Three Immortals Buddhist Caves

The Three Immortals Buddhist Caves are in the northern part of Kashgar City. Having been carved during the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), these caves are the oldest Buddhist fresco caves in the western region of China, and they are well-preserved. It is about 13 meters (about 17 yards) down the bottom of the cliff and about 8 meters (about 10 yards) from the cliff top. The cliff face is vertical and so smooth that no plants grow on it. It is impossible for people to reach without the aid of climbing equipment.

               

Among the three caves, the middle cave is the biggest, with a height of 2 meters (about 6 feet) and a width of 1.5 meters (about 5 feet). There is only an unfinished, headless Buddha statue in the back room of the middle cave. The west cave is still in its virgin state because it was unfinished at the beginning of the cutting. There is nothing in this cave.

There are various kinds of Buddhist paintings covering the walls of the front room of the east cave. The standing Buddha statue in the back room is life-like, vivid and elegant. The upper part of this Buddha's body is naked. His right hand is parallel with his waist, while his left hand is lying along his leg naturally. The most amazing about this statue is that there are three kinds of colors, green, red and blue interwoven in his lower part. It is very rare to see Buddha cave paintings in China. The entire cave is evidence of the fertile imagination and lofty skills of the ancient Chinese people.

There is a legend on cutting the pearl of Buddhism art, Three Immortals Buddhist Caves. Long time ago, a King had a little pretty princess who was very weak. One day, a fortune-teller told the King that if the princess was not stung by bees in 100 days, she would escape from the disaster. But in such a place, full of fruits, how can the little girl avoid bees? Afterwards, they decided to cut a cave on the mountain. In order to make the princess comfortable, the workmen painted on the wall and decorated them like a palace. Unfortunately, the princess was stung in the 99th day when she cried for grapes even though the grapes were checked many times. The princess died, but the carvings and paintings were left forever.

The legend also adds some mysterious color and attracts people here from far away. But as it is a dangerous place for people to reach; most of them only look from a distance.

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Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

Located in the south of Flaming Mountains, about 42 kilometers southeast of Turpan city, the Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are part of the Underground Museum of Turpan and the Living Archives of Gaochang. Astana means capital in Uigur; Karakhoja was a Uigur hero who protected his people from a vicious dragon.

Known as a magical "Underground Museum" in Turpan, Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a burial ground of Tang Dynasty (618-907). Served as a public cemetery for Ancient City of Gaochang, these tombs were gradually formed from the 3th to 8th century and have a history of more than 2,000 years. Occupying an area of 10 square kilometers, it stretches from northeast to northwest of the ancient city and about 5 kilometers long from east to west and 2 kilometers wide from north to south.

Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are mainly for Han people, some ethnic minorities such as Cheshi, Turkic, Hun are also buried here. The tombs were a peaceful and secluded resort for residents of Gaochang City to rest after death. From prominent officials, excellent general, normal soldiers to common residents, they are people from different class, career and ethnic minority and were buried at the same place, which reveals the relations between different ethnic groups here are harmonious and equal. In 1988, Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs was listed as one of the country's key protected cultural sites in China.

A slope of over 10 meters (32.8 feet) long leads down to the chamber. The chamber is 2 meters (6.6 feet) high with a flat ceiling or a dome. The dead are placed on an earthen or wooden bed in the back of the chamber. They had wood in both hands and wore cotton, linen or silk clothes. Around them are miniature pavilions, carts and horses, parades, musical instruments, chess sets, pens and ink, grapes, melons, dumplings and pancakes -- to be used by the dead in another world. Owing to the arid climate, the relics are very well preserved; dumplings are the same as today's, and the stuffing is as intact as it was when fresh. Murals with vivid pictures of humans, animals, flowers, mountains, and rivers decorate some chambers. A painting of ladies playing chess illustrates the happy life of aristocrats in the early Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Among the more than ten thousand cultural relics excavated are over 2700 books, epitaphs, paintings, clay figurines, and pottery, wood, gold and stone wares, ancient coins, silk and cotton textiles. The time recorded in the books ranges from 273 to 772.

