Mysterious China Blog

Capital of Xinjiang since the 19th century, Urumqisits amidst beautiful scenery, with the snow-laden Tianshan Mountains to the east. Today a growing metropolis with a population of one million, Urumqiis a modern Chinese city, with designer stores and high-rises. ...

This oasis city on the northern Silk Road lies in the Turpan depression – one of the lowest areas on earth – and is largely a Uighur settlement. The Uighur descended from nomadic Siberian tribes who united in the 7th century and settled in the region in the 9th century. ...

Although blessed with very few sights, Qinghai’s captial, Xining, is home to a city mix of minority peoples, mostly Hui Muslims and Tibetans with a sprinkling of Kazakhs and Mongols. From the 16th century, it served as a stopover ...

In the far west of Qinghai Province, Golmud is perched at 3,000 m in the forlorn Tibetan plateau. The only sizable city for several hundred miles, it is the second largest city in the Qinghai province after Xining, with ...

A large industrial city and Gansu Province’s capital, Lanzhou has for long been the key transport link between the Chinese heartlands and the Northwest. It was an important stop on the Silk Road at the beginning of the Hexi Corridor, and is thus culturally closer to the Northwest than to ...

A small oasis city, Dunhuang once prospered as the last stop on the Silk Road before it split north and south to skirt the Taklamakan Desert. It is a pleasant settlement that has achieved a certain level of prosperity, ...

When looking for China holidays, it's difficult to know what awaits you in such a vast and exciting country. The culture, food and attractions provide a refreshing change from the West and here are our top five highlights: 1. The Great Wall Some say the Great Wall can be seen ...

Nowadays, more and more people like to spend their holidays in China. The unique glamour of China is attracting the visitors from all parts of the world, imposing Great Wall, magnificent Palace Museum, wide Yangtze River, precipitous Mount Tai, exquisite Suzhou Garden, mysterious emperor's mausoleum, holy temple, incredible terracotta warriors... ...

Situated in the north of Ningxia, in the lee of the Helan mountains, Yinchuan is well protected from the harsh desert climate, and makes a good base from which to explore the surrounding sights. Today, Yinchuan is a pleasant ...

A small Buddhist settlement since the Ming era, Hohhot became the capital of Inner Mongolia in 1952. Although it has expanded considerably in recent years, the city has kept some of its charm, visible in traditional mud-brick houses in the south, as well as a few temples and an excellent ...