Tashkurgan

{{Short description|Town in Xinjiang, China}} {{About|the town in Xinjiang, China}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox settlement    | name = Tashkurgan | native_name = {{native name list |tag1=zh-Hans |name1=塔什库尔干镇 |tag2=ug |name2=تاشقورغان بازىرى |tag3=srh-Arab |name3=تاشقۈرغان بۇزۇر}} | other_name = Taxkorgan, Sarikol, Shitoucheng | etymology = "Stone fortress" in the [[Turkic languages]] | nickname = Roof of Xinjiang | settlement_type = [[Towns of China|Town]] | motto =  | image_skyline = Tashkurgan Eagle (39959879770).jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = The ''Flying Eagle'' monument in front of Tashkurgan's National Culture and Art Centre | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = China Xinjiang Southern | pushpin_label_position = right | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Tashkurgan in Xinjiang | pushpin_mapsize =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = China | subdivision_type1 = [[Autonomous regions of China|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Xinjiang]] | subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of China|Prefecture]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Kashgar Prefecture|Kashgar]] | subdivision_type3 = [[Counties of China|County]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County|Tashkurgan]] | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | parts = 6 | parts_type = [[Residential community|Residential communities]] | demographics_type2 = [[List of ethnic groups in China|Ethnic groups]] | demographics2_title1 = Major ethnic groups | demographics2_info1 = [[Tajiks in China|Tajiks]] ([[Pamiris]])<ref name="xzqhtashkurgan1997">{{cite web|url=http://www.xzqh.org/html/show/xj/21288.html|script-title=zh:1997年塔什库尔干县行政区划|language=zh-hans|date=18 November 2010|accessdate=19 April 2020|website=XZQH.org|quote={{lang|zh-hans|塔什库尔干镇县政府驻地。清光绪年间为蒲犁厅底驿。1950年为一区三乡，1959年成立塔什库尔干公社，1984年改镇。面积4平方千米，人口0.5万，其中塔吉克族占50.1％，辖喀什尕勒、库勒巴扎、英协海尔3个居委会。镇区自西汉以来为历代军政机关驻地，中西政治、经济、文化和商旅交往的门户。314国道从镇内通过。镇北有古代“石头城”城堡遗址。}}}}</ref>  | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 =  | leader_name1 = | established_title =  | established_date =  | area_magnitude = | unit_pref =  | area_footnotes = <ref name="xzqhtashkurgan1997"/> | area_total_km2 = 4 | area_land_km2 =  | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent =  | population_as_of = 2010 | population_footnotes = <ref name="xzqhtashkurgan">{{cite web|url=http://www.xzqh.org/html/show/xj/21290.html|script-title=zh:塔什库尔干县历史沿革|language=zh-hans|date=14 November 2014|accessdate=19 April 2020|website=XZQH.org|quote={{lang|zh-hans|2000年第五次人口普查，塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县常住总人口30454人，其中：塔什库尔干镇5112人、{{nbsp}}... 2010年第六次人口普查，塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县常住总人口37843人，其中：塔什库尔干镇8919人，}}}}</ref> | population_note = | population_total = 8919 | population_density_km2 = auto  | timezone = [[China Standard Time|China Standard]] | utc_offset = +8 | coordinates = {{coord|37|46|22|N|75|13|28|E|region:CN-65|display=inline,title}} | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = 3094  | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | area_code = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Tashkurgan''',{{efn|{{bulleted list|Official English spelling: '''Taxkorgan'''|Alternate English spelling: '''Tashkorgan'''|{{lang-zh|s=塔什库尔干镇|p=Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Zhèn}}|{{langx|ug|تاشقورغان بازىرى|Tashqorghan Baziri}}|[[Sarikoli language|Sarikoli]]: {{lang|srh-Arab|تاشقۈرغان بۇزۇر}}, {{small|romanized}}: {{transliteration|srh|Toxkhürghon Buzur}}}}}} historically known as '''Sarikol''' and '''Shitoucheng''', is a town in the far west of China, close to the country's border with [[Tajikistan]]. It is seat of [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County]], in the [[Autonomous regions of China|autonomous region]] of [[Xinjiang]]. [[Tajiks in China|Tajiks]]{{snd}}ethnic [[Pamiris]] who live in the [[Pamir Mountains]] of Xinjiang{{snd}}make up a little over half of Tashkurgan's population.

