Gao, this historic city on the ancient Silk Road, located in the Turpan Basin, the desert, under the Flaming Mountains. During the Millennium sand, sun and moon stripped off the invasion of planing, is from natural Daqian of going slowly. However, from the existing piles of magnificent ancient city that contours are still visible on the Silk Road thousands of years ago endless prosperity.
Local Uighur Gaochang city called for ", also to protect the city", the "King City" means. It is the capital of the Kingdom of the past Gaochang specific location of today's more than 40 kilometers east of Turpan city, three BU Xiang. Turpan in ancient times, said Gao, a name from the first century BC (Han Dynasty) was established Gaochang wall beginning of Shu Han Wei-Jin Wei XiaoWei stationed here. Then after Former Liang Gao County system, Gaochang Kingdom capital, until the thirteenth century AD, destroyed by the war in Yuan Dynasty. 1300 has been used for many years. So far many of the literati still like to use, "Gao" as a synonym for Turpan.
We proceed by car from Urumqi, Turpan Basin, on the way through the Flaming Mountains, Turpan sun as flames, burning hot to the human body spray. The sand in the desert sun exposure seemed to be under fire. Speeding vehicles in the desert, stirring up dust along the way. Looked at the vehicle through, but after the rocks, gives the impression that apart from heat, or heat, temperature is more than 40 degrees. While passing this Flaming Mountains, it is "Journey to the West" in Tang Seng apprentice had Huoyanshan, Monkey Doo Princess Iron Fan's story, Huoyanshan prototype. Huoyanshan is due to crustal movement, forming a series of horizontal folds of the anticline structure. The strata exposed in the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary sandy conglomerate and red mudstone layer of the main. Summer sunlight in the twists and turns of the red rock mountains, the red light blinking, clouds of wind around, like flames soar. No wonder the ancient poets to write a "volcano empty Wu Chi-ting mouth, thick volcanic May Fire Dragon, Fire Dragon mountain is covered with condensate is not opened, the birds thousands of miles did not dare to" sentence. Huoyanshan something stretching over 100 kilometers from north to south width of 10 kilometers, an average of 500 meters above sea level, the peak on the way passing wins Jinkou beside there is 851 meters above sea level. W Jinkou Diego Canyon endlessly rising peaks, cliffs, such as cutting, difficult terrain, is entrenched in Gaochang ancient hub of the "Kazuo When closed, Wan Fu Mo open" trend. Gaochang Kingdom Zhi Tang, claiming this as a new valley, has set off guard. This is due to the long-term weathering of rocks, forming numerous grotesque shapes, the People's Bank which is simply entered into a fantastic world, with "Mo Guicheng" comparable to the scenery.
After more than half-day trip, and finally in the afternoon, the endless expanses of the Gobi Desert since appeared on a mountain near the ancient city of earth. Accompanied by a friend that it is the ancient city of Gao. In addition to the hearts of surprise, is a more dignified history. Finally arrived, and Gao, the ancient city was gradually closer to me. This was abandoned 700 years of the city, this ancient Silk Road thousands of years, is closer to us, are re-approached the human! Car was parked in an open space on the edge of the town, before your eyes are one of the gates are still preserved. I took a doubt, this is Simon do with the Barbican? The answer is yes. Accompanied by a friend through the wall, from the strange, Can Yuan in the identification of the houses, streets and walls.
Kusakabe gray ramp in the afternoon, standing on the edge Huoyanshan high slopes, from the horizon, floating in the afterglow of the streaks, look at this piece of immediate large-scale, spectacular ancient city of Gao Chang. From the information of its construction and the basic scale of the formation of the first cool to the age of about Gao's Dynasty. A total area of more than 2 million square meters, is the largest ever retained the ancient Western Regions gucheng site. Town site rectangular weeks about five kilometers outside the city is divided into inner city and Miyagi three parts, with the Tang Dynasty Chang'an formed, the same layout. Most of the remnants of city wall, all made from rammed earth built version may board the city head to look. The external walls of the base width 12 meters, 11.5 meters high wall. The city of nine gates. There are three gates on the south, east, west, north, each of two gates. West of the north gate to save the best, there is horse-faced, Simon Barbican still.
