Jul 21.
We depart Turpan the following morning heading to Urumqi by bus and then on to Kashgar that evening via airplane. But first, we visit the Xinjiang Provincial Museum and then Red Hill, where we get a panoramic view of Urumqi. The museum has displays that depict all the different ethinic groups in the Xinjiang Territory. You might have seen the special television presentation on Nova of the “Mysterious Mummies of China.” The mummies that are the subject of this program are on display here. The mummies at first were thought to be of Asiatic or Middle Eastern ethnic origin but DNA samples proved that the mummies were of caucasian origin. The history of the mummies really bring home what a center of trade this region was, how long ago these trade routes had been established, and how much more closely related we all are.
Beijing, Xinjiang Province and Shanghai