Ürümqi ئۈرۈمچی 乌鲁木齐 |
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— Prefecture-level city — | |
Chinese transcription(s) | |
- Simplified Chinese | 乌鲁木齐 |
- Traditional Chinese | 烏魯木齊 |
- Pinyin | Wūlǔmùqí |
Uyghur transcription(s) | |
- Uyghur Ereb Yéziqi | ئۈرۈمچی |
- Uyghur Latin Yéziqi | Ürümchi |
- Yengi Yeziķ | Ürümqi |
- pronunciation in IPA | [yrymˈtʃi] |
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Coordinates: 43°48′N 87°35′E / 43.8°N 87.583°E | |
Country | China |
Province | Xinjiang |
County-level divisions | 8 |
Government | |
- CPC Committee Secretary | Zhu Hailun[1] |
- Mayor | Jerla Isamudin (吉尔拉·衣沙木丁)/جەرۇللاھ ھېسامىدىن |
Area | |
- Total | 10,989 km2 (4,242.9 sq mi) |
Population (2005) | |
- Total | 2,681,834 |
- Density | 244/km2 (632.1/sq mi) |
Time zone | China Standard Time (UTC+8) |
Postal code | 830000 |
Area code(s) | 991 |
License plate prefixes | 新A |
GDP (2008) | CNY 102 billion |
- per capita | CNY 43,211 |
ISO 3166-2 | CN-65-01 |
Website | http://www.urumqi.gov.cn/ (Chinese) |
Ürümqi or Ürümchi (English pronunciation: /uːˈruːmtʃi/; Uyghur: ئۈرۈمچی, Ürümchi?; simplified Chinese: 乌鲁木齐; traditional Chinese: 烏魯木齊; pinyin: Wūlǔmùqí), formerly Dihua (simplified Chinese: 迪化), is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country.
With an urban population of over 2.5 million people, Ürümqi, whose name means "beautiful pasture" in the Mongolian language of the Dzungar people,[2] is by far the largest city on China's vast Western interior. Since the 1990s Ürümqi has become gradually developed economically and now serves as a regional transport node and commercial centre.
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Although Ürümqi is situated near the northern route of the Silk Road, it is a relatively young city. During the 22nd year of Emperor Taizong's reign in the Tang Dynasty, AD 648, the Tang government set up the town of Luntai in the ancient town seat of Urabo,[3] 10 kilometers from the southern suburb of present-day Ürümqi. Ancient Luntai Town was a seat of local government, and collected taxes from the caravans along the northern route of the Silk Road.
Little is heard of the region following the Tang Dynasty until the conquest of Dzungaria in 1755 under the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The Dzungars were deliberately exterminated in a brutal campaign of ethnic genocide. One writer, Wei Yuan, described the resulting desolation in what is now northern Xinjiang as: "an empty plain for a thousand li, with no trace of man." After 1759 state farms were established, "especially in the vicinity of Urumchi, where there was fertile, well-watered land and few people."[4] It has been estimated that more than a million people were slaughtered, and it took generations for it to recover.[5]
During the Qing Dynasty (1763) the Qianlong Emperor named the expanded town of Luntai "Dihua" (Chinese:迪化; pinyin: Díhuà; Manchu: Wen de dahabure fu), meaning "to enlighten." In 1884, the Guangxu Emperor established Xinjiang as a Province, with Dihua as its capital.[6]
Following the founding of the People's Republic of China, on February 1, 1954, the city was renamed Ürümqi, meaning "beautiful pasture" in the Mongolian language of the Dzungar people.
The city was the site of major rioting in July 2009 due to conflicts between Han and Uyghur ethnic groups in which nearly 200 people were left dead; most of the victims were Han-Chinese. Reports of extensive police retaliation against the Uyghur minority have circulated ever since, despite the Chinese government having shut down access to emails and overseas phone calls.[citation needed]
According to the 2000 census, Ürümqi has 2,081,834 inhabitants, with a population density of 174.53 inhabitants/km².[7]
Ethnicity | Population | Percentage |
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Han | 1.567.562 | 75.3% |
Uyghur | 266.342 | 12.79% |
Hui | 167.148 | 8.03% |
Kazakhs | 48.772 | 2.34% |
Manchu | 7.682 | 0.37% |
Mongol | 7.252 | 0.35% |
Xibe | 3.674 | 0.18% |
Russian | 2.603 | 0.13% |
Tujia | 1.613 | 0.08% |
Kyrgyz | 1.436 | 0.07% |
Uzbek | 1.406 | 0.07% |
Zhuang | 878 | 0.04% |
Tatar | 767 | 0.04% |
Tibetan | 665 | 0.03% |
Dongxiang | 621 | 0.03% |
Miao | 620 | 0.03% |
Korean | 588 | 0.03% |
Other | 2.205 | 0.09% |
Ürümqi currently comprises 8 administrative sub-divisions, county-level units, of these, 7 are districts and 1 is a county.
