Walking Tour of Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar - Ürümqi, China | 4K ASMR

Here we are in Ürümqi, one of the most unique and culturally diverse cities I can say I have visited, let alone lived in! I have been playing in the Chinese Basketball League (WCBA), and due to our busy schedule I had a total of one day off... so come enjoy it with me exploring the beautiful city at the Grand Bazaar... "A Window to the Silk Road"! I have tried to jam pack a lot of information into this description about the city/region below as I found it all very interesting... so bear with me... and enjoy the wealth of culture :) Ürümqi is the capital city of the Xinjiang region in far northwest China. This region is one of the biggest in China- covering around 1.66 million km². To put that into perspective, it is approx three times the size of France! While also bordering eight different countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Because of this unique geography, Xinjiang is home to many ethnic groups, including Uyghur, Han Chinese, Kazakh, Hui, and Kyrgyz communities, each with their own traditions, languages, and foods. And has historically been a crossroads connecting China to the rest of the world via the well-known Silk Road. ("4,000-mile network of interconnected land and sea trade routes active from the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century, linking China with the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Europe. It allowed for the exchange of silk, spices, technologies, and ideas, profoundly influencing cultural and economic development between the East and West") Ürümqi is also one of the most inland major cities on Earth, sitting over 2,500 km from the nearest ocean (the Pacific). The city is surrounded by the Tian Shan mountains and the Junggar Basin desert. With around 4 million people, it is considered a mid-sized city in China, though it is the largest city in the Xinjiang region. So funny because a 4 million population city here in Australia is classified as one of the large ones. Sydney being the largest at 5.56 million. Shanghai in China is the largest at 24 million, and then Beijing at 21 million This walking tour takes place in the city’s Grand Bazaar, widely known as the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar and the largest bazaar in the world by scale. It opened in 2003 and was designed to reflect traditional Central Asian and Islamic architecture. As you walk through, you’ll see domes, arches, patterned tiles, and a tall minaret-style tower, architectural influences from Uyghur and Central Asian culture rather than the styles more commonly seen in eastern China. The market is filled with local goods and food influenced by Central Asia, including lamb skewers naan bread, dried fruits, spices, and handmade crafts. As you will see in the walking tour! Ürümqi is especially known for some of the best lamb skewers and Central Asian cuisine in China. Towards the end of the video you'll see I stumbled across a plaza where locals were dancing in traditional Uyghur style, a really special moment to witness. So naturally the video came to an end as I kindly got pulled into the middle to dance yay. What a great day. Thanks for walking with me You can subscribe to this channel to see more walking tours:    / @teerosecitytonature   Social Media: Instagram-   / teerosephotos   Facebook -   / teerosephotos   Website - https://www.teerosephotos.com (Do not copy, reproduce, or distribute any of the content)