Urumqi Warnings Or Dangers

It sounds a no-brainer, but it is essential to be very careful in Urumqi. The temperatures get very, very low (it was minus 20 C when I was there in December) and it is also a windy city meaning that the windchill factor lowers the temperature even further.
You can get frostbite within 20 minutes of skin exposure to these kinds of temperatures.
Multiple layers of thin clothing is better than just one thick layer.
You can buy clothing here, but really good cold-weather clothing is not really available in China: if you want to risk effectively minus 36 degrees Celsius in a fake North Face jacket bought down the Silk Market fine, but you are potentially risking your life.
Even in the centre of Urumqi, people are wrapped up from head to toe (see photo) or stand close to blazing fires to stay warm.

people are generally very kind like in this pic, however, some younger pickpockets are very skilled like well trained, keeping your day bag in front, watch out young people or teens close to you. local Market like “er dao ciao” is well know as tourist spot with many money belts say “ciao” to its owner.

It is not save to wandering around in small street after dark in the center of the city. Give your way to cars unless you want to audit their hospital system.

Not participate any political discussion in public especially regarding the regional problem with Chinese government.

If you don’t want to buy, simply don’t ask. It is considered as impolite to ask without buying anything in local market. However you could look at girls without marry them.

there's a market at some place called 'er dao qiao'. try your best to avoid that place. it is a uygher area and most of the uyghers in urumqi do not know how to speak mandarin, let alone any other languages. so when it comes to buying stuff there, you may have a really tough time communicating with them.

Urumqi has open unmarked manholes just like Kashgar!!! (only this one went down 5 stories)

watch out for pickpockets especially at the night markets