|
 Urumqi,
the capital of the
Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, is
one of the country’s
most important cities
open to the outside
world like a piece of
emerald embedded at the
foot of the Tianshan
Mountains. The city,
located between latitude
43°5’ to 44°0’ north and
longitude 86°0’ to 88°5’
east on an alluvial fan
at the northern foot of
the Tianshan Mountains,
with the Junggar Basin
in the north and
surrounded by mountain
ranges in the east, west
and south, and the
Urumqi River flowing
through it from south to
north, covers an area of
11,440 square kilometers
with an elevation of 680
to 920 meters, of which
49.3 square kilometers
are covered by the city
proper, which is two to
six kilometers from east
to west and sixteen
kilometers from north to
south. The total urban
planning area of the
city is 1,600 square
kilometers. As the
political, economic,
cultural, science and
technological and
information center of
the Xinjiang Autonomous
Region, Urumqi is the
hub of communications
linking the region with
the rest of the country
as well as linking it up
with various parts north
and south of the
Tianshan Mountains.
The place where Urumqi
stands was a pastureland
in ancient times. At the
beginning of the Han
Dynasty, the wasteland
was reclaimed and
agriculture was
initiated by immigrants.
During the Sui Dynasty,
trade began to be
conducted between the
region and the interior
of the country, which
further brought in the
advanced civilization
from the Central Plains.
During the Tang Dynasty,
troops were stationed in
the Urumqi area to
develop the land and to
build frontier
fortifications. During
the Ming Dynasty, a city
was set up in the
present Jiujiawan
District of Urumqi, but
it was destroyed by fire
in the Junggar Rebellion
which was put down by
the Qing government in
1755, the twentieth year
of the reign of Qing
Dynasty Emperor Qianlong.
The Qing troops built
barracks on the east
side of the Urumqi River
in 1758, the
twenty-third year of
Qing Emperor Qianlong.
Five years later, a new
city was built and named
" Dihua", which, in
Chinese, means
"enlightening and
civilizing" and, so,
carries implications of
contempt for the
minority nationalities.
In 1765, Dihua City was
extended from its north.
In 1884, the tenth year
of Qing Emperor Guangxu,
Xinjiang Province was
established and Dihua
City became its capital.
In 1954, five years
after liberation, the
city was renamed Urumqi.
As a city Urumqi was
only a little over 210
years old, and as a
provincial capital, 101
years old.
Urumqi is a
multinational city with
a population of 1.5
million and a population
density of 101 persons
per square kilometer.
There are thirteen
nationalities living in
the city, including the
Uygur, Han, Hui, Kazak,
Manchu, Mongol, Xibe,
and Russian. Of the
total population of the
city 74.11 percent are
Han nationality; 11.82
Uygur; 9.87 Hui; 3.10
Kazak; 0.29 Manchu; 0.23
Mongol; 0.16 Xibe and
0.09 Russian.
Urumqi is located in the
temperate zone of a dry
continental climate. The
meteorological data
indicate that the annual
mean temperature in
Urumqi has been 7.3°C
for many years. The
highest temperature
recorded was 42.1 °C on
August 1, 1973; the
hottest month, July,
averages 25.7 °C. The
lowest temperature ever
recorded was -41.5 °C on
February 27, 1951; the
coldest month, January,
averages -15.2°C. The
annual mean
precipitation is 194
millimeters, while the
frost-free period
averages 179 days per
year. Annual mean
sunshine time is 2,821
hours. The annual mean
difference of
temperature between day
and night is 10.7 °C.
The difference between
local and Beijing time
is two hours.
The city is rich in
natural resources.
High-quality coal
reserves of all kinds
have topped nine billion
tons. In the southeast
there is forty square
kilometers natural salt
lake which abounds with
salt and mirabilite.
Furthermore, the
northern part of the
city is blessed with
many other minerals,
such as oil, natural
gas, iron, manganese,
phosphorus and
limestone.
The songs and dances of
Xinjiang possess a
special charm owing
perhaps to the magic
quality of the wind and
snow of the Tianshan
Mountains. The artists
of numerous songs and
dances ensembles and
theatres in Urumqi hold
the audience spellbound
with their wonderful
performance. Many
"nightingales" from the
Tianshan Mountains
create sensations all
over China and the
world. The vault roofed
museum and exhibition
hall house and display
many rare cultural
relics, the only one of
their kinds in China and
the world and witnesses
the history of Xinjiang.
They include implements
used by prehistoric men,
documents of ruling
organizations set up by
the Han and Tang
authorities in the west
region, seals engraved
with the characters Han
Gui Yi Qian Zhang (chief
of the Qiang in
Allegiance to Han), and
Yi He Fu (Yi He
Prefecture) and
signifying the
enfeoffment of the
Mongolian tribe Tuerhute.
There are also wooden
tablets carved with
ancient scripts,
rubbings from tablet
inscriptions, Chinese
and foreign coins of
different times, ancient
silk, woolen and cotton
fabrics, mummies 1,000
to 4,000 years and
porcelain. A visit to
this west region art
gallery is simply an
unforgettable
experience. |
