Ili River Scenic Area 伊犁河风景区

About Ili River Scenic Area

The Ili is the river that gives the valley its name. Xinhua records that the valley is enclosed by mountains on three sides and opens westward through a funnel-shaped gap, which the page says produced the river's rare east-to-west course, and that the river crosses Yining along 49 km of winding bank. Xinhua describes marshes and reeds along the shore with egrets rising from them, and reports that mute swans — a species under second-class national protection — have settled at Fangcao Lake in the Ili River National Wetland Park, changing from migratory visitors into residents.

Two bridges carry the story of the crossing. Xinhua records that the Ili River Bridge, a reinforced-concrete double-arch bridge completed in 1975, was Yining's first modern bridge, replacing a timber ferry bridge that had carried only people and livestock; it became a landmark of the city, and local families still choose it for wedding-day photographs. A new Ili River Bridge opened in 2020 in the old bridge's style, and the old bridge is kept as a landscape feature. Six bridges now link the two banks in the Yining reach.

What to look for

• The river's east-to-west flow, which Xinhua attributes to the westward gap in the valley walls.
• The 1975 double-arch Ili River Bridge, kept as a landscape feature after the new bridge opened in 2020.
• Mute swans (疣鼻天鹅), a second-class nationally protected species that Xinhua reports has settled at Fangcao Lake in the Ili River National Wetland Park.
• The bank marshes and reeds, where Xinhua describes egrets rising along the water.

Location & getting there

Getting to Ili River Scenic Area

Confirm the visitor entrance and which boat or walking routes operate on your date. Rainfall, water levels and weather can change access.

• Search for 伊犁河风景区 with 伊犁哈萨克自治州 and 伊宁市.