Urumqi

History

How the city came to be

Urumqi's history can be traced back to the Neolithic Age; in the Western Han period, more than ten nomadic tribes were distributed in and around the area, historically called the "land of thirteen states," and the Protectorate of the Western Regions once sent troops to farm here. During the Three Kingdoms period, the Later Cheshi Kingdom built Yulai City in what is now the southern suburbs of Urumqi (around the present Ulabo Reservoir), the first city of Urumqi. In the Tang dynasty, Tingzhou was established at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains in 640, and the area of present-day Urumqi was Luntai County; in 648, Luntai City was established about 10 kilometers south of the present city center; in 702, the Beiting Protectorate was established in Tingzhou, and the Luntai garrison increased. After the Qing dynasty pacified the Junggar, from 1755 troops were stationed in Xinjiang and large-scale development began, building the city of Urumqi; in June of the twenty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign (1763), the Qianlong Emperor bestowed the name Dihua on the city of Urumqi, with "Dihua" explained as "enlightening and civilizing" or as "enlightening and opening," both explanations coexisting. In 1884, Xinjiang Province was established, with Dihua City as the provincial capital, from then on the political center of all of Xinjiang. In 1945, Dihua City was established from the urban area of Dihua County. On November 20, 1953, the State Council approved renaming Dihua City as Urumqi City, and the renaming formally took effect on February 1, 1954. In 1955, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established, and Urumqi became its capital.

1. Three Kingdoms periodthe Later Cheshi Kingdom built Yulai City, the first city of Urumqi.
2. 640the Tang dynasty established Tingzhou; the present area was Luntai County.
3. 648Luntai City established.
4. 702the Beiting Protectorate established in Tingzhou.
5. 1755the Qing dynasty stationed troops in Xinjiang and began large-scale development, building the city of Urumqi.
6. 1763the Qianlong Emperor bestowed the name Dihua on the city.
7. 1884Xinjiang Province established, with Dihua as the provincial capital.
8. 1945Dihua City established.
9. February 1, 1954formally renamed Urumqi City.
10. 1955the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region established, with Urumqi as its capital.
11. 2003the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar completed and opened for business.
12. September 2011Urumqi Bus Rapid Transit formally launched.
13. June 28, 2019Urumqi Metro Line 1 fully opened.

Stories

Stories of the city