Yining, Xinjiang: Blue and Slow in a Border Town

Yining is the central city of the Ili River valley. Of Xinjiang’s major cities, this one least feels like “Xinjiang” — few of the towering modern buildings, the old city instead a mix of blue mosque domes, Uyghur homes, and poplar-shaded slow living.

Kazanchi

Kazanchi Folk Village is Yining’s most interesting place. “Kazanchi” is Uyghur for “cast-iron cookware maker” — this was once a craftsmen’s neighborhood. What remains is a district of traditional Uyghur homes: intricately carved doors and windows, blue-purple walls, horse carts passing through the lanes.

A horse-cart tour around Kazanchi takes about 40 minutes. The Uyghur locals will chat with you in halting Mandarin; some courtyards sell naan and baked buns, very fragrant.

Six Star Street

Six Star Street is another Yining highlight. The neighborhood is laid out in a hexagonal pattern, radiating six directions from the center. Within a few hundred meters you can find a Russian Orthodox church, a Uyghur mosque, and a Hui mosque — several religions and cultures living side by side.

In Yining

Yining’s pace is much slower than Urumqi’s. Sit in a Uyghur tea house by the Ili River at sunset, watching the light fade. Get up early for the bazaar, where you can buy fresh Ili apples, raisins, and naan.

If you want to go deeper, the Ili Valley surrounds have Sayram Lake, Nalati Grassland, and the Khorgos Port — but Yining itself is the gateway to all that slow Ili Valley living.