In 2004, the old Xinjiang Museum (pictured) in Urumqi was demolished to make way for the new Xinjiang Museum (新疆维吾尔自治区博物馆 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū Bówùguǎn). 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 the "Loulan beauty," the body of an Indo-European woman in her 40s with reddish-brown hair, which was remarkably well preserved by the dry desert climate between 3,800 and 6,000 years ago. The Loulan beauty appears with several other mummies discovered in the region.

Museum hours and price have been known to change from day to day, season to season, so check with your hotel.

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