Thanks to the high location and natural conditions for being drought and hot, the sterile environment offers an ideal place for maintaining the ancient corpses and burial articles. They are still well preserved miraculously after going through millennium vicissitudes. Thousands of paintings, earthen figurines and other relics are as fresh as they were new. It is noteworthy that mummies here compare favorably with Egyptian mummies in both quantity and the quality, providing precious specimens for anthropology, history, medicine, and ethnology. The mummy of the well-known Gaochang General is 1.90 meters (6.2 feet) tall with well-preserved beard hair and clothes.

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Sand Therapy Health Center

Turfan, China -- Turfan is known by the Chinese as the "oasis of fire," the hottest, lowest place in all China, 505 feet below sea level, where the temperature of the sand dunes can climb to 176 degrees in July and August--hot enough to bake an egg. Taking advantage of climatic and geographical conditions, the locals have created a special method of curing chronic diseases - sand therapy! It is said sand burying therapy to cure chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hemiplegy, high blood pressure and neurasthenia.

Sand therapy, also called sand burying therapy, is a comprehensive treatment combining the effect of heat, massage and magnetic treatments. It cures some chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hemiplegy, high blood pressure and neurasthenia. Turpan has many sand therapy centers such as Sand Therapy Health Center, Shanshan Desert Park and Rukqin Sand Therapy Center.

Located in Shengya County, the Sand Therapy Health Center is affiliated with Turpan Uyghur Hospital. Here is a stabilized dune which is approximately 200 meters (0.1 mile) long, 80 meters (0.05 mile) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) high. It contains more magnetite sand than other sand dunes and is an ideal place to have sand therapy.

Each year on June 5th to August 20th is the golden season in Turpan of sand treatment, and 2 to 6 clock in the afternoon of every day is the best time for buried sand. Summer, people comes from everywhere buried by sand for sand treatment. In the sand hill, colorful umbrella pergola like colorful flower, people who try sand therapy can lie or depend in the sand, not only the body buried in the hot sand, they need to keep drinking hot tea. Avoid cold drink crapulence and replenish water of hot tea in time during sand therapy.

Near the sand dune are a hospital, hostels, canteens and other conveniences to make tourists feel very comfortable. Tourists should know that those with any acute inflammation, tumor or hemorrhagic disease are forbidden to have sand therapy. In addition, Bring sun-block cream (SPF 50+) to avoid sun burn is necessary.

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Emin Minaret

The Emin Minaret stands by the Uyghur Mosque located in Turfan, Xinjiang, China. At 44 meters (144 ft) it is the tallest minaret in China. The Qing Dynasty conquered this largely Muslim region in the 1750s by defeating the Dzungar Mongols with their superior weaponry in a series of battles. The Uyghurs under Emin Khoja joined the Qing for protection against the Dzungars and the Emin minaret is named after Emin Khoja. As conquerors, they ruled the local population with a light hand and were tolerant of the Muslim religion.

The minaret was started in 1777 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Qianlong (1735–1796) and was completed only one year later. It was financed by local leaders and built to honor the exploits of a local Turpan general, Emin Khoja, hence the name "Emin". The Emin Minaret is located along the ancient Silk Route (near the ancient Uyghur capital of Gaochang). Nearby is the site of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves.

The arid landscape of southern Xinjiang has long been connected to both East Asia and West Asia by historical trade routes such as the Silk Route and the land around these crossroads became the location for most of the Uyghur Islamic structures in Xinjiang. The area has long served as a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups. The Emin Minaret, like other Uyghur mosques and minarets, reflects this in its combination of traditional Islamic features and local Uyghur building traditions.

At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription which explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uigur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.

The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), it tapers to an Islamic dome. In its center is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, visitors today cannot climb to the top due to the protection reasons.

However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uigur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , the minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at it will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!

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Turpan Museum

Standing on the Gaochang Road of Turpan City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Turpan Museum is the second largest museum with the richest and largest collection in Xinjiang. It was built in 1990 with an area of 10 mu (about 2 acres), of which structures take up about 3,500 square meters (about 4,186 square yards). It holds over 5,000 fine cultural relics from the Paleolithic Age (about 3 million BC) to the Neoteric (1840-1919) and Modern Times (1919-1949).

