At the northern foot of the Western Tianshan Mountains, abundant river water irrigates vast grasslands and beautiful rivers, weaving a lush oasis embedded in the vast desert, creating the beautiful name of the Ili River Valley as "Jiangnan on the Great Wall". Yining is located in the center of the Ili River Valley Basin, with abundant natural resources and convenient transportation. Throughout history, multiple ethnic groups have interacted, exchanged and blended here, with hundreds of rivers converging to form a unique culture. The Ili River flows through the city, galloping endlessly, witnessing Yining's continuation of cultural heritage and innovative development, constantly striving and shining brightly on the road of promoting cultural confidence. Cultivate cultural identity with white walls and red doors, with flying eaves hanging low, walk along the corridor paved with bluestone boards, and enter the Han Family Princess Memorial Hall in Yining City. Stop in front of the wax figures of Princess Xijun and Princess Jieyou, and revisit their history of traveling thousands of miles from the Central Plains to the Western Regions for marriage. Over 2000 years ago, Zhang Qian conquered the Western Regions and was the first to reach the Wusun in the Ili River Valley, which led to an alliance between the Central Dynasty and the Wusun. Afterwards, the two Han princesses, Xijun and Jieyou, married here from afar, bringing not only the laws, regulations, etiquette, and culture of the Central Plains to Xinjiang, but also ultimately making Wusun a subordinate of the central government. The warm Ili River Valley carries a thousand year cultural heritage. Since the establishment of the Western Regions Protectorate in the Han Dynasty to govern Xinjiang, Yili has officially been included in China's territory. From then on, the fate of this land has always been closely linked to the fate of the motherland and the Chinese nation. The Tu'erhute tribe returned thousands of miles east, while the Xibe tribe migrated thousands of miles west... Amidst the turbulent historical events, the strong identification of various ethnic groups with their motherland and the patriotic enthusiasm for jointly developing and defending the border in Yili have continuously merged into people's hearts like a gentle stream, providing a profound and lasting spiritual force for enhancing cultural identity. Cultural identity is the deepest level of identity, the root of national unity and the soul of national harmony General Secretary Xi Jinping's words are profound, profound, and full of enlightenment. Located in Yining, Liuxing Street Community is named after the hexagonal streets and alleys, and is inhabited by more than 10 ethnic groups including Han, Uyghur, Kazakh, Russian, and Hui. In the depths of the streets and alleys, families and courtyards are interdependent and connected, with people living in harmony and helping each other. Liu Lianzhi, a resident of the Xibe ethnic group, and Nicholas, a resident of the Russian ethnic group, both live on this street. The two families support and love each other, and their relationship is getting closer and closer. Three years ago, Nicholas opened a bakery in front of his home. From store layout and decoration to wiring, Liu Lianzhi worked tirelessly to help set it up until the small shop successfully opened. When it comes to this matter, Nicholas often laments: "We grew up together since childhood, and our neighbors had good relationships, just like a family!" Every time during festivals such as Spring Festival and Eid al Adha, the two families would bless each other, taste delicious food, sing and dance together, and share happy moments. Living and learning together, building and sharing together, working together and enjoying together are daily reflections of the interaction, exchange and integration of various ethnic groups in Yining. During festivals and holidays, hundreds of families in the community gather together for banquets, forming one family. Residents of all ethnic groups gather together to share delicious food and enjoy self composed and self performed songs and dances, creating a harmonious atmosphere. On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2024, the first Ili River Lantern Festival and the 38th China Qinhuai Lantern Festival were lit simultaneously on the banks of the Ili River. People of all ethnic groups celebrate the traditional Chinese festivals together, feel the rich historical heritage, and constantly inspire the pride and identity of the Chinese nation. Ili local history research expert Lai Hongbo said that in Yining, people of different ethnic groups coexist harmoniously on this land with a love for a better life. Under the nourishment of Chinese culture, multiple ethnic groups blend and develop, constantly enhancing cultural identity, promoting mutual understanding, and consolidating cultural consensus. Promoting cultural innovation: Being in Yining, one can feel and know the leisurely cultural charm. Uyghur folk songs, Kazakh embroidery, Russian Bayan art, Uyghur wedding customs, Manchu gold award festivals... These diverse and numerous intangible cultural heritage treasures carry the cultural memories of different ethnic groups. Yining has always had innovative genes, and various ethnic cultures and arts have developed and enriched through mutual reference and absorption, forming a common wealth of Chinese culture in the long river of history. For example, in ethnic embroidery such as Uyghur, Mongolian, Xibe, Kazakh, etc., it not only includes local historical regions, weaving and embroidery techniques, but also interacts with embroidery techniques from other places such as Su embroidery, presenting their unique artistic charm Professor Wang Min from Xinjiang University said. By continuing ancient traditions and incorporating new ideas of the times, the rich and diverse multi-ethnic cultural heritage of Yining has shown new vitality in its inheritance and development. Sofiyan Kali is a well-known fashion designer in Yining. She combines elements such as Kazakh embroidery and Uyghur Adelai silk with fashionable tailoring