Photos of Baishui Town, Dabancheng District

Outside of central Urumqi in Dabancheng District, Baishui sits in the foothills of the Tianshan mountain range, along the ancient Silk Road. The town is famous for unusually windy weather, which continued from winter through to spring. This unique climate has stunted the growth of trees and made them lean towards the southeast. As befits the town's history as an important resting stop on the Silk Road, there are now exhibits on ancient folk customs and stables, as well as teahouses. There are also buildings designed to emulate Baishui as it was under the prosperous Tang Dynasty, when it was was an important barracks town on China's western border.