Being on the route of the famous ‘Silk Road’, Turpan assembled traders and monks from western and eastern countries. Therefore, this place is left with abundant multi-cultural relics, which is also due to its special natural conditions: torrid, dry and rainless. To some degree, Turpan Museum is a compressed encyclopedia, from which we can get to know the society, politics, economy, military affairs, and cultural life of Turpan during the past dynasties. The exhibition area includes three major parts: the General History of the Turpan Area, the Ancient Mummy Exhibition, and the Large Rhinoceros Fossil Exhibition Hall.

General History of the Turpan Area

This exhibition hall is mainly to show selected cultural relics that have been unearthed, levied, picked and donated since the founding of the People’s Republic. There were human traces in this area as early as the Stone Age. It entered the Bronze Age about three thousand years ago. The Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) first annexed it to China’s territory in 60BC. About 400 years later, the Gaochang Prefecture and the Gaochang Kingdom were established here successively. It returned to the central government of China when the Tang Dynasty (618-907) united the nation. The ancient Uighur Empire was established in 840… Turpan’s history is created by people of different tribes and ethnic groups (including some from Central Asia), cultures and religions. The 900-square-meter (1,116-square-yard) exhibition hall means to represent panoramic picture of the region.

Giant Rhinoceros Fossil Exhibition

About 20 million years ago, the giant rhinoceros (Paraceratherium, also commonly known as Indricotherium or Paraceratherium), the largest land mammal ever known, lived in the area which was thought to be a sea, but dramatically to be a dessert now. It is said that it could eat about 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of leaves or grass every day. It is 5 meters (about 5 yards) high, and 9 meters (about 10 yards) long, with a weight of 30 tons (about 66,139 pounds). The fossil skeletons here are the most complete giant rhinoceros fossil ever excavated. Fossils of rhinoceros and other creatures in remote geologic ages are displayed with the aid of pictures, models, short films and videos, in order to give a vivid interpretation of the scene in millions of years ago.

Ancient Mummy Exhibition

This is the most mysterious and attractive part of the museum. The mummies discovered in the area are bestowed by local geography and climate, like being dried by the Flaming Mountain. Numerous mummies had been found in Turpan, which is the main source of mummies in the Xinjiang Regional Museum and other museums nationwide. There are nine well-preserved mummies and one skeleton on display, including two couples and a Shaman witch. The earliest one is the body 3,200 years away. Accessories include burial objects, mural paintings, replica of graves, silk paintings.

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Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves is a complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan), a gorge in the Flaming Mountains. They are high on the cliffs of the west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountains, and most of the surviving caves date from the West Uyghur kingdom around the 10th to 13th centuries.

As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable. Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves stand high on the cliffs of west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountain, 45 km (28miles) east of Turpan. Of the 83 original caves, 57 remain. In addition, the murals cover an area over 1, 200 square meters (12,917 square feet) in more than 40 of them.

 

Beginning in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the construction experienced Tang, the Five Dynasties, Song and Yuan. The Caves had been the Buddhist center of Gaochang. Near the end of the 13 century, the royal family of Gaochang moved to Yongchang, Gansu. Around this same time, Buddhism in Turpan began to decline in popularity with the introduction of Islam. Subsequently, the religious importance of The Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves became less apparent. Many of them were destroyed during the ensuing religious clashes. Vandals dug out the eyes of many of the portraits human figures contained in the murals. Later, at the beginning of the 20 century, foreign explorers robbed the caves of much of the treasures. Despite all the destruction, the surviving parts, such as the delicate Buddha seat and the bright color of the murals, give us some idea of its past glory.

Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uigur) State and the present remains were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uigar, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.

The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.

In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the site is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.

There are still 57 caves preserved, all numbered, which contain fragments of frescos from the 6th to 14th centuries, each portraying various Buddhist themes. In Cave No. 39 a group of mourners can be seen accompanied by thirteen disciples of Buddha. The north wall of Cave No. 37 shows a painting of a bodhisattva, dressed in red with blue eyes and a long, straight nose. The explanatory inscriptions are almost all in both Chinese and Uyghur. This suggests that at this time the cultures of China and Asia Minor complemented and influenced one another.

