The modern Aksu - popular tourist destination in China
Aksu - bright pearl of Xinjiang
Modern Xinjiang is one of the Chinese popular recreation centers for tourists from all over the world. They come there not only to learn about the amazing culture of the region, but also go on an unforgettable journey to the cities located on the Great Silk Road. One of the most popular tourist routes is the one from Urumqi to Kashgar through the Takla-Makan Desert. In the course of this trip you can visit such cities as Kuchar and Aksu, famous for their landmarks and ruins of ancient temples.
Aksu city is located in a picturesque place at the Tien Shan foothills on the border with the Takla-Makan Desert. The city’s suburbs are known for its developed agriculture, but Aksu is especially famous for its apple gardens, with the apples best in China, in the opinion of the city-folk. Besides water melons, melons, apricots, dates, peas, and grapes are grown there.
In spite of its ancient history, Aksu is quite a modern city. Its population exceeds 570,000 people. There are numerous shopping and entertaining centers, restaurants and cafés with cuisine of different nations, including national Uygurian one. In addition, there are several health-improving complexes and also bars and night clubs in the city itself and its suburbs. All this makes the rest of the city’s guests comfortable and interesting.
The city’s history numbers more than two thousand years. Aksu was founded on one of the most difficult sections of the Great Silk Road that is why, first it was a small community on the way of caravan travel route. Step by step it developed into a large city– one of the centers of trade and culture in Xinjiang.
At the beginning of the first millennium Aksu and its suburbs became the place where settled Buddhist monks who arrived from far India with trade caravans. They chose the mountains in the city’s suburbs as a place to pray, and built an original cave monastery. Many of these caves were covered with amazing petroglyphs dated back to the II-III centuries BC.
The city is famous not only for its landmarks, but also for the products manufactured there. As early as the time when the Great Silk Road was in operation, Aksu was notable for its products made of precious stones. And today, in Xinjiang, numerous tourists can purchase rare jewelries from the best masters-jewelers at a rather low price.
In addition to unique jewelries it is possible to buy hand-made carpets, Uygur national costumes and many other items of applied art made by Uygur masters, Aksu is famous for.