A sweeping portrait of China's vast northwest
A newly released book guides readers through the dramatic landscapes and natural resources of Xinjiang, underpinning its splendor and modern development, Fang Aiqing and Mao Weihua report in Urumqi.
A rich historical legacy is preserved in numerous archaeological sites across Xinjiang, such as the ruins of Loulan Ancient City in Ruoqiang county. Scientific analysis of unearthed artifacts suggests that the visible layout of the ruins dates back to the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316).
Experts speculate that the surviving "three-room structure" built from earth blocks likely served as a government office, suggesting that Loulan Ancient City may have been a key military and political center in the Western Regions at that time.
Over millennia, Xinjiang has evolved into a land where multiple ethnic groups blend and thrive together. Today, it is home to all 56 ethnic groups of China, making it one of the country's provincial-level administrative regions with the fullest ethnic composition and a vibrant diversity of folk customs and traditions.
This spirit of openness is precisely captured in the conclusion to the book, a poem written by the late Xinjiang-based writer Zhou Tao (1946-2023):
"Across the boundless expanse,
Countless lives are forged —
Utterly ordinary, yet fiercely bold.
The embrace of the Gobi Desert is also the embrace of the sea,
Open wide, gathering souls from every corner of the world."
