Ruins of Desert Cathay 107 - "Dastarkhan" offered on desert route to Charchan, On left is Chiang-ssu-yeh and my caravan-men enjoying the treat brought by Beg from Charchan. Usually a 'dastarkhan' feast was offered immediately on Stein's caravan arriving in a town. In this case with Charchan being such a tiny place the mangistrate decided to meet Stein outside the village. Charchan was a village on the Charchan River at the south-east edge of the Taklamakan.