China Xinjiang
Looking for adventure travel tours in China Xinjiang? Click link below to find more about the professional guided treks and tours we offer.
Country
China : Xinjiang, the other roof of the world...
What traveler, infatuated with a desire to meet other cultures, does not lean towards the map of the Rising Empire? China, brutally propelled into the 20th century, still shelters 55 ethnic minorities and offers striking contrasts between modernity and untamed regions. To be a witness of the ancestral traditions of this country as big as a continent, follow us to the heart of traditional China and its' exceptional landscapes...
At the doors of Central Asia, we take you to discover Xinjiang, ancient oriental Turkestan. The largest province of China and the more western one, this region shelters the giant Kongur, Mustagh Ata and K2, pyramids of ice that dominate the arid steppes. At their feet, the nomads and the Uyghur, the Kazakh, the Tadjik and the Kirghize ethnic groups have conserved their secular lifestyle.
Come relive the era of the caravans that linked, via the high passes, the large oasis of the Silk Road, carrying shimmering fabrics, perfumes and rare spices... opulent bazaars... Myth-like summits, sand dunes, unrecognized pathways and out of the ordinary encounters under the yurts are all on our agenda. So, come and join us for big adventures in the footsteps of the most famous explorers!
What traveler, infatuated with a desire to meet other cultures, does not lean towards the map of the Rising Empire? China, brutally propelled into the 20th century, still shelters 55 ethnic minorities and offers striking contrasts between modernity and untamed regions. To be a witness of the ancestral traditions of this country as big as a continent, follow us to the heart of traditional China and its' exceptional landscapes...
At the doors of Central Asia, we take you to discover Xinjiang, ancient oriental Turkestan. The largest province of China and the more western one, this region shelters the giant Kongur, Mustagh Ata and K2, pyramids of ice that dominate the arid steppes. At their feet, the nomads and the Uyghur, the Kazakh, the Tadjik and the Kirghize ethnic groups have conserved their secular lifestyle.
Come relive the era of the caravans that linked, via the high passes, the large oasis of the Silk Road, carrying shimmering fabrics, perfumes and rare spices... opulent bazaars... Myth-like summits, sand dunes, unrecognized pathways and out of the ordinary encounters under the yurts are all on our agenda. So, come and join us for big adventures in the footsteps of the most famous explorers!
Highlights
- Trips away from the beaten path: forerunners since 2000 and still innovative due to our partnership with reputable, Chinese specialist guides who know how to organize exploratory treks
- An efficient organization adapted to the specificities of each crossed province, thanks to our connections there.
- Privileged connections with the ethnic populations, thanks to our guide's awareness and interest of these cultures.
Climate
The climate in the Xinjiang province is a continental mountain climate which is characterized, above all, by strong temperature variations between day and night, on the one hand, and between winter and summer, on the other. We take you along to discover Xinjiang during the summer months, the most favorable of trips in the mountains.
-Intense warmth in the Taklamakan desert in the summer.
-Marked cold temperatures at night during mid-season in Pamir and Karakorum.
-Very small chance of persistent rains.
-Intense warmth in the Taklamakan desert in the summer.
-Marked cold temperatures at night during mid-season in Pamir and Karakorum.
-Very small chance of persistent rains.
Profile
Province of Xinjiang
| Population | About 20 million habitants, of which half are from Uyghur |
| Surface | 640,930 square miles (the vastest province of China, more than 6 times the size of Colorado) |
| Capital | Urumqi |
| Main cities |
Kashgar, Turfan, Yarkand, Hotan |
| Summits | K2 (28,255 feet), Kongur (25,328 feet), Mustagh-Ata (25,085 feet) |
| Official language |
Chinese (official) and Uyghur |
| Currency |
Yuan Renmimbi (CNY |
| Religions | No official religion, but Islam is the majority (practiced by the Uyghurs, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs and Tajiks, but also by the strong communities of the Huis Chinese, mostly present in Urumqi and in most of the cities of the Xingiang province) |
| Political Status | Democratic Popular Republic |
| Time shift |
http://www.worldtimezone.com/utc/utc+0600.html |
Currencies
Kyrgyz Republic
The currency is the Som (KGS).
You should bring dollars that you can exchange in the banks, in the cities.
China
The currency is the Yuan Renmimbi (CNY).
You should bring dollars that you can exchange in the banks, in the cities.
Payments by credit card will be accepted at all major stores. It is also possible to withdraw money (exchange currencies, ATM's) from branch offices of the Bank of China. However, in small towns and hamlets, it is very difficult to get change.
The currency is the Som (KGS).
You should bring dollars that you can exchange in the banks, in the cities.
China
The currency is the Yuan Renmimbi (CNY).
You should bring dollars that you can exchange in the banks, in the cities.
Payments by credit card will be accepted at all major stores. It is also possible to withdraw money (exchange currencies, ATM's) from branch offices of the Bank of China. However, in small towns and hamlets, it is very difficult to get change.
Travel Warnings
As an organizer for worldwide trips, Mountain World Travel is concerned for our guest's safety and security. We always keep ourselves up to date with current travel warnings and always consider the government safety advisories, while organizing and preparing our different trips.
