Urumqi · Visitor Guide
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar (新疆国际大巴扎, Xīnjiāng Guójì Dàbāzhā)
The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is a purpose-built Uyghur-style market complex in Urumqi's Erdaoqiao district, opened in 2003 with over 3,000 stalls selling dried fruit, carpets, knives, jade, and naan straight from tandoor ovens. It is tourist-priced and partly stage-managed, but the scale, the smell of roasting lamb, and the trilingual Chinese-Uyghur-English signage make it the most visually distinctive market in China — and the practical base for exploring the older, food-focused Erdaoqiao Market across the street.
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Is Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar worth visiting?
Free to enter and open all day, this 39,888 m² Uyghur market complex (about 100,000 m² of built floor space) is billed as the world's largest bazaar. Budget 2-3 hours, come after 4 PM, and skip the No.1 Sightseeing Tower unless you want the CNY 50 view.
Quick facts
| Ticket | Free to enter the bazaar grounds; No. 1 Sightseeing Tower CNY 50 (as of 2026) |
|---|---|
| Hours | Bazaar grounds open all day; shops 9:30-20:00; No.1 Sightseeing Tower 10:00-20:00 (as of 2026) |
| Recommended duration | 2-3 hours |
| Best time to visit | Late afternoon to evening, from 4 PM. The naan bakery and grills hit peak activity, the light is warmest for photos, and you can follow shopping with dinner across the street at Erdaoqiao Market. Avoid October 1-7 (National Day Golden Week), when domestic crowds and prices spike. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 1 to Erdaoqiao Station (二道桥站), a 3-minute walk east; or buses 10, 16, 21, 63, 912 to the Erdaoqiao stop. DiDi from the city center/Hongshan ~15-25 yuan; from Diwopu Airport ~50-80 yuan. |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Admission | Free entry; No.1 Sightseeing Tower CNY 50 |
| Hours | Grounds open 24h; shops 9:30-20:00; tower 10:00-20:00 |
| Size | 39,888 m² site, ~100,000 m² built floor area, 3,000+ stalls |
| Opened | 2003 |
| Nearest metro | Line 1, Erdaoqiao Station (二道桥站) |
| Time needed | 2-3 hours |
What to expect
Walk in free, any hour. The complex is a grid of arched Islamic-style buildings in turquoise and gold, holding 3,000-plus booths selling dried fruit by the kilo, hand-knotted wool carpets, Yengisar folding knives, jade, musical instruments, and stacks of fresh naan pulled from tandoor ovens near the main entrance at 3-5 yuan a disc. The No.1 Sightseeing Tower at the centre (CNY 50) gives a full panorama of the market and out over the city; the Banquet and Performance Theatre seats 1,000 for nightly Uyghur song-and-dance shows with kebab and polo on the table. Expect crowds, cumin in the air, and a mix of Mandarin and Uyghur echoing off the walls.
Built in 2003 to fold Erdaoqiao's older street markets into a single showpiece complex, the bazaar was designed as both a working market and a state-backed display of ethnic-unity tourism — the architecture quotes Central Asian and Islamic motifs, and the nightly performances are part commerce, part pageant. The claim of world's largest bazaar rests on its roughly 100,000 m² of built floor area (the site itself covers about 39,888 m²), and while that superlative holds on paper, the actual trading here is thinner and more souvenir-driven than what you will find in the older lanes of Kashgar. Its real significance is as the most accessible cross-section of Uyghur commercial culture for travelers who will not push deeper into southern Xinjiang.
It is tourist-priced — bargain hard on carpets and knives, and walk two minutes across the street to Erdaoqiao Market for cheaper samsa (3-5 yuan), better polo, and stalls aimed at local shoppers rather than visitors. Bring your passport: security scans at the entrance are routine in Urumqi, and you cannot take a purchased knife onto a flight or train (vendors will ship domestically for 30-80 yuan). Metro Line 1 and DiDi make it easy to reach, but shops shut at 20:00, so arrive by late afternoon if you want both browsing and dinner in one trip.
How to get there
Metro Line 1 is the simplest route: ride to Erdaoqiao Station (二道桥站) and walk about 150 m east to the bazaar entrance (3-4 yuan fare from the city center). Line 1 also links Diwopu International Airport and Urumqi Railway Station to the Erdaoqiao area. By bus, routes 10, 16, 21, 63, and 912 stop at Erdaoqiao, and routes 61, 70, 104, 301, 308, 310, 911, 920, and 923 stop at Heping South Road (和平南路) with the bazaar just to the west. A DiDi from Hongshan or the city center runs 15-25 yuan; from the airport (16 km north) expect 50-80 yuan and 30-40 minutes. Metered taxis start at 10 yuan for the first 3 km. Show your destination in Chinese (新疆国际大巴扎), since drivers rarely speak English.
Best photo spots
- The naan bakery near the main entrance — bakers sliding dough into the clay tandoor with long wooden paddles, golden discs coming out minutes later. Best 4-6 PM when production peaks.
- The top of the No.1 Sightseeing Tower (CNY 50) — a full overhead panorama of the turquoise roofs, arched walkways, and the Erdaoqiao district spreading south.
- The arched main gate and minaret-style towers at the southern entrance, framed against a sunset sky; the light is warmest from October to April.
- The carpet section shot from the second-floor walkway — rows of hanging Uyghur geometric rugs make a strong layered composition.
Tips
- Come after 4 PM. Shops shut at 20:00, but late afternoon is when the bakeries and grills are busiest and the light is best — then cross to Erdaoqiao Market for dinner.