Tashkurgan was a significant stop on the [[Silk Road]], with roads leading to major centers of trade such as [[Kashgar]]. It also served as the capital of a number of [[Ancient history|ancient]] and [[Post-classical history|pre-modern]] kingdoms.

==Etymology== {{Infobox Chinese | order = st | s = 塔什库尔干镇 | t = 塔什庫爾干鎮 | p = Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Zhèn  | altname = Former Chinese name | s2 = 石头城 | t2 = {{linktext|石頭|城}} | p2 = Shítouchéng | w2 = {{tone superscript|Shih2-t'ou-ch'eng2}} | l2= stone city  | uig = تاشقورغان بازىرى | uly = Tashqorghan Baziri | uyy = Taxⱪorƣan Baziri | sgs = Taxk̂orĝan Baziri  | lang1 = srh | lang1_content = {{lang|srh-Arab|توشقۈرغون بۇزۇر}}<br />{{lang|srh|Toxkhürghon Buzur}}{{efn|name="Sarikoli"|There is no official orthography for Sarikoli in China. This is the spelling used in the Sarikoli-Chinese dictionary written by linguist Gao Erqiang.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gao |first=Erqiang |script-title=zh:塔吉克汉词典 |trans-title=Tajik-Chinese Dictionary |date=1996 |location=[[Chengdu]] |publisher=Sichuan Minzu Publishing House |isbn=978-7-5409-1744-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3FSAAAACAAJ |language=zh-CN}}</ref>}}<br />{{IPA|srh|tɔʃqyrʁɔn buzur|}} }}

The town is named after a stone fortress to its north; Tashkurgan accordingly means "stone fortress" in the [[Turkic languages]]. The official English spelling (per the Chinese government) of the name is ''Taxkorgan'',<ref name="3rdedition">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/CompleteAtlasOfTheWorld3rdEdition2016|title=Complete Atlas Of The World|edition=3|publisher=[[Penguin Random House]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/CompleteAtlasOfTheWorld3rdEdition2016/page/n341 238]|quote=Taxkorgan|via=[[Internet Archive]]|date=2016|isbn=978-1-4654-4401-1}}</ref> while ''Tashkorgan'' appears occasionally in literature. The historical Chinese name for the town was ''Shitoucheng'' ({{lang|zh-hant|石頭城}}), which literally means "stone city" in the context of a [[Defensive wall|fortified city]]. The town was also historically known as ''Sarikol'' ({{langx|chg|ساریق قول|translit=sarïq-qol}}, or {{langx|chg|ساریقول|translit=sarïqol|label=none}}),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaw |first=Robert Barkley |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Sketch_of_the_Turki_Language_as_Spoken/6DP3qq6_xf8C?gbpv=1&pg=PA117 |title=A Sketch of the Turki Language as Spoken in Eastern Turkistan (Kashgar and Yarkand) |date=1880 |publisher=Central Jail Press |page=117 |language=en |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> after the [[Sarikol Range]]. The modern Uyghur name of the town is ''Tashqorghan'' ({{lang|ug|تاشقورغان}}).

==History==

=== Ancient and pre-modern history === {{History of Central Asia}} {{wikisourcelang|zh|大唐西域記/12|Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, 12}} Tashkurgan has a long history as a stop on the [[Silk Road]]. Major caravan routes converged here leading to [[Kashgar]] in the north, [[Kargilik Town|Kargilik]] to the east, [[Badakhshan]] and [[Wakhan]] to the west, and [[Chitral]] and [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] to the southwest (present-day [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Gilgit-Baltistan]], Pakistan).

