[2025 Huocheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Ancient Huiyuan City (Updated Jul)

You might be slightly unfamiliar with the name "Yining," but mention "Ili," and its distant, mysterious beauty is already deeply ingrained in your heart. In fact, Yining is the capital of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, a small border town with a population of about 580,000, quietly emerging as one of China's most captivating mid-to-long-distance travel destinations. From Nigmat's unique wedding in Kazanqi to Duan Yihong's jogging check-in by the Ili River Bridge; from Tong Liya inviting netizens to visit her hometown to Director He galloping across the internet on horseback... This city, historically known as "Ningyuan" and established in 1762, is once again radiating a mysterious, fresh, and dazzling charm in the era of social media! 📸【9 Must-Visit Attractions in Yining】: Kazanqi Folk Village: Experience rich ethnic customs Six-Star Street: Unique alley layout, full of exotic charm Hanren Street: A blend of tradition and modernity Ili River: Picturesque riverside scenery that soothes the soul Han Princess Memorial Hall: Learn history and honor ancestors Lavender Manor: Purple romance, dreamlike and enchanting Ili Museum: Explore the history and culture of Ili Silk Road Light Night Market: A feast of food and culture 🚗【Recommended Activities Around Yining】: 🥯 Bayandai Town Baked Buns: Taste the most iconic local baked buns, with over 5,000 sold daily—irresistibly delicious Xibo Cultural Park: Follow Tong Liya's footsteps to learn about Xibo culture and savor Xibo cuisine Yizhao Highway: Travel the "Little Duku Highway," admire vast seas of rapeseed flowers, and witness the grandeur of Huocheng Lavender: In mid-June, step into "China's Provence" and experience purple romance Huiyuan Ancient City: Visit historical relics from the Qianlong era's governance of Ili and feel the charm of the ancient city 🚗【Yining Cuisine】: 1. Mianfeizi (Restaurants: Blue Wall Mianfeizi, Gaolancui Trade Mianfeizi, Erdian Mianfeizi, Big Nose Old Xinhua Mianfeizi) 2. Grilled Meat (Restaurants: Hometown Grilled Meat, Hastam Special Grilled Meat) 3. Mixed Noodles (Restaurants: Dilixiati Mixed Noodles, Twin Mixed Noodles, Yesile Special Mixed Noodles, Zhuma Dry-Fried Noodles) 4. Pilaf (Restaurants: Uyghur Small Pot Pilaf, Nijat Uyghur Original Pilaf) 5. Buns (Restaurants: Aishanjiang Pan-Fried Buns, Guomao Baked Buns, Bayandai Unique Baked Buns) 6. Rice Noodles (Zanzan Rice Noodles, Zhencifang Xinjiang-Style Rice Noodles) 7. Ice Cream and Desserts (Yizihai'er Ice Cream, Gulan Danmu Ice Cream, Yimao Sugar Crispy Cake) 8. Others (Wusun Milk Tea Shop, Cai's Original Chicken Wonton, Yongxiangxing Spicy Cold Pot) Yining, a city full of surprises, awaits your exploration and discovery. Pack your bags, set off on your journey, and let Yining's beauty meet you unexpectedly!

【Gateway to the Western Regions】The Qing Dynasty Ili General's Office In the 27th year of the Qianlong reign (1762), the Qing Empire quelled the rebellions of the Dzungar leader Galdan and the Khoja brothers of Yarkand. Recognizing that "the Muslim regions are connected to Ili" and "Ili, newly pacified, serves as the strategic hub of Xinjiang," the Grand Council proposed establishing the highest-ranking military official—the "Commander-in-Chief of Ili and Other Regions," abbreviated as the Ili General—to serve as the supreme military and administrative authority of the Qing government in Xinjiang. The jurisdiction of the Ili General extended east to Hami and Barkol, west to the Pamir Mountains and the Chu-Talas River basins, north to Lake Balkhash and the upper-middle reaches of the Irtysh River, and south to the Kunlun Mountains. The bronze cannon, cast in the 57th year of the Kangxi reign (1718), is named the "Mighty Far-Pacifying General." The bronze statues depict early Ili Generals: Mingrui, Agui, and Zhaohui.

