Dried cold-water fish is made by salting and air-drying rainbow trout and golden trout, then vacuum-sealing the product. Before eating, soak it in warm water for two hours, then cook it by braising or steaming. It is one of the characteristic local specialties of Wenquan County.…
Ingredients for home-style mixed noodles: white flour, lamb or beef, onion, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, celery (seasonal), soy sauce, and other seasonings. Also: prepare a basin of cold boiled water for later use. 1. First, knead the dough into a ball, let it rest for a while, then knead it again, and let it rest for about 20 minutes. 2. Cut the dough into thick strips, then roll them into thin strips. When rolling the dough, dip your palms in a little...
Sea lavender blooms across the hillsides of Kuytun in summer. From a distance, the colorful wildflowers covering the mountains are sea lavender. Also known as yellow horned poppy or golden spoonleaf herb, ancient medical texts record that it has medicinal value, with properties for pain relief, anti-inflammation, and blood enrichment. It is used for neuralgia, scanty menstruation, tinnitus, insufficient lactation…
The decorative felt, known as "Siermake" in Kazakh, is renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and distinctive style. The materials used to make decorative felt include wool, wool yarn, colored fabric, and thread. Kazakh women typically create three types of decorative felt: one involves cutting colored fabric into patterns and sewing them onto a white felt base with wool yarn; another type involves dyeing the felt in various colors, then piecing together colorful felt to form patterns before sewing them together; a third method combines colored felt pieces and fabrics into richly patterned designs, meticulously stitched by hand. Decorative felt is generally thicker than ordinary felt, often double-layered and tightly woven, making it durable. It is primarily used on the floor of yurts or on the kang (heated bed platform) in rural homes, serving both to insulate against damp and cold and to beautify the interior. It is also an indispensable part of a Kazakh bride’s dowry. Summer is the peak season for Kazakh women to make decorative felt. The entire process—from shearing wool, pressing the felt, to stitching—is done by hand. When one family undertakes the task, others come to help, creating a vivid and beautiful scene on the grassland.
Yili is one of the birthplaces of the world's apples, and to this day, over 140,000 acres of wild apple forests still remain. The Ili River was called the "Yila River" during the Yuan Dynasty, which means "Yila Apple." There are now more than 100 varieties, with famous local cultivars including Aport, Hongmengpaisi, and Jintagan. Aport, also known as Hadaguozi, features large fruit size, beautiful color...
Tian Shan Wapiti is one of China's rare and precious wild animals and is classified as a second-class protected species in the country. It features a large body size, strong and graceful physique, gentle temperament, strong disease resistance, tolerance to coarse feed, and high reproductive survival rates. Its antlers have a short growth period, high yield, plump shape, tender texture, and are rich in crude protein and amino acids, with a high calcium...
The Ili black bee has a long history. Over 100 years ago, black bee populations were first introduced from the former Soviet Union. After the liberation, black bee queen-bee farms and large-scale breeding farms were successively established in Tekes County, Nileke County, and Zhaosu County of Ili. Under favorable nectar conditions, through long-term natural selection, domestication, breeding, and improvement, an excellent…
Nileke Black Bee Honey is a specialty of Nileke County in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Nileke Black Bee is one of the world’s four most famous bee species. It is large in size, robust in physique, and strong in stamina. It has greater disease resistance than any other bee variety. It also exhibits strong cold resistance, safely surviving harsh winters with temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius, …
The specially made Yili Daqu, commonly known as Yilite Qu, is a strong-aroma type of Baijiu. It is crystal clear, with a rich aroma, smooth taste, and a long-lasting aftertaste. Yilite Qu has long been renowned across Xinjiang for its excellent quality and distinctive flavor. It is a unique award-winning liquor that enjoys the reputation of being the “Maotai of Xinjiang.” In addition, there are also…
Lavender, also known as spike lavender, has flower spikes from which an aromatic oil—lavender essential oil—can be extracted. The Ili River Valley in Xinjiang is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has a semi-arid climate. Lavender grown here grows tall with abundant blossoms, yielding high oil production, with pure oil quality, strong fragrance, and excellent overall quality. It supplies manufacturers across the country for the production of daily cosmetics. The Ili River Valley is China’s main...
