Urumqi and The Xinjiang Autonomous Region - Page 2

City of Urumqi (Translation -- Beautiful Grassland) and The Xinjiang Autonomous Region

Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China's most western province. The most "inland" city in the world------the furthest from any major body of water-----Urumqi is 3,270 km. (2,050 mi.) from Beijing (a five-hour flight). With a population of one million, the city lies as a green-blanketed oasis amidst Xinjiang's barren and uninhabited deserts, loess highlands, and the snowcapped peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains. Xinjiang covers 16% of the total land area of China and is Populated by 13 of China's 55 minority nationalities. Of the total population of 11 who favor dressing in gay costumes and have distinct cultural traditions. Other prominent nationalities of this region are ethnic Chinese, Kazaks, and Hui.

Although forbidding in winter, Urumqi's climate is pleasant during the summer, with warm days and cool evenings. An extensive series of tree belts planted around the capital has helped to reduce wind, dust, and cold. Those who travel to Urumqi by rail from Lanzhou will pass Jiayuguan, the westernmost part of the Great Wall. It is also the oldest surviving segment, dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), with a few sections originating in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), when China's northern defensive ramparts were first linked together.