Riding the World’s First Railway to Circle a Desert | 5-Day Trip in Xinjiang, China

Riding the World’s First Railway to Circle a Desert | 5-Day Trip in Xinjiang, China

Five days, one loop: riding the world’s first railway to circle a desert — the Taklamakan, China’s largest desert (also the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert) in Xinjiang — through sand seas and gobi, and into the oasis towns along the way.

Timestamp:
0:00 Intro
1:17 Departing Korla, the “City of Pears,” with a Business Class Carriage to Myself
8:40 First Impressions of the Desert: Straw Grids, Poplar Trees and Sand Dunes
14:46 Exploring China’s Largest County and the 3,800-Year-Old “Loulan Beauty”
26:36 An Incredible Desert-Control Project: Locking the Taklamakan in with a Green Belt
32:42 Exploring Yotkan Ancient City: An Immersive Journey into the Kingdom of Yutian
43:02 “Three Eggs and One Star” and Samsa Buns: Tasting Hotan’s Local Specialties
45:51 Visiting the Home of Hotan Jade and One of China’s Largest Jade Markets
47:43 Leaving Hotan and Getting Caught in a Fierce Sandstorm
51:22 Kashgar by Day and Night: Local Life and the Charm of the Ancient City
58:54 Leaving Kashgar: Desert Sunset and “a bit of Mars” from an Overnight Train
1:03:32 Completing the Loop: A Full Journey Around the Taklamakan Desert

▶ I use automatic translation of subtitles, so please excuse me if some look a little weird.