some yamens, but only a few houses. Outside, to the south, are a few shops and inns." An early-20th-century traveler described the situation in Karashahr as follows: "The whole of this district round Kara-shahr and Korla is, from a geographical and political point of view, both interesting and important; for whilst all other parts of Chinese Turkestan can only be reached either by climbing high and difficult passes—the lowest of which has the same elevation as Mont Blanc—or traversing extensive and dangerous waterless deserts of sand-hills, here we find the one and only convenient approach to the land through the valleys of several rivers in the neighbourhood of Ili, where plentiful water abounds in the mountain streams on all sides, and where a rich vegetation makes life possible for wandering tribes. Such Kalmuck tribes still come from the north-west to Tal. They are Torgut nomads who pitch their yurts round about Kara-shahr and live a hard life with their herds ... Just as these Mongols wander about here at the present day, so the nomadic tribes of an earlier period must have used this district as their entrance and exit gate. The Tochari (Yue-chi) [Pinyin: Yuezhi], on their way from China, undoubtedly at that time passed through this gate to get into the Ili valley ..." Rulers (Names are in modern Mandarin pronunciations based on ancient Chinese records) Shun (舜) 58 Zhong (忠) 88 Guang (廣) 91 Yuan Meng (元孟) 94–127 Long An (龍安) 280 Long Hui (龍會) 289 Long Xi (龍熙) 306 Long Jiushibeina (龍鳩屍卑那) 385 Tang He (唐和) 448 Che Xie (車歇) 449 Qu Jia (麴嘉) 497 Long Tuqizhi (龍突騎支) 605 Long Lipozhun (龍栗婆准) 644 Long Xuepoanazhi (龍薛婆阿那支) 645 Long Xiannazhun (龍先那准) 649 Long Tuqizhi (龍突騎支) 650 Long Nentu (龍嫩突) 651 Long Yantufuyan (龍焉吐拂延) 719 Long Chang'an (龍長安) 737 Long Tuqishi (龍突騎施) 745 Long Rulin (龍如林) 767–789? / Tang general – Yang Riyou 789 See also Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Footnotes References Sources 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. Puri, B.N. (2000) [1987]. Buddhism in Central Asia. (reprint ed.) Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. Stein, Aurel M. (1990) [1912]. Ruins of Desert Cathay: Personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China, 2 vols. (reprint ed.) Delhi, IN: Low Price Publications.