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# | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Uyghur (kona yezik̡) |
Uyghur Latin (yengi yezik̡) |
Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
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1 | Tianshan District | 天山区 | Tiānshān Qū | تىيانشان رايونى | Tiyanshan Rayoni | 490,000 | 171 | 2,865 |
2 | Saybagh District | 沙依巴克区 | Shāyībākè Qū | سايباغ رايونى | Saybagh Rayoni | 450,000 | 422 | 1,066 |
3 | Xinshi District | 新市区 | Xīnshì Qū | 390,000 | 143 | 2,727 | ||
4 | Shuimogou District | 水磨沟区 | Shuǐmògōu Qū | شۇيموگۇ رايونى | Shuymogu Rayoni | 180,000 | 92 | 1,957 |
5 | Toutunhe District | 头屯河区 | Tóutúnhé Qū | تۇدۇڭخابا رايونى | Tudungxaba Rayoni | 120,000 | 276 | 435 |
6 | Dabancheng District | 达坂城区 | Dábǎnchéng Qū | د اۋانچىڭ رايونى | 40,000 | 5,188 | 8 | |
7 | Midong District | 米东区 | Mǐdōng Qū | 290,000 | 3,594 | 56 | ||
8 | Ürümqi County | 乌鲁木齐县 | Wūlǔmùqí Xiàn | ئۈرۈمچى ناھىيىسى | Ürümchi Nahiyisi | 80,000 | 4,332 | 18 |
The largest city in the western half of the People's Republic of China, Ürümqi has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most remote city from any sea in the world. It is about 1,400 miles (2,500 km) from the nearest coastline (Ürümqi being the city closest to the Eurasian[citation needed] Pole of inaccessibility). The city has an area of 10,989 km². The average elevation is 800 meters.
In Ürümqi a cold steppe climate prevails. Ürümqi features hot summers in July with average temperatures of 24°C (75°F) as well as very cold winters with average temperatures in January of -16 °C (3 °F). The annual average temperature is 5.4 °C (41.7 °F). Ürümqi is semiarid, with its summers slightly wetter than its winters. Its annual precipitation is about 240 mm.
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Ürümqi is a major industrial center within Xinjiang. Ürümqi, together with Karamay and Bayingolin, account for 64.5% of the total industrial output of Xinjiang. Ürümqi is also the largest consumer center in the region, recording ¥41.9 billion retail sales of consumer goods in 2008, an increase of 26% from 2007. The GDP per capita reached US$6,222 in 2008.[8] According to statistics, Urumqi ranked 7th in 2008 by the disposable income for urban residents among cities in Western China.[9] Ürümqi has been a central developmental target for the China Western Development project that the Central Government is pursuing.
The Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair (Chinese: 乌洽会) has been held annually since 1991. Its purpose is to promote domestic and foreign markets. The 17th Fair has attracted participants from the Ministry of Commerce and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade.[10]
As the economic center, Urumqi has expanded its urban area since the 1990s. The CBDs in the city increased rapidly all around the major districts. Zhong Tian Plaza, located in one of the CBDs in North Xinhua Road, is the tallest building in Urumqi and Xinjiang; with a height of 229 metres, it is also the tallest in Northwestern China and Central Asia. Lacking a subway, the city built an outer ring road (外环路) in 2003, which considerably facilitates transport. Zhongshan Road (Sun Yat-sen Road, Chinese: 中山路) in Urumqi has been one of the ten most famous commercial streets in the People's Republic of China since 2005 (through official appraisals). The others are Wangfujing, etc. The commercial street of Zhongshan Road has the largest computer, mobile phone and consumer electronics market, i.e Baihuacun, Ccyber Digital Plaza and Fountain Plaza, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; it is believed to be the focal point of technological products in Urumqi.
