The famous ruins of the Tang King City in Xinjiang got their name

Collection from the Xinjiang Tunken History Museum in Tumshuk City. Photo by Shi Yujiang

China News Network Urumqi, August 8 Question: Why did the famous ruins of Xinjiang's Tang King City get its name

Written by Shi Yujiang Yiran

Out of Tumshuk City, Xinjiang, drive about 12 kilometers north, enter the territory of the 200th Company of the <>st Regiment of Tumshuk City, <>rd Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and see from a distance the beacon sitting firmly on the top of the Tagge Mountain (Gate Mountain) in Dairzevaz - this is the most representative beacon of the ruins of the Tang King City within a radius of <> li. After climbing about <> meters from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, you stand shoulder to shoulder with the beacon.

"Tang King City" to Mo cliff stone carving. Photo by Yuan Qiang

Looking east, the slope of another cement-colored mountain is looming with patches of loess, which local cultural relics staff told reporters are the remains of a Buddhist temple; Looking west, the remains of the relatively well-preserved Buddhist temple under the cliff jump into view; Looking south, the desert with wild grass and green spreads straight to the overcast Tumshuk Mountain, a horse flat river, majestic and vast; Sweeping north, the ruins of the city wall can be seen in full view...

According to reports, the ruins of the Tang King City include beacon fire, ancient city, cliff stone carvings, Buddhist temples, etc.

Remains of the city wall of the "Tang King City". Easy to photograph

The ancient city is about 500 meters east and west and 400 meters north and south; There are three walls, built with earth, grass and stone, according to the mountain, majestic, namely: the inner city, the outer city, and the great outer city. The inner city wall goes from the mountainside to the peak, the outer city wall continues to the top of the mountain, and the large outer city wall surrounds Nanshan Root from the outer city. On the mountainside and at the top of the mountain, there are ruins of a city wall with a north-south gate, made of adobe. The ruins of the Buddhist temple under the cliff are arranged on a platform about 5 meters above the ground, with irregular shapes, and two earthen pillars standing side by side, forming a door shape, which is relatively well preserved.

There are five shallow niches of Buddha statues carved in the cliff of the west side of the ancient city, about 5 meters high, and one statue has been destroyed so that only a shallow niche can be seen, and there is no Buddha image.

Many historical facts are being restored

The reporter visited the Xinjiang Tunken History Museum and learned that from 1927 to 1930, Huang Wenbi, who taught at Peking University, participated in the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang inspection activities of the Sino-Swiss Northwest Scientific Expedition. During this period, he inspected the Tang royal city and left precious written records, which became an important basis for later people's investigation of the Tang royal city.

In 1959, the southern Xinjiang archaeological team of the Xinjiang Museum came to the Tang Dynasty to investigate, excavated and collected more than 6,11 cultural relics here, and found more than 30 wooden tablets from the <>th century to the <>th century AD, five kinds of five-baht money in the Han Dynasty, and ancient ears of wheat, cottonseed, melon pits, etc.

From 1990 to 1992, the cultural relics census team in Kashgar Prefecture of Xinjiang conducted investigations here, and also made many new discoveries.

Clay pots in Xinjiang Reclamation Museum. Photo by Shi Yujiang

Li Zongqian, director of the Xinjiang Tunken History Museum, told Chinanews.com that in October 2021, the Archaeological Research Center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage had conducted a preliminary survey of the site of the Tang Wangcheng, and after specimen extraction, the preliminary dating data was determined to be the 10th century BC.

From June to October 2022, the Archaeological Research Center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, together with the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Xinjiang Tunken History Museum, and the Bachu County Museum, officially launched archaeological excavations at the ruins of the Tang Dynasty City. The excavation found ancient river channels, main roads, city gates, Zoroastrian monasteries, ash pits and other relics, and unearthed 6 important artifacts such as pottery, bronze, iron, glassware, ancient coins, and Buddha statues.

