Is Urumqi really the city farthest from the sea?

It is commonly cited as the large city farthest from any ocean, at about 2,500 km from the nearest coastline. The Eurasian pole of inaccessibility, the point on land farthest from the sea, lies in the Dzungarian Basin north of the city.

What is there to see in Urumqi?

The Xinjiang Museum, the Grand Bazaar and the Uyghur quarter of Erdaoqiao, and — outside the city — the Heavenly Lake below Bogda Peak and the Southern Pastures. Urumqi is also the starting point for Turpan and the rest of Xinjiang.

Capital · Industrial centre · Xinjiang

Urumqi

乌鲁木齐 (Wūlǔmùqí)

Tianshan capital at the heart of Asia

Urumqi is the capital and largest city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, on the northern foot of the Tianshan. Founded as a Qing garrison town in the eighteenth century and known until 1954 as Dihua, it is a modern commercial, administrative and transport centre; it is often cited as the city farthest from any ocean in the world.

ProvinceXinjiang

Key facts

Province: Xinjiang (capital)
Administrative level: Prefecture-level city
Area: about 13,800 km²[1]
Resident population: 4.05 million(as of 2020 census)[2]
Name Urumqi: since 1954

Overview

Urumqi lies at about 800 m in a gap between the Bogda range and the western Tianshan, where the road from the Turpan basin enters Dzungaria. The city is overwhelmingly modern, with high-rise districts, a large Han majority and significant Uyghur, Hui and Kazakh communities.

It is the gateway for most travel in Xinjiang and the base for excursions to the Heavenly Lake below Bogda Peak and the pastures of the Tianshan.

Names and nicknames

乌鲁木齐 (Wūlǔmùqí)
“beautiful pasture”
From an Oirat Mongol name usually translated as “beautiful pasture”; Ürümchi in Uyghur.
迪化 (Díhuà)
“to enlighten”
The name given to the Qing walled town and used until 1954.

History

In the Tang dynasty the Beiting Protectorate governed the region from Jimsar, east of today's city, and a Tang town called Luntai stood in the Urumqi area. The Qing built a fortified town here after conquering Dzungaria and named it Dihua in the 1770s. It became the capital of Xinjiang province in 1884, was renamed Urumqi in 1954 and became capital of the autonomous region in 1955. In July 2009 the city was the scene of deadly ethnic violence.

702
Beiting Protectorate
The Tang administered the lands north of the Tianshan from Beiting, near Jimsar.
1763
Qing fortress
A walled garrison town was built on the site after the conquest of the Dzungars.
1884
Provincial capital
Dihua became the capital of the new Xinjiang province.
1954
Renamed Urumqi
The Mongol name replaced Dihua.
5 July 2009
Urumqi riots
Ethnic violence left 197 people dead according to official figures.
2014 and 2018
High-speed rail and metro
The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line reached the city in 2014, and the first metro line, to the airport, opened in 2018.

Landmarks

Museum
Xinjiang Museum
新疆维吾尔自治区博物馆 (Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū Bówùguǎn)
The regional museum, with Bronze Age mummies from the Tarim Basin, Tang textiles and documents from Astana and galleries on the peoples of Xinjiang.
Street or quarter
International Grand Bazaar
国际大巴扎 (Guójì Dàbāzhā)
Market complex in Erdaoqiao built in Islamic style, with a minaret-like tower, food halls and shops.
Park or garden
Hongshan
红山 (Hóng Shān)
Red sandstone hill in the city centre with a Qing pagoda and views to Bogda.
Nature
Tianchi (Heavenly Lake)
天山天池 (Tiānshān Tiānchí)
Alpine lake below Bogda Peak in neighbouring Fukang, part of the Xinjiang Tianshan World Heritage site.

Neighbourhoods

Erdaoqiao
二道桥 (Èrdàoqiáo)
The Uyghur quarter in the south of the centre around the Grand Bazaar.
Tianshan district
天山区 (Tiānshān Qū)
The old commercial centre with the People's Square and Hongshan.

Food

Big plate chicken
大盘鸡 (dàpánjī)
Chicken and potato stew with chillies over wide noodles.
Mug-stewed lamb
缸子肉 (gāngzi ròu)
Lamb stewed in individual enamel mugs, served with nan.
Tandoor lamb
馕坑肉 (nángkēng ròu)
Large lamb skewers roasted in a nan oven.

Culture

Urumqi is a mixed city where Uyghur, Han, Hui and Kazakh cultures meet in markets, restaurants and neighbourhoods. The Xinjiang Arts Theatre and song-and-dance companies stage Uyghur, Kazakh and other music and dance, and the regional museum is the best introduction to the history of the Silk Road oases.

Getting around

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is linked to the city by metro line 1.
Urumqi station is the terminus of the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line and the hub for trains to Kashgar, Hotan, Yining and the border.
Buses and BRT lines serve the city; taxis and ride-hailing are widely used.

Day trips

Southern Pastures
南山牧场 (Nánshān Mùchǎng)
Valleys and meadows in the Tianshan south of the city with Kazakh herding families in summer.
Heavenly Lake and Bogda
天池 (Tiānchí)
The lake and the glaciated peak east of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Urumqi Municipal People's Government — Urumqi Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Xinjiang Tianshan — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Ürümqi — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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