Turfan oasis
node · earth
A deep depression on the northern Tarim route, with Ayding Lake at roughly 154 m below sea level the lowest point in China, and among its hottest and driest places. Water is delivered by karez, underground channels tapping the alluvial fans of the surrounding mountains, which is what makes cultivation possible at all. Two abandoned walled cities survive nearby: Jiaohe, on a natural plateau between two river channels, and Gaochang, capital of the kingdom the Tang conquered in 640 to establish the Anxi Protectorate. The aridity has preserved Manichaean, Buddhist and Christian manuscripts and painted silks that have no parallel elsewhere on the northern route.
Read in · 1
Evidence · 2
Timeline
No dated observations are stored for this object. Atlas shows what was observed and when — it does not infer a history.
Connections · 1
- Northern Tarim routelocated_in
Assembled narrative · 1
An assembled narrative is available for this object.
Observed changes · 0
No public Signals are attached to this object. Signals show what changed and when it was observed — never a direction or a rank.
Actions
/atlas?object=SITE_TURFAN