The Belt and Road News Network

In Urumqi, the world is just one shopping trip away

By Wang Xiaoping, Michael Kurtagh, Xu Jingwen, Wang Yuheng
10:47, August 14, 2026 People's Daily Online

Here in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the world is just a shopping trip away.

From Korean face masks and Italian olive oil to Indonesian coffee, Indian incense, Russian vodka, African drums — and even potato chips from the US.

Different countries, different flavors, all in one city.