TXinjiang safety KKH Safety
 

I ve been thinking about taking a trip on the Silk Road. I said to my hubby "we start by taking the train to Urumqi". At that point he exploded - "That's too unsafe. It's a war zone. They'll never give you permission to go into Xinjiang." Is there possibly any truth to what he is saying or is this just an over reaction to the events in Paris?

Well, I wouldn't start in Urumqi - more interesting places on the way from Beijing/Xi'an. Xinjiang is not as safe as it was, but I would still be willing to visit. What I would not do is plan to take the KKH beyond Gilgit, if that far. That will get you the best of the scenery in any case.

Suggest you check Lonely Planet's thorntree - you're more likely to find people who have traveled in the region recently over there.

How knowledgeable is the husband? He sounds like a hothead. 'War zone'? Don't be foolish. I do not think there is any animosity towards westerners in Xinjiang, if that is what you are. The locals do not like or want the Han chinese and do give the Han commies some small fits but otherwise, no problems, IMO.

Whether the Han commies (CCP) restrict travelers in Xinjiang should be news you can find. From Beijing to Urumqi is a fair train ride. I like Hami for it's size and closeness to nature. And Hami melons to die for, in summer.

Can't see going in winter.

(I attempted to post this with links to the relevant tours, but it didn't work. I am trying again without the links.)

Update: I just read a letter in International Travel News from someone who took a trip to the Hindu Kush with Wild Frontiers. I have heard other recommendations for this company. They have a Kashgar to Kashmir trip that would include the KKH.

Plus a Silk Road trip in China.

The Chinese leg should be easy enough to do independently if you wanted to, but I would want more support for Pakistan.

I agree with jobin that violence in Xinjiang is a result of Han encroachment/oppression, although that doesn't mean that travelers can't get caught in the crossfire. But that is true of a lot of places, even if you stay home.

There's no such thing as 'the' Silk Road, but quite a number of different routes.

Urumqi itself is not a city you want to spend time in, having nothing left of its history at all. Primary trade routes went around the north and south sides of the Taklamakan Desert, and if travelling west within modern-day China, and wanting stops with something tangible of Silk Road history, beginning at Xi'an, you'd probably want to consider Tianshui, Jiayuguan, Turpan, then Kashgar. That's just the greatest hits, all reachable by train. There are plentiful quiet intermediate stops with things to see, too.

Kashgar, now woefully diminished, is the starting point for a Karakoram Highway trip, usually with an overnight in Tashkurgan, although that's avoidable if you charter your own vehicles.

The Hunza Valley is a delight, filled mainly with highly hospitable Ismaili Muslims. Beyond Gilgit it's long been typical to have an armed guard on the bus as the intermediate tribes until you get to around Abbottabad (where Bin Laden was executed, formerly better known for its leftovers of the British Raj).

There's no threat to foreigners in Xinjiang, and precious little to none in northeast Pakistan or the capital, where the Karakoram Highway ends. Neither is a 'war zone'. There's no crossfire.

Entering Xinjiang is not forbidden. The main difficulty is that if you mention Xinjiang on any Chinese visa application you won't be given a visa. But that's been true for at least two decades now. When you're there there is no difficulty (although large-scale unrest, were it to occur, might see you sent packing--and Urumqi would be the place were this to happen). The simple answer is not to mention Xinjiang on the visa application. Your visa will be valid for the whole of China (except Tibet, in breach of China's own regulations. But that's another story.)

...fm Urumqi, 1/2 thru 1 wk visit, then Kashgar, Korla, both in Xinjiang, o'nite "soft sleeper" to return, after 3yrs, to Lanzhou, Ganzu province...then plane to Guanxi province. I'm VERY much at home, via AirBnB, in Uighur-area apt. Take daily tour bus rides (@age76��), off today for People's Park. Military presence @ major crossroads, govt spots(eg People's Square), in form of 3-6 bdu-clad/ak47 armed soldiers, wearing black balaclavas over face (presumably for 20oF cold, &/or pollution); usually lookout watches fm open top hatch of armored personnel carrier. People are friendly, smiles usually get past language differences. Further update(s), contact me.

I visited a couple of years back soon after some riots. Probably the best time as security was enhanced and flights were super cheap. My spouse who is ethnic Chinese had no issue.
The Silk road is not just Xinjiang. Besides the places named above, you need to stop also in Turpan, Dunhuang, Zhangye and Xiahe (near Lanzhou). Xiahe is not the Silk road as such but very much worth a small detour. We thought that Jiayuguan was not worth it.

Beg to differ, "CanadaChinaTraveller," but 3 yrs ago, two days @Jiayuguan, Ganzu province, were well worth my effort to experience the furthest point west of the Great Wall, AND, the nearby centuries-old military settlement/base, on the site of a major historical battle. Of special note was the scary access to the other side of this riverbank site, via a 3-400 meter long ROPE supported suspension bridge, looking down over a chasm with an 8-900m DROP! Admittedly, Jiayuguan itself was less than remarkable.

Dunhuang, no longer easily train-accessible, was also a Silk Road highlight for me, especially the nearby Buddhist cave complex. However, the sand dune-adjacent national/provincial(?) park, with elevated western level admission fee, and on-site camels at-the-ready for rides with equally inflated prices, sent me packing on to Jiayuguan to what what would prove to be a much more authentic experience.

> especially the nearby Buddhist cave complex.

I wrote in haste, otherwise I certainly wouldn't have omitted this. The Mogao Caves outside Dunhuang are an absolutely essential stop, and if time is limited so only one cave-temple complex can be seen then it should be Mogao rather than the caves at Tianshui.