Charklik (ancient settlement)
Location | Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang, China |
---|---|
Region | Tarim Basin |
Coordinates | 39°02′N 88°00′E / 39.033°N 88.000°E |
Charklik or Charkhlik (
History
Charklik was the name for an ancient settlement of the kingdom of Kroraina (Chinese: Loulan; later Shanshan) from at least as far back as the 1st century BCE.
During the latter part of the
The explorer and archaeologist
The Buddhist monk Xuanzang passed through a town called Na-Fu-Bo (纳缚波) on his way home to China in 645 CE, and Marco Polo in the 13th century passed through a place he called the town of Lop,[2] Both of these were suggested by Aurel Stein to be Charklik.[3] Stein wrote that there was "conclusive evidence" that Charklik was already the chief centre of the region when Xuanzang passed through it.[4][5]
Description
At various times in history Charklik was the last stop on the difficult Southern
The modern town of Ruoqiang is described as "small, busy place" with only very basic accommodation available. It is a convenient jumping-off place to visit the ruins of Miran.[7]
South of Charklik are the imposing
See also
- Tarim mummies
- Loulan Kingdom
- Miran
References
- ^ Hill (2015) Vol. I, p. 93.
- ^ J.M. Dent (1908), "Chapter 36: Of the Town of Lop Of the Desert in its Vicinity - And of the strange Noises heard by those who pass over the latter", The travels of Marco Polo the Venetian, pp. 99–101
- ^ Aurel Stein (1932). "Chapter IX: Section 1 - Marco Polo Lop and Hsüan Tsang Na-Fu-Po". ~Serindia. Vol. I. pp. 319–322.
- ^ Stein, M. Aurel (1999). On Ancient Central Asian Tracks: Brief Narrative of Three Expeditions in Innermost Asia and Northwestern China. Reprinted with Introduction by Jeannette Mirsky. Delhi: Book Faith India. p. 83.
- ^ Hill (2015) Vol. I, p. 84.
- ISBN 978-1-84353-479-2.
External links
- A tourism Guide to Charklik. [1]