Source of Life

Source of Life

The city landmark “Source of Life” stands at the central intersection where Xinhua Street and Qianjin Road meet. With its novel and distinctive style, it showcases the architectural image of this border city.

At the center, three thick pillars reach up to 19 meters in height, arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Each pillar has a diameter of 70 centimeters and is spaced 4 meters apart. From a distance, the three pillars rising from the flower bed appear orderly in height and varied in color, giving an impression of unique design, grand momentum, and a simple yet striking composition.

The pillars carry two layers of meaning. The first refers to the water pipelines built in different periods in our city. The red pillar represents the 300-millimeter-diameter prestressed cement pipeline laid in 1982; the blue pillar symbolizes the 400-millimeter-diameter ductile iron water pipe completed on November 18, 1993; and the silver-gray pillar stands for the 400-millimeter-diameter PVC water pipeline built in June 2002. The second meaning is that the three pillars symbolize the integration of Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian cultures.

Viewed from due south, a giant stainless steel structure in the shape of the Arabic numerals “56” tightly encircles the three pillars. It symbolizes the founding of our city in 1956 and also marks the fact that the city’s water supply originates from Qihageretu, which is 56 kilometers away.

This landmark is named “Source of Life” with the aim of fostering a strong water-saving consciousness among all citizens and working together to build a water-efficient city.