Pictorial History of Urumqi's Hong Shan Park 红山

In the middle of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, a hill sticks out of the ground that seems out of place. Legend says that both this hill and the nearby Yamalik Hill were two dragons that kept watch over the city.  Even now it serves as a symbol of a city that doesn't have much else to offer.

The pagoda on top of this hill is said to have been erected in 1788 and the Grand Buddhist temple in 1797.  Today visitors can climb to the top of this hill for a panoramic view of Urumqi (see an example of this view) or just to get some exercise.

Here, for the first time, watch as this barren hill becomes a tourist destination in this progression of photographs.

Early 1900

A small river runs along the hill which has absolutely no trees or paved walkways.

1907

Roads are still non-existent around the hill and the idea of a part is still decades away.

1983

By 1958 the Red Army had begun to build the hill into a park by planting trees, paving walkways, and adding more buildings. 

 2007

The small paved road has been turned into a major highway and the park is now home to over 30,000 trees.  The pagoda on Hong Shan park is now one of the most recognizable symbols of Urumqi.

Pictorial History of Kashgar's Id Kah Mosque (circa 1936)

Today I would like to begin a new photo series entitled "History in Pictures" to accompany the Picture of the Week series.  I was able to get my hands on a some great pictures taken back when explorers were roaming the south of Xinjiang (read my review on a book about these explorers) and I'm excited to share them on a bi-weekly basis.  First up...the Id Kah mosque.

Kashgar's Id Kah Mosque

The Id Kah mosque is one of the oldest and largest in all of China, dating all the way back to 1442.  It was severely damaged during China's Cultural Revolution but purportedly restored multiple times by the local government and declared a protected monument.  The pictures below were taken almost two decades before the CCP came to power and created the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

This shot was taken in 1936 by an Englishman named Skrine who was traveling with Aurel Stein during his explorations in Xinjiang.  Skrine doesn't credit this as being the Id Kah mosque, however there is no other building in Kashgar even remotely similar in architecture like this.  A closer look reveals that when this shot was taken, the mosque wasn't covered in beautiful yellow tile like it is now and I believe that the film slide is backwards (the minaret should be on the right).

This picture, credited to an E. Techman, is confusing because it also claims to be taken in 1936.  Here you can see that the yellow tiles are present and the minaret is on the correct side.  Like the picture above, it seems as if a trading market is taking place as usual around the mosque.

Today the recognizable yellow tiles stand out against the trees which have grown in the courtyard over the past six decades.  The market next to the right-side minaret has been taken away to add more space for worshipers, which during the Muslim holidays can be quite a few (watch the amazing video of this festival here).  Since 1936 a lot has changed around the mosque and inside, but the face has amazingly stayed the same.