(‼️Highly recommended to bring elderly and children to Xinjiang, choose an RV) 🚐Why recommend an RV for traveling in Xinjiang?🚐 ✅1. Xinjiang is vast with scattered attractions far from each other. Daily travel time starts at a minimum of 3-4 hours. With an RV, you can stand inside without hitting your head, lie down to sleep, watch shows, enjoy cold drinks, and chat. ✅2. Summer vacation is peak tourist season in Xinjiang, with increased prices for hotels, homestays, and dining. Popular attractions like Kanas, Hemu, Sayram Lake, and Qiongkushitai have homestays costing thousands per night. With an RV, your accommodation is solved, and you can cook your own meals, saving considerable money. Plus, Xinjiang's most beautiful scenery is along the way - you can camp at any beautiful spot, enjoy your vacation freely, control your itinerary, and bring your home into the scenery. ✅3. In Xinjiang, you'll spend long hours on the road, traveling on highways, provincial and national roads where restrooms are scarce. Not just children, even adults avoid drinking too much water for fear of not finding a bathroom. With an RV, you can solve this problem anytime in the vehicle. Recommended RV Charter Routes Ili In-depth 9 Days D1 Urumqi-S101 Hundred Li Danxia-Dushanzi Duku Base Camp D2 Dushanzi-Sayram Lake-RV camping by Sayram Lake D3 Sayram Lake-Guozigou-Huiyuan Ancient City-Kazanqi-Yining D4 Yining-Kalajun Grassland-RV camping at Tekes D5 Tekes-Xhata Ancient Road-Zhaosu Grassland Stone Figures-RV camping at Stone Figures Grassland D6 Zhaosu-Qiongkushitai-Explore Qiongkushitai Village-RV camping at Qiongkushitai D7 Qiongkushitai Village-Nalati Grassland-RV camping at Nalati D8 Nalati-Northern Duku Section-Tangbula Grassland-Duku Base Camp D9 Duku Base Camp-Dushanzi Grand Canyon-Urumqi ❤️Why choose us? 💯Legal operating qualifications, variety of vehicle models 💯Original parts, regular maintenance and inspection 💯24-hour rescue and vehicle replacement service 💯Local experienced drivers with proper licenses 💯Customized routes 💯Free airport/station pickup and drop-off (‼️To learn more about routes and prices, click for one-click consultation, available 24 hours.

Yili, Xinjiang is a tourist destination with beautiful scenery and unique culture. Here is some information about Yili tourism: 1. Recommended attractions: - Nalati Grassland: One of the four largest alpine valley grasslands in the world, it is a famous pasture. Here you can enjoy the unique grassland scenery of the Western Regions, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, green grass at your feet, and herds of cattle and sheep. You can appreciate the rich and simple Kazakh ethnic customs. The scenic area has complete facilities, and tourists can choose to tour by horseback riding, sightseeing bus, etc. - Kalajun Grassland: It is an important part of Xinjiang Tianshan and is listed as a World Natural Heritage Site. The grassland has retained its original ecosystem and has diverse landforms, including vast grasslands, steep canyons and deep forests, with distinct layers and spectacular scenery. - Sailimu Lake: It is the highest and largest alpine lake in Xinjiang. The lake water is crystal clear and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, like a sapphire inlaid among the mountains. The lakeside has beautiful scenery, with flower fields, grasslands and other landscapes. You can also see swans and other water birds playing in the lake. - Huiyuan Ancient City: A famous historical city in Xinjiang, it was once the center of economy, politics, military and culture, and is known as "Little Beijing". In the city center, there are tall bell and drum towers, the garden-like Ili General's Mansion, numerous temples, and military sites inside and outside the city, which retain a strong historical atmosphere. - Guozigou: It is named after the many wild apples growing in the mountains. The winding roads here offer unique scenery, with towering peaks on both sides, gurgling springs, and pine forests and grasslands forming a beautiful picture. Guozigou Bridge is also a beautiful landscape. Standing on the bridge and looking into the distance, you can see the dark green mountains and the rolling sea of ​​clouds. - Tekes Bagua City: the only city in the world