Hami travel guide

Hami is an important gateway to Xinjiang.

Hami is the first stop in Xinjiang on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway. If you have enough time, consider starting your eastern Xinjiang journey here.

The long-distance bus station is located at the junction of Guangchang North Road and Jianguo Road. Buses leave from here every day, heading east to Dunhuang and west to Turpan and farther destinations. Bus routes 3, 5, 8, 11, 12 and 17 serve the station.

The urban area is very small. Taxi flagfall is ¥7 for the first 3 km; beyond 3 km the fare is ¥1.4 per km by day and ¥1.96 per km at night. Taxis at the long-distance bus station and railway station tout for trips to the various scenic spots.

Stepping into the courtyard of a Uyghur family, you'll see tall poplar trees, heaps of grapevines and lovely young Uyghur girls, along with handicrafts such as embroidered pillowcases, folk paper-cuts and traditional musical instruments, all glowing in the bright sunshine. Everything feels fresh and new.

Hami melons are named after the Qing emperors, who were fond of this sweet melon. When they asked their attendants what it was called, the attendants only knew it was tribute from the King of Hami, so it became known as the Hami melon. In fact, many parts of Xinjiang grow Hami melons, and the finest ones come from Dongxiang district in Shanshan, Turpan. Unless you are a true gourmet, however, it is hard for outsiders to tell the difference between melons from different places. Because Hami melons keep well, locals store some in cellars when they ripen in summer, so that the sweet melons can be enjoyed all year round.

There are many types of Hami melon, and the finest is the Golden Empress (金皇后). Among early-ripening melons, the Red-Heart Crisp (红心脆) is the best, while among late-ripening ones the Black Eyebrow (黑眉毛) is the favourite. The Hami melons grown locally in Nanhu are very authentic.

Besides Hami melons, the region is especially famous for Hami jujubes, Hami barley, cotton, grapes, piyazi (onion), white-skinned garlic, and more.

Hami's local snacks come in a wide variety: cold beef salad, hot lamb hooves, cured lamb bones, spicy-numbing chicken, youxiang (fried pastry), fentang (starch-noodle soup), lamb tenderloin, cold-skin noodles, and more. During Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, nearly every Hui household in Hami makes fentang and youxiang. When guests and relatives come to pay New Year visits, they are served fentang and youxiang. Fentang is the dish in which Hui women show off their skills most, and whoever makes the best fentang takes great pride in it. Hami-style Hui fentang is slightly sour and mildly spicy, suiting northern palates. Youxiang is a must-have at Hui festivals and celebrations; its surface is golden and glossy, and it tastes richly fragrant with oil.

There are not many places in Hami's urban area worth lingering over, so keep overnight stays to a minimum. For example, you can take a direct bus from Barkol to Turpan. Spend at most one night in Hami city, so your accommodation arrangements can be flexible.

Hami's folk embroidery is very famous. Local Uyghur and Kazakh girls must hand-embroider a full trousseau before they marry, which turned embroidery into an everyday craft. Exquisite embroidery can be seen on local women's flower caps, garment hems, hanging pouches, flower felt rugs, and shoulder bags, and at markets you can buy a wide range of embroidered goods full of ethnic character.