Wensu Gaotai Folk Houses

Wensu Gaotai Folk Houses

Wensu Gaotai Folk Houses are located on the steep cliffs in the old town area, slightly north of the center of Wensu Town. The old town still retains remnants of two broken walls on the east and west sides, standing 2.5 meters high, while the rest of the walls have completely disappeared. Within the city walls and extending to both the east and west ends, there are over 2,300 Uyghur folk houses built since the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, constructed along the rugged cliffs and canyons. From a distance, the houses are stacked in layers, scattered across the landscape and reaching all the way up to the cliff tops, presenting a spectacular sight. According to historical records, in the second year of the Shenjue era of the Han Dynasty (60 BC), Wensu was incorporated into the territory of the Han Empire; in the 20th year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (648 AD), it was renamed Wensu Prefecture; in the 20th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1755 AD), Wensu was officially named “Aksu”; in the ninth year of the Guangxu era (1883 AD), a new town was built, and the name moved with the town—the new town was called Aksu and became the seat of the Dao administration, while the old town retained the original name Wensu and was governed by a patrol inspector. Nineteen years later, it was elevated to county status, with jurisdiction extending east to Baicheng and west to Keping at that time. Originally, Wensu was one of the “Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions,” known as a “walled state.”