Kuqa: Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, Grand Mosque, and Diversiform-leaved Poplar Forest

    Kuqa is in southern Xinjiang at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Formerly an important town on the central Old Silk Road, it is now under the jurisdiction of Aksu Prefecture. It was here that, influenced by multiple cultures, the Qiuci civilization as represented by famous Qiuci City was formed. In common with many of Xinjiang's ancient cities, Qiuci City was discovered after having disappeared for more than 10 centuries.

    Aksu Prefecture is easily accessible by highway, railway and air. It has many cultural sights, most notably its Buddhist grottoes, such as the Kizil, Kumutura, Mazabeg and Simsem grottoes. The Kizil Grottoes, dug in the late third century over a period of more than 500 years, are China's earliest, largest and westernmost Buddhist grottoes. They comprise 236 numbered caves and 10,000 square meters of murals, most of which relate to Buddhism.

    It was the Grand Kuqa Mosque, first built in the 16th century and reconstructed in 1931 after being damaged by fire, that first signified dominance of Islam over Buddhism in Xinjiang. It is the region's second largest mosque after the Id Kah Mosque in Kashi and has capacity for 3,000 worshipers. Within its compound is Xinjiang's sole religious court. Kuqa is also site of the sacred Molanaershiding Tomb to which Xinjiang's Muslims make regular pilgrimages.

    Along the banks of the Tarim River on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, largest in China and second largest in the world, grows the world's largest diversiform-leaved popular forest. This tree species is celebrated for its capacity to "live for 1,000 years, stand for 1,000 years after death, and resist decay 1,000 years after falling down." In autumn, its leaves turn a spectacular yellow, as featured in Zhang Yimou's Hero.

    Other sights of natural beauty in Aksu Prefecture include Mount Tomur -- site of China's largest modern glacier, the Taklimakan Desert, the Mystic Grand Canyon of the Tianshan Mountains, and the South Heavenly Pool. Aksu's rich water resources make it Xinjiang's main producer of apples, pears, thin-shelled walnuts, grapes, white apricots, peaches and dates.

    Hotan: Home of Jade

    Hotan, in the southern Tarim Basin, was originally site of the Yutian Kingdom and its 80,000 population that dominated the southern route of the Old Silk Road.

    Yutian was the first place in China to embrace Buddhism. According to the travel notes of Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang, there were over 100 Buddhist temples in Yutian that housed nearly 5,000 monks. Yutian's temples differ from grotto temples in the northern Tarim Basin. They were built on solid ground, with corridors decorated with murals and sculptures. Buddhist art in Yutian manifests an obvious Indian and Persian influence.

    Hotan is famous for jade. The best quality is "as white as sheep fat" and thus named. Most of the seals of Chinese emperors were made of Hotan jade.

    Hotan's many historical sites include the Niya city ruins, also called "Pompei of the Orient."

    Hotan has no railway. To get there, take one of Urumuqi's weekly flights.

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