The ancient oasis town of Kuqa (Kuche), though now overshadowed by Korla to the east and Aksu to the west, was once a key stop on the Northern Silk Road. It first came under Han Chinese control when it was conquered, in 91AD, by the indomitable General Ban Chao.

By the 4th century it had emerged as an important centre of Tocharian civilisation sitting astride not just the Northern Silk Road, but also lesser routes to Dzungaria in the north and Khotan in the south. The celebrated Buddhist monk Kumarajiva was born here, and travelled west on the Silk Road to study in Kashmir before returning east, to Wuwei, where he taught and translated Buddhist texts for 17 years.