Hotan is a city with over 360,000 residents , over 97 % of them ethnic Uyghur , and is renowned for its Uyghur culture . Ürümqi , over away , is the comparatively modern capital of the region and holds three million residents . Half the population of Xinjiang as a whole is Uyghur . In September 2011 , courts had tried and convicted four people for separatist attacks in Hotan and nearby Kashgar that had killed 32 people . The hijacking took place close to the anniversary of the 5 July 2009 Ürümqi riots which killed 200 people
nearby Kashgar
2011 Kashgar attacks
Tianjin Airlines Flight 7554