Red Hill
Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill". 
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods. 
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
