{"id":5959,"date":"2024-12-05T16:14:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T08:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1000journey.my\/en\/?p=5959"},"modified":"2026-03-17T17:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T09:28:25","slug":"northern-xinjiang-ten-days-at-the-end-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1000journey.my\/en\/northern-xinjiang-ten-days-at-the-end-of-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Xinjiang: Ten Days at the End of the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Sayram Lake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ah, Xinjiang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanning 1.6 million square kilometres of steppe, deserts and mountain ranges, this Autonomous Region alone makes up a fifth of China\u2019s territory and is its largest province-level division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the region has been quite popular among Chinese tourists, its popularity has recently reached visitors from beyond China\u2019s borders. They come for the dreamy and desolate natural landscapes, diverse hotpot of Uyghur, Han and Kazakh cultures and its ancient ties to the legendary Silk Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To write an account that would properly do justice to this beautiful and remote region would take a whole series of columns, if not books! So instead, let this humble traveller attempt to portray one particular region – Northern Xinjiang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>A Northern Tour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Entrance to Kanas Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I found myself fortunate enough to join a tour into Northern Xinjiang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to Southern Xinjiang\u2019s deserts and historical sites, Northern Xinjiang is better known for its picturesque mountains and lakes, particularly around Hemu Village, Kanas Lake and Sayram Lake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Xinjiang Trivia: Xinjiang is broadly divided into two regions, the Dzungaria Basin in the Northern Xinjiang and the Tarim Basin in the Southern Xinjiang \u2013 both divided by the Tianshan Mountains.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Scheduled for September 29 to October 9 – landing right before China\u2019s National Day holidays (this will be relevant later unfortunately), we were expecting cool autumn weather around the high 10s, pre-departure forecasts predicted below freezing temperatures for our far northern stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After preparing my cold weather gear as best I could, I set off on a journey into the far-flung regions of Western China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Day 1 (Sep 29): KLIA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to the day of departure on September 29, all of our tour members had already assembled and checked in at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by 7pm. By 9pm, we were all seated on the plane and preparing to take off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the lights dimmed and the jet engines roared to life, I seated myself as comfortably as I could while the Malaysia Airlines flight made its 7-hour journey to Urumqi\u2019s Diwopu International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/a>Day 2 (Sep 30): Grottoes and Grasslands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After surviving a 2am breakfast and a sleepless night, we finally touched down at Diwopu at 5am in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groggily stepping down onto the tarmac, I was hit with my first blast of Xinjiang\u2019s autumn winds. With just one layer and no inner wear whatsoever, it was only just barely tolerable, so I quickly beelined for the waiting shuttle bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we landed some distance from the main terminal, we had to take a 10-minute ride to Immigration. Though everyone was exhausted, a palpable tinge of excitement still buzzed in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Tip: For those using SIM cards, particularly Hong Kong roaming SIM cards bought online, make sure to activate them as soon as possible when you land. It might take a while for Internet access to activate properly.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

After taking quite some time to clear Immigration and corral our 30 tour members and everyone\u2019s luggage onto the tour bus, it was already 7 when our bus thundered out of the airport parking lot into the early morning darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After some brief introductions by our tour guide and tour leader to give us time to rest, we thundered down Urumqi\u2019s highways towards our first destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But just as a quiet descended upon the bus, the rising sun began to set the pitch-black sky aflame with a brilliant blue glow, revealing to us for the first time Xinjiang\u2019s white-tipped mountain ranges and endless rolling plains – sights that would become constant companions throughout our entire journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Jimsar Thousand Buddha Caves Scenic Area<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Gaotai Temple, place of worship and the entrance to the Thousand Buddha Caves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After three hours alternating between admiring the azure skies and nodding off, I was jolted awake by the bus as it pulled into our first stop – the Jimsar Thousand Buddha Caves, a collection of buildings and sites dedicated to Xinjiang\u2019s Buddhist past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Jimsar Thousand Buddha Caves site was huge with multiple temples, halls and gardens, our tour was mainly focused on two particular sites \u2013 the eponymous Thousand Buddha Cave (aka Sleeping Buddha Cave) and the Fodaoru Cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Map of the Jimsar Thousand Buddha Caves Scenic Area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thousand Buddha \/ Sleeping Buddha Cave<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Entrance into the Thousand Buddha Cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To get to the Sleeping Buddha Cave, we had to take about a 15-minute walk through squares, bamboo groves and even a panoramic bluff that offered views of the surrounding barren grassland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once there though, the quaint courtyard of Gaotai Temple greets us. Built in the 18th<\/sup> century, it has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times over the centuries, with the most recent renovation occurring back in 2012. The Thousand Buddha Cave behind it is also a modern recreation, as the original has been lost to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, what draws visitors to this humble temple lies further inside. Go past the murals and statues in the foyer, and you\u2019ll come across a reconstructed cave-tunnel painted with the colourful visages of Buddhist deities while nine arhats in niches glare at you sharply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n