The Miran Site

Located on the Gobi near the old Miran River, 70kilmeters to the northeast of Ruoqiang County seat, the site covers an area of 12 square kilometers. The fort of the Tang Dynasty is the largest construction in the site, which is irregularly square, with rammed walls 308 meters in circumference. There are ancient dwellings, kilns, irrigation system, watchtowers, tombs, temples and stupas nearby. A good deal of precious historical relics has been excavated from the site. Among them the most are Buddhist paintings and sculptures and various documents. The well-known frescos of “winged angel” with strong Gandhara artistic style are also found here. According to textual research, it is possible that the Yi-Xun City of the Kingdom of Loulan, which was one of the 36 kingdoms in the western regions in the Han Dynasty, has ever been at the Miran Site. The site was in use between prior to the Western Han Dynasty and late Tang Dynasty.