Taxila

Taxila

Introduction to the “Taxila” Tourist Attraction The land is fertile, crops thrive, springs are abundant, and flowers and fruits flourish. The climate is mild, the customs are brave yet gentle, and the Three Jewels are revered. This is how Xuanzang described Taxila (Taxila) in his "Great Tang Records of the Western Regions." Taxila is an ancient city with a history of 2,500 years and was the final stop of Xuanzang’s westward pilgrimage. It is also the prototype of the “Western Paradise” in "Journey to the West." In Taxila, Eastern and Western cultures merged, and the ancient city was influenced by three great civilizations: Persian, Greek, and Buddhist.

Located about 50 kilometers northwest of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, Taxila is a renowned historical city in Pakistan and the birthplace of Gandhara art. Originally named Takshashila, its Sanskrit name means "City of Stone Carvings." In the 2nd century BC, when Alexander the Great of ancient Greece marched eastward and reached this place, Greek culture began to take root here, and the city’s name was changed to the Greek “Taxila.”

The ancient ruins of Taxila (Taxila) are a world-famous archaeological site and were once a center of Buddhism. Located more than 30 kilometers northwest of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, it is an ancient city built 2,500 years ago. By the 7th century BC, it was already a bustling city. In the 5th century BC, the region became part of the Persian Empire under Darius. In the 3rd century BC, due to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty’s devotion to Buddhism, Taxila further developed into a prosperous Buddhist holy site and a center for Buddhist, philosophical, and artistic studies that attracted numerous scholars. Xuanzang, a high monk of the Tang Dynasty, referred to Taxila as “Tanche Shiluo” in his "Great Tang Records of the Western Regions." In the 6th century AD, Xuanzang described Taxila as having “fertile land, abundant crops, many springs, lush flowers and fruits, a mild climate, and reverence for the Three Jewels.” Faxian, a high monk of the Jin Dynasty in China, also visited this place between 405 and 411 AD. Today, the clear outlines of the ancient city ruins can still be faintly seen. The sturdy and tall city walls, exquisitely designed stupas, splendid temples, and a large number of lifelike relief sculptures are distributed in an orderly fashion, showcasing the city’s former glory.

Among the artifacts unearthed from the ancient city of Taxila, those reflecting Greek style and Buddhist art are the most famous. Ancient coins bearing the portraits of Greek kings indicate that 39 Greek kings and 2 Greek queens once ruled here. Gold and silver jewelry in the ancient Indian style reflect the prosperity during the peak periods of the Maurya and Kushan dynasties. There are also umbrella-shaped stupas, which share the same artistic origin as Chinese pagodas. Most striking are the hundreds of stone and clay Buddhist statues from the Gandhara period, which clearly exhibit Greek sculptural styles but have formed their own unique system, giving rise to the distinctive Gandhara art style. Not far from the fortress, there is a separate courtyard that was originally the residence of a petty prince. When Xuanzang traveled west to seek scriptures, he stayed here. At the foot of the hill on the other side of the fortress, a complete stone platform is preserved. This platform is where Xuanzang preached and is known as the Preaching Platform. The platform is sloped and could accommodate thousands of listeners at a time, with sound carrying downwind from its elevated position. Near the Taxila Museum, in the village of Yolan, stands a small mountain over 90 meters high, with a temple called the Yolan Temple at its summit. It is said that during the height of Buddhism under the Kushan Dynasty, the two-story temple featured carvings of diverse figures, lions, and Buddhas on the ruins of the lower stupa, with inscriptions in Sanskrit and other scripts. The temple contains dozens of small rooms used for meditation, as well as a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and storage rooms. The temple also preserves small stone mills used by Buddhist monks at the time.

Today, the distinct outlines of the ancient city of Taxila can still be faintly discerned. The city walls, stupas, temples, and relief sculptures are distributed in an orderly manner, showcasing the city’s past grandeur. The Taxila Museum houses a large number of excavated artifacts, including inscriptions, Buddha statues, pottery, coins, and utensils. In 1980, archaeologists unearthed pottery dating back to 2000–3000 BC here, leading some to speculate that this might have been one of the earliest settlements in South Asia. Today, the passage of time has long faded the city’s former brilliance, but the charm cultivated through centuries of prosperity still shines. Walking through the 12-square-kilometer Taxila ruins area, one can see semi-meter-high wall foundations scattered around the side of a small hill, the 10-meter-wide main roads, drainage ditches crisscrossing the streets, and deep wells at the foot of the city walls, all still clearly visible. In a trance, the towering city walls and exquisite temples seem to reappear before your eyes.

Taxila is a witness to the convergence and fusion of ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. In the 4th century BC, the expeditionary forces of Alexander the Great, the king of Greece, stationed in Taxila. The Greeks not only did not destroy the city in war but instead perfectly blended Greek statue art with Buddhist culture. To this day, a double-headed eagle sculpture can still be seen on the pedestal of a stupa, a typical representation of Greek civilization.

Islamabad, Pakistan