About 2,000 years ago, during the [[Han dynasty]], Tashkurgan was the main centre of the Kingdom of Puli ({{lang|zh-hant|蒲犁}}) mentioned in the ''[[Book of Han]]'' and the ''[[Book of the Later Han]]''. Later it became known as ''Varshadeh''.<ref>Hill (2009), Note 20.2, pp. 394–401.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Aurel |title=Ancient Khotan: Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan|year=1907 |publisher=The Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|page=39|url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/toyobunko/show_page.pl?lang=en&book=VIII-5-B2-7/V-1&page=0077&keyword=tashkurghan}}</ref> Mentions in the ''[[Weilüe]]'' of the Kingdom of Manli ({{lang|zh-hant|滿犁}}) probably also refer to Tashkurgan.<ref>Hill, John E. 2004. ''The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe'' {{lang|zh-hant|魏略}} ''by Yu Huan'' {{lang|zh-hant|魚豢}}'': A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE.'' Draft annotated English translation{{nbsp}}... [http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/weilue/weilue.html Link]</ref>

Some scholars believe that Tashkurgan is the [[Stone Tower (Ptolemy)|"Stone Tower]]" mentioned by [[Ptolemy]] in his famous treatise ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]],'' which is said to have marked the midway point between Europe and China on the old [[Silk Road]]. Other scholars, however, disagree with this identification, though it remains one of the four most probable sites for the Stone Tower.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dean |first=Riaz |title=The Stone Tower: Ptolemy, the Silk Road, and a 2,000-year-old Riddle |publisher=Penguin Viking |year=2022 |isbn=978-0670093625 |location=Delhi |pages=110, 134 (map 4), 167–170 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dean|first=Riaz|year=2015|title=The Location of Ptolemy's Stone Tower: the Case for Sulaiman-Too in Osh|journal=The Silk Road|volume=13}}</ref>

Centuries later Tashkurgan became the capital of the Sarikol Kingdom located in the [[Pamir Mountains]], and later of Qiepantuo ({{lang|zh-hant|謁盤陀}}) under the [[Persian Empire]]. At the northeast corner of the town is a huge fortress known as the Tashkurgan Fort dating from the [[Yuan dynasty]] (1279–1368 CE) and the subject of many colourful local legends. A ruined [[fire temple]] is near the fortress.

The Buddhist monk [[Xuanzang]] passed through Tashkurgan around 649 CE, on his way to Khotan from Badakhshan, as did [[Song Yun]] around 500 CE. When British archaeologist [[Aurel Stein]] passed through the town in the early twentieth century he was pleased to find that Tashkurgan matched the descriptions left by those travellers: discussing Qiepantuo, Xuanzang recorded (in [[Samuel Beal]]'s translation): "This country is about 200 [[Li (unit)|li]] in circuit; the capital rests on a great rocky crag of the mountain, and is backed by the river Śitâ. It is about 20 li in circuit."<ref name=SteinSand72>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Aurel|title=Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan: Personal Narrative of a Journey of Archaeological and Geographical Exploration in Chinese Turkestan|year=1903 |publisher=T.F. Unwin |location=London|page=72}}</ref><ref name=BealSIYuKi298>{{cite book|last=Xuanzang|title=Si-Yu-Ki. Buddhist Records of the Western World. Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (629 CE) by S. Beal|year=1884|publisher=Trübner|location=London|pages=298–99|url=https://archive.org/stream/siyukibuddhistr00bealgoog#page/n310/mode/1up|author2=Samuel Beal }}</ref> Xuanzang's discussion of Qiepantuo in book twelve of ''[[Great Tang Records on the Western Regions]]'' recounts a tale which might explain the name of Princess Castle, a tourist attraction near Tashkurgan: A [[Han Chinese]] princess on her way to marry a Persian king is placed on a high rock for safety during local unrest. She becomes pregnant from a mysterious stranger, ultimately giving birth to a powerful king and founding the royal line ruling at the time of Xuanzang's visit. Stein records a version of this, current at the time of his visit, in which the princess is the daughter of the Persian king Naushīrvān.<ref>{{cite book|last=Xuanzang|title=Si-Yu-Ki. Buddhist Records of the Western World. Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (A.D. 629) by S. Beal|year=1884|publisher=Trübner|location=London|pages=300–301|url=https://archive.org/stream/siyukibuddhistr00bealgoog#page/n312/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Aurel|title=Ancient Khotan: Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan|year=1907|publisher=The Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|pages=34–35|url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/VIII-5-B2-7/V-1/page/0070.html.en}}</ref> The Princess Castle is believed to be located {{convert|70|km|mi}} south of the town near Chalachigu Valley.

