Yamatu, meaning “a place with goats” in the Dzungar language, was historically a ferry crossing. The bridge derives its name from this ancient ferry. Here, mountains meet water, creating beautiful scenery. The valley is covered with endless secondary forests, home to over 60 types of natural trees including oak, birch, sea buckthorn, sweet apricot, and apple. In the height of summer, the forest floor is lush with green grass, while springs gurgle softly. Birds such as larks, wild ducks, pheasants, and rabbits make their homes here, forming a poetic landscape. On hot summer days, stepping into the woods brings a refreshing breeze that instantly relieves the heat. On the small island in the river, trees and flowers complement each other, creating a dense and vibrant scene — making it a perfect destination for leisure and vacation.
The resort features an inorganic ecological botanical garden, a green ecological farming area, a lotus pond, a dock, a go-kart track, and fishing spots. Tourist activities include fishing, wooden boat tours around the island, lotus viewing, and go-karting.
Yamatu Tourist Resort
Yamatu Tourist Resort is located in Bayituhai Township, Yining County, and is renowned for the Yamatu Bridge that crosses the Ili River. It lies where the Kash River and the Ili River meet. The location benefits from good transportation links — it is 79 kilometers west of the county town and borders Gongliu County to the south. It is also an important section of Provincial Highway 315, connecting Gongliu, Tekes, and Zhaosu counties within the Ili Prefecture.
Yamatu, meaning “a place with goats” in the Dzungar language, has long been a ferry site. The bridge takes its name from this historic crossing. The area offers beautiful scenery where mountains and waters blend seamlessly. The valley features vast secondary forests, with over 60 species of natural trees such as oak, birch, sea buckthorn, sweet apricot, and apple. In peak summer, the forest is covered with lush green grass and dotted with gurgling springs. Birds such as larks, wildfowl, pheasants, and rabbits live among the trees, creating a scene straight out of a poem. On hot summer days, entering the forest brings a cool, refreshing atmosphere that instantly dispels the heat. The small island in the middle of the river, surrounded by trees and flowers, is lush and green — truly an ideal spot for leisure and vacation.
The Turkic people, who once played a prominent role in the history of the ancient Western Regions, left behind a rich cultural heritage. One example is the Turkic language family, an important branch of the Altaic language group. Modern languages spoken by the Uyghur, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz peoples all belong to this language family (Mongolian belongs to the same language group). On the historical mirror of “place names,” although few Turkic-language place names have survived to this day for various reasons, traces of them can still be found. Within Yining County, there are two such examples: one is Bayituohai, historically known as Bayituhai or Baoertuohui, meaning “a land rich in shrubs”; the other is Tuohai, meaning “river bend.” (Turkic-language place names)
Site of Genghis Khan’s Western Expedition Strategy — Kuixuntuobie: Located 3 kilometers from Yamatu Resort, 200 meters directly south of the Bayituohai Township government.
There is a large, slightly bow-shaped earthen mound called “Kuixun (in Mongolian, meaning ‘a large earthen platform used as a command center’) Tuobie.” This historical site is about 30 meters high, with a flat top measuring 13 meters wide and over 280 meters long, covering nearly 30 acres. Climbing onto this massive mound offers a commanding view and an awe-inspiring experience — you can gaze across the vast plains north of the Ili River and see the distant Yamatu Bridge. Reflecting on the time when the great Genghis Khan devised his strategy for the Western Expedition and mustered his forces in Ili stirs the imagination, almost making one feel the presence of the “Heavenly Khan’s” former might. After the liberation, during the construction of residences and roads to the north of the mound, numerous human and horse bones, as well as headless skulls (with notably large skulls and thicker, longer limb bones than those of modern humans), were unearthed. A six-pronged spear-like weapon was also discovered.
Yamatu Bridge: It is a key bridge on Provincial Highway 315, which connects the prefectural capital of Ili with Gongliu, Tekes, and Zhaosu counties.
Originally a ferry crossing, the bridge was named after this ancient ferry. In the early 1980s, it was surveyed and designed by the Xinjiang Communications Department Bridge Engineering Team. Construction began in August 1981 and took two years to complete, officially opening to traffic in 1983. It is currently the largest span highway bridge in Xinjiang, built using advanced technology and meeting high standards. The bridge is 174 meters long, with a deck 9 meters wide, consisting of three spans — the central span is 75 meters, and it supports vehicles weighing up to 20 tons. The completion of the bridge changed the previous reliance on boats for crossing between the north and south banks, which was inconvenient, and played a significant role in accelerating the economic development of Ili.
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