The temperature in Urumqi fluctuates greatly between day and night. Urumqi is extremely dry due to its geographical location and continental climate. Spring and autumn are short while winter and summer are long. Remote as it is, the local inhabitants fondly call it 'Urumqi' which translates to mean graceful pasture.
Spring in Urumqi comes comparatively late. Usually the northern suburb of Urumqi has the first touch of spring in late March, the downtown area some two weeks later and the southern suburb ten days later again. Urumqi in summer is flowery and lush. Summer lasts typically for about 90 days in the northern suburb and about 60 days in the downtown area. Urumqi is an ideal place for a summer holiday when the average downtown temperature is about 23 C (about 73.4 F). From late August, autumn comes to Urumqi, a golden season of fruit harvests. In October you will experience fluctuations between day and night temperatures. The temperature of the long winter in Urumqi is around -15 C (about 5 F), but the scenery makes up for the cold at that time.
The best period for visiting Urumqi is from May to October when flowers are in full bloom and the melons and fruits smell sweet and are ripe for the picking. Dress warmly even when traveling in the hottest month (July and August) for the temperature differences between morning and night. Be sure to bring a sweater and trench coat in May, June, September and October. During the cold winter (November to March), you will need heavy winter wear.
Urumqi Diwopu (Diwobao) International AirportAirport Code: URC Location: about 16 kilometers northwest of the downtown area of Urumqi City.
Urumqi International Airport is one of the most important airports in western China. It is a passageway connecting China and Middle Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa. A bird's eye view of the entire construction resembles an elegant flying swan. The buildings consist of an International Waiting Hall, a National Waiting Hall and two VIP Lounges. Restaurants, shops, broadcast center and information counters within the airport offer you many conveniences.
115 airlines offer service to 60 domestic and international cities.
Every week, over 700 flights leave here for 53 destination cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Harbin, Guangzhou and Qingdao, etc. as well as 14 foreign destinations including Tashkent, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Islamabad, Almaty and Bishkek. You can book flight tickets at most high-rated hotels in Urumqi.
Airport information: (0991) 3801453 3802695 Hongshan (Red Hill) Ticket Office: No.62, Youhao Nan Lu Beimen Ticket Office: No.2, Xinmin Lu
Airport Transportation
The airport shuttle bus special line is convenient for traveling between the airport and the downtown area. Tourists can buy the ticket in the hall of Kempinski Hotel in Urumqi. The shuttle bus departure station in the city is Kempinski Hotel. It takes only about half an hour from Kempinski Hotel directly to the airport; the ticket price of a single trip is CNY10 per person. The returning trip from the airport to the downtown passing Xinjiang Medical College, Red Hill, Xinjiang Restaurant and the terminal station is Xinjiang Railway Station.
The shuttle bus schedule in summer is between 06:30 and 08:00 departing from Kempinski Hotel every half hour between 08:00 and 23:00 departing hourly on the hour. In winter the schedule is between 07:30 and 09:00 departing from Kempinski Hotel once every half hour and between 09:00 and 22:00 departing hourly on the hour. Also public bus No.51, No.27 (CNY1 per person) can take passengers from the airport to the downtown area.
Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the most 'inland' city in the world. With a population of two million colorful-dressed ethnic inhabitants, the city is likened to a piece of emerald embedded at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
The tourist treasures of Urumqi outshine those of many other provinces and cities. As an important strategic locale in the ancient Silk Road and the gathering place of historic East-West exchanges, Urumqi is home to numerous cultural relics and historic treasures. Thirteen main ethnic minorities offer souvenirs of their enduring colorful customs. Located in the heartland of Eurasia, Urumqi's unique location and natural environment form an enchanting picture alluring tourists and travelers from home and abroad.
Although the earliest activities of humans in this region can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, Urumqi has not been as prosperous a city as Beijing or Xian, as a result of its remote geographic location. The ancient Jushi People were said to be the first inhabitants in this land, making a nomadic living on the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains.
Until the Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), the government stationed troops there to reclaim wasteland near to the city in order to ensure security for the Silk Road. In 640, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the first official prefecture was set up to administer the area on the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains, namely the Tingzhou State. During this period, Urumqi was called Luntai County which was under the control of the Tingzhou State with the other three counties. It was once a military stronghold for the Tang Dynasty to defend against their enemy.
The city's fortunes began to rise in the middle of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when the Emperor Qianlong stationed troops and constructed an earthen city in the south of what is now Urumqi. The first step of the city's building project was taken in 1758. In 1763, the city was extended and its name was changed to Dihua. In 1772, a new city called Gongning was built to the west of Dihua and acted as the military center for all regions of Urumqi. During this period agriculture, business and manufacture had developed rapidly, which had, in turn, stimulated population growth. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the government set up Gansu and Xinjiang Province in this region and appointed Dihua as its capital. As such, Dihua become the political center of the Xinjiang region from then on.
Today, as the capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi includes five districts and the Urumqi County. Because of its particular position, it is a transportation hub for linking the south and north area of the Tianshan Mountains as well as connecting Xinjiang and central China.
The annual Corban Festival and Lesser Bairam. The Corban Festival falls on December 10th and Lesser Bairam is 70 days before of Corban Festival. Having a strong ethnic flavor, Guniang Zhui (a kind of funny way to express love between young men and women) and Diaoyang (a traditional sport of the local minority) are very interesting tourist activities at this time.
Corban Festival is also known as 'Sacrifice Festival', is hosted every December 10th by Islamic population. In preparation all Muslims s dress up to attend the ceremony at the Great Mosque. During the three-day holidays, people go door to door to exchange greetings in their best ethnic costumes. All homes serve the visitors delicious mutton. The drumming singing and dancing parties will be held in both urban and rural areas. Some sports activities: such as horse races, wrestling and sheep snatching are most popular among the Kazaks, Ozbeks and Tajiks nationalities.
The annual Silk Road Snow Folk Festival (Sichou Zhilu Bingxue Fengqing Jie) is a popular tourist festival in Urumqi. The grand opening ceremony is held in December and the festival usually lasts till the following March offering tourists a different travel experience.
- Red Hill with its emerald greenery, pagoda, and shrines. The hill rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name Red Hill. Historical sites on the hill once included the Ebo (stone cairn used by tribesmen to worship and sacrifice to their gods) built by the nomadic Oyrat Tribe. Today, local people regard the hill as the symbol of the city.
- People's Park, also called 'the park for sharing happiness', is on the west bank of the Urumqi River. It was originally a stretch of marshland and lakes surrounded by luxuriant centuries-old trees. Now it is a scenic, tree-shaded park with pavilions and a lake where you can hire a rowboat. The best time to visit is in the morning when local people exercise.
- Xinjiang Regional Museum located in the downtown area since 1953, displays archaeological treasures and local relics from the Silk Road. Cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road include silk, pottery, porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures, even some mummies discovered in the vast desert.
- Heavenly Lake (also named Tianchi Lake), The most famous landscape gem near Urumqi is stunning. A moraine lake hemmed in by majestic snow-crowned peaks west of Bogda Mountain, Tianchi is 3,400 meters (11,125 feet) long, 1,500 meters (4920 feet) wide, 1,980 meters (6494 feet) above sea level. The pristine scene is stunning. A one-day tour usually consists of a boat ride on the lake, or a ride or walk along the lakeshore.