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Urumqi
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 Urumqi,
the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is
one of the country's most important cities open to the
outside world like a piece of emerald embedded at the
foot of the Tianshan Mountains. The city, located between
latitude 435 to 440 north and longitude 860 to 885 east
on an alluvial fan at the northern foot of the Tianshan
Mountains, with the Junggar Basin in the north and surrounded
by mountain ranges in the east, west and south, and the
Urumqi River flowing through it from south to north, covers
an area of 11,440 square kilometers with an elevation
of 680 to 920 meters, of which 49.3 square kilometers
are covered by the city proper, which is two to six kilometers
from east to west and sixteen kilometers from north to
south. The total urban planning area of the city is 1,600
square kilometers. As the political, economic, cultural,
science and technological and information center of the
Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Urumqi is the hub of communications
linking the region with the rest of the country as well
as linking it up with various parts north and south of
the Tianshan Mountains.
The place where Urumqi stands was a pastureland in
ancient times. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty,
the wasteland was reclaimed and agriculture was initiated
by immigrants. During the Sui Dynasty, trade began to
be conducted between the region and the interior of
the country, which further brought in the advanced civilization
from the Central Plains. During the Tang Dynasty, troops
were stationed in the Urumqi area to develop the land
and to build frontier fortifications. During the Ming
Dynasty, a city was set up in the present Jiujiawan
District of Urumqi, but it was destroyed by fire in
the Junggar Rebellion which was put down by the Qing
government in 1755, the twentieth year of the reign
of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong. The Qing troops built
barracks on the east side of the Urumqi River in 1758,
the twenty-third year of Qing Emperor Qianlong. Five
years later, a new city was built and named " Dihua",
which, in Chinese, means "enlightening and civilizing"
and, so, carries implications of contempt for the minority
nationalities. In 1765, Dihua City was extended from
its north. In 1884, the tenth year of Qing Emperor Guangxu,
Xinjiang Province was established and Dihua City became
its capital. In 1954, five years after liberation, the
city was renamed Urumqi. As a city Urumqi was only a
little over 210 years old, and as a provincial capital,
101 years old.
Urumqi is a multinational city with a population of
1.5 million and a population density of 101 persons
per square kilometer. There are thirteen nationalities
living in the city, including the Uygur, Han, Hui, Kazak,
Manchu, Mongol, Xibe, and Russian. Of the total population
of the city 74.11 percent are Han nationality; 11.82
Uygur; 9.87 Hui; 3.10 Kazak; 0.29 Manchu; 0.23 Mongol;
0.16 Xibe and 0.09 Russian.
Urumqi is located in the temperate zone of a dry continental
climate. The meteorological data indicate that the annual
mean temperature in Urumqi has been 7.3 for many years.
The highest temperature recorded was 42.1 on August
1, 1973; the hottest month, July, averages 25.7 . The
lowest temperature ever recorded was -41.5 on February
27, 1951; the coldest month, January, averages -15.2.
The annual mean precipitation is 194 millimeters, while
the frost-free period averages 179 days per year. Annual
mean sunshine time is 2,821 hours. The annual mean difference
of temperature between day and night is 10.7 . The difference
between local and Beijing time is two hours.
The city is rich in natural resources. High-quality
coal reserves of all kinds have topped nine billion
tons. In the southeast there is forty square kilometers
natural salt lake which abounds with salt and mirabilite.
Furthermore, the northern part of the city is blessed
with many other minerals, such as oil, natural gas,
iron, manganese, phosphorus and limestone.
The songs and dances of Xinjiang possess a special
charm owing perhaps to the magic quality of the wind
and snow of the Tianshan Mountains. The artists of numerous
songs and dances ensembles and theatres in Urumqi hold
the audience spellbound with their wonderful performance.
Many "nightingales" from the Tianshan Mountains
create sensations all over China and the world. The
vault roofed museum and exhibition hall house and display
many rare cultural relics, the only one of their kinds
in China and the world and witnesses the history of
Xinjiang. They include implements used by prehistoric
men, documents of ruling organizations set up by the
Han and Tang authorities in the west region, seals engraved
with the characters Han Gui Yi Qian Zhang (chief of
the Qiang in Allegiance to Han), and Yi He Fu (Yi He
Prefecture) and signifying the enfeoffment of the Mongolian
tribe Tuerhute. There are also wooden tablets carved
with ancient scripts, rubbings from tablet inscriptions,
Chinese and foreign coins of different times, ancient
silk, woolen and cotton fabrics, mummies 1,000 to 4,000
years and porcelain. A visit to this west region art
gallery is simply an unforgettable experience.
Attractions
in Urumqi
Urumqi
Package Tour
Neighboring areas: Gansu
prvoince and Qinghai province, Tibet Autonomous Region
Population: 1.5 million
Climate belongs to semiarid continental
climate of middle temperate zone, temperate difference
between day and night; shorter spring and autumn and longer
winter and summer; frost-free period of 179 days and 2821
hours sunlight annually
Average Temperature: 6.4 C
Rainfall: average annual of 236mm |
Map
of China
