If you want to talk about China's vast territory, many people may think of the big rivers that run across the north and south, or the prosperity of the southeast coast at the first time. But if you ask how important Xinjiang is, most people are a little confused and may only have "Isn't that the deserts and plateaus in the west?" "It's all wasteland, what's so great about it?" But the real Xinjiang is far from as simple as the yellow land on the map. Look at the foreign "foreigners" in history, the United States, Russia, Britain... the stories of Xinjiang have long been told. Why? In the desert, who will fight to the death? If it is really useless as outsiders describe it, why do they always keep staring at it? No one is a fool.

In fact, Xinjiang is the "grape pot" on China's backbone. It is located in the heart of Asia and Europe. It requires resources and location. When many people touch this hot land, they always choose the most superficial ones, but they really have to open up the skin of history. From the Han Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty to the present, every Chinese obsession with Xinjiang is thicker than water. This is not only the meaning of territory, but also the game of life and death. Xinjiang exists like the foundation stone of a building, and the whole house will sway when it collapses.

The name Xinjiang has to be decided until the end of the Qing Dynasty. From that moment on, it can only be called "Western Regions". It really responds to the old saying: it looks messy, but in fact it is full of treasures. In the Han Dynasty, people left the desert and left the dead, and those who left were even more laborious. In these turbulent times and turmoil, and the current situation changes, who would have expected that this land would eventually belong to the descendants of China?

The four words "land is big and wealthy" have almost the best footnotes in Xinjiang. Now check the map, it will take 1.66 million square kilometers and put it on the map of China, which is one-sixth of the total. When the territory of the Tang Dynasty was turbulent, it even extended outward, and many land in Central Asia were under the footsteps of the Tang army's iron cavalry. If you want to say that the land is vast and sparsely populated, some outsiders have never been to Xinjiang. Just relying on a few shots on TV, I don’t know how many articles are hidden here.

None of the great dynasties in our China dared to underestimate Xinjiang. There was a Ming Dynasty, even if its national strength declined, it did not stop worrying about it. The frontier must be defended so that the country can stabilize. If the Central Plains dynasty only focused on the south of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, it would have been a big deal outside. If we don’t talk about anything else, guarding Xinjiang is equivalent to going out with our backs straight and nostrils facing the sky and saying, “Come on, see who dares to touch my door.” There is a military fortress on the left and a natural barrier on the right, and the truth is there—no one dares to say “not important.”

The Chinese have won this bloody and tears in Xinjiang, which is not a cheap matter for anyone to write a big pen. The miserable Zhang Qian during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han was sent to the Western Regions to lobby for the Great Yuezhi. He has been struggling for more than ten years and has seen the light of day again. Many people think he is in trouble, but in fact, his "failed" journey to the west allowed the Han Dynasty to accurately understand the details of the Western Regions for the first time. The next gear of history turned, and the Silk Road was opened. The silk and satin of the east flew all the way west, and the horse and grapes of the west flew frequently. The information Zhang Qian brought back was more valuable than tens of millions of soldiers.

In the hands of Emperor Xuan of Han, he finally made up his mind and plunged the Western Regions Protectorate into the hinterland of Xinjiang today. That was the first time in China that it seriously regarded this place as its own yard. These little things are easy to say, but in fact, every time you lose a city and occupy a land, it is all about war and waiting for battle.

The historical tide rose and fell, the Eastern Han Dynasty fell, and the desolate Western Regions were once in a state of storm. It was only when the Sui and Tang Dynasties got up that it brought some breath to this land. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, this place could not only be under the control of Han, but also radiate further away - many of the surrounding small Central Asian countries depend on the face of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Hu horses neighed and camel bells were endless. Maybe one day I could get rid of horses all the way from Chang'an and eat grapes and dried mutton.

There is a banquet that will last forever in the world. The Tang Dynasty collapsed, the Yuan Dynasty filled a hole and attached Xinjiang to several provinces; the Ming Dynasty had not yet completely relaxed, but local forces began to take advantage of the chaos to disrupt the situation. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that a "recovery" shocked China.

The Qing army entered the border with a real "bet on life". If you spread out the historical map, you can feel that it is not a piece of talk. After the end of Qianlong's quasi-destruction war, the name "Xinjiang" was written on the household registration book. Every soldier on the border was spelled out with his life and sand. However, it was less than a hundred years since then. In the late Qing Dynasty, the family was stared at by the great powers again.

Speaking of this, there is one person who cannot avoid it - Zuo Zongtang. Now we all know the word "carrying the coffin and expedition to the west", but many people may not know how desperate it is. In those years of 1864, the whole of China was like an old cat with a swaying lamp, and it caught fire everywhere. At the eastern end of Xinjiang, Tsarist Russia secretly cut off nearly one-fifth of it; from the west, Agubo, who was erected a flag and became king, and he also wanted to divide Xinjiang and dominate it.

