Essay3: Ruins of Tashkurgan Stone City

THE STONE CITY, bearing the splendour of a millennium, revealed the erosion of the winds and sands of time. The inner castle’s scale was faintly visible, while the outer walls were in ruins, with scattered stones. Once, temples flourished here, monks recited scriptures, and Xuan Zang lectured here on his return journey from India to China.

We arrived in the afternoon, wandering amidst the rhythms of the past in the sunlight, reflecting on the rise and fall of the city and savouring the melancholy of changing times. Standing at the city’s heights, gazing into the distance, snow-capped peaks emerged faintly, and nearby grassy banks flowed with water, and with a constant stream of visitors. The ancients were no more, but the evening glow had remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Following the city walls, we descended step by step, embraced by the cool breeze and the lingering warmth of the sunset, firmly casting our shadows on the city walls. 

Photo / 摄影 : YongCM

塔什库尔干石头城遗址 之一

承载千年辉煌的石头城，经过历史的沧桑风沙的侵蚀，内城城堡规模依稀可见，外城则是墙垣残存，或断或续，乱石成堆。曾经，这里寺院林立，僧侣络绎，诵经朗朗，玄奘东归也在此开讲。我们在午后抵达，在日照下徜徉于过去迂回的灿烂，凭吊它城起与城塌，更品尝人事变迁的落寞。站在城的高处，极目眺望，远处雪峰隐隐，近处草滩流水，游客不绝于途。古人不再，夕照则千年不变，我们沿着一路城垣拾级而下，在凉风轻拂，残照温存中，把身影牢牢地贴在城壁上。

塔什库尔干石头城遗址 之二

曾经是塔吉克人先祖建立的“朅盘陀国”都城，曾经是帕米尔高原的政治、经济、文化、交通、军事中心，而今只剩残垣断壁，乱石成堆，不禁有“古今将相今何在？荒冢一堆草没了”之叹。然而“粉身碎骨浑不怕，要留坚贞在人间”。人事虽非，石头依旧。伴着夕阳的温存，凉风的细语，静下心来聆听，那一颗颗石头在轻声告诉着你一个个曾经的故事。

塔什库尔干石头城遗址  之三

这是一个极有战略地位的城堡，建立在高丘上，周围有雪峰，下有草滩河流，形势极为险峻。由下仰望，赞叹它浓郁的塔吉克民族风情，充满粗犷豪放之余，也不得不惊叹建城者的胸襟谋略，掌控攻守之势，而睥睨天下。