The first surprise in Ürümqi was the snow. I had thought of Xinjiang as a desert, but in the winter it’s cold and snowy. It was 10ºF (-12ºC) when I arrived.
Note the English, Chinese, and Arabic script on the sign. Because of the uneasiness around potential Uyghur violence, there were metal detectors throughout the city, including my hotel.
The reception desk opened out to a mall which, like millions of other places in China, was mostly empty and covered with “luxury brand opening soon” signs.
The snow-dusted street below as seen from my hotel room. (It started snowing again overnight.) 
Western hotel chain, Western comfort.
