Ili-Altstadt Kazanqi-Folklore-Touristengebiet

The Yili Laocheng Kazanqi Folk Tourism Area is the cultural heart of old Yining, spreading across more than twenty square kilometers of the Ili River Valley. Predominantly home to Uyghur residents alongside Hui, Kazak, and Uzbek communities, Kazanqi is one of the best-preserved living demonstrations of multi-ethnic neighborhood life in northwest China.

The signature experience is architecture. Rows of traditional Uyghur courtyards line narrow lanes, their wooden gates painted in vivid blues and greens, with carved lintels, lattice screens, and shaded verandas known as aywang facing inner gardens. Many families open their homes as guesthouses or workshops, allowing visitors to see how the distinctive local dwelling type, adapted to hot dry summers and cold winters, has evolved over generations.

Kazanqi is also a crafts hub. Coppersmiths hammer samovars and tea trays in workshops that have passed through several generations, while wagon-makers still assemble the horse-drawn carriages that carry tourists along the main lanes. Other alleys specialize in embroidered skullcaps, leather saddles, and traditional musical instruments such as the dutar and rawap. Visitors can wander independently or hire a carriage and driver-guide from the central square.

Food is inseparable from the visit. Tea houses serve milk tea with nan bread, families prepare hand-pulled noodles and polo rice pilaf, and small bakeries sell samsa straight from clay ovens. The Shaanxi Lane Hui Mosque, with its glazed-tile roof, reflects the layered Muslim heritage of the district and is an important landmark for understanding how different communities settled along the Ili River.

For travelers based in Yining, Kazanqi offers the most concentrated immersion in the everyday culture of the river valley. Mornings are quieter and ideal for photography; late afternoons bring out street vendors, musicians, and a lively, neighborly atmosphere.