Aksu

Aksu (also known as Ak-su, Akshu, Aqsu, Bharuka and Po-lu-chia. Uyghur: ئاقسۇ/Ak̢su; simplified Chinese 阿克�, traditional Chinese: 阿克蘇, pinyin: Ākèsù) is a city in the Chinese province of Xinjiang and the capital of Aksu Prefecture. As of 2002, the city, which is at 41°10′N 80°15′E in the Southern foothills of Tian Shan, has a population of 560,000, mostly Han Chinese.

The economy of Aksu is mostly agricultural, with cotton, in particular long-staple cotton as the main product. Also produced are grain, fruits, oils, beets and so on. The industry mostly consists of weaving, cement, and chemical industries.

Aksu was also the name of an ancient Buddhist kingdom located at the same place: on the branch of the Silk road that ran along the northern edge of the Taklamakan desert in the Tarim basin.

The pilgrim Xuanzang recorded that there were tens of Buddhist monasteries in the kingdom and over 1000 monks. He said the kingdom was 600 li from east to west, and 300 li from north to south. Its capital was said to be 6 li in circuit. He also stated that cloth made in the area was traded in neighbouring countries.

Aksu was strongly connected with Kucha, though its spoken language differed a little from standard Kuchean. It was positioned on a junction of trade routes; the northern-Tarim silk road, and a route north to the fertile Ili River valley.

Around 1220 it became the capital of the Kingdom of Mangalai.