Urumqi Attractions

Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum

The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum was established in the spring of 1953 in the People's Park in Urumqi City. A new museum was later built in 1962 at a new site on Xibei Road. The building occupies a space of 11,000 square meters and is built in a modern style enhanced by local architectural features. The central dome is thirty meters high and from its height one can view the entire city of Urumqi.

The Silk Road derived its fame from silk. The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum has also become famous for its rich collections of silk artifacts from many periods of history. Brocades from Eastern Han are highlighted, as well as all kinds of specialized silk-woven items from the height of the Tang. These are regarded as unique treasures by textile authorities and art historians around the world.

Bazaar

Urumqi is a great place to pick up some interesting craft items like ethnic clothing, embroidery, and jewelry. Other handicrafts include jade carvings, Kashgar carpets, exotic knives, wood crafts, and ethnic musical instruments. It is fun to go on a bazaar tour in Urumqi, for it provides a good opportunity to mingle with the different ethnic groups and understand the life and customs of the local people. The Erdaoqiao market, the largest Uighur bazaar in Urumqi is located along Jiefang Nan Lu. When you see the peddlers in their little embroidered caps and the women in their colorful shawls, or hear the haunting ballads at street side restaurants, there is no mistaking where you are.

West Poplar Valley

West Poplar Valley in Nanshan Mountains is a well-known summer resort in southern suburb of Urumqi and about 30 km away from downtown area of Urumqi. Belong to mountain, forest grassland structure, the place is not only a good natural pasture, but also a scenery where prevent the sunstroke, recuperate, tour. It was a famous hunting and pasturing area in Tang Dynasty. On entering the valley, you can see that under the blue sky are magnificent mountains, herds of sheep and cattle, thick forest and brooks.

Tourists come here, may go to be a guest in Kazak herdsmen' yurt, drink the pure and aromatic milk tea, taste the roasted mutton, cheese, etc delicious meal; appreciate the traditional "riding horse", "girl chasing", etc wonderful programs.

Red Hill

Red Hill, also known as Tiger Head Hill or Tiger Head Peak, is at the center of Urumqi on the eastern bank of Urumqi River. It is 2,985 feet above sea level. At sunrise and sunset, the hill looks red for it reflects the red light from the sun, so it was named Red Hill. The hill stretches from east to west and its main peak is 1391m high. At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda 8 meters high. On the opposite side less than 1 km away from the Red Hill is Yamalik Hill (Monster Hill). After many years of development, the Red Hill has become "Red Hill Park" whose view is very beautiful.