Author Bio: This month’s guest post comes from Josh Summers, author of the Xinjiang blog Far West China. Josh and his wife lived in China’s far western province for almost four years as English teachers, using every opportunity to pack up their tent, hop on their motorcycle and explore Xinjiang’s gorgeous countryside. If you’re going to be traveling in China this year and think you might drop by Xinjiang while you’re there, check out Josh’s new travel guide for Turpan, which he is offering free on his site for a limited time.
5 Dirty Cities in China You’ll WANT to Visit
If cleanliness is next to godliness, then China is…well, it’s an atheistic country. Many of its largest cities are perpetually covered in a cloud of pollution that would make even a chain smoker’s lungs cringe. So why would anybody in their right mind consider making a special trip to visit one of China’s dirty cities?
The answer: because this dirt is different. It’s not pollution. It’s not steel and concrete. It’s all beautiful mud.
Welcome to Xinjiang, home of the famous Silk Road. It’s the largest region in China and contains some of the most incredible mud cities you’ll ever find yourself wanting to visit.
1) Kashgar’s Old City
For centuries Kashgar’s Old City has proudly stood as a monument to the rich culture of the Uyghur, Xinjiang’s largest minority ethnic group. Narrow alleyways paved with dirt and stone wander for kilometers between the sun-baked mud walls that make up these ancient Uyghur homes.
This city may not stand much longer, however. Already large portions of it have been torn down by the local government over safety concerns and will soon be replaced with concrete complexes. If you hurry, you’ll still have time to see sections of the old city before it’s completely gone.
2) Turpan’s Jiaohe Ancient City
Perched on a narrow plateau between two converging rivers there is an incredibly well-preserved city that hasn’t been inhabited in over six centuries. While walking along a recognizable pattern of crisscrossing streets, it is possible to examine old government offices, residential areas, cemeteries, and monasteries.
It was through this city that many merchants traveled during the height of the Silk Road. Ancient relics including pottery, tools and religious manuscripts are still being unearthed by archeologist today.
3) Karamay’s Ghost City
Even though the Ghost City is the only place on this list that never was a literal city, it’s still fun to visit. It’s here in the middle of the Jungar Desert that what’s known as Yardang landforms randomly stick up out of the ground. Most of this is formed by the wind that erodes the dirt away leaving large pillars behind. It’s this very wind and the eerie noise it makes that prompted locals to give it the name “Ghost City” although now it is most famous as a movie set location for international hits such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
4) Tuyoq Valley
Pronounced too-yoke, this small town outside of Turpan is nestled in a valley between the beautiful Flaming Mountains. The residents’ primary source of income is grapes and the only kind of building material they use is mud bricks. The outside of these buildings may feel like a boring, sometimes monotonous brown color, but inside the people of Tuyoq decorate their homes with colorful carpets and stunning hanging tapestries.
5) Hemu Village
The most picturesque of all these destinations is Hemu Village, located near the Kanas Lake in northern Xinjiang. This town never got the memo that the world had moved into the 21st century, so their houses are still made of logs and their roads are still paved with dirt. The fall season is an especially opportune time to visit the village as the surrounding forest puts on an exhibit of colors that would make a painter think he’d died and gone to heaven.
You won’t find all of these “dirty” cities in the major travel books, but that also means you won’t be fighting the tourist crowds that can ruin a trip to any destination. Do yourself a favor: give your lungs a breath of fresh air and discover a part of China that most people only read about in history books.
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Timely article for me since I am heading to China at the end of June. Not sure I am going to this area, but it does sound intriguing.
(BTW: I tried to RT this and I got the message that the tweet is pointing to the wrong URL. Thought you might like to know.)
.-= Nancie (Ladyexpat)´s last blog .. =-.
Glad you enjoyed the article and I hope you do get a chance to travel around this area. It’s absolutely fascinating and right now is the perfect weather (in a couple months it’s going to get pretty hot).
.-= Josh´s last blog ..5 Fantastic Mountain Scenes in Xinjiang, China =-.