Gaochang the city's many construction sites that have been severely damaged. In Gao, the city abandoned after the increasingly encroaching into arable land was cultivated, most of the buildings are no longer to keep. You can see only the outer walls, inner walls, palace walls, Khan Fort, beacon towers, pagodas and other retained a more complete building. The southwest and the southeast corner of the outer city to save two temple sites. In which the southwest corner of a monastery, Terakado, courtyards, preaching hall, Buddhist scriptures floor, Sengfang, towers, and shrines to save well, with an area of about 10,000 square meters. The southeast corner of the temple, there were still a polygon of the tower and the cave for a week, is the sole repository of the city a better place mural. North of the city left in the middle of an irregular square small castle, 15 meters high above the remnants of a building, commonly known as "Fort Khan," with a follow-up have been found near the lotus patterns on the stone Chu and green glass tile pieces, seems to Northern Liang period of Buddhist temple ruins. Buddhist temples once stood tall on both sides of the pagoda, there are remnants of the middle Pylon hospital, while the shrines in the remnants of a Bodhisattva, and murals. According to research, which is then passed through Gao Tang Seng Xuan Zang Journey to the West Country when he was king of chrysanthemum Wentai preaching to retain the office in January. All buildings in town with rammed earth or mud-brick construction of all doors and windows at the top of more dome-shaped, similar to today's Turpan buildings. Other mound dilapidated, squalid walls Yuan, it can only be verified by human imagination and continue to the.
Before the liberation, Russia, Germany, Britain, Japan and other countries, "Explorer" has come to excavation, theft of a large number of precious cultural relics. After the liberation, gradually found some silver Sassanian dynasty, Yuan Longquan kiln porcelain, also collected a number of small Buddha statues, big Tao Gang. Particularly when one is found in the Yuan Dynasty, Uighur and Chinese language used to write a good bin sold themselves into slavery contract, the main temple at that time the situation has exposed the exploitation of slaves, it is highly historical value. Ancient City of Gaochang was also in 1961 was listed as a national key cultural relics protection units.
All around the ancient city of silence. Before looking at the millennium has been an extremely busy but now dilapidated, deserted city wall, moved the hearts of some of Mo's, I think of an ancient city visited Gao wrote in Travels in the text: "I'm sweating, and the residual Market rubble as a reminder who silently stand-off . Oh, you, can you tell me what? Do you have like a bright jewel in general, set in the desolate Gobi desert, the shine in the long and winding Silk Road; you have all the pride of mankind, is a natural transformation of the human conquest of nature bright colorful signs. And now, everything had disappeared, there are no signs of human habitation, no sound, and even a sports star the slightest signs of life could not be found, not even a little grass and no ... ... to listen to a Han Chinese reside Turpan comrade told me that the winter time, there is often a strong wind comes, the wind billowing Xie Guo Huang Chen, in the undulating between the castle and Can Yuan, in a circuitous way among the walk through the streets, issued daunting roar. Maybe This is a city in its own way, it recalls the golden age of the lost memories of a thousand years of prosperity and noisy ... ... "
2000 years of the silent years, a lot of things will erode without a trace. However, in this desert city, is still demonstrating a tenacious former glory, he will be able to carry the heavy is not just a starting! In the city, "Khan Castle," the stage, all the panoramic view. That grand but dilapidated old city, it will be sunk earnest sunset. We should leave, and peers were no longer distant cry. I do not know when the wind was blowing, ears seem to hear the Frontier Poems of Wang Changling chapter: "the desert eolian Hiiro faint, red half of the volume out of ?. Former military night Tao River in Hebei, has been reported captured Tuyuhun."
Thoughts came back the car had been moving into the desert, looking back at the rear of the addition to dark to see anything. I was Gaochang ancient city, nothing left, nothing left behind. Only the hearts of many a heavy Momin. Gaochang city I probably will not come to this life. It was silent in the deep left broken and a magnificent memory.
The car has become a little bit cold, I do not consciously Jinle Jin collar. Car is night shuttle, ears heard the wind noise!
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