Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar

Background

The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is in the Erdaoqiao area of South Jiefang Road, Tianshan District, Urumqi. Opened in 2003, it is one of the best-known landmarks of Urumqi and of Xinjiang, and is often described as the largest bazaar in the world by scale. "Bazaar" means market. The buildings combine cultural elements of the Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui and other peoples, using Islamic building techniques such as finely ground, tightly fitted brickwork together with modern facings, and are meant to evoke the commercial prosperity of the Silk Road. The bazaar has an 80-metre observation tower, a mosque, a dinner-and-dance theatre and a food court. More than 3,000 stalls sell ethnic clothing, musical instruments, pottery, jewellery, dried and fresh fruit and carpets; the food court gathers Xinjiang flavours such as kebabs, hand-eaten pilaf and naan, and the theatre stages song-and-dance shows every evening.

Local customs

• Go up the observation tower for a panorama of the bazaar and the city
• browse the stalls for ethnic clothing, musical instruments and dried fruit
• try kebabs, pilaf and naan in the food court
• and in the evening watch a song-and-dance show over dinner in the theatre.

Travel tips

• The bazaar area is open all day, with most shops open from morning to evening, as posted on site
• in summer bring sun protection and drinking water
• tickets for the observation tower and theatre are as officially announced.
• The bazaar is in the Erdaoqiao shopping district in central Urumqi and can be reached directly by bus or taxi
• it is also easy to get to after taking a car into the city from Diwopu Airport. You can visit year-round: summer and autumn bring the most melons and fruit, while in winter the indoor market and food court are just as lively.