Kuche Royal Palace

Xinjiang


Located in the old town, 3.5km west of the centre, is the rebuilt Kuche Palace, the residence of the kings of Kuche until the early 20th century. The exhibits tend towards the mundane and are slightly bizarre, but a visit can be entertaining. The last Kuche king, Dawud Mahsut, died in 2014 and is buried in the ancestral hall at the back of the compound.

The museum has a good collection of Buddhist frescoes, some from the nearby Kumtura and Simsim caves, and there are human remains from the surrounding desert ruins. Nearby is a rebuilt section of Qing dynasty city wall.