Ürümqi

城市概覽

The name Ürümqi comes from Mongolian, meaning "great", a short form of the full Mongolian name meaning "great pasture", as the Mongols were the last major power to control the area prior to the Qing conquest. Following the Qing conquest, the city was named "Dihua" (迪化 lit. "to enlighten and civilize") by Emperor Qianlong, a name which stuck even through the Republic of China era. Following the communist revolution, the new People's Republic of China government changed the name back to Ürümqi in 1954, as "Dihua" was deemed too condescending to the ethnic minorities in the region. Urumqi is famous for its claim that it is the most inland major city in the world, that being the farthest from any ocean; 2,300 km or further. There are two major ethnic groups, a quarter million of the original Uyghur inhabitants of the area and 1.5 million Han (ethnic Chinese); the city has a higher proportion of Han than elsewhere in the region. Other ethnic groups in Urumqi include Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Mongols and Hui Muslims. Despite what some of the guidebooks say, Urumqi has a lot to offer and can provide a great introduction to Xinjiang.

如何抵達

By plane 1 Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport (乌鲁木齐天山国际机场; Wūlǔmùqí Tiānshān Guójìjīchǎng; URC IATA) (20 km (12 mi) northwest of the city center). International flights from Almaty, Astana, Baku, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Istanbul, Kabul, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Novosibirsk, Osh, Seoul Incheon, Sharjah, Tashkent, and Tehran Imam Khomeini.Regular domestic flights from Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dunhuang, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jilin, Kunming, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xining, Yinchuan, and Zhengzhou. Regional flights from Aksu, Aletai, Hotan, Kashgar, Kuche, Tacheng and Yining.A taxi costs about ¥50 by meter to the city, although most drivers will try for more. Travel time is about 20 minutes without traffic. Airport shuttles are available for ¥15. The airport closes after the arrival of the last flights, and you are not permitted to stay inside the building overnight. (updated Sep 2018)

By train

All long-distance trains use the Main Railway Station, 20 km northwest of the city. This includes the fast trains to Lanzhou (12 hours), Xian (plus 3 hours), Beijing (plus 9 hours) and Wuhan (plus 8 hours), and international trains to Kazakhstan via Khorgos (24 hrs) or Dostyk (30 hrs).

2 Wulumuqi Main Railway Station (Wūlǔmùqí Huǒchēzhàn). Huge modern concourse with shops, toilets and plenty of seating. Foreigners are searched and scanned on arrival. The ticket hall is upstairs. A taxi to or from downtown will cost ¥25-30 and take 20 min; the queue for taxis may exceed an hour. (updated Sep 2018) 3 Wulumuqi South Railway Station (乌鲁木齐火车站; Wūlǔmùqí Nan) (at Qingfeng Road). Served only by regional & local trains, some of which run on to the Main Station. Fast trains bypass this station. It's on the southwest edge of downtown so a taxi will be ¥10. (updated Sep 2018)

By bus The Northern Long-Distance Bus Station is at Heilongjiang Road. Almaty in Kazakhstan (via Khorgos) takes abo

當地交通

On foot The city center is big, and separated into different 'centers'. 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°C (-31°F) at night.

By metro The northern section (from the international airport to Balou) of the first line of the Urumqi Metro has just been opened. You must show ID to ride. All signs and announcements are trilingual in Chinese, Uyghur and English.

By taxi Metered taxi fares start at ¥10 for the first 3 km. There are also black taxis (illegal), driven nowadays by anyone, male or female. Fares for these are negotiable and they are very handy during rush hour when metered taxis are tough to come by. A ride within the city should not exceed ¥20, but the airport and main railway station will be more.

By bus 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 very visible BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Buses are a quick, efficient and very crowded way from getting from one end of the city center to another. BRT1 and 2 are very useful. BRT1 runs straight down Youhau Lu to the train station. BRT 3 connects the grand bazar, People's Theater and Square and ultimately terminates with a connection to BRT1 at its northern end. Just put ¥1 in the box on the way onto the platforms and then squeeze onto a bus. These are run along a segregated busway - something of a cross between a bus and a tram.

必看景點

1 Geographical midpoint of Asia monument (亚洲大陆地理中心). 2 Grand Bazaar (新疆国际大巴扎), 8 Jiefang Road, Tianshan District (天山区解放南路8号) (the nearest bus stops are Heping Road South (和平南路) on the east side and Erdaoqiao (二道桥) on the west side). The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar was once a traditional Islamic market area but has been redeveloped for mass tourism and is now Urumqi's local tourist trap along the lines of the kitschy "ancient/old cities" you find in the rest of China. Expect thick crowds of Han Chinese from Inner China, dawdling tour groups, aggressive hawkers, and inflated prices. That said, the architecture, though rebuilt, is worth a look. If you come just as it is getting dark you might see tight rope walkers performing with the minarets in the background. If you are after something more authentic, try the side streets around the bazaar and about the surrounding Erdaoqiao neighborhood. Nearby Donghuan Market (东环大市场/East Ring Great Market), though half-abandoned, has far better prices for spices, etc. 3 Red Mountain Park (Hongshan Park, 红山公园), 40 Bei Yi Lane, Hongshan Road, Shuimogou District (水磨沟区红山路北一巷40号) (Bus routes 7, 14, 17, 52, 68, 157, 301, 311, 537, 907, 910, 917, brt1, brt2, brt4, and brt71), ☏ +86 991 8855671. April to October: 07:00-23:00; November to March: 08:30-21:00. This pleasant park has, among other things, a Ferris wheel, a Buddhist temple and great views over the city. The park has a free entrance but you have to pay for some of the attractions. Free. (updated Sep 2022) 4 People's Park (人民公园), 3 Youhao Road South, Shayibake District (沙依巴克区友好南路3号) (take bus no. 8, 44, 58, 308, 903 or 912 and get off at the West Park (西公园) bus stop, which is just outside the park's south gate), ☏ +86 991-5849434. 08:30-21:30. A wonderful place for people watching. Busy at all times of day but particularly in the early mornings and evenings, with people making music, singing, dancing, playing games, exercising, doing tai chi, practicing calligraphy, in

購物

The Grand Bazaar (aka Erdaoqiao) 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