Found deep within a canyon in the Flaming Mountains, the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are a complex of Buddhist niches and caves that date back to the 5th century… Long-time readers will, I believe, find that the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves remind them very much of the Buddhist caves (and former site of the giant … Continue reading
It gets hot out here… Situated on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert near Turpan, the Flaming Mountains are well named, if nothing else, for how hot it gets here… In the summer temperatures are routinely over 122 F (50 C). Supposedly, the optical illusion of shimmering light created by the heat rising off the … Continue reading
Located on the outskirts of Turpan, the Emin Minaret and Mosque were constructed in 1777 to honor a military general from Turpan, Emin Khoja (which is where the name derives from). Designed by a Uighur architect, it was constructed using the local materials available at the time – brick and wood. The textured bricks were … Continue reading
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has the distinction of being the most landlocked city on the planet. Positioned 1,600 miles from the nearest coastline, this distinction has earned Urumqi a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In an effort to attract more Chinese tourists, the government of China has … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 