that has no traffic lights but allows people to travel freely. Bagua City is in a radial circular shape, and its street layout is like a magical maze, with all roads and streets connected to each other. The city has well-preserved grassland stone men, ancient rock paintings, Wusun ancient tombs, etc., and has a profound historical culture and rich folk customs. - Xiata: It is a place where snow-capped mountains, grasslands and mountain flowers can still be seen in mid-to-late August. There are dark green pine forests, light green grasslands, mountains that are so close that you can touch them, and at the end of the Xiata River are the misty Muzart snow-capped peaks and glaciers. It has extremely diverse natural scenery. - Qiaxi Grassland: Tickets are cheap and you can drive yourself. It is a fairy tale world like Hayao Miyazaki's summer, Heidi and Grandpa's home. The grassland is vast, with blue sky, white clouds, green grass and lakes complementing each other, and the air is filled with a faint scent of grass. - Qiongkushitai: All the houses are made of pure wood, scattered in the woods, like Howl's moving castle. The Kurdai River flows gently in front of and behind houses, and the sound of flowing water echoes in the mountains. Here you can find the bluest sky, the whitest clouds, the silveriest mountains, and the dark green forests. There is no hustle and bustle of the city, only the tranquility and beauty of nature. 2. Food recommendations: - Grilled mutton kebabs: fresh mutton is grilled over charcoal and sprinkled with cumin, chili and other spices. It is fragrant and is a representative delicacy of Yili. - Pilaf: The main ingredients are mutton, carrots, onions, rice, etc. The rice grains are distinct, the mutton is soft and tender, the carrots are sweet, it is rich in nutrition and tastes excellent. - Naren noodles: a traditional Kazakh noodle dish, usually made with lamb, noodles and onions, and is delicious. - Naankeng Meat: The meat is roasted in a naankeng pot, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a rich flavor. - Baked buns: The outer skin is crispy, and the filling is made of lamb, onions and other seasonings. The gravy overflows when you take a bite. - Milk tea: The milk tea in Xinjiang is different from the milk tea in the mainland. It is made from milk and tea leaves. It has a rich taste and has a unique flavor after adding salt. It can be eaten with foods such as naan. 3. Accommodation options: - Yining City: As the capital of Yili Prefecture, Yining City has hotels and B&Bs of various grades to choose from. If you want to enjoy modern convenience, you can choose a hotel in the city; if you want to experience local characteristics, you can choose some homestays with ethnic style. - Near grassland scenic spots: There are yurts, characteristic inns and other accommodation options near scenic spots such as Nalati Grassland and Kalajun Grassland. Living near a scenic spot allows you to easily enjoy the beautiful scenery of the grassland, such as sunrise and sunset, but the accommodation conditions may be relatively simple. 4. Transportation Guide: - Airplane: You can fly to Yining Airport in Yining City first, and then go to various attractions by public transportation or rent a car. - Train: There are many railway stations in Yili Prefecture, such as Yining Station, Horgos Station, etc. You can choose the appropriate station according to your itinerary. - Car: The road traffic in Yili is relatively developed. You can choose to take a long-distance bus or rent a car for self-driving tour. Self-driving tours allow you to explore the beauty of Yili more freely, but you need to pay attention to road conditions and driving safety. 5. Best time to travel: June to September is the best time to travel to Yili. At this time, the grassland is green, flowers are blooming, and the scenery is most beautiful. However, it should be noted that the temperature difference between morning and evening in Yili is large in summer, so it is recommended to bring warm clothes. 6. Shopping recommendations: You can buy some souvenirs with local characteristics, such as Kazakh hand-embroidery, wood carvings, sheep-horn whips, Xibe incense bags (tobacco pipes) and various jewelry with ethnic characteristics.

