The detailed school zone boundaries for public elementary and middle schools in Urumqi's Tianshan District for the 2026 academic year have been formally announced. The delineations are described by geographical orientation, with specific enrollment based on street addresses within the defined zones.
Elementary School Zones
The plan outlines the catchment areas for 39 elementary schools. Descriptions are based on the relative positions of streets and landmarks forming the boundaries for each school's enrollment zone.
For instance, the zone for Urumqi No.1 Primary School is divided into two sectors. Sector one covers areas east of Wenhua Road, south of Zhongshan Road, west of Donghuan Road, and north of Renmin Road. Sector two covers areas east of Jiefang South Road, south of Renmin Road, west of Jinyin Road, and north of Yuejin Street, Kuanbei South Lane, and Kuanbei Lane.
Similarly, Urumqi No. 2 Primary School's zone includes areas east of Hongqi Road and Jianshe Road, south of Guangming Road, west of Jiankang Road, and north of Zhongshan Road.
The announcements continue with specific, detailed geographical boundaries for schools numbered 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 43, 162, 173, 74, 88, 126, 49, 33 (attached), 39 (attached), 42 (attached), 48 (attached), 65 (attached), 80 (attached), 85 (attached), 116 (attached), 138 (attached), Wulabo Village Primary, 150 (attached), 155, Xinjiang Education College Experimental Primary, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) No. 2 Middle School Attached Primary, XPCC No. 3 Middle School Attached Primary, Urumqi Bayi Middle School Attached Primary, and Xinjiang University Affiliated Middle School Attached Primary.
A key adjustment note states that starting from the autumn of 2026, the original zone of the former No. 40 Primary School will be wholly integrated into the No. 31 Primary School for unified enrollment. Furthermore, based on the principle of proximity, the original zone of the former No. 117 Middle School Attached Primary will be incorporated into the zones of No. 33 Middle School Attached Primary and No. 20 Primary School.
Middle School Zones
The plan also details the zones for 28 middle schools, with boundaries similarly defined by street coordinates.
For example, Urumqi No. 1 Middle School's zone is split into two sectors. Sector one is east of Jiefang North Road, Chunfeng Lane, and Wenhua Road; west of Jiankang Road; and north of Zhongshan Road. Sector two is east of Jiankang Road; west of Jianguo Road, Qianjin Road, and Guanghua Road; south of Qingnian Road; and north of Dongfeng Road.
Other middle schools with defined zones include Nos. 2, 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 20, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, 42, 48, 65, 80, 85, 116, 117, XPCC No. 1 Middle School, XPCC No. 2 Middle School, XPCC No. 3 Middle School, Urumqi Bayi Middle School, Xinjiang University Affiliated Middle School, and Nos. 138, 162, and 173.
A significant update notes that starting in autumn 2026, No. 162 Middle School (formerly No. 44 Primary) and No. 173 Middle School (formerly No. 73 Primary) will establish junior high school sections and simultaneously enroll their first cohort of seventh-grade students.
Implementation and Transition
These new school zone adjustments will apply to first-grade students enrolling in autumn 2026 and thereafter. Current students already enrolled in the affected schools will not have their registrations changed and are not required to transfer; they may continue their studies at their original schools until graduation.
To safeguard the legitimate enrollment rights of school-age children and ensure a stable admissions process and educational order, a three-year transition period (2026, 2027, 2028) has been established. During this period, a dual-option enrollment policy will be implemented, allowing families to choose between the old and new school zones, with placements coordinated by authorities to ensure a smooth transition. Starting in 2029, enrollment for students progressing from elementary to middle school will strictly follow the newly established zones, and the dual-option policy will be discontinued.
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