Urumqi

Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is the largest city in Western China. It also holds the record for the remotest major city in the world 2,500 km (1,400 mi) from the nearest sea.

It is a booming modern industrial city, its spectacular growth fueled by mining and oil revenues. Although located on the Silk Road, it has only really emerged in the last 200 years.