Mysterious Western Regions: The Mystery and Romance of Xinjiang

Author: Zhang Hui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: What makes Xinjiang so mysterious? What truly forms the mystical experience people have of Xinjiang? To the east, the Yangshao culture, deeply influenced by astronomical knowledge, spread westward to Xinjiang, reaching places like Khotan, Pishan, Shaya, and the Ili River Basin. Along this direction, there have been legends of the Yellow Emperor riding the south-pointing chariot into Xinjiang and the Western Tour of King Mu of Zhou. The Shang culture also reached Altai and Turpan, where it had close interactions with the nomadic Guifang tribes of legend. To the south, Xinjiang was heavily influenced by the Indus Valley Civilization. A large number of artifacts related to India have been unearthed here, and countries like Kangju, Dayuan, Daxi, Parthia, and Tyana once existed in this region. Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Islam entered here. Greek, Persian, Roman, ancient Mesopotamian, and Arabic cultures interacted and collided with Xinjiang, bringing in much mystical cultural information. In the north of Xinjiang, the Saces, Xiongnu, Usun, Turks, and Mongols successively roamed this land. They were deeply influenced by shamanism and created grassland cultures closely tied to the heavens and sky gods, recording rich mystical cultural phenomena through painted murals and rock carvings. Xinjiang is a land of great beauty, beautiful in its mysterious charm. Today, ancient cities like Loulan, Miran, Gaochang, and Jiaohe still stand in the Gobi Desert of Xinjiang; deep in the desert lie the ruins of ancient city-states that have weathered the vicissitudes of history—Niya and. Along the ancient Silk Road, numerous Buddhist art sites that shine with the brilliance of human thought are scattered. In this "Silk Museum" of Xinjiang, there are: silk and wool fabrics unearthed underground, still vibrant in color after millennia; stone carvings, clay sculptures, and paintings of various styles and lifelike expressions; and a vast number of ancient corpses that have been perfectly preserved for millennia. The language is simple and easy to understand, with rich illustrations, blending knowledge and fun, allowing readers to experience traditional Western culture while traveling. Let your imagination take flight and follow this book as you explore the vast wilderness of Xinjiang! This book deciphers the numerous human and natural mysteries on the 1.6 million square kilometers of Xinjiang, introducing the beauty and mystery of the region through full-color images and text.