Urumqi (literally "beautiful pasture") is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in Northwest China. 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, Urumqi is the largest city in China's western interior.
Climate
In Urumqi a semi-arid climate prevails, with large differences between summer and winter, warm summers and cold winters. The annual average temperature is 6.90 °C (44.4 °F). The city is semi-arid, with its summers slightly wetter than its winters, yet sunny weather is much more likely in the warmer months, and relative humidity is the lowest during summer. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30 percent in December to 70 percent in August and September, the city receives 2,523 hours of bright sunshine annually. Its annual precipitation is about 290 millimeters (11.4 in).
Economy
The Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair has been held annually since 1991 and has been upgraded into the first China-Eurasia Expo in 2011. Its purpose is to promote domestic and foreign markets. The 17th Fair has attracted participants from the Ministry of Commerce and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade.
Xinjiang Guanghui Group is the largest real estate enterprise and most powerful privately owned company in Xinjiang and is currently engaged in energy and automobile. China CITIC Bank Mansion, headquarters of Guanghui, located in one of the CBDs in North Xinhua Road, is the tallest building in Urumqi and Xinjiang; with a height of 229 meters, it is also the tallest in Northwestern China and Central Asia. Zhongshan Road has been one of the ten most famous commercial streets in China since 2005. Zhongshan Road has always been the hub of consumer electronics in the city, with the largest computer, mobile phone and consumer electronics market in Xinjiang, including Baihuacun, Cyber Digital Plaza and Fountain Plaza.
As the economic center in Xinjiang, Urumqi has expanded its urban area since the 1990s. The CBDs in the city increased rapidly all around the major districts. Despite the old city areas being primarily in the south, the development in the north part began since the late 1980s. The completion of the new office tower for Urumqi Municipal Government in 2003 at Nanhu Square in Nanhu Road marked a shift of the city center to the north. Lacking a subway, the city commenced the construction of viaducts for Outer Ring Road since 2003, which considerably facilitates transport. Youhao Road and surrounding neighborhood, is the commercial center for business, shopping and amusement. Youhao Group, the namesake local enterprise, owns a major market share of retails. Maison Mode Urumqi, open since 2008, became one of the few notable department stores for luxury merchandise in the city. The Urumqi Economic and Technological Development Zone (UETD) located in the northern Toutunhe District, has been a leading base for steel, machinery manufacturing, biochemistry and other industrial innovations.
Education and science
Urumqi has many educational campuses including Xinjiang University, Xinjiang Normal University, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang Medical University and many others.
Transportation
Urumqi is a hub for China Southern Airlines. Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is the largest airport in Xinjiang.
Urumqi is also Xinjiang's main rail hub. It is the western terminus of the Lanzhou–Xinjiang (Lanxin) and Urumqi–Dzungaria (Wuzhun) Railway, and the eastern terminus of the Northern Xinjiang (Beijiang) and the Second Urumqi–Jinghe Railway. The Beijiang and the Lanxin Lines form part of the Trans-Eurasian Continental Railway, which runs from Rotterdam through the Alataw Pass on the Kazkhstan border to Urumqi and on to Lanzhou and Lianyungang. There is also a high-speed rail line in operation, which connect Urumqi with Xining and Lanzhou since 2014.
Population: 3 million
Temperature: average 6.90 °C (44.4 °F)
