Karasahr, Historic oasis settlement in Yanqi Hui Autonomous County, China
Karasahr is an oasis settlement in Yanqi Hui Autonomous County positioned between the Kaidu River and Lake Bosten. Agricultural fields here depend on irrigation systems that bring water across the arid subtropical landscape.
The settlement grew as a major trading post along the northern branch of the Silk Road, connecting Chinese merchants with Central Asia. This trading function shaped its growth and prosperity for centuries.
The population here includes Han Chinese, Hui Muslims, Uyghurs, and Mongols, each group bringing their own languages, traditions, and religious practices to daily life. You notice this diversity walking through local markets and neighborhoods where people from different backgrounds live side by side.
The settlement is accessible via China National Highway 314 or the Southern Xinjiang Railway, with regular connections to major regional cities. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable visiting conditions in this dry climate.
Archaeological digs near the settlement uncovered manuscripts written in Tocharian A, an ancient Indo-European language rarely found in this region. This discovery revealed connections to populations whose presence here was previously unknown.
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