Ruins of Milan

Ruins of Milan

The Ruins of Milan are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ruins of Milan are located about 80 kilometers east of Ruoqiang County and 3 kilometers east of the Milan Farm headquarters. This vast site complex consists of eight stupas, three Buddhist temples, Han Dynasty irrigation facilities, and the ruins of an ancient Tibetan garrison from the Tang Dynasty. It is the renowned site of the ancient Western Regions kingdom of Shanshan, specifically the ancient city of Yixun. At the center of the Han Dynasty irrigation ruins lies the Toubuti Ancient Fortress, with a watchtower at its southeastern corner offering a panoramic view of the farmland area. To the southeast, along a 37-kilometer-long main irrigation canal that is 10–20 meters wide, there are 16 settlements where garrison soldiers lived and the ruins of an iron smelting furnace. The canal draws water from the Milan River, with seven branch canals along its length. It uses a two-way irrigation and centralized water distribution system, covering an irrigated area of approximately 45,000 mu. The layout of the canals is orderly, and water control is skillfully managed, making it a rare find among ancient irrigation systems discovered to date. Today, the land of the irrigation area is covered with a 10-centimeter layer of gravel, beneath which lies fertile yellow soil retaining traces of ancient plowing. Among the three Buddhist temples, one known as the "Western Great Temple of Milan" yielded a mural of the "Winged Angels." Currently, the stupas and temples are heavily damaged. The ancient Tang garrison fortress is situated south of the Milan River. It is an irregular square, 56 meters wide from north to south and 70 meters long from east to west, with watchtowers at each corner and a gate on the west side. The interior of the fortress is sunken, with a large stepped slope in the north where houses were built from the base to the top. The houses had flat roofs, with the lower halves dug into the ground and the upper parts constructed from adobe bricks. A large number of Tibetan wooden slips, Tibetan documents, and Tang Dynasty pottery shards have been excavated here. The Milan Ruins were designated as an Autonomous Region-level cultural relics protection unit in 1984 and a National-level cultural relics protection unit in 2001, with a protected area covering 44.49 square kilometers.

The Ruins of Milan are among the better-preserved important sites from the Han and Tang periods in Xinjiang. Currently, 15 relatively intact cultural relics and sites have been discovered here (including: one garrison fortress, eight stupas, three Buddhist temples, two beacon towers, and one irrigation canal system). In addition, residential sites, kiln sites, iron smelting remains, and tombs have also been found. These relics are generally centered around the garrison fortress and are scattered across an area roughly 4 kilometers east-west and 2.5 kilometers north-south. Artifacts such as pottery shards, broken stone millstones, small ornaments, and iron tools are scattered on the surface. Based on current archaeological data and related historical records, the Milan relics can be divided into two phases: the early phase dating to around the 3rd–4th centuries AD, and the later phase left behind after Tibetan influence penetrated the Western Regions during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The area gradually fell into disuse after the 9th century.

(1) Early Milan Relics

The early relics of Milan can be divided into two categories: those reflecting Buddhist activities (i.e., stupas and temples), and those reflecting production activities (i.e., irrigation canals).

The eight stupas of Milan are distributed around the Milan garrison fortress. Five of them are located about 1.8 kilometers southwest of the fortress, spaced tens to hundreds of meters apart. Two are about 300 meters south of the fortress, and another is about 2 kilometers northeast of it. The stupas were constructed using either adobe bricks or rammed earth, with remnants standing about 3–6 meters tall and bases about 4–10 meters wide. Their tops are arched and mostly damaged.

A number of precious artifacts have been unearthed around the stupas and temples of Milan. In 1906, British explorer Aurel Stein looted many exquisite Buddha heads, Brahmi script fragments, and other valuable items from the site. Notably, the “Winged Apsaras” mural he stole from the exterior corridor wall of one stupa (Stein's No. M3) is especially precious. In 1989, an archaeological team from the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, led by Wang Binghua, discovered two similar “Winged Apsaras” murals in Milan Temple (No. M2). These discoveries provide valuable material evidence for the study of ancient religions and painting art in the Western Regions.

