On
the east bank of the
Urumqi River, Red Hill,
910 meters or 3,000 feet
high, at the very center
of the city, resembles a
mighty wriggling dragon.
This reddish-brown hill
is dotted with small
pavilions and at the top
stands a nine-storied,
gray-brick pagoda called
Zhenlong Pagoda (Pagoda
to Suppress Dragons), 8
meters (26.3 feet) high,
facing Yamalike Hill. It
has a legend that in
1785 and 1786 the city
suffered from severe
rive flood, caused, it
was supposed, by a
vicious dragon. If the
two mountains (Red Hill
and Yamalike Hill)
joined, the Urumqi river
would be blocked and
drown the city. In 1788,
Shang An, the governor
of Urumqi, had two
pagodas built at the top
of each hill to suppress
the dragon. Now the
pagoda still remains
intact. There used to be
many famous buildings on
the hill. During the
time of the nomadic
Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" -
the name for a kind of
cairn used by the
tribesmen to worship and
offer sacrifice to their
gods was built here; in
the Qing, Temple of the
Jade Emperor and Temple
of the Great Buddha; the
Palace of the Dipper
were built at the foot
of the hill. Those
splendid temples used to
hold Buddhist activities
and attracted swarms of
worshippers.
Unfortunately they were
burnt down by warlords
later.
Now with emerald
greenery the Red Hill is
a landmark of the city. |