According to the organizer, the photographers traveled over 200,000 km during their 57 days in Xinjiang's 15 prefectures and cities, visiting from January 9 to 21, June 5 to 18, August 4 to 19 and September 25 to October 8 in four groups.

The region was established on October 1, 1955, and covers an area of 1.66 million square kilometers -- one-sixth of China's landmass. It is home to 13 ethnic minorities who have lived there for centuries.

It is centrally located on the Eurasian continent, on the northwest frontier of China. Once an important link on the ancient Silk Road, Xinjiang continues to attract millions of domestic and foreign visitors with its dramatic scenery and diverse customs. It shares borders with eight countries, and 16 class-A land ports are located along its 5,600-kilometer boundary.

Six of the neighboring countries -- Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan -- are also members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an intergovernmental organization that focuses on regional security. 

 
(China.org.cn)