Summary of Xinjiang - People here are friendly, willing to help. As people approach the rear of the bus to exit, they ask if you are getting out rather than just pushing you aside like they do in Kunming.

It is good to hear people speaking in another language using consonants other than J, S, X and Z.

Taxi drivers use the meter and there is no debate about this part of their job. They readily give information when asked and do not seem bothered to answer a few questions as in Kunming.

The security checks may seem excessive to a newcomer but understandable. Armed police just about in every public space. Some bus and train stations have redundant security screenings, as many as 3 in one train station. ID card and passport must be kept handy as you will be asked to show it many times during the day depending on where you go. Must show passport to buy all tickets.

Taxis are not so easy to get but not impossible if you wait a while. The BRT bus system is really great and can take you long distances very quickly. BRT are not as crowded as regular buses so we really made use of BRT here in Urumqi.

Food is great if you are a lamb lover, its not so easy to find some noodles shops as lamb is everywhere. Reminds me of when I visited Korea, after a few days I smelled like Kimchee, even though I never ate it because the smell is everywhere, same here with the smell of lamb. The Nan Bread is great when it just comes out of the hot ovens, we never bought it after they cooled.

I wish I had stayed a few more days in Turpan. Beautiful place with wonderful people.

The D high speed trains are really great, especially for such a large country. Tickets can get pricey but they are well worth the time saved.

We are heading back to Gansu tonight on a K (slow) train as we got a sleeper and can sleep all night while the train inches toward our destination.

Sorry to change the topic,, but I remember that Kunming was planning to also do a "BRT" system, north south along Beijing road, but they decided to spend BIG on the subway instead. After your positive comments on the BRT in Urumqi I wonder if the right choice was made in Kunming.

Thanks Campo.

And btw. Reading your posts, its very difficult to get the impression of a "china hater" - on the contrary - maybe the opposite.

One of the obstacles was the difficulty finding hotels that accept foreigners, this is the first time I experienced this in my time in China. This takes some time and requires some phone calls in advance. This happend in both Gansu and Xinjiang.

Did not see many foreign tourists here. Of the few I did see they were the 50+ clean cut type, none of the nasty ganga smoking backpackers.

Sunrise and sunset are much later then Kunming.

Officially, Xinjiang is on the same time zone as the rest of China, Beijing Time (UTC+8). However, being roughly two time zones west of the capital, some residents, local organization and local government follow their own unofficial Xinjiang Time (UTC+6). The division follows ethnic lines, with Han tending to use Beijing Time and Uighurs tending to use Xinjiang Time; this is seen as a form of resistance to the central government. Regardless of the ethnicity of their proprietors, most businesses and schools open and close according to Xinjiang time, two hours later than their equivalents in other regions of China.

Travelling to Xinjiang is like visiting another country. The people are remarkable, they talk to one another, they laugh, they smile. They behave this way amongst each other and also with complete strangers.

When crossing the street, they do NOT blow their horn at you, they let you walk by without nearly running you over as they do here in Kunming.

There is a lot of Green energy being used in both Gansu and Xinjiang; wind turbines and fields of solar panels are found along the roads.

The high speed D trains are a real blessing. They get you from A to B in a very short time and there is NO smoking aboard these trains. The nasty smokers are first in line when the train stops so they can take quick drags of their nasty cigs as the train stops briefly to drop off and pick up passengers. Some stops are very brief and the conductors yell at the nasty smokers as they are forced to drop their cigs before they can finish smoking.

There are NO smoking signs in every public space in Xinjiang. Thats right, no smoking at the bus or train stations. Unlike Kunming where there are sings and everyone ignores them.

When people see that you are taking pictures, they either wait or walk around you - these people are aware of their surroundings and care about others. Don't expect to see this in Yunnan or Hunan.

If it wasn't for the cold weather, Xinjiang would be a great place to live - truly wonderful people.

CAMPO, I agree heartily with your assessment of the people of Xinjiang.

After reading a lot about the place I had put it high on my list of places to go. Every Han friend was against me going and my girlfriend flat refused to consider going. The Uyghurs are dirty and dangerous people. They carried knives and killed people for little to know reason. In 2007 and the end of the school year, my girlfriend went to the US on a sudden business trip leaving me with crashed plans for a month.

A fellow professor, a Chinese, who had lived in the US and UK, told me to go as it was a great place and in July not so hot. So I went,

Everyone there, Han and all the other ethnic people were as you say, helpful, smiling and kind. I intended to stay about 10 days but it turned into 24 days.

In Kashgar, I was wandering in the old city, down narrow allies, taking photos and actually meeting Uyghur people, chatting and being invited into homes and given tea.

No one objected to my photo taking, even women with veils. Hesitant to photograph the women, i was surprised when they saw the camera, dropped the veils and smiled. The men grinned at me and were friendly. I was given free samples of food, mutton dumplings hot from the ovens and pastries as I stopped to photo people at work. I spent an entire day in the Kashgar animal market alone and sticking my camera in peoples faces with no anger and lots of friendly smiles.

Those weeks in Xinjiang were the best travel I did in China. As you say, it was like being in a different country.

Silk Road UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Routes Network of Chang'an - Tianshan Corridor.

The purpose of my trip was to see the UNESCO sites added in 2014. Unlike other UNESCO sites, the sites along the Silk Road are NOT a single site but rather many sites along the way.

These are the sites I visited: Turpan + Changji.

1 - Qocho (Gaochang) City Ruins, Turpan.
2 - Yar City Site of Bashbaliq City (Jiaohe Ruins), Turpan.
3 - Beshbalik City Ruins, Jimsar County, Changji.
4 - Tian Shan Mount - Fukang County, Changji.

These are sites I did NOT visit: Aksu

5 - Kizil Gaha Beacon Tower, Kuqa, Aksu.
6 - Kizil Caves, Kuqa, Aksu.
7 - Subash Buddhist Temple Ruins, Kuqa, Aksu.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_UNESCO_World_Heritage_Sites

Thanks Hugo. Great work.

I really used and appreciated your website. Sorry it is no more. Yunnan travelers are at a loss.

Good news. Lucky Air (祥鹏航空) may be offering direct flights from Kunming to Ürümqi at the end of this month.

I checked todays offering on trip.com and see that Lucky Air and four others already have direct flights to Urumqi.

Lucky was the only one that did not show a price for checked baggage and some even included checked baggage in the listed price.

Speaking of prices, they look considerably higher than last June when my wife went.