Princess Castle (Kizkurgan)
公主堡
The site of the 'Han-Sun Heavenly Lineage' legend recorded in Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, with ruined walls perched on cliffs above the river valley.
The Princess Castle ruins lie about 70 km south of the county seat in Dabudar Township, on a steep hilltop where the Karakash and Karakchukur rivers meet. According to Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, a Han Chinese princess who was married off to a distant land stayed on this mountain during her journey, where she met the 'Sun God' and bore a son. Later, the Qiepantuo kingdom was founded, and the Tajik people regard this as their ancestral origin legend. Climbing from the foot of the mountain to the top takes about an hour. The slopes are steep and the stones loose, at an elevation of about 4,000 meters, so visitors of average fitness may prefer to admire the castle from the river valley. Admission follows the scenic area's announcements. It is often arranged on the same day as the Wakhan Corridor viewing area and the Kunjerab Pass border gate.
Opening hours
Approx. 10:00–19:00 (Beijing time)