• Ürümqi

• Name in Chinese characters: 乌鲁木齐市
• Name in Pinyin: Wūlǔmùqí Shì
• Status: Prefecture-level city
• Name in local script: ئۈرۈمچى شەھرى
• Name in local Latin script: Ürümqi Xəh̡ri

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• Urumqi is known to the Chinese by 4 characters that result in the transliteration 'Wu Lu Mu Qi'. The original name is apparently a Mongolian word for 'Beautiful Pastures' - hardly the first impression of visitors these days. The new city is an unattractive sprawl with little of interest. However, Urumqi serves a vital role as a trasnport hub and any traveller spending much time in Xinjiang Province is sure to pass this way at least once.

  Travel

  Urumqi's airport (Airport code: URC) has recently undergone extensive, and much-needed, redevelopment. It serves as a hub for flights within Xinjiang Province and is an important stopover for flights to Central Asia and beyond.

  Urumqi lies on a branch of the railway line linking Xi'an to Kashgar; this line heads through the Ili Valley into Kazakhstan.

  Please note: Travellers wishing to continue westwards should remember that visas are almost always required in advance (arrival into Bishkek's Manas Airport in Kyrgyzstan being a pleasant exception) and that these are most easily obtained in the home country. Do not rely on getting any visas in Urumqi.

  Attractions For Visitors

  First time visitors will enjoy wandering the streets of Urumqi and just experiencing the strong Muslim influence without necessarliy having any particular tourist attraction in mind. The food is especially interesting and it is worth locating one of the food streets to enjoy traditional kebabs, naan and more after dark.

  The Provincial Museum is now housed in a purpose-built complex worthy of any city. It has a very fine collection of Silk Road artefacts but what makes it absolutely unmissable is the collection of mummies collected from around the Tarim Basin. These are bodies preserved naturally in the desert climate, often freeze-dried in the extremely cold winters, some dating back nearly 4000 years. If these interest you at all then The Tarim Mummies by J.P. Mallory and Victor H. Mair provides a thorough background to the mummy finds and the cultures from which they are likely to have come.

  Provincial Museum:

  Erdaoqiao Bazaar:

  Red Hill:

  (Russian) Trade Markets:

  Excursions further afield can take you to:

  Tian'Chi (Heavenly Lake):

  Baiyanggou (White Polar Gully):

  Ancient City of Beiting:

  Rock Engravings at Kangjia Shimenzi:

  The following China Journeys include a stay in Urumqi:

  • Land Of The Setting Sun
  • Beyond Kashgar: Southern Silk Road
  
  
  
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