# Kuqa travel guide (库车) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · 6 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/xinjiang-uygur/kuqa ## The feel of the place - **Ancient Kingdom of Kucha:** Ancient Kucha was founded in the early 2nd century BC and was once one of the most important states in the Western Regions. It rose and fell several times before being annexed in 860. Kuqa was the capital of Kucha, and Kucha music and dance is perhaps the most brilliant legacy left by the ancient kingdom. Today, Kuqa is best known for its white apricots and Kuqa waist knives. - **Kumarajiva:** Kumarajiva was an eminent monk of the Later Qin during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Together with Paramartha of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and Xuanzang and Amoghavajra of the Tang Dynasty, he is known as one of China's four great Buddhist translators. His father was the national preceptor of Kucha, and his mother was the younger sister of the King of Kucha. He entered the monkhood at the age of seven, later studied under famous teachers and travelled widely across southern Xinjiang. He followed Lü Guang of the Later Liang to Chang'an. After the Later Qin destroyed the Later Liang, the Later Qin ruler, a devout Buddhist, provided Kumarajiva with the best conditions and 800 assistants and disciples, launching the first large-scale translation of scriptures in Chinese history. He translated 74 sutras, including the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, the Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, laying the foundations for the development of Buddhism in the Central Plains. After his death, he was buried at Caotang Temple in Chang'an. ## The feel of the place ### Working Hours Office hours for Kuqa City's government departments: 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00, Beijing Time. ### Transport Because Kuqa is not the prefectural capital, most vehicles run from Aksu or Korla and pass through Kuqa. You can wait at the long-distance bus station for a passing bus, which will usually pick up passengers when someone along the way gets off. There are more buses to Aksu or Korla. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There and Away Kuqa belongs to Aksu Prefecture. Aksu is the prefectural capital and has good transport links, but most of the sights are concentrated around Kuqa, so this section covers only transport to and within Kuqa. ### Air Flights currently operate to Urumqi, Korla, Xi’an and Chengdu, but schedules are not fixed. ### Rail The Southern Xinjiang Railway has a Kuqa station, but as an intermediate stop, Kuqa has no trains originating here. ### Road Kuqa is 751 km north of Urumqi, 280 km east of Korla, 258 km west of Aksu and 921 km from Yining. ### Getting Around Local buses include Routes 10, 8, 6 and 5, which pass the railway station and the long-distance bus station. Kuqa is divided into the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town has more local character and is home to a large Uyghur community; horse carts within the area charge ¥1 per person. City taxis start at ¥5. If you want to hire a car for sightseeing, the price is negotiable. - **Kuqa Airport** — - **Kuqa Long-Distance Bus Station** — (Tianshan Road, 0997-7122379) ## Shopping Hami’s melons, Turpan’s grapes and Kuqa’s apricots are regarded by Xinjiang people as the “immortal fruits,” and Kuqa’s most famous is the white apricot. Smaller than other apricots, with yellowish-white flesh, it is praised as “Kuqa white apricots taste sweeter than honey” (库车白杏赛蜜糖). Apricot season runs from June to July. Even if you miss the honey-sweet white apricots, you can still enjoy delicious dried apricots and fragrant apricot kernels. Dried apricots and kernels are the most characteristic Xinjiang specialties, and you will find them from different places at every bazaar in southern Xinjiang, but Kuqa’s apricots are not to be missed. ### Apricot Gardens Whether it is apricot season, the time of green apricots, or simply sitting beneath a blazing pomegranate tree, Kuqa people call it “apricot garden” (杏园子). Kuqa’s apricot gardens are a great place to sing, dance and eat hand-grabbed mutton (手抓肉). In Kuqa, apricot season is also known as “the season of love,” and it is said that far more couples marry during this time than usual. ## Where to stay If you want to save money, there are many guesthouses (招待所) on the streets, charging ¥50–100 per bed. - **Kuqa Hotel** — (No. 266 Middle Tianshan Road, Kuqa City, 0997-7999999) ## Things to see - **Kuqa Grand Mosque** (★★★★): Admission ¥15; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kuqa-grand-mosque - **Kuqa Palace** (★★★★): Admission ¥55; Opening hours 9：30—20：00; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kuqa-palace - **Big and Small Dragon Lakes** (★★★★): Admission ¥20; Time needed 0.5–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/big-and-small-dragon-lakes - **Kucha (Qiuci) Ancient City Ruins** (★★★): Time needed 0.5–1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kucha-qiuci-ancient-city-ruins - **Kizil Caves** (★★★★): Admission ¥70; Opening hours 10:00–18:00 (winter), 9:30–19:00 (summer), closed on Mondays; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kizil-caves - **Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon** (★★★): Admission ¥45; Opening hours 10：00—19：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tianshan-mysterious-grand-canyon --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 880–887. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.