Who would have thought of Xinjiang at that time? The city of Beijing was almost unable to defend, and the sound of cannons in Tanggu in Tianjin was everywhere. There were different opinions from various parties in the court. Some advocated letting go of "a piece of yellow sand can do whatever it takes", while others were stubbornly stating that "if the border is lost, the capital will be difficult to protect." Cixi didn't treat Xinjiang as a big deal at the beginning, and felt that she was far away. It was Zuo Zongtang who decided to make up his mind: If Xinjiang is lost, how can Mongolia defend it? If Mongolia is lost again, the capital must be protected. Just one sentence: Re-invasion can protect the capital, which allowed Cixi to relieve her doubts. Zuo Zongtang personally led the troops, using his duties, life and all the dignity of his ministers, and rushed to the northwest with all his bets.

That kind of fighting alone is like a lonely wolf stabbing into the night. In 1875, Zuo Zongtang mobilized more than 100,000 Hunan Army, Shaanxi-Gansu warriors, and the people in the rear. Every bag of rice and a piece of salt had to be dragged into Xinjiang from thousands of miles away. In the cold weather, I barely moistened my energy by drinking mutton soup. The sound of horse hooves meandered for a year or two before I wiped out Aguber and the little bit of Russian-supported arrogance behind him. By 1877, most of Xinjiang had returned. Only after three years did Yili return witness the respite of a China being in trouble.

The newly established Xinjiang Province has begun rounds of "down-to-earth" governance. Zuo Zongtang is not just a war-knowing person. He personally watched the border defense settlement, farming, and building schools. Even said that every well, every soil, and how many drops of sweat are made by our ancestors inch by inch. The people of Xinjiang often say that without Zuo Gong’s iron blood and courage, I’m afraid that Urumqi and Kashgar will not be able to call their own names today.

Of course, some people are still dissatisfied and say, "Xinjiang is vast and sparsely populated, it is nothing more than a desert"; but generations of Chinese people always have their own plans. Sun Yat-sen praised Xinjiang in his early years, and there was a very concise metaphor. He said that if you plan a place to defend Wuchang; if you want to promote the whole country and stay in Xi'an; if you really want to focus on Central Asia and continents, it is the only place in Yili, Xinjiang. Many people joke about this sentence, but it is actually Lao Sun’s skill in looking at the world pattern.

Xinjiang’s “dragon vein” is more than just a military significance? The reason why the territory of New China can be carried out step by step is that the passion for soaking in the oil fields has helped a lot. Anyone who has been to Karamay and Southern Xinjiang oil fields in Xinjiang in midsummer and can see the oil pump that has been exhausted by looking at the end of the oil industry. Some people think that cotton and grain are just data, but in fact, it is the cotton fields in Xinjiang - from Turpan to Manas, every autumn, the snow-white cotton wool spreads the ground like snow. Cotton supports half of China's textile industry, and grain silently supports the Northwest's rice bowl.

There is also transportation, don’t underestimate the high-speed rail from Urumqi to Horgos and the international freight from Alashan Pass. The China-Europe freight train is spread out here like a weaving net. Every carriage that goes out makes people feel that the Silk Road is reappearing - this time the cargo goes straight to the hinterland of Europe from the starting point. Coupled with the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" and "Belt and Road", Xinjiang suddenly became the same position as China and the entire Eurasian continent. Think about it, if you seal the corner westward, dozens of industrial chains, logistics lines, and energy arteries will be bored.

Many people come from other places, and they often say that Xinjiang people are "simple and honest". In fact, you can only experience it if you have lived in Xinjiang. People here are peeling walnuts while scolding Sandshotian, but they are in a state of unyielding attitude. When we walk along the border, our accents will be filled with a bit of the Northwest accent. Even the wind and sand in December cannot dry up the warmth and stubbornness of Xinjiang.

Looking back, without the iron barrel of Xinjiang's national gates, how can China have the peace of mind for prosperity in the east? These days, some people only stare at the bright lights of big cities, but they lack the calm and stubborn gaze of Xinjiang. People say that China's rise is not just about the surface of flowers, but also about the hard backbone in the northwest.

Xinjiang has never been a randomly discarded beam. It is not only the boundary of the country, but also a springboard for breaking out, and it is the foundation for ordinary people to hold their jobs firmly. Now walking on the streets of Urumqi and Kashgar, watching the crowds of people, who would still think this is a "desert" that no one cares about? Perhaps in a few years, when the high-speed rail crosses more Gobi Deserts, ten or hundreds of oil fields will be opened. The statement that "China's rise depends on Xinjiang" will eventually become an indisputable fact.

Having said that, how much surprise can Xinjiang bring to China? Can't explain clearly. I only know that whenever there is something wrong with the country, the people here will definitely be on the top. If China had no Xinjiang, it would be unimaginable.