Thanks Josh. We’re trying to convince John’s mom to come over next summer. She’s been talking about a trip to China for the last five years, and we’ve finally both got the time off to do it. You never know. We might come knocking on your door.
Nancie,
That’s exciting! Where are you heading?
Thanks for letting me know about the RT problem. I checked the URL and it worked fine for me, so I’m not really sure what happened there.
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Great post! I’m going to China in September, nowhere near this region though. But I plan on using this trip (the major tourist spots
) as an introduction to get a feel for the country, and come back later to visit at my own pace. Tips like the ones above are very welcome.
Kim,
How wonderful! I think you’ll really enjoy your time there. September is the perfect month to go as the weather has cooled down and the pollution isn’t as bad. When I moved to China in 2003, I used Lonely Planet’s pocket phrasebook. It helped me out when I was in a pinch. That’s the only one I’ve ever used though. My only other advice would be to make sure that your phrasebook has both Mandarin and Cantonese.
Sorry for doubleposting, but that just reminds me – Carrie, do you perhaps have recommendations on a phrasebook to bring with me? I’ll be traveling for 3 weeks from Beijing over Shanghai to Hong Kong.
I like your spin on this. Haven’t been to China, yet, but will put these on my list!
.-= Wanderluster´s last blog ..Photo of the Day: Washing Away a Lifetime of Sins in Bhutan =-.
You haven’t been to China yet? Beth, I’m shocked
.-= Josh´s last blog ..Travel to Turpan with this FREE ebook =-.
very cool!! i love his site – thanks for sharing these cool places!
.-= jessiev´s last blog ..Compendium of Travel Resources on Ireland and Scotland =-.
Wished I could have explored western China more in depth! I was able to spend several days exploring the Qinghai region but China is such a large country with so much to see and absorb. Will be checking out your site right away!!
.-= Aly´s last blog ..The Blue Sea At 10,515 feet =-.
Hey Aly,
It’s a pleasure to meet you and I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I just checked out your latest post on Qinghai and left a comment there. Nice site!
You’re right – China is just too large to see all at once and I would even say that the Xinjiang region in itself is also too large. To visit all the sites listed above would take at least 10 days unless you chartered your own jet. Still, it’s nice to get an overview of all the options, you know?
.-= Josh´s last blog ..How China Taught me to Drive Better =-.
I’m reading this in a ridiculous Hong Kong shopping mall and am once again glad Josh is writing these articles and reminding us, even those of us that live in China, that it’s a much vaster, diverse and culturally richer place than those of us just reading news coverage or living in the “big” cities tend to realize.
Hey there Fred! I don’t see you snooping around as much as I used to…you been busy? Thanks for the kind words, although I at times in Xinjiang I would have been very happy to switch places with you to walk around Hong Kong where I had many more options to eat and my wife had better places to shop
.-= Josh´s last blog ..Xinjiang Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo =-.
Carrie – I’m really liking your website! I shall return.
Josh – these all sound fascinating! I want to visit each one. Thanks for writing this.
Glad you enjoyed it, Sabina! Whenever you do decide to come, let me know and I can give you some other great ideas for trips.
.-= Josh´s last blog ..Pictorial History of Urumqi’s South Gate 南门 =-.
Thanks Sabina. I’m glad you like it. I have been enjoying your site as well.
This is a nice list of some really interesting places to visit in Xinjiang.China. It is really a pity that Kashgar may soon will out of this list.
Josh + Carrie,
My husband + I plan to visit Xinjiang with our kids next year on our way through China.
Thanks for sharing this info + photos on some high points to visit in this area.
Michelle (aka WanderMom)
.-= wandermom´s last blog ..Twelve Weeks And Counting =-.
Hi Michelle. I’m glad you like Josh’s write-up. Keep us posted on your journey to Xinjiang. I’d love to read about your trip!
Like Carrie said, definitely keep us posted, Michelle! I’d be interested to hear what your kids think about the area and if they can appreciate a lot of the historical significance behind much of what they’ll see. Have a safe trip!
.-= Josh´s last blog ..How China Taught Me to Eat Better =-.