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MING-OI

 
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Map Sheet # 49 in the Serindia set in detail shows Ming-oi north-east of Korla-bazar and the route between them.

  
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The northern part of map sheet # 49 Korla - The town is in the oasis on the Konche Darya (here flowing SW) on the western side. Ming-oi, (86 degrees 28' E - 41 degrees 55' N) where Stein found many ruins, a whole settlement, is near the northern border on the road to Kara-Shahr. The road off the SE side is to Turfan.

  
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Detail of Stein's map of the area north-east of the Tarim River and Kara Shahr and north of the Kuruk Tagh - Stein skirted this desert section. Ming-oi appears on the far left -west - edge west of Lake Baghrash and south-west of Kara Shahr.

  
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This gives a wider look at the north-east part of Chinese Turkestan. Detail from Stein's map showing the area between Kara-shar and Lake Baghrash on the north-west where Ming-oi is located - The Lop-nor and Kuruk tagh on the south - and the route between Anhsi and Hami on the north-east

  
   
 

During his second expedition Stein excavated Buddhist ruins at Ming-oi. He reported on this in Serindia.
On December 11th 1907 Stein left Kara-shahr via Korla road to Sharchuk 16 miles to the SW and visited more Buddhist shrines north of Ming-oi (means 1000 houses). He noted that Shar was Turkish term for salt efflorescence - also called chor or chuk. He took many photos of this area and made detailed plans. The buildings were on top of ridges and plateaus that were offshoots of the mountain range (plate 51). There were a large number of ruined buildings but he had very limited time for excavations. Kara-shar was under the control of Pan-tajen, the Tao-t'ai of An-su and Stein's old friend. So Stein had considerable official support in obtaining local assistance including large bands of Turki labor from Korla. This help was supervised by Naik Ram Singh and the interpreter, Chiang Ssu-yeh and R. B. Lal Singh. In 12 days they managed to clear many sites and 100 shrines from 4x6 feet to 80x80 feet. The walls were of sun-dried bricks 12x6x3-4 inches. Stein made extensive detailed descriptions of the buildings and damage from rain and snow there. Near Lake Baghrush the water caused destruction and decay. He was working in temperatures 42 degrees below freezing. There was also much damage from fire. He found many Chinese coins, but none later than the 8th century. But he found Uigur documents from the 9th and 10th centuries. Possibly the fire came from Muhammadan invasions by Karluk Turks in the 2nd half of the 10th century. Stein was especially interested in the Buddhist art in Gandharan style.
Stein found large statues of Bodhisattvas in Gandharan style - too large to move. He found Chinese coins of the Wang Mang period AD 14-19 with coins from 766-783. Plate 51 shows a watch tower on a ridge overlooking the caves. It was 24 feet square and 25 feet high (fig 181). Another similar tower he found near Korla.

In section IV of the chapter on Ming-or he published a list of antiques excavated at the Ming'oi site, Sharchuk The section includes extensive pages of inventory of articles found and taken from the location.
Stein finished work at Ming-oi on 23 December and sent a convoy of antiques to Korla. He then went to Khora to the north and then west. He found more small Buddhist shrines and small cells with frescos and a stupa. He left there on 26 December to reach Shik chin and on 27 December reached the Korla oasis. He found another watch tower 32 feet square and 19 feet high with bricks of 12x8x3-4 inches with reeds between the brick courses. These were similar to the line of watch towers from Tun-huang to Lou-lan and on into the Tarim basin. This route had danger from Hsung-nu (Huns) The towers had inner and outer casings to strengthen them. Stein was at Korla in both Dec 1907 and again in April 1915. He crossed the river that drains lake Baghrash and is guarded by a fort at Bash-eghin. The road passes through a 7 mile defile by the river. This is called the Iron Gate in T'ang annals.


 
  He also discusses his excavation work at Ming-0i in Chapter LXXXIII of Ruins of Desert Cathay.
Come December 1st and Stein was anxious to get to work in the desert. He sent Lal Singh to survey around Singer. He rode for 8 days to Kara-shahr. In this area he found Mongol and Tungan families settled. The town was located at a strategic point where the terrain was relatively low between the Kuruk-tagh and T'ien-shan. The local magistrate had been alerted by P'an Ta'jen of Stein's visit. He helped arrange for labor to excavate at 'Ming-oi' a few miles to the south-west. The site had escaped the efforts of the German explorers. Stein made camp there on 11 December. The extensive ruin containing over 100 shrines prompted Stein to immediately hire more workers from Korla. The ruined buildings had suffered from rain and snow, but even more from a great fire. Stein found no coins dated later than the 8th century, which prompted him to guess that the area had been burned during the initial Moslem conquest. Even so he recovered many interesting relics. He collected hundreds of detached heads and torsos. Some he attributed to influence of classical style from Gandhara - northwest India or the Kabul valley. Besides sculpture, Stein found many frescos still undamaged and vivid. These included scenes from the life of Buddha. Naik Ram Singh was able to cut them off from the bricks behind them.
There also was a large watch tower on a ridge half a mile north of the main ruin. Already the temperature dropped to 42 degrees below zero.

 
 

Stein describes his exploration of Ming-oi also in his narrative On Central Asian Tracks. The ruin lay in long rows of detached cells of various sizes but of similar construction. Despite the ravages of climate and purposful destruction by the Mohammaden invaders the cells contained much valuable remains buried under the refuse. These included small stucco statues and relievo friezes which fire had hardened as if into terracotta. Whole fresco panels were taken from some walls along with painted panels and wood carvings. He found a statue of a Lokapala in T'ang style but most of the art (as noted above) was of the Greco-Buddhist type from north-west India.


  
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Plate 53 from Stein's book - Serindia - Plans for part of the northern group at Ming-oi, Shikchin, Kara-shahr. Stein obtained many artifacts at this site.

 
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Plate 52 from Stein's book - Serindia - Plans for part of the southern group at Ming-oi, Shikchin, Kara-shahr. Stein obtained many artifacts at this site.

 
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275 - Relievos and decorative carvings in wood, from ruined Buddhist shrines "Ming-oi' site and Khora

  
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272 - Stucco head in high relievo, probably representing a Bodhisattva, from ruined shrine MI, xv, "Ming-oi' site, Kara-shahr

  
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271 - Stucco heads and busts from relievo decorations of ruined Buddhist shrines 'Ming-oi' site, Kara-shahr

  
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269 - Relievo images in stucco representing Bodhisattvas, in ruined Buddhist shrine MI xi, 'Ming-oi' site, Kara-shahr

  
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267 - General View of ruined Buddhist site of 'Ming-oi', Kara-shahr, from south

  
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268 - Ruined Buddhist shrines in center of 'Ming-oi' site, Kara-shahr, seen from north

  
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266 - Interior of ruined Buddhist cella MI, xviii, at 'Ming-oi' site, Kara-Shahr - The richly painted stucco image of a seated Bodhisattva, like the fine image-base by its side, were found up-turned. The shrine was once vaulted.

  
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Photo 290 from Stein's book - Serindia- Relievo statues and circular image base at ruined shrine - Ming-oi site near Shorchuk

 
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Photo 289 from Stein's book -Serindia - North corner of antechapel at shrine - Ming-oi site, near Shorchuk

  
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Photo 274 from Stein's book - Serindia - South-eastern part of Ming-oi site in Shorchuk

 

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