Живописный район Шуймогоу

Shuimogou Park (Shuimogou Fengjing Qu, "Water Mill Valley Scenic Area") is a large 4A-rated public park on the eastern edge of Urumqi, Xinjiang, built around a series of natural springs at the foot of a low range of hills. It is one of the most popular recreational spaces in the city and combines ornamental gardens, walking trails, historic pavilions, and a hot spring quarter in a single extensive site.

The park takes its name from water mills that once stood along the spring-fed stream running through the valley. That stream still runs the length of the park, feeding a chain of ornamental lakes crossed by stone bridges and bordered by willow, poplar, and elm. The layout follows the conventions of the Chinese urban park, with winding paths, modest hills, and pavilions placed at viewpoints, but the underlying landscape of springs, streams, and natural hot water is distinctive to this site and is the reason the area was developed as a park in the first place.

The historic layers of the park are reflected in a series of monuments and pavilions associated with the Qing-era literati and officials who passed through Urumqi. Statues and commemorative markers reference figures including Ji Xiaolan and Zuo Zongtang, both of whom spent time in the city during the consolidation of the late imperial frontier, and these monuments give the park a quiet historical dimension alongside its recreational function.

The western edge of the park adjoins the hot spring quarter, where a cluster of hotels and bathhouses, including the Vista Holiday Hot Spring Hotel, make use of the natural geothermal water that surfaces here. Bathing in these springs is a long-standing local tradition and is one of the practical reasons the district has developed as a recreation area. The bathing facilities are operated independently of the park itself.

For international travelers, Shuimogou is a low-key half-day stop that pairs well with the more intensive museum and bazaar visits that anchor a Urumqi itinerary. The park is large enough that a full circuit takes several hours, and a shuttle bus operates along the main spine for visitors who want a shorter walk. Spring and autumn are the most rewarding seasons, with the spring water highest and the autumn foliage at its best; midday summer heat can be intense, and the park is best visited in the early morning or late afternoon.