In the warm embrace of the Ili River Valley, the old city of Yining, soaked in the colorful "Ili Blue", is quietly telling the story of crossing a thousand years. From the transportation hub connecting the East and West on the Silk Road to the modern city where multiple ethnic groups live in harmony, every color and echo here has condensed into a vivid and lively national cultural epic.

The unique 'Central Asian wet island'

The Ili River Valley enjoys the reputation of being a "Central Asian wet island", with its unique trumpet shaped terrain opening westward, becoming a natural channel for receiving warm and humid air currents from the Atlantic, creating abundant precipitation and fertile land. This place nourishes the magnificent Nalati grassland and the winding Ili River. The unique natural endowment has nurtured a profound cultural heritage, and the blue doors, windows, and walls that can be seen everywhere in the city form the famous "Ili Blue". It is not only a reflection of peaceful life, but also a visual symbol of harmonious integration of diverse cultures. Writer Wang Meng once lamented that Yili is a "good place among good places".

Silk Road Key Points and Border Governance

Yining's historical position is crucial. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, the Ili River Valley has been a key hub on the Silk Road grassland route, where Eastern and Western civilizations intersect. The Yuan blue and white phoenix headed flat pot unearthed in 1999, combined with Persian pigments and Jingdezhen craftsmanship, is a brilliant physical evidence of this period of history. In the Qing Dynasty, in order to consolidate the northwest border, the court established the Yili General and built a defense and governance system centered on Huiyuan City, known as the "Nine Cities of Yili". The Ningyuan City where Yining is located was once the strategic supply center of this system. In modern times, Lin Zexu built water conservancy projects here, and Zuo Zongtang had "three thousand peddlers" accompanying him during his western expedition, jointly writing a magnificent chapter of people of all ethnic groups building and developing the border. Keywords: humanistic news, humanistic news information

The road to modernization through unity and progress

Today's Yining, inheriting the past and opening up new, is full of vitality. Craftsmen gather in ancient streets and alleys, allowing traditional skills to be inherited; In the process of modernization, all ethnic groups unite as one and work together to build a beautiful home. As the capital of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Yining fully leverages its geographical advantages. The whistle of the China Europe freight train echoes the camel bells of the ancient Silk Road, connecting this place closely with the wider world. With an open and inclusive attitude, this city is making steady progress on the road of Chinese path to modernization, and continues to paint a beautiful picture of Xinjiang with economic development, social stability, cultural prosperity and beautiful ecology. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website humanities column editor/Gao Xue