Princess Castle

A short distance south of the Stone Fortress, a separate ridge holds the ruins known locally as the Princess Castle (Gongzhubao). The legend, recorded by Xuanzang and still told to visitors, has a Han Chinese princess sent west to marry a Persian prince, stranded here when the road closed, and impregnated by a sun god. Her son founded the Sarikol kingdom. Whatever you make of the story, the ridge has commanding views and is an easy 30-minute walk from town.

The remains are minimal — a few stone foundations and the outline of a small enclosure — and not really the point. The walk up the ridge and the panorama across to the Stone Fortress and the grasslands beyond are. On a clear day Muztagh Ata's white cone shows on the eastern horizon. Go in the late afternoon when the light hits the fortress walls.

things to do sight

Other places in Things to Do