Autonomous region · Northwest China
Xinjiang
新疆
Oases, deserts and mountains of the Silk Road's heart
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is China's largest provincial-level division, covering about one-sixth of the country in the far north-west. Its oasis cities between the Tianshan, Kunlun and Altai mountains and around the Taklimakan Desert were the core of the Silk Road; the region borders eight countries and is home to Uyghurs, Han, Kazakhs, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongols and other peoples. Its capital is Urumqi.
Key facts
- Capital
- Urumqi
- Abbreviation
- 新 (Xīn)
- Area
- about 1,664,900 km²[1]
- Resident population
- 26.39 million(as of end of 2025)[2]
- Gross regional product
- CNY 2.15 trillion(as of 2025)[2]
- Census population
- 25.85 million(as of 2020 census)[3]
- Autonomous region since
- 1 October 1955
- Bordering countries
- 8
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- 2 (2013, 2014; one shared)[4]
Profile
- Chinese name
- 新疆
- Abbreviation (简称)
- 新
- Type
- Autonomous region
- Region
- Northwest China
- Capital
- Urumqi
- Area
- about 1,664,900 km²
- Divisions
- 4 prefecture-level cities, 5 prefectures and 5 autonomous prefectures (Ili Kazakh, Changji Hui, Bortala Mongol, Bayingolin Mongol, Kizilsu Kyrgyz), plus county-level cities administered by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
- Ethnic groups
- Uyghur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongol, Tajik, Xibe
- Languages
- Uyghur, Xinjiang Mandarin, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Xibe
- Borders
- Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India
Languages
Uyghur
维吾尔语
A Turkic language written in a modified Arabic script, spoken mainly in the oases south of the Tianshan and in Turpan, Hami and Ili.
Xinjiang Mandarin
新疆话
Lanyin and Central Plains Mandarin brought by settlers from Gansu, Shaanxi and elsewhere; standard Mandarin is the language of administration and schooling.
Kazakh
哈萨克语
Spoken in Ili, Tacheng and Altay in the north, where Kazakh herders summer in the mountains.
Kyrgyz
柯尔克孜语
Spoken in the Kizilsu Kyrgyz prefecture west of Kashgar.
Xibe
锡伯语
A Tungusic language close to Manchu, kept by descendants of the Qing garrison sent to Ili in 1764, mainly in Qapqal county.
Name and abbreviation
Xinjiang means “new frontier” or “new territory”. The name came into use after the Qing conquest of the Dzungar Khanate and the Tarim Basin between 1755 and 1759, and became the name of a province in 1884. Chinese sources had earlier called the region the Western Regions (西域). In Uyghur the region is Shinjang; the Uyghur Autonomous Region was established on 1 October 1955. Historically the north of the Tianshan was known as Dzungaria and the south, with its oasis cities, as Altishahr (“six cities”) or, in some Western usage, East Turkestan — a name that in China is associated with separatism.
Historic names
西域
“Western Regions”
The general Chinese name, from the Han dynasty onwards, for the lands west of the Yumen Pass.
Protectorate of the Western Regions
西域都护府
Han military administration established in 60 BCE at Wulei, near today's Luntai, to oversee the oasis states.
Anxi Protectorate
安西都护府
Tang protectorate set up in 640 at Jiaohe and later moved to Kucha.
Dzungaria
准噶尔
The northern basin and steppe, named after the Oirat Mongol Dzungar Khanate of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Land and climate
Xinjiang is often described as “three mountains enclosing two basins” (三山夹两盆). The Altai range lies along the northern border with Mongolia and Kazakhstan; the Tianshan crosses the middle from east to west; the Kunlun and Karakoram form the southern rim against Tibet. Between them lie the Dzungarian Basin in the north, with the Gurbantünggüt Desert, and the much larger Tarim Basin in the south, filled by the Taklimakan Desert. Life depends on meltwater from the mountains, which feeds the oases along the basin edges.
Landforms
Tianshan
天山
The “Heavenly Mountains”, over 2,500 km long, rising to Jengish Chokusu (Tomur) on the Kyrgyz border; dividing northern from southern Xinjiang.
Taklimakan Desert
塔克拉玛干沙漠
The largest desert in China and one of the largest sand deserts in the world, crossed by desert highways and ringed by a railway.
Turpan Depression
吐鲁番盆地
Its Ayding Lake, about 154 m below sea level, is the lowest point in China.
Pamirs
帕米尔高原
The high plateau in the south-west around Tashkurgan, with Muztagh Ata and Kongur.
K2 (Qogir)
乔戈里峰
At 8,611 m the second-highest mountain in the world, on the border with Pakistan.
