A high altitude respite from Urumuqi's heat in the summer, Tiān Chí (天池), or Heavenly Lake, is a lovely Alpine lake 2,000 m (6,600 ft) up in the Tian Shan mountain range. The pine-clad surrounding hills are filled with locals grazing their herds, and the snow-enameled mountains are picturesque to be sure. The summer months bring crowds who pay a day-visit to Tian Chi lake or spend the night in Kazahk-run yurts, which run about RMB 40 a person but while the area is a high-profile tourist spot, it remains largely undeveloped. Some of the accommodations are more authentic than others, but the whole experience can be rewarding. Make sure to bring warm clothes as the area gets rather chilly at night. Camping is okay, too, as is hiking up to the snowline. While hiking, beware of loose stones. Horses are also available to rent to explore the area and boat tours make the rounds on... more >>

Fancy some Russian woodcarvings? How about silverware from the United Arab Emirates? Well, if you want a market with them both, along with a mind-boggling array of international and Chinese goods, look no further than Urumqi's Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar (Èrdàoqiáo Dà Bāzā, 二道桥大巴扎). For many, one of the best starting, or ending, points of a tour of Xinjiang is the 130-year-old Erdaoqiao bazaar. Though the KFC and Carrefour department store adjacent to the Erdaoqiao Mosque somewhat spoil the feel of authenticity, the bazaar is a great place to see local Uyghur and Kazakh buyers and sellers doing their thing, just as they've been doing for centuries. Among the bazaar's 660-some stalls you'll find around thousands of Uyghur goods, including dried fruits and nuts, traditional musical instruments, jade, hand-sewn embroidery and Yengisar daggers. On nightfa... more >>

Tiān Shān (天山), or the Heavenly Mountains, are a massive mountain range that sheild Urumqi from the Taklamakan Desert to the south. The highest peak—"Iron Peak" (Tuōmù'ěr Fēng, 托木尔峰) to the Han Chinese and Uyghurs and "Victory Peak" to the Kyrgyz—lies on the China-Kyrgyzstan border. Many scenic areas near Urumqi are located in the Bogda Range (Bógédá Shãn, 博格达山), a branch of Tian Shan located to the east of Urumqi. Travelers looking to escape from the city or desert can take a cool, less crowded break in the Bogda Range. Choose from  the rolling fields of the Nanshan Grasslands south of Mount Karawuquntag (Kālāwūchéng Shān, 喀拉乌成山) or the shores of Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake) on the northern slope of the Bogda Range's highest peak, Bogda Peak (Bógédá Fēng, 博格达峰), the name of which ... more >>

Stretching out from the foot of Mount Karawuquntag (Kālāwūchéng Shān, 喀拉乌成山) in the Tian Shan range, not far from Urumqi, the rolling hills, natural springs, meadows of flowers and spruce forests of this verdant grassland provides a cool respite from the summer heat. Between May and October, the Nanshan Grassland, or South Mountain Grassland (Nánshān Fēngjǐng Qū, 南山风景区), is dotted with the yurts of Kazakhs grazing their herds and enjoying the cooler temperatures. Specific areas of the South Mountain Grassland such as Gan Gully (Gān Gōu, 甘沟) and Báiyáng Gōu, or White Poplar Gully (白杨沟), are famed locally for their picturesque scenery. Gan Gully is known for the Chrysanthemum Terrace (Júhuā Tái, 菊花台), a stretch of natural garden populated by the eponymous flower. White Poplar Gulley is the most well known area in the grassland... more >>

Full of tall leafy trees and flowers throughout spring, summer and early fall, Urumqi's People's Park (Rénmín Gōngyuán, 人民公园) is a pleasant place to while away a few hours strolling among gardens, pavilions, sculptures and cool streams. It's also child-friendly, with a small amusement park and a rollerskating rink on hand for young visitors. It's a popular site for various exhibitions, including flower shows, bonsai exhibitions, painting and art fairs and photography shows, and in the winter, the park hosts an ice sculpture festival and various winter sport competitions. Once a mixture of marsh and forest, today's park occupies grounds originally established in 1755 as the quarters for occupying Qing Dynasty soldiers. The park itself was established in 1883, then enlarged in 1918 by dredging a small lake and expanding the grounds. Several buildings of t... more >>

Hong Shan Park, or Red Hill Park (Hóng Shān Gōngyuán, 红山公园), is a pleasant spot to get your bearings upon arriving in Urumqi. The views of the surrounding countryside and distant mountains from the top (1,391 m or 4,564 ft above sea level) make the short, steep climb worthwhile. Reaching the highest point in Urumqi requires another climb, this time up the stairs of Yuǎntiào Lóu (远眺楼), a brightly colored traditional Chinese viewing platform with arched green eaves gracing each red-pillared story. According to local legend, a dragon escaped from Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake), only to be caught by the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens, who then cut the dragon in two. The severed halves of the dragon became two Urumqi peaks, Hong Shan and Yǎmǎlǐkè Shān (雅玛里克山). In 1788 , after Urumqi suffered severe flooding (blamed on the dragon), a pagoda was built ... more >>

In 2004, the old Xinjiang Museum (pictured) in Urumqi was demolished to make way for the new Xinjiang Museum (Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū Bówùguǎn, 新疆维吾尔自治区博物馆). With its new facelift, the museum gained larger, modern halls and a thorough smattering of English signage. A number of permanent exhibitions reside in the museum, detailing the history and culture of Xinjiang. Artifacts from some of Xinjiang's ancient "lost cities" are as close as visitors can get to locations such as Loulan, now a nuclear test site. Buddhist frescoes from nearby caves are also on display, as are relics detailing the history of the early people who inhabited the region. The museum also features exhibits on the 12 officially recognized minorities of the region, focused on emphasizing a unified national identity. The most famous attraction at the museum is... more >>