URUMQI , XIANJIANG - THE SILK ROAD - PART 1

The Silk Road - Part 1 - Urumqi -Xianjiang Province.

Pullman Hotel in Urumqi where we stay

 Ürümqi means literally "beautiful pasture", from Mongolia, is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in the northwestof the country. Urumqi was a major hub on the Silk Road during China's Tang dynasty, and developed its reputation as a leading cultural and commercial center during the Qing dynasty.With a built-up (or metro) population of 2,988,715 as of 2010 census (6 urban and suburban

districts but Dabancheng not yet urbanized) and 3.03 million in 7 urban and suburban

 districts, Ürümqi is the largest city in China's western interior. Since the 1990s Ürümqi 

has developed economically and now serves as a regional transport, cultural, and 

commercial centre.

Urumqi located in western China

The Silk Road was actually made up of several trading routes and linked China and Eastern Europe during the Han dynasty. The name "Silk Road" (SichouZhi Lu) was coined by Baron von Richthofen in the 19th century. This road was the first that exposed China, and its capital Chang'an (Xi'an), to the influences and ideas of the rest of the world. Though it seemed like China was only exporting, sending silk, ivory, fruit, precious metals, glass, and gems, it was actually receiving various religions and beliefs that would influence the powerful nation. China was set to benefit greatly from the expansion in trade due to its large workforce and monopoly on valuable goods. Also benefitting from the trade were the pre-Islamic-Buddhist civilizations along the route. Later, these towns would be forgotten until the 20th century when archaeologists from Europe, Russia, and America would resurrect their history.


The Silk Road started in Xi'an, the Chinese capital then known as Chang'an, and continuing through the Jade Pass inJiayuguan. The gate and Silk Road were protected by the westernmost fort of the Great Wall. At Dunhuang, the road forked into a northern and southern pass to avoid the Taklimakan Desert. Those who tried to go straight through the desert were swallowed whole and never heard from again. After Dunhuang came the oasis town of Turpan, on the outskirts of Urumuqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Finally, at the end of the Chinese Silk Road is Kashi (Kashgar), the gateway to the west and junction of the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road.Arms branched out from here, one leading north over the Pamir Mountains ending in the Mediterranean, and one to the south to northern India through the Karakoram Highway.

The Bazaar of Urumqi - where local sell their produce.

Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is located in the hinterland of the Eurasia Continent. It is the farthest city from the ocean in the world. It is the west fortress of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge in China, and is the pivot for Xinjiang to communicate with the inner land. The city has also opened many ports for China to link with Central Asia and other bordering countries. It covers an area of about 12,000 sq km. (3 million acres), with a relatively thin population of more than 2 million. The city has a middle temperate semi-arid continental climate, and distinctive hot and cold seasons. The temperatures vary much from day to night, so warm clothes are demanded even in the hot days when traveling. Autumn, when it is cool and which is also the season of harvest of many local products, is the best time to visit here.

Bazaar Building beside a mosque

The vast land of Urumqi is productive in resources. It lies in the center of a rich coalfield and is surrounded by four huge oil fields on all sides, giving it the names of 'City in the Coalfield' and 'Coal Ship in the Oil Sea'. It also has abundant mineral resources, as well as light energy, wind energy and heat energy. Nourished by the glaciers and permanent snows on the mountains, the city is also not lacking of water resources and is teeming with wild animals and plants like snow leopards, horses, deer and snow lotuses among others.Urumqi also vaunts much in its long history. The city initially began to be built more than 1,300 years ago. Historically it was the pasture and habitat of many nomadic tribes. And it was a strategic pass in the old Silk Road. Since the extensive reconstruction during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1735 - 1795) in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), the city began to take on a new look during its building boom.

Fruits and tit bit of the local people of Urumqi

Urumqi is Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s capital. It is located at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and on the southern edge of the Junggar Basin.

The city experiences a semi-arid continental climate and is located in a mid-temperate zone with short springs and autumns, as well as longer winters and summers. Urumqi is rich in natural resources such as oil, coal, rare mines, glaciers, forests, grasslands and wind energy, etc.

Additionally, it is the transportation center of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, located 16 km from Urumqi’s downtown area, offers flights to China and Middle Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa. Approximately 115 airlines fly to sixty domestic and international cities. Urumqi is also linked by railways to six major domestic cities including Xi’an, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Lanzhou. Lastly, long-distance buses provide transportation to most cities in Xinjiang every day including special tourist lines to Heavenly Lake, Southern Pastures, Turpan and Shihezi, etc.

Urumqi is also the science and technology center of Xinjiang. There are 112 high-tech enterprises, 106 research and develop centers, and 18 post-doctoral researAs Urumqi is an important passageway connecting China, Middle Asia and even Europe, foreign-trade is an important business of the city. In 2013, it realized total import and export values of US$12 billion, reflect an increase of 15% year on year. Garments and construction equipment are major exports of Urumqi. In addition, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, the United States and Japan are some of the main countries engaged in trade with the city.ch centers located in the city.

