Hami Travel

Hami is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Located in the east of Xinjiang, it is the main road from Xinjiang to mainland China. It has been the throat of the Silk Road since ancient times and known as the Throat of the Western Region and the Gateway of Xinjiang. It is adjacent to Jiuquan City of Gansu Province in the east, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in the south, Turpan City and Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in the west and Mongolia in the north. There is a national first class seasonal open port - Laoyemiao Port, which is one of the important open ports for the development of border trade between Xinjiang and Mongolia. Hami has a total area of 142,100 square kilometers and a population of 673,383. Hami is a multi-ethnic city with a total of 39 ethnic groups including Han, Uygur, Kazak, Hui, Mongolian, Manchu and so on.

In prehistoric times, a large number of grinding stone tools found in Sandaoling and Qiangjing can prove that the ancestors of Hami people had lived and multiplied here in the primitive society of Neolithic Age 7,000 years ago. Since the 20th century BC, a variety of peoples have lived on this oasis.

The Tianshan Mountain range runs across Hami, dividing the city into the south and the north. In the north of the mountain, forests, grasslands, snow capped mountains and glaciers are integrated. In the south of the mountain, Hami Basin is an oasis on the alluvial plain surrounded by the majestic Gobi desert. Hami is known as the Epitome of Xinjiang because of its unique landform across the Tianshan Mountains. 

● What to do & where to go in Hami

The main natural landscapes are: Tianshan Scenic Area, national 3A(third level) tourist scenic spot, Yaldang Scenic Area, also known as Wubao Devil City, national 3A(third level) tourist scenic spot and so on.  

Historical sites and cultural landscapes include: Hami Royal Mausoleum, Lafukeke Ancient City, Dahe Tang City, Baiyanggou Buddhist Temple Site, Wubao Ancient Tomb Complex, Hami Hui Royal Mansion, national 3A(third level) tourist scenic spot, Yishui Garden, national 3A(third level) tourist spot, etc.

● What to eat in Hami

Hami melon, kebabs, spicy goat hoof, goat chops pancake, Naan - crispy cake, bone soup hotpot, pilaf stuffed bun, boiled mutton, pea noodles, cold noodles, steamed pork with rice flour and so on.

● Transportation

Railway: Hami Railway Station is the first station heading west into Xinjiang from mainland China. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway runs through Hami, connecting it with Turpan, Urumqi, Changji and Shihezi, improving the way of transportation in and out of Hami. At present, Hami Railway Station can directly reach Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Jinan, Lanzhou and other major cities in China’s inland.

Highway: At the end of 2019, the total highway length was 8,056.6 kilometers, including 6,055.6 kilometers of grade highways and 582.9 kilometers of expressways. Hami City transit highway is mainly the national highway 312 and Lianhuo expressway. It is 412km to Turpan City and 597km to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang.

Airport: Hami Yizhou Airport is 12km to the west of Hami city center. There are flights to Korla, Shihezi, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, and Xian.

● Climate

Hami City is a typical temperate continental dry climate, dry with little rain, more sunny days. The average annual temperature is 9.8 degrees, the annual precipitation is 33.8 mm, the annual evaporation is 3,300 mm, the annual sunshine is 3,358 hours and the frost free period is 182 days. Spring is windy and changeable, summer is hot and evaporation is strong, autumn is sunny and cooling rapidly, winter is cold and the low air layer is stable. The extreme maximum temperature is 43℃, the extreme minimum temperature is -32℃, and the average frost free period is 182 days. The air is dry, the atmosphere is transparent, the cloud cover is less and the light energy resources are rich. It is one of the regions with superior light energy resources in the country and the sunshine is sufficient. The annual sunshine hours are 3,300 to 3,500 hours which is one of the regions with the most sunshine hours in the country.