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Aydingkol Lake -----the Lowest Lake in China

Located 50 kilometers to the south of the city of Turfan, the Aydingkol Lake is 154 meters below sea level, lowest in China and second lowest in the World—next only to the Dead Sea ( -391m ) It covers an area of 22 kilometers (about nine square miles) and measures 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from west to east, eight kilometers (about five miles) from north to south. Attracted by this peculiar geographical characteristics and desert landscapes round, visitors from all over China and abroad come here to sightsee and explore. 

Shaped like the moon, the lake was so named by the Uigur. Aydingkol, means 'Moonlight Lake'. It has a long history going back about 250 million years. Ten thousand years ago it was a freshwater lake and was 1,000 times larger than its current size. Natural forces affected its elevation and once it became land locked so mineral deposits began to accumulate. Today, the lake is comprised of three parts: the outer circle is an alluvial plane. The inner part is salt marsh while at its center the lake is pure white and glittering salt rime. Neither birds nor fish inhabit its hostile environs, but one may come across gnats and hares from time to time. Occasionally, mirages are created by the refraction of the sun light.

As one of the hottest and driest areas in the world, annual precipitation in Aydingkol Lake is less than 20 millimeters. The evaporation is thousands of times greater than precipitation. The annual average temperature here is 14 degree Celsius. The extreme high temperature rises to 45 degree Celsius and the surface temperature is more than 80 degree Celsius. It is said that 50.2 degree Celsius was observed by automatic weather station in Aydingkol Lake region on July 14th, 2011, which has reached a new high temperature in China.

The lake is highly mineralized and contains rock salt, Glauber's salt, glauberite, gypsum, etc. The reserves of salt and Glauber's salt exceed 300 million tons, an important source of raw materials to chemical industries. There is now a chemical plant on the lake front. In addition to the natural views, the surrounding karez, beacon tower and residential sites are of great archaeological importance. The desolate and incult sight of the Aydingkol Lake will make a unique impression on visitors.

In spring, visitors can see some migratory waterfowls pass here such as moorhen, Fulica atra or himantopus. The anatine are often bogged salt marshes around the lake and the place becomes their burial ground. Aydingkol Lake evolves into one of the best sight-seeing spots in recent years. The specific geographical location and heat resources draw the attention of scholars and tourists both at home and abroad

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Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden lies about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of Turpan City, Xinjiang Province. It is the largest botanical garden in China, built on a bottomland (low-lying area), where the average altitude is -80 meters (-262 feet). The garden is positioned in an extremely windy area, where one finds quicksand and an often unforgiving climate. It's location has earned it nicknames such as the 'Wind Storeroom' and 'Land of Fire', because this area is home to the most ferocious winds in all of China. Indeed, one might rightly call it the mother of all gale-force wind tunnels, since it regularly churns out gale-force winds reaching a level of 8 on the Beaufort-12 scale. On an average year, there is a gale-force wind of level 8 that lasts for a month, and in some years it lasts for up to two months.

The Desert Botanical Garden began as a sand-control station in 1972, and was converted into a botanical garden in 1976. As one of the 12 botanical gardens directly under the lead of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, it is used for importing, domesticating, and expanding sand-fixation plants. It is filled with plants, flowers, and herbal medicines - highlighting a collection of commonly used herbal medicines from Uigur. The area is also used as an area to test sand-control methods as well as a tourist destination. The garden includes seven different parts, categorized according to uses and vegetation.

There are altogether more than 300 sandy-soil plants being preserved here, comprising 71 genera, with 247 species, of which 49 species are precious plants on the verge of extinction, including a species of the Chinese date, or jujube (which, unlike the palm-tree date of Middle Eastern deserts, is a deciduous shrub), the sand ilex, the white thorn, various liquorices, etc.

These 247 species of plants comprise roughly 80% of all desert plants found in sandy-soil areas throughout China. The Chinese Tamarisk Garden maintains 15 different tamarisk varieties, which account for 83% of all the tamarisk plants of China. When the tamarisk tree is in bloom, it fills the garden with red, and a sense of springtime invariably pervades the area. The Herbal Medicine Garden deserves special attention, as more than 50 herbal medicine plants from China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, from Kazakhstan, and from Mongolia have been collected and replanted here, establishing the Herbal Medicine Garden as an important research center for herbal-medicine plants.

