Red Hill is a rocky outcrop of red sandstone rising out of the middle of Urumqi, on the western bank of the Urumqi River, and it is the city's defining landmark in the way that a mountain or a cathedral defines other places. It was a natural boundary marker between the old Chinese city and the Uyghur town, and a small pagoda was built on the summit in the eighteenth century, apparently for geomantic reasons. The hill is now surrounded by the modern city, and the park on its slopes is the most accessible high ground in Urumqi.
The park and the view
The park is planted with trees and laid out with paths, pavilions, a lake and a children's area, and a paved route climbs to the summit, where the pagoda stands with the city spread out below. On a clear day - and clear days are common in the dry air of the basin - the view runs across the whole city and out to the snow-covered Tianshan range to the south and east, with the Bogda massif visible at the far end. The contrast between the dense modern skyline and the white mountains behind is the reason the hill is on every local itinerary, and it is genuinely spectacular in the hour before sunset.
The city around it
From Red Hill the centre of Urumqi is within walking distance: the People's Park, the Grand Bazaar, the regional museum and the main commercial streets are all within a few kilometres, and the district between the hill and the bazaar is the liveliest part of the city for food and shopping. The hill also sits near the confluence of the rivers that once defined the settlement, and the parks along the water make a reasonable walk down towards the bazaar.
Practical notes
The park is free and open through the day, with a small charge for some of its attractions, and a cable car runs up the hill if you would rather not walk. The climb is short and there is no altitude issue at Urumqi's eight hundred metres. Late afternoon is the best time, both for the light and for the temperature in summer. Urumqi is a long way from anywhere else in Xinjiang, so the hill is normally combined with the Grand Bazaar and the regional museum on the same day rather than treated as a separate outing.
