Situated in a pocket of green on the north face of the Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) and surrounded by expansive grasslands, desert basins and rugged, snow-capped peaks, Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is full of surprises for newcomers. The resident Muslim Uygur often look more Central Asian or European than Chinese, and their culture is just as distinct. Urumqi is a landlocked city—in fact, the world's most landlocked, over 2,500 km (1,400 miles) from the nearest seacoast—surrounded by vast areas of harsh wilderness. Yet it is also a very modern city, sporting its share of new skyscrapers, highways and gourmet restaurants and luxury malls.
Its unique combination of urban sophistication and proximity to natural beauty, along with its mix of Central Asian and Chinese cultures, makes Urumqi a wonderful place to visit, whether for its own sake or as a base for explorations of Xinjiang's outlying destinations. Get a taste of old Silk Road commerce by shopping at the Grand Bazaar and Erdaoqiao Market, explore the history of Xinjiang and see the famous 3,800-some-year old "Loulan Beauty" mummy at the Xinjiang Museum, head into the Tian Shan for a hike or horseback ride before spending the night in a Kazakh yurt on the shores of Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake), then return to the city to spend the next night in luxury at one of Urumqi's modern hotels.
History
Long an important stop on the northern Silk Road, Urumqi (the name means "Beautiful Pastures") has outlived a number of other ancient cities whose ruins presently dot the Xinjiang landscape—two of them, Gaochang and Jiaohe, are within visiting distance of Urumqi. In 628 AD, Tang Dynasty emperor Zhenguan first established firm Chinese control of the area with the garrison town of Luntai, situated some 10 km south of present-day Urumqi, monitoring Silk Road caravan traffic and collecting taxes.
The city was renamed Dihua in 1763 during the Qing Dynasty, becoming the capital of the newly formed Xinjiang Province in 1884. In 1954, after Xinjiang was firmly incorporated into the People's Republic of China, Dihua became Urumqi, and with the completion of the Lanzhou-Urumqi railroad line in 1963, the city's connection to China was strengthened—an important point for the government in Beijing, as elements of the region's Muslim population has long sought independence from China. The huge influx of settlers from the east—mostly ethnic Han Chinese—has changed the cultural complexion of Urumqi and large parts of Xinjiang, but the local minorities, including the Turkic Uygur, Kazakhs and Hui Chinese (ethnic Han Muslims), proudly maintain their identities in the face of widespread change.
Visit our Xinjiang Overview for more historical background on the province as a whole.
Climate
Urumqi experiences hot and dry summers with average temperatures in July at 26 °C (78 °F) and damp and cold winters with average temperatures in January of -15 °C(5 °F). It's a good idea to pack for extremes if you plan to travel much outside of Urumqi, as temperatures can vary greatly with elevation and time of day, even in summer.
Urumqi has an increasing number of high-end hotels and it's a bit trickier to find budget accommodations there than in years past, though cheap beds are available.
With the recent boom in Xinjiang's tourism industry, new hotels are springing up all over town. Check out our growing list of hotels below for a few of the better options in Urumqi. If you've found a good place that isn't on the list, feel free share your thoughts on our comments page or write your own review in My Stuff.
Xinjiang, home of Muslim Uyghur and Kazakh minorities as well as a growing Han Chinese immigrant population, offers unique regional cuisines as well as traditional Chinese food and, as tourism increases, a number of international options. Though Uyghur fare is distinct from Chinese food, it should be familiar to anyone who has spent time in big Chinese city, as enterprising Uyghur immigrants have set up lamian noodle shops and kebab grills all over urban China.
Uyghur food centers on lamb and mutton prepared in a number of ways and the famous pulled noodles (laghman in Uyghur, lamian in Mandarin), made fresh by hand immediately prior to being served in soup or stew with mutton or beef, chilies, tomatoes and vegetables. Mutton is also readily found grilled on skewers (yangrouchuanr) and seasoned with chili and cumin, often served with flat bread (nang). Madang is a large circular cake made of a walnuts, raisins and dried fruit—often sold on the street, you can buy a thick slice of this chewy treat and work on it for days. Xinjiang is also justly famous for its melons, pomegranates and grapes, which thrive in the dry, hot climate.
