One

  An ancient Chinese literati, no matter where he drifted, his greatest yearning in old age was to return to his hometown. This is different for modern scholars with a global historical perspective, they will condense time and space with a lifetime of learning, then stand at the window of their study, leaning on a cane, looking out at the distance. They are thinking: If life could be reborn once, where would I most hope to be reincarnated?

  I would like to know how several scholars answer this question. Ranked first is British historian Arnold Toynbee (A

  oldJosephToy

  It was his prolific writings that first introduced me to different historical forms from around the world.

  However, he has been dead for over thirty years and seems to have left no answer in this regard. I can only guess from his works. After guessing several places, none of them were sure.

  Finally, I suddenly realized that he had left the answer in a conversation once.

  He said that if life could be reborn once, he would like to live in the ancient Western Regions of China. Because it was a blessed land where cultures gathered.

  What he referred to as the Western Regions was the area around the Tarim River and Yarkand River in China's Xinjiang.

  Two

  Every time I go to Xinjiang, I always think of Tuan Yebin's choice.

  The Western Regions, a great place name. Emperor Wu of Han sent Zhang Qian to "connect with the Western Regions", which was also an outstanding contribution made by this emperor and the entire Han Dynasty to world history. From then on, the major civilizations of humanity had their largest gathering, exchange and fusion there.

  Originally, whether it was Indian civilization, Persian civilization, Babylonian civilization, Arab civilization, or even further away Egyptian civilization, Greek civilization, Roman civilization, etc., they all had their own scale and enjoyed their own prestige, making it difficult for them to put aside their pride and actively merge with other civilizations, unless through the means of war. Therefore, each major civilization was extremely vigilant in guarding against the iron cavalry and flames from elsewhere. However, the temptation of commodity circulation was too great, and the descriptions from travelers' mouths were too enticing, so they all quietly generated a unanimous desire: to find a place to unfold non-warfare exchanges between major civilizations.

  This place needs to meet two conditions: First, it must be a sparsely populated area far from the capitals of major civilizations, so that no one feels threatened; Second, the civilization that all travel teams want to get close to has a tolerant spirit that makes everyone feel at ease.

  The place that can meet these two conditions is only one in the ancient world, which is the Western Regions. Thus, the vast desert between Tian Shan, Kunlun Mountains and Tarim Basin finally became a huge platform for communication among major civilizations. The place that seemed to lack culture the most has become the most bustling cultural market. Ancient World Expos, trade fairs, and carnivals have been opening and closing one after another in the Western Regions.

  Thinking about it this way, I feel that Tang Yin's choice is actually quite reasonable.

  In ancient times, there were two routes from the Western Regions to the whole of Central Asia: the Grassland Road in the north and the Silk Road in the south. The Silk Road was divided into two routes, which converged at a place and continued after crossing the Pamir Plateau. The confluence of the two Silk Roads is the city of Shule, also known as Kashgar, the westernmost city in China today.

  This is the place where all travelers, explorers, monks and traders must stop. Whether going out or coming in, they have already undergone severe tests of life and death, and ahead, it may be Pamir or Taklamakan, the test will be even greater. Therefore, it is necessary to collect a hard-won life here and then risk one's life again.

  For many people, this is the last stop of life; for others, it is a new starting point for a magnificent journey. Whether it's the end or the beginning, it's where heroes offer libations to their fallen comrades. Every inch of air in Kashgar has been infused with the low, husky voices of men.

  The world is eager to be walked through here, but the plateau seems difficult to walk. A tall local man at the foot of Kunlun Mountain told me: "Here, the road is far and treacherous, from some villages to the countryside, even riding a donkey takes seven days. The greatest wish of a wife is to go to the county town once, but her husband doesn't allow it, saying that such a beautiful woman will walk for so long, how can she still come back? Decades later, when the husband passed away, the wife couldn't move either.

  However, these wives and husbands all saw that there were always some people passing by the edge of their village. Were they going to the countryside? Were they going to the county town? Or was there somewhere even further away?

