Urumqi

Urumqi, seat of government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains and on the Urumqi River. The name Urumqi means "beautiful pasture" in Mongolian.

Xinjiang, the most northwestern region in China, has conspicuous continental climate, with highly changeable temperature, sharp difference in temperature between day and night, abundant sunshine, intense evaporation and little precipitation. The contrast of climate in northern and southern Xinjiang, divided by the Tianshan Mountains, is also very obvious. The mean annual temperature of northern Xinjiang where Urumqi located is 4¡ãC-8¡ãC (33¡ãF-46.4¡ãF) and that of southern Xinjiang 9¡ãC-12¡ãC (48.2¡ãF-55.6¡ãF).

Starting from the Han (206 B.C. - A.D. 220) and Tang dynasties, the Chinese government recruited soldiers and civilians and stationed them in this area to open up wasteland and develop agriculture. The city arose during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and has now become an important industrial center in China's northwest.

In the surrounding regions, the rich oases, grasslands, forests, vast expanse of desert, and especially the Huoyan Mountain, known as "Fiery Mountain" in a classical Chinese novel Journey to the West which has given the mountain such a mysterious tinge, never fail to charm whoever comes to this mystical land. Forty-seven out of China's some sixty ethnic groups totaling over twelve million people, live in the region. The Kirgizs and the Mongolians. The ancient customs of many of the minority people and their hospitality always leave an unforgettable impression on visitors.

One thing to bear in mind here is the TIME! Although officially run on Beijing time, Xinjiangers also use their own system. Beijing time here means that the sun doesn't rise until 09:00 and it is still light at midnight in the summer months. When making travel arrangements, be sure to check which time zone is being used or you could get caught out!