The most famous sights
Ancient Ruins
The most famous thing about the city is an archeological find, mummies from the ancient Tocharian civilisation. These are about 4000 years old with Caucasian features. One man is about two meters, a woman near 180cm. The best place to see them, however, in the museum in Urumqi.
Zaghunluq Ancient Mummy Tomb
Fourteen 2,600-year-old famous Indo-European Tarim mummies still lying in their original.
Museum
A Uyghur architectural gem of a warlord's home containing a display of ancient Zaghunluq grave artifacts and a collection more recent farm and household items.
Kunlun Square
A large town square.
Ancinet Ruins
Two small nearby ancient ruins, including Lalulik.
Sights farther afield
There are several sights farther afield, four in the cool, high mountains that rim the Taklamakan Desert to the south and a fifth deep inside that desert.
Molcha River Rock Carvings
Collection of thousands of petroglyphs along a riverside cliff face, depict ancient life, with pastoral scenes, spiritual belief, animals, dancing and battles dating to the Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Wildlife Park
Enormous, verdant grasslands area, to see the endangered Tibetan antelope and a wide range of other wildlife.
Hunting Park
Tatleksu Jade Mine
Visitors can tour and, afterward, try their luck hunting for jade in the nearby river.
Tazhong Oil Field
Xinjiang's vast oil reserves in the center of the Taklamakan Desert can be toured by visitors.