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.
