The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the largest province in China. At 1.6 million km², it’s absolutely huge; but compared to the other tourism hotspots in China, it is relatively unexplored. China is a vast country and varies greatly, but most would agree that Xinjiang is one of its most unique provinces. There is so much to see and do for any visitor that it’s impossible to cover it all in one article, but we’ll try to give you a taste for the place.
The Uyghur people
The Uyghur are an ethnic minority in China, and most of their almost eight-and-a-half million people live in Xinjiang. They are set apart from most of the rest of China because they are one of the main Muslim areas – and China is officially atheist. The Uyghur have some spectacular religious festivals and their own language and alphabet is entirely at odds