Turfan

Turfan (Uyghur: تۇرپان; Uyghur latin: Turpan; Modern Chinese 吐魯番, Pinyin: Tǔlǔfān; ) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its population was 254,900 at the end of 2003.

Administration

Turfan is a county-level city in Turfan Prefecture, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.

Geography

Turfan is located about 150 km southeast of Ürümqi, Xinjiang's capital, in a mountain basin, on the northern side of the Turfan Depression.

History

Turfan has long been the centre of a fertile oasis (with water provided by karez) and an important trade centre. It was historically located along the Silk Road's northern route, at which time it was adjacent to the kingdoms of Korla and Karashahr to the southwest. Turfan is the source of numerous fragments written in the Middle Iranian languages (Middle Persian, Parthian, Sogdian, Sakan and Bactrian) related to the Iranian religion of Manichaeism.

Demography

According to the 2000 census, the city of Turfan had a population of 251,652 (population density 15.99 inh./km²). The breakdown by nationality was as follows:

Nationality	Inhabitants	Percentage
Uyghur	177.106	70,38%
Han	55.238	21,95%
Hui	18.482	7,34%
Tujia	182	0,07%
Manchu	132	0,05%
Tu	98	0,04%
Mongol	77	0,03%
Tibetan	70	0,03%
Kazakh	56	0,02%
Miao	45	0,02%
Russian	33	0,01%
Zhuang	31	0,01%
Dongxiang	30	0,01%
Others	72	0,03%

References

Hill, John E. 2003. "Annotated Translation of the Chapter on the Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu." 2nd Draft Edition. ^*
Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. ^*
Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty. E. J. Brill, Leiden.
Puri, B. N. Buddhism in Central Asia, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Delhi, 1987. (2000 reprint).
Stein, Aurel M. 1912. Ruins of Desert Cathay: Personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China, 2 vols. Reprint: Delhi. Low Price Publications. 1990.
Stein, Aurel M. 1921. Serindia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China, 5 vols. London & Oxford. Clarendon Press. Reprint: Delhi. Motilal Banarsidass. 1980.^*
Stein Aurel M. 1928. Innermost Asia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern Iran, 5 vols. Clarendon Press. Reprint: New Delhi. Cosmo Publications. 1981.
Yu, Taishan. 2004. A History of the Relationships between the Western and Eastern Han, Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Western Regions. Sino-Platonic Papers No. 131 March, 2004. Dept. of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania.

External links

Silk Road Seattle (The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full-text historical works, maps, photos, etc.)