Turpan Museum 吐鲁番博物馆

About Turpan Museum

Written documents and coins reveal administration and trade, while burial displays preserve clothing and other evidence of everyday life. A separate giant-rhinoceros fossil display extends the visit far beyond human history. This combination makes the museum a useful first stop before Jiaohe, Gaochang or Astana, where much of the original portable material is no longer visible.

The institution grew from a cultural-relics team formed within the county exhibition hall in the 1960s. Preparations for a museum began in 1986, and it formally opened in 1991. After initially occupying an older building, it moved into premises with a total floor area of 17,000 square metres. It is a national first-grade museum (国家一级博物馆).

The basin's low rainfall and low groundwater helped preserve ancient documents. The manuscript displays include letters, contracts, Buddhist scriptures and medical prescriptions in scripts such as Chinese, Sogdian and Old Uyghur. The general-history exhibition was renewed in 2020 and presents material from the Stone Age through the Qing dynasty. Alongside physical objects, the displays use video and scale models to explain archaeological contexts.

What to look for

• Documents and coins show the basin’s administrative and trading connections.
• The giant-rhinoceros fossil display introduces a much older natural history.

Location & getting there

Getting to Turpan Museum

Use the museum at 1268 Munaer Road in Turpan’s Gaochang District. This is the present museum site, separate from earlier premises on Gaochang Road. Confirm current gallery access and admission before planning your outdoor excursion.