and innovative design to create a women's "off-duty series" of spring and autumn clothes, dressing up many beauty conscious women in the local area. I can always find new design inspiration from Yining's diverse culture, which combines ethnic and fashionable styles and is popular among many female friends, "she said. The frozen ancient buildings also come to life due to the incorporation of new ideas. In Kazanqi, a century old street in Yining, the local government is exploring a protection path of "government led+self raised by the masses+social capital investment", renovating old houses, improving the functions and infrastructure of the block, and cultivating a group of new scenes and business models that combine ethnic culture and modern style, making the old block "alive" and "rich". At present, Kazan has upgraded and renovated more than 300 old buildings from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, over 20000 residential courtyards with strong regional characteristics, and nearly 20000 people are engaged in the cultural and tourism industry. In addition to Kazanqi, the century old streets of Liuxing Street, Qianjin Street, Yili Street, Ayidun Street, etc. are all rich in scene based and life oriented formats, creating original ecological cultural scenic spots and innovative spaces for residential and tourism sharing, attracting visitors from all over the world. At midnight, the Yining Six Star Street Scenic Area still shines brightly. The fragrant cuisine, pleasant music, and dazzling array of handicrafts make tourists linger and forget to leave. Maker He Lei came to Yining for tourism in 2008 and was attracted by the diverse culture here. Afterwards, he opened a cultural and tourism courtyard on Liuxing Street, attracting many tourists through experience projects with ethnic characteristics such as making naan, horseback riding, and making Dongbula. Yining City continues to increase the excavation, protection, inheritance, and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, injecting vivid vitality into cultural innovation and development, allowing more people to see tangible and tangible history, and showcasing the unique charm of a historical and cultural city Yang Lu, Secretary of the Party Group of Yining City Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, said. Radiating an open atmosphere, the Huangqu Canal flows quietly, and the Ili River rushes day and night. The rich water system has created a peaceful and open urban atmosphere in Yining. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Yili had developed commerce and had become the political, economic, and cultural center of Xinjiang. According to the "Records of the Western Regions", "The ancient land of Wusun became a great metropolis in the early days of the Western Regions". At the Longkou of Kashgar River north of Yining City, the roaring river water flows towards the distance under the guidance of the gate. Its predecessor was the Huangqu Canal, which was built more than 180 years ago. Since then, this developed water conservancy system has irrigated thousands of fertile fields, benefiting merchants and people around, making Yining a key hub for economic and cultural exchanges on the northern Silk Road at that time. A land that has been moist since ancient times, now surging with new opportunities. The Ili River Valley is adjacent to the border between China and Kazakhstan. From an important trade town in the Qing Dynasty to the opening of the "the Belt and Road" to the west, today's Yining, by virtue of its geographical advantages, further expands exchanges and cooperation with Central Asian countries, shares new development opportunities with surrounding provinces and regions, such as the construction of the "the Belt and Road" core area, the western development, and the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, and accelerates the transformation of the channel economy to the hub economy, industrial economy, and port economy. Keeping in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions to "focus on the practical aspects of opening up to the outside world, accelerate the construction of the core area of the Belt and Road Initiative, and make Xinjiang a bridgehead for China's westward opening up", Yining is accelerating the construction of a comprehensive international trade channel consisting of highways, railways, aviation, and pipelines, continuously expanding cross-border e-commerce industrial parks and other platforms for opening up to the outside world, and constantly enriching and growing emerging trade formats. In April of this year, the international routes of Yining Airport officially opened, becoming the third open air port in Xinjiang to open international routes after Urumqi and Kashgar, opening up a new channel for China to expand its opening-up to the west. Li Hao, who has been engaged in the foreign trade e-commerce industry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang for 20 years, is now the person in charge of the Yining Cross border E-commerce Industrial Park. Nowadays, there is a constant stream of people coming to consult Li Hao about cross-border e-commerce business every day. There are many advantages to doing foreign trade here, "he said. The park is currently cultivating more than 3000 live streaming talents, providing" accompanying services "for more than 100 domestic and foreign enterprises settled in the park, promoting synchronous online and offline transactions, not only selling Xinjiang's characteristic and advantageous products to Central Asian countries, but also allowing more high-quality foreign products to enter. According to statistics from Yining Customs, in the first half of this year, Yili, China has established trade relations with 180 countries and regions, with the number of trading partners increasing by more than 70% year-on-year. The great river surges with vitality. The brilliant and colorful Yining continues the cultural genes, consolidates innovative forces, and promotes the spirit of openness, writing a new chapter of modernization with a more confident and vigorous attitude. (New Society)