Ili is the homeland of the "Heavenly Horse," and the Yining saddle, closely associated with this legendary steed, has gained widespread fame alongside it. The craftsmanship involved in making a Yining saddle is intricate and demanding. It consists of several processes, including the construction of the saddle frame, leatherwork, carving, and inlaying. As such, it requires the collaborative efforts of carpenters, leatherworkers, silversmiths, blacksmiths, and lacquer craftsmen…
Holstein cattle are large dairy cows known for their tall stature, well-proportioned build, large udders, and prominent milk veins, yielding high milk production. Stabled Holstein cows can produce up to 6,500 kilograms of milk. They are distributed across all regions of Xinjiang, with the main production areas located in the northern slope economic belt of the Tianshan Mountains, the Ili River Valley, the Tacheng Basin, and the Yanqi Basin. The total number of Holstein cattle in Xinjiang is 82...
Spicy and Unusual Noodles — as the name suggests, these noodles are made with a broth prepared using a variety of seasonings, delivering a numbing, spicy, richly savory flavor with an indescribable complexity. Despite the small shop, it's said to sell as much as 3,000 jin (about 1,500 kg) of noodles every day — quite the exaggeration, or maybe not. Guests can try different flavors to find their favorite. They also serve Snow Bean Trotter Flower, a dish with snow-white soup that's both nutritious and delicious...
Felt rug, known as "Sirmaq" in the Kazakh language, is renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and distinctive style. The materials used to make felt rugs include wool, wool thread, colored fabric, and yarn. Kazakh women typically make three types of felt rugs. One involves cutting colored fabric into patterns and sewing them onto a white felt base using wool thread; another method involves dyeing the felt in various colors, then patching together colorful felt pieces to form patterns, which are then sewn together with wool thread; the third type combines colored felt patches and colored fabric to create richly patterned designs, meticulously stitched by hand. Felt rugs are generally thicker than regular felt, often double-layered, and tightly sewn for durability. They are mainly used on the floor of yurts or on heated brick beds in rural homes, serving both to insulate against moisture and cold and to beautify the interior. A felt rug is also one of the essential dowries for a Kazakh bride. Summer is the peak season for Kazakh women to make felt rugs. From shearing the wool and pressing the felt to the final stitching, the entire process is done by hand. When one family makes felt rugs, others come to help, creating a vivid and beautiful scene on the grassland.
Ethnic horse boots are tall leather boots favored by ethnic minorities in Xinjiang such as the Kazak, Kyrgyz, and Mongolian peoples for horse herding. They are mainly produced in Ili, Xinjiang; as well as in Urumqi, Changji, and Wujiaqu. The materials used must be high-quality cowhide with even thickness, toughness, and a glossy finish. In terms of craftsmanship, in addition to using standard boot-making techniques...
The Ili River Valley boasts a rare "wet island climate" within the arid geographical environment of the Eurasian continent, often referred to as the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall." Tekes County is located 119 kilometers from Yining City, in the eastern section of the Tekes River Valley along the upper reaches of the Ili River. It currently has 7.54 million mu of grassland and over 100 types of wild nectariferous plants...
Yining corn is a specialty of Yining County in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. The corn cultivation in Yining County is characterized by large planting areas, high yields, good profitability, and favorable conditions for conversion. Yining County is one of the major corn-producing areas in Ili and even in all of Xinjiang. It plants corn on approximately 600,000 mu (about 40,000 hectares) annually, yielding about 500,000 tons. The corn-growing area accounts for nearly half of the total in the Ili Prefecture directly under the autonomous region, …
Lavender Western Xinjiang’s Ili region is located in the western frontier of China. Its latitude matches that of France, a renowned perfume-producing country, and the area benefits from long hours of sunlight, significant temperature variations, and a pollution-free environment—all of which ensure exceptional quality for aromatic plants. The main crops include lavender, purple-stemmed plants, peppermint, roses, clary sage, Roman chamomile, rosemary, basil...
Ili Bee Products 1. Pollen: The Tangbula Grassland in Ili, Xinjiang, is an area where the historical ecological environment has been well preserved. It is pure, natural, and unpolluted. The pollen produced here boasts rich, comprehensive, and balanced nutritional content, earning it accolades from nutritionists as a "concentrated micro-nutrient bank" and an "edible beauty product." 2. …
In ancient China, renowned horses such as the Heavenly Horse, the Westernmost Horse, and the Rouge Horse all came from the Western Regions. The "Rouge Horse" refers to the Yanqi Horse, while the "Heavenly Horse" and "Westernmost Horse" were the Wusun Horses. Emperor Wu of Han once composed the "Song of the Westernmost Heavenly Horse," which reads: "The Heavenly Horse comes from the Westernmost, traveling ten thousand li to reach the virtuous land..." This has been celebrated as a timeless tale.