A must-visit on the Pamir Plateau! Stone City Ruins & Jincao Beach, a stunning fairyland crossing a thousand years

Morning light gently caresses the snowy peak of Muztagh Ata☀️
The Stone City Ruins at 3,100 meters above sea level awaken in the dawn light
Golden ripples shimmer across the wetlands of Jincao Beach beneath your feet✨
This is not only the capital city of the Qiepantuo Kingdom recorded in the "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions"
But also the sacred place where Xuanzang preached on his eastward journey to retrieve Buddhist scriptures!

🚏【A Time-Traveling Duet】
🌸Touch the secrets of the millennia-old royal city:
- Climb the remaining Tang Dynasty city walls, where cobblestones record multiple civilizations from the Han to Yuan dynasties
- The northeast corner’s barbican ruins hide a 1,300-year-old relic of Xuanzang preaching the Heart Sutra of Prajnaparamita

🌿Jincao Beach Light and Shadow Show:
- Stroll along the wooden boardwalk at dawn, where the water reflects the stunning "double mirror effect" of Stone City and snow-capped mountains
- At dusk, encounter Tajik herders driving sheep home, watching the sunset gild the grassland’s edges🌇

🌟【Historical Highlights】
📜Capital city of the Western Han Puli Kingdom, with city walls built using the unique Western Regions technique of "rammed earth mixed with red willow"
🛡️Tang Dynasty "Defenders of the Congling Mountains" soldiers carved homesickness poems on the walls, now preserved in the Kashgar Museum
🎎Marco Polo’s travel notes recorded: "The city’s people are skilled in jade craftsmanship, women wear veils, and are very beautiful"

🎬【Famous Film and TV Scenes】
- Filming location for Tibetan cavalry charges in "Heroes of Heaven and Earth"
- Tang Dynasty lotus-patterned tile ends featured in the documentary "Silk Road"
- TikTok video with millions of likes: Tajik eagle dance meets the true face of Muztagh Ata

🌈【Magical Realism Experiences】
✔️Night horseback riding "stepping on stars": Jincao Beach glows with mysterious blue light🔮
✔️Find the "3rd Century Smile": Greek-style Bodhisattva heads blending multiple cultural aesthetics
✔️Summer solstice "Xuanzang’s Light": sunlight precisely passes through the city gate to project onto the preaching platform

🏡【Nearby Deep-Dive Activities】
- Tajik Folk Village (200 meters): experience eagle flute calls / learn to make "sun pattern" embroidery
- Khunjerab Pass (1.5-hour drive): popular China-Pakistan border check-in spot
- Karakul Lake (40-minute drive): perfect spot for photographing Muztagh Ata’s reflection📸

💡【Practical Information】
📍Address: North of the town center, Taxkorgan County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang
⏰Opening Hours: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM (peak season May to October)
💰Tickets: Stone City 30 RMB + Jincao Beach 25 RMB (recommended combo ticket 45 RMB)
⚠️Important Reminders: Border pass required! No drones allowed! Bring altitude sickness medication!

🌄Best Photo Times:
- Silhouettes of Stone City at sunrise
- Curving light and shadow on the grassland at noon
- Shepherds driving sheep at dusk

When the sunset dyes the millennia-old ruins a bronze hue🌅
Listening to Tajik elders tell the legend of Princess Fort with eagle flutes
At this moment, the beauty of the Pamir Plateau’s cultural convergence touches your heart deeply💓