Kazanqi Folk Tourism District

The Kazanqi Folk Tourism District, a triple-A scenic spot in China, is a major site featuring Uygur people's original folk customs. The area is home to people from various ethnic groups, including Uygurs, Han, Hui, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Xibe, Manchu, Russians, Mongols, Tatars, Tajiks and Kyrgyz, among which Uygurs account for 77 percent of the total population. Thanks to longstanding assimilation among different groups, the Kazanqi Folk Tourism District has established itself as a distinctive multiethnic region with diverse culture in Xinjiang.

In the Uygur language, "kazan" means "wok" and "qi" means "producer" or "wok vendor." Historically, the area was the production and sales center for folk handicrafts in Ili, featuring traditional craftsmanship, skilled artisans and the succession of folk customs from generation to generation. As most locals made their living by making and selling woks, they later named the place Kazanqi. The Kazanqi Folk Tourism District is known as a "folk building museum," as many types of buildings are found there, including European-style buildings, buildings with both Chinese and western elements, and distinctive century-old residential buildings. At present, there are some cultural and historical sites in the area, including the Shaanxi Hui Mosque inscribed on the list of protected buildings in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and seven others protected by the city of Yining. In addition, the area boasts another 12 mosques.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)