Xibe Ancient City 锡伯古城

About Xibe Ancient City

The site stands at Sunzhaqi Niru Town, which the county's culture, sport, radio and television bureau identifies as the location of Sunzhaqi Niru village, a national characteristic landscape tourism village. The bureau records that the Xibe Ethnic Museum here was begun in 2002 and formally opened in August 2004, and that it is a 4A-level scenic area and an autonomous-region patriotic education base. The China News Service describes the town as a comprehensive destination built for visitors from across China and Central Asia, bringing together a characteristic urbanisation base, historic and cultural sightseeing, themed amusement and holiday leisure.

The county bureau records that Jingyuan Temple (靖远寺) is one of Ili's nine famous temples and was listed in 2006 in the sixth batch of nationally protected key cultural heritage sites. The temple compound has eight buildings in a symmetrical layout, with a spirit wall, gate, Four Heavenly Kings Hall, bell and drum towers, the Great Hero Hall and the Hall of the Three World Buddhas along its axis, and the bureau calls its brick carving, wood carving, painting and clay sculpture representative of Qing-dynasty Xibe temple architecture. The bell tower, also called Weizhen Tower (威震楼), stands on the town's axis and is its tallest building, 38 m high over five storeys, with plaques in Chinese and Xibe on each level. The bureau also describes a bow-and-arrow museum here as China's first museum devoted to archery.

What to look for

• Jingyuan Temple (靖远寺), one of Ili's nine famous temples and a nationally protected key cultural heritage site listed in 2006, with eight symmetrically arranged buildings.
• The 38 m Weizhen Tower (威震楼), the town's tallest building, five storeys high with Chinese and Xibe plaques on each level.
• The bow-and-arrow museum, which the county's culture and tourism bureau describes as China's first museum devoted to archery.
• The Xibe Ethnic Museum, begun in 2002 and formally opened in August 2004, which the county lists as a 4A-level scenic area and an autonomous-region patriotic education base.
• The Xibe customs on show — the China News Service names traditional food, dress, embroidery, archery and dance among the things visitors can experience.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xibe Ancient City

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