Music leads the way part two: Kuqa and Korla
67 kilometers north of Kuqa, we arrive at the Tianshan mountain, that divides north and South Xinjiang. We are going to visit a mysterious canyon.
The great canyon glows red if you come at the right time, when light plays tricks on the humongous rocks. This mountain was formed about one hundred and forty million years ago during the Cretaceous age. After eons of pummeling and stroking and lashing by wind and rain, the rock formations have developed their own utterly original character. Floods still often visit here and that's why we have the reeds at the entrance of the canyon. The complete hike to the other side of the canyon is some five thousand meters and it takes you about two hours. The canyon is not that famous around the country so not many people come here. It's more or less untouched by human intrusion. So if you listen very carefully it's one of those places where you can hear the land singing, old old songs, to itself.
The rocks were here long before people arrived, but nevertheless, on the mortal scale, the traces of civilization left around here are amazing enough. The ancient Qiuci kingdom was a bridge between the cultures of the East and the West and the region is littered with many Buddhist caves with murals and other ruins that bear witness to the long history of the area. Among them are the ruins of the Chauhuli (Subashi), a Buddhist temple built about a thousand years ago, when Buddhism dominated the region before the Muslim faith took over. And on the road between Kuqa city and the Great Canyon, you'll find the Kizilgaha Beacon tower. Built during the West Hang Dynasty, it's more than two thousand years old. It stands 13 meters high with a base perimeter of over 20 meters and its one of the best preserved beacon towers of its kind in Xinjiang.
Somehow the ancient beacon tower reminds me of Wang Luobin. One passes on military information and the other pass on music heritage. After all, he was the one who gave this wonderful wonderful music to the rest of the country. His mission accomplished his legacy remains.
It may not be appropriate to compare military and musical legacies, but why not? They both stir the citizenry in their different ways.
The Taklamagen Desert, the biggest desert in China. We made a little detour into it before arriving at Korla, which is some five hours drive east of Kuqa. The desert landscape is dramatic but after a while, it becomes mesmerizing.
The desert can change its nature at very short notice. You can be in this golden landscape then suddenly, out of the blue, so to speak, you can find yourself being whipped by filthy grit, in a devastating sand storm. Still, the very unpredictability of these vast sands gives them an extra dimension of beauty and undeniably commands a mighty respect.
Withstanding all these years of wind and sunshine on the desert, these are legendary poplar trees. Apparently they lived for a thousand years, and they have remained standing another thousand years after their death.
