Kuqa Travel Guide
Kuqa sits in central/west Xinjiang and is a dusty city in this remote, autonomous region of China. It lies on the main Urumqi-Kashgar route and makes a decent enough stop-off on the journey.
- Worth It?
- Not unless you're traveling to Kashgar on a Silk Road pilgrimage.
- What to Do
- chill out after a long bus journey, see the Iron Gate Pass.
- Best Time to Go
- between June and October.
- How Long?
- Less than a day in Kuqa.
- Trivia
- the Buddhist translator Kumarajiva was born in Kuqa around the middle of the 4th century.
Kuqa was an oasis on the ancient Silk Road and boasted massive monasteries and Buddha statues as far back as the 7th century. There's not that much to see in Kuqa today, although the huge Grand Kuqa Mosque is worth a visit and the many markets offer some relief from long bus journeys.
A major attraction worth seeing near to Kuqa is the Iron Gate Pass (Tiemen Pass), a few kilometers north of the town. It used to help protect this part of the Silk Road from marauding nomads.
The Thousand Buddha Caves in Kizil, 70-odd kilometers to the east, is a popular side trip. It features a series of grottoes and abodes sliced into a cliff.
Travel to Kuqa - Getting There
Kuqa is connected with the Xinjiang capital, Urumqi, by National Highway 218. It is between a 10- and 17-hour bus journey away. Services are irregular and may or may not include sleepers. Kuqa sometimes receives flights from Urumqi, which is connected to Beijing.
Kuqa Things to Do
Kuqa Attractions
Side trips from Kuqa
- Thousand Buddha Caves
- lie a couple of hours east of Kuqa in the village of Kizil and have a striking location.
Best of the World 
Best in the Country 
Recommended 
