Korla

What is Korla and where is it located?

Korla is a county-level city situated in the Xinjiang region of China. Serving as the seat of the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, which is the largest prefecture in China, it ranks as the second largest city by population within Xinjiang.

How does history mark Korla as a pivotal turning point?

During the Han dynasty, the area was known as Yuli. Historical texts such as the Hanshu documented it as having 1,200 households, 9,600 individuals, and 2,000 people capable of bearing arms. The region became a site of major military and political conflict over centuries of imperial expansion and shifting control. In 61 CE, the Xiongnu led approximately 30,000 troops from 15 kingdoms, including Korla, in an attack on Khotan. Decades later in 94 CE, the Chinese general Ban Chao sent soldiers to punish the kingdoms of Yanqi, Weixu, Yuli, and Shanguo. Following this campaign, the heads of the kings of Yanqi and Yuli were sent to the capital at Luoyang to be hung in front of the residences of the Man and Yi princes, and the kings of Yuli, Weixu, and Shanguo were all replaced. After the rebellion of the Western Regions from 106 to 125 CE, the kings of Korla and Hoxud notably refused to submit to the Chinese until they were defeated by Ban Yong and the Governor of Dunhuang. Later historical milestones included the region's governance and transitions through the Three Kingdoms era, the Qing dynasty, and the 19th-century Yettishar administration, up to its official incorporation as a city on September 30, 1979.

What defines the geography and population of the city?

Positioned approximately 200 kilometres southwest of Ürümqi, Korla features the Kaidu River—also known as the Konqi River or Kongque River—flowing directly through its center. The nearby Iron Gate Pass, located about 7 kilometres north of the city, historically protected the ancient Silk Roads from northern nomads. In the 2010 Chinese census, Korla recorded a total population of 549,324 people.