We recommend that participants consult the security instructions distributed by government authorities and the traveling recommendations made by government officials; available on websites specific for each country.
US citizens, please check with:
Kyrghz Republic Us Government Travel Advice
China Us Government Travel Advice
We recommend that participants consult the security instructions distributed by government authorities and the traveling recommendations made by government officials; available on websites specific for each country.
US citizens, please check with:
Kyrghz Republic Us Government Travel Advice
China Us Government Travel Advice
Our Story
A history of passion
Our almost unheard-of trips in China were born from a meeting between Jean-Luc Poulat, Administrative and Financial Director of Mountain World Travel, and Guide-Lecturer, Louis-Marie Blanchard, along with his friend, Jean-Pierre Drochon, Sinologist. The three of them left to explore myth-like Oriental Tibet. This first exploratory trek together marks the beginning of a beautiful adventure...
Author of a heavy documentary on the Silk Road and Film-maker of several films on Tibet and Central Asia, Louis-Marie, has crisscrossed, several times, these lands marked with an untamed grandeur. These numerous, almost unheard-of trips in high Asia, in the footsteps of grand, bygone, explorers have allowed Louis-Marie to meet many nomads who still cross the lands today. From Mount Kun Lun to the Dunhuang Oasis, far west China hides well the secrets that Louis has been able to uncover.
Our almost unheard-of trips in China were born from a meeting between Jean-Luc Poulat, Administrative and Financial Director of Mountain World Travel, and Guide-Lecturer, Louis-Marie Blanchard, along with his friend, Jean-Pierre Drochon, Sinologist. The three of them left to explore myth-like Oriental Tibet. This first exploratory trek together marks the beginning of a beautiful adventure...
Author of a heavy documentary on the Silk Road and Film-maker of several films on Tibet and Central Asia, Louis-Marie, has crisscrossed, several times, these lands marked with an untamed grandeur. These numerous, almost unheard-of trips in high Asia, in the footsteps of grand, bygone, explorers have allowed Louis-Marie to meet many nomads who still cross the lands today. From Mount Kun Lun to the Dunhuang Oasis, far west China hides well the secrets that Louis has been able to uncover.
Some Useful Words
The traditional language is Uyghur, but since 1950, Chinese has been mandatory in all administration. However, the Kirghizes, Kazakhs and Tadjiks minorities still speak their own language. Nonetheless, « Peking » ? Chinese is understood throughout the country.
Learning some key words will enable you to gain the respect of your interlocutors, and to make for a more pleasant exchange with the Chinese. Therefore do not hesitate to make the effort to use the following expressions:
Hello : ni hao
Good-bye: zai jian
Thank you: xié xié
How much does this cost ? duo shao qian ?
I am looking for.... : wo zhao
Where can I find.... : zai nali
You can ask your guide how to pronounce these key words; your voyage will only be richer by your attempting to speak the local language.
And then smile, it is often the best means of having good contacts!
Learning some key words will enable you to gain the respect of your interlocutors, and to make for a more pleasant exchange with the Chinese. Therefore do not hesitate to make the effort to use the following expressions:
Hello : ni hao
Good-bye: zai jian
Thank you: xié xié
How much does this cost ? duo shao qian ?
I am looking for.... : wo zhao
Where can I find.... : zai nali
You can ask your guide how to pronounce these key words; your voyage will only be richer by your attempting to speak the local language.
And then smile, it is often the best means of having good contacts!
Respect of Customs and Habits
The Silk Road, where Xinjiang is located, is today, a very much sought after route where the big empires of this century try to get a hold of the « lion's share », the riches transported by the caravans traded for gas and "black gold" (gasoline)...China, though being a presence to Xinjiang, since the first centuries of our era, did not truly integrate this immense province to the rest of the country up until the middle of the twentieth century.
Today, Xinjiang is subject to an intense colonization on behalf of the Han Chinese people: public officials, traders and artisans installed themselves in most of the oases. The peasantry, itself, remains essentially Uyghur, while the mountain areas of Altai, Tian-Shan and Pamir are ancestral lands of the nomad or semi-nomad minorities: the Kazakhs, the Kirghizes and the Tadjiks. The Muslim religion is not only practiced by the Uyghurs, Kirghizes, Kazakhs and Tadjiks, but also by the strong Hui Chinese communities, notably present in Urumqi and in most of the Xinjiang cities.
Advice from Louis-Marie Blanchard, our Asian nomad culture specialist:
- One should never "dirty" the water of the rivers or the lakes. One should remove themselves from the waters when going to the bathroom and avoid, as much as possible, throwing water that is soapy or full of shampoo directly into the water's current.
- Put down your walking poles before entering into a yurt and, further more, never put your foot on the doorstep. Never stay standing at the entrance of a yurt.
- When entering a yurt, the invited move to the left side, to greet the head of the family, then one should sit; as remaining standing can be taken for an act of defiance. Never straddle objects or, above all, food.
Once seated, stretching your legs out towards the furnace or the fire is improper. It is, equally, improper to refuse an invitation into a yurt, to point at someone with a finger, to refuse a plate or a drink or to grab an object or food with your left hand.