  Recently, my wife and I went to Kashgar again. The feeling of being full all the way is unparalleled, and I just want to repeat a sentence I said many years ago: If you want to study history that is not ordinary history but "big history", if you want to engage in literature that is not ordinary literature but "great literature", then please go to Xinjiang more often, go to Kashgar more often.

  Three

  More than 2,000 years ago, when Zhang Qian opened up the Western Regions, he found that Kashgar already had a very similar commercial market. Later, Ban Chao, who was appointed as the "Western Protector" of the Han Dynasty, also used this place as his base for stabilizing the Western Regions and stayed here for over a decade.

  Ban Chao was here, the local people were still in the spiritual culture of shamanism primitive natural religion. However, shortly after Ban Chao left, a major cultural event swept this place: Indian Buddhism began to spread on a large scale to China, and this became one of the main corridors.

  I think the eastward spread of Buddhism is a super-grand event in human cultural history. The reason is that China, as the recipient side, had already achieved an ultra-high degree of spiritual self-sufficiency since the Hundred Schools of Thought, and it seemed that all the gaps in thinking had been filled. How could it have accepted so devoutly a completely strange civilization from beyond the mountains? However, due to the mutual nobility of Indian and Chinese civilizations, the painful and itchy defensive psychology was overcome step by step. The place where this pain and itch were first felt should be Kashgar. The place where they were first overcome should also be Kashgar.

  After two hundred years of grinding, by the 4th century AD, this place had become a thriving Buddhist site, with many ancient relics and stories left behind. For example, Kumarajiva, who made contributions to Chinese Buddhist history comparable to Xuanzang, came here at the age of twelve to study Hinayana Buddhism for two years. Later, he also met two brothers from Shache, Wangzi Canjun, who were well-versed in Mahayana Buddhism, and began to turn to Mahayana Buddhism, which he practiced for the rest of his life. Although Kashgar's mainstream Buddhism has always been Hinayana, Kumarajiva had to leave, but this was his spiritual transformation site.

  Not long after Kumarajiva, Faxian also passed through here on his way to the Western Regions to fetch scriptures and was amazed by the grandeur of the Buddhist assembly. Later, when Xuanzang returned from fetching scriptures and the scriptures were damaged by falling into water, he also stayed here for a period of time to supplement and transcribe them.

  During the Karakhanid period from the 9th to the 13th centuries, Kashgar exhibited a high level of cultural creativity, contributing to the world the first long narrative poem written in pure Uyghur script, "The Epic of Fergana" and the monumental work "The Great Dictionary of Turkic languages". These are two extremely important classics of Uyghur culture, and following them, many other excellent works were produced. Kashgar shines with a sacred light due to its creation of classics.

  Actually, when Islam was introduced to China in the 7th century AD, Kashgar was also at the forefront. After taking root here for hundreds of years, it spread northward. The Islamic relics in Kashgar are countless, because even today, the main belief here is still this religion. For thousands of years, they have been nourished by devout rituals every day, and even ruins have become a part of life, so they all look spirited.

  According to the account of European traveler Marco Polo, who had been here, Nestorianism, also known as "Jingjiao" in China, was not uncommon among believers here, and worship was full. Although this sect had been banned in Rome as early as the 5th century AD. As an Italian, Marco Polo was very sensitive to this. Similarly, in ancient Persia, the Zoroastrianism (also known as fire worship)

  In this region, there was also a folk custom that prevailed, so much so that the "Book of Southern Tang" said that in the Shule area, "the people worshipped the god of the sleeve".

  In short, for thousands of years, Kashgar has not only been a hub for the exchange of goods but also a hub for the exchange of spiritual culture. The scope of this exchange is vast, extending from Central Asia and South Asia to West Asia and Europe. If it can be said that the Western Regions are the intersection of several major civilizations, then Kashgar is the center of these centers.

