InXinjiang(133)｜French entrepreneur: A 33-day RV journey to experience the real Xinjiang

Arnaud Bertrand, a French entrepreneur and writer, embarked on a 33‑day in‑depth RV road trip across northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Setting off from Urumqi, he toured Ili, took the Dushanzi‑Kuqa Highway to southern Xinjiang, where he visited Kashi and Muztagh Ata. He headed back to Urumqi through the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel.

Over the 33‑day trip, Arnaud experienced Xinjiang’s vast land and diverse natural scenery first‑hand, taking in grasslands, towering snow‑capped peaks, sprawling Gobi deserts and desert oases. He saw the region’s sound infrastructure and stopped by the Xinjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum. There he explored the rich intangible cultural heritage of all ethnic groups and learned about local progress in cultural inheritance and preservation. His on‑the‑ground observations gave him direct, authentic insight into Xinjiang.

“It's like you can read everything you want on Xinjiang before coming here. It's only when you come here that you get to experience the reality.” He said, “So I was able to have a much deeper understanding of this place and China as well.”

Executive Producer: Xing Peiyu

Supervisor: Liu Yang

Planner: Cheng Li

Reporter: Gulnigar Amat

Reviewers: Wang Xiabing and Zhang Shijie

Related:

Special Report: InXinjiang