstan.</p>
  2448.  
  2449.  
  2450.  
  2451. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Almatay-from-Kok-Tobe.jpg" alt="View of Almaty at sunset" class="wp-image-11969" width="625" height="417" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Almatay-from-Kok-Tobe.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Almatay-from-Kok-Tobe-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  2452.  
  2453.  
  2454.  
  2455. <p>There are plenty of good reasons to make the trip across the border to <a href="https://thetripgoeson.com/backpacking-in-kazakhstan/">backpack through Kazakhstan</a>.</p>
  2456.  
  2457.  
  2458.  
  2459. <p>In addition to discovering the beautiful city of Almaty, tucked beneath the Zailiski Alatu Mountains, there are plenty of other great places to visit that I&#8217;ll share below.</p>
  2460.  
  2461.  
  2462.  
  2463. <p>Kazakhstan is a dream for adventure lovers and those looking to escape the well-trodden tourist paths. This wild land of steppe, desert and mountains is steeped in history and was an important part of the ancient Silk Routes.</p>
  2464.  
  2465.  
  2466.  
  2467. <p>So, let’s find out the best way to travel from China to Kazakhstan!</p>
  2468.  
  2469.  
  2470.  
  2471. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crossing the Border: China to Kazakhstan</h2>
  2472.  
  2473.  
  2474.  
  2475. <p>There are three different ways you can cross the border from China to Kazakhstan.</p>
  2476.  
  2477.  
  2478.  
  2479. <ol><li><strong>Fly</strong> Urumqi &#8211;&gt; Almaty (Check flight prices here)</li><li><strong>Train</strong>: Take the Urumqi to Almatay train</li><li><strong>Daily Sleeper Bus</strong></li></ol>
  2480.  
  2481.  
  2482.  
  2483. <p>We&#8217;re going to cover each option here, but there are even more details in the <a href="https://www.xjtravelguide.com">FarWestChina Xinjiang travel guide</a>.</p>
  2484.  
  2485.  
  2486.  
  2487. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Urumqi to Almaty by Plane</h3>
  2488.  
  2489.  
  2490.  
  2491. <ul><li>Pros: Quickest option</li><li>Cons: You miss the stunning Tian Shan scenery</li><li>Journey Time: 2 hours</li><li>Cost: From ¥500 ($70)</li></ul>
  2492.  
  2493.  
  2494.  
  2495. <p>China Southern has flights on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and Air Astana has one flight on Thursdays. Each of these flights departs from the <a href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/urumqi-airport-travel-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Urumqi international airport</a>.</p>
  2496.  
  2497.  
  2498.  
  2499. <p>Total flight time is under two hours.</p>
  2500.  
  2501.  
  2502.  
  2503. <p>China Southern Airlines also has scheduled flights from Urumqi to Nur-Sultan on Sunday’s and Thursdays, and Air Astana on Saturdays.</p>
  2504.  
  2505.  
  2506.  
  2507. <p>Flight time for these flights is approximately three hours. I’ve flown the route with Air Astana and found the service very good.</p>
  2508.  
  2509.  
  2510.  
  2511. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Urumqi to Almaty by Train</h3>
  2512.  
  2513.  
  2514.  
  2515. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Xinjiang-Train.jpg" alt="Xinjiang train on a bridge" class="wp-image-12479" width="625" height="439" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Xinjiang-Train.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Xinjiang-Train-300x211.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  2516.  
  2517.  
  2518.  
  2519. <ul><li>Pros: Easy to arrange, comfortable</li><li>Cons: Slower and pricier than the bus</li><li>Journey Time: 33 hours</li><li>Cost: ¥735 ($105)</li></ul>
  2520.  
  2521.  
  2522.  
  2523. <p>There are two weekly train services between Urumqi and Almaty. The journey time is around 33 hours which is longer than going by bus.</p>
  2524.  
  2525.  
  2526.  
  2527. <p>The reason for this is that the bogies (train car wheels) need to be changed as the track gauges in China and Kazakhstan are different.</p>
  2528.  
  2529.  
  2530.  
  2531. <p>Check which station the train departs from as the trains can go from both the new Urumqi station or the older Urumqi South (learn about the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/traveling-by-train-from-urumqi-station/" target="_blank">Urumqi train stations here</a>).</p>
  2532.  
  2533.  
  2534.  
  2535. <p>You can buy tickets at desk 12 of Urumqi South Railway Station.</p>
  2536.  
  2537.  
  2538.  
  2539. <p>Be aware that there is no restaurant car so stock up on supplies for the long journey. Hot water is available on each carriage. Toilets will be locked at the border and when changing the bogies so try and plan for this.</p>
  2540.  
  2541.  
  2542.  
  2543. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Urumqi to Almaty by Bus</h3>
  2544.  
  2545.  
  2546.  
  2547. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Kashgar-Bus-Station-583x437.jpg" alt="A view of the Urumqi South Bus station" class="wp-image-2629" width="583" height="437" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Kashgar-Bus-Station-583x437.jpg 583w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Kashgar-Bus-Station-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Kashgar-Bus-Station.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px" /><figcaption>The Urumqi South Bus Station</figcaption></figure></div>
