Urumqi is the capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the most "inland" city in the world. Urumqi means "A Beautiful Pasture Land" in Mongolian used by the Junggar tribe, 2000 years ago. Once as an important stop along the ancient Silk Road, leading to Central Asia, it made great contribution in promoting Sino-foreign economic & cultural exchanges.

Urumqi lies as a green-blanketed oasis amidst Xinjiang's barren and uninhabited deserts, loess highlands, and the snow-capped peaks Belonging to semiarid continental climate of middle temperate zone, the city has shorter spring and autumn and longer winter and summer. So May to October is the golden season for traveling. The scenery in the city is also very charming: Heavenly Lake, Red Hill, South Pasture all show the different beauty. The Heavenly Lake, also known as Tianchi Lake is one of the most pristine natural wonders in China. Red Hill is a symbol of Urumqi made up of aubergine rock, which has a reddish brown color. South Pasture is a natural pasture with tall trees and beautiful valleys embraced by snow mountains. As home to 49 minority ethnic groups, if you are interested in Chinese minority culture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum is the right place for you.