Molcha River Petroglyphs

The Molcha River petroglyphs, roughly 180 kilometres from Cherchen town, are among the most extensive rock art sites in Xinjiang. A cliff face along the river carries thousands of carvings — hunters with bows, horses, Bactrian camels, ibex, deer, cattle, and abstract patterns — spanning at least two millennia from the Bronze Age through the Iron Age. The site is rarely visited by foreigners, and in good lighting the density of images on the rock face is remarkable.

Getting there requires a local guide and either a hired vehicle or considerable patience with local transport. The road from Cherchen follows the Molcha River valley into the hills, passing increasingly dramatic scenery as the desert gives way to scrubby mountain slopes. A full-day round trip is the minimum; some visitors camp overnight to have time to explore the full extent of the carvings. The guide is essential not only for logistics but for locating the best sections of the cliff, which stretches for several kilometres.

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A story
The petroglyphs at Molcha include scenes that could only have been carved by people who hunted wild Bactrian camels, a species now critically endangered and found in the wild only in a few areas of the Gobi and the Taklamakan fringe. The images date back at least 3,000 years, providing evidence that the species was once far more widespread across the desert margins of Central Asia.