  This status has been there since ancient times, but it has only existed silently in the hearts of businessmen from various countries. By the 19th century, the world gained a new awareness of space and time, and Kashgar's importance was once again widely recognized. At that time, many top scholars around the world firmly believed that this region must have left behind significant footprints of civilization, so they came from afar to visit. As Japanese explorer Tachibana Zuicho said: "This is the center of politics and commerce in Central Asia, known to people since ancient times, and until now, anyone traveling to Central Asia will introduce Kashgar."

  Flipping through the world's archaeological works at that time can reveal that Kashgar has become an indispensable common term in Oriental studies.

  By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, China was plagued by internal troubles and foreign aggression, and was on the verge of being completely carved up by the powers. However, even at this time, an archaeologist aiming for the heartland of Asia would still be like a graduate whose diploma had not been stamped with the president's seal if he had not been to Kashgar.

  History is easily forgotten, yet it's hard to be thoroughly forgotten. On those confusing nights, when batches of outsiders were reveling on the dunes, beneath their feet, the dunes would quietly sigh and coldly reveal a corner of some historical relic, as if reminding them what place this was.

  Four

  In April 1881, the Russian Consulate in Kashgar opened. This was not unusual, but what was strange was that there were sixty Cossack cavalrymen inside the consulate. These cavalrymen would drill twice a day on the large square in front of the city and then perform knife fighting, horsemanship, and shooting for the crowds. The Russian consul in Kashgar was very learned, named Petrovsky, and a British scholar described him as:

  Petrovsky was a capable, arrogant and cunning man skilled in the art of temptation who used every trick in the book - intrigue, intimidation, threats, bribery, coercion - to achieve his goals during his twenty-one years in office. His aim was to detach the westernmost oasis of Xinjiang from China so that Russia could control the strategic mountain passes leading into India's back door.

  (Janet Miske: Stein's Archaeology and Exploration)

  Russia wants to control the back door to India, obviously provoking Britain. At that time, Britain not only colonized India but also controlled most of the areas south of the Kunlun Mountains, the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya River. How could it allow Russia to intervene? Therefore, the newly established British Consulate General in Kashgar had an area twice as large as the Russian Consulate, and was much more luxurious than the British Consulate in Urumqi itself. A British journalist wrote:

  In the more than fifty years of great contention between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia for control of Central Asia, Kashgar was a frontier outpost of the British Empire. In that great game, the British Empire had engaged in a long and obscure struggle with Tsarist Russia to gain political and economic dominance in Asia. The Union Jack flying over the British Consulate-General at Kashgar was the only one between India and the Arctic.

  (Peter Hobkirk: "A Diplomat's Wife Remembers Kashgar")

  At the same time that the Cossack cavalry and the British flag were facing off in Kashgar, scholars with their hearts set on a thousand years earlier also arrived in this city. Sven Hedin came, and from here he set out to discover the ancient city of Dandan Uiliq, and to investigate the migration sites along the Tarim River and Lop Nur. Stein also came, following up on Sven Hedin's results to further discover the remains of "Hellenized Buddhist art" in Gandhara, and discovered the Loulan site... This series of cultural relics, from different directions, demonstrated the unparalleled importance of this land in ancient times.

  "The unparalleled importance of ancient times" can be divided into two categories. The first category ends with the end of ancient times, while the second category can extend to modern times. Most of the artifacts discovered in the Western Regions belong to the second category. They are like a row of giant mathematical formulas left behind by ancient sages, proving the inevitable connection between several large spaces and the practical possibility of breaking through this inevitable connection. Therefore, after these major archaeological discoveries in the Western Regions, historian Wells made the judgment: "It wasn't until today that I began to understand that the Tarim River Basin is more important than the Jordan River Basin and the Rhine River Basin."