Urumqi has many educational campuses including Xinjiang University, Xinjiang Normal University, Xinjiang Agricultural University , Xinjiang Medical University and many others.
Ürümqi is served by the Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport. The airport is one of the five major airports in the People's Republic of China. It is also a hub for China Southern Airlines. It has been rumored that a new airline China Central Airlines will start operations at the airport sometime in late 2010.
The Xinjiang Networking Transmission Limited operates the Urumqi People's Broadcasting Station and the Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station, broadcasting in the Mandarin, Uyghur, Kazakh, Mongolian, Russian and the Kyrgyz languages.
The Xinjiang Television Station (XJTV), located in Urumqi, is the major TV broadcasting station in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The local television station for Urumqi city is Urumqi Television Station (UTV)(乌鲁木齐电视台).
Ürümqi is twinned with:
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![]() WARNING: In July 2009, ethnic riots erupted between the Uighur ethnic group, the Han Chinese ethnic group, and the security forces. There is a lot of security around town (lots of (bored) soldiers, bag searches when entering public buildings etc.) and as of late October 2009 the internet in the entire region and city has been blocked, together with text messaging and international calls in and out. Caution is advised. |
Urumqi (Pronounced: Ürümqi) (乌鲁木齐; Wūlǔmùqí; Uyghur: ئۈرۈمچی) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. The city has a population of around 1.6 million and is in the Tian Shan mountains.
Urumqi is quite famous for its claim that it is the most inland major city in the world, that being the furthest from any ocean.
There are two major ethnic groups, the Han Chinese and the Uyghur. Other ethnic groups in Urumqi include Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Mongols and Hui Muslims.,
Most people in Urumqi can speak some level of Mandarin Chinese, albeit possibly with an accent, and Uyghur, a Turkic language. If you do not speak Mandarin or Uyghur, you may have difficulties in Urumqi. Few people speak English, even in some of the large hotels. When taking a taxi, it is a good idea to be armed with a piece of paper with the name of your destination written in Mandarin.
Despite what some of the guidebooks say, Urumqi has a lot to offer and can provide a great introduction to Xinjiang.
Ürümqi is served by the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (乌鲁木齐国际机场; Wūlǔmùqí Guójìjīchǎng; IATA: URC,) which is located 20km northwest of the city center with regular domestic flights from Beijing, Shanghai (Hongqiao), Guangzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dunhuang, Hangzhou, Jilin, Kunming, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xining, Yinchuan, and Zhengzhou.
Urumqi also offers flights from Almaty, Astana, Baku, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Kabul, Moscow (Sheremetyevo), Novosibirsk, Osh, Seoul (Incheon), Tashkent, and Tehran (Imam Khomeini)
Xinjiang destinations include Aksu, Aletai, Hotan, Kashgar, Kuche, Tacheng and Yining.
A taxi costs about ¥35 by meter to the city, although most taxidrivers will try for more. Travel time is about 20 minutes without traffic.
Airport shuttles available for yen;10.
Wulumuqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐火车站; Wūlǔmùqí Huǒchēzhàn) is at Qingfeng Road.
The Northern Long-Distance Bus Station is at Heilongjiang Road
The Southern Long-Distance Bus Station (南郊客运站) is in the southern part of city (across from the Shuishang Amusement Park (水上乐园))
China Highway 312 is a motorway crossing Xinjiang from Gansu to the border with Kazakhstan. Most destinations within Xinjiang can be accessed via private car. Drivers tend to congregate near the bus stations and will often approach passengers shouting their destination. Drivers usually try to fill the car with four passengers, but you can also rent the whole car (包车; bāochē). In almost every case, a car will save hours of travel time over a bus.
The city centre is big, and seperated in to different 'centres'. You can walk, but distances are large, roads are wide, and ongoing building work will block your path. Furthermore, in summer it gets very hot and in winter it can drop to -35 degrees C at night.
Metered taxi fares start at yen;6. There are also black taxis, usually driven by Uyghur men. Fares for these are negotiable and they definitely come in handy during rush hour when metered taxis are tough to come by. Regardless, you should never pay more than yen;20 for a ride within the city.
