哈密

Hami (哈密) - a city in eastern Xinjiang famous for 哈密瓜 (Hami melon), a sweet cantaloupe-like fruit prized as imperial tribute since the Qing dynasty. Hami sits on an ancient Silk Road branch - the name comes from Mongolian 'Hami/Qomul' rather than being a Chinese-origin word.

history

An old Silk Road oasis. The Hami Kingdom (哈密国) was a Uyghur Buddhist state during Yuan and early Ming, then became a Qing prefecture. Today the city is officially 哈密市.