Aksu Prefecture

       Aksu lies in the west part of Xinjiang, on the western brim of the Tarim Basin and the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains , and borders Kyrgyzstan on the northwest. Aksu has an area of 132,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 1,800,000. The prefecture is composed of Aksu City and eight counties: Wensu, Baicheng, Kucha, Xinhe, Xayar, Awat, Kalpin, and Wushi. The 1st Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and its 17 regiments and fields are distributed here. Aksu City is the seat of the Prefecture Committee of the Party and the Prefecture Administrative Office. Aksu, meaning “white water ” in Uygur, was the territory of the ancient kingdoms administrated by governmentof Governor-General for Controlling the Western Countries, such as Qinci, Gumo, and Wensu. At the early Tang Times, the Anxi Governor-General Government moved to Qiuci, too, and Qiuci became one of the four Garrisons of military importance in AN XI. When Xinjiang Province was established, Aksu Dao was set up. After the Liberation, the Commissioner Office was set up here. Aksu has an arid climate of the temperate zone and its annual average temperature is 7.6 -11.5 ℃ .Various landscape and showplaces, abundant local products, convenient transportation via high way, railway and air, all make Aksu an attracting point to numberless tourists domestic and abroad every year.

Scenery of the Tarim River

       The longest inland river in China , the Tarim River is a confluence of the Yarkand River , Khotan River , Aksu River and other tributaries. With a total length of 2179 kilometers, the river flows through the northern part of the Tarim Basin and pours itself into the Lop Desert at last. While large areas of natural desert poplar forest are well preserved inside the drainage area, new bases of grain and cotton production have been rising on both banks of the river. The Tarim Bridge not only connects two banks of the river, but also makes the desert highway a thoroughfare linking the southern the northern brims of the Tarim Basin across the Taklamakan Desert .

The Tomur Peak

       Situated in the north of Wensu County , the Tomur Peak is the tallest peak of the Tianshan Mountains with an elevation of 7435 meters, and also the largest modern glacial area of China . In 1980, the Tomur Peak Natural Reserve, covering an area of 1000 square kilometers, was established. There are not only unique natural sights but also numberless rare and valuable wild animals, like the Tianshan red deer , snow chicken, marmot, yak, brown bear, snow leopard and black stork. And the latter two are listed as the animals under the 1st standard protection of the State. The area around the Tomur Peak is also an important zone of forest resources and a famous scenic spot for mountaineering, exploration and scientific expedition.

The Kurmishiartamu Mazar

       Kurmishiartamu Mazar is situated on a hill with an elevation of 1700 meters, 60 kilometers to the northwest of Wensu county seat. There are several scenes here, including “nice dragons stirring the sea”, “the willow regaining one's fetch ”, etc. on the top of the hill, there is a spring called “the holy spring”. It is said that the water of the spring has functions of removing disease and making people robust. As the story goes that an Islamic saint was buried here so the Mazar got its name.

Ancient Qiuci City

       It's the site of the Yan City of the Han Dynasty and Yiluolu City of the T`ang Dynasty. The site is an anomalistic rectangle with a perimeter of 7 kilometers. The city is a rammed construction and only remains some vestiges at the east, south, and north walls. There are about 10 ancient sites around and inside the city. In the center of the city is Kara-dong site, about 400 meters to the west of which stand Pilang-dong and Saksak-dong, and in the south of the city are the sites of residence. There have unearthed many relics, such as pieces of soil pottery, iron and brass, jade eardrops, Wuzhu coins, Qiuci coins, bases of pillar, square bricks, and tile-ends.

Kizil Caves

       Located in Kizil Township of Baicheng County and 67 kilometers away from Kucha, the caves were excavated on the cliff of Qul-tagh Mountain by the Muzart River . The listed 236 caves can be divided into four parts: west of the valley, inner valley, east of the valley and back mountain. The earliest caves might be excavated in the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties was the prosperous period, the latter ones belong to the Tang Dynasty. The shape of caves and the mural inside all have a vivid style of ancient Qiuci area. But there are only over 80 caves and the murals well preserved, about 10000 square meters. The contents of these paintings are very rich, including jataka stories, Budda's life story and the stories about Karma. As the earliest caves in Xinjiang, they are also the earliest ones in China , listed one of the four biggest caves of the country. Now they are historical monuments and cultural relics under state protection.

