Ürümqi

Understand

The name Ürümqi comes from Mongolian, meaning "great", a short form of the full Mongolian name meaning "great pasture", as the Mongols were the last major power to control the area prior to the Qing conquest. Following the Qing conquest, the city was named "Dihua" (迪化 lit. "to enlighten and civilize") by Emperor Qianlong, a name which stuck even through the Republic of China era. Following the communist revolution, the new People's Republic of China government changed the name back to Ürümqi in 1954, as "Dihua" was deemed too condescending to the ethnic minorities in the region.

Urumqi is famous for its claim that it is the most inland major city in the world, that being the farthest from any ocean; 2,300 km or further.

There are two major ethnic groups, a quarter million of the original Uyghur inhabitants of the area and 1.5 million Han (ethnic Chinese); the city has a higher proportion of Han than elsewhere in the region. Other ethnic groups in Urumqi include Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Mongols and Hui Muslims.

Despite what some of the guidebooks say, Urumqi has a lot to offer and can provide a great introduction to Xinjiang.

Buy

thumb|The Grand Bazaar at night. The Grand Bazaar (aka Erdaoqiao) is a great place not only for regional specialty items, but also has many goods from nearby countries such as Russia and Mongolia. It is a popular tourist destination although somewhat of a tourist trap these days. However, the surrounding area is the heart of the Uyghur community and makes visiting worthwhile.

Imported delicacies can be found at the Youhao supermarket in the basement of the Tianshan Shopping Center (天山百货), across from the People's Square. A number of stores selling outdoor gear, camping supplies (户外用品) etc. can be found on Renmin Lu, east of Nanmen. Hualin (华凌市场) is a huge trade complex selling almost anything you can think of. Shangmao Cheng (商贸城) is a similar huge bazaar in the south of the city.

Beware of pickpockets and watch your possessions carefully.

Eat

Food is one of the things that Xinjiang is famous for. Fresh naan, spicy kebabs, steaming pilaf, or famous hand stretched noodles — there are a lot of choices, and lots of variety.

Sleep

thumb|A mosque in Urumqi

Due to the city special regulations, most of the hotels, especially the cheap ones, don't accept foreigners. Walk-in can be considerably difficult and disappointing. It is strongly advised to research a foreigner-accepting hotel before arriving in the city.

Stay safe

Urumqi is generally safe. Pickpockets occasionally operate in the bigger bazaars and on public transportation so avoid flaunting valuables.

Ethnic tensions between the Uyghurs and Han Chinese –- such as in 2009 when riots broke out in the city – has resulted in a large police and military presence in Urumqi, especially near government buildings and tourist sites. Metal detectors and bag x-ray machines are placed at the entrances to most publicly-accessible buildings and tourist attractions (although whether they are actually used is a different story). Police may be more inquisitive of visible foreigners, whom are not a common sight in Urumqi. That said, you shouldn't have any problems with authorities. Carry your passport on you (as you are required to do in all of China) just in case they ask, and otherwise go about your day worry-free. Police are not corrupt and are generally very friendly (but leave the military alone).

Go next

Tianshan Tianchi National Park (天池) - scenic with prismatic splendor. Tickets are approximately ¥140. Buses leave from the north end of People's Park every morning at 09:00. It will give you a wonderful experience of Chinese tourism with your time micro-managed by the tour guides. The bus costs ¥130 with another ¥140 for entrance to the park. This gives you lunch of a sort and a visit to a yurt village as well as to Heavenly Lake. Shihezi - desert city which rarely sees tourists Urumqi is the eastern terminus of the itinerary Moscow to Urumqi, a more southern alternative to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The trip to Moscow can take as little as 5 days.