Essential 7-Day Tour of Xinjiang

Tianchi, the Heavenly Lake, sits at 1,980 m, ringed by a wall of snow-clad peaks. Blue water, green meadows, deep-green forest and the white summit of the Tian Shan — whose name literally means “Mountain of Heaven” — combine into a picture of clear, layered beauty. Walk the wooden boardwalk and watch cloud shadows drift slowly across the surface, then listen to the beautiful legends the local people tell about this enchanted lake. Each season paints the lake in its own palette, yet the snow peaks remain a constant companion.

Wander through Kashgar Old Town, where green vines climb the mud-brick walls and children chase and laugh through the lanes. Step inside Xinjiang's largest mosque and admire the beauty of Islamic architecture in a calm, hushed setting. Then continue to the tranquil mausoleum of a great Uyghur poet, where geometric patterns and glazed tiles seem to write a letter addressed to the sky. The whole town moves at the gentle pace of a place that has welcomed travellers for more than a thousand years.

Settle in at a teahouse that is more than a century old. Many Kashgar residents gather here for the whole afternoon — drinking tea, chatting, playing instruments and breaking into dance. Listen to the folk music that flows from the fingertips of Uyghur elders, add some naan and fresh fruit to the table, and you become part of this small town's most typical social life. Time seems to slow down here, and the afternoon stretches into something warmer than any sightseeing.

Stroll the ancient city of Jiaohe — a city that was not raised upward from the ground but carved downward out of the living earth, its streets, courtyards, stupas and government offices still clearly outlined today. Then step into Tuyugou Village, one of the oldest Uyghur settlements anywhere, with a history of more than 1,700 years. Finally go underground to see how the karez, an ancient irrigation system, carries melted snow from the Tian Shan down into the green oasis. Walking the silent lanes, you can almost hear the city as it once was.

The Bezeklik caves were cut into the cliffs of the Flaming Mountains and first excavated in the 5th century AD. The chambers are filled with brightly coloured murals depicting a great range of Buddhist scenes and figures — seated Buddhas, celestial beings and lines of devout donors. Though some murals have been damaged, the site is still a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most rewarding stops on the Silk Road. Nearby, the Astana Tombs are called an “underground museum”; their well-preserved artefacts open a window onto life in the Kingdom of Gaochang some 1,500 years ago. The surviving colour and craftsmanship still speak of the devotion that created them more than a millennium ago.

Follow the Karakoram Highway westward to scenery at China's far western edge that few travellers ever see. White Sand Lake is held in the embrace of white dunes, lush meadows and stands of poplar; the contrast of white dunes against deep blue water makes a stillness that feels almost unreal. Further on lies Karakul Lake, a glacial lake that glitters in the light. Across roughly three hours of driving you will likely ask the driver to stop again and again: snow-clad Muztagh Ata and the peaks around it stand like a row of steadfast guardians keeping watch over this land. This is the remote, high-country beauty that stays with you long after the journey ends.