Lukqun Historical and Cultural Tourism Area

Lukqun Historical and Cultural Tourism Area

Lukqun Historical and Cultural Tourism Area

The famous ancient city of Liuzhong on the ancient Silk Road is located in Lukqun Town. It is a well-known ancient town with a history of more than two thousand years. Since ancient times, Liuzhong City was famed for its willows, so much so that it earned the name “Green Willow Town,” and was celebrated in poetic lines such as “Every day the walls stand, willows grow year after year; by Flaming Mountain, the willows herald spring.”　

During the Han Dynasty, it was called Liucheng, and during the Tang Dynasty, it was known as Liuzhong County. In the 1st century BC, when the Western Han Dynasty established the Western Regions Protectorate in Luntai, this area was once used for military farming. In 123 AD, the Eastern Han Dynasty’s Western Regions Protectorate was stationed here, and the Western Regions Protector Ban Yong led five hundred soldiers to garrison and cultivate the land in Liucheng.

Liuzhong City held a strategically important position in history. It was the eastern gateway to Xizhou (Gaochang) during the Tang Dynasty and a vital town along the Silk Road. Today, many cultural relics and historic sites remain around the city walls. Directly west of the inner city lies the ruins of the residence of Emin Hezhuo, the Turpan prince of the Qing Dynasty, believed to have been built around 1758 and locally referred to as Wangye Terrace. The terrace is 57 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 meters high, all constructed from compacted yellow clay.

Lukqun Town is the birthplace of Turpan Muqam, which refers specifically to Lukqun Muqam, with historical roots dating back to the era of Gaochang music and beyond. Lukqun Muqam boasts strong and distinctive regional characteristics, differing in rhythm, melody, and structure from the published collections such as the Twelve Muqam, Hami Muqam, and Dolan Muqam. As a result, in 1996, experts excavated and organized Lukqun Muqam, publishing the regionally unique book titled Turpan Muqam. The most notable feature of Lukqun Muqam is “no drum, no song; no drum, no dance; the drum changes, the music changes; the music changes, the dance changes.”

Lukqun Muqam, with its rich and beautiful melodies, profound and vivid lyrics, and the vibrant atmosphere of singing and dancing, is deeply loved by the public. In 2000, four Muqam masters renowned for performing Lukqun Muqam, including Tursun Simayi, were invited to perform at the Royal Theatre in the UK. Their unique instruments, smooth music, and exquisite performances received high praise from Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, Xinjiang’s first Muqam Art Heritage Center has been established in Lukqun Town. The ancient town of Lukqun continues to pass on and perform its uniquely charming melodies, attracting countless domestic and international visitors.