Red Hill

Situated on the east bank of Urumqi River, the Red Hill gets its name from the ochre sandstone of its body. With an elevation of 910, the mountain is believed to be a giant dragon fly from the Heavenly Lake by the Bogda Peak, while the Yamalik Mountain on the west bank of Urumqi River is believed to be the avatar of a demon. It’s also believed that if these two mountains met, Urumqi would turn into a place of vast sea. To press down the mountains and lock the water, two pagodas were set up on the top of two mountains respectively in 53rd year of the Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty (1788). From then on, “the pagoda relieved against the setting sun” become a famous scenic spot of Urumqi. Today the Red Hill is the biggest urban park in Xinjiang.