This region includes the whole Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the north Qinghai Province, the north Ningxia Autonomous Region, the west Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the west and north of Gansu Province. High mountains, basins and plateaus are distributed in intervals in the region, but the great majority of the region is plateau with a large area of desert. The region has a longer time of sunlight and is dry due to scarce rainfall. There is big temperature difference between day and night. From north to south, the region crosses the dry middle temperate zone, the dry south temperate zone and the plateau temperate zone.

There are more than 2,000 kinds of Chinese materia medica in the whole region. Among them are nearly 2,000 plants, 160 animals and about 60 minerals. Many medicinal materials of the region have rich reserve and are important in China. They include Cistanche deserticola or G. tubulosa (Roucongrong), Cynomorium songaricum (Suoyang), Glycyrrhiza uralensis or G. glabra (Gancao), Ephedra equisetina or E. sinica (Mahuang), Arnebia euchroma (Xinjiang Zicao), Ferula fukanensis or F. sinkiangensis (Awei), Lycium barbarum (Gouqizi), Fritillaria pallidiflora (Yibeimu), Carthamus tinctorius (Honghua), Apocynum venetum (Luobuma), Poacynum hendersonii or P. pectum (Daye baima), etc. Other medicinal plants with considerable reserve include Saussurea involucrata (Xuelianhua), Sophora alopecuroides (Kudouzi), Iris lactea var. chinensis (Malinzi), Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata (Yinchaihu), and Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. Sinensis (Shaji). The main animal drug is Cervus elaphus (Malurong).

To protect the resources of the region, it is necessary to take measures to introduce and plant some important wild medicinal plants, such as Cistanche deserticola (Roucongrong), Cynomorium songaricum (Suoyang), Ferula sinkiangensis (Awei) and Arnebia euchroma (Xinjiang Zicao), so as to promote their production. Emphasis should be put on the protection and the reproduction of some rare medicinal animals that are becoming extinct, such as Saijia takin and the red deer.

A great number of Uigur national drugs are used in the region and their research and development should be speeded.