Reaching the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in the north and bordering on the Tarim Basin in the south,is a beautiful and plenteous oasis--Kuqa County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. With an area of 15378 square kilometers, the county has a population of 340000, composed of 21 different nationalities, including mainly Uygurs, Hans, Huis and Kirghizes. Highways connect the city of the county with Luntai in the east, Baicheng in the northeast, Xinhe in the west and Shaya in the south. Kuqa covers what was Qiuzi Kingdom in the Han Dynasty(206 B. C. --A. D. 220). Occupying a position of strategical importance on the Northern Route of the Silk Road, the place was a hub or bridge that linked up Europe and Asia in trade and communication in ancient times. The long history of the county has endowed it with a brilliant heritage of ancient arts and plenty of cultural relics and historical sites. It also abounds in beautiful and enchanting sights in all their unique and distinctive ways. Having gone through numerous historical changes, Kuqa has now taken on even more attractive looks for tourists. The northern part of the county,deep in the Tianshan Mountains, has a liberal allowance of water resources. With luxuriant pastures, pleasant weather and breath-taking scenes, it is a good summer resort and favorite place of tourists. The southern reaches of the ancient county,even and and extensive, are most treasurable for the development of the oasist s economy by exploiting its irrigation farming resources. Kuqa is well-known for its fruit produce, not only in quality, but also in vatiety. The best-known of the fruits produced here include the small-sized white apricot and the chicken heart shaped grape, both of which have long since become popular far and wide. The sugar-coated dried small white apricot sells well even abroad. Still more competitive on the international market is the lamb-skin products from the county. Its carpets have won the title"Products of Fine Quality" conferred by the Ministry of Light Industry of the Peoplet s Republic of China. Kuqa is also rich in mineral resources, particularly in petroleum and coal, which present bright prospects in exploitation. The county abounds in tourist resorts. The tourist will find himself surrounded with layer upon layer of peaks and enchanted in a labyrinth of weird mountains and uncanny rocks. Photographic artists, domestic and foreign, will draw aspiration from the blue and transparent water of lakes in the Tianshan Mountains, the awe-inspiring waterfalls, the beautiful pastures and other fascinationg views. Tourists will be carried away by the summer and fall landscapes on the Tarim River. The Brilliant Qiuzi arts, cultural relics and historical sites are known to the whole world. Other wonders of the ancient civilization of the Silk Road include the Buddhist caves at Kumutula and Kezir, Baicheng County, under the protection of the government. To crown them all are the world-famous dances and songs of the land of antiquity, admired by people from all corners of the globe.
The deepening of the reform and the further implementation of of the policy of opening to the outside world have brought about profound changes to the ancient territory on the silk Road. Each year, since the adoption of the opening policy, thousands of visitors, foreign as well as domestic, including scholars, artists, writers and tourists, have come here for sight-seeing, travelling, seeing friends or relations, or for academic purposes. It is for visitors here that we intend our book. It is hoped that it will serve ladies and gentlemen at home and from abroad as something of a guidebook that will render them some help in their understanding of Kuqa. As you know, seeing is believing. You are welcome to Kucha to make sight-seeing tours, visit your friends or relatives, discuss business transactions or carry out scientific and technological interchange.