Ürümqi

Ürümqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China.

It is a massive urban center with a population of 4 million as of 2020. This size makes it the second-largest city in China's northwestern interior, following Xi'an. In the context of Central Asia, it is the second-largest city by population, trailing only Kabul, Afghanistan.

Today, the city functions as a vital regional transport node. It is also a major hub for commerce, politics, and culture.

The name "Ürümqi" has several possible origins. Scholar Herold J. Wiens suggests it comes from Oirat words meaning "beautiful pasture."

Another theory by Dai Matsui involves the Old Uyghur word "yürüng," meaning white or bright. This might combine with the Chinese element "chin." Matsui notes a Tang dynasty garrison called Baishuizhen existed near this area. This name might have evolved into the modern Ürümqi over many centuries. Documents from the 14th century support the existence of the name "Yürüng-chin."

History shows many different groups inhabited this land. In prehistory, nomadic Jushi people lived on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains. They are considered likely precursors to the Tocharian peoples. The oldest known settlement, Urabo, sat near the southern suburbs of the modern city. In 648 CE, the Tang government founded a town called Luntai. This town served as a seat of government for the Protectorate General to Pacify the West. It collected taxes from caravans traveling the northern Silk Road route. Later, the area was used by Uyghurs and Mongols. The Mongols called the wider area Bishbalik, meaning "five cities."

The Qing dynasty conquered the area in 1755 during their campaign against the Dzungar Khanate. Following this, the Qing expanded the settlement into a walled city between 1763 and 1767. They renamed the city Dihua, which means "to enlighten and civilize."

The city functioned as a twin-city during this era. One part, Gongning Cheng, was the administrative seat for Manchu bannermen. The other part, Dihua, became a commercial center for Han Chinese and Hui Muslims. By 1762, more than 500 shops had opened due to Chinese migration. This period saw the city grow into a sophisticated commercial and financial hub.

In 1954, the Chinese Communist Party officially restored the name Ürümqi. They believed the name Dihua was belittling and ethnically chauvinist. The city's importance grew further in 1962. Following protests in Yining, the government moved administrative and industrial focuses to Ürümqi. This shift was prompted by the Yi–Ta incident, where 60,000 citizens left for the Soviet Union. To connect the region to the east, the government began building a railway. This infrastructure reoriented Xinjiang toward China proper. In the late 1970s, the city benefited from the growth of the oil and gas industry.

Geographically, Ürümqi holds a unique record. It is the most remote city from any sea in the world.

It is also located near the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility. In 1992, experts designated a location in the southwestern suburbs as the "center point of Asia." A monument stands there today as a tourist attraction. The city sits at an average elevation of 884 meters. Its administrative area covers 4,173 square kilometers.

Water is a critical resource for this desert-surrounded city. Ürümqi is flanked by the Gurbantünggüt desert to the north and the Taklamakan to the south.

However, rivers from the Tianshan and Bogda Shan mountains provide a steady supply. These mountains contain nearly half of China's 20,000 glaciers. The Tianshan Glacier No. 1 is the largest glacier near a major Chinese city. Because of growing demand, the Irtysh–Ürümqi Canal was built in the early 21st century. This canal feeds a reservoir known as "Reservoir 500" to support the city and its industrial parks.