Under a yurt, it is ok to keep your hat on your head. When leaving, one leans in slightly and holds his hands together at their heart or their forehead.
Today, Xinjiang is subject to an intense colonization on behalf of the Han Chinese people: public officials, traders and artisans installed themselves in most of the oases. The peasantry, itself, remains essentially Uyghur, while the mountain areas of Altai, Tian-Shan and Pamir are ancestral lands of the nomad or semi-nomad minorities: the Kazakhs, the Kirghizes and the Tadjiks. The Muslim religion is not only practiced by the Uyghurs, Kirghizes, Kazakhs and Tadjiks, but also by the strong Hui Chinese communities, notably present in Urumqi and in most of the Xinjiang cities.
Advice from Louis-Marie Blanchard, our Asian nomad culture specialist:
- One should never "dirty" the water of the rivers or the lakes. One should remove themselves from the waters when going to the bathroom and avoid, as much as possible, throwing water that is soapy or full of shampoo directly into the water's current.
- Put down your walking poles before entering into a yurt and, further more, never put your foot on the doorstep. Never stay standing at the entrance of a yurt.
- When entering a yurt, the invited move to the left side, to greet the head of the family, then one should sit; as remaining standing can be taken for an act of defiance. Never straddle objects or, above all, food.
Once seated, stretching your legs out towards the furnace or the fire is improper. It is, equally, improper to refuse an invitation into a yurt, to point at someone with a finger, to refuse a plate or a drink or to grab an object or food with your left hand.
Under a yurt, it is ok to keep your hat on your head. When leaving, one leans in slightly and holds his hands together at their heart or their forehead.
Some Advice
Is there silverware in China?
If you want to eat with silverware, we advise you to bring your own. In all restaurants, meals are only served with chopsticks.
Chopsticks are always provided new, so there is no issue regarding germs.
Is there a tradition of bargaining in China?
In principle, the prices listed in stores are not up for discussion. By contrast, at free markets or for major purchases, the Chinese are open to bargaining, which they practice with a smile and good spirits. In general, divide the proposed price by two and let the seller have the last word (concept of losing face). These negotiations could take some time, from a few minutes to several hours or even several days.
Electrical Plugs
US electrical devices are not compatible with Chinese electrical plugs.
We recommend that you carry an adapter, because the plugs are 220 volts.
If you want to eat with silverware, we advise you to bring your own. In all restaurants, meals are only served with chopsticks.
Chopsticks are always provided new, so there is no issue regarding germs.
Is there a tradition of bargaining in China?
In principle, the prices listed in stores are not up for discussion. By contrast, at free markets or for major purchases, the Chinese are open to bargaining, which they practice with a smile and good spirits. In general, divide the proposed price by two and let the seller have the last word (concept of losing face). These negotiations could take some time, from a few minutes to several hours or even several days.
Electrical Plugs
US electrical devices are not compatible with Chinese electrical plugs.
We recommend that you carry an adapter, because the plugs are 220 volts.
Safeguarding the Environment
China is an immense country, the fourth largest one in the world, with territory stretching from the Tropics to the desert. It's relief resembles a staircase descending from East to West. The autonomous region of Xinjiang, situated at the extreme west of the people's republic of China, is comprised of two basins: in the north, the Dzoungarie basin and to the south, the Tarim basin. They are separated by the Tian Shan mountain range, one of the vastest on the planet. The Tarmi basin is truly surrounded by mountains. One finds Tian Shan (Celestial Mountains) to the north, the Pamir chain to the west and Kunlun, in the south. The center of the basin is occupied by the Taklamakan desert. This immense region, the largest administrative unit in China, is also one of the most densely populated in the country, along with Tibet and Qinghai.
We rely on you to leave the natural spaces that you cross, as clean as possible: remember to pick up your waste along your entire walk and take the time to leave your campsites clean.
Go through your waste and take the most polluting items back home with you (batteries, etc...).
Regroup and burn, with the assistance of your team, burnable waste.
Treat your water with tablets rather than drinking bottled water, as bottled water would only add to your waste.
Try to give up on your camp fire, nice but destructors and consumers of wood.
Deforestation is a real problem in certain regions of China.
Wash yourself or do your laundry far away from water sources that serve as drinking water for the habitants or for the animals (horses, yaks, etc...).
Do not collect and do not buy souvenirs made from animal or plant species that are in danger. Leave them where they are for the pleasure of the next visitors.
We rely on you to leave the natural spaces that you cross, as clean as possible: remember to pick up your waste along your entire walk and take the time to leave your campsites clean.
Go through your waste and take the most polluting items back home with you (batteries, etc...).
Regroup and burn, with the assistance of your team, burnable waste.
Treat your water with tablets rather than drinking bottled water, as bottled water would only add to your waste.
Try to give up on your camp fire, nice but destructors and consumers of wood.
Deforestation is a real problem in certain regions of China.
Wash yourself or do your laundry far away from water sources that serve as drinking water for the habitants or for the animals (horses, yaks, etc...).
Do not collect and do not buy souvenirs made from animal or plant species that are in danger. Leave them where they are for the pleasure of the next visitors.
