Urumqi: The city farthest from the sea

Author: Li Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Urumqi is not only a transportation hub on the Silk Road but also a transportation hub in Xinjiang. Buses are widespread throughout the city and suburbs, while long-distance buses connect to most regions in the entire province, forming Xinjiang's highway network. Railways extend to the southern and northern parts of Xinjiang and directly reach cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Zhengzhou. Civil aviation flights go to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, while small planes can fly to medium and small cities within the autonomous prefectures, such as Kashgar. The Urumqi River originally flowed through the city from north to south, but now the river has been diverted into channels, and the Heping Canal has replaced the original Urumqi River. The city is flanked by Hongshan and Yamalike Mountain on the east and west. Famous tourist attractions include Tianchi, the Southern Mountains Scenic Area, the No. 1 Glacier on the Tianshan Mountains, Hongshan Pagoda, People's Park, National Bazaar, Shaanxi Grand Mosque, Tatar Mosque, Shuimogou, Wulapo Ancient City, and the Autonomous Region Museum, among others. In the language of the Kazakh people, Urumqi means "beautiful grassland." It is located in the grassland area at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, east of the eastern section of the Tianshan Mountains—the Bogda Peak, and south of the vast Tianshan Mountain range. To the west and north, it borders the Junggar Basin, making it the world's city farthest from the sea. Before Urumqi was established, it was a beautiful grassland. During the Han Dynasty, the Western Regions Protectorate began to station troops here for farming. In the Sui Dynasty, "mutual markets" activities began. In 702 AD, the Tang Dynasty stationed troops here for farming and built castles, gradually making it a vital stop on the northern Silk Road. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the old city was destroyed in battle. In the 28th year of the Qianlong reign (1763), the Qing government built a new city and named it "Dihua." In 1884, Xinjiang was established as a province, and Dihua became the provincial capital. In 1945, it was declared a city, and in 1953, it was renamed Urumqi. Today, Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, serving as the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire region. The northern and northeastern parts of Urumqi border Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, the southern part borders Bayinbuluke Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, and the southeastern part borders the Turpan Prefecture. It has an elevation of 680 to 920 meters, with an urban area of 83 square kilometers and a total area of 12,000 square kilometers. It administers 7 districts and 1 county (Tianshan District, Shayibake District, Xinxu District, Shuimogou District, Toutun River District, Nanshan Mining District, Dongshan District, and Urumqi County), inhabited by 43 ethnic groups, including the Han, Uyghur, Kazakh, and Hui. Urumqi has a continental climate with a large temperature difference between day and night. The average annual temperature is 5.7°C, and the annual precipitation is less than 300 millimeters, making the climate quite dry. The average temperature in January is 15°C, and the average temperature in July is 24°C. Through the hard work of people of all ethnic groups, Urumqi has now become a major metropolis in Central Asia with modern industry, traditional ethnic industries, modern commerce, and an economic system. It is the "aerial gateway" in western China, with over 50 routes connecting to domestic and international destinations. Combined with the full operation of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge from Lianyungang in China through Xinjiang and Central Asia to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Urumqi has once again become a hub on the "New Silk Road," playing a vital role.