The Ancient City of Subashi

The Ancient City of Subashi

The Ancient City of Subashi is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ancient City of Subashi is actually called the "Subashi Buddhist Temple," also known as the "Zhao Kui Temple." The surging Kuqa River flows through the city. It is said that this river is the lower reaches of the "Mother and Son River" mentioned in Journey to the West. The ruins of the ancient city were first built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (1st century AD) and flourished during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (6th to 8th centuries AD).

Today, remnants of walls still exist on the east, south, and north sides of the city, constructed from rammed earth. The perimeter is 7 kilometers. The eastern wall is 1,446 meters long and about 7.66 meters high; the southern wall is 1,809 meters long and partially remains; the northern wall is approximately 2,000 meters long and 2.4 meters high. The western wall has completely disappeared.

There are numerous historical sites and scenic spots within the city. Excavations have revealed that the early cultural layers date back to the late Neolithic Age, with findings including stone tools, bone implements, and pottery shards. A small number of bronze artifacts and Han Dynasty five-zhu coins have also been discovered. From the later cultural layers, a neatly arranged set of 33 large pottery jars was unearthed. Additionally, lotus-patterned floor tiles, blue-patterned bricks, and tubular bricks used for flooring were found—these designs and shapes bear similarities to the floor tiles of the Daming Palace in Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty. Other relics include ancient coins such as Qianyuan Tongbao, Kaiyuan Tongbao, Zhongzi coins, and Daligold Yuanbao. These artifacts provide insight into the historical culture and ethnic customs of the time.

The Datang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records of the Western Regions), under the section "The Kingdom of Kucha," states: "The Kingdom of Kucha spans over a thousand li from east to west and more than six hundred li from north to south. Its major capital city is seventeen to eighteen li in circumference." Kucha refers to the ancient kingdom of Qiuci. Research indicates that the "major capital city" mentioned here is the Qiuci capital located near Kuqa County (also known as Pilang Ancient City), referred to as Yan City in the Han Dynasty and Yiluolu City in the Tang Dynasty. It served as the capital of the Qiuci Kingdom during both the Han and Tang periods.

In the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (628 AD), the famous monk Xuanzang stopped here while journeying west to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. He observed a thriving monastic community with flourishing incense offerings and stayed for over two months to preach. By the mid-7th century, after the Tang Anxi Protectorate was moved to Qiuci, many eminent monks from inland China gathered here. With the sounding of evening drums and morning bells, Buddhist activities flourished. However, by the 9th century, the temples were destroyed by war and gradually declined. By the early 14th century, the site was completely abandoned.