  It was precisely this judgment that made the Cossack cavalry in Kashgar and the British flag even more arrogant. The consuls of both countries would entertain those archaeologists with great courtesy, hoping they could provide more ancient justifications for their modern imperial ambitions. However, from various records, it can be seen that those archaeologists did not have much respect for the two consuls except gratitude. After all, they knew history better than the intelligence politicians who wore diplomatic suits in front of them. They came to the depths of the desert and as soon as they saw a little trace of ancient times, they would quickly kneel down on both legs, gently scrape with their hands, and carefully sweep away the dust. For a long time, they still knelt there.

  If we just look at the action, archaeologists are kneeling on behalf of modern people.

  The silent earth, how many places are worth our kneeling, and how many places need our gratitude.

  Five

  Among the many "ancestors" of Chinese civilization, the one that shocks people the most in terms of shape and demeanor is the Western Regions, including Kashgar.

  This statement may cause other "ancestors" to cast a sideways glance, and I'm truly sorry for that, but I'm not just offering casual praise. Think about it - the Tian Shan, Kunlun Mountains, and Taklamakan Desert, these are truly colossal natural wonders of the world; catching a glimpse of any one corner of them is enough to leave people breathless. But here, they're all lined up together, intersecting with each other, echoing off each other - what kind of scenery would that be?

  A string of insurmountable predicaments, a series of unparalleled magnificence, a sequence of unreplicable greatness, surrounds you, conquers you, shatters you, and then gathers you. You lost yourself, and after much difficulty, found yourself again, but it was another you.

  In the face of Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, other "ancestors" who rely on three mountains and five peaks are a bit like bonsai. In front of the Taklamakan Desert, other "ancestors" who chant the vast desert smoke and the long river sunset also seem a bit too childish.

  In Kashgar, you can't follow the leisurely habits of inland China and choose those crowded tourist attractions. What should be chosen are Chogori Peak, Muztagata Glacier and Oyitak Glacier, Hongqilaifu Port, Yakaezhi Beacon Tower, as well as the thousand-year-old poplar forests scattered everywhere and the desert under sunset. My wife and I were fascinated by Shajiang's "Twelve Muqams", every time we listened to it, we were intoxicated with emotion. No wonder this remote place has been grandly listed in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. It reminds me of the Suo and Kui music that shocked Chang'an during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Indeed, among the greatest dynasties in ancient China, the most magnificent and majestic ones were mostly Western musical dances.

  From this, I think that apart from Kashgar, there are many famous places in Xinjiang's Western Regions worth visiting again, such as Kucha (now known as Kizil)

  Yutian (now Hetian)

  Kuqa, Gaochang, Jiaohe, etc. If you have enough physical strength, you can also go to the ancient city of Loulan, Milan and Niya ruins.

  On the banks of the Yarkand River, a local official had already prepared brush and paper for me to write a few words, ready to be carved into the mountain wall. I asked him what words to write, he said -

  Kunlun First City

  I said: "You guys are amazing, just a casual remark and it's incredibly impressive."

  After finishing writing, my gaze passed over the poplar forest that was as bright as a fire array, and then passed over the layered clouds surrounding the mountain, looking far away at the heavenly road on Mount Kunlun. That heavenly road leads to the Ali region of Tibet. Suddenly, I found that on the continuous snowy peaks, white smoke actually emerged, drifting towards the blue sky. Could it be that there is still human life there?

  "How can there be white smoke above such a high cloud layer?" I asked.

  The host said, "That is not white smoke, but rather the high winds blowing up the snow accumulated on the mountain top."

  So that's how it is. But thinking again, I just had a doubt, and past travelers must have also had it. They guessed, judged, occasionally lowered their heads to look at the road, and occasionally raised their heads. Where there are no people, where do people come from? Most of them couldn't find anyone to ask, left with doubts, and then turned back, looking again and again.

  So this magical "white smoke" has become a white flag that attracts guests from afar.

  I couldn't help but smile, thinking that Mr. Tang Yinbi's soul, who yearned for the Western Regions in his previous life, must have found its way along this white flag and settled down comfortably.