- For carpets, ask shǒugōng de? (手工的?, hand-knotted?) and flip the rug over to count knots. Machine-made versions sit beside real ones, and a hand-knotted 1x2 m piece runs 1,500-4,000 yuan, not the 500 yuan a tout will quote.
- You cannot take Uyghur pichak knives on flights or trains. If you buy one, have the vendor ship it within China (30-80 yuan) and keep the shipping receipt.
- Sample dried fruit before buying and check for moisture — properly dried raisins, apricots, figs, and jujubes should be leathery, not sticky. Expect 30-80 yuan/kg and bargain on quantity.
- Keep your passport on you and budget time for the security scan at the entrance. Urumqi checks IDs more than any Chinese city outside Tibet, and the line moves slowly at peak hours.
Scams to avoid
- Carpet and jade overpricing is the main trap: opening prices for hand-knotted rugs and Hetian jade are routinely 2-4x the real value, and some jade is dyed quartz or plastic. Buy jade only with a certificate of authenticity and treat even that with skepticism; aim 30-50% below the asking price on carpets.
- Friendly touts offering free tea and a guided shop tour will steer you to commission stalls with inflated prices. Politely decline and walk on.
- Curbside taxi touts near the bazaar gates at night quote flat fares well above the metered rate. Use the DiDi app rather than a negotiator, and confirm the meter or in-app fare before getting in.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar free to enter?
Yes — walking the bazaar grounds costs nothing and they are open all day. The only paid element is the No.1 Sightseeing Tower at CNY 50 (as of 2026); the Banquet and Performance Theatre dinner shows are priced separately.
What are the opening hours?
The grounds are accessible 24 hours, but individual shops run 9:30-20:00 and the No.1 Sightseeing Tower 10:00-20:00 (as of 2026). For the full market experience arrive by late afternoon; many stalls close by 8 PM.
How do I get to the Grand Bazaar by metro?
Take Metro Line 1 to Erdaoqiao Station (二道桥站) and walk about 150 m east to the entrance — roughly a 3-minute walk. The fare is 3-4 yuan from the city center. Line 1 also connects the airport and Urumqi Railway Station to the Erdaoqiao area.
How much time should I spend at the Grand Bazaar?
Plan 2-3 hours for browsing, a naan and lamb-skewer snack, and the tower view if you want it. Add another hour if you cross the street to Erdaoqiao Market for dinner — most travelers combine the two.
Is it really the largest bazaar in the world?
By built floor area — about 100,000 m² across the complex on a 39,888 m² site — it is regularly cited as the largest. The trading itself is more tourist-oriented and thinner than the old markets of Kashgar, so largest is a construction-footprint claim, not a market-intensity one.
When was the Grand Bazaar built?
It opened in 2003, consolidating Erdaoqiao's older street markets into a single Uyghur-style complex. The design deliberately quotes Central Asian and Islamic architectural motifs.
What is worth buying here?
Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, figs, jujubes at 30-80 yuan/kg), hand-knotted Xinjiang wool carpets (1,500-4,000 yuan for a 1x2 m piece — verify hand-knotting), Yengisar knives (ship them, do not fly with them), and fresh naan (3-5 yuan). Sample before you buy and bargain on quantity.
Is the Grand Bazaar better than Erdaoqiao Market across the street?
For different things. The Grand Bazaar is bigger, more photogenic, and better for souvenirs; Erdaoqiao is older, cheaper, and better for food — samsa (3-5 yuan), polo, and lamb skewers from tandoor and charcoal stalls aimed at locals. Do both in one trip.
Is the No.1 Sightseeing Tower worth the CNY 50?
For a first visit, yes — it is the only place to see the whole complex from above, and the second-floor bar has a panorama out over Erdaoqiao. Skip it if you are short on time or budget; the market itself is the main event.
Do I need my passport, and is it safe?
Yes, carry your passport — entrance security checks are routine in Urumqi and you may be asked for ID. Violent crime against tourists is extremely rare; the main hassle is touts and overpricing, not physical danger. Do not photograph police or security personnel.
Read next
Other things to do in Urumqi
Heavenly Lake Tianchi
Alpine lake at 1,980 m in the Tianshan Mountains, 110 km from Urumqi. Kazakh yurt stays. ¥125 entry. Half-day boat or full-day hike. Best June–September.
Heavenly Lake of Tianshan
Alpine moraine lake at 1,980 m on the north slope of Bogda Peak (5,445 m), 110 km east of Urumqi. Plan a full day — 2 hours each way by road plus 4–6 hours at the lake; entry is ¥125 plus a mandatory ¥90 shuttle (as of 2026).
Xinjiang Regional Museum
The Xinjiang Regional Museum in Urumqi holds the 3,800-year-old Tarim mummies — the Beauty of Loulan and the Beauty of Xiaohe — alongside Silk Road textiles, Tang silk, Persian glass, and Uyghur cultural exhibits. Free with passport; allow 2–3 hours; closed Mondays.
Museums in Urumqi
Xinjiang Regional Museum
Home of the Tarim mummies — 3,800-year-old naturally preserved bodies with European-like features — and the richest Silk Road artifact collection north of Dunhuang. Free.
Xinjiang Silk Road Museum
Silk Road crossroads: Tarim mummies (3,800-year-old Caucasoid bodies preserved in desert sand), Sogdian letters, Buddhist cave art, and Uyghur textiles — all in central Urumqi. Free.
Xinjiang Regional Museum
Home of the Tarim mummies — 3,800-year-old naturally preserved bodies — and the richest Silk Road artifact collection north of Dunhuang. Free.