✌️Ninth Stop in Xinjiang: Huiyuan Ancient City ♥️Huiyuan Ancient City is located in Huocheng County, Ili, Xinjiang. Historically, it was an important passage from Xinjiang to Central Asia and is one of the best-preserved Qing Dynasty ancient cities in Xinjiang. Inside the city, there are attractions such as the Ili General's Mansion, Huiyuan Ancient City Exhibition Hall, Confucian Temple, and Bell and Drum Tower. ♥️Adjacent to the Ili General's Mansion is the Yangbulake Folk Village, a model village for rural tourism. This village features the unique folk customs of Huocheng, with residential and environmental constructions maintaining the traditional appearance and layout from a hundred years ago. The perfect blend of Central Asian characteristics and local Taranqi culture offers high value for ethnic art appreciation and folk culture research. Visitors can closely observe Uyghur architecture and experience local folk customs. ♥️Travel Suggestions: Morning: Arrive at Huiyuan Ancient City, enter through the eastern Jingren Gate, and visit the Bell and Drum Tower to admire its grand and majestic architecture. Noon: Enjoy local delicacies such as pilaf and hand-grabbed mutton at a restaurant within the ancient city. Afternoon: Tour the Ili General's Mansion to learn about the history and culture of Qing Dynasty Xinjiang. Then visit the Huiyuan Ancient City Exhibition Hall, Confucian Temple, and other attractions. Evening: Stay at a homestay in Yangbulake Folk Village, visit various unique residential points such as 'Song and Dance Family,' 'Tea and Snack Family,' 'Grape Family,' 'Naan Family,' 'Barbecue Family,' and 'Ice Cream Family.' Appreciate the making of ethnic handicrafts and taste traditional snacks. ♥️In Yangbulake Folk Village, you can deeply experience Uyghur folk culture, interact and communicate with local residents, and feel their hospitality. Meanwhile, the historical relics of Huiyuan Ancient City will allow you to appreciate the profound historical heritage of Xinjiang. We hope you have a pleasant and unforgettable time in Huiyuan Ancient City and Yangbulake Folk Village!

Driving over 90 kilometers from Sayram Lake for about an hour and a half, you will arrive at China Fushou Mountain in Daxigou Township, Huocheng County. Fushou Mountain is only 50 kilometers away from the Huiyuan Ancient City on the north bank of the Ili River, so today these two places are arranged to be experienced together. ⛰️Mountain Forest Secret Realm: China Fushou Mountain The continuous mountain ranges, dense forests, clear streams, and numerous rare and precious wild animals and plants... This is the mysterious China Fushou Mountain. After arriving at Fushou Mountain, you need to take a scenic sightseeing car or drive yourself to the core scenic area. You can stroll along the mountain trails or by the stream at your leisure, and you can also see horses and sheep and cattle. Climbing to the place of Fushou Ding, you can fully experience the unique perspective and the fresh air of nature. 🌺April to May is the famous flower viewing period of Fushou Mountain, which is the most romantic time of Fushou Mountain. Unfortunately, we missed the time, leaving some regrets for next year. Let's go to the mysterious and natural Fushou Mountain away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Folk History: Huiyuan Ancient City Huiyuan Ancient City historically was an important passage from Xinjiang to Central Asia and is one of the more completely preserved ancient cities of the Qing Dynasty in Xinjiang. 💥Must-visit spots: Yili General's Mansion, Yangbulak Folk Village, Huiyuan Ancient City Exhibition Hall, Confucian Temple, Bell and Drum Tower. 🔜Suggested tour route: Enter from Dongmen Jingren Gate > Bell and Drum Tower > Huiyuan Ancient City Exhibition Hall > Confucian Temple > Yili General's Mansion > Yangbulak Folk Village (you can stay in the village at night) Visiting the historical relics of Huiyuan Ancient City, you can appreciate the profound historical heritage of Xinjiang. Experience the traditional appearance and layout that perfectly combines the characteristics of Central Asia a hundred years ago and the local Taranchi culture in Yangbulak Folk Village, and feel the local folk customs up close.