A pearl on the Silk Road - Kizilgaha Beacon Tower.

The Kizilgaha Beacon Tower is the earliest, best-preserved, and largest ancient beacon tower in Xinjiang. It witnessed the effective rule of the central dynasty over the Western Regions during the Han and Tang Dynasties and the historical process of the formation of the unified and diverse pattern of the Chinese nation. The beacon tower was an important part of the Great Wall defense system during the Han and Tang Dynasties. It can be regarded as an extension of the Great Wall. It was a military communication facility for border defense alarms during the Han and Tang Dynasties. The top of the beacon tower can burn wolf smoke and fire to transmit urgent military information. The fire is lit at night and smoke is released during the day. The Kizilgaha Beacon Tower was built during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, that is, after the Western Regions Protectorate moved to Wulei. The Gobi Plateau on the east bank of the Saltwater Gully where it is located has a wide field of vision. It is located on the main road from the Han Dynasty to the ancient Kucha, Shule, and Wusun in the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Its military status is very important. 🏆In 1957, it was announced by the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the first batch of autonomous region-level cultural relics protection units; 🏆In June 2001, it was announced by the State Council as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units; 🏆In 2014, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO as the "Silk Road: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Road Network".