Chinese Name: 克拉玛依市 (kè lā mǎ yī shì)
Population: 330,000
Area: 9,500 square kilometers (3,668 square miles)
Nationalities: Han, Uygur
Administrative Division: 4 districts (Karamay, Dushanzi, Baijiantan, Urho)
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0990-6888861, 6623009
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184
Location: Karamay is situated in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at the edge of the Junggar Basin. The Tianshan Mountains zigzag south of Karamay, and the road mileage between Karamay and Urumqi is 313 kilometers (194 miles).
History: Karamay is Uygur word meaning 'black oil'. It gained this name for the Black Oil Mountain near the city proper. After the first oil well of the mountain began to work in 1955, Karamay entered a great era of exploitation and construction.
Physical Features: The terrain of Karamay is long and narrow, higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast. Generally speaking, its western and northern territories are occupied by mountains, while its central and eastern parts are vast open flat spaces.
Climate: Karamay has a typical continental climate characterized by a lack of rain and quite windy spring and autumn. Winter is extremely cold and summer is roasting, generating a large temperature difference between these two seasons. Comparatively, its spring and autumn are short during a year.
When to Go: spring and autumn
Special Local product: embellished cap, woolen carpet
Attractions:
Baiyanghe Gorge: 17 kilometers (11 miles) west of Urho District, the gorge is located in the spectacular section along the Baiyang River where the diversiform-leaved poplar forests flourish in the river valleys.
Devil City: Also called 'Urho Wind City', the devil city is situated 110 kilometers (68 miles) northeast of Karamay, covering ten square kilometers of stunning Ya-dang landscape. When it is windy in spring and autumn, the rock formations blow like whistles, hence its name, the Devil City.
Travel Tips:
Karamay Airport is 17 kilometers (11 miles) from downtown Karamay. At present, only one daily flight leaves for Urumqi in the morning for an hour's journey. If traveling to Urumqi from the bus station of Karamay, a ten hours' drive may be needed.
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Travelers' Voices on Karamay City
1.
Oct. 8,2009 17:29 Reply
Mr.scurfield(Australia) said:
I was an English teacher there for one year, and I came to love that little city in the desert. The people, Uygur and Chinese were very friendly and I was often invited home to meet other members of the family.
There were many places to go to, but you would have to travel for a fair way, as we were in a desert environment. It is a fascinating look at living in the Midde
East and China at the same time. You would walk down one street and you could be in Arabia, then another street and it was China again.
The fountain display was amazing! we would sit outside at night and watch the lights and listen to the music, western classic mostly, very beautiful. A very clean city despite the hundreds of oil wells in the desert, which you couldn't see from the city.
It was a true city of harmony, with Uygur and Chinese living alongside each other.
Sure there would be some people who would complain about the Chinese being in their city, but they were the sort of people who would never be happy.
2.
Jun. 3,2009 01:56 Reply
Ms.Sharon(CN) said:
Do you know what ‘karamay’ means in Uigur? Haw-haw, it means ‘black oil’. It got the name for a natural asphaltum hill located on the eastern corner of the downtown. This hill is named Qingyou Mountain. Karamay boasts plenty of oil. On October 29, 1955, the No.1 Oil Well in Karamay started to deliver oil.