Urumqi Travel Guide

Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, an oasis city spread at the northern foot of the Tianshan range. True to a name that means beautiful pasture in Mongolian, the city opens within a green belt nourished by snowmelt from the mountains. As a great inland city far from any sea, it has fostered a culture of its own.

The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in the center of the city is a large market with domes and minarets. Carpets, silk, ethnic musical instruments, dried fruit and nuts are packed tightly into it, carrying the look of Silk Road trade down to today. At the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum in the city you can see the history of the Silk Road, the lives of its various peoples, and precious materials unearthed here.

Tianchi, the Heavenly Lake north of the city, was formed by mountain snow and glaciers. Ringed by spruce forest and snowy peaks, it is loved as a summer resort for seeking cool air and as a place to enjoy snowy scenery in winter. The area including the lake is part of the World Natural Heritage site of Xinjiang Tianshan. Climb the hill of Hongshan Park in the city and you can take in the town and the distant ranges at a glance.

The table is set with Uyghur cooking. Kawap, lamb skewers seasoned with herbs, polo, rice cooked with lamb and carrots, and freshly baked naan — the flavors of Central Asia are part of daily life. Urumqi is the starting point for traveling in Xinjiang and a base for extending your trip to the nearby plateaus and oases. Take a slow walk through this city where diverse cultures overlap.