Northwest China
North West China was historically a border region with the beginning of the ancient Silk Road, much desert terrain, and mainly Muslim inhabitants including some nomads and rather fierce tribal groups. It has always had strong Chinese influences, though at times there were also independent kingdoms in the area. Over the past hundred years, there has been considerable migration by Han Chinese; they are now the largest ethnic group in most areas. Today it is a rapidly growing region, though still less developed than coastal areas.
Regions
Section titled “Regions”
| Shaanxi Province |
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| Gansu Province |
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| Ningxia Autonomous Region |
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| Qinghai Province |
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| Xinjiang Autonomous Region (Dzungarian, Tarim) |
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Cities
Section titled “Cities”
Map of Northwest China
- 1 Dunhuang, Gansu, with Buddhist grottoes that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List
- 2 Golmud, Qinghai, jumping off point for many trips to Tibet
- 3 Kashgar, Xinjiang, historic trading center on the Silk Road
- 4 Lanzhou, Gansu, provincial capital
- 5 Turpan, Xinjiang, lowest point in China
- 6 Urumqi, Xinjiang, provincial capital
- 7 Xi’an, Shaanxi, ancient capital with many cultural relics including the Terracotta Warriors
- 8 Xining, Qinghai, provincial capital
- 9 Yinchuan, Ningxia, provincial capital
Other destinations
Section titled “Other destinations”- 1 Maijishan National Park (Gansu) - Cliffside grottoes and botanic gardens
- 2 Xixia Wangling National Park (Ningxia)- Western Xia Tombs
- 3 Qinghaihu National Park (Qinghai) - migratory bird stop
Understand
Section titled “Understand”Get in
Section titled “Get in”Get around
Section titled “Get around”Heaven lake of Tian Shan
Shopping at Urumqi’s International Grand Bazaar.
Stay safe
Section titled “Stay safe”Go next
Section titled “Go next”Article Geo different to Wikidata Wikivoyage: Latitude 45.5, Longitude 87.1 (Map, Geohack) Wikidata: Latitude 36.800, Longitude 95.800 (Map, Geohack) Difference: 1,209.0km
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