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    City of the Silk Road: The Ruins of Gaochang

    Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
    Posted on: December 08, 2020 | | 中文

    The Houses and Streets of Gaochang

    Perhaps in all of China’s history, no other site has intersected the saga of the Silk Road and Chinese regional history, quite like the fortress city of Gaochang. It is difficult to believe that this now-abandoned city was once not only hotly contested by local rulers, but also a thriving hub under the Silk Road. The ruins are located at the foot of the Flaming Mountain, southeast of the city of Turpan in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Its name means “the King’s City” (or Kharakhoja) in the Uyghur language, as it once served as the capital of the Gaochang Kingdom (460 – 640 CE).

    Gaochang was built during the First Century BC by the Cheshi (Jushi) Kingdom, a group of farmers and warriors. They surrendered control of the city to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 CE), around 50 BC. By that time, it was already a city of plentiful food and water for travelers. However, with the induction of Gaochang to the Silk Road, the city flourished and became a precious resource to the Han court. After being a part of the Gaochang Kingdom for some time, Gaochang returned to Chinese dominion during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). The Uyghur Kingdom took over Gaochang around the 9th Century CE, bringing the area under the control of Genghis Khan, eventually making it a part of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Gaochang was abandoned in the 13th Century, around the same time as the famous Jiaohe ruins, and the city became deserted.

    Some of the Ruins of Gaochang

    Despite the constant struggle for Gaochang’s control, there were always multiple ethnicities living there when the city was still populated, including Indians, Central Asians and East Asian people. From the excavations at the Astana Tombs and the Bezeklik Grottos, the early Chinese people who lived in the city believed in a mixture of Gandharan Buddhism and ancient Chinese symbols. At the height of its power, the city was home to 30,000 people, and was seen as one of the more enjoyable stopover towns on the Silk Road. These manmade streets in the middle of the large sandstone desert were once bustling avenues, filled with throngs of merchants selling goods from the east to the west.

    Apart from its importance as a trading hub, this city was also an important center of religious teachings, particularly Buddhism. On his way to India, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang stopped at Gaochang to give lectures. But there was also a Confucian college of classics, and a church of Nestorian Christianity (a collection of various Christian teachings) was found on the outskirts of town. With the extended Uyghur empire, Manichaeism made its home in Gaochang, while Islam became the dominant religion of the region in 1390, after spreading in the area through conquerors and mercantile trade.

    (L to R) Manichean Priests Writing at Their Table, 8th - 9th Century and A Wall Painting from the Nestorian Christian Church outside Gaochang

    Unfortunately for Gaochang, much of the structures were destroyed during the period when it was deserted. The structures, art and murals were destroyed either because keeping idols is seen as repugnant in a Muslim-majority region, or because the structures needed to be used as fertilizer for the farmlands of the surrounding areas. When the site was discovered in the late 19th Century, many of the explorers and archaeologists took artifacts from Gaochang, which are now displayed in various museums of the world.

    Although much of the city is in ruins, the site is fascinating to visit, and enough of the structures have remained intact, showing the sheer size of the fortress city. The layout of the city is quite similar to that of Xi’an (or Chang’an) on the opposite end of the country, divided into an outer city, inner-city and central palace city. While the inner wall of the city has crumbled, the outer wall is still in place. The palace-city at the center, which must have been the most magnificent part of the city, now only exist as massive cornerstones scattered around the city center.

    Ruins of a Buddhist Stupa

    As of 2014, Gaochang has gone through extensive renovations, after being declared a Silk Road World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But even as early as 2002, the Chinese government had announced plans to restore parts of Gaochang and the Jiaohe ruins, to be used for tourism purposes. The best times to visit are the months of April to October, while the July – October period has the special charm that it’s also the fruit harvesting season. Whether people are interested in Chinese history, or simply wish to imagine life in a city of the Silk Road, Gaochang is worth a visit.

    Gallery

    Inside One of the Ruins

    Local Uyghurs at the Site

    (L to R) A Portrait of a Servant Girl at the Astana Graves, Color on Silk and A T'ang Dynasty Female Musician


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

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    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021