Bus number 52 goes from the round about near the airport to the museum. Other useful routes running generally north-south are 101, 61 and 63.
The Grand Bazaar (aka Erdaoqio) 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.
Please beware pickpockets and watch your possessions carefully.
Food is one of the things that Xinjiang is famous for. Fresh naan, spicy kababs, steaming pilaf, or famous hand streched noodles — there are a lot of choices, and lots of variety.
Local restaurants are available throughout the city, although most Uyghur restaurants are concentrated in Erdaoqiao, around the Grand Bazaar - there are plenty of restaurants on the street behind the mosque offering a nice alternative to standard Chinese cuisine. A standard price for a plate of hand-streched noodles with vegetable meat topping (laghman/bànmiàn) is about 9 RMB (1.4 USD)--if you are still hungry, you can request more noodles (jiāmiàn). Melon slices also make an excellent snack, at about 1 rmb a slice from a street vendor. Among other common Uyghur foods are dumplings of mutton and onions (samsa), Uyghur fried rice (polo), dumpling soup (chuchura), meat pies (Gush Nan) and Opke Hessip (lungs and stuffed intestines) for the brave. Local specialty drinks include Kawas (carbonated drink flavored with honey) and Dogh (a mixture of crushed ice, yoghurt and honey available in summer). The best known Hui dish is big plate chicken (dàpánjī), a spicy mixture of chicken and potatoes. Personal experience leads me to recommend the following:
Hui and Uyghur food can be very spicy, and it is a good idea unless you like very spicy food to tell them "búyào là de", or for Uyghurs "kizil mooch salmang!".
One warning before you go out and get local food though. Not everyone can stay healthy eating Uyghur and Hui food. Often it is cooked with a large amount of oil. Sanitary conditions are also perhaps not what you would have expected. If you have a weak stomach, or gall bladder problems it might be a good idea to try some of the other options. Or just stick to naan and kebab.
In town there are several mid-range options available for western food.
Han Chinese dishes places, available all around town also fall into the mid-range category.
A good local Chinese chain is Shunming (顺明), serving Uyghur and Chinese food for a reasonable price. They are open twenty four hours and have several locations around town including at the People's Square (人民广场) and the People's Theater (人民电影院)
Another option is fast food, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants(肯德基)have sprung up all around town and are located at the Grand Bazaar, People's Square, Hongshan, and the Children's Park among other locations. There are also two Pizza Huts (必胜客, located at Zhongshan Rd. (中山路) and Youhao Shopping Mall (友好商场)), and several smaller Chinese fast food chains--specifically Dicos (德克士) & Fast Food Burgers (百富烤霸, also known as Roast King). The quality in these fast food places isn't quite American, but it's not that bad either.
The buffet at the China Southern Airlines Hotel is an ideal place to splurge. The head Chef is Austrian, and the food is very authentic Western fare, with some local dishes as well. Dinner costs 88RMB plus 15%, and includes tea, coffee, and a glass of red wine. The buffet at the Urumqi Sheraton ought to be rather good. It costs about 130 RMB per person.
In general Xinjiang is a rather safe place. However, in the bigger bazaars and on public transportation pickpockets do operate so be sure to secure your valuables. Rionts over the summer also necessitate extra caution. While there is currently a large police and military presence in the city, protests and other violence has broken out sporadically since then. Communications are severely restricted with internet access and all international calls in and out of the region blocked by the government. It is unclear when these restrictions will be relaxed with some mention of blocks lasting until spring festival in march 2010. That said, calls are able to be placed from the bianjiang binguan (边疆宾馆 mentioned above) for 5 yuan per minute (approx. $0.74) and possibly also from post offices 邮电局 for 2-3 yuan per minute. Keep these restrictions in mind before traveling. Also be prepared to be stopped by security personnel suspicious of foreigners.
In most Islamic cultures, naan (bread), is very important. It is not a good idea to throw it away. If you drop it, pick it up and carry it with you. Do not step on naan--It is important to treat it with some respect. Also, if you decide to eat naan while walking, break off a piece, and eat that. Do not bite into the whole loaf.
Unfortunately, these are the only two consulates in Urumqi. For those heading to other destinations in Central Asia, instead of returning to Beijing, a good bet would be to pick up visas for those locations in Almaty, Kazakhstan or Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow! |
Category: Usable articles
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