Crossroads of four countries: exploring a Chinese border town 🐐 四个国家的交界处！新疆的这座边境小县城，生活条件如何？⛰ 

🌻Thanks for joining today’s adventure, everyone! Follow me on Instagram for more updates about life in China: kats_journey_east 🌻 How do I get such stable footage even while biking and walking? 📷 amzn.to/45rObZy She's waterproof, shoots in 4K, and is very tiny and portable, perfect for recording an action-packed day without the fuss of a fancy complex setup Got bicycle envy? Want your very own red stallion? 🐴 Look no further: amzn.to/3BSdWEO This folding bike is super durable and perfect for city commutes and long-haul treks alike. Folding bikes can go in car trunks, public transport, and planes, adding tons of flexibility to your journeys 🚲 👽These are affiliate links, so I will receive a small commission if you buy a product through them👽 Where do I get the music used in these videos? 🎵 share.epidemicsound.com/5cya7q Content creators can enjoy unlimited access to a huge variety of music - funky, peaceful, upbeat, or whatever else you’re looking for - and eliminate the headache of navigating copyright strikes on RU-vid! All I can say is... wish I knew about it since day 1 🤣

The following is what I borrowed from a Malaysian RU-vidr’s comment: I’m from Malaysia. China has traded with Malaysia for 2000 years. In those years, they had been the world’s biggest powers many times. Never once they sent troops to take our land. Admiral Zhenghe came to Malacca five times, in gigantic fleets, and a flagship eight times the size of Christopher Columbus’ flagship, Santa Maria. He could have seized Malacca easily, but he did not. In 1511, the Portuguese came. In 1642, the Dutch came. In the 18th century the British came. We were colonised by each, one after another. When China wanted spices from India, they traded with the Indians. When they wanted gems, they traded with the Persian. They didn’t take lands. The only time China expanded beyond their current borders was in Yuan Dynasty, when Genghis and his descendants Ogedei Khan, Guyuk Khan & Kublai Khan concurred China, Mid Asia and Eastern Europe. But Yuan Dynasty, although being based in China, was a part of the Mongolian Empire. Then came the Century of Humiliation. Britain smuggled opium into China to dope the population, a strategy to turn the trade deficit around, after the British could not find enough silver to pay the Qing Dynasty in their tea and porcelain trades. After the opium warehouses were burned down and ports were closed by the Chinese in ordered to curb opium, the British started the Opium War I, which China lost. Hong Kong was forced to be surrendered to the British in a peace talk (Nanjing Treaty). The British owned 90% of the opium market in China, during that time, Queen Victoria was the world’s biggest drug baron. The remaining 10% was owned by American merchants from Boston. Many of Boston’s institutions were built with profit from opium. After 12 years of Nanjing Treaty, the West started getting really really greedy. The British wanted the Qing government: 1.To open the borders of China to allow goods coming in and out freely, and tax free. 2.Make opium legal in China. Insane requests, Qing government said no. The British and French (with supports from the US), started Opium War II with China, which again, China lost. The Anglo-French military raided the Summer Palace, and threatened to burn down the Imperial Palace, the Qing government was forced to pay with ports, free business zones, 300,000 kilograms of silver and Kowloon was taken. Since then, China’s resources flew out freely through these business zones and ports. In the subsequent amendment to the treaties, Chinese people were sold overseas to serve as labor. In 1900, China suffered attacks by the 8-National Alliance (Empire of Japan, Russian Empire, British Empire (including India), France, USA, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary). Innocent Chinese civilians in Peking (Beijing now) were murdered, buildings were destroyed & women were raped. The Imperial Palace was raided, and treasures ended up in museums like the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris. In late 1930s China was occupied by the Japanese in WWII. Millions of Chinese died during the occupancy. 300,000 Chinese died in Nanjing Massacre alone. Mao brought China together again from the shambles. There were peace and unity for some time. But Mao’s later reign saw sufferings and deaths from famine and power struggles. Then came Deng Xiao Ping and his infamous “black-cat and white-cat” story. His preference in pragmatism than ideologies has transformed China. This thinking allowed China to evolve all the time to adapt to the actual needs in the country, instead of rigidly bounded to ideologies. It also signified the death of Communism in actually practice in China. The current Socialism+Meritocracy+Market Economy model fits the Chinese like gloves, and it propels the uprise of China. Singapore has a similar model, and has been arguably more successful than Hong Kong, because Hong Kong being gateway to China, was riding on the economic boom in China, while Singapore had no one to gain from. In just 30 years, the CPC have moved 800 millions of people out from poverty. The rate of growth is unprecedented in human history. They have built the biggest mobile network, by far the biggest high speed rail network in the world, and they have become a behemoth in infrastructure. They