Tacheng, under the jurisdiction of the Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, is located in the north of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and adjacent to the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is one of the major border land port cities in Xinjiang. Since there are 28 minority races living in Tacheng, it has been a multicultural city throughout history. Tacheng is located in a mid-temperate zone. It has a semi-arid continental climate with hot, short summers and cold, long winters. Temperatures in spring and autumn are unpredictable. Tacheng is also rich in natural resources. Oil, natural gas, iron ore, chromite, gold and coal deposits can be found here. The city's chromite deposit is the second largest in China.