CITY · XINJIANG
Urumqi
乌鲁木齐 · Wūlǔmùqí
Overview
Capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The most westerly major Chinese city, with Uyghur and Han culture, the Heavenly Lake, and the gateway to Kashgar and the Pamirs.
Urumqi is the largest city in the far west. The population is mixed Han, Uyghur, Hui and other Central Asian Turkic peoples. The Erdaoqiao Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar give a flavour of the Uyghur city; Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), 2 hours east, is a glacial lake at 1,900m beneath Mount Bogeda. Travel to and within Xinjiang has been subject to additional security checks since 2017; tourism is functional but checkpoints are frequent. The Karakoram Highway, the Taklamakan Desert and Kashgar are the further-west extensions.
Cultural & access notes
Uyghur is an indigenous Turkic language written in modified Arabic script. Halal food is widespread. During Ramadan, eating in the open in front of fasting Muslims is impolite.
What to see
- Grand Bazaar (Erdaoqiao)
- Heavenly Lake (Tianchi)
- Xinjiang Regional Museum and the Loulan mummies
- Hongshan Park
What to eat
- Uyghur lagman (laghman, hand-pulled noodles with mutton)
- Polo (mutton pilaf)
- Roast lamb skewers
- Naan bread
Getting there
Urumqi Diwopu (URC) airport. HSR: Lanzhou 11h, Xi'an 14h. Many travellers fly.
Getting around
Metro is one line. Bus and Didi.
Where to stay
Central area near the People's Square.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
May–June, September–October.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥280 |
| Mid-range | ¥600 |
| Comfortable | ¥1400 |
Safety notes
Travel in Xinjiang involves frequent security checkpoints, ID checks at hotels and bus stations, and restrictions on photography near government buildings or police installations. The major tourist sights remain accessible. Confirm permit requirements for the Pamir highway region before travel.
Nearby attractions
Itineraries visiting Urumqi
- Northern Silk Road — Urumqi, Heavenly Lake, Turpan and Kashgar, 7 days
7d · Seven days in Xinjiang's Silk Road cities: Urumqi, the alpine Heavenly Lake, the desert ruins around Turpan, and the Uighur old city of Kashgar near the Kyrgyzstan border.
- Xinjiang — Tianchi Lake and Northern Grasslands, 7 days
7d · Urumqi and the Kazakh grasslands north of the Tian Shan: Heavenly Lake Tianchi, Nalati meadows, Kanas Lake in the Altai, and the night-market culture of Urumqi.
Food of Northwestern China
- Biangbiang Noodlesbiáng biáng 面
Wide, hand-pulled, belt-shaped Shaanxi noodles. The 'biang' character is the most complex in the Chinese language.
- Big Plate Chicken大盘鸡
A large-portioned Xinjiang braised chicken dish with potatoes, peppers and thick hand-pulled belt noodles.
- Hand-Grasped Lamb手抓羊肉
Large bone-in lamb pieces boiled in spiced water and eaten by hand — a communal dish of Inner Mongolia and the northwest.
- Laghman (Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb)拉条子
Uyghur hand-pulled wheat noodles with a lamb-and-vegetable sauce of tomato, pepper and onion.
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