  2548.  
  2549.  
  2550.  
  2551. <ul><li>Pros: Cheap and quick</li><li>Cons: Hassle to arrange</li><li>Journey Time: 20 hours</li><li>Cost: Around ¥300 ($40)</li></ul>
  2552.  
  2553.  
  2554.  
  2555. <p>I have crossed the border between China and Kazakhstan four or five times by bus so know the ropes pretty well by now (though things are constantly changing).</p>
  2556.  
  2557.  
  2558.  
  2559. <p>Buses no longer depart from the Nianzhigou Bus Station (I went there to buy a ticket in July 2019 but the building had been torn down). I was unable to find out where the bus leaves from in Urumqi so decided to take a train to Yining close to the border where I knew there to be buses.</p>
  2560.  
  2561.  
  2562.  
  2563. <p>I have since discovered that the Almaty bus now departs from Urumqi International Bus Terminal next to Urumqi Railway Station (that is where I was dropped off when I did the journey in reverse in August 2019).</p>
  2564.  
  2565.  
  2566.  
  2567. <p>If, however there are no buses on the day(s) you wish to travel, you can take the train to Yining (4.5 hours by fast train or 6 to 10 hours slow train).</p>
  2568.  
  2569.  
  2570.  
  2571. <p>From Yining Railway Station take a taxi to the bus station where you can take a bus to the border town of Khorgas (2 hours).</p>
  2572.  
  2573.  
  2574.  
  2575. <p>You will be dropped at the Khorgas Bus Station from where you can buy a ticket to Zharkent on the other side of the border. The bus departs when full, but from previous experiences this is around 3pm.</p>
  2576.  
  2577.  
  2578.  
  2579. <p>If you arrive early make sure you have a good book as there is a little to see or do in Khorgas!</p>
  2580.  
  2581.  
  2582.  
  2583. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">The Chinese Border</h4>
  2584.  
  2585.  
  2586.  
  2587. <p>The bus will drive the short distance to the Chinese border where you will need to exit with all of your luggage. Make sure to pick up a Chinese exit card from one of the desks and fill it out. Proceed through the customs check as normal.</p>
  2588.  
  2589.  
  2590.  
  2591. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border-Crossing.jpg" alt="The international border crossing between China and Kazakhstan" class="wp-image-11971" width="625" height="469" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border-Crossing.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border-Crossing-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure>
  2592.  
  2593.  
  2594.  
  2595. <p><strong>Note:</strong> If you are making the trip in reverse and entering China from Kazakhstan, border authorities will go through your phone. Ensure you have nothing controversial on there (I was made to delete a couple of “memes” they didn’t find funny)!</p>
  2596.  
  2597.  
  2598.  
  2599. <p>Those traveling in this sensitive area can expect extended questioning at the border (both ways) so try and befriend people on the bus/the driver so they don’t leave without you (again, speaking from experience).</p>
  2600.  
  2601.  
  2602.  
  2603. <p>Once you have completed the customs and border checks go and wait at the exit with the others from your bus. You will need to wait around an hour for the bus to be checked and make its way through.</p>
  2604.  
  2605.  
  2606.  
  2607. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">The Kazakh Border</h4>
  2608.  
  2609.  
  2610.  
  2611. <p>You will repeat the same process on the Kazakh side and exit the bus with your belongings, proceed through immigration and wait for the bus.</p>
  2612.  
  2613.  
  2614.  
  2615. <p>The bus will then drive the hour or so to Zharkent where you will need to take a bus or private taxi to Almaty (6 hours $40).</p>
  2616.  
  2617.  
  2618.  
  2619. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Street-Donkey.jpg" alt="A donkey in the streets of Almaty in Kazakhstan" class="wp-image-11965" width="625" height="469" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Street-Donkey.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Street-Donkey-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure>
  2620.  
  2621.  
  2622.  
  2623. <p>Zharkent is a pleasant enough small town/village and you might consider spending the night there to get a real taste of rural Kazakhstan before making the onward trip across the desert and steppe to Almaty.</p>
  2624.  
  2625.  
  2626.  
  2627. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Things to do in Almaty, Kazakhstan</h2>
  2628.  
  2629.  
  2630.  
  2631. <p>Almaty is one of my favorite places in the world!</p>
  2632.  
  2633.  
  2634.  
  2635. <p>Wherever you are in the city, you can see the imposing snowy peaks of the Tian Shan. The Russian architecture such as Zhenkov Cathedral, the street-side cafes, the food and the general laid-back nature of the city never fails to warm me.</p>
  2636.  
  2637.  
  2638.  
  2639. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border.jpg" alt="Zhenkov Cathedral in Almaty" class="wp-image-11964" width="625" height="469" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Border-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  2640.  
  2641.  
  2642.  