Stein argued that, judging from the topography and remains found around Tashkurgan, the fort and associated settlements had clearly been central to the broader Sarikol area, controlling routes from the Oxus to the oases of southern Turkestan.<ref name=SteinAncKhot23>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Aurel |title=Ancient Khotan: Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan|year=1907 |publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|pages=23 |url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/VIII-5-B2-7/V-1/page/0055.html.en}}</ref>

Xuanzang describes a substantial Buddhist site with tall towers, leading Stein to speculate as to whether the pilgrimage site dedicated to Shāh Auliya, several hundred yards to the northeast of the town site, and in use at the time of his visit, might have seen continuous but changing local use as a holy site down the centuries.<ref>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Aurel|title=Innermost Asia: Detailed Report of Explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern Iran, Carried Out and Described under the Orders of H.M. Indian Government|year=1928|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|page=58|url=http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/toyobunko/show_page.pl?lang=en&book=T-VIII-5-A-a-3/V-1&page=0126&keyword=tashkurghan}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Xuanzang|title=Si-Yu-Ki. Buddhist Records of the Western World. Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (A.D. 629) by S. Beal|year=1884|publisher=Trübner|location=London|page=302 |url=https://archive.org/stream/siyukibuddhistr00bealgoog#page/n314/mode/1up}}</ref>

{{Gallery | align = center | File:Ambassador from 謁盤陀 Qiepantuo Tashkurgan in The Gathering of Kings (王会图) circa 650 CE.jpg | An ambassador from Qiepantuo to the [[Tang dynasty]], in ''[[The Gathering of Kings]]'', {{circa}} 650 CE | File:LocationOfTashkurgan.jpg | Tashkurgan is thought by some scholars to be the "[[Stone Tower (Ptolemy)|Stone Tower]]" of [[Ptolemy]], where caravans from the West met to trade with those from China. | File:Tash-Kurgan Fortress.jpg | Tashkurgan Fort in 1909 | File:Tashkurghan Fort.jpg | Ruins of Tashkurgan Fort in 2011 | File:Tourist Map of Tashkurghan.jpg | A map for tourists showing Tashkurgan Fort and Princess Castle at different locations }}

=== Modern history === [[File:塔什库尔干街景 - Street View of Taxkorgan County - 2015.04 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|An intersection in Tashkurgan, 2015]]

During the [[Ili Rebellion]] from 1944 to 1949, Uyghur forces slaughtered the livestock of Tajiks as they advanced south.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aY9ImH3Vna8C&q=china+tajik+turki&pg=PA488|title=Eric Shipton: The Six Mountain-Travel Books|author=Eric Shipton, Jim Perrin|year=1997|publisher=The Mountaineers Books|isbn=0-89886-539-5|page=488|access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref>

In 1959, Tashkurgan Commune ({{lang|zh-hans|塔什库尔干公社}}) was established.<ref name="xzqhtashkurgan1997"/>

In 1984, Tashkurgan Commune became Tashkurgan Town.<ref name="xzqhtashkurgan1997"/>

A number of [[Residential community|residential communities]] have been added to and removed from Tashkurgan for census purposes. In 2010–2011, the residential communities of Bulakegale ({{lang|zh-hans|布拉克尕勒社区}}) and Xudong ({{lang|zh-hans|旭东社区}}) were added to the town and Kuonabazha ({{lang|zh-hans|阔纳巴扎社区}}) and Yingshahai'er ({{lang|zh-hans|英沙海尔社区}}) were removed.<ref name="statstashkurgan2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2010/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2010年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2010 |accessdate=20 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|代码城乡分类名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒居委会 653131100002 121 阔纳巴扎居委会 653131100003 121 英沙海尔居委会|}}}}</ref><ref name="statstashkurgan2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2011/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2011年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2011 |accessdate=20 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|代码城乡分类名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒社区居委会 653131100002 121 布拉克尕勒社区居委会 653131100003 121 旭东社区居委会|}}}}</ref> In 2016–2017, the residential community Xingfu ({{lang|zh-hans|幸福社区}}) was added to the town.<ref name="statstashkurgan2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2016/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2016年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2016 |accessdate=20 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|统计用区划代码城乡分类代码名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒社区居委会 653131100002 121 布拉克尕勒社区居委会 653131100003 121 旭东社区居委会|}}}}</ref><ref name="statstashkurgan2017">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2017/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2017年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2017 |accessdate=20 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|统计用区划代码城乡分类代码名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒社区居委会 653131100002 121 布拉克尕勒社区居委会 653131100003 121 旭东社区居委会 653131100004 121 幸福社区居民委员会|}}}}</ref> In 2017–2018, the residential community Hongqi ({{lang|zh-hans|红旗社区}}) was added to the town.<ref name="statstashkurgan2017"/><ref name="statstashkurgan2018">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2018/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2018年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2018 |accessdate=20 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|统计用区划代码城乡分类代码名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒社区居委会 653131100002 121 布拉克尕勒社区居委会 653131100003 121 旭东社区居委会 653131100004 121 幸福社区居民委员会 653131100005 121 塔什库尔干镇红旗社区居民委员会|}}}}</ref> In 2018–2019, the residential community Shajilin ({{lang|zh-hans|沙棘林社区}}) was added to the town.<ref name="statstashkurgan2018"/><ref name="statstashkurgan2019"/>

