Asiq Qocho Turush Kurgan Castle

　　Introduc­tion      The castle is located in Asiq Village, Qaha Township, Hotan. It is said to have been built in 1001 AD, stretching about 200 meters in length and constructed from stone. In 1999, it was listed as a key cultural relic protection site of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

　　Asiq is a place name, Qocho Turush refers to the name of an ancient Hotan general, and Kurgan means castle. According to Islamic calendar records, in the year 1001 AD, or the Islamic year 404, Sultan Sutuq Bughrakhan of the Kara-Khanid Khanate sent his trusted aide Musa and his son Yusuf Qadir Azi to spread Islam in Shache and Hotan.

　　After 24 years of warfare, the King of Hotan, who was a devout Buddhist, converted to Islam. However, two of his generals, brothers Qocho Turush and Nuk Turush, refused to convert and would not surrender. They led several hundred followers to retreat to the mountainous region of Qaha Township, where they built walls and dug trenches on the peaks of Asa and Asiq. They installed copper pipes to channel water and constructed two defensive castles in strategic locations to hold their ground. But soon, the enemy discovered the copper water pipes, cutting off their water supply. Trapped and unable to continue fighting, they retreated along the Qira River, crossed the Kunlun Mountains, and fled to Tibet. From then on, the history of Buddhism in Hotan, Xinjiang, came to an end.

　　 Hotan, Xinjiang