Introduction

The Site of Bashbaliq(Beiting) is situated in Beiting Town of Jimsar County, 12 kilometers north to Jimsar County downtown area, in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It lies on the plain in low northern slope of east Tian-shan Mountains. To the south it leads to Bogda Peak, and to the north to Junggar Gurbantunggut desert. It is 140 km north of the site of Qocho City (Xizhou Prefecture of Tang) and 380 km northwest of Hami (Yizhou Prefecture in Tang). Now, it mainly has remains that date back to Tang Dynasty and the Qocho Uyghur Kingdom (7th century – 13th century).

The site covers 385.15 hectares. Major remains include site of Bashbaliq/Beiting city, and the site of Qocho Uyghur Buddhist Temple (Beiting West Temple). The Site of Bashbaliq City ( Beiting City) witnessed how the Tang emperors administered the border areas to support the interchange along the Silk Roads, how the Uyghur and other tribes developed, as well as how the urban cultures, architecture, Buddhism, and the cultures of various ethnicities spread along the Silk Roads.