Urumqi

Urumqi (Wulumuqi in Chinese) is the capital of the province of Xinjiang in the west of China. The city has slightly over 2 million inhabitants and is clean and well organised, with relatively clean air and blue skies (compared to other cities in China). It's a relatively modern city, with very little old architecture, but it has its own character and flair, being essentially a mix of a modern Chinese town and a Central Asian metropolis. Urumqi is the gateway to Xinjiang for all those arriving by plane.