  2643. <p>You could be forgiven for thinking that you are in Paris as smartly dressed people sip coffee at the cafes lining leafy-green boulevards (though not in winter).</p>
  2644.  
  2645.  
  2646.  
  2647. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Almaty’s Top Five Must See Places</h3>
  2648.  
  2649.  
  2650.  
  2651. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Paniflov Park</strong></h4>
  2652.  
  2653.  
  2654.  
  2655. <p>Paniflov Park is centrally located and a pleasant place to escape the city.</p>
  2656.  
  2657.  
  2658.  
  2659. <p>It houses the beautiful blue, yellow and white Zhenkov Cathedral, built in the Russian orthodox style.</p>
  2660.  
  2661.  
  2662.  
  2663. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Zhenkov-Cathedral.jpg" alt="Zhenkov Cathedral facing the front" class="wp-image-11966" width="625" height="469" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Zhenkov-Cathedral.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Khorgas-Zhenkov-Cathedral-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure>
  2664.  
  2665.  
  2666.  
  2667. <p>There is also an eternal flame and soviet war memorial with square-jawed soldiers clutching arms and flags.</p>
  2668.  
  2669.  
  2670.  
  2671. <p>Nearest Metro: Zhibek Zholy.</p>
  2672.  
  2673.  
  2674.  
  2675. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Kok Tobe</h4>
  2676.  
  2677.  
  2678.  
  2679. <p>Kok Tobe Mountain is home to an amusement park that overlooks the city.</p>
  2680.  
  2681.  
  2682.  
  2683. <p>Be sure to walk to the very back where you will find the Kok Tobe Café (more of a restaurant and bar) where you can enjoy some of the best shashlik and beer in town, with breath-taking views over Almaty.</p>
  2684.  
  2685.  
  2686.  
  2687. <p>Get there for sunset! You can reach Kok Tobe by cable car from outside Hotel Kazakhstan on Dostyk Avenue.</p>
  2688.  
  2689.  
  2690.  
  2691. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Medeu</h4>
  2692.  
  2693.  
  2694.  
  2695. <p>Medeu is home to the world’s highest ice-skating rink at 1,691 metres (5,547 feet).</p>
  2696.  
  2697.  
  2698.  
  2699. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Medeu-Ice-Rink.jpg" alt="The Medeu ice rink in Kazakhstan" class="wp-image-11968" width="625" height="469" srcset="https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Medeu-Ice-Rink.jpg 625w, https://www.farwestchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Medeu-Ice-Rink-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></figure></div>
  2700.  
  2701.  
  2702.  
  2703. <p>In summer it hosts different events and activities such as go-carting and is a great place to start hikes around the city.</p>
  2704.  
  2705.  
  2706.  
  2707. <p>Take bus 12 from outside Hotel Kazakhstan on Dostyk Avenue. Journey time is around 30 minutes.</p>
  2708.  
  2709.  
  2710.  
  2711. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Shymbulak</h4>
  2712.  
  2713.  
  2714.  
  2715. <p>Central Asia’s premier ski resort, you can reach Shymbulak by cable car from Medeu.</p>
  2716.  
  2717.  
  2718.  
  2719. <p>It’s worth visiting year-round for the great views and upmarket restaurants and bars. There is also some great hiking to be had around Shymbulak.</p>
  2720.  
  2721.  
  2722.  
  2723. <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Big Almaty Lake</h4>
  2724.  
  2725.  
  2726.  
  2727. <p>The jewel in Almaty’s crown has to be Big Almaty Lake.</p>
  2728.  
  2729.  
  2730.  
  2731. <p>It’s not the easiest place to get to, but you will be rewarded by this beautiful, glassy lake surrounded by mountains and pine forest. Do be aware that the lake is very close to the border with Kyrgyzstan so stick to the paths and heed the signposts.</p>
  2732.  
  2733.  
  2734.  
  2735. <p>The best way to get there is by taxi and it takes around 40 minutes from the center of Almaty.</p>
  2736.  
  2737.  
  2738.  
  2739. <hr class="wp-block-separator"/>
  2740.  
  2741.  
  2742.  
  2743. <p><strong>About Steve Rohan</strong></p>
  2744.  
  2745.  
  2746.  
  2747. <p>Steve Rohan is originally from England but has lived in China for five years. He has travelled the Silk Road many times as he tries to avoid flying at all costs, and makes an annual journey from China to England overland. He is planning on moving to Almaty in the near future and his writing can be found at <a href="https://www.thetripgoeson.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Trip Goes On</a>.</p>
  2748. <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com/travel/how-to-travel-from-urumqi-to-kazakhstan/">How to Travel From Urumqi to Kazakhstan</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.farwestchina.com">Xinjiang: Far West China</a>.</p>
  2749. ]]></content:encoded>
  2753. </item>
  2754. </channel>
  2755. </rss>
  2756.  

If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:

  1. Download the "valid RSS" banner.

  2. Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)

  3. Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):

If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:

http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//www.farwestchina.com/feed

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms

 
Copyright © 2002-9 Sam Ruby, Mark Pilgrim, Joseph Walton, and Phil Ringnalda