To the northwest of the Gaochang Ruins lie the Astana Graves (Asitana Gumuqun), where the dead of Gaochang were buried. The ancient tombs are clearly zoned according to families and castes with natural stones. The burial area is large and stretches 5 km from east to west and 2 km from north to south. Unfortunately, today only a few of the tombs are open to tourists.
The typical Astana tomb has a short flight of steps leading down into the tomb. The burial chambers of the tombs generally have low ceilings (about 2 meters high) and a total area of about 4 square meters. The two of the three graves open to the public have paintings of either the deceased or of birds, while the third has two well-preserved corpses on display!!
The deceased typically rest their heads on a cloth pillow and have their faces covered with a cloth. They also hold wooden sticks and are dressed in cotton or silk clothes. Typically found with the dead are silks, brocades and a variety of funerary objects, including replicas of houses, horses, and paper clothing. Other things of interest found in the tombs are paper records of the everyday transactions and dealings of the day such as silk orders and slave purchases.
How to get there: The easiest way to see many of the sights in the countryside around Turpan is to hire a minibus for the day. This should cost between RMB 300-RMB 500 for six people and your driver should take you to many of the sights around the area. Drivers cruise the streets of Turpan looking for customers.
Cost: There is an RMB 20 entrance fee.
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