Urumqi Facts

Name: Urumqi (乌鲁木齐; Wūlǔmùqí /oo-room-chee/)
Meaning: Mandarin rendering of 'beautiful pasture' in the Mongolian language
Previous names: Tihwa, Dihua, Luntai, Urabo

Features

• Doorway to travel to the rest of Xinjiang
• An important stop on ancient Silk Road
• Ethnic mix of Hui, Uyghur and other minority ethnic groups.
• Exotic shopping and dining
• Russian, Mongolian, and Central Asian products are also available

Main Attractions

• Heavenly Lake, Red Hill, Mt. Nan Pastures and Terai Camp, Grand Bazaar (Erdaoqiao)
• Museums: Xinjiang Museum, Xinjiang Silk Road Museum, Urumqi Museum, Xinjiang Geological and Mineral Museum
• Most popular souvenirs and local products: Atlas silk, Xinjiang carpets, Uyghur handicrafts and other ethnic handicrafts and artwork
• Most popular local food: Mutton kabobs, naan (bread), lamian noodles (handmade noodles), Uyghur nut cakes

History

The city is in a strategic lowlands pass to the Tarim Basin that is a conduit for travel between the east and the west and south.

• 648 The Tang Empire set up Luntai Town to tax the Silk Road traders along this northern route.
• 1220 The Uyghur Khaganate allied with the expanding Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan.
• 1670 The Uighur tribes revolted and formed the Zunghar Khanate.
• 1755 The Qing Empire army under Emperor Qianlong exterminated the Zunghars.
• 1933-1934 Battles took place during the Kumul Rebellion

Geography

• Significance of the city: It is the largest city in a vast region. The location in the pass to the Tarim Basin makes it a transportation hub and a natural location for regional administration.
• Geographical factoid: Urumqi has the Guinness world record for being the city that is the most remote from the sea in the world.
• Nearby cities: Turpan (154 km/94 mi)
• Municipality terrain: The city is in a lowlands between two parallel mountain ranges that span northwest to southeast.
• Elevation: 800 m (2,600 ft)

Location Information

• Municipality location: northwestern China
• Municipality population: 3,110,280
• Municipality area: 10,989 sq km (733 sq mi)
• Municipality population density: 283/sq km (388/sq mi)
• Urban area: 828 sq km (319.7 sq mi)
• Urban population: 2,302146
• Urban population density: 2,780/sq km (7,201/sq mi)
• North to south distance of urban area: 17 km (10 mi)
• East to west distance of urban area: 10 km (6 mi)
• City center: Xinshi (43.85N, 87.58E)

Climate

• Annual average low temperature in January: -16.6 °C (2.1 °F)
• Annual average high temperature in July: 30 °C (86.1 °F)
• Semi-arid climate; annual precipitation: 290 mm (11 in)

Winters are very cold and dry.

Economy

• Average annual income: (2008) 43,311 RMB (5,600 USD)
• Development: developing; the city is rapidly developing as a regional financial center, administrative city, and industrial center for largely undeveloped and vast Xinjiang Province.
• Industry: 53% tertiary industry (services), 45.5% secondary (industry), 1.5% primary (animal husbandry, mining, agriculture)
• CBD: in the Tianshan District (43.80N, 87.63E)
• Shopping Streets: Grand Bazaar (Erdaoqiao), Hualin Market

Transportation

• Urumqi Diwopu International Airport handled 9,100,000 passengers in 2010. It is China's 18th busiest airport.
• 1 train station
• 4 regular rail lines
• 3 national highways link there