Loulan Ancient City

Loulan Ancient City

Loulan Ancient City is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Location: Located today in the northern part of Ruoqiang County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, west of Lop Nur and 7 kilometers south of the Kongque River.

Attractions: Loulan Ancient City was once a thriving paradise for human life. It was surrounded by the vast expanse of Lop Nur and bordered by clear rivers at its doorstep. People boated and fished on the azure waters, hunted in the dense forests of desert poplars, and enjoyed the bounty of nature.

Attraction Introduction

Loulan Ancient City is situated in the Lop Nur depression on the eastern edge of the Tarim Basin, surrounded by deserts, rugged Yardang landforms, and hard salt crusts. It is rarely visited by humans and features an exceptionally desolate and perilous environment. However, historical records indicate that as early as the 2nd century BC, Loulan was one of the most prosperous regions in the Western Regions. The ancient Kingdom of Loulan had a population of over 14,000 and nearly 3,000 soldiers, truly making it a formidable state. Located at the crossroads of the Silk Road, Loulan controlled the east-west trade route and served as a strategic gateway for the Han Dynasty to enter the Western Regions. In those days, this trade route was bustling with “envoys lining the roads,” featuring busy traffic and a flourishing urban economy. Loulan Ancient City boasted a history of great prosperity and a splendid oasis culture. Strangely, the once-renowned Kingdom of Loulan, after five or six hundred years of prosperity, suddenly disappeared without any record or mention in history. In the 7th century, when the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang returned from his pilgrimage to India, he found Loulan’s ruins with “city walls still standing but no signs of human habitation.” The desolate scene evoked a profound sense of the impermanence of the world. In March 1900, Swedish explorer Sven Hedin led an expedition to Lop Nur and nearly lost his entire team, leading him to declare the area a terrifying “Sea of Death.” In May 1980, the renowned Chinese scientist Peng Jiamu went missing in Lop Nur under mysterious circumstances, further shrouding the ancient city in an aura of mystery and terror. More recently, Yu Chunshun, a “lone adventurer” from Shanghai who spent eight years traveling across most of China, died in the desolate Lop Nur Desert, adding a touch of sorrow and tragedy to Loulan Ancient City. How did Loulan disappear? Where exactly are the ruins of Loulan? How harsh was the natural environment there? What cultural relics remain? These questions have long been a focus of attention for archaeologists and scientists from around the world. Loulan is also a mysterious destination long yearned for by adventure enthusiasts globally.

Loulan Ancient City was buried in the desert due to a combination of natural and man-made factors that caused the river to change course and sandstorms to encroach. In the early 20th century, Sven Hedin accidentally discovered Loulan Ancient City when his Uyghur guide, Erdik, searched for a lost shovel. This discovery garnered immense global attention, drawing archaeologists and explorers from around the world. The artifacts unearthed in the Loulan region were of astonishing value and quantity. Among them were not only Neolithic stone axes, jade axes, stone knives, and arrowheads but also Han Dynasty wooden slips, documents, silk fabrics, wooden tools, pottery, bronze ware, glassware, and ancient coins. The most precious finds included handwritten copies of the Strategies of the Warring States from the Jin Dynasty and Han Dynasty brocades. The famous “Li Bo Manuscript” was also discovered, leading to the identification of the nearby ancient city of “Haitou,” along with the publication of several specialized studies. In 1927, Chinese archaeologist Huang Wenbi conducted excavations in Loulan and unearthed a large number of artifacts, later publishing the monograph “Archaeological Records of Lop Nur.” Scholars from China and abroad praised Loulan as a “treasure buried in the desert,” a “museum left behind by history,” and the “Pompeii of the East.” After the liberation, China organized multiple modern expeditions to Loulan. It has now been clearly identified that Loulan Ancient City is located at 80°55'12" east longitude and 40°30'57" north latitude. Its straight-line distances to nearby towns are 344 kilometers northwest of Korla City and 330 kilometers southwest of Ruoqiang County. The ancient city covers an area of 120,000 square meters, roughly square-shaped with sides about 330 meters long. The city walls, built with a mix of mud, reeds, and branches, are still faintly visible. An ancient river channel, roughly running from northwest to southeast, diagonally cuts through the city, dividing it into northeastern and southwestern sections. The northeastern section retains only a Buddhist stupa and nearby structures. The stupa, standing 10.4 meters tall, was constructed with adobe bricks, glutinous rice mortar, and willow twigs, making it the tallest building in the city. The southwestern section includes the ruins of government offices — the “Three-Room House” site — and some smaller courtyards. Throughout the ancient city, wooden beams, rafters, and brackets made from desert poplar trees used in house construction are abundant. Many of these wooden components are drilled and carved with patterns, demonstrating considerable craftsmanship. The ancient city and its surroundings also feature ruins such as old beacon towers, granaries, and ancient tombs. In the Loulan Cemetery, a 3,800-year-old mummy known as the “Loulan Beauty” was unearthed. Today, Loulan Ancient City still preserves numerous artifacts such as pottery shards, felt fragments, ancient coins, weapons, and silk pieces. With just a little surface searching and digging, you might become an “archaeological discoverer.”

The mysterious Loulan strongly stimulates the adventurous desires of travelers from around the world. In recent years, a wave of Loulan exploration enthusiasm has emerged both domestically and internationally, with探险 teams from various countries flocking to the site, especially Japanese adventurers showing the highest interest. During the Spring Festival of 1998, dozens of Shanghai adventurers followed in the footsteps of Shanghai’s lone explorer Yu Chunshun to Loulan, spending an extraordinary New Year in the Eastern “Pompeii” and returning filled with excitement.

Exploring Loulan is extremely perilous. The rising salt crusts on the surface and the intricate wind-eroded Yardang landforms make travel incredibly difficult. Off-road vehicles can only advance an average of two to three kilometers per hour, and drivers must make three sharp turns every two minutes on average. The Lop Nur region spans a vast area of 3,500 square kilometers, forming a natural barrier around the ancient city. The weather here undergoes drastic temperature changes — afternoon summer temperatures can soar to 30–40°C, making it unbearably hot, while early morning temperatures can drop below 0°C, bringing bitter cold. The annual precipitation in the Lop Nur region is only about 10 millimeters, yet the evaporation rate can exceed 3,000 millimeters, surpassing rainfall by 200–300 times, resulting in extreme aridity. Sandstorms are rampant, with rolling dust storms that are truly daunting. Yet, it is precisely this danger that adds to the wonder. The magical Lop Nur, the rugged Yardang Dragon City landforms, and various desert wonders make exploring Loulan an experience filled with novelty and thrill, leaving an unforgettable impression on adventurers.

Lop Nur Town: The administrative region of Lop Nur Town is located in the northeastern part of Lop Nur in Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang. It borders Yuli County to the northwest, and Hami and Shanshan to the north, covering an area of approximately 52,000 square kilometers. The town government is situated at around 40° north latitude and 90° east longitude. 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, and in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. The “Da Qing Yi Tong Yu Tu” (Imperial Unified Map of the Qing Dynasty) referred to this once... [Lop Nur Town detailed information++]

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units