Rivers and lakes
Tarim River
塔里木河
The longest inland river in China, fed by the Yarkand, Hotan and Aksu rivers and ending in the desert.
Ili River
伊犁河
Flows west through the green Ili valley into Kazakhstan and Lake Balkhash.
Irtysh River
额尔齐斯河
Rises in the Altai and flows through Kazakhstan and Russia to the Arctic Ocean — the only Chinese river that does.
Bosten Lake
博斯腾湖
The largest freshwater lake in Xinjiang, near Korla.
Climate
The climate is strongly continental and arid. Summers are hot in the basins — Turpan is among the hottest places in China — and winters are very cold, especially in the north, where the Altai and Dzungaria receive heavy snow. The Ili valley, open to moist westerly winds, is the greenest region. Rain is scarce almost everywhere, and sandstorms are frequent in spring in the south. Xinjiang officially uses Beijing time, but local “Xinjiang time”, two hours behind, is also widely used.
History
Bronze Age cemeteries such as Xiaohe, with well-preserved mummies, show that the Tarim Basin was settled by about 2000 BCE. In the Han dynasty the oasis kingdoms — Loulan, Khotan, Kucha, Gaochang and others — became the pivot of Silk Road trade; the Han set up a protectorate over them in 60 BCE. Buddhism flourished in the oases for a millennium. The Tang ruled the region through the Anxi and Beiting protectorates until the mid-eighth century; afterwards Tibetans, Uyghurs and others held it. From the ninth century the Uyghur kingdom of Qocho ruled Turpan, and from the tenth the Kara-Khanids spread Islam in the west, which by the sixteenth century had become the religion of most of the oases. After Mongol and Chagatai rule and the Dzungar Khanate, the Qing conquered the region in 1755–59. It was reconquered after the Yaqub Beg period in 1877 and became a province in 1884. Two short-lived East Turkestan Republics were proclaimed in 1933 and 1944. The People's Liberation Army entered in 1949, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was established in 1955.
c. 2000–1500 BCE
Xiaohe cemetery
Bronze Age burials near Lop Nur with naturally mummified bodies; genetic studies published in 2021 found the population to be of local ancient North Eurasian ancestry.
138–126 BCE
Zhang Qian's first mission
The Han envoy crossed the Western Regions to Central Asia, opening official contacts along the Silk Road.
60 BCE
Protectorate of the Western Regions
The Han established military oversight of the oasis states.
344
Birth of Kumarajiva in Kucha
The translator of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese came from the Kuchean royal family.
640
Tang conquest of Gaochang
The Tang annexed the Turpan kingdom and established the Anxi Protectorate.
840s
Uyghur migration
After the fall of their steppe empire in Mongolia, Uyghurs moved south-west and founded the kingdom of Qocho in the Turpan oasis.
10th century
Islam in Kashgar
The Kara-Khanid ruler Satuq Bughra Khan converted to Islam; Khotan was conquered by the Kara-Khanids in the early eleventh century.
1070s
Mahmud al-Kashgari's dictionary
The Compendium of the Languages of the Turks, written in Baghdad by a scholar from Kashgar, is a foundational work of Turkic studies.
1755–1759
Qing conquest
Qing armies destroyed the Dzungar Khanate and took the Tarim Basin; a military governor was stationed in Ili.
1864–1877
Revolts and Yaqub Beg
Risings drove out Qing rule; Yaqub Beg built a state based in Kashgar until Zuo Zongtang's army reconquered the region.
1884
Xinjiang province
The Qing made Xinjiang a regular province with its capital at Dihua (Urumqi).
1933 and 1944
East Turkestan Republics
A short-lived republic was proclaimed in Kashgar in 1933; a second, with Soviet support, governed Ili, Tacheng and Altay from 1944 to 1949.
1954
Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
Demobilised soldiers were organised into a paramilitary farming and construction corps that administers its own towns and farms.
1 October 1955
Autonomous region established
Xinjiang became the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
16 October 1964
First Chinese nuclear test
China's first atomic bomb was detonated at the Lop Nur test site.
5 July 2009
Urumqi riots
Ethnic violence in Urumqi left 197 people dead according to official figures.
2014
Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway
The line connected Urumqi with Lanzhou and the national high-speed network.
from 2017
Security and “re-education” policies
Large facilities that the Chinese government describes as vocational education and training centres drew international criticism. A 2022 assessment by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said serious human rights violations had been committed and that some might constitute crimes against humanity; the Chinese government rejected the assessment and describes its policies as counter-terrorism and poverty alleviation.
2022
Railway ring round the Taklimakan
The Hotan–Ruoqiang railway completed a rail loop around the desert.
