Turpan Museum: A Time Capsule of the Silk Road’s Sun-Drenched History

1.The Turpan: Museum, located on Munar Road in the Gaochang District of Turpan, stands as one of the most significant cultural landmarks in the region. The current facility, which opened in 2016, spans 13,000 square meters and features an exhibition area of 4,000 square meters dedicated to preserving the history of the Silk Road. As a premier institution in Xinjiang, it houses over 12,000 artifacts, including thousands of first-class national treasures unearthed from nearby sites such as Jiaohe, Gaochang, and the Astana Ancient Tombs.

The museum is world-renowned for its ability to preserve organic materials that would have decayed elsewhere, thanks to Turpan's extremely arid climate. Visitors can witness the "Silent Witnesses" of history: millennia-old silk fabrics, ancient documents, and even prehistoric snacks that remain remarkably intact. One of its most famous sections is the Mummy Hall, which displays naturally mummified remains from the Astana cemetery, offering a profound glimpse into the lives, clothing, and burial customs of the people who lived during the Gaochang Kingdom.

Beyond human history, the museum hosts a spectacular natural history section featuring the Tianshan Rhino fossil. Discovered in the Turpan Basin, this is the largest and most complete rhino fossil of its kind in the world, measuring 9 meters in length and 5 meters in height. This exhibit provides evidence that millions of years ago, the now-arid Turpan region was once a lush environment filled with water and greenery.

The cultural exhibits further showcase the fusion of Eastern and Western civilizations. From exquisite silk brocades with Persian and Central Plains patterns to multilingual documents written in Han, Sogdian, and Old Uyghur scripts, the museum illustrates Turpan’s role as a vital hub where cultures converged. Buddhist art from the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, featuring vibrant murals and statues, adds a layer of spiritual history to the collection, documenting the spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road.