The First Oil Well in Xinjiang

　　  The "First Oil Well in Xinjiang" in Xin-Shanzi has recently been included in the list of the sixth batch of autonomous region-level cultural heritage protection units approved by the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

　　  According to the *Illustrated Gazetteer of Xinjiang*, “There are two oil springs in Dushanzi, one at the southern foot and one at the western foot. Their color is deep purple, floating on the water surface, abundant in summer but drying up in winter.” In 1909, the local government of Xinjiang allocated 300,000 taels of silver to purchase machinery from Russia and drilled the first oil well in Xinjiang in Dushanzi. The *Illustrated Gazetteer of Xinjiang* described it as: “The well is seven or eight zhang deep, with sounds inside like ocean waves, oil and gas steaming and surging straight out,” and “when ignited, the flame rises several chi high.” Crude oil samples sent to Baku, Russia for analysis showed that “over 60 jin of pure oil could be extracted from every 100 jin.” Dushanzi is located about 270 kilometers north of Ürümqi.