Today we begin here.
The Province of
Xinjiang
(pronounced shin-jong)
It is located in the far NW of China.
Close to Central Asia.
The province is huge.
620,000 square miles.
About 25 million people call it home.
Its borders are mountainous.
You are here.
The land is filled with mountains
meadows
grassland
rivers and lakes
and even a couple of deserts.
Crossing China's Largest Desert
https://youtu.be/L8hP9XSQEHk
Drone View
https://youtu.be/xM_2_MrMblA
The desert name of Taklimaken translates to "...you can get into it but you can never get out..."
Yeah...that's comforting.
You will note that the sands here are not reddish or brown...but more of a golden yellow.
This made up part of the ancient Silk Road.
https://youtu.be/HGFUO13AOLk
https://youtu.be/LowP8zYHDYA
Frying an Egg in the Heat
https://youtu.be/ikGbY7IRwaI
The people here are known as Xiyu and are composed of many nationalities and religions.
Buddhist and Sunni Muslim are the most prevalent.
Next time we will explore some of the Temples and Mosques.
Until then...
