Miran (Xinjiang)
 Stupa at Miran | |
  Location of Miran in China | |
| Location |  China |
|---|---|
| Region | Xinjiang |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 39°15′N 88°49′E / 39.250°N 88.817°E |
Miran (simplified Chinese: 米兰; traditional Chinese: 米蘭) is an ancient oasis town located on the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Located where the Lop Nur desert meets the Altun Shan mountains, Miran was once a stop on the famous trade route known as the Silk Road. Two thousand years ago a river flowed down from the mountain and Miran had a sophisticated irrigation system.[citation needed] Now[when?] the area is a sparsely inhabited, dusty region with poor roads and minimal transportation.[1] Archaeological excavations since the early 20th century have uncovered an extensive Buddhist monastic site that existed between the 2nd to 5th centuries AD, as well as the Miran fort, a Tibetan settlement during the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
Names[]
Lionel Giles has recorded the following names for Miran (with his Wade-Giles forms of the Chinese names converted to pinyin):
- "Yuni, old capital of Loulan [Former Han]
- "Old Eastern Town" ; "Little Shanshan" [Later Han]
- Qitun Cheng ; Tun Cheng [Tang]
- Mirān [modern name].[2]
During the period of Tibetan occupation (mid-8th to mid-9th centuries), the area was known as Nop Chungu (nob chu ngu).[3]
History[]