made a fishing village called Shenzhen into the world’s second largest technological centre after the Silicon Valley. They are growing into a technological power house. It has the most elaborate e-commerce and cashless payment system in the world. They have launched exploration to Mars. The Chinese are living a good life and China has become one of the safest countries in the world. The level of patriotism in the country has reached an unprecedented height. For all of the achievements, the West has nothing good to say about it. China suffers from intense anti-China propagandas from the West. Western Media used the keyword “Communist” to instil fear and hatred towards China. Everything China does is negatively reported. They claimed China used slave labor in making iPhones. The truth was, Apple was the most profitable company in the world, it took most of the profit, leave some to Foxconn (a Taiwanese company) and little to the labor. They claimed China was inhuman with one-child policy. At the same time, they accused China of polluting the earth with its huge population. The fact is the Chinese consume just 30% of energy per capita compared to the US. Minorities in China Show me any currency in the world which also prints the language of its ethinc minorities. Chinese bank notes show 5 languages of 5 minorities living in China, including Tibetan and Uyghur. They claimed China underwent ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang. The fact is China has a policy which priorities ethnic minorities. For a long time, the ethnic minorities were allowed to have two children and the majority Han only allowed one. The minorities are allowed a lower score for university intakes. Muslims students get Halal food at the university cafeteria. There are 39,000 mosque in China, and 2100 in the US. China has about 3 times more mosque per muslim than the US. When terrorist attacks happened in Xinjiang, China had two choices: 1.Re-educate the Uighur extremists before they turned terrorists. 2.Let them be, after they launch attacks and killed innocent people, bomb their homes. China chose 1 to solve problem from the root and not to do killing. How the US solve terrorism? Fire missiles from battleships, drop bombs from the sky. During the pandemic, When China took extreme measures to lockdown the people, they were accused of being inhuman.When China recovered swiftly because of the extreme measures, they were accused of lying about the actual numbers. When China’s cases became so low that they could provide medical support to other countries, they were accused of politically motivated. Western Media always have reasons to bash China. Just like any country, there are irresponsible individuals from China which do bad and dirty things, but the China government overall has done very well. But I hear this comment over and over by people from the West: I like Chinese people, but the CPC is evil. What they really want is the Chinese to change the government, because the current one is too good. Fortunately China is not a multi-party democratic country, otherwise the opposition party in China will be supported by notorious NGOs (Non-Government Organization) of the USA, like the NED (National Endowment for Democracy), to topple the ruling party. The US and the British couldn’t crack Mainland China, so they work on Hong Kong. Of all the ex-British colonial countries, only the Hong Kongers were offered BNOs by the British. Because the UK would like the Hong Kongers to think they are British citizens, not Chinese. A divide-and-conquer strategy, which they often used in Color Revolutions around the world. They resort to low dirty tricks like detaining Huawei’s CFO & banning Huawei. They raised a silly trade war which benefits no one. Trade deficit always exist between a developing and a developed country. USA is like a luxury car seller who ask a farmer: why am I always buying your vegetables and you haven’t bought any of my cars? When the Chinese were making socks for the world 30 years ago, the world let it be. But when Chinese started to make high technology products, like Huawei and DJI, it caused red-alert. Because when Western and Japanese products are equal to Chinese in technologies, they could never match the Chinese in prices. First world countries want China to continue in making socks. Instead of stepping up themselves, they want to pull China down. The recent movement by the US against China has a very important background. When Libya, Iran, and China decided to ditch the US dollar in oil trades, Gaddafi’s was killed by the US, Iran was being sanctioned by the US, and now it’s China’s turn. The US has been printing money out of nothing. The only reason why the US Dollar is still widely accepted, is because it’s the only currency which oil is allowed to be traded with. The US has an agreement with Saudi that oil must be traded in US dollar ONLY. Without the petrol-dollar status, the US dollars will sink, and America will fall. Therefore anyone trying to disobey this order will be eliminated. China will soon use a gold-backed crypto-currency, the alarms in the White House go off like mad. China’s achievements and success have been by hard work. Not by looting and plundering the world. I have deep respect and love for China for all the suffering and the hardship they endured, but now I feel happy for them. China is not rising, they are going back to where they belong. Good luck China.