World heritage
World Heritage sites
Natural · inscribed 2013
新疆天山
Four components — Tomur, Kalajun–Kuerdening, Bayanbulak and Bogda — representing the snow peaks, glaciers, forests, meadows, rivers and desert margins of the eastern Tianshan.
Cultural · inscribed 2014 · shared
Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an–Tianshan Corridor
丝绸之路：长安—天山廊道的路网
Serial site shared with Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Xinjiang components are the ancient cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe near Turpan, Beiting near Jimsar, the Kizil Caves, the Subash Buddhist ruins and the Kizilgaha beacon tower near Kuqa.
Intangible cultural heritage (UNESCO lists)
Inscribed 2008
Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang
新疆维吾尔木卡姆艺术
Suites of song, instrumental music and dance, including the Twelve Muqam and the regional traditions of Dolan, Turpan, Hami and Ili; proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2005 and incorporated into the Representative List in 2008.
Inscribed 2009
Manas
玛纳斯
The Kyrgyz oral epic of the hero Manas and his descendants, sung by manaschi bards in Kizilsu and elsewhere.
Inscribed 2010
Meshrep
麦西热甫
Uyghur gatherings combining music, dance, games, storytelling and customary moral instruction; on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Culture
Xinjiang's cultures are those of Central Asia as much as of China. The Uyghurs of the oases are farmers, traders and craftsmen with a Turkic language, Islamic faith and a tradition of music, poetry and courtyard houses shaded by vines. The Kazakh and Kyrgyz are traditionally herders of the northern and western mountains; the Mongols of Bortala and Bayingolin, the Tajiks of the Pamirs, the Xibe of Qapqal and the Hui each keep their own customs. Han settlers and their descendants form the majority in Urumqi and much of the north.
北风卷地白草折，胡天八月即飞雪。忽如一夜春风来，千树万树梨花开。Běi fēng juǎn dì bái cǎo zhé, Hú tiān bā yuè jí fēi xuě. Hū rú yī yè chūn fēng lái, qiān shù wàn shù lí huā kāi.
“The north wind rolls over the land and snaps the white grass; under the western sky, snow flies in the eighth month. Suddenly, as if a spring wind had come in a single night, a thousand, ten thousand trees burst into pear blossom.”
— Cen Shen, “Song of White Snow, Seeing Off Secretary Wu on His Return to the Capital” (白雪歌送武判官归京), written at Luntai, c. 754
Opera, music and dance
Muqam
木卡姆
Classical Uyghur suites played on the satar, dutar, tambur and rawap with the dap frame drum.
Sanam dance
赛乃姆
The popular Uyghur dance of weddings and gatherings, with head and wrist movements.
Aytys
阿依特斯
Improvised sung contests between Kazakh bards accompanied on the dombra.
Tajik eagle dance
塔吉克族鹰舞
Pamiri dance imitating the eagle, performed to eagle-bone flute and hand drum in Tashkurgan.
Crafts
Atlas silk
艾德莱斯绸
Ikat-dyed silk from Khotan with bold, blurred patterns, used for women's dresses.
Khotan carpets
和田地毯
Hand-knotted wool and silk carpets with pomegranate and geometric designs.
Yengisar knives
英吉沙小刀
Decorated knives forged in Yengisar county near Kashgar.
Mulberry-bark paper
桑皮纸
Hand-made paper from mulberry bark, a tradition of Khotan and the southern oases.
Festivals and customs
Qurban (Eid al-Adha)
古尔邦节
The feast of sacrifice, the largest festival of the Muslim peoples of Xinjiang.
Nowruz
诺鲁孜节
The spring new year around the equinox, celebrated by Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Uyghurs.
Xibe Westward Migration Festival
西迁节
Held on the eighteenth day of the fourth lunar month to commemorate the Xibe garrison's march to Ili in 1764.
Kokpar
叼羊
Mounted game in which riders compete for a goat carcass, played by Kazakh and Kyrgyz horsemen.
Cuisine
Xinjiang cuisine is Central Asian at heart: lamb, flatbread, rice pilaf, hand-pulled noodles and grilled kebabs, with cumin, chilli, onions and tomatoes, and abundant fruit — melons, grapes, apricots and pomegranates. It is overwhelmingly halal. Han settlers added their own dishes, of which “big plate chicken” has become a national favourite.
Signature dishes
Polo (pilaf)
抓饭
Rice cooked with lamb, carrots and onions in a large pan — the dish of celebrations.
Laghman
拉条子
Hand-pulled noodles topped with a stir-fry of lamb, peppers and tomato.
