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The Turpan Oasis is an inhabited and cultivated area within the Turpan Depression in Xinjiang, northwestern China, historically connected to routes of the Silk Road. The depression includes Ayding Lake, one of China's lowest locations, at roughly 154 metres below sea level. Agriculture in the oasis...
Hami melon is a group of muskmelons associated with Hami and the surrounding region of Xinjiang in northwestern China. The fruits are commonly elongated or oval, with a netted or otherwise patterned rind and crisp, aromatic flesh that may be white, pale green, or orange depending on the cultivar. Th...
The Kashgar Oasis surrounds Kashgar in the western part of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, near the margins of the Taklamakan Desert. Water from rivers descending from nearby mountain systems has supported agriculture and settlement in an otherwise arid region. Kashgar became an important...
The Junggar, or Dzungarian, steppe occupies parts of the Junggar Basin in northern Xinjiang, China, between the Altai and Tian Shan mountain systems. Its temperate, semi-arid grasslands and shrublands form part of a broader Eurasian ecological transition between Central Asian steppe and desert envir...
Kongur Tagh is a prominent peak in the Pamir mountain range, situated in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. Standing at an elevation of 7,649 meters, it is the highest summit of the Pamirs and the most prominent peak in its immediate vicinity. The mountain is heavily glaciated a...
Kuqa is an oasis city on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin in present-day Xinjiang, China. Historically known as Kucha, it was an important Buddhist kingdom and trading center on the northern route of the Silk Road. The nearby Kizil Caves preserve early Buddhist rock-cut temples and murals that d...
Hotan is an oasis city on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, China, historically known as Khotan. It was a Buddhist kingdom and an important stop on the southern branch of the Silk Road. The region is particularly associated with nephrite jade gathered from local rivers and trad...
The Junggar Basin Semi-Desert occupies an enclosed basin in Xinjiang, China, between the Altai and Tian Shan, and includes fixed dunes and saxaul scrub.
The Kangjiashimenzi Petroglyphs are a large-scale Bronze Age rock art site located in Xinjiang, China. Dating back to approximately 1000 BCE, the site is carved into a massive, sloping rock face and features hundreds of distinct figures. The engravings are heavily concentrated on themes of fertility...
Oasis city in southwestern Xinjiang, China, a prominent Silk Road trading center and former khanate capital known for Uyghur culture and carpet weaving.
The Gurbantünggüt Desert is a large expanse of sand situated in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, China. Covering roughly 48,800 square kilometers, it ranks as China's second-largest desert and is notable for its relatively stable, semi-fixed dunes. Unlike many major deserts, it experiences cold winter...
Oasis city in eastern Xinjiang, China, a historic Silk Road waystation known for Hami melons and as the seat of the Hami Khanate until the 19th century.
The Kumtag Desert is an arid expanse situated in the northwestern region of China, spanning across the borders of Xinjiang and Gansu provinces. It is distinguished by its unique feather-shaped dune formations, a rare geographic phenomenon created by the region's specific wind patterns and underlying...
Oasis city in northwestern Xinjiang at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains, a historic Silk Road hub today known primarily for cotton cultivation.
Lake Ebinur is a shallow saline lake located in the autonomous region of Xinjiang in northwestern China. It is recognized as the largest saltwater lake in the region and is designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Over recent decades, the lake has significantly shrunk in size due...
The Dzungarian Steppe is a dry grassland region in the Dzungarian Basin of northwestern Xinjiang, China, between the Altai Mountains and the Tian Shan. Its landscape combines steppe, semidesert, salt lakes, and areas of shifting sand within a continental climate. The wider region supports livestock...
The Rawak Stupa is an ancient Buddhist ruin located in the Taklamakan Desert of Xinjiang, China, dating to the 3rd century and notable for its surrounding wall of relief stupas.
Oasis city on the northern Tarim Basin rim in Xinjiang, China, a historic Silk Road stopover now known as a petroleum industry center and source of Korla pears.
