A traditional horse race at the Zhaosu Wetland Park in Zhaosu County in June 2024 (VCG)

The colors of Yili illustrate the region's heartbeat, from traditional craftsmanship to thriving commerce, from winter vitality to cultural coexistence. Each shade tells the story of Yili's progress and its enduring connection with its people.

Blue: color of nature and prosperity 

Blue, symbolizing growth, openness, and calm resilience, defines Yili more than any other color.

Blue doors and walls harmonize aesthetically with the city's natural surroundings. The Yili River Valley fans westward like a trumpet, welcoming warm, moist air from the Atlantic, which has led to its being dubbed the Wet Island of Central Asia. On clear days, the turquoise river reflects the boundless sky, forming the canvas of Yili's identity—a pure and vivid blue.

This visual charm also connects to Yili's historical role as a crossroads on the ancient Silk Road, reflecting the integration of diverse ethnic traditions, particularly Russian and Persian influences.

Among the treasures unearthed from the ruins of Almaliq, a medieval city in the Yili basin that is today the county of Huocheng, was an exquisite blue-and-white porcelain vessel. It combined Chinese craftsmanship and Persian blue pigment—a timeless testimony to trade, culture and artistic exchange.

Today, blue has taken on modern dimensions. The InterContinental Yining hotel has incorporated the valley's signature color into its interior design, becoming a new city landmark. The hotel has elevated local hospitality standards and stimulated dining, transport, and tourism, providing new employment opportunities for locals.

White: energy of ice and snow 

Every winter, Yili turns white, cloaked in frost and snow. The transformation is far more than visual. The region's "cold resources" have become powerful drivers of a "hot economy," as winter tourism and sports flourish across the valley.

From the Nalati (Narat) Hayinsai Ski Resort to the Zhaosu Wetland Park and Swan Spring in Yining County, Yili offers travelers a spectrum of snowy experiences. Swan Spring, rimmed with rime and enveloped in fog, is home to graceful swans that draw photographers from across China. Zhaosu's giant ice sculptures are seasonal landmarks, while skiers race down Nalati's alpine runs—all vital scenes in Yili's booming winter economy.

New professions have emerged as well: ice sculptors, ski photographers and ski instructors. Wang Xiaolong, an "ice master" at the Yili River Scenic Area, manages boating tours in summer and creates ice parks in winter—an ingenious model of year-round employment. At the Fushoushan Ski Resort in Huocheng, photographer Ding Li captures thrilling ski moments for visitors, turning his passion into livelihood.

To sustain this momentum, the prefecture has mapped six premium winter routes built around "ice attractions + ski resorts + winter festivals + folk traditions," launching over 100 cultural events each year. In 2025, more than half a million visitors ventured into this snowy paradise, with tourism revenue soaring by 45 percent.

Yili's white season is now a time of holiday fun, warmth-generating jobs and community prosperity.

Purple: fragrance of perseverance

When the lavender blooms, Yili turns into a sea of purple—a romantic, fragrant landscape shaped by six decades of steady cultivation. It's not only beauty but also economy in full bloom.

Huocheng, celebrated as the hometown of the lavender, is the heart of this industry. Designated as a test site for lavender in the early 1960s, Huocheng began with just over 400 seedlings. Today, its sprawling fields cover tens of thousands of hectares, accounting for more than 95 percent of China's total lavender area and ranking alongside France's Provence and Japan's Hokkaido as a global lavender paradise.

Local enterprises have embraced innovation, turning raw lavender into high-value products.

At Yili ZiSuLiRen Bio-Technology Co., advanced extraction and refinement have multiplied the essential lavender oil's worth more than tenfold, developing a collection of over 100 lavender-based items—from skincare products and scented pillows to handmade heritage sachets. This fragrant economy directly and indirectly employs more than 1,000 people, enriching rural livelihoods with creativity.

Cultural fusion adds further depth. Yili artisans weave traditional Atlas silk motifs into lavender packaging, producing signature sachets and soaps that embody the valley's unique mix of culture and commerce.

After six decades of dedication, the purple of Yili has come to represent hope, becoming the enduring color of rural revitalization.

Tekesi, city without traffic lights

Amid all colors, Tekesi (Tekes) County stands out for its intriguing absence of two of our most familiar ones: red and green. This is the only city in China—perhaps in the world—without a single traffic light.

Tekesi, located in southeastern Yili, was built in the 1930s upon the design principle of the eight trigrams—bagua—in the ancient Book of Changes (Zhou Yi). Hence it is also known as Bagua City.

The city features a central circle from which eight main avenues radiate outward, which later branch out into 16 streets and then more streets. These radiating streets are systematically intersected by concentric ring roads, and the network is connected by 16 seamless roundabouts that eliminate the need for traffic lights. The result is an orderly, harmonious rhythm that mirrors the philosophical balance at the heart of its design.

To savor the full beauty of Tekesi, rise above it—literally. Hot-air ballooning has become a signature local experience. Sheltered by the Tianshan Mountains, the region offers stable airflow year-round, perfect for balloon flights.

From the sky, visitors can admire the symmetrical streets stretching out like a mandala, bordered by snowy peaks and endless grasslands. The view evokes awe, attracting travelers from around the world.

More than an engineering marvel, Bagua City is a living embodiment of Chinese harmony—the blending of ancient cosmology with modern coexistence. Its design reflects "the unity of heaven and humanity," balance between yin and yang, and the ideal of "harmony in diversity."

Here, people of different beliefs and ethnicities live alongside one another with mutual respect and shared growth—a reflection of the equilibrium that shapes the city's streets.

The living palette of Yili

The colors of Yili are never solitary. They merge and resonate—nature's rhythm meeting human endeavor, tradition embracing transformation.

Blue captures its ecological grace, commercial pulse, and civic vitality. White embodies the spark of its winter economy and the promise of prosperity. Purple carries decades of dedication, the fragrance of craftsmanship, and the spirit of revival.

And the story of Tekesi reflects wisdom, coexistence and timless harmony.

Together, they form a breathtaking portrait of Yili, writing a new chapter in the story of sustainable and high-quality development.

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