The street scene in Urumqi City, colorful and  peaceful

A board the boat touring the Tian Shan Lake.

View of the majestic lake Tian Shan. 

The snow-clad Heavenly Mountain (Tianshan), which has been used as the setting of many Chinese classical and modern films, is as if having a magic power upon people. It seems to always stir their imaginations. Urumqi ('Beautiful Pasture' in Mongolian literally), is a rich oasis extending the foot of this celestial mountain. With its enchanting natural scenery, splendid cultures and exotic customs, it has become a dreamland lingering on the minds of travelers.For most people the journey to Heavenly Lake starts at the gate of Urumqi's People's Park. It's here where the majority of tourists set up their day trip which includes a 2 hour bus ride to the main gate, entrance fee, transportation to the lake (I'll explain this in a moment) and sometimes a meal.

On the boat touring scenic Tian Shan

Heavenly Lake offers a good mix of boarded walkway, paths and opportunity to blaze your own trail. A simple walk toward what is known as "Little Heavenly Lake East" (东小天池) gives you an incredible view of waterfalls, greenery and fresh mountain water. Even for day-trippers this is an easy side trip.The Tian Shan, also Tien Shan, is one of the world's largest system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia. The mountain ranges has several ocal names. The Chinese name for Tian Shan may be derived from the Xiongnu language name Qilian, which was described by Sima Qian in the Records of the Grand Historian as the homeland of the pre-Xiongnu peoples of the region, the Yuezhi, and has been said to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) further east now known by this name. The nearby Tannu-Ola Mountains bear the same name.

The famous peaks of Tian Shan Mountains are Khan Tengri(7,010 m), Pik Talgar(4,979 m), Bogda Peak(5,445 m), Vladimir Putin Peak(4,446 m), Xuelian Feng(6,627 m), Sauyr Zhotasy(3,840 m). The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak (Jengish Chokusu), 7,439 metres (24,406 ft).

Uphill road to Tian Shan Lake. 

On 2013 Conference of World Heritage, the eastern portion of Tian Shan in western China's Xinjiang is listed as a World Heritage Site. Xinjiang Tianshan comprises four components - Tomur, Kalajun-Kuerdening, Bayinbukuke and Bogda - that total 606,833 hectares. Xinjiang Tianshan presents unique physical geographic features and scenically beautiful areas including spectacular snow and snowy mountains glacier-capped peaks, undisturbed forests and meadows, clear rivers and lakes and red bed canyons. These landscapes contrast with the vast adjacent desert landscapes, creating a striking visual contrast between hot and cold environments, dry and wet, desolate and luxuriant.

Traditonal wedding dress of the Kazakhs Tribe. Wedding Photo Shoot

 The landforms and ecosystems of the site have been preserved since the Pliocene epoch and present an outstanding example of ongoing biological and ecological evolutionary processes. The site also extends into the Taklimakan Desert, one of the world’s largest and highest deserts, known for its large dune forms and great dust storms. Xinjiang Tianshan is moreover an important habitat for endemic and relic flora species, some rare and endangered.

Another view of the uphill winding road.

Tian Chi, also known as Heavenly Lake, is located about 150km away from Urumqi in the Tian Shan mountain range and is a popular a day trip from the city. Regular buses leave at 9am from the People’s Park in Urumqi so on our first evening we purchased some tickets for 150 Yuan each for the following day.  We thought, through conversing with the bus operator in his basic English (and my rudimentary Mandarin) the fee would cover the transport to Tian Chi as well as an entrance ticket to the Heavenly Lake.

Uryghur specialities - mutton fill puff...delicious!!

A high altitude respite from Urumuqi's heat in the summer, Tiān Chí (天池), or "Heavenly Lake," is a lovely Alpine lake 2,000 m (6,600 ft) up in the Tian Shan mountain range. The pine-clad surrounding hills are filled with locals grazing their herds, and the snow-enameled mountains are picturesque to be sure.

The summer months bring crowds who pay a day-visit to Tian Chi lake or spend the night in Kazahk-run yurts, which run about RMB 40 a person but while the area is a high-profile tourist spot, it remains largely undeveloped. Some of the accommodations are more authentic than others, but the whole experience can be rewarding. Make sure to bring warm clothes as the area gets rather chilly at night. Camping is okay, too, as is hiking up to the snowline. While hiking, beware of loose stones. Horses are also available to rent to explore the area and boat tours make the rounds on the lake.

The Uryghur Bread and Nan.

Rising above the lake is the snow-capped northern slope of Bogda Peak (Bógédá Fēng, 博格达峰), which is revered by locals as a holy place. The name means "god" in Mongolian.

