Yining

Yining, or Ghulja, is a city in the Northwest of the Xinjian Prefecture in Northwestern China.

Yining started out as a fort called Ningyuan in 1762 during the Qing dynasty. In 1871, Ningyuan was taken over by Russia, and was returned to China in 1881. In 1888, Ningyuan County was establlished. The name was changed to Yining in 1917, to avoid confusion with other Chinese places called Ningyuan. Yining became a separate city from the county in 1962.

The city and surrounding area has been called Kuldja or Ghulja since the 19th century by Russians. Not much can be found about the origins behind the naming on Yining, other than the fact that it got its name in 1917.