== Museum == [[File:Tashkurgan - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Tashkurgan National Culture and Art Centre]] In Tashkurgan there is a museum named the National Culture and Art Centre that houses a few local artifacts, a photographic display and, in the basement, two mummies – one of a young woman about 18 and another of a baby about three months old who was not hers. They are labelled as dating from the [[Bronze Age]] to the [[Warring States period]] (475–221 BCE). The mummies were discovered in the nearby Xiabandi Valley on the old caravan route to [[Yarkant County|Yarkand]]. The valley has now been flooded for a hydro-electric project.

==Geography== [[File:Caravanserai between Dafdar and Tashkurgan.jpg|thumb|Caravanserai between [[Dafdar]] and Tashkurgan]] Tashkurgan is the seat of [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County]]. It is situated at an altitude of {{convert|3090|m}} on the borders of both [[Afghanistan]] and [[Tajikistan]], and close to the borders of [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Pakistan]]. Tashkurgan is a market town for sheep, wool and woollen goods, particularly carpets, and is surrounded by orchards. The majority population in the town are [[Tajiks in China|Tajiks]] ([[Pamiris]]). The majority of people in the region speak [[Sarikoli language|Sarikoli]]. There is also a village of [[Wakhi language|Wakhi speakers]]. [[Mandarin Chinese]] and [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]] are also spoken.

The [[Tashkurgan River]] begins just north of the [[Khunjerab Pass]] and flows north along the [[Karakoram Highway]] to Tashkurgan. Just north of Tashkurgan it turns east and flows through a gorge to the [[Tarim Basin]] where it joins the [[Yarkand River]].

===Climate=== Tashkurgan has a [[Desert climate#Cold desert climates|cold desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWk''), influenced by the high elevation, with long, very cold winters, and warm summers. Monthly daily average temperatures range from {{convert|−11.9|°C|1}} in January to {{convert|16.4|°C|1}} in July, while the annual mean is {{convert|3.58|°C|1}}. An average of only {{convert|68|mm|2}} of precipitation falls per year.