With a built-up (or metro) population of 2,988,715 as of 2010 census (6 urban and suburban districts but Dabancheng not yet urbanized) and 3.03 million in 7 urban and suburban districts, Ürümqi is the largest city in China's western interior. Since the 1990s Ürümqi has developed economically and now serves as a regional transport, cultural, and commercial centre.

Good food on the way up to Tian Shan Lake,

Although Ürümqi is situated near the northern route of the Silk Road, it is a relatively young city. According to Chinese scholars, during the 22nd year of Emperor Taizong's reign in the Tang dynasty, AD 648, the Tang government set up the town of Luntai in the ancient town seat of Urabo,10 kilometres (6 miles) from the southern suburb of present-day Ürümqi. Ancient Luntai Town was a seat of local government, and collected taxes from the caravans along the northern route of the Silk Road.

Steppe peoples had used the location, the pass between the Bogda Shan to the east and the Tian Shan to the west, connecting the Dzungar Basin to the north and the Turpan Depression to the south. In the 7th century the location was controlled by tribes of the Göktürks (Turkic Khaganate). In 742 AD, the Göktürk Khaganate split as the Uyghur tribes and the Eastern "wing" of the Göktürks broke off to form the Uyghur Khaganate. 

Ürümqi lay in the center of this empire until 1220, when it merged with the Mongol Empire  under Genghis Khan. After the division of the Mongol Empire, the town then passed into the Chagatai Khanate(also Turkic) where Sufi Islam dominated Ürümqi culture. Around 1670 the Uyghur tribes revolted from the Chagatai Turks and united with the Dzungar ribes to form Zunghar Khanate. Ürümqi remained a small town, and less important than the oasis and Silk Road trade center Turpan 200 km (120 mi) to the southeast.

The bubbling mutton broth...

Thus, little is heard of the region following the Tang dynasty in the Chinese texts until China's Qing dynasty vanquished the Dzungar Khanate  to the west in the Zunghar genocide. One writer, Wei Yuan, described the resulting desolation in what became northern Xinjiang as: "an empty plain for a thousand li, with no trace of man." 

After 1759 state farms were established, "especially in the vicinity of Urumchi, where there was fertile, well-watered land and few people."By 1762, more than 500 shops were opened by Chinese migrants to the area of modern-day Urumqi. In 1763, the Qianlong Emperor named the expanded town of Luntai "Dihua" (Chinese: 迪化; pinyin: Díhuà; Manchu: Wen de dahabure fu), meaning "to enlighten." Dihua quickly became Xinjiang's commercial and financial center, boasting many statues also to Guandi, or the Chinese god of war.

Demographically, Dihua was populated with Chinese Muslims from Gansu and Shaanxi, Han Chinese from all over China, and ethnically diverse Bannermen, which included Manchus. Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History at Georgetown University, James A. Millward wrote that foreigners often mistakenly think that Urumqi was originally a Uyghur city and that the Chinese destroyed its Uyghur character and culture, however, Urumqi was founded as a Chinese city by Han and Hui (Tungans), and it is the Uyghurs who are new to the city.Those Qing literati who visited Dihua were impressed by its cultural sophistication and similarity to eastern China. The writer Ji Xiaolan compared Dihua to Beijing, in that both had numerous wine shops which offered daily performances of Chinese music and dance. The origin of Hui in Urumqi is often indicated by the names of their Mosques.

The noodle eaten with the mutton soup.

The Battle of Urumqi (1870) took place in 1870 between the Turkic Muslim forces of Yaqub Beg against the Dungan Muslim forces of Tuo Ming (Daud Khalifa). With the help of Xu Xuegong's Han China militia, Yaqub Beg's forces defeated the Dungans. In 1884, the Guangxu Emperor established Xinjiang as a Province, with Dihua as its capital.

During the Kumul Rebellion the Battle of Urumqi (1933) and the Battle of Urumqi (1933–34) took place between the forces of Ma Zhongying's 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army) and Jin Shurand Sheng Shicai's provincial forces. At the second battle Ma was assisted by the Han Chinese General Zhang Peiyuan.

Following the founding of the People's Renepublic of China, on 1 February 1954, the city was renamed Ürümqi, meaning "beautiful pasture" in the Mongolian language of the Dzungar people.

The city suffered unrest in May 1989 with 150 injuries, and was the site of major rioting in July 2009 triggered by violence in Southern China between ethnic Han Chinese and Southern Xinjiang Uyghurs. Official reports of the 2009 riots say that nearly 200 people were left dead, but the actual toll is unknown and disputed. Reports of extensive retaliation against the Uyghur minority have circulated ever since, despite the Chinese government having shut down access to emails and overseas phone calls for over ten months.