Hami King Scenic Area

Hami King Scenic Area

The Hami King Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Hami King Scenic Area was established in April 2008 through the merger of the Hami Royal Palace and the Hami Royal Tombs. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national cultural heritage site, covering a total area of 78 acres. As the Hami Hui Kings played a significant role in historically maintaining the unity of Xinjiang and promoting ethnic unity, the Hami King Scenic Area is also an important base for promoting national unity and territorial integrity.

The Hami Royal Palace was once the largest, most magnificent, and uniquely styled palace complex in Xinjiang. In 1698 (the 37th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign), the first Hami Hui King, Emin Doraha, traveled to Beijing to pay homage. Upon his return the following year, he invited Han artisans from Beijing to redesign and rebuild the Hami Old City and the Hami Royal Palace. The Hami Old City and the Royal Palace were officially completed in 1706, taking seven years in total. Xiao Xiong described the Hami Royal Palace in his poem “Miscellaneous Poems on the Western Frontier” as follows: “The royal palace is located at the eastern corner of the city, built upon a raised platform attached to the wall, towering above the city walls. Inside the gate, the main residence has three stories, all on level ground. To the right of the residence, one ascends steps onto the platform, where surrounding rooms offer views downward into the inner courtyard. To the left of the residence, one walks along a long corridor, passes through another gate, and arrives at the garden, which features several pavilions, clusters of fruit trees, exotic flowers, and rows of potted plants, resembling the scenery of inland China. All these were collected by the late king, Bashi’er, during his six-year stay in Beijing, acquired at great expense and transported over long distances.” The most prominent impression from this description is that the palace was built atop a high platform. Hence, locals referred to the Hami Royal Palace as “King’s Platform.” In the eighth year of the Guangxu reign (1882), the ninth Hami Hui King, Shamu Hesut, renovated and expanded the palace after ascending the throne. The rebuilt complex covered over 20,000 square meters with more than 800 rooms. The main gate tower featured upturned eaves, carved wooden patterns, and glazed tile roofing, exuding a distinct Han Chinese architectural style and an air of grandeur. In the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), during a peasant uprising, the Hami Royal Palace was burned to the ground. In 2003, the Hami Royal Palace was reconstructed. The rebuilt palace covers an area of 58 acres and includes the King’s Platform (King’s Hall, Royal Palace, Queen’s Palace, Mosque, Office of the Prince, Offices of the Bek, and corner pavilions), a quadrangle courtyard, stables, prison cells, watchtowers, officer lounges, military council chambers, and a troop inspection platform. The King’s Platform is hollow with a frame structure inside, designed primarily to meet modern tourism needs and intended for future use as entertainment, dining, and film production venues.

The Hami Royal Palace was once the largest, most magnificent, and uniquely styled palace complex in Xinjiang. It also served as the political, economic, and cultural center of Hami. For the last two hundred years of the feudal era, virtually every official and notable figure who passed through Hami—such as Lin Zexu who was exiled to the frontier, Zuo Zongtang who quelled rebellions, the reformist official Zhang Yinhuan, and the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin—visited this site.

The title “Hami Hui King” was the common name used by the Qing government for the leaders of the Hui (Uyghur) people in Hami. According to the Eight Banners system of the Qing Dynasty, among the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, there were four kings and four dukes, collectively known as the Eight Divisions of Huijiang. Due to their outstanding contributions to the unification of the nation, the Hami Hui King was regarded by the Qing government as the foremost among the Eight Divisions of Huijiang. The Hami Hui Kings held power longer than any other Uyghur nobility in Xinjiang since the Qing Dynasty and had a significant impact on the region’s history.

The first Hami Hui King, Emin Doraha, was officially granted the title of “First-Class Jasak Darhan of the Hami Hui Tribe” by Emperor Kangxi for his meritorious service in capturing Galdan Tseren’s son, the leader of the Dzungar rebellion, and presenting him to the Qing court. From then on, he raised the banner of safeguarding national unity and was bestowed an official title by the Qing government. Upon returning from Beijing, he modeled the palace after the Forbidden City. When he went to the capital, he presented melons that had been cultivated for over 2,000 years to the Forbidden City. Emperor Kangxi highly praised them and named them “Hami Melons,” thus giving the fruit its name derived from the place, and the place fame because of the fruit.

The second Hami Hui King, Guopaa, the eldest son of Emin Doraha, reigned for only two years before passing away due to illness.

The third Hami Hui King, Emin, reigned for 28 years. During his rule, he vigorously developed land reclamation, gathered grain to support the military, resisted foreign invasions, and provided substantial support to the Qing government. He also paid homage to both Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Yongzheng.

