Get to know Shihezi
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- Administrative area
- County-level city · 县级市
- Part of
- Xinjiang
- Chinese name
- 石河子市
- Local areas
- County-level city guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 460.00 km²
- Population · 2020
- 498,587
- Administrative seat
- Hongshan Subdistrict
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
History
The name means "stony river", after a spring-fed stream with a stony bed that lies to its east. In 1951 General Wang Zhen (王震) chose the site as a new base for the People's Liberation Army, and between 1950 and 1953 units of the 22nd Corps moved in to farm and began building the new town. Shihezi was declared a city on 15 June 1975, approved by the State Council on 2 January 1976, and made a city directly under the region in 1984, sharing one Party committee with the 8th Division. It once hosted the Corps headquarters. In 2000 the UN human settlements centre gave it an award for improving the living environment.
What to see
The Corps's Military Reclamation Museum (新疆生产建设兵团军垦博物馆) is one of Xinjiang's 12 national-level red-tourism scenic areas. It sits alongside the Zhou Enlai Memorial (周恩来总理纪念碑（馆）) and the First Reclamation Company (军垦第一连) among the city's best-known red-tourism sites.
The Liaojiang Ecological Park (辽疆生态公园) lies 13 kilometres from the city on the west bank of the Manas River; the park covers 1,000 mu, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism calls its moss phlox (芝樱花) the largest such flower field in western China. The 152nd Regiment also has a Changyu winery (张裕酒庄) of 1,000 mu, and a peach-blossom festival is held in late April. About 50 kilometres of Provincial Road S101, the "Tianshan geography gallery" (天山地理画廊), crosses Shihezi, passing the Manas Gorge (玛纳斯峡谷).
Setting and getting oriented
The city lies about 150 kilometres from Ürümqi (乌鲁木齐) at an average altitude of 450.8 metres, on flat ground that slopes from southeast to northwest. Winters are long and severe and summers short and hot; rainfall is about 206 millimetres a year against evaporation of over 1,000 millimetres. The Manas River forms the border with Manas County (玛纳斯县) to the east. The Lianhuo Expressway (连霍高速), National Road 312 and the Eurasian Land Bridge railway pass the city on its north and south sides. Shihezi University (石河子大学), formed in 1996, is based here.
Food and local products
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism lists Shihezi liangpi (石河子凉皮, a cold noodle dish) among the city's specialities, together with dumplings and big-plate chicken (大盘鸡) made with ferula (阿魏草), carrot juice, and Shihezi spirits and wine. Local produce includes cistanche (肉苁蓉), grapes, flat peaches from the 143rd Regiment and Xiayedi (下野地) watermelons.
Highlights
- XPCC Military Reclamation Museum 新疆生产建设兵团军垦博物馆: One of Xinjiang's 12 national-level red-tourism scenic areas.
- Zhou Enlai Memorial 周恩来总理纪念碑（馆）: A monument and hall among Shihezi's best-known red-tourism sites.
- Liaojiang Ecological Park 辽疆生态公园: 1,000 mu on the west bank of the Manas River, 13 km from the city, known for spring moss phlox.
- Shihezi liangpi 石河子凉皮: Listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a Shihezi speciality.
Sources for this guide
石河子市 - 维基百科 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shihezi - Wikipedia · Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0
石河子税务局：税热量“点燃”文旅市场夏日经济 · China News Service (Xinjiang)
賡續精神血脈 傳承紅色基因 · People's Daily Online (Xinjiang)
兵团·八师石河子 赏花踏青谷雨之旅 · Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the PRC
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Shihezi
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Local life & food
Shihezi local specialties
石河子市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Shihezi Cold Noodle Sheets 石河子凉皮Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Shihezi Cold Noodle Sheets (石河子凉皮) is a sour-spicy wheat-sheet snack from Shihezi (石河子), Xinjiang (新疆).
Read the dish guide →
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Big-plate chicken 大盘鸡
Tender potatoes thicken the savory, often spicy sauce, while bone-in chicken and chewy noodles create a substantial meal.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →.jpg){kind=link}
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Polo rice 抓饭
The rice is rich and separate-grained, with sweet carrot, savory meat and occasional fruit sweetness rather than a sticky porridge texture.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
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Grilled Lamb 烤羊肉
Grilled Lamb (烤羊肉) is listed among the local specialties of Karamay, Xinjiang. The name includes 羊肉 (lamb or mutton). 烤 describes roasting or grilling.
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Hand-Pulled Mixed Noodles 拌面
Hand-Pulled Mixed Noodles (拌面) is listed among the local specialties of Karamay, Xinjiang. The term 面 points to noodles or flour-based food.
Read the dish guide →
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Numbing Pepper Chicken 椒麻鸡Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Numbing Pepper Chicken (椒麻鸡) is a cold dish of Xinjiang's Hui (回族) cooking: boiled free-range chicken torn into strips, scattered with chilli shreds and onion and dressed with a numbing Sichuan-pepper sauce.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
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Baked samsa buns 烤包子
The shell is crisp and firm, while the center is juicy, onion-sweet and richly savory.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
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Nang bread 馕
Thin nang is crisp, while thicker bread has a soft, chewy center and toasted crust. Fresh warmth brings out the wheat and topping aromas.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
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More dishes from across Xinjiang are in the Xinjiang food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 石河子市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →More in Xinjiang
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 石河子市 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against Shihezi — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.