Kumtura Caves

       The caves are located at the outfall of the Weigan River , about 30 kilometers northwest to Kucha, on the cliff of the Mountain dinggu by the eastern bank of the river. The listed 112 caves can be divided into southern and northern parts, inclding worship caves, monk's caves and a few meditation caves. The murals remained here are only 4000 square meters. Speaking of the excavation time, the caves belong to 3 periods. The earliest period is the 5-7th centuries, the artistic style is typical local, namely Qiuci style, the 2nd period is between the 8th to 9th centuries, the artistic style from inner China appeared here on some paintings, and the latest period rangs from the 10th century to 11th century or later, Uighurian style became prominent. As an important Buddhish cultural remains which reflects the blend of the art of ancient Qiuci, Han and Uighur people, the caves have been listed as historical monuments and cultural relics under state protection.

Simsim Caves

       Excavated during the Wei-Jin and Sui-Tang Dynasties. Simsim is the biggest caves temple in eastern territory of ancient Qiuci, 45 kilometers northeast to Kucha. In Uygur, Simsim means purling fountain. The listed 54 caves scatter on the circular hill about 700 meters in diameter, including eastern, southern, western, northern and middle parts. There are worship halls. Lecturing and monk's rooms here. The themes of murals are as same as that of the Kizil Caves in style. Among the caves in ancient Qiuci area, animal murals feature largely in the Simsim Caves . Now the Simsim Caves is major cultural site under state protection.

Kizil-Kargha Caves

       Situated at the southern part of the Salt Water Valley 11 kilometers to the northwest of Kucha City, the caves were excavated at the cliffs or hummocks on both sides of the lap of the mountain in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and T`ang Dynasty. Among listed 47 caves, most are monk's rooms, and murals are preserved very well in 11 caves. Among these murals portraits of the kings of Qiuci and his family members as donors of the caves are very characteristic. These murals and their themes are basically in Qiuci style. The no.12 cave is unique in shape. It is a worshiping cave with a heptangular flat roof. There is a center pillar in its center, corridors along the left and right sides and a tunnel through its back wall. This type of cave is unique in Qiuci. Now it is listed as a major cultural site under the autonomous region protection.

The Site of Subashi Buddhist Temple

         The site is located on the ridges on both sides of Kucha River and 23 kilometers tto the north of Kucha City . “Subashi” means “headwater of a river”. The site got its name from the geographical position. It is composed of two parts divided by the river. With a lot of ruins of stupas, temples and grottoes from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the end of the T`ang Dynasty, the site is the biggest site of Buddhist temples in Xinjiang. It is also believed to be the site of the Queli Temple (Zhaoguli Temple) of Qiuci, and Buddhist clay statues, murals, documents in Qiuci, Chinese and Uighurian characters, coins of the T`ang Dynasty, Persian silver coins and wooden reliquary with figures of singing and dancing. The site is a unit of the historic and cultural relics under state protection now.

Ancient City of Uchkat-shahr

       Located 20 kilometers to the west of Xinhe County , the site is the ruins of an ancient city of the Han and Jin Dynasties. Composed of inner, outer and central parts, the ancient city is slightly circular. The wall was built by ramming earth and the base of the wall of the inner city is 10 meters thick and remains a height of 5 meters. The outer city has already been damaged. A valuable cultural relic, a bronze seal with crouching-sheep-shaped handle and incised Chinese characters of “Han Gui Yi Qiang Chang”, was found in the site. Now it is listed as a major cultural site under the autonomous region protection.

Kucha Mosque

          The mosque is located in the north of the old city of Kucha and covers an area of 1165 square meters. With a capacity of 3000 people, the mosque is the second largest mosque in Xinjiang, only inferior to Id Kah Mosque. Firstly built in 1922, the mosque consists of a main worshiping hall, a small worshiping hall, a minaret, a qubbah, a religious court and hostels, etc. The main worshiping hall is a timber construction and supported by 88 circular columns. The patterns incised on columns`bases and capitals and lattices of windows lend an air of magnificence to the building. The mosque is a representative of Uygur architectural art of the Qing Dynasty.

Music and Dance of Kucha

        Qiuci is renowned as the “home of music and dance”. After the decline of famous Qiuci Music and Dance, Uygur music and dance of unique local features rose. The most famous form of the folk song and dance is Meshrep, which means “gathering” and “get-together” in Uygur. Whenever activities like wedding or outings are held, or during festivals and the crown of a year, hundreds and thousands of people come together and sit on the ground. Accompanied with Mukam, a traditional Uygur music, people sing and dance till to their heart's content.

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