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Inside China’s Most RESTRICTED Region
Urumqi and Turpan Food Markets and Karez Canals
What is it really like to travel in Xinjiang, China? In this China travel vlog, we explore the most heavily surveilled places in the country, we will go from Urumqi, to Turpan, and the ancient city of Jiaohe, to uncovering the history, the reality of everyday muslim life and an ancient engineering...
What is it really like to travel in Xinjiang, China? In this China travel vlog, we explore the most heavily surveilled places in the country, we will go from Urumqi, to Turpan, and the ancient city of Jiaohe, to uncovering the history, the reality of everyday muslim life and an ancient engineering marvel that helped make life possible in this arid landscape.
From ID checks, security checkpoints, and surveillance cameras to bustling markets, local food, and residential neighbourhoods, we experience what travelling through Xinjiang is actually like — beyond the headlines.
About Us 🍝 🐼 🐈
We love to make travel videos with unique cultural insights.
We met in India during the Pandemic in 2020, we were both on holiday there but decided to leave everything behind and start traveling the world together, fast forward 5 years, 1 marriage and 6 countries we called home, we decided to share what we learn about the world with you!
Pasta and Panda explore Urumqi and Turpan in Xinjiang, visiting residential neighborhoods, local food stalls, a hotel, the Xinjiang Museum, the Flaming Mountains, a karez water channel, Jiaohe Ancient City and a weekly market. They describe their experience with checkpoints, try samsa, noodles, lamb dishes and melon, and show how visitors can descend by elevator to an underground karez canal.
What is it really like to travel in Xinjiang, China? In this China travel vlog, we explore the most heavily surveilled places in the country, we will go from Urumqi, to Turpan, and the ancient city of Jiaohe, to uncovering the history, the reality of everyday muslim life and an ancient engineering marvel that helped make life possible in this arid landscape.
From ID checks, security checkpoints, and surveillance cameras to bustling markets, local food, and residential neighbourhoods, we experience what travelling through Xinjiang is actually like — beyond the headlines.
About Us 🍝 🐼 🐈
We love to make travel videos with unique cultural insights.
We met in India during the Pandemic in 2020, we were both on holiday there but decided to leave everything behind and start traveling the world together, fast forward 5 years, 1 marriage and 6 countries we called home, we decided to share what we learn about the world with you!
Pasta and Panda begin in Urumqi, describing its location and the mix of cultures and foods they notice. They visit the Grand Bazaar area after passing a bag checkpoint, and recount a problem checking into an Airbnb because the host lacked a machine to register foreign guests. In a residential neighborhood, they try a large lamb samsa, tea, raisins and other local foods. They eat mixed dry noodles, review a hotel room, and describe its voice controls for the air conditioning, lights, curtains and laundry status. They visit a local barber, then eat noodles and lamb barbecue in a neighborhood market. The vlog continues with a big plate of chicken, which the creator says is eaten by mixing flat noodles into its sauce. In Turpan, they visit the Xinjiang Museum and the Flaming Mountains, explain the karez irrigation system, and take an elevator down to view an underground canal. They explore Jiaohe Ancient City, eat at a restaurant, and visit a Sunday livestock auction and weekly market. The creators describe checkpoints on the drive back toward Urumqi, including a request to send a passport photo and an ID check at a fuel station. They say they did not feel unsafe and that they relaxed after spending time with local residents.
Pasta and Panda explore Urumqi and Turpan in Xinjiang, visiting residential neighborhoods, local food stalls, a hotel, the Xinjiang Museum, the Flaming Mountains, a karez water channel, Jiaohe Ancient City and a weekly market. They describe their experience with checkpoints, try samsa, noodles, lamb dishes and melon, and show how visitors can descend by elevator to an underground karez canal.
A Xinjiang trip through Urumqi and Turpan, with local markets, regional food, Jiaohe Ancient City and a karez water channel.
Urumqi and Turpan Food Markets and Karez Canals
3:46 In a residential area of Urumqi, the creators find street vendors and small restaurants near a mosque. A vendor shows them how to open the large lamb samsa, which they eat with tea.
5:46 The creators say barbecue, rice served with meat and dry noodles are among the foods they want to try around this neighborhood market. The video shows these as local recommendations, not a general food guide.
8:00 The hotel room has voice controls for the air conditioning, lights and curtains. The creators also use the system to check their laundry status, which shows 16 minutes remaining in their visit.
11:39 At a local market, the creators find a hand-pulled noodle stall beside a barbecue stall and choose noodles and lamb barbecue for lunch. They describe the noodles as chewy and served with lamb and chili.
