Yilite

Time Zone Issues

by Greatwalk0

Remember: Yining (and all of Xinjiang Province) are on the same timezone as Beijing. Even though, Yining should be approximately 4 or 5 timezones behind Beijing they are the same. Thank the People's Republic for this divine wisdom!

In practice, this means that when you wake up at 8:00 AM, it is still pitch dark in the streets (time schedules are not adjusted to accomodate for daylight hours). This can feel VERY strange and will wreak havic on your internal clock. Bare this in mind when venturing into western China! Yining, located near the border with Kazakhstan, is about the most classic Central Asian "City" that is possible to find. It is extremely difficult to get to this remote city, but well, well worth it.

Famous for its horses, this...

by o00o

Famous for its horses, this area is historically more tied culturally and economically to the cross border regions of the USSR, but has been under Chinese control longer than those regions in the USSR have been under Soviet authority

Yining - Chinese Frontier

by Greatwalk0

"Well Worth the Effort!"

Yining, located near the border with Kazakhstan, is about the most classic Central Asian "city" that is possible to find. It is extremely difficult to get to this remote city, but well, well worth it.

Take the train from Beijing to Urumqi (4 days) and then fly from Urumqi to Yining. You will not forget this truly unique experience!