Kumul

Kumul combines urban history with unusual cultural attractions: in converted grain warehouses, on a former industrial site and in a historic cultural park, you can encounter different sides of the city. There is also a national first-class museum and the protected “Left Gong Willows” on the Hami River. If you’re planning a trip focused on culture and varied experiences, you’ll find several very different points of interest here.

City history through exhibitions and cultural attractions

At Hami Old City Granaries and Walls Culture Park, three old grain warehouses have been converted into exhibition spaces. These include the historical exhibition “Impressions of the Old City,” an exhibition hall presenting one district and two counties as tourist destinations, and the special exhibition “Millennial Courier Route—Hami Ancient Post Station.” Digital interactive experiences add to the visitor experience. The old warehouses and varied exhibition themes give the visit a different focus from a traditional museum tour: the history of the old city, regional presentations and the ancient post station are brought together here.

Hami Museum is a national first-class museum. It belongs to the Hami City Wenbo Institute, a 4A-rated attraction at the intersection of Huancheng Road and Bayi South Road. If you enjoy combining museum visits with urban history, you can include this site alongside Kumul’s other cultural attractions in your plans.

Traces of Zuo Zongtang and protected willows

Left Gong Cultural Court focuses on the history of Zuo Zongtang. There, you can learn about his efforts to reclaim Xinjiang and safeguard China’s unity and territorial integrity. Visitors can use AR navigation and VR tours to explore the history and culture on display. Hami Zuo Zongtang Phoenix Terrace Historical Culture Park is also home to a 27-meter-tall Tower of Heavenly and Earthly Righteousness.

The “Left Gong Willows” on the banks of the Hami River, east of Left Gong Cultural Court, offer a different perspective on this part of the city. There are 218 protected “Left Gong Willows” there; they have been marked with protection plaques since 1995. When planning your trip, you can consider cultural history and a visit to the riverbank as distinct interests, without suggesting that they offer the same experience.

From former industrial site to cultural park

Hami Cultural and Creative Park is located on a former industrial site and is an urban cultural and tourism park. Its attractions include a Stone Culture City and a Melon Food City, as well as a railway-themed park and factory relics. There are also creative cultural offerings, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, climbing and team-building activities, children’s entertainment, and sports and fitness facilities. For families who want to include different interests in their trip, this mix offers a specific point of reference: it ranges from culture and former industry to exercise and children’s entertainment.

Visitors can also explore a stone museum in the park. The former in-house railway of the soda plant has also been converted into the old “Hami Station” railway station; tour groups stop there to take photos. If you’re choosing a holiday apartment with cultural attractions and exhibitions as your main focus, the museums and parks described here can help guide your travel plans.

Getting there and planning your trip

Hami Yizhou Airport (IATA: HMI, ICAO: ZWHM) is 12 kilometers west of Hami city center. It is connected to the city center via G312, Yingbin Avenue and Jianshe Road, as well as by bus. Kumul is also an important hub city on the Silk Road Economic Belt. When planning your trip, you can weigh these travel details alongside which cultural and recreational attractions you want to focus on.

More destinations

Also discover Bortala, Tacheng, Changji, Altay, Aksu, Karamay, Kashgar and Ili.

For the overview of the wider region: Xinjiang.