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Guides for the Business Traveler
Urumqi (2007)
4 hours in Urumqi (2007)
2007 Business Traveler 4-Hour Guide Sponsored by Korean Air. Former Chinese Turkestan is rich in Silk Road history, and the clever bargainer may come away with some treasures, says Chris Taylor .
 | Hongshan Park Hongshan, or "Red Hill," close to the city center and accessed from Hongshan Lu, is usually described as the symbol of the city of Urumqi. Topped by the nine-story Zhenlong Pagoda, which dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1277–1367), and a viewing platform that provides good views of Urumqi on a clear day, in recent years Hongshan has also become home to a Chinese-style fun park. Even if the amusement park is somewhat tacky, it's well worth the some 1,640-foot climb to the summit to take in the views of Urumqi's quickly modernizing skyline. |  | Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum About half a mile north of Hongshan Park, on Xibei Lu—the journey is probably best done by taxi—is Urumqi's, and Xinjiang's, premier museum, a showcase for the region's rich minority and Silk Road history. The area's long importance as a trading route has left it with a legacy of historical artifacts from many Chinese dynastic periods, as well as relics from the time it was a center for Buddhism (around the 1st century A.D. until the 11th, when it was displaced by Islam). Among the museum's exhibits are ancient mummies (including the famous, and allegedly 3,800-year-old "Loulan Beauty") and even food preserved in the arid desert, Roman and Persian coins, fascinating terra cotta sculptures, documents in some 12 different scripts, along with Buddhist sculptures, and art and silk products lost on the arduous Silk Road over the centuries. For many visitors, the special wing devoted to finds from early settlements on the Silk Road is the most interesting. Open 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, to 4:30 p.m. weekends. Entry RMB15 |  | Erdaoqiao Market Take a taxi to Erdaoqiao Market on Jiefang Nanlu. Expanded in 2001, this is the largest market in all of Xinjiang, and a fascinating place to wander around and check out minority foods and handicrafts from around the sprawling autonomous region that in times past was known as Chinese Turkestan. It is possible to find jades and antiques among the more than 660 stalls here, but bear in mind that the local Uyghur traders are considered among the most formidable bargainers in all of China. |  | Tartar Mosque This Tartar house of worship is close to the Erdaoqiao Market on Jiefang Nanlu. It may be difficult to access at short notice because permission is required to enter, but it is still worth taking a stroll to have a look at the exterior. The only mosque of its kind in Urumqi, the central hall is topped by a dome and flanked by a minaret. |  | Southern Mosque Also in the same neighborhood is the Southern Mosque. Although it is of fairly recent provenance (1919), it is still an eye-catching structure, with Chinese influence evident in the 22 flying dragons carved on the outer building's ridge. This is an active place of worship for Urumqi's Muslim community, and the prayer hall can accommodate some 1,100 faithful. |
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