Kawap
烤羊肉串
Lamb skewers grilled over charcoal with cumin and chilli.
Nan
馕
Flatbread baked on the walls of a tandoor-type oven, from small sesame rounds to large decorated loaves.
Samsa
烤包子
Baked pastries filled with diced lamb and onion.
Big plate chicken
大盘鸡
Chicken stewed with potatoes and chillies, served on a large plate over wide noodles; a creation of the 1980s roadside restaurants of Shawan.
Specialities
Hami melons
哈密瓜
Sweet melons named after Hami, which sent them as tribute to the Qing court.
Turpan grapes and raisins
吐鲁番葡萄
Grapes irrigated by karez channels and dried in ventilated brick houses.
Korla fragrant pears
库尔勒香梨
Small, aromatic pears from the Korla oasis.
Khotan jade
和田玉
Nephrite from the rivers of the Kunlun near Hotan, traded to China for more than three thousand years.
Long-staple cotton
新疆长绒棉
Xinjiang is China's largest cotton-growing region.
Notable people
Kumarajiva (344–413)
鸠摩罗什
Buddhist monk from Kucha whose Chinese translations of the Lotus and Diamond sutras remain standard.
Yusuf Khass Hajib (11th century)
玉素甫·哈斯·哈吉甫
Poet from Balasagun who completed the Kutadgu Bilig (Wisdom of Royal Glory) in Kashgar in 1069; his mausoleum is in Kashgar.
Mahmud al-Kashgari (11th century)
麻赫穆德·喀什噶里
Lexicographer from the Kashgar region, author of the Compendium of the Languages of the Turks.
Amannisa Khan (1526–1560)
阿曼尼莎汗
Queen of the Yarkand Khanate, poet and musician, credited with collecting and arranging the Twelve Muqam.
Economy
Xinjiang holds some of China's largest reserves of oil, natural gas and coal, and its energy is sent east by pipeline, rail and ultra-high-voltage lines, including the West–East Gas Pipeline begun in 2004. Wind and solar power have expanded rapidly. It is the country's largest producer of cotton and a major source of tomatoes, fruit and livestock. As the gateway to Central Asia, it handles much of China's overland trade through ports such as Khorgas and Alashankou. In 2021 and 2022 the United States and some other governments introduced restrictions on imports of goods from Xinjiang, citing concerns over forced labour; the Chinese government rejects the allegations.
Main industries
- Oil and natural gas (Karamay, Tarim and Junggar basins)
- Coal and coal chemicals
- Wind and solar power
- Cotton, textiles and garments
- Fruit, tomatoes and livestock
- Cross-border trade and logistics
- Tourism
Zones, ports and hubs
China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone
中国（新疆）自由贸易试验区
Established in 2023 with areas in Urumqi, Kashgar and Khorgas.
Khorgas
霍尔果斯
Border city and economic development zone on the Kazakh border, with a cross-border trade centre and a major rail freight crossing.
Kashgar Economic Development Zone
喀什经济开发区
Special economic zone created in 2010 as the gateway to Central and South Asia.
Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
新疆生产建设兵团
A state organisation with its own farms, industries and cities, such as Shihezi, responsible for a significant share of the region's agriculture.
Cities
- Urumqi乌鲁木齐Capital · Industrial centreTianshan capital at the heart of Asia
- Kashgar喀什Historic city · Cultural centre · Border cityOasis city where the Silk Roads met at the foot of the Pamirs
- Turpan吐鲁番Historic city · Scenic areaGrape oasis in China's lowest and hottest basin
- Hotan和田Historic city · Cultural centreKhotan, the oasis of jade, silk and carpets
- Yining (Ghulja)伊宁Historic city · Border city · Scenic areaGarden city of the green Ili valley
- Kuqa库车Historic city · Cultural centreAncient Kucha, kingdom of music and Buddhist caves
Getting there
- Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is the main hub, with flights to Central Asia and most Chinese cities; Kashgar, Hotan, Yining, Aksu, Korla, Turpan and many other towns have airports.
- The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line runs from Lanzhou through Hami and Turpan to Urumqi; conventional lines continue to Kashgar, Hotan, Yining and the Kazakh border.
- Road border crossings include Khorgas to Kazakhstan, Torugart and Irkeshtam to Kyrgyzstan, and the Khunjerab Pass to Pakistan on the Karakoram Highway.
Entry rules for foreign visitors are on the visa and entry pages.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Government — Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- 新疆维吾尔自治区2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (Statistical Communiqué of Xinjiang on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development) — Statistics Bureau of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- World Heritage List: China — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: China — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- OHCHR Assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (31 August 2022) — Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Xinjiang — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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