Urumqi

We reached Urumqi 2 and a half days after leaving Guangzhou. 

Daan's friend picked us up at the train station.

We stayed 1 night there.

View from the hotel room

Xinjiang is a multi-ethnic province, to name a few, there are Uyghurs, Khazakhs, Mongols, Russians, Tatars and Han people.
Daan's friends brought us to an Uyghur restaurant for lunch.

At a Uyghur restaurant.

Uyghur musicians.

饺子(dumplings) and 拌面（dry handmade noodles mixed with meat and vegetables). Daan's favourites!

凉皮 (noodles). I was told women like to eat 凉皮 because it's good for their skin.

Make a guess: did I put powdered sugar or cubed sugar in my tea? :)

 After lunch, we went to hunt for a 旗袍 （cheongsam) for me to wear at our Chinese wedding ceremony.

A short cheongsam we saw at a bridal salon. No, I didn't get this one.

The first of many many watermelons we ate in Xinjiang.

FOr dinner, Daan's friends brought us to a Khazakh restaurant, where there were ethnic dance performances.
Despite the mix of many different ethnic groups, each group's culture remains very strong. 

Mongolian horse dance

Khazakh eagle dance