Kumul, Xinjiang

Kumul, an oasis in Hami Prefecture, is situated in northeast Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It borders Mongolia to the east and is also known as the "east gate of Xinjiang" and the home of the famously sweet Hami melons. Covering 153,000 square kilometers, it is home to 36 ethnic groups, including Uygur, Tibetan, Hui, Man, Miao, Mongolian, Kazakh and Uzbek.