Time Zone |
Asia/Shanghai |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+8 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
Time Zone |
Africa/Niamey |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+1 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
Located in the southwestern part of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shache County belongs to the Kashgar region and was an important hub of the ancient Silk Road. With a total area of about 8,955 square kilometers and a population of about 850,000, it is a multi-ethnic settlement area with Uyghur as the main ethnic group.
With a history of more than 3,000 years, Shache was once the capital of the Yarkand Khanate. Existing monuments include the Shache Royal Palace and the Amanisha Khan Memorial Mausoleum. The art of Twelve Mukams originated here and is listed as intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations. The region retains unique traditions of national songs and dances, and handicraft making.
As an important agricultural county in Xinjiang, it is rich in high-quality cotton, batan wood, red dates and other crops. In recent years, it has been vigorously developing the textile and agricultural and sideline product processing industries, and at the same time, it has been actively developing the tourism industry based on historical and cultural resources, gradually forming a diversified economic structure.
Located in the western edge of the Taklamakan Desert, above the Yarkant River alluvial plain, National Highway 315 passes through the city, about 200 kilometers away from Kashgar Airport, which is an important transportation node connecting Xinjiang and Tibet. It has a temperate continental climate with abundant sunshine and large temperature difference between day and night.
Diffa, the capital of the Diffa region in southeastern Niger, is located on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and shares a border with Nigeria, making it one of the most important border cities in Niger. The city is located in the lower Niger River basin around the climate of the tropical desert climate, hot and dry throughout the year, the average annual precipitation is less than 300 millimeters. The economy is based on agriculture and animal husbandry, and the surrounding areas are rich in millet, sorghum and livestock. Diffa, as a regional trade center, undertakes the function of cross-border trade with neighboring countries, such as Nigeria, and is especially famous for the trade of livestock, agricultural products and handicrafts. The city is culturally diverse, with Hausa, Tuareg and Kanuri ethnic groups living in the area, and is unique in its crafts such as traditional leather weaving and silversmithing. Despite infrastructural challenges, Diffa remains an important economic and cultural node in the south-east of the Niger, thanks to its strategic location and rich cultural heritage.