Urumqi
Urumqi
Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is not only the region’s largest city, but also its main transportation hub, and nearly all travelers will at least pass through this superficially typical Chinese city.
Transportation
Urumqi’s new airport, completed only last year, offers flights to most provincial capitals in China, though links to Hong Kong are strangely absent - barring a few charter flights in summer. There are also daily services to most of Xinjiang’s smaller cities. Numerous international serves are also available. Central Asian destinations include Almaty, Ashgabat, Baku, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Kabul, Osh, Tashkent, and Tehran. In Russia’s Far East, there are flights to Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, and Novosibirsk. Further afield, connections exist to Moscow, Dubai and Seoul.
Urumqi is on the main rail line linking Xinjiang with the rest of the country, and a new line stretches all the way to Kashgar in the far West. There is also an international service to Almaty in Kazakhstan.
Accommodation
The city has several 5 star Hotels, the best being the Hongfu and Hoi Tak. Weighing in at only 4 stars, the Xinjiang Grand (ex Holiday Inn) deserves an honorable mention for its enthusiastic English-speaking staff and excellent downtown location, though delicate sensibilities may be offended by rooms that can reek of stale Honghe smoke and mercantile sex. Recent additions have included a Kempinski (now run by China Southern Airlines) and Sheraton, both on Youhao Rd. There are no good hotels located near the airport. While a five star airport hotel is under construction, currently the best option in this area is the newly completed Royal International, located about 10km south. Winter sees rates on 5 star rooms dip as low as 300 RMB, though in summer it pays to book well ahead since rooms in all price brackets are at a premium.
Backpackers can try Maitian Hostel, where dormitory beds go for as little as 40 RMB. The less conveniently located Silver Birches also offers cheap dormitory accommodation. However, those traveling with company can probably get a better deal at the Super 8 Motel, located just 200m up the road from the bar, which offers superbly appointed rooms from around 150 RMB.
Urumqi is the place to try Uyghur food. The Mayflower restaurant provides a good introduction. Those seeking to expand their appreciation of the local cuisine beyond the ubiquitous kebabs and naan will appreciate the diverse menu, which includes many items not offered by street vendors. While tour groups sometimes pour in, the customers remain predominantly local, and a nightly show featuring traditional music and dance completes the Uyghur experience. More international options include Sabbath Brazilian restaurant, Edo No Sakura Japanese restaurant, and Eversun Coffee, which delivers Chinese food, pan-Asian dishes, and western food tailored for the Chinese palate, all served in a comfortable environment. Customers at the shabby Bobs Café may be called upon to restock the beer fridge, scribble verse on the walls, or figure out their own tab at the end of the night. Cheap and cheerful, this is the place to meet Wulumuqi’s English teachers.
Every visitor to Wulumuqi ends up at the Grand Bazaar. Disappointingly for those seeking “the real Xinjiang”, the bazaar itself has largely degenerated into a tourist market. Tourist kitsch aside, it remains a good place to pick up local handicrafts such as handmade carpets, knives, silk, and assorted trinkets. Bargain mercilessly! More genuine local flavor abounds in the smaller markets scattered around the Grand Bazaar, and browsing the alleyways that riddle this part of town is very rewarding. You can easily lose a few hours drinking in the sights, including naan kneaded out and slapped onto oven walls, noodles spinning through the air, wood coaxed into intricate Uyghur furniture, axes wielded in displays of precision sheep butchery, and metal being beaten into various utilitarian objects. Shipping issues aside, the ultimate back alley souvenir would undoubtedly be a 20 foot kebab grill. These behemoths are available in a range of styles.
The other must-see attraction in Wulumuqi is the Xinjiang Regional Museum. The centerpiece of the display is a well-preserved collection of mummified human remains, including the famous “Loulan Beauty”. Discovered in the desert, these mummies continue to stir controversy as to who the original inhabitants of Xinjiang really were. While the mummies are the big draw-card, the museum also houses an impressive collection of textiles, ceramics, and other artifacts. The display offers a tantalizing glimpse of life on the ancient Silk Road and is very worthwhile for those interested in the history of this fascinating region.
To have your photo taken next to the world’s third largest meteorite, head a block north from the Sheraton, stopping when you see an impressive extraterrestrial object parked outside the Urumqi Geology Museum. Weighing in at 40 tones, the rock oozes other-worldly charm. The museum itself houses an interesting assortment of maps, gems, minerals, and the odd trilobite. The display lacks English translations, but is worth a look for connoisseurs of geological specimens.
At the north end of Beijing Lu, past the football stadium, the Urumqi Arborium covers more than one city block, and offers tranquility and respite from the summer heat. Abundant trees, some paths, and a few people, this place is exactly what you would expect an arborium to be.
Overlooking the city, and within 15 minutes walk west of the city centre, is Yaomo Shan (Demon Mountain). The mountain is covered in paved roads, tracks, and animal trails, and offers some excellent mountain biking. Stay clear of the communications centre on the summit unless you want to get yourself arrested.
Well off the tourist trail, the Hualing market offers a quirky perspective on Wulumuqi and its importance to the region. The largest market in Central Asia, Hualing attracts buyers not just from Xinjiang, but also from neighboring countries. Sprawling over a square kilometer or so, and housed in and around various buildings that are under continuous reconstruction, the market is a confusing maze of shops offering everything from curtains to coffee machines - by the piece or container-load. Russian and Kazak buyers come here in droves, so Caucasian visitors should not be surprised to be addressed in Russian.
