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(By expert Diamuid)Not knowing the city before, I really didn't know what to expect. Once out of the airport, Ürümqi seemed like a Russian town to me. The streets were much wider than the other cities I had seen whilst travelling in China. Some of them were tree lined and I have to say they were some of the most peculiar trees I have ever seen - I wonder if they could ever grow in Britain ?
Looking more closley at the town there were some quite grand buildings, but to a British person such as myself, who cherishes all things old, it was sad that there were so few old buildings to see.
However, on the outskirts of Ürümqi lay a much more ancient place; the desert city of Gaochang. After a two hours out drive out of Ürümqi city centre we arrived in an alien landscape - barren desert unique to the area of the legendary Silk Road. What made the trip for us was a hilarious ride by donkey cart to the main monuments. It was so fast we thought we were going to fall off !
I started by mentioning food, and in this part of China it seems very important indeed. There was plenty of lamb which was good as it is my favourite meat! Spicy and soupy, none of the wonderful sauces were missed as there were often dumplings to sop up any leftovers. Potatoes often featured which I had never experienced in Chinese food before. It just shows how varied food in China can be. I wonder who will publish the first ever Ürümqi cookery book - Im looking forward to it.
Thanks to our hosts tianshannet.com, Xinjiang Normal University and the Xinjiang Medical University where our seminars played to capacity crowds.
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