Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar

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Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is Islamic architectural style Bazaar, was built in 2003. It was built Muslim Style combined with distinctive Uyghur style. The Grand Bazaar consists of No.1 Sighting-Seeing Tower, Erdaoqiao Mosque, Banquet-Performance Grand Theatre, Merry Square and Sunny Walking Street.

The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar (simplified Chinese: 新疆国际大巴扎; traditional Chinese: 新疆國際大巴扎; pinyin: Xīnjiāng Guójì Dàbāzhā; Uyghur: شىنجاڭ خەلقئارا چوڭ بازىرى, Шинҗаң Хелқ'ара Чоң Базири‎, ULY: Shinjang Xelq'ara Chong Baziri), also known as International Grand Bazaar Xinjiang, is an Islamic bazaar in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. It is the largest bazaar in the world by scale, combining Islamic culture, architecture, ethnic commerce, tourism and entertainment. It is also one of the most famous landmarks in Ürümqi, and in Xinjiang.

Overview

Lonely Planet describes it as "no better than a Chinese tourist trap these days", while Sunday Market in Kashgar is "surely one of the most mind-boggling bazaars in Asia, and not to be missed."  Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History at Georgetown University, James A. Millward wrote that foreigners often mistakenly think that Urumqi was originally a Uyghur city and that the Chinese destroyed its Uyghur character and culture, however, Urumqi was founded as a Chinese city by Han and Hui (Tungans), and it is the Uyghurs who are new to the city.

The construction of the bazaar was completed in late 2002; it was opened to public on 26 June 2003, located near Erdaoqiao at South Jiefang Road (Chinese: 解放南路). The buildings and area within are constructed in an Islamic style representative of the preponderant religion and ethnic culture of the western region in China. The Bazaar is owned by Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar Co. Ltd. (Chinese: 新疆国际大巴扎有限公司).

Combined with cultures of Xinjiang ethnic minorities (e.g. Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui), architecture in the bazaar were styled Islamic with its techniques of grinded-brick-to-gap and modern facings, facilitating modern architectural functions and reflecting contemporary spirits. The bazaar reproduces the commercial prosperity of the Silk Road and embodies the ethnic characteristics and regional cultures.

The International Grand Bazaar occupies an area of 4,000 m², and has an 80-metre sightseeing tower, an open mosque, an opera theatre and a food court.

The Grand Bazaar area is open all day, and the store’s opening hours are generally around 9:30-22:00.

In the Banquet-Performance Grand Theatre of the International Grand Bazaar, tourist can enjoy Uyghur show while tasting variety delicious Uyghur Food. It is one of the best place for tourist to try different types of Uyghur and Central Asian food in Urumqi. Banquet-Performance Grand Theatre can accommodate up to 1000 people at a time.

Erdaoqiao Market located next to International Grand Bazaar before the Nationalities Street. This market is one of the oldest markets in Urumqi which offer all different type of ethnic products from different parts of Xinjiang in Urumqi. The place itself named after the Erdaoqiao Market.

Nationalities Street is the newly built biggest scale combination of 15 cities culture, character, style, beverage, and special goods cultural street.

Now these three markets are culture melting centre for Uyghurs and other ethnic groups who come from other part of Xinjiang to Urumqi in order to better fulfil their future dreams.

These markets offer more the 2,000 products which is gathered from individual families till small factories from individual cities of Xinjiang. Goods which these markets offer are; ethnic clothes, ethnic hats, ethnic knives, ethnic ornaments, ethnic handicrafts, ethnic music instruments, variety of fresh or dried fruits, traditional Uyghur Medicines, Uyghur carpets, textiles and est. Now it is the main distribution centre for handicrafts after the Sunday Market in Kashgar and Hotan.

These three markets stands side by side and gives glimpse to the tourist who can’t visit other part of Xinjiang due to time strain of their visit. Now these three markets represent itself as the window to the visitor in order to better understand Xinjiang.