According to historical records, the Tang Dynasty was the seat of the Western Regions Weitou State (a form of local government) in the Western Han Dynasty, and was called Panbao City during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and also known as "Yutou Prefecture" during the Tang Dynasty, also known as "According to Shide City". Locally known as the "Ancient City of Tokuzsalai". It is the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

The Tang royal city can be divided into several historical periods: the Three Kingdoms and Northern Wei belonged to Guizi and the Sui belonged to Shule. The Tang Dynasty was the "Yutou Prefecture" under the Anxi Frontier Province. Song Shi returned to Shule. Liao Dynasty as Yingzhou. Yuan Ming belonged to the Chagatai Khanate and the Yarkand Khanate, and was under the jurisdiction of the Dzungar ministers. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the management area of the military station, that is, the ninth station of Yarkand, and after the establishment of Xinjiang Province (1884), the Xinjiang military station was changed to a post station. The Xinjiang Tuzhi, published in 1911, named it Tumshukyi.

Why is it called "Tang King City"

In the Xinjiang Tunken History Museum in Tumshuk City, there are four well-preserved copper Kaiyuan Tongbao, which are pure in copper and well-cast. "This shows that during the Tang Dynasty, Yutou Prefecture had extensive cultural exchanges with various parts of the Western Regions and the Central Plains." Li Zongqian said.

"Xinjiang Tuzhi Jianzhi" Yun: 'One hundred and fifty li northeast of the present city (Bachu), there is a ruined city north of Tumshuk Jiutai Mountain, and the woodcutters dug up the yuan money in the soil, because it is called the Tang King City'. Li Zongqian introduced that because most of the coins found here are Kaiyuan Tongbao (a copper currency minted in the Tang Dynasty, coins began to have 'Tongbao' in the Tang Dynasty)." "Tokuzsalai" is a Uyghur word meaning "nine palaces" or "nine rooms."

Xiao Bisheng, director of the Tumshuk City Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism, who has been responsible for managing cultural relics for many years, said that the excavation of the site unearthed Karakhan coins and Tang Dynasty coins such as "Kaiyuan Tongbao" and "Qiao (Qian) Yuan Zhongbao". Karakhan coins are highly recognizable because of their round and non-porous shape, and have been found in southern Xinjiang in the late Tang and early Song dynasties, especially in the area from Kashgar to Bachu.

Remains of the city wall of the "Tang King City". Easy to photograph

Xiao Bisheng said that the coin "Qiyuan Zhongbao" was issued in 758 AD and withdrew from circulation in 762, only five years later. Its discovery, on the one hand, proves that the site is closely linked to the Central Dynasty; On the other hand, combined with the Anshi Rebellion occurring from 5 to 755 AD, it is speculated that the formation of the city wall, city gate, and main road were all built before the Tang Dynasty, which was the most stable and most frequent stage of the central government's rule over the Western Regions.

According to historical records, this is the dividing line between the ancient Guizi State and the ancient Shule State, and it was an important military fortress during the Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the settlement flourished, and as an important necessary place on the Silk Road, it built a city to meet the needs of military defense, and also set aside some houses for passers-by to live in. Many of them believe in Buddhism, which has contributed to the prosperity of Buddhism. During the Qing Dynasty, this place declined and decayed, and the locals expected that it was prosperous and must be the residence of "king" people, calling it "Tokuz Salai Ancient City".

A bird's eye view of the "Tang King City". Photo by Bong Zhengyun

Lin Zexu was framed for banning smoking in Guangzhou, and was dismissed one after another and sent to Ili, Xinjiang. After spending more than a year in Ili, Xinjiang, he surveyed southern Xinjiang on the spot, passed here, and "rested for three days in case of strong winds" - looking at the vast wilderness, he gave a poem "But the embroidered ridge is thousands of acres." ”

It is believed that many questions related to the "Tang King City" will give clearer answers after the completion of the archaeology, research, display and utilization of the national Tang King City site. (End)