Crescent Moon Park

　　Crescent Moon Park is located on Yingbin North Road in Yining County, covering an area of over 60 acres. The park is home to tens of thousands of trees, including apricot, plum, peach, apple, and cherry trees. With lush greenery shading the area, branches heavy with fruit, and clusters of flowers beneath the trees, it attracts a large number of visitors daily who linger, reluctant to leave. To meet the needs of tourists, pavilions and towers featuring Uyghur architectural styles have been built in the park in recent years. Regular performances of traditional ethnic song and dance, such as the Meshrep, are also held. In spring and summer, this truly is an ideal destination for leisure, vacationing, and experiencing Uyghur culture.

　　The Decisive Site Where the Tang Dynasty Unified the Western Regions — Gongyue City

　　When it comes to seeking out and exploring scenic spots and historic sites rich in unique Western Region charm, Xinjiang is undoubtedly a top destination. But within the northern Xinjiang Ili River Valley, the most ancient and historically documented site is the ruins of “Gongyue City.” Gongyue City was a military stronghold and important trading hub on the northern route of the Silk Road. It was closely linked to the rise and fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate, and its historical significance should not be underestimated.

　　The ruins of Gongyue City, located northeast of Tulufan Yizhi Township in Yining County, are a regional-level cultural heritage protection site. The ruins consist of two parts: a large city and a small one. Stretching 1.8 kilometers from east to west and 4.5 kilometers from north to south, the total area is about 8 square kilometers. Locally, it is referred to by the Uyghur name “Altunluk,” meaning “Golden City.”

　　Gongyue City was the decisive battleground where the Tang Dynasty unified the Western Regions. The Battle of Gongyue City, where the rebellion of Ashina Helu was quelled, marked a significant historical event: the demise of the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Tang Dynasty’s unification of Central Asia. This event is detailed in numerous historical texts, including the “Biographies of the Turks” in both the Old and New Books of Tang, and the Zizhi Tongjian. According to historical records: Gongyue City was originally a tribe of the Western Turks, and the city that took its name rose to prominence during the Northern Qi Dynasty. In the 13th year of the Zhenguan era (639 AD), the Dulu Tribe, residing along the Ili River (today’s Ili River), supported Ashina Helu as their protector, establishing a secondary capital (akin to a secondary imperial capital) here. From this base, they waged relentless military campaigns, and Gongyue City gradually became another major military, political, and commercial hub in the Western Regions. In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649 AD), upon hearing of the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Helu launched a rebellion again, taking control of the former territory of the Dulu Khagan and setting up his capital in Suyab and Gongyue City along the Ili River. In the 3rd year of the Xianqing era (658 AD), Su Dingfang, the Grand General of the Yili Route Expeditionary Force, led armies from both the north and south to launch a campaign. Su personally commanded the main northern forces, crossing the Golden Yak Mountain (now the Koktokay Mountain range) through snow to launch a surprise attack on Ashina Helu in Gongyue City. He then pursued the retreating forces and engaged the southern army, which had advanced from the direction of Nalati in today’s Xinyuan County, at Shuanghe. Helu suffered a crushing defeat, fled hastily across the Ili River toward the kingdom of Shiguo (modern-day Tashkent region in Uzbekistan), and was captured by the Tang general Xiao Siye, who escorted him to Chang’an. This led to the fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate.

　　From an aerial view of the old site of Gongyue City, one can see that it is situated against a mountain (the Golden Yak Mountain, now the Koktokay section of the Western Tianshan Mountains south of Bortala Prefecture) and adjacent to a river (the Jiergelang River). The terrain is strategically advantageous and the surrounding area is expansive, making it an ideal location for nomadic tribes to establish their headquarters (“yabghu” seat, now referred to as a royal or capital city) and command their people. After the suppression of Ashina Helu’s rebellion, the Tang Dynasty retained the rule of the Ashina nobility, establishing prefectures and counties throughout the territories once controlled by Helu, and set up two protectorates under the Anxi Protectorate.

　　Archaeological findings also indicate that Gongyue City was a thriving commercial hub on the northern route of the Silk Road.

　　Gongyue City rose to prominence during the Northern Qi Dynasty and was destroyed after the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As the earliest military stronghold in the Ili River Valley, it was constantly contested and served as an important military, political, and commercial center on the northern route of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, playing a significant role in the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. Today, only ruins remain, and we can hardly imagine the prosperity that once thrived here. However, historical records still reveal signs of its economic development. [In 1959, among the Chinese-language documents excavated from the Astana Tombs in Turpan by the Xinjiang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Team, a fragment of the “Shang’an Xiyu Du Hu Fu” (Report from Shang County to the Anxi Protectorate) mentioned Gongyue City. The document describes how Cao Lushan, a “Hu (non-Han) who did not understand Chinese,” accused Li Shaojin, a “capital slave,” of borrowing 275 bolts of silk in Gongyue City and fleeing to Kucha (present-day Kuqa) without repayment. The witness, Bisa, had also left Gongyue City and gone west.] Since 1959, archaeologists in Xinjiang have unearthed ancient Chinese documents in the Turpan tombs, such as the “Gaochang County Report to the Anxi Protectorate,” which recorded that a merchant of an ethnic minority in Gongyue City once lent out 275 bolts of silk and other goods. In 1987, villagers digging for tree planting on the site uncovered a pottery jar and a gilded copper Buddha statue. Inside the jar were 174 silver coins inscribed with Arabic text. The copper Buddha, 17 cm tall, stands on a lotus base with a serene and lifelike expression. In 1991, an ancient clay basin (approximately 80 cm high with a diameter of 35 cm) was also excavated and is now housed in the Ili Regional Cultural Relics Office.

　　After more than 1,300 years and countless changes, in 1936, during the rule of warlord Sheng Shicai in Xinjiang, the Gongyue City ruins were excavated in search of gold and treasures, resulting in severe damage to the site.

　　Today, through the development by locals, this area has become a well-known production site for Ili’s large white apricots. In early spring, blooming apricot blossoms delight the eye, while in early summer, the fruit-laden trees and lush greenery attract many tourists.

　　The Origin of the “Apricot Township”: (Xinjiang is famed as a land of fruits beyond the Great Wall. Yining County, located in the Ili River Valley, enjoys superior natural conditions, and the northern mountain slopes feature dozens of kilometers of temperature inversion zones, perfect for growing fruits and vegetables.) Yining County boasts a wide variety of fruit trees, including apple, apricot, peach, and grape. Among these, apples and apricots dominate, accounting for 70% and 20% of the total planted area, respectively. Apricot is the second most produced fruit in Yining County, not only with a long cultivation history but also widely distributed. Among them, the large white apricot is especially renowned, earning Yining County the title of “Apricot Township of the Ili.”

　　Yining County grows several varieties of apricots, mainly the large white apricot, small May, large May, and Li Guang apricot. In the 1950s, the apricot planting area reached 2,609 mu, with a peak annual yield of 632 tons. By 1985, there were 1,800 mu of contiguous apricot orchards, yielding 174 tons. Additionally, apricots are widely planted in household courtyards.

　　Ili’s large white apricots are golden-yellow, large in size, with thick flesh, high sugar content, and plenty of fiber, offering an excellent taste. They are the county’s most prestigious specialty in the western regions. Every July when the large white apricots ripen, visitors and merchants flock here to taste and trade them.