The Road to Urumqi
Downtown Urumqi’s avenues are tree-lined. Modern construction is underway everywhere. There also are Russian-style buildings Left over from the 1950s, their iron roofs painted green and their bright porticoes giving the gray cityscape a splash of color. There are over a hundred mosques, many of them new. Covered Uighur markets throughout the city also break the monotony of modern industrialization.
A touch of old China is supplied by two parks on the banks of the Urumqi River, which flows along the western edge of the city. In Hong Shan Park, the nine-story Pagoda to Suppress Dragons (Zhenglong Pagoda) atop Red Hill (Hong Shan) towers over Urumqi. It was erected on the “dragon’s head” in 1788 to prevent floods, and the hill became a Buddhist center until war Lords burned down the pavilions and temples. The Qing armies pastured their horses on Red Hill a century ago. Nearby People’s Park (Renmin Gongyuan), on the west bank of the river, has a lake and hall modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, both built in the early 20th century by one of the ruling warlords. This park is popular with locals, particularly on Sunday.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi)
- Southern Pastures
- Urumqi: The Lake of Heaven
- A Minaret & the Karez Wells
- Ancient Cities
