Shihezi is a sub-prefecture-level city, Muslim Inhabited area of China . It is located in the north of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and to the west of Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang.
The city is located in a temperate zone with a dry continental climate, high temperatures of 35.8°C in the summer and lows of –20.8°C in the winter.
Shihezi is rich in mineral resources – especially in surrounding areas under the jurisdiction of the city. Coal, natural gas and limestone deposits can be found here.
Transportation in Shihezi revolves largely around highways and the railways. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, China National Highway 312 and Urumqi-Kuitun Expressway run through the city. Shihezi Airport is currently under construction.
Education :
Shihezi University is located in Shihezi. It is the 2nd largest university in Xinjiang, with approximately 41,000 students including more than 450 Foreign students from all over the world.
Economic Features :
In 2011, Shihezi’s GDP totaled RMB 24.33 billion – a growth of 15.3% from the year before. It accounted for 3.7% of Xinjiang’s total.
Nowadays textile and food industries are the most important in Shihezi. Railway connection to Wusu and Ürümqi skirts the city, while a United Nation economic development project provided high quality highway systems for the city. Textile industry is the primary employment, although international trade environment on textiles has brought in fluctuations in employment. As a hub to surrounding farms, the city’s destiny is currently tied with theirs. Sugar beets are cultivated near Shihezi. Cultivation of cotton in the farms was accelerated in the 1990s and now dominates the economy.
Muslim Food availability and Muslim Cultural Area :
Shihezi City have every kind of Muslim food ( NaN, Mutton, Beef, Chicken Tikka, Mutton Tika, Mutton fried rice, Paoza & DaPanjie (Specialty of Shihezi) and approx. every kind of Muslim food. There is no problem at all for the foreign students those wants to came in this city for Study.
Tourist Attraction :
Tourists are enticed by Shihezi’s beautiful scenery and cultural relics such as Tianshan Mountain, the Nanshan scenic area, Kwan-yin Channel, North Lake Park, Desert Park of Camel-bell, Bayinshan Village, West-flavor Fazenda, the Army-Reclamation Museum, Monument to Premier Zhou Enlai and Sculpture of General Wang Zhen, etc.
The city is also famous for its typical Xinjiang snacks such as rice with mutton, Nang (Pancake), Lamb, Grilled Mutton Cluster, Roasted Whole Lamb, and Fried Dough Twist, etc.