Shache

Shache is a county located in the Xinjiang region of China, positioned on the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert within the Tarim Basin. Administered under Kashgar Prefecture, the settlement operates within the Asia/Urumqi timezone and utilizes the CNY currency.

Southern rim of the desert

Fertile oasis waters

The landscape of the area is defined by a fertile oasis fed by the Yarkand River, which flows north down from the Karakorum mountains and passes through the Kunlun Mountains, historically known as the Congling mountains or Onion Mountains due to the abundance of wild onions found there. The oasis now covers 3,210 square kilometres (1,240 sq mi), though it was likely far more extensive before a period of desiccation affected the region from the 3rd century CE onwards. Sitting at an altitude of 1,189 metres (3,901 ft), the terrain transitions from arid desert borders to high-altitude pastures where yak and sheep graze.

Winds across the Tarim Basin

Glacial streams meeting dry earth

Environmental and climatic conditions support irrigated oasis farmland that produces cotton, wheat, corn, walnuts, and fruits such as pomegranates, pears, and apricots. Mineral deposits including petroleum, natural gas, gold, copper, lead, bauxite, granite, and coal are found in the area. Today, Shache functions as a predominantly Uyghur settlement with a small Tajik (Pamiri) minority, maintaining a legacy that once included an ancient Buddhist kingdom on the southern branch of the Silk Road and the Yarkand Khanate.

Yarkant County Source Record