Red Hill & Park

Overview
The Red Hill is the symbol of Urumqi Xinjiang, and the Red Hill Park is well-known for the uniqueness of the Red Hill. The Red Hill is 910.8 meters above sea level. Because it was formed by purple sandy conglomerate and takes on a reddish color, hence the name “Red Hill”. The Red Hill Park built around the Red Hill is a famous mountain park in China.

The park covers an area of 4.069 square kilometers, and a forest coverage rate of 97.5%, with over 30,000 trees of over 70 types. The pagoda at the top of the Red Hill was built in 1788, and it is still intact after more than 200 years of history. Red Hill Park has become a nightscape park after renovation of its lighting system.

History & Background
In ancient times a red dragon fled from Heavenly Lake and the Heavenly Empress caught him and sliced him in two with her sword. Later on, the western part of the dragon turned into Yamalike Hill and the eastern turned into Red Hill. The sword turned into the Urumqi River. Oddly enough, topographic pictures tell us the two hills were once one and were separated into two parts due to stratum rupture.

In 1785 and 1786, floods hit Urumqi causing much destruction. Rumors arose that Red Hill and Yamalike Hill were growing closer and closer together. Once they met, the Urumqi River between them would be blocked and the city would become flooded as the water rose. Therefore, in 1788 Shang An, the highest military officer, ordered the Zhen Long (In Chinese, to subdue the dragon) Pagodas built on both hills. 

Info
Address: Hongshan Mountain scenic areas, Urumqi, Xinjiang
Opening Hours: 10:00-21:00
Admission Fee: Free