{{Weather box|width=auto |metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Tashkurgan, elevation {{convert|3090|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010) |Jan record high C = 6.5 |Feb record high C = 12.2 |Mar record high C = 18.9 |Apr record high C = 22.0 |May record high C = 25.1 |Jun record high C = 31.0 |Jul record high C = 32.5 |Aug record high C = 31.4 |Sep record high C = 27.8 |Oct record high C = 22.7 |Nov record high C = 14.3 |Dec record high C = 10.5 |Jan record low C = -40.1 |Feb record low C = -36.0 |Mar record low C = -25.7 |Apr record low C = -11.5 |May record low C = -5.6 |Jun record low C = -1.0 |Jul record low C = 2.2 |Aug record low C = -0.2 |Sep record low C = -5.0 |Oct record low C = -12.2 |Nov record low C = -23.3 |Dec record low C = -31.5 |Jan high C = -4.1 |Feb high C = 0.3 |Mar high C = 7.4 |Apr high C = 13.3 |May high C = 17.4 |Jun high C = 20.9 |Jul high C = 24.1 |Aug high C = 23.3 |Sep high C = 19.2 |Oct high C = 12.2 |Nov high C = 5.7 |Dec high C = -1.3 |Jan mean C = -11.8 |Feb mean C = -6.8 |Mar mean C = 0.7 |Apr mean C = 6.6 |May mean C = 10.4 |Jun mean C = 13.8 |Jul mean C = 16.8 |Aug mean C = 16.1 |Sep mean C = 11.9 |Oct mean C = 4.7 |Nov mean C = -2.3 |Dec mean C = -9.2 |Jan low C = -18.6 |Feb low C = -13.9 |Mar low C = -6.3 |Apr low C = -0.2 |May low C = 3.7 |Jun low C = 7.1 |Jul low C = 9.9 |Aug low C = 9.4 |Sep low C = 4.1 |Oct low C = -3.1 |Nov low C = -9.6 |Dec low C = -15.9 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 2.7 |Feb precipitation mm = 3.5 |Mar precipitation mm = 3.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 5.3 |May precipitation mm = 11.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 19.7 |Jul precipitation mm = 13.6 |Aug precipitation mm = 12.7 |Sep precipitation mm = 7.8 |Oct precipitation mm = 2.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 0.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 2.3 |Jan humidity = 52 |Feb humidity = 46 |Mar humidity = 36 |Apr humidity = 33 |May humidity = 37 |Jun humidity = 41 |Jul humidity = 40 |Aug humidity = 42 |Sep humidity = 41 |Oct humidity = 38 |Nov humidity = 40 |Dec humidity = 47 |unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm |Jan precipitation days = 2.4 |Feb precipitation days = 2.5 |Mar precipitation days = 2.3 |Apr precipitation days = 2.8 |May precipitation days = 5.9 |Jun precipitation days = 7.6 |Jul precipitation days = 6.8 |Aug precipitation days = 6.3 |Sep precipitation days = 2.9 |Oct precipitation days = 1.9 |Nov precipitation days = 0.4 |Dec precipitation days = 1.4 |year precipitation days = |Jan sun = 174.9 |Feb sun = 171.1 |Mar sun = 229.6 |Apr sun = 258.9 |May sun = 282.3 |Jun sun = 296.3 |Jul sun = 314.2 |Aug sun = 285.2 |Sep sun = 269.8 |Oct sun = 254.6 |Nov sun = 212.3 |Dec sun = 181.1 |year sun = | Jan percentsun = 57 | Feb percentsun = 55 | Mar percentsun = 61 | Apr percentsun = 65 | May percentsun = 64 | Jun percentsun = 67 | Jul percentsun = 71 | Aug percentsun = 69 | Sep percentsun = 74 | Oct percentsun = 75 | Nov percentsun = 71 | Dec percentsun = 61 | year percentsun = |Jan snow days = 3.6 |Feb snow days = 3.7 |Mar snow days = 4.7 |Apr snow days = 4.8 |May snow days = 3.1 |Jun snow days = 0.5 |Jul snow days = 0 |Aug snow days = 0 |Sep snow days = 0.4 |Oct snow days = 2.8 |Nov snow days = 1.3 |Dec snow days = 2.0 |year snow days = |source 1 = [[China Meteorological Administration]]<ref name="cma graphical">{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=[[China Meteorological Administration]] |language = zh-hans |access-date=10 October 2023}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=[[China Meteorological Administration]] |language = zh-hans | access-date =10 October 2023 |title=Experience Template }}</ref> | source 2 = Weather China<ref name = Clim>{{cite web | url = http://www.weather.com.cn/cityintro/101130903.shtml | script-title=zh:塔什库尔干 – 气象数据 -中国天气网 | publisher = Weather China | language = zh | access-date = 29 November 2022}}</ref> }}

==Administrative divisions== {{asof|2019}}, the town included six [[Residential community|residential communities]] (''[[Mandarin Chinese]] [[pinyin]]-derived names''):<ref name="statstashkurgan2019">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2019/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2019年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2019 |accessdate=19 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|统计用区划代码城乡分类代码名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒社区居委会 653131100002 121 布拉克尕勒社区居委会 653131100003 121 旭东社区居委会 653131100004 121 幸福社区居民委员会 653131100005 121 塔什库尔干镇红旗社区居民委员会 653131100006 121 沙棘林社区居民委员会|}}}}</ref> * Kashigale ({{lang|zh-hans|喀什尕勒社区}}), Bulakegale ({{lang|zh-hans|布拉克尕勒社区}}), Xudong ({{lang|zh-hans|旭东社区}}), Xingfu ({{lang|zh-hans|幸福社区}}), Hongqi ({{lang|zh-hans|红旗社区}}), Shajilin ({{lang|zh-hans|沙棘林社区}})

