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An 8th-century Tang dynasty Chinese clay figurine of a Sogdian man wearing a distinctive cap and face veil, possibly a Zoroastrian priest engaging in a ritual at a fire temple, since face veils were used to avoid contaminating the holy fire with breath or saliva.<br/><br/> Alternatively, from the posture, the figurine may represent a Sogdian camel rider on the Silk Road covering his mouth and nose against the sandstorms of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang.
Tuyoq or Tuyugou is an ancient oasis-village in the Taklamakan desert, 70 km east of Turpan in a lush valley cutting into the Flaming Mountains, with a well preserved Uyghur orientation. It is famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos, the best known being the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves.
Tuyoq or Tuyugou is an ancient oasis-village in the Taklamakan desert, 70 km east of Turpan in a lush valley cutting into the Flaming Mountains, with a well preserved Uyghur orientation. It is famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos, the best known being the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves.
Tuyoq or Tuyugou is an ancient oasis-village in the Taklamakan desert, 70 km east of Turpan in a lush valley cutting into the Flaming Mountains, with a well preserved Uyghur orientation. It is famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos, the best known being the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
The Kunlun Mountains (simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; pinyin: Kūnlún Shān) are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.
Shifting sands, sandstorms, extreme heat, bitter cold, an almost total lack of water and immense distances all contributed to the death of Silk Road pack animals (as well as, sometimes, their masters) during the interminable crossings. It was common practice to use bones or parts of animal skeletons to point the way to other travellers, or to indicate dangers.
The Taklamakan is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world, ranking 18th in size in a ranking of the world's largest non-polar deserts. It covers an area of 270,000 km2 (100,000 sq mi) of the Tarim Basin, 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) long and 400 kilometres (250 mi) wide. It is crossed at its northern and at its southern edge by two branches of the Silk Road as travelers sought to avoid the arid wasteland.
Dandan Oilik is a deserted historical town and desert oasis in the Taklamakan Desert of China. Dandan Oilik was an important (though small) centre of local Buddhism and trade on the Silk Road. Its name means 'Houses of Ivory' and has been the site of a small number of significant archeological finds.<br/><br/> Having been abandoned many hundreds of years ago, the oasis was found and lost to shifting desert sands several times. Most recently, a German expedition led by Christoph Baumer found the city based on the accounts of previous explorers such as Sir Aurel Stein, and uncovered relics dating to the 7th and 8th centuries. They also marked its GPS position, and the city is now being studied by Chinese archeologists.
Dandan Oilik is a deserted historical town and desert oasis in the Taklamakan Desert of China. Dandan Oilik was an important (though small) centre of local Buddhism and trade on the Silk Road. Its name means 'Houses of Ivory' and has been the site of a small number of significant archeological finds.<br/><br/> Having been abandoned many hundreds of years ago, the oasis was found and lost to shifting desert sands several times. Most recently, a German expedition led by Christoph Baumer found the city based on the accounts of previous explorers such as Sir Aurel Stein, and uncovered relics dating to the 7th and 8th centuries. They also marked its GPS position, and the city is now being studied by Chinese archeologists.
Halting places, generally styled caravanserai in Turkish and Persian, were established by rulers to promote and protect the trade that enriched their kingdoms. Ideally these were roadside inns placed a day apart where travellers could eat, sleep and recover from the day’s journey, with their animals securely tethered, watered and fed, and their precious goods safely within walls.<br/><br/> Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Loulan was an ancient kingdom based around an important oasis city already known in the 2nd century BCE on the northeastern edge of the Lop Desert. Loulan was an ancient kingdom along the Silk Road. In 108 BCE, the Han Dynasty forces defeated the armies of the Loulan kingdom and made it into a tributary state. In 77 BCE, Loulan came under the control of the Han Dynasty and was given the Chinese name of Shanshan. The site is now completely surrounded by desert.
