Urumqi Red Hill Park (Hongshan): The City’s Best Skyline and Sunset View
Climb Red Hill Park in Urumqi for the city’s best skyline, sunset views, and the iconic Hongshan pagoda. How to get there and what to see.
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Xinjiang Manta (Mantı): The Steamed Dumplings of the Silk Road
Discover Xinjiang manta — plump Uyghur steamed dumplings of lamb and onion. Where to eat them, how they are made, and what to pair them with.
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Naren (Narin): Xinjiang’s Festive Hand-Pulled Noodle Dish
Naren is Xinjiang’s celebratory hand-pulled noodle dish served at weddings and holidays. Learn its meaning, where to try it, and how it is eaten by hand.
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Beshbarmak: Xinjiang’s Kazakh Feast Eaten with the Hands
Beshbarmak is the Kazakh nomad’s banquet of boiled meat and wide noodles eaten by hand. Discover where to taste it in Xinjiang’s north and what it means.
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Koumiss (Kumys): Xinjiang’s Ancient Fermented Mare’s Milk Drink
Koumiss is the fizzy, tangy fermented mare’s milk drunk by Xinjiang’s nomads for centuries. Learn where to try it, how it’s made, and what it tastes like.
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Göshnan: Xinjiang’s Crispy Fried Meat Pie from the Tandoor Tradition
Göshnan is Xinjiang’s deep-fried meat pie, a crisp cousin of the baked samsa. Find out where to eat it, how it differs, and why it is worth the grease.
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Turpan Wine: Tasting Xinjiang’s Ancient Desert Vineyards
Turpan’s vineyards produce China’s oldest wine tradition. Explore the desert grape wines, where to taste them, and how a Silk Road oasis became a wine region.
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Xinjiang Ice Cream (Muzigao): The Sweet, Stretchy Street Treat
Xinjiang’s muzigao ice cream is a dense, stretchy, yogurt-like street treat. Find out where to eat it, how it’s made, and why it beats the supermarket kind.
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Shorpa: Xinjiang’s Comforting Meat Broth and the Soup Culture
Shorpa is Xinjiang’s restorative meat broth, served from Kashgar to the grasslands. Learn what goes in it and where to drink this local comfort.
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Layering for Xinjiang: Packing Clothes for Desert Heat and Mountain Cold
Learn how to pack clothes for Xinjiang’s desert heat and mountain cold with a smart layering system built for 20°C daily swings.