你们走的那条路国道314就是我毕业那年参建的，哈哈哈哈。。。那边的桥梁混凝土都是我检测的，当时我们都住在布伦口水库那边，一到下午4点左右就开始刮砂子了，水库面上一片白茫茫的，不是雾，是被风刮起来的砂子。

The attitude of the locals towards the United States cannot be blamed. After all, blocking Xinjiang products will only hurt the locals. I understand Katerine tried very hard to avoid discussing political issues, but talking to locals and knowing their thought brings your videos to another level. Jia You!

A big thank you Katherine for once again showing us Tashkurgan. Enjoy also your narrative as you bike along the remote area of Xinjiang. Its so safe for an American girl to wander along in Xinjiang.

I have to say again. I'm really impressed with your coolness when faced with criticism of the US. There is really something I would like to learn from you. You are super cool Katherine ☺️

之前我一直想妳們會去新疆走走嗎？?哦哦竟然看到妳們真到新疆，甚至還進去克什米爾塔吉縣！不愧"陽離子"的個性，還騎自行車逛鄉間不離本質，崇拜！見真情!

Fifty years of world travel... now 76.. a geezer.. but THIS, Katherine's show, is THE BEST EVER !!!! Had a Chinese wife for 6 years, and apartment in Zhuhai, and many trips to China, but this show is SOoooo fabulous.

Thank you Katherine and Wei for showing us a corner of China that is definitely less traveled. I loved every minute of it. Thank you :)

I'm from Malaysia,,,I and my wife had been to Tashkurgan almost a decade ago,,,,we have to obtain travel permission permit from PSB to go to Tushkurgan,,, early in the morning we went to the bus station and found ourselves share pick up truck,,, We stopped over at Karakul lake and stayed at local yurt/ger run by Tajik local,,,,we stayed there for two nights,,than we hitch hike using big truck to Tushkurgan,, stayed there for One night,,, we cannot go to Khujerap pass because we don't have Pakistani visa,,, We went back to Kashgar by bus,,,,one Chinese military guy help us to board the bus full of Pakistani trader,,,the high lite of Tashkurgan is visit to the old stone fort and ruin of Zoroastrian temple.

Katherine, I am so glad to be the first person signing in. Great video and great people. Understand that no matter where you go, politics will always follow you, but people are nonetheless sincere and very friendly. For commoners, there should be no boundary and barrier, and that's what makes your videos so precious. Keep it going.

A BIG thank you, Katherine. I really enjoy your vlogs.

One of my favorite episodes yet. I love seeing the remote areas of China with the different ethnic minorities. I love listening to their view on biden and politics as well, I perked up when I heard them talking about it and smiled.

Thank you Katherine for your video! It is enjoyable to see such a remote place so far away.

One of my favorite episodes. Keep up your travel logs. your attitude and delivery are effectively positive.

I love seeing rural China, thank you for sharing. And I hope Wei is feeling better.

Yes, I always enjoy your adventures in China. Always stay safe, healthy and happy! 🙏🏻👍🏻😍

I love seeing rural China. I hope to explore more of this beautiful country soon! Thank you for sharing 🥰

Love all your videos and this is another great video from you, Katherine.

Keep these videos up, Katherine! Eye opening experience and we appreciate all the hard work.

It's great that you take us to such faraway places that few have seen before let alone heard of. The banter between you and Wei is always fun to hear. Cheers until the next video.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful place, a real eye opener. Take care always.

The conversation with local Chinese never disappoints lol. Oh and those stools covered with American flag ...Lmao. I think this makes your visit even more important. We need more people to people communication.

這集開頭幾個場景、對話實在太可愛了 🥰 so cute 但是風景依然很美麗

Katherine and Wei that was absolutely Fab..just an other world your in..so lucky your meeting all these polite and very friendly people..the scenery fantastic too.enjoy ..

thank you Katherine, you are doing the bridge job that many professionals in journalism, politics, and academic circle failing to do for the world peace.

It's good to see you again katherine sister with your husband Wei God bless you and bless your family ameen 😇

Katherine journey to the East, has most be my come relax channel, you always show us that the world is not only about the city.

What an amazing place. Your travel vids are so cool!

Beautiful scenery as always..thanks for sharing this with us. :)

Love your tours around the countryside.

👍your strength, courage and generosity. RU-vid is better with people like you!

LOLs, Motel 8 all the way out there! Great fun video and informative. Thank you for bringing the world to our homes.

Great video Catherine. Thanks for bringing more Xinjiang to viewers. I hope to experience this in person in my life time.

