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Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake Depth 5 km Strikes Southern Xinjiang, China on 4th December 2025

Southern Xinjiang is the region in China south of the Tianshan Mountains, known for its diverse culture and stunning landscapes like the Taklamakan Desert and oasis cities such as Kashgar and Hotan. It has been a historically important hub on the Silk Road, and its major cities like Kashgar are centers of trade and history, offering unique cultural experiences.

Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake Depth 17 km Strikes Western Sichuan, China on 9th October 2025

The region is the home of giant pandas, which visitors can observe at Bifengxia Panda Base and other reserves. Chengdu, the provincial capital, is a center for traditional Sichuanese opera, which include fire-breathing and sleight-of-hand mask changes.

Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Depth 10 km Strikes Western Xizang on 11th May 2025

The current borders of the Tibet Autonomous Region were generally established in the 18th century and include about half of cultural Tibet, which was at times independent and at times under Mongol or Chinese rule. The TAR spans more than 1,200,000 km2 (460,000 sq mi) and is the second-largest province-level division of China by area. Due to its harsh and rugged terrain, it has a total population of only 3.6 million people or approximately 3 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.8/sq mi).

Yarlung kings founded the Tibetan Empire in 618. By the end of the 8th century, the empire reached its greatest extent. After a civil war, the empire broke up in 842. The royal lineage fragmented and ruled over small kingdoms such as Guge and Maryul. The Mongols conquered Tibet in 1244 and later ruled it under the Yuan Dynasty but granted the region a degree of political autonomy. The Sakya lama Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became a religious teacher to Kublai Khan in the 1250s and was made the head of the Tibetan region administration c. 1264.