Kuche

Kuqa (库车 Kùchē) is a city in Xinjiang in China.

Understand

Kuqa is divided between the New Town (Chinese) section to the east and the Old Town (Uighur) to the west. Wenhua Road runs between both sections east to west.

Get in

By train

Kuqa Railway Station is 7km southeast of the center of the New Town. Due to the lack of trains in south Xinjiang, there are only limited choices from Urumqi, Kurla and Kashgar.

  • Kashgar - takes about 9-11 hours
  • Urumqi - takes about 12-18 hours

By bus

The Long Distance Bus Station is in the southeast of the center of the New Town.

  • Kashgar - takes about 20 hours, and is difficult to find a sleeper as Kuqa is not a terminal, you have to wait for passing buses in front of the bus station in the morning. Alternatively, you may take a direct bus to Aksu, and catch a bus from there to Kashgar.
  • Korla - takes about 4 hours, around 5 buses every day.
  • Urumqi - takes about 18 hours
  • Yining - takes about 48 hours

By plane

Kuqa Qiuci Airport is located southwest of the city and can be accessed by taxi. Flights are available to/from Urumqi only.

See
  • Kiril Grottoes. One of China's four grottoes which was built earlier than Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang. The 10,000 sq m of murals, kept in 236 caves are still in place today, are of high value for artists and researchers alike. 
  • Kuqa Old Town Mosque. Sleepy town mosque, center of the local community. 

Do
  • Bazaar. Do not miss the Friday Bazaar in the Old Town. 

Eat

There is plenty to eat like goat meat with sauce.

Sleep

Plenty of hotels but only a few allow foreign guests to stay (Mar 2014). For budget accommodation your best bet is to haggle for a good price (about 70Y-80Y a night for a double room) in the bus station hotel (Jiaotong Binguan). The Jiaotong staff, however, is unlikely to lower the posted prices by more than 20%.

Mid-range
  • Kuqa Binguan (Jiefang Lu.). Overpriced for what is offered but definitely better rooms than the Jiaotong. Good location. ¥180-228. 

Splurge
  • Kuqa Restaurant (库车饭店 Kùchē Fàndiàn), Tianshan Road, ☏ +86 997 7131156. 

Go next
  • Big Dragon Lake and Little Dragon Lake - scenery similar to Tianchi Lake but without the tourists
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