Katherine 新彊隨意自由行，所見所聞強力打臉什麼新彊反人類滅絕人性之類惡意渲染! Well done , Katherine ! We ❤️ you !

This place is really way...out. Nice perspective and can't wait for your next episode.

You two give a real Xinjiang to the world, thank you very much!

Your narration is what makes your videos super awesome!!

Never cease to amaze, thank you for showing us the lesser known places!

Such a fascinating place! Thank you!!! I always like your video, expecially the unexpected fun detail--like the sound made by the bread landing on the plate. 😄

Nice video Katherine ! Thank you🙏

终于看到更新了，每次都很期待。

Thank you for showing the peaceful and quiet living in these parts of China. I really admire your strength and determination. It's not easy.

The mountains and land are beautiful..Wei is clowning around..good to see..thank you so much for the amazing travels in rural China...

A pleasant video to watch… Salute to your wisdom for recording that short conversation on politics to let viewers to do their own judgment.

Best videos on the internet. No competition. ❤👍

I love watching your videos. It is almost as good as travelling there. There are so much inconvenience going to China now. Thank you

Hello Katherine and Wei! You are really a wounderful couple and your videos are always so beautiful and enlightened, as let us know the real rural China and not only. I noticed that this fantastic border region has some peculiarities very close to the Caucasian people. Firstly for the landscape with its huge mountains and then the people for its physical characteristics. The scenery is really awesome and above all the air must be clean and pure, despite some dust in particular places and moments and this fantastic people can undoubtedely enjoy this natural gift. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful video with us.

Wow..this is the most authentic expressions of locals I have I ever seen in a vlog

Mindblowong opening Landscape 💚

Katherine & Wei thanks for taking us to off the beaten tracks of Xinjiang. Like the way you interact with the locals. Great video as always👍

Beautiful green scenery N great info

Bonjour Katherine, I’m so excited to take a glance at this video. It’s so interesting. Thank you for sharing and hard filming. I really love it.

I can’t get enough of Katherine’s video. She is a treasure.

塔县，是当年玄奘取景回中国的路线，红旗拉普是中国宣传最多的边境口岸，也是2400公里的喜马拉雅山脉上，通行条件最好和最繁忙的口岸。

Nice video, really enjoyed it. Thank you, Katherine.

Lmao i was honestly pleasantly surprised the natural way you guys banter and bickered with each other in Chinese. Hope Wei is feeling better from altitude sickness .

It's always so refreshing to watch your videos, Katherine. I hope many people appreciate them like I do. You are doing great, with a little help from Wei 😄.... (note: not "little" but "A little"; maybe more than that?)

Your videos inspire the hell out of me

Thank you Katherine for this lovely video of Tushkargun. Makes me want to visit again.

Thanks, Katherine, I know more about China and Chinese culture because of your videos

Awesome video! You have shown us what China is really like in the remote area. I visited China far west regions in 2001 and thru your video I have seen real and dramatic transformation of how people live their lives. I am very happy for the people for their livelihood has vastly improved.

I love the clear blue sky with the cotton white clouds at 5:54. Can't remember how long ago I saw such a sky. Thanks for another beautiful video! :)

Salute, actually few RU-vidr even the Xinjiang RU-vidr have covered this remote area of China.

Katheryn, back you. Only because of “好，加油”. That’s the confidence and open minded, if you really do good, we are glad to congratulate. No hatred. I am Chinese.

I have seen these yurts next to the houses on fenced land on photos of Ulan bator, very interesting to see that also in this area. I think this shows the change of society very well. nice video thanks u2

Wow! What a cool place, with such epic views!

A super great video! The bonus is Katherine trying the super hard piece of bread and the noise it made when it hit the plate.

哇，这美国妞简直就是现代版徐霞客游记嘛，非常专业的视频创作者。内容丰富充实生动很好看太喜欢了，请继续拍。祝妳旅途愉快谢谢你的分享。❤

I really enjoy your vlog. You've got a great, positive attitude and it shines through your video. Safe travels to you and your husband. Look forward to more videos from you guys.

I have visited China three times. Taxkurgan is my no.1 destination that I plan to visit in the near future. I was worried that it might be difficult for foreigners to get there but now I'm very glad to see some light in my future journey! 🎊

Really awesome place. I always loves wide vista of grassland. Thanks for sharing.

Tks again for the exploration of the rural Xinjiang.Interesting to see how people live life there which actually beyond my expectation.Im sure the border towns with Russia will become much nicer in futere when business with russians grow.