Kazakhs, famous horsemen and nomads, are known for their hospitality. Kazakh recipes favor mutton and horsemeat, as well as dairy products, including delicious yogurt and kumiss, a drink made from fermented mare's milk. Narini or besmarak is a popular dish made with mutton or horsemeat and noodles or dumplings. Both Uyghur and Kazakhs drink tea, usually a strong dark tea mixed with milk and salt and often flavored with cinnamon, cardamom or other spices.
Chinese food—often Sichuanese—is available in all of Xinjiang's cities and towns of any size in restaurants that generally cater to fairly recent immigrants or to Chinese tour groups. Western fast food has made inroads into the land of the Silk Road, though why anyone would take an overpriced Big Mac over a cheap but delicious fresh bowl of lamian is a question for the ages.
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has become a transportation center not only inside Xinjiang but also serves as an important connection with other provinces within China as well as a hub between China and other Asian countries.
Getting Around
Public buses are everywhere in Urumqi, however, they are not frequently used by tourists or foreigners due to the fact that all schedules are in Chinese. If you are a Chinese language speaker or willing to risk getting your schedule a little mixed up to save a few kuai keep in mind that pickpocketers are frequent on buses. Urumqi has a fairly well developed highway system which makes automobile travel fast and easy. Renting a car or taking taxis is usually the fastest and most efficient way to get around the city.
Taxi
The base rate for taxis in Urumqi is 6 RMB for the first 3 km and 1.6 RMB for each additional km during the daytime, 1.8 RMB at night.
To and from Urumqi
International travelers can fly directly to Urumqi International Airport or by connecting flights. The Railway Station also connects Urumqi to many other major domestic cities within China.
Air
Located in the suburbs about 16 kilometers away from the city center, Urumqi International Airport is one of the five busiest airports in China and meets the 4E Standards Airport of the International Civil Aviation. You can take a taxi there from the city center for around 30 RMB. There are 113 different destinations you can travel to from this airport, 99 of them domestic and 14 of them international.
Train
Located at the foot of Yamalike Mountain the railway station is in the Shayibake District just southwest of downtown Urumqi. It costs about 10 RMB to take a taxi into the downtown. Trains operate to all major cities within China as well as some smaller cities and towns within the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. There is also one international train traveling between Almaty (capital of Kazakhstan) and Urumqi. Due to Urumqi's remote location travelers are strongly recommended to book a sleeper train ticket as many train trips can exceed 40 hours.
Bus
The highway system of Xinjiang is a relatively developed network. Long-distance buses are available daily in Urumqi to nearly all other cities within Xinjiang. Tour buses to neighboring scenic spots such as Tianchi (Heavenly Lake, 120 km) and Nanshan (Southern Pastures, 75 km), run daily and are convenient and relatively inexpensive. The main national highways of Urumqi include Wuyi Highway (National highway No. 312 connecting Urumqi and Yining 696 km), Wuka Haighway (National highway No. 314 connecting Urumqi and Kashgar 1474 km), and the western part of Lanxin Highway (National highway No. 312 connecting Urumqi and Hami 596 km). There are several bus stations in Urumqi, each associated with a different destination city. The main ones are:
Northern Suburb Passenger Transport Station
Address: 8, Dongba Jiahu Lu
Route: for places including Fukang, Qitai, Jimusaer.
Southern Suburb Passenger Transport Station
Address: 1, Yan'erwo Lu, Santunbei
Route: for destinations including Hotan, Kashgar, A Ke Su, Yecheng, Turpan, Korla etc.
Nianzigou Passenger Transport Station
Address: Heilongjiang Lu
Route: mainly to places in southern and northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region including Yining, Aletai, Buerjin, Hami, Korla etc.
Airport Inquiring: 0991 380 1453/380 2695
Railway Inquiring: 0991 581 3771
Bus Inquiring: 0991 488 6355
As you might expect from the biggest city in the old Silk Road lands of Xinjiang, shopping is good in Urumqi, whether it's carpets, knives and spices in a Uighur bazaar or electronics and brand-name fashions from the east of China, you can generally find it somewhere.
