Huiyuan, Xinjiang
Encyclopedia
The township of Huiyuan is located within Huocheng County
, in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
. It is located near the Ili River
, some 30 km to the west of Yining, the main city of the prefecture, and some 8 km south of Shuiding, the county seat. Huiyuan's population was reported as 20,564 by the Year 2000 Census.
Between 1762 and 1866 the Huiyuan Fotress, or Huiyuan City (惠远城, Huiyuan Cheng), the center of the Chinese authority in Xinjiang
was located within the area of the modern Huiyuan township.
, was occupied by the Manchus after 1761. It was there during the reign of emperor Qianlong, in 1762, during one of the rebellions of the local Muslim population, that the fortress of Huiyuan (惠远城, Huiyuancheng) was built, as the center of the Manchu military power and civilian administration in Xinjiang
. The main fortress out of the "Nine Forts" of the Ili (see Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture#Qing Dynasty for the history of the region), Huiyuan was the seat of the Governor General of the region, the Ili Jiangjun (总统伊犁等处将军).
Huiyuan suffered severe damage during the Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s, the besieged Jiangjun Mingsioi
blowing himself up in his palace rather than surrendering to the rebels. The fort fell into disuse during the Russia
n occupation that followed in 1871-81.
The Russians left pursuant to Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
, and two years later, in 1883 the fortress and the military-administrative town that accompanied it were rebuilt in Suiding (presently called Shuiding), some 10 km to north of the river.
While the city of Yining (originally known as Ningyuancheng, 宁远城) has remained the commercial center of the region, the 19th century Huiyuan, like its successor Suiding, was mostly a fortress and an administrative town. Huiyuan was known to the Russians and Westerners as the New Kuldja, Chinese Kuldja, Manchu Kuldja, or Ili, to distinguish it from Yining (the Old Kuldja or the Taranchi
Kuldja).
and section of the wall that used to enclose the Jiangjuns yamen
. However, it has been reported that some of the Qing period buildings, including a bell tower and a "Governor General's Pavilion", have since been rebuilt at the Huiyuan site as a tourist attraction, often referred to as the "Huiyuan Old Town" (惠远古城)
Huocheng County
The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000...
, in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture , in northernmost Xinjiang, is the only Kazakh autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China.-Geography and coordinates:The following figures excludes both Tacheng Prefecture and Altay Prefecture....
, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is located near the Ili River
Ili River
thumb|right|300px|Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin showing the Ili River and its tributariesThe Ili River is a river in northwestern China and southeastern Kazakhstan .It is long, of which is in Kazakhstan...
, some 30 km to the west of Yining, the main city of the prefecture, and some 8 km south of Shuiding, the county seat. Huiyuan's population was reported as 20,564 by the Year 2000 Census.
Between 1762 and 1866 the Huiyuan Fotress, or Huiyuan City (惠远城, Huiyuan Cheng), the center of the Chinese authority in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
was located within the area of the modern Huiyuan township.
Qing Dynasty
This area, originally homeland of Zungar MongolsDzungaria
Dzungaria, also called Zungaria, is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. It covers approximately , lying mostly within Xinjiang, and extending into western Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan...
, was occupied by the Manchus after 1761. It was there during the reign of emperor Qianlong, in 1762, during one of the rebellions of the local Muslim population, that the fortress of Huiyuan (惠远城, Huiyuancheng) was built, as the center of the Manchu military power and civilian administration in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
. The main fortress out of the "Nine Forts" of the Ili (see Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture#Qing Dynasty for the history of the region), Huiyuan was the seat of the Governor General of the region, the Ili Jiangjun (总统伊犁等处将军).
Huiyuan suffered severe damage during the Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s, the besieged Jiangjun Mingsioi
Mingsioi
Mingsioi or Mingxu was a Qing Governor General of Ili in 1864-66, charged with the overall command of the Chinese troops in Xinjiang....
blowing himself up in his palace rather than surrendering to the rebels. The fort fell into disuse during the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n occupation that followed in 1871-81.
The Russians left pursuant to Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg , also known as Treaty of Ili, was the treaty between the Russian Empire and the Chinese Empire, signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 12 February 1881...
, and two years later, in 1883 the fortress and the military-administrative town that accompanied it were rebuilt in Suiding (presently called Shuiding), some 10 km to north of the river.
While the city of Yining (originally known as Ningyuancheng, 宁远城) has remained the commercial center of the region, the 19th century Huiyuan, like its successor Suiding, was mostly a fortress and an administrative town. Huiyuan was known to the Russians and Westerners as the New Kuldja, Chinese Kuldja, Manchu Kuldja, or Ili, to distinguish it from Yining (the Old Kuldja or the Taranchi
Taranchi
The term Taranchi denotes the Muslim sedentary population living in oases around the Tarim Basin in today's Xinjiang, whose native language is Turkic Karluk, and whose ancestral heritages include Iranic and Tocharian populations of Tarim and the later Turco-Mongol immigrants of the Qarluq, Uyghur,...
Kuldja).
Present
James Millward, writing in 1998, said that the only surviving remains of the Qing era structures were a drum towerDrum Tower
The term Drum tower is used to refer to a tower in the center of an old Chinese city, housing signal drums. There was usually also a Bell tower nearby...
and section of the wall that used to enclose the Jiangjuns yamen
Yamen
A yamen is any local bureaucrat's, or mandarin's, office and residence of the Chinese Empire. The term has been widely used in China for centuries, but appeared in English during the Qing Dynasty....
. However, it has been reported that some of the Qing period buildings, including a bell tower and a "Governor General's Pavilion", have since been rebuilt at the Huiyuan site as a tourist attraction, often referred to as the "Huiyuan Old Town" (惠远古城)