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Xinjiang Regional Museum

Situated in Xibei Rd, in Urumqi City, the Xinjiang Regional Museum is a large integrated museum and centre for the collection and study of cultural relics discovered in the region.

Built in 1953, it has an exhibition hall that covers an area of about 7,800 square meters (approx. 9,328 square yards). The building is in a Uigur style, the internal decor having strong ethnic features.

In total there are over 50,000 items in the collection. These not only represent the ethnic lifestyle and humanity of the region but also illustrate its revolutionary spirit. With such an abundance of items on display, the exhibition is widely acknowledged for its comprehensive and informative nature both at home and abroad.

Folk Customs Exhibitions

The exhibition relating to folk customs includes costumes, tools and every day necessities. Together they vividly illustrate for us the dress, lifestyle, religion, marriage customs, festivals and other aspects of the colorful life of the 12 minorities that live in Xinjiang.

Historical Relics

The historical relics include carpentries, ironwares, bronze wares, bright and beautiful brocades, tomb figures, pottery, coins, rubbings from stone inscriptions, and writings as well as weapons and so on. These give an insight into the past and show how the society of Xinjiang developed. There is even the fossil of a human head that dates back some 10,000 years.

Ancient Corposes

The display of ancient corpses is fantastic, for it was in this region that a great number of ancient and well preserved remains were discovered. These are quite different from the mummies in Egypt that were created by skilled embalming procedures; the corpses here were dried by the particular natural environment. In all there are twenty-one specimens in the collection and include men, women, lovers, and generals. The 'Loulan beauty' is among the best preserved and famous ones. The 'Loulan beauty' has a reddish brown skin, thick eyelashes, charming large eyes, and long hair. This particular 'charming' corpse has survived for an estimated 4,000 years.

Corpse mummification displayed in the museum

Ancient dried corpse

Tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty in the museum

Tri-colored glazed pottery of Tang Dynasty

A visit to the museum need not be dictated by the seasons. You can come here whenever to see the amazing human remains and all the other precious relics, and so learn more about the brilliant civilization that flourished in the region.

How to get to Xinjiang Regional Museum

Take bus 7, 51, 68, 303, 305, 311, 518, 532, 906, 910, 912, 928, 5201, BRT4 to Bowuguan (Xinjiang Regional Museum).

Admission Fee:	Free
Opening Hours:	Tuesday to Sunday: Apr. 15 - Oct. 15: 10:00 - 18:00 Oct. 16 - Apr. 14: 10:30 - 18:00 Note: No entry after 17:00.

Tips:
1. The museum accepts 2,000 visitors a day, five times with 400 visitors each. Ticket issuing time is 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 16:00 from Apr. 15 - Oct. 15, and 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 15:00, and 16:00 from Oct. 16 - Apr. 14.

2. The site is closed on Monday (postponed when meeting a legal national holiday), on the New Year's Eve, the first and second days of the lunar new year.

You may like: Top 10 Things to Do in Urumqi

- Last updated on Dec. 10, 2023 -

Questions & Answers on Xinjiang Regional Museum

Asked by Christine Woo from SINGAPORE | Dec. 09, 2023 19:37

After Covid, what are the current and latest opening days and hours of Xinjiang Regional Museum

After Covid, what are the current and latest opening days and hours of Xinjiang Regional Museum
and in particular the section housing the mummies.

Answers (1)

Answered by Dorothy | Dec. 10, 2023 22:53

It opens between 10:30-18:00 ( no entry after 17:30), closed on Mondays (except for holidays)

Asked by A. P. from SWEDEN | Sep. 03, 2015 03:20

Regarding museum's opening days

Hi, there are conflicting infos on the web regarding the opening days of the mummies hall. I 'll be staying in Urumqi next week for only 2 days, therefore i'll have only one chance to visit the museum.
Please help. Thanks in advance

Answers (1)

Answered by Kate from USA | Sep. 05, 2015 22:03

They are not conflicting. All the exibition halls in the museum are open from Tuseday to Sunday and closed on Monday except the mummies hall, which is closed on Monday, Tuseday and Sunday, open in Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Asked by Maree Millar from AUSTRALIA | Aug. 12, 2015 02:07

Urumqi's Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Museum - opening hours and days

I will be visiting the city on the afternoon of Thursday 8 October and the morning of Friday 9 October 2015 and am very keen to see the mummies. I've read elsewhere that the closing times are extended to 7 pm on some days throughout the summer. Can you please confirm. Thanks.

Answers (1)

Answered by Linda | Aug. 15, 2015 03:39

Sorry, I haven't heard about the extension of closing time before.
According to the official website, the museum will be open from 10:00 to 18:00 on October 7th and 8th; and the last entry will be at 16:30.
October 7th is still within the so-called Golden Week and the closing time may be extended. But it is not known yet.

Asked by Gina from UNITED KINGDOM | Aug. 02, 2015 03:01

English Literature at Xinjiang Regional Museum?

Hey, I was wondering if at the museum the information given about artifacts, i.e. info cards next to the exhibits, are in multiply languages or just in Chinese??

Answers (1)

Answered by Jeremy from INDIA | Aug. 02, 2015 20:10

Oh, of course. Beside the exhibits, there are boards for the interpretation in Uyghur, Chinese and English. So you will find no trouble to visit.