Are Yili and Yining the same city?

These two places are not the same city.

There are differences in geographical location, administrative level and historical background between Yili and Yining. Ili, located in the Ili Valley on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain in western Xinjiang, is an autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with a long history and cultural background. Yining, located in the northwest border of Xinjiang, is the capital of Yili Autonomous Prefecture, a prefecture-level administrative region.