15:37 The creator explains that Xinjiang big plate chicken is served with chicken, vegetables and a flat noodle sheet. In the video, they mix the noodles into the sauce so they soak it up.
20:58 At the karez site they visit, an elevator takes them down to an underground canal at a depth of 60 metres. The creators say they chose this site because the elevator provides direct access below ground.
26:48 At the market, the creators describe tasting watermelon before paying and say a slice costs 2 RMB. This is the practice they observed at that stall during their visit.
27:49 On the drive from Turpan toward Urumqi, the creators describe a police checkpoint where an officer asked them to provide a passport photo. They also show an ID check at a fuel-station entrance; this is their recorded experience.
3:46 In a residential area of Urumqi, the creators find street vendors and small restaurants near a mosque. A vendor shows them how to open the large lamb samsa, which they eat with tea.
5:46 The creators say barbecue, rice served with meat and dry noodles are among the foods they want to try around this neighborhood market. The video shows these as local recommendations, not a general food guide.
8:00 The hotel room has voice controls for the air conditioning, lights and curtains. The creators also use the system to check their laundry status, which shows 16 minutes remaining in their visit.
11:39 At a local market, the creators find a hand-pulled noodle stall beside a barbecue stall and choose noodles and lamb barbecue for lunch. They describe the noodles as chewy and served with lamb and chili.
15:37 The creator explains that Xinjiang big plate chicken is served with chicken, vegetables and a flat noodle sheet. In the video, they mix the noodles into the sauce so they soak it up.
20:58 At the karez site they visit, an elevator takes them down to an underground canal at a depth of 60 metres. The creators say they chose this site because the elevator provides direct access below ground.
26:48 At the market, the creators describe tasting watermelon before paying and say a slice costs 2 RMB. This is the practice they observed at that stall during their visit.
27:49 On the drive from Turpan toward Urumqi, the creators describe a police checkpoint where an officer asked them to provide a passport photo. They also show an ID check at a fuel-station entrance; this is their recorded experience.
0:55 Starting the Xinjiang trip in Urumqi
1:34 Urumqi street food and checkpoints
3:46 Samsa and a residential market
5:04 Raisins and local food suggestions
6:13 Trying Urumqi dry noodles
7:23 Reviewing the hotel room
9:09 Getting a haircut in Urumqi
11:36 Noodles and lamb barbecue at a market
15:25 Trying Xinjiang big plate chicken
17:38 Visiting the Xinjiang Museum
19:09 Turpan, Flaming Mountains and karez
21:36 Exploring Jiaohe Ancient City
24:10 Dinner and mint tea in Turpan
25:46 The Sunday livestock market
27:43 Returning toward Urumqi
0:55 Starting the Xinjiang trip in Urumqi
1:34 Urumqi street food and checkpoints
3:46 Samsa and a residential market
5:04 Raisins and local food suggestions
6:13 Trying Urumqi dry noodles
7:23 Reviewing the hotel room
9:09 Getting a haircut in Urumqi
11:36 Noodles and lamb barbecue at a market
15:25 Trying Xinjiang big plate chicken
17:38 Visiting the Xinjiang Museum
19:09 Turpan, Flaming Mountains and karez
21:36 Exploring Jiaohe Ancient City
24:10 Dinner and mint tea in Turpan
25:46 The Sunday livestock market
27:43 Returning toward Urumqi
chinauyghurxinjiang travelxinjiangxinjiang historyxinjiang documentaryxinjiang 4kxinjiang landscapesxinjiang natureepic landscapesamazing landscapesamazing places in chinabeautiful places in chinachina travelchina travel documentarywestern chinacentral asiacentral asia travelsilk roadtian shantravel documentary4k travel documentaryuygururumqichina vlogturpanturpan xinjiangxinjiang foodchina travel vlogWhich places in Xinjiang do the creators visit?
The trip includes Urumqi and Turpan, along with Jiaohe Ancient City and a karez site.
What foods do the creators try in Urumqi?
They try lamb samsa, raisins, dry noodles, yogurt, lamb barbecue and other market foods.
What is served with Xinjiang big plate chicken in the video?
The dish includes chicken, vegetables and a flat noodle sheet, which the creator mixes into the sauce.
Can visitors go down to see an underground karez canal?
At the site shown in the video, an elevator takes the creators down to the canal at about 60 metres.
What do the creators show at the Turpan market?
They visit a Sunday livestock auction and weekly market, and show fruit, vegetables, meat and other stalls.