In ancient times Miran was a busy trading center on the southern part of the Silk Road, after the route split into two (the northern route and the southern route), as caravans of merchants sought to escape travel across the harsh wasteland of the desert (called by the Chinese 'The Sea of Death') and the Tarim Basin. They went by going around its north or south rim. It was also a thriving center of Buddhism with many monasteries and stupas.<br/><br/> Marc Aurel Stein was the first archaeologist to systematically study the ruins at Miran in 1907. The many artifacts found in Miran demonstrate the extensive and sophisticated trade connections these ancient towns had with places as far away as the Mediterranean Sea.<br/><br/> Archaeological evidence from Miran shows the influence of Buddhism on artistic work as early as the first century BCE. Early Buddhist sculptures and murals excavated from the site show stylistic similarities to the traditions of Central Asia and North India and other artistic aspects of the paintings found there suggest that Miran had a direct connection with Rome and its provinces.
Mazar Tagh (Tomb Mountain) is located in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert, about halfway along the Khotan cross-desert highway, then west across the Hotan River. There are the remains of an old fortress dating from the 7th-8th century CE.<br/><br/> Khara-Khoto is a medieval Tangut city in the Ejin khoshuu of Alxa League, in western Inner Mongolia, near the former Gashun Lake. It has been identified as the city of Etzina, which appears in The Travels of Marco Polo.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: Mògāo kū) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China.<br/><br/> The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings.
The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: Mògāo kū) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China.<br/><br/> The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Dunes) are situated about 4km south of Dunhuang. They are the largest and most impressive sand dunes in China. The main dunes rise to between 250m and 300m. They are called ‘Singing Sands’ because the shifting grains of sand make a humming noise in powerful winds.<br/><br/> The Kumtagh Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert which lies east-southeast of the Desert of Lop.
Miran is an ancient oasis town located on the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert in China, along the famous trade route known as the Silk Road where the Lop Nur desert meets the Altun Shan mountains.<br/><br/> Two thousand years ago a river flowed down from the mountain and Miran had a sophisticated irrigation system. Now the area is a sparsely inhabited dusty spot with poor roads and minimal transportation in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.<br/><br/> However, archaeological excavations since the early 20th century have uncovered an extensive Buddhist monastic site from the 2nd to 5th centuries CE, as well as Miran fort which was a Tibetan settlement during the 8th and 9th centuries CE.<br/><br/> The ruins at Miran consist of a large rectangular fort, a monastery ('the Vihara' in Stein's accounts), several stupas and many sun-dried brick constructions, located relatively close to the ancient caravan track to Dunhuang, running west to east.<br/><br/> The many artifacts found in Miran demonstrate the extensive and sophisticated trade connections these ancient towns had with places as far away as the Mediterranean Sea. Archaeological evidence from Miran shows the influence of Buddhism on artistic work as early as the first century BCE. Early Buddhist sculptures and murals excavated from the site show stylistic similarities to the traditions of Central Asia and North India.
Miran is an ancient oasis town located on the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert in China, along the famous trade route known as the Silk Road where the Lop Nur desert meets the Altun Shan mountains.<br/><br/> Two thousand years ago a river flowed down from the mountain and Miran had a sophisticated irrigation system. Now the area is a sparsely inhabited dusty spot with poor roads and minimal transportation in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.<br/><br/> However, archaeological excavations since the early 20th century have uncovered an extensive Buddhist monastic site from the 2nd to 5th centuries CE, as well as Miran fort which was a Tibetan settlement during the 8th and 9th centuries CE.<br/><br/> The ruins at Miran consist of a large rectangular fort, a monastery ('the Vihara' in Stein's accounts), several stupas and many sun-dried brick constructions, located relatively close to the ancient caravan track to Dunhuang, running west to east.<br/><br/> The many artifacts found in Miran demonstrate the extensive and sophisticated trade connections these ancient towns had with places as far away as the Mediterranean Sea. Archaeological evidence from Miran shows the influence of Buddhism on artistic work as early as the first century BCE. Early Buddhist sculptures and murals excavated from the site show stylistic similarities to the traditions of Central Asia and North India.