Beyond the Great Wall - Yili

🌟 Yining: A Millennium Border Town of Multi-Ethnic Cultural Fusion

🌄 A Colorful Pearl at the Foot of the Tianshan Mountains
Yining City is located in the middle of the Yili River Valley, on the southern slope of the Kogurqin Mountains, a branch of the Tianshan. This border town was a nomadic land of the Wusun Kingdom as early as the Western Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty established Gongyue City here, and during the Qing Dynasty it became the seat of the Yili General's Office. Strolling through the streets of Yining, you can see Uyghur flower hats, Kazakh embroidery, Russian rye bread houses, and the aroma of Hui cuisine, everywhere flowing with the harmonious rhythm of multi-ethnic coexistence.

🚶‍♂️ Kazanqi Folk Custom Street
This street full of exotic charm preserves many Russian-style buildings, with blue carved doors and windows contrasting sharply with yellow walls. Interestingly, the residents here still maintain traditional lifestyles; in the early morning, you can see Uyghur elders drinking milk tea on the porch, Kazakh women drying felt in the courtyard. Be sure to turn into the alleys, where the aroma wafting from the humble tandoor ovens is the authentic taste of Yili.

🕌 Baitula Mosque
Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this mosque blends Central Asian and Central Plains architectural styles, with a green dome shining brilliantly under the sun. Especially interesting is that during the Eid al-Adha festival, the square in front of the mosque turns into a lively market, with Kazakh horse sausages, Uyghur baked buns, and Hui fried pastries filling the long street, and the calls of different ethnic groups rising one after another.

🌳 Hanren Street Grand Bazaar
Despite its name "Hanren Street," this is Yining’s most authentic ethnic market. The bazaar in the early morning is the most flavorful: Hui elders wearing white hats flipping freshly fried oil cakes, Kazakh ladies shouting in broken Mandarin selling fresh mare’s milk, and Uyghur youths pushing piles of Hami melons through the crowd. Be sure to try "Boersak" (Kazakh fried dough), best enjoyed with milk tea for the most authentic taste.

🏛 Lin Zexu Memorial Hall
In 1839, when national hero Lin Zexu was exiled to Yili, he still insisted on water conservancy projects and promoting agricultural colonies. The memorial hall displays the waterwheel model he used and his handwritten "Hego Travel Notes." The most touching sight is the old elm tree in the courtyard, said to have been planted by Lin himself, now tall and spreading.

Here, you can see Kazakh elders bargaining in Russian with Russian merchants, Uyghur children eating cold jelly made by Hui uncles; the various ethnic groups are like tributaries of the Yili River, eventually merging into a rushing river. This is Yining, a city that writes "each beauty appreciates its own, and all beauties share together" on every street.

Post by MAYA WALLACE | Oct 18, 2025