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Yarkent Travel Guide - How to Plan a Trip to Yarkent

Yarkent Travel Guide - How to Plan a Trip to Yarkent

Written by Kelly PangUpdated Feb. 9, 2021

Shache, known as Yarkand, is beside the Yarkand River. The Taklamakan desert is east and Kunlun Mountain is west. Zepu and Yecheng County are south, and Yuepuhu, Maigaiti and Yingjisha County are north. The city covers an area of about 8,000 square kilometers, and it has a population of 600,000. 98% of the people are Uighurs. It takes about 24 hours or so to go from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, by motor vehicle (1644 kilometers).

  • Postal Code: 844700
  • Phone area code: 0998

Shache, called the "silk capital", was a key town along the Silk Road route, and it has a long history of sericulture and silk weaving. The local silk known as "Aidelaisi silk" sells well in Xinjiang and abroad. Shache County is also famous for its minority music and culture. In the 16th century, a famous poet and musician, Amannisha, collected and synthesized traditional Uighur music into a set of " Twelve Mukam" that have been popular for hundreds of years and are still sung throughout Xinjiang and abroad. This little visited area has an ancient culture, ancient archaeological sites and a rugged, beautiful land.

Shache is a special tourist destination because the Kunlun Mountains, the Taklimakan Desert, and the Yarkand River are unusual natural landscape. There are also the ancient mazars (palaces) and a magnificent mosque. Uighur rural customs are interesting. Shache is famous for earthenware crafts. Their pottery have fine shapes and brilliant colors. Shache’s earthware is outstanding in the Xinjiang area. In particular, while visiting earthenware workshops within the county, travelers will find their unique methods and styles charming and fascinating.

Weather

Shache has a warm climate, but the mountains and desert areas have their own climates. Generally, the summer is long and the winter is short. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of minus six degrees Celsius, and July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. The best time to travel here is in October and September for mild weather and the fruits that are famous in China.

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