As of 2009, there were three residential communities:<ref name="statstashkurgan2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjbz/tjyqhdmhcxhfdm/2009/65/31/31/653131100.html |script-title=zh:2009年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码：塔什库尔干镇 |language=zh-hans |publisher=[[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]] |date=2009 |accessdate=19 April 2020 |quote={{lang|zh-hans|代码城乡分类名称 653131100001 121 喀什尕勒居委会 653131100002 121 阔纳巴扎居委会 653131100003 121 英沙海尔居委会|}}}}</ref> * Kashigale ({{lang|zh-hans|喀什尕勒社区}}), Kuonabazha ({{lang|zh-hans|阔纳巴扎社区}}), Yingshahai'er ({{lang|zh-hans|英沙海尔社区}})

== Transportation == As the area is remote from populated regions, it is served by [[Tashiku'ergan Hongqilafu Airport]], which opened on 23 December 2022, with [https://web.archive.org/web/20191018050735/http://www.xinhuanet.com/2019-10/15/c_1125108285.htm 3800 meter runway]. It is China's closest airport to Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. The airport offers one flight to [[Kashgar]] every day.

===Karakoram Highway=== [[Image:KKH.png|thumb|200px|right|Overview of the [[Karakoram Highway]]]] Today Tashkurgan is on the [[Karakoram Highway]] which follows the old [[Silk Road]] route from China to [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Karakoram Highway|url=http://www.dangerousroads.org/asia/pakistan/3334-karakoram-highway-pakistan-2.html|website=www.dangerousroads.org|accessdate=12 May 2017|language=en-gb}}</ref> Accommodation is available and it is a recommended overnight stop for road travellers from China to Pakistan, in order to have the best chance of crossing the snow-prone [[Khunjerab Pass]] in daylight. Special registration with the police must be made before entering Tashkurgan, and Chinese citizens must receive written permission from their local police department before entering the region.

Travelling from Xinjiang, it is about {{convert|230|km}} south of Kashgar and is the last town before the border with [[Pakistan]]. It is {{convert|120|km}} over the [[Khunjerab Pass]] from [[Sust]], which is the Pakistani border town. Passenger road service between Tashkurgan and the Pakistani towns of Sust and [[Gilgit]] has existed for many years, and road service between Kashgar and Gilgit (via Tashkurgan and Sust) started in summer 2006. However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass (the highest border of the world) is open only between 1 May and 15 October. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow. <ref>{{cite web|title=World's biggest building project aims to make China great again|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/chinese-president-belt-and-road-initiative|website=The Guardian|accessdate=12 May 2017|date=11 May 2017}}</ref>

==See also== * [[Belt and Road Initiative]] * [[Silk Road transmission of Buddhism]] * [[Taghdumbash Pamir]] * [[Taxkorgan Nature Reserve]] * [[List of township-level divisions of Xinjiang]]

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References==

===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

===Sources=== {{refbegin}} * [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Curzon, George Nathaniel]]. 1896. ''The Pamirs and the Source of the Oxus''. Royal Geographical Society, London. Reprint: Elibron Classics Series, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005. {{ISBN|1-4021-5983-8}} (pbk); {{ISBN|1-4021-3090-2}} (hbk). * Hill, John E. (2009). ''Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, First to Second Centuries CE''. John E. Hill. BookSurge. {{ISBN|978-1-4392-2134-1}}. * 库尔班, 西仁, 马达力包仑, and 米尔扎杜斯买买提. 中国塔吉克史料汇编. Ürümqi: 新疆大学出版社, 2003. {{ISBN|7-5631-1792-X}}. {{refend}}

==External links== {{commons category|Tashkurgan}} * [http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html#sec20 Check out note 20.2. to the translation of the ''Hou Hanshu'' by John Hill.] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20040228195921/http://www.silkroadcn.com/kashgar/Taxkorgan.htm For a brief description and some photos.]

[[Category:County seats in Xinjiang]] [[Category:Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County]] [[Category:Populated places along the Silk Road]] [[Category:Central Asian Buddhist kingdoms]] [[Category:Buddhist sites in Central Asia]] [[Category:Former countries in Chinese history]]