Turdi Aji Manor

Turdi Aji Manor

Turdi Aji Manor is situated on a sand ridge about 13 meters high in Awati Village, Pishan Farm, and currently belongs to...the 14th Division Pishan Farm of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Turdi Aji (1871–1968): During his lifetime, he was extremely wealthy, owning tens of thousands of acres of land spread across a wide area and numerous houses. In the early years after liberation, he was classified as a local tyrant landlord.

Turdi Aji Manor: Built in 1929, it has a history of 78 years to date. From the perspective of its location, it was primarily built on sand dunes, surrounded by desert. Initially, the manor had 64 houses, covering an area of 10 mu. After enduring the trials of history and warfare, it lost its former glory, and now only 14 houses remain.The main building of the manor is palace-shaped, magnificent and elegant. There are 14 rooms in total, including a living room, bedrooms, corridors, kitchen, storage rooms, as well as the courtyard, covering an area of about 6,660 square meters, with the courtyard itself spanning 200 square meters. The buildings are single-story structures made of earth and wood, with earthen walls and wooden lattice windows. The roofs are wooden, and the walls of the living rooms and bedrooms feature exquisite Uyghur-style murals.In front of the courtyard stand four ancient willow trees. About 20 meters southeast, 11 thick ancient willows surround a water pool (lao ba), enclosed by earthen walls, which have now been destroyed. Fifty meters in front of the courtyard lies a large mulberry orchard, lush and green. It is said that at the beginning of the 20th century, Maitiniyaz Aimu led people to build a dam here to block water, create a pond, reclaim land, and gradually attract settlers. After his death, the land became the property of Turdi Aji, who built this manor in 1916.

The construction of Turdi Aji Manor mainly used timber materials, without a single nail. From the overall exterior, it is a palace-style manor featuring traditional Eastern wooden architecture. Yet from the interior decoration, it also exhibits Western architectural styles. The manor includes two halls, with a living room, bedrooms, corridors, kitchen, and storage rooms. The hall walls are coated with a gypsum and egg-white plaster finish. The front and sides feature verandas adorned with carved patterns and inscriptions in both Chinese and Arabic characters. The three-sided verandas have upturned eaves and intricate wooden supports, with exquisitely crafted wooden window lattices featuring a variety of beautiful patterns. The front living room walls are inscribed with scriptures, while the central hall’s walls are covered in colorful designs. On the southern wall of the western small room is painted a blueprint of the "Turdi Aji Manor," still vividly clear, brightly colored, with a fireplace below and decorative patterns above. The back wall of the living room is inscribed with the Islamic calendar date of construction. To the west is a small room, whose inner walls feature floral arrangements, potted plants, paintings, and scriptures. Partitioned wooden lattices form various patterns, and the ceiling has gilded grid lines—making the structure both majestic and elegant. The four willow trees planted at the time of the manor's construction still stand at the entrance; although their cores are hollow, they remain leafy and vibrant. The mulberry trees provide ample shade, creating a pleasant landscape. In June 1999, it was designated as an Autonomous Region-level cultural heritage site. After renovation in 2005, Turdi Aji Manor regained its original natural appearance, bearing witness to its storied past through its former glory, attracting countless visitors to stop and admire.

Turdi Manor in Pishan Farm, also known as the Awati Landlord Manor, is the remnants of a manor left behind by wealthy landlords during the semi-feudal, semi-serfdom society. Turdi Manor is located in the First Company of the 14th Division Pishan Farm, 5 kilometers from the farm headquarters and 23 kilometers from Pishan County. Awati, in Uyghur, means "prosperity." Legend has it that in the early 20th century, a Uyghur named Maitiniyaz Ailai led Turdi and six others to this place to build a dam, block water, and reclaim land for farming, gradually attracting settlers and fostering prosperity—hence the name “Awati.” After Maitiniyaz Ailai passed away, Turdi continued to lead 60 people in planting mulberry trees and constructing the manor. The surrounding environment of the manor has since improved significantly, with villages and farms forming nearby. Just the First Company where the manor is located now has over 2,000 employees, both Uyghur and Han. Turdi Manor is an expanded version of earlier constructions, built atop a sand ridge about 13 meters high. The manor’s construction began in 1915 and was completed in 1929, boasting a history of over 80 years.

Research indicates that Turdi Manor initially had 64 rooms, covering more than 10 mu of land. It included luxurious residences, a private mosque for the landlord, as well as dozens of specialized buildings such as grain storage, stables, and pigeon coops. The craftsmen who built the manor were brought from Kashgar, and the timber was transported by water from Pishan County, Kuoshtak, and Keliyang. It took 15 years to complete this palace-style manor. After enduring historical events, erosion by time, and both natural and man-made destruction, this grand estate declined, leaving only one remaining palace-style house with 14 rooms. In 1985, with government approval, the farm administration handed over Turdi Manor to the national cultural heritage protection unit, making it part of the country’s cultural heritage, with the surviving palace-style house as a key protected object. In June 1999, it became an Autonomous Region-level cultural heritage site. In 2005, the government funded the restoration of Turdi Manor.