The desert arboretum is intersticed by a series of interconnecting roads and a network of irrigation pipes, and with various adjacent support facilities.  A corresponding scientific research facility with nearby housing blocks for the research facility's staff have also been constructed within the arboretum. With its focus on the re-introduction and preservation of rare desert plants, including a number of plants that are on the verge of extinction, the Desert Botanical Garden of Turpan ranks as one of the primary plant-preservation arboretums for sandy-soil plants in the world, providing not only economic benefits, but also zoological benefits to China as well as to the entire world.

The Desert Botanical Garden of Turpan boasts an observation tower whose telescope offers spectacular views of the Bogda Peak of the Tianshan Mountains, the Flame Mountain Range, the Grape Valley, and Ayding Lake. It is THE place to go to take in the expanse of the topography surrounding the city of Turpan. Together with the Ancient City of Jiaohe and Karez System, this botanical garden has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turpan. From the watchtower inside it, one has an excellent view of the Flaming Mountains, the Grape Valley, and the Aydingkol Lake, all of which will make a visit to Turpan even more enjoyable.

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Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient town of Gaochang was once the capital city of the Gaochang (Kocho, Kharakhoja or "King City") Uigur Kingdom. Lying at the Mutougou River Delta at the foot of Flaming Mountain, 45 km east of Turpan City of the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region, Gaochang served as an important commercial and cultural center on the ancient Silk Road and played an important role in the history of communication between ancient China and the West. The once thriving capital city was gradually deserted over a period of more than 2,000 years, but the site of the ancient town is still visible and the city wall still stands in the basin not far from Flaming Mountain. Withstanding the test of time and weather, the ancient city of Gaochang, and the ancient city of Jiaohe, are the best-preserved ruins of the ancient cities in China. These two cities were added to the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

The city was initially built as a garrison town in the first century B.C., called Gaochang Wall, and later renamed Kharakhoja, Kocho or King City. It was a key point along the Silk Road. During the successive dynasties, it was ruled as Gaochang Prefecture, Gaochang Kingdom and West Prefecture. By the 14th century, the city was damaged and abandoned due to warfare between Mongolian aristocrats and Uigurs. After 2,000 years, the weather-beaten ancient city still displays its past greatness and glory even though the walls are incomplete the magnificent outline remains.

The present remains of Gaochang City that was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and rebuilt and enlarged in the Huihu period cover an area of over 2 million square meters. Most city wall remains were made of tampered earth. Taking a shape of an irregular square, the whole city was divided into three sections, namely the outer city, the inner city and the palace.

The outer city had a wall base of 12 meters thick, 11.5 meters high, with a perimeter of 5.4 kilometers. The outer side of the city wall was well preserved, with horse face figures protruding outward. Three gates were open in the south wall, while the other three walls each had 2 gates, of which the north gate open in the west wall was the best preserved one. Built outside the city gates were a number of small protective towns, equipped with defense facilities.

The inner city was built in the center of the outer city, with well-preserved west and south walls. Built earlier than the outer city, the inner city had a rectangular shape. The palace, built in the uttermost north of the outer city, took the north wall of the outer city as its north wall and the north wall of the inner city as its south wall.

The Palace City is located in the north of the inner city, sharing its southern wall with the inner city and northern wall with the outer city. It is a rectangle with a perimeter of 700 meters (2,296 feet). Within the city, many large  cornerstones remains are still visible, with an average height of 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) to 4 meters (13 feet). These cornerstones are relics of a 4-storied palace. An irregular adobe square standing in a high earthen platform is called "Khan's Castle", which was the imperial residence.

During late 19thcentury to early 20thcentury, grave robbers from Russia, Germany, Britain, and Japan plundered cultural relics at the Ancient Gaochang City. Renowned Chinese scholar Huang Wenbi twice surveyed the city in 1928 and 1930. After the founding of new China, cultural relic administrative bureau was set up to carry out further researches at the site and unearthed a number of valuable relics.

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