Urumqi is the administrative centre of the Xinjiang autonomous region located in the Northwestern People's Republic of China. With a population of more than 2.3 million inhabitants, Urumqi, meaning "beautiful gorges", is the largest city in Northwestern China. Since the 1990s, Urumqi has grown economically into a commercial centre. Urumqi occupies the majority of Han Chinese, with the largest minority being the Turkic ethnic group of Uyghur and Kazakh ethnic groups together with Chinese’s Hui ethnic groups. According to the 2000 census, Urumqi city has 2,081,834 inhabitants, with a population density of 174.53 people/km². The population comprises 75.3% Han Chinese, 12.8% Uyghur, 8.0% Hui and 2.3% Kazakh and Kyrgyz. Urumqi is a major industrial centre in Xinjiang. As an economic centre, Urumqi has expanded its urban area since the 1990s. CBD in the city grew rapidly around the central district. Zhong Tian Plaza, ​​located on Xinhua Road, is the tallest building in Urumqi and Xinjiang.

Airports in Urumqi

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport is an international airport located in Diwopu, 16 kilometres Northwest of downtown Urumqi, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. Diwopu Airport was opened to foreign passengers in 1973 and has become an emergency landing ground for flights to Europe and Western Asia. The airport is the operation centre for China Southern Airlines and a focus city for Hainan Airlines. In 2010, the number of passengers in Diwopu was 9,148,329 people and became the 18th busiest airport in China. If you are coming from the Philippines, you can board a flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport to get to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport. However, there are no direct flights available to get to Urumqi from Manila. You need to transit at other airports before making a flight to Urumqi.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Urumqi

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Urumqi. All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Urumqi.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Urumqi?

The peak and busiest times of Urumqi are in August followed by July and November. Hotel prices, as well as flight tickets, will be higher than any other months. However, you can still get great deals if you book a flight or accommodation ticket earlier. The lesser month with travellers is in February. You can get cheap flight tickets and hotels if you are visiting Urumqi that month.

According to the climate classification by Koppen, Urumqi has a continental cold semi-arid climate with different summer and winter. It has warm summers. The hottest month in Urumqi is in July with an average temperature of 23.7 °C while the coldest month in Urumqi is in January with an average temperature of -12.6 °C. The annual average temperature in Urumqi is 6.90 °C.

You can plan a visit to Urumqi to celebrate the Lantern Festival and also the Chinese New Year together with the locals in Urumqi. It is undoubtedly different elsewhere.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Urumqi?

Heavenly Lake of Tianshan – it is one of the most famous lakes in Urumqi. You certainly do not want to miss the opportunity to visit this lake while you are in Urumqi.

Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar – it is an Islamic bazaar in Urumqi. You can find many things here in the bazaar. It is a heavenly place for shoppers.

Xinjiang Museum – you can visit this museum to learn about Xinjiang and Urumqi history.