Xinhua Bei Lu is a major modern shopping street, full of boutiques and small shops selling name-brand fashions (real and imitation). It's located in a primarily Han Chinese part of town and can be very convenient, however it lacks the local color of the Uighur markets further south. For a true bazaar experience, hit the Erdaoqiao Market and neighboring International Bazaar in the southeastern part of the city. There you can strike great bargains on colorful locally produced silks (the finer stuff is known as Atlas or Hotan silk), beautiful handmade wool carpets, carved jade, semiprecious gems, jewelry, knives, musical instruments, clothing, crafts and Uighur music. For items of any value, bargain hard—you should be able to get prices down by at least 50% if not more.
Xinjiang's resident Uighur and Kazakhs have well-earned reputations for enjoying song, dance and festivities. The sounds of Central Asia are everywhere in Uighur sections of Urumqi, blaring from street-side restaurants and boom boxes: insistent, upbeat complex rhythms propel songs passionately sung and played on percussion, string and wind instruments. A good night out on the town involves ample food and performances of song, dance and acrobatics. Of course, much of today's Urumqi has been settled by Han Chinese, so if you're experiencing a touch of Uighur fatigue after weeks of touring Xinjiang or going through C-pop withdrawal, you can easily find a range of entertainment options familiar to the east of China—KTV (karaoke), disco, bowling, billiards and nightclubs. And as international tourism and trade increase, Western-style clubs, bars and restaurants are growing in number.
Nightlife aside, it's the local heritage and history—Uighur, Kazakh and Mongolian as well as Han—that makes Urumqi unique. Visits to the city's museums and local festivals are great ways to get in touch with the area's rich and diverse cultural offerings. Festivals are a good time to catch such favorite regional pastimes as horse racing, wrestling and diaoyang, a sort of Central Asian rodeo-polo hybrid involving crackerjack horsemanship and a hapless goat.
Bars & Clubs
Jiefang Nan Lu hosts a number of pubs, cafes and clubs for those seeking nightlife along Western-style and modern Chinese lines. Teahouses are a better place to find a more authentic local scene. Generally the Muslim Uighur are quite liberal when it comes to alcohol, but never simply assume it's available or that it's all right to bring your own into a Uighur establishment.
Performing Arts
Local song, dance and acrobatics performances can be found in marketplaces and restaurants in the southern part of town. The International Bazaar and Erdaoqiao Market and May First Night Market (Wuyi Yeshi) are the best bets. Despite its modern transportation links, the remoteness of the world's most-landlocked city keeps most international touring acts from visiting Urumqi.
Museums & Galleries
The Xinjiang Museum (Xinjiang Bowuguan) is a must for anyone interested in the history of the region and the Silk Road, featuring excellent exhibits on Uyghur, Mongolian and Kazakh history and culture as well as the unique oasis culture where for centuries East and West met as traders braved the expanses of Asia. Fascinating evidence of the region's role as something of a Central Asian melting pot comes in the form of the famous Xinjiang mummies, some well over 2,000 years old and clearly displaying Indo-European features.
Festivals & Events
The Corban Festival, celebrated by Hui, Uyghur, Kazak, Uzbek, Tajik, Tatar, Kirgiz, Salar, Dongxiang, and Bonan peoples, is well worth catching if you're in town in late fall. "Corban" comes from the Arabic and has to do with the sacrifice of livestock; in Urumqi, people come from all over the region to sell and trade goods, feast, dance and watch horse races, diaoyang and wrestling matches. The Farsi name of the Rouzi Aiti Festival (also known as Bairam, it follows the Islamic holy day Ramadan) offers further insight into both the culturally hybrid nature of Xinjiang and into the Islamic faith that connects it to points west as much as centuries of Chinese influence connect it to Xi'an and Beijing to the east. In the spring, the Nuoluzi Festival puts a Turkic spin on the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. For these and other local festivals, you'll need to check dates as they are scheduled according to either the Islamic or Chinese lunar calendars.