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Geographical region of China
Photo: (WT-shared) ClausHansen, (WT-shared) Cacahuate, PhiLiP (svg base), CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
North West China was historically a border region with the beginning of the ancient Silk Road, much desert terrain, and mainly Muslim inhabitants including some nomads and rather fierce tribal groups. It has always had strong Chinese influences, though at times there were also independent kingdoms in the area. Over the past hundred years, there has been considerable migration by Han Chinese; they are now the largest ethnic group in most areas. Today it is a rapidly growing region, though still less developed than coastal areas.
Shaanxi (陕西; Shǎnxī), pronounced roughly Shahn-see, is a north-central province of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province.
Gansu (甘肃; Gānsù) is a province in the North West region of China. Historically, it is the combination of the two regions, gan (甘) and su (肃).
Ningxia (宁夏 Níngxià) is an autonomous region in Northwest China.
Qinghai (青海 Qīnghǎi) is a province in Northwest China. It is located south of the Republic of Mongolia, east of Xinjiang, and north of Tibet.
Xinjiang (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ, Shinjiang ; Mandarin: 新疆, Xīnjiāng), officially known as the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is in the North West of China. The region is the main home of China's ethnic Uyghur population, is the largest province in China, and shares borders with Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and the disputed Kashmir territory, effectively making Xinjiang a strategic gateway to Central Asia and South Asia.
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Dunhuang (敦煌; Dūnhuáng) is a city on the old Silk Road. It is in Gansu Province in northwest China.
Golmud (格尔木; Ge'ermu) is a city in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China.
Kashgar (Chinese: 喀什 Kāshí; Uyghur: قەشقەر Qeshqer) is in the extreme west of China and the southwest extreme of Xinjiang. The city has been an important trading centre since the days of the Silk Road, and still is today; it is said to have the largest bazaar in Asia.
Lanzhou (兰州; Lánzhōu) is the capital of Gansu province of China.
Turpan (Chinese: 吐魯番, Tǔlǔfān; Uyghur: تۇرپان, Turpan) is a city in Xinjiang, on the Silk Road.
Urumqi (Pronounced: ÜH-RÜM-chee) (Chinese: 乌鲁木齐 Wūlǔmùqí; Uyghur: ئۈرۈمچی) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, administered by the People's Republic of China. The city has a population of around 2.5 million and is in the Tian Shan mountains.
Xi'an (西安 Xī'ān, read as SEE-AHN) is a city in Shaanxi Province in China. The oldest surviving capital of ancient China, Xi'an is home to thousands of years of Chinese heritage and history.
Xining (西宁; Xīníng; Tibetan: Sulang) is the capital of Qinghai Province and the capital of Xining City District, a prefecture of Qinghai. It stands on the elevation of 2,270 m and has a population of around 2.5 million.
Yinchuan (银川; Yínchuān) is the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Located on the Yellow River, it was once the capital of the Western Xia kingdom, also called the Tangut Empire.
Cliffside grottoes and botanic gardens
Xixia Wangling National Park (西夏王陵国家公园) is just west of Yinchuan in the Ningxia Autonomous Region of China. In 2025 the imperial tombs of the park were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
migratory bird stop
Articles and travel topics about Northwest China and China.
Travel tipsHow to qualify for China's 144-hour visa-free transit, set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with foreign cards and navigate train travel as a foreigner.
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ItinerariesHow to link Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai by high-speed bullet train, booking Great Wall hikes, Terracotta Warriors and modern urban towers.
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Nature & adventureHow to explore Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars, ride the Bailong Elevator and drift down the Li River through Guilin and Yangshuo karst peaks.
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ItinerariesThe Trans-Siberian Railway (Russian: Транссиби́рская магистраль Transsibírskaya magistral' or Трансси́б Transsíb) is the name given to the rail routes that traverse Siberia from Moscow.
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