@7:55 A lot of these villages with yurts the government built for these ethnic groups like Kazakh, Mongols etc. for free. This is in line with government policies to eradicate extreme poverty, they want the ethnic minorities to have electricity, running water etc. Some ethnic minorities refuse to move into government built villages because they choose the traditional lifestyle which is migrating to fresh grasslands for their livestock to graze during the changing seasons. Some ethnic people try to modernise their way of life, some choose to remain traditional.

Always love your content, very eye opening and inspiring.

Thank you for sharing 🥰

You really went to far this time, Katherine. Very nice video. Thanks to share to us. I just recommend you to use traditional music of each place you has visited. I am thinking is more suitable then western music. 🤗🙏

I just found that a new railway system has been built in xingjiang, I look forward to travel there when china opens up again. Love from Canada.

And of course your travels are fascinating, inspiring and tiring in a good way. Subscribed and I hope to see more . Congratulations towards sliver play button award.

I’m amazed how you can bike, film and talk at the same time and not sound out of breath 😮

Какое впечатление у Вас после поездки в Синьцзян? А где Вы живёте? У Вас сельская жизнь людей какая? Тоже интересно знать правду. Синьцзян и дальше будет процветать, всё делается для благо народа. Правительство делает всё возможное для этого региона.

How was your experience with security stops? I am American but drove my car, solo, from Lijiang to Xijiang and back, with 40 days in southern Xinjiang (2021). My objective was to drive all the way around the Taklamakin Desert and then drive through it. I didn't accomplish that as the southern part did not have hotels that would accept foreigners but IO made it 75% and then had to turn back. Great experience and I also got a hoot out of all the plastic police (I called them all Elmer) near Tashkurgan - even down some of the gravel village roads. I had about 120 security stops and was followed by security people for several days. But they were all very polite, professional and friendly. Not a problem for me but caused a lot of delay. My Mandarin is pitiful so I would have to call my wife to have them talk to her on the phone. My best experience was at the animal market (one day a week) outside of Kashgar. The biggest problem was trying to buy gas. Foreigners are not allowed to purchase gas and all gas stations are under high security. Sometimes I would spend an hour or two asking other customers to also take my car in for gas. Only one car at a time is allowed in the service stations along the highways. Several times the local police at the security stops would come with me in my car to help me buy gas. In 40 days I never met, or ran into, a single person who was not super friendly and I will certainly return again (at 77 I hope I will be around long enough). So many fantastic places to visit and people to meet in China. I love your videos - keep up the great work.

The good contents keep coming.

amazing place amzing video & thank you, Kat...NYC!

👍 Fantastic video, one thing with the 'dummy' cops and workmen, where I come from they're animated, they have actuators and motors to move their arms, and the outfit are usually real uniforms, so not only in Tashkrugan, seems like a cool place to retire, just have to learn to deal with the dirt and dust blowing. Keep up the fantastic work, you bring unknown places to your viewers world.👏

Big Thank Q for the tour deep inside Xinjiang. Beautiful, informative. The place is scenic, peaceful n calm, simple carefree life. Hahaha, d folks won't let u go without touching on politics. Its so hilarious, Wei using d bread to crack d egg🤣. Also enjoy both you n Wei cheekiness too.

Great sharing of Xinjiang👏👏👏👍. Thanks for sharing and surfacing the truth. 👏👍

👏👏👏👍👍👍 Wonderful Katherine.

Recently started following your channel, but really like your style of narration and how you show us around. I think having dinner at 20:30 is normal in most places in the world, so not shocked.

The rural view in Xinjiang is pretty much like what we see in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, sparsely populated areas with remote towns, oases, and cattle surrounded by mountains and desert. Nice video. It would be more amazing if you trekked into cropland.

Good Job and Support !

Love your videos. Wei is hilarious

镜头 剪辑 文案都很舒服，视频节奏也很棒，阳导的水平一如既往的出色啊😎老一辈人的政治调侃还希望不要介意～ 结尾的兜帽实在太酷了 截下来当壁纸了🥰 （国内审核属实太严，先来油管预览了

希望这世界上无论哪个国家都多一些像你们夫妻俩这样乐观向上的人。

Wonderful!

Thank you so much taking us all for a tour in Xin Jiang and far west borders of China. We learnt a lot from you. Really enjoy your adventures in China.

取景真美

🇺🇸 you guys take me to places I would never experience! Thanks.

阳离子：Thanks for making another great Vlog! God bless!

i think the dry bread pieces are not meant to be eaten dry. They are meant to be dipped/soaked in milk and soup before eating! This way, they will also absorb the taste of the milk/soup.