Red Hill Park

Chinese name: 红山公园（Hong Shan Gong Yuan）
Location: 40#Hongshan Road, Shuimogou District, Urumqi, Xinjiang.
Ticket: Free
Estimated time of tour: 1-2 hours
Recommended time of visit: all year round
Nearby attractions: International Grand Bazaar, Xinjiang Museum, Heavenly Lake, Nanshan Pasture, etc.

Red Hill Park locates on 40# of Hongshan North Road, Shuimogou District. It is a popular site for Urumqi locals.This park is named after a red sand stone hill sits inside this park. It is at the elevation of 910.6 meters and is 90 meters higher then the city of Urumqi. It is not a mighty mountain, but a icon for the city of Urumqi.

This is not a large park but offers plenty of greenery and entertainment facilities for all ages. You can relax yourself by simply taking a comfortable walk while enjoy the lovely natural scenery.And you can also immerse yourself with locals watching their daily leisure activities. On top of Red hill is a 25 meter tall Qing Dynasty styled viewing tower, called Yuantiao(means viewing) Pavilion. 

Climbing up the Yuantiao Pavilion (Viewing Pavilion) on the highest point of Red Hill, you can get a great panoramic view of the Urumqi city down the hill and, if weather permits, the far-away snow-capped Tianshan Mountains. The Urumqi River beneath has long gone and has been replaced by the modern expressway. The interior of the pavilion exhibits photos of Urumqi city in history and present. 

Red Hill Pagoda standing on the red rocky cliff is a more than 200-year-old heritage dating back to Qing Dynasty. This delicate tower has gone through ravages of blizzards and earthquakes yet remain intact. Colorful night lights make the pagoda even more beautiful.The Pagoda was originally in dark green and grey color. It was painted red in 1980s.

The also lies a temple in this park. The Dafo (Big Buddha) Temple was first built in Han Dynasty. It was destroyed by warfare in 1930s and was rebuilt afterwards.

A statue of Lin Zexu sits next to Hongshan Pagoda. Lin was a famous figure in Chinese history. He was the governor of Guangdong in 19th century. He was the person behind the movement which eradicate opium trade and consumption in Guangdong. This movement enraged the royal court and the British. He was then assigned to govern in Ili, Xinjiang region, at the remote corner of China. This assignment was considered a punishment for him. Locals in Xinjiang built this statue in memorial of this great patriot.