Xinjiang Su Gong Tower, China

China Travel Tour Guide - information about China cities, attractions, chinese culture, travel tips and much more.

 

> China Travel Tour Guide > Attractions

Su Gong Tower

The Su Gong Tower (Sugong Tower, Su Gong Ta) located in the central area of Xinjiang Province, is about 2 kilometers from the Turphan City. It is a famous Islamic tower and has another name "Turphan Tower".

The Su Gong Tower is a typical tower of Islamic characteristics. It has a cylinder body made of yellow bricks standing 37 meters high. The outside decorated with the traditional minority tribe's flower patterns such as rhombic, water ripples, hill, four-petal-pattern, etc.

There are 14 windows in total from the top to the bottom. Each window is different in height and direction.

There has 72 steps spiraling from the foot to the top. The top of the tower takes a shape like a fighter's armor. It is so strange to find no sills or girders inside the tower. The suspended path of bricks spirals upward and sustains the whole weight of the body. Visitors tracing the oblique steps will get a beautiful Birdseye view of the whole landscape from the top.

If you are planning to take a trip in Western China area, start from Turphan City and then Flaming Mountain, Sugong Tower and then on to many other tourists attractions in the area will be a good start.

The Islam religion spread into China in Tang Dynasty ("651A.D"). In Arabic "Islam" means "submission". That is, to submit to Allah's decree. In the old day, Chinese called Islam "Hui", " Moslem" or "Tianfang". Moslems settle in large numbers in Xinjiang Province, Gansu Province, and Inner Mongolia.

The Su Gong Tower was built in the year of Emperor Qianlong, Ch'ing Dynasty (1778 AD), recorded in 1181 of Islamic calendar. The king of Turphan Sulaiman II sponsored this project to honor the great exploit of his father Eminhe. That is why this tower also called "Emin Tower".

Now it has become famous for not only being the noted architecture of Islamic art and the biggest antique tower in Xinjiang, but also being the only one Islamic architectural tower in China.