Welcome to Ili

Walking through Ili, you encounter a land where cultures meet and histories intertwine. In Qapqal Xibe Ancient City, the epic westward migration of the Xibe people comes alive through living traditions like embroidery and archery, alongside the world’s only Xibe-language newspaper, Qapqal News, preserving the roots of an ancient culture. Yining’s Liuxing Street, with its unique hexagonal layout, brings together 13 ethnic groups, while the Accordion Museum houses thousands of instruments from China and abroad. In Ili Old Town, 42 ethnic communities live side by side, where pomegranate blossom exhibitions and century-old architecture paint a vivid picture of unity in diversity. At the border, the Horgos New Gateway stands as a symbol of westward opening, with the China–Kazakhstan cross-border cooperation zone and cultural platforms telling the story of the Silk Road, and the Golden Eagle Central Plaza linking trade, culture, and tourism. Every corner of Ili is a living testament to exchange, integration, and openness—a vibrant snapshot of the Silk Road’s shared future.