Meaning Stone City in Turki, Tashkurgan was so named after an ancient city, more than 2, 000 years old. The Stone City is located in the north of Tashkurgan County, Xinjiang Province.

The Stone City was famous for its location at the junction of the middle route and southern route of the ancient Silk Road. This is also the place where roads from Kashgar, Shache, Yingjisha and Yecheng to the Pamirs meet. Because of its strategic importance, the Stone City was made the capital of Puli Country in Western Regions during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220). After the Western Regions were unified and ruled by the Tang Government, administrative offices were established here. Later in the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) the Government repaired its old buildings and enlarged its area. It was in the late Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) that the Government built a new city to the south and the Stone City was abandoned.