▶ A vast land embracing the Tian Shan Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. A city that preserves the relics of the Silk Road that connected Eastern and Western civilizations, and a place where the traditions of the Uyghurs and the Kazakh nomads live on. We will visit Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which has recently been in the spotlight due to the Uyghurs’ fierce independence movement. ▶ Urumqi, a city where the ancient and the modern coexist Urumqi, a highland city located north of the Tian Shan Mountains. The international bazaar is the largest market in Central Asia and is a must-see attraction. Here, where the traditions of the Silk Road continue, you can find a variety of Xinjiang specialties, including carpets and silk. You can also enjoy the unique dances and music of ethnic minorities at the performance hall in the market. ▶ Tianchi Lake, also known as the Pond in the Sky It is a glacial lake formed by melting glaciers and is located at 1,980m above sea level. In the surrounding grasslands, you can catch a glimpse of the nomadic life of the Kazakh people with their yurts. ▶ Turpan, the blue jewel of the desert. Turpan is located to the south of the Tian Shan Mountains. The ancient city of Zhaohe, built on a 20m high riverside hill, was once the capital of the Western Kingdom. This place, where fierce battles for hegemony on the Silk Road took place, still retains its original appearance along with large Buddhist relics. The famous Huoyan Mountain of Turpan is a huge mountain with a total length of 100km. With a surface temperature of 70 degrees in midsummer and annual rainfall of less than 20mm, this is the very place where Journey to the West was set. At the foot of the mountain is the green miracle of grape village. It is said that grapes have been harvested in Turpan, the world's largest raisin production area, for nearly a thousand years, giving us an idea of ​​its history. The grapes produced in this region are especially sweet and delicious, and a grape festival is held every August. ▶ Khotan, a city where Uyghur traditions are alive. Khotan, the central city of the Southern Route to the West. Khotan, which was an ancient jade producing area, still holds the world's largest jade market. The history of jade is well depicted in the murals of the Jade Gate, which means the gate where jade enters. Jade is mined in Kunlun Mountain or dug up from the river after rolling down from Kunlun Mountain. Even today, you can easily find people digging for jade in the Wulong River. Don't forget to visit the tomb of the caliph who first introduced Islam to Khotan! ▶ Taklamakan Desert, a swamp of death from which there is no return The Taklamakan Desert is 1.7 times the size of the Korean Peninsula. This desert, which means "you can't come out once you enter" in Uyghur, is made up of large and small sand dunes that are about 100m high. I captured this place, which is barren but preserves the greatness of nature, on camera. The Tianshan Mountains are 2,000 km long and 400 km wide. Since ancient times, the transportation route connecting the south and north of the Tianshan Mountains has developed. Let's take a look at the majestic Tianshan Mountains, where the myths of nomads live. We are now embarking on a 2,000 km journey from Urumqi, the central city of the Tianshan North Road, through Turpan, the strategic point of the Tianshan South Road, to Hotan, the largest city on the Western Regions South Road! #XinjiangUyghur #Urumqi #TianshanMountains