The four willow trees planted at the time of the manor’s construction still stand at the entrance. Though their trunks are hollow and their bark peeling, these trees remain lush and full of life—a true case of a withered tree reviving in spring, brimming with vitality. Entering the courtyard, you’re greeted by shaded greenery. About 20 meters southeast, 11 thick ancient willows encircle a dried-up water pool (lao ba), their foliage still vibrant. Fifty meters in front of the courtyard lies a large mulberry orchard, with tall, lush mulberry trees. Passing through the dense woods and ascending a few steps, you come upon an open space that suddenly opens up the view. In the center stands a palace-style house—the only remaining old building of Turdi Manor, once the luxurious residence of the serf-owning landlord. This single-story mansion faces south and is backed by the north, with long corridors built on three sides supported by sturdy round logs. The eaves and corridor edges feature interlocking upturned corners, resembling palaces built by the Han people, dignified and majestic. The house is made of earth and wood, using no bricks, tiles, nails, or rivets. The framework is constructed from thick round logs, the outer walls are made of bundled red willow poles covered with a layer of yellow mud, making them sturdy and windproof. The inner walls are coated with a smooth plaster made from gypsum and egg white. The main door is made of wooden planks, with exquisitely carved patterns on the edges, painted in bright colors. The windows are assembled from uniformly sized wooden strips, with varied and intricate lattice patterns, including rectangular grids, diamond shapes, and floral motifs—testament to the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the builders.

The entire house has 14 rooms, roughly divided into three sections, including a living room, bedrooms, corridors, kitchen, and storage rooms.

First Section: Upon entering, you find a large living room, also called the front living room. The three walls of the front living room are painted with exquisite patterns, slightly faded by time but still vibrant. Particularly notable is the Arabic scripture written on the east wall, with clear, bright lettering and vivid colors, resembling a watercolor painting in its entirety.

Second Section: On the north wall of the front living room is a wooden door, with black-and-white wave patterns painted along the frame and exquisitely carved openwork patterns above. Passing through the second door reveals another scene. The central hall is divided into two parts, with a small room partitioned off to the west, resembling a study. The room’s walls are covered in colorful patterns, and on the walls beside the door are painted Western-style clocks. Extending from the clocks are exquisite murals, including bright peonies, neat scriptures, lush potted plants, and flowers. Even the ceiling is thoughtfully designed, with a skylight above painted with vivid flowers—peonies, daisies, narcissus, roses—creating a veritable “garden” in the sky. On the south wall of the room is painted a blueprint of the “Tuohudi Aji” Manor, with bright colors and clear patterns. From the drawing, you can identify the landlord’s mansion, the mosque, the canals, water pools, and orchards within the estate—illustrating the vast scale and rich content of the manor, evidence of the landlord’s considerable wealth. Opposite the study is a small room, internally divided into multiple compartments with minimal decoration, likely used as a grain storage or warehouse. Along the east wall of the central hall is a corridor with an earthen kang (heated bed), probably serving as a small sitting room where the landlord received relatives and friends.

The central hall is separated from the bedroom by a single wall, with a door in the same position on the partition. Passing through this door leads to the third section: the bedroom. The bedroom is also divided into two parts. Near the west wall is a partitioned sleeping area, and near the east wall is another corridor with an earthen kang. The bedroom walls are still adorned with exquisite murals, but this room is unique for its roof and partition walls. The roof is of the Uyghur architectural style known as “Aywang,” with a central skylight in the wooden roof. The protruding part of the skylight is constructed from three layers of uniformly sized round logs, painted in bright colors—green, red, and yellow. Despite the passage of time and exposure to wind and sun, the colors remain vivid. Even with today’s rapid advancements in construction technology, the design of this roof remains timeless. The craftsmanship and painting skills of the builders must have been extraordinary. The partition wall is an openwork floral design, with artisans assembling wooden strips into grids, polygons, and flowers—truly a wall of art. Sunlight filters through the perforated partition, filling the bedroom with brightness. Overall, the house features the style of traditional Eastern wooden architecture—a palace-style mansion. But its interior decorations—exquisite Western clocks, peony and narcissus flowers, and the Aywang-style roof—also incorporate Western elements, Uyghur culture, and Han influences.

The owner of this mansion was Turdi, born in 1871 and died in 1968. He was extremely wealthy in his lifetime, owning tens of thousands of acres of land and many houses, and was classified as a landlord in the early years after liberation. Turdi had one wife and four sons and one daughter. His four sons all worked as laborers on Pishan Farm and have since retired. He owned 115 acres of vineyards, 400 acres of alfalfa fields, and 1,200 acres of arable land, totaling 1,715 acres spread across three locations: Nixiangda Village, Kuruk Aqiq, and Awat in Pishan. These lands were cultivated and managed by 40 tenant farmers, and he also owned 1,780 head of livestock, raised by 6 tenant herders. He also possessed grazing lands in mountainous areas of Keliyang Township, Kuruk Aqiq, and Awat.

The Aji Manor was very famous at the time, attracting tourists from Central Asian countries such as Azerbaijan and Tashkent, as well as from places like Kashgar, Shache, and Hotan. Its owner often hosted Meshrep (traditional Uyghur gatherings) in the manor, enriching the lives of local people and promoting cultural exchange and the spread of civilization. In 2013, Turdi Aji Manor was included in the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, announced by the State Council.