Kuqa

Kuqa was one of the big powers in the Western Regions called Qiuci in the old times. It had been a center of politics, economy, culture and Buddhism in this area from the second to the 14th century. Apart from the natural scenery, large numbers of temples and ruins of ancient fortresses, Kuqa is well-known for the well-preserved Kizil and Kumutula Thousand-Budda Grottoes.

In these art treasure houses are large amounts of murals which are invaluable materials for the research of cultural inter flows between the East and the West, the development of different nations, and the music, dancing, sculpture and architecture of ancient China.

Qiuci music and dancing

The music and dancing of ancient Qiuci have been considered as representing that of the Western Regions. The arts had great influence on Chinese music, dancing, acrobatics and theater in the past and were widely acclaimed in Japan, India and Arabia. Qiuci musical interments include konghou-a string instrument, panpipe, reed pipe, five-stringed pipa, bili-a wind instrument and jie drum.