Korla, county-level city in Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
Korla is a city in central Xinjiang and serves as the capital of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. The city sits in a flat valley with rivers and lakes cutting through dry surroundings, mountains rising to the north, and the Taklimakan Desert beginning to the south.
Korla was known as Weili during the Han Dynasty over two thousand years ago and served as a small fortified settlement on the Silk Road network. By the 1st century, the city was involved in regional conflicts and functioned as a strategic point within a larger kingdom network.
Korla's name reflects its past as a key Silk Road trading hub that shaped the city's identity. Today, visitors can observe multiple ethnic communities - Mongols, Uyghurs, Han, Kazakhs, and others - living alongside each other, each maintaining distinct traditions, music, dances, and local cuisines that remain visible in daily life.
The city is easily reached by train to Urumqi, Hami, and other cities, or by flights to major hubs like Chengdu and Beijing. The terrain is flat and easy to walk through, with the best time to visit being late summer through early fall when temperatures are mild.
Korla is often called the 'Pear City' for its sweet, crisp pears that grow in local orchards and have earned the region a special reputation. The aroma of ripening fruit fills the air when visitors explore local markets where farmers display their harvest.
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