The irrigation channels of Milan are located within the aforementioned ruins area and consist of one main canal, seven branch canals, and numerous sub-canals and field ditches, spreading out fan-shaped from north to south. The irrigation area spans about 6 kilometers east-west and 5 kilometers north-south. Experts estimate that the Milan irrigation channels date roughly to the Han and Tang periods (initially established early and used continuously in later phases). Many scholars now believe Milan was the Han Dynasty’s Yixun City. The discovery of these irrigation channels proves this was an agricultural production area, and their era and location match historical texts. Therefore, combined with extensive research on the cultural relics in the region, experts suggest Milan was the Han Dynasty Shanshan Kingdom’s Yixun City—the political and cultural hub of the kingdom—and a strategic point on the southern route of the Silk Road leading from Dunhuang along the Shule River to Loulan and westward along the northern foothills of the Kunlun Mountains.

(2) Late Milan Relics

The late relics of Milan mainly consist of beacon towers and garrison fortress ruins. According to the “Old and New Book of Tang: Tibetan Biography,” this area was originally inhabited by the Tuyuhun tribe in the early Tang Dynasty. In 638 AD, Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo launched a campaign against the Tuyuhun, who fled north to Qinghai. Thereafter, the area came under Tibetan control. Analysis of the architectural structure, interior layout, and unearthed artifacts of the beacon towers and fortress ruins indicates they date to the Tibetan occupation period.

In the ruins of houses within the fortress, over 300 Tibetan wooden slips and documents have been excavated. Expert interpretation reveals these are precious records covering Tibetan economic activities such as wheat cultivation, land division, and silk garments. Additionally, weapons, lacquered leather armor fragments, textiles, tools, and wooden, ceramic, and stone-made household and production items were found. These artifacts reflect various aspects of the society’s development at the time. Both of Milan’s beacon towers are now collapsed—one is about 1.8 kilometers southwest of the fortress, the other about 2.5 kilometers northeast. Both are square and made of adobe bricks, each with small nearby residential ruins. These beacon towers and the fortress form a defensive line, guarding the transport route. Apart from these two key sites, Tibetan kiln, metallurgy, and tomb remains have also been discovered here, with artifact types and styles matching those of the fortress—belonging to the same period.

(3) Basic Situation of Milan Relics Protection

Starting in 1984, Ruoqiang County established a cultural relics management station at the Milan ruins, assigning dedicated staff to protect the site, erecting cultural relics protection signs, and designating protected areas. During the 1980s–90s, experts from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Autonomous Region conducted surveys and preliminary studies on the Milan ruins, laying a solid foundation for their protection, research, and future opening to the public. The Milan Ruins are not yet officially open to visitors. After being designated a National-level cultural relics protection unit, Ruoqiang County has planned to build protective walls around the site and, when conditions allow, conduct necessary surface cleanup and restoration work with expert assistance.

(4) Milan River (Mother-Son River)

The Milan River is located east of Milan and originates from the Qush area deep in the Altyn-Tagh Mountains. Its source can be traced to the Kalajiao River connected to the Milan River, extending to the perennial snow zone of Kalajiao Mountain at altitudes above 5,000 meters. The Milan River is 110 kilometers long, extending as far as the Tunaimuku Duo Spring via the 12-kilometer-long Wuzundashi and Yitaike Aiken. It is a perennial river with an annual flow of 124 million cubic meters. Named after flowing through the Milan Oasis, it is also the legendary Mother-Son River.

Lop Nur Town: The administrative region of Lop Nur Town is located in the Lop Nur area of northeastern Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang. It borders Yuli County to the northwest, and Hami and Shanshan to the north, covering an area of about 52,000 square kilometers. The town government is situated at approximately 40 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees east longitude, and it has become the largest town in Xinjiang and also the most unique town in China.

Officially established on February 27, 2006, at 8:40 AM.

Lop Nur is located in the northeastern part of the Taklamakan Desert, at the center of the Eurasian continent, downstream of the Tarim River. The “Da Qing Yi Tong Yu Tu” (Imperial Unified Map of the Great Qing) referred to this once... [Lop Nur Town detailed information++]

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units