Things To Do in Urumqi
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Urumqi Attractions
While ?rumqi has improved, an explosion in domestic tourism means that Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake; admission ¥90) is on the way to becoming the world's largest public convenience. If you do go, stay the night, as the lake is more tranquil after buses return to ?rumqi around 5pm. Avoid Rashid's Yurt, which is listed in every guidebook -- fame is not good for everyone. Buses depart for the lake from the entrance to ?rumqi's Renmin Gongyuan at 9:30am (120km/74 miles; 1 1/2 hr.; ¥40 round-trip) and return at 5:30pm. A similar day trip is to Baiyang Gou (White Poplar Gully), where you can ride horses, stay in yurts, and enjoy lush countryside. Buses depart at 9:30am (76km/47 miles; 1 1/2 hr.; ¥40) and return midafternoon.
Urumqi Shopping
You'll find a wide range of Uighur handicrafts on sale at Er Dao Qiao Bazaar, but the environment has recently been turned into a tacky tourist trap. On what used to be on airy outdoor market now stands a Hong Kong developer's interpretation of Uighur architecture, massive beige-brick buildings, complete with a Carrefour and KFC. For more of a local flavor, head to Ribiya Dasha, a building erected by the Uighur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer who became famous in the Western press after being jailed in China as a political prisoner. Outside, around the perimeters of the building, bright fabrics, televisions, jewelry, and appliances are sold. Also nearby is Baihetiya'er Huangjin Shoushidian at Jiefang Nan Lu 197, which sells affordable gold, silver, and platinum jewelry. The necklaces are particularly elegant. Watch the Uighur women bargain, and see if you can get a similar price.
For carpets, you should avoid Er Dao Qiao Bazaar and its scary assortment of pushy salespeople who don't know the first thing about carpets; instead head behind the market to Tianhaai Lu where several stores have genuine antiques, but prices are high. Those hunting for books on Buddhist art will find an excellent selection of pictorial and theoretical works at Tian Zhi Ya Shushe, in a small lane just east of Xinhua Bookstore, at Jiefang Nan Lu 34 To stock up on snacks before a long bus or train journey, there are plenty of supermarkets around the town center; the one in the basement of the Parkson shopping center at the southern end of Youhao Nan Lu is particularly good, as is the vast and always busy Carrefour at Er Dao Qiao Bazaar.
Urumqi Nightlife
Most Han Chinese believe that Uighurs, like all Chinese ethnic minorities, love to sing and dance (neng ge shan wu). As one Chinese guidebook notes, "although very few Uighurs speak Chinese well, they will often spontaneously break into song and dance to show their friendship." If you're already not exhausted by all the singing and dancing, the best-known song-and-dance troupe is the Xinjiang Gewu Tuan, which performs at different venues around town. They are housed in the former Russian Consulate, at Shengli Lu 193, whose elegant, decaying buildings and grounds are a must-see for aficionados of the Great Game, a drawn-out battle of espionage fought out in central Asia between Russian (and later Soviet) diplomats and their counterparts in British India.
