“We took this trip to Xinjiang to fulfill our photography dreams while we’re still mobile—it’s truly unforgettable!” said Shen Qizhi, a 63-year-old resident of Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, in a phone interview on the 20th. Two months ago, seven people from Jiangsu, with an average age of 60, set off from Xuzhou on a self-driving tour of Xinjiang. After a 25-day journey covering over 10,000 kilometers, they successfully completed their dream trip.
Shen Qizhi, a seasoned photography enthusiast and the oldest of the seven, was also the mastermind behind the trip. “I’ve wanted to come to Xinjiang for a long time—it’s every photography lover’s dream,” said Shen. Earlier this year, he proposed a trip to Xinjiang. “Originally, it was just the three of us brothers, but then two brothers-in-law also wanted to join, and later two friends came along too—they all wanted to fulfill their dreams with me.”
Shen Qizhi’s elder younger brother, Shen Qichao, served in the military in Turpan for two years in the 1970s. “I often dream about Turpan and really want to go back and see it again,” said Shen Qichao.
On September 22, the group of seven drove from Xuzhou to Xinjiang. “Our biggest fear was that one of us old folks might get sick or have trouble adjusting to the environment, so we packed a big bag of medicine before the trip,” said Shen Qizhi.
“We didn’t really run into any major difficulties along the way. We entered Hami from Jiayuguan on September 25 and were struck by how vast Xinjiang is,” said Shen Qihong, Shen Qizhi’s 52-year-old younger brother, who used to work in design and loves photography. Along the way, the group mostly stayed in hotels. “We’re all seniors—we didn’t dare drive at night for fear of overexerting ourselves, so we switched drivers every hour and a half.”
Warmth and generosity are Shen Qihong’s impressions of the people of Xinjiang. When they arrived in Turpan, they bought grapes from an elderly Uyghur man. To their surprise, “he handed us a huge bunch of grapes to try—I’ve never tasted grapes so sweet in my life!” Shen Qihong remarked with emotion.
They traveled from Hami to Urumqi, Kanas, Burqin, Altay, and Turpan, spending a total of 16 days on the road. “The scenery of the Tianshan Grand Canyon and the poplar forests left me in awe. I hope I can come back again in my lifetime,” said Shen Qihong. “I’ve never seen such magnificent views before—the feeling can’t be captured in photos; you have to experience it with your eyes and your heart.”
During this self-driving tour, each of the seven people took over 2,000 photos. After the trip, Shen Qihong posted a thread titled “Seven Elders’ 10,000-Kilometer Self-Drive Adventure in Xinjiang” on an auto forum, uploading the Xinjiang landscape photos he took. The post has since garnered over 800 replies, with many netizens commenting, “It’s so beautiful—I hope I get the chance to go to Xinjiang too!”
Shen Qizhi said that ever since returning home from Xinjiang, he’s become somewhat of a local celebrity, with friends frequently asking about their road trip route and tips. “They also want to take a trip to Xinjiang.”