Recruitment of low-risk blood donors in developing countries is challenging. We studied the attitudes towards blood donation in several populations in a city in Western China. A survey of knowledge, attitude and practice was performed including 1280 individuals from eight distinct populations in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. Included were Han Chinese and Uyghur populations of blood donors, non-donors, injection drug users, students and factory workers. Knowledge about blood donation varied between the groups. Factors motivating blood donation included social pressure, desire to know screening results and altruism. Inhibiting factors included fear of contracting an infection and other adverse health effects, including loss of vitality. Misconceptions about the effects of blood donation are widespread, even among educated persons in Urumqi. Fear of acquiring a serious infection may have been increased by the reports of HIV acquisition during plasma donations in China.