The fourth Hami Hui King, Yusufu, was highly trusted by the Qing government for his active support in maintaining national unity and opposing ethnic separatism. In the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign (1757 AD), when the Dzungar Rebellion led by the Big and Little Hozhas broke out in the Xinjiang region, Yusufu volunteered to assist the Qing government in quelling the unrest. He personally led troops from the royal palace to suppress the southern Xinjiang rebellion and achieved remarkable military success. Deeply moved by his loyalty, Emperor Qianlong conferred upon him the rank of Duke. He became the first official “Hami King” in the legal sense, and his portrait and eulogy are displayed in the Fifty Meritorious Officials Hall in the Ziguang Pavilion of the Forbidden City.

The fifth Hami Hui King, Isaak, and the sixth Hami Hui King, Erdeshir, achieved no major accomplishments during their reigns.

The seventh Hami Hui King, Bashi’er, reigned for 53 years, making him the longest-serving Hami King. In the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign (1867), a peasant uprising occurred in Hami. At a critical moment, Bashi’er led his troops into fierce battle, but ultimately, due to being outnumbered, Hami fell, and Bashi’er was captured and killed by the rebel forces. The Qing government considered him a martyr who sacrificed his life for the country, posthumously granting him the title of Prince of the First Rank and awarding 120,000 taels of silver for the construction of his tomb and the city walls.

The eighth Hami Hui King, Mohamot, was physically disabled from birth and unable to govern. His mother, Mailibanu, effectively “ruled from behind the curtain,” holding power and making positive contributions to Hami’s prosperity and development.

The ninth Hami Hui King, Shamu Hesut, was utterly loyal to the Qing government. Even in late 1911, when the Qing Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, he still requested permission to travel to Beijing to pay homage. The dying Qing court, unable to accept such loyalty, declined his request citing poor road conditions. Before long, the Qing Dynasty fell, and the Republic of China was established. He still traveled to Beijing to pay homage to Yuan Shikai, who awarded him the First-Class Jiahe Medal and double salary in an attempt to win the support of regional nobles for his plan to restore the imperial system. In the 24th year of the Republic of China, the ninth Hami Hui King passed away. The Xinjiang Provincial Government proposed the “abolition of hereditary rule and integration into the regular administrative system.” The territories and privileges of the Hami King were officially abolished, bringing an end to the 233-year rule of the Hami Kings over the Uyghur people.

Hami Hui Royal Tombs

The Hami Hui Royal Tombs are a complex of burial structures for the Hami Kings and their family members during the Qing Dynasty. The local Uyghur people refer to this site as “Altunluk,” meaning “Golden Tomb.” In 1990, it was designated as an Autonomous Region-level key cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. In June 2006, it was announced as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council. Among the ancient tombs representing the Uyghur burial culture in Xinjiang, the Hami Hui Royal Tombs are a particularly iconic site, representing the highest level of Eastern Xinjiang’s tomb culture. The Hami King Tombs are a burial complex for successive Hami Hui Kings and their families, consisting of the Grand Mausoleum of the Seventh Hami King, the wooden pavilion-style mausoleum of the Ninth Hami King, and a mosque. The Hami Hui Kings were the local feudal rulers of the Uyghur people in Hami during the Qing Dynasty, spanning nine generations over 223 years. Among the surviving royal tomb structures, the most prominent is the Grand Mausoleum of the Seventh Hami King, Bashi’er. The Grand Mausoleum of Bashi’er was constructed using 120,000 taels of silver granted by Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty. Special materials such as glazed bricks and tiles were transported from Beijing to build this Arab-style grand mausoleum. To the south of Bashi’er’s Grand Mausoleum, there were originally five wooden pavilion-style tomb structures, of which only two remain today—the one on the east side is the tomb of the ninth Hami King, Shamu Hesut, and the one on the west side is the tomb of a prince. The exteriors of the mausoleums feature architectural styles of the Han Chinese with octagonal, pointed roofs and Mongolian styles resembling round helmets. The exteriors are richly decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, upturned eaves, and flying ridges, while the interiors are entirely Islamic-style domed architecture. It is the close integration and harmonious unity of the Islamic architectural style of the Uyghurs with the architectural styles of the Central Plains Han Chinese and the Mongolians that further highlights the preciousness and exquisite craftsmanship of these two tombs. To the west of Bashi’er’s Grand Mausoleum lies the Id Kah Grand Mosque, initially built during the reign of the first Hami King, Emin Doraha, and later expanded continuously by the fourth and sixth Hami Kings, eventually forming today’s grand structure—the largest indoor mosque in Xinjiang, covering 2,280 square meters. The mosque is supported by 104 large red pillars that uphold the vast and majestic roof. The surrounding walls are white, inscribed with verses from the Quran, adorned with floral paintings for decoration, giving the entire structure a solemn and reverent atmosphere. During major Islamic festivals, the mosque can accommodate over 5,000 worshippers. The Id Kah Mosque is still in use, hosting around 5,000 people during Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, with an additional 4,000 gathering outside. Each year during these two holidays, Muslims from both urban and rural areas come here to pray. The mosque can hold up to 5,000 people, making it the largest in Hami. The Uyghurs of Hami gave the royal tombs a beautiful name, “Altunluk,” meaning “Golden Sacred Land.”