(1)外文名称: Urumqi City
    (2)中文名称: 乌鲁木齐市
    (3)内容:
                          Urumqi City
Natural Condition
    Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's most western province. The most "inland" city in the world - the farthest 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, it7 lies as a green-blanketed oasis amidst Xinjiang's barren and uninhabited deserts, loess highlands, and the snow-capped peaks of the Tianshan Mountains.
   The city lies west of the Bogda Mountain (part of the Tianshan Range) and at the southeastern edge of the Junggar Basin. Situated at an elevation of 900 m., it is an important city in China's northwestern border area. Urumqi covers an area of 11,890 sq km., of which 72 sq. km. is the city proper.
   Although forbidding in winter, Urumuqi's climate is pleasant in summer, with warm days and cool evenings. An extensive series of tree belts around it has helped to reduce wind, dust, and cold.
   Those who travel to Urumqi via railway from Lanzhou will pass Chayuguan, the westernmost part of the Great Wall. It is also the oldest surviving segment, dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-- 220 AD), with a few sections originating in the Qin Dynasty (221 -- 206 BC) when China's northern defensive ramparts were first linked together.
    Because rainfall is scarce, many parts of Xinjiang are barren. The main source of irrigation water is the snow and ice at the higher reaches of the Tianshan range. To harness this supply, rivers have been re-channeled and irrigation canals dug. Xinjiang now has over 400 reservoirs and 30,000  km. (18,800 mi.) of re-channeled waterways.
   Now Xinjiang produced steel, oil, chemicals, sugar, tractors and various other kinds of farm machinery. Trucks are the main means of transportation and thousands of miles of roads have now been paved.
   Islam is the dominant religion in Xinjiang. In major cities such as Urumqi and Kashi, huge mosques are still in use. Religious festival days are still observed and it is even possible to encounter older women wearing veil.
                           Economy
    Located in China's northwest frontier, Urumqi City has a population of 1.5 million of 43 ethnic groups. It is becoming an important door for western China to open  to the outside world thanks to the opening of the new Eurasia Land Bridge and the formation of a foreign economic corridor.
    In recent years, the economic vigor of Urumqi City has increased as China speeds up economic development in areas inhabited by ethnic minority people.   The city's gross domestic product has grown at an average annual rate of 8.94% to 17.54 billion yuan in 1995.  It was the only provincial (regional) capital in northwest China among the 55 Chinese cities with per capita GDP exceeding 10,000 yuan in 1994.
   In order to achieve sustained, fast and healthy economic growth, the city has always paid great attention to bringing the State sector into full play.  Its 118 State-owned industrial enterprises have optimized their structures and increased investment in technological renovation to produce name-brand and higher quality products and improve  efficiency.  As a result, their industrial output value has increased by 11.08% a year on the average, with a sales-to-production ratio of 96%.
   All this shows the mainstay role of the State-owned industry in the city's economy.
   The tertiary industry of Urumqi City has boomed to account for 52.42% of the city's GDP. Among the fastest growing sectors are communications, transportation, postal service, commerce, catering trade and finance. They have also brought up the development of technical services, social services and real estate.  Such undertakings as culture, science and technology, public health and sports have also boomed. For all these, Urumqi has been designated as a national pilot city to try out the comprehensive reform of scientific, technological and economic systems.
                           Agriculture
   Suburban agriculture is a characteristic of Urumqi. The city has focused its efforts on the construction of vegetables, fruit, meat, aquatic products, milk, egg and poultry production centers. Its non-staple food  production capacity and market supply have increased year by year.  In recent years, township enterprises have developed fast in the city, with annual output value approaching 1.3 billion yuan.
                     Prospect for Development
   Today, Urumqi is facing a rare opportunity for development - the central government has granted an eight-point preferential policy to implement the "border opening" strategy as of 1992.  In line with this policy, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Urumqi City have offered more preferential policies to encourage investment. They have also cut red-tapes to improve their efficiency and services.
   There are three large oil fields near Urumqi. Development of these oil fields, as well as the transfer of cotton spindles from east to west and the industrial policy in favor of the western region, will inject new vigor into the city's economic development.  Indeed, the city has been well aware of the favorable opportunity so that it has been implementing the
"Cooperation with the East and Opening to the West" policy.
   To be specific, this policy is designed: firstly, to attract investment from other parts of the country; secondly, to develop tourism as the flows of passengers and goods increase; and thirdly, to increase economic and trade cooperation with foreign countries.  The city has so far opened 61 enterprises abroad, mainly in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
   The Urumqi Foreign Economic and Trade Fair, which is held annually, has become an event to open the city wider to the outside world. It has helped to promote external cooperation, invigorate the local economy, and to make the city better known in the world.
   As a link to the economies in Central and West Asia, Urumqi is making greater efforts to improve its soft and hard investment environments and make itself more attractive to investors.  In 1995, it spent 2.6 billion yuan in construction of urban infrastructure, such as waterworks, highways, telecommunications facilities and environmental protection projects.
                      Communication
   By now, it has formed a daily water supply capacity of 340,000 cubic meters and a generating capacity of 660,000 kw. It has convenient land and air transportation services, with 30-odd domestic and international air routes having been opened, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang double-track railway becoming operational on July 1, 1995, and the No. 312 Turpan-Urumqi-Dahuangshan State high-grade highway now under construction.
   Also, the Xi'an-Lanzhou-Urumqi optical cable line has been put into use, accommodating 7,500 new long-distance telephone lines and 200,000 new local telephone lines.  The area of central heating supply in the city now tops 3 million square meters, and gas accounts for over 99% of the fuels available for local residents.
   Through efforts of various sectors, the city has improved its outlook a great deal.  Its comprehensive service function also has been improved markedly and its investment environment has been improved further.
                      Tourist Features
    Urumqi is one of the most exotic cities in China and visitors will be treated to many of its unusual attractions, including a camel ride or, in some cases, a night in an Uygur tent. They may also be taken to the People's Park on the west bank of the Urumqi River, or the Hong Shan Baota (Precious Pagoda of the Red Mountain), reputedly built in the Tang Dynasty.
     A tour of one of the local carpet factories will interest those who cherish colorful Central Asian rugs. Other ethnic products such as embroidered caps, leather boots, and horn-handled knives are available in the department stores in the downtown area. The Urumqi Jade Carving Studio is supplied by Xinjiang's rich jade deposits which include famous "King of Kunlun" and "Sheep Fat" (White) Varieties.
   Heavenly Pool (Tian Chi): This beautiful lake is about halfway up the 5,000-m. high Bogda Mountain (part of the Tianshan range). It is about 50 km (31 mi.) from Urumqi and inaccessible in winter when both the road and the lake are frozen.
    Hotel Accommodations: The Yan'an Hotel is a comfortable one and well heated in winter. But it is situated a long way out of town, making it difficult for guests to reach on their own. The Kunlun Guest House (Fanxiu Rd.) is nearer to town.