Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region: Qianjin Street Historical and Cultural Block in Yining

Qianjin Street Historical and Cultural Block in Yining
伊宁市前进街历史文化街区

The Ili River Valley is a wetland inside the drought-prone terrain of the Eurasian continent, and is known as "another Jiangnan area (a region south of the Yangtze River) north of the Great Wall", "hometown of apples", and "hometown of rare precious horses".

Yining city, spanning across the midstream of the Ili River Valley, is the capital of the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and is also the political, economic, cultural and transportation center in the Ili River Valley region.

Qianjin Street, sitting in the Nanshi district of the city, runs north-south from the Shaanxi Hui Mosque on Xinhuadong Road and ends at No 31 primary school.

There are nine "qi" cultures on the streets.

"Qi" refers to a craftsman or artist who is good at a certain skill. The nine "qis" each specialize in a particular service, namely molding pots, making leather, affixing horseshoes, making pits for nang cakes, producing metal barrels, making ceramics, creating floral hats, planting vegetables and manufacturing drums.