Definition of "Kuqa"

From here the Silk Road bifurcates. In times of unrest, the caravans would move south through the sparse towns along the foot of the Kunlum Mountains, protected from robbers by the Taklimakan desert. But more often they would brave the great northern route with its line of rich oases - Turfan, Korla, Kuqa, Aksu - and hope to evade marauders from the grasslands just to the north.

1989, Colin Thubron, The Silk Road: Beyond the Celestial Kingdom‎, Simon and Schuster, page 15

The Kizi Kuqa Beacon TowerStanding 6 mi. (10 km) west of Kuqa County, this ancient watchtower—or the weather-beaten remains of it—was one of many built along the southern arm of the Silk Road to protect traveling merchants and emissaries from bandits.

2004, Treasures of China‎, Reader's Digest, page 96

Under his instruction, Yasin Molla Memet and a dozen other followers in the Chinese territory broke into the homes of Kawul Tika and three other villagers in Kunas Village of Alahag Township, Kuqa County, Xinjiang, on April 29, 1996, killing four villagers and injured[sic – meaning injuring] three others with explosives, guns and knives.

2010, J. Todd Reed, Diana Raschke, The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat‎, Praeger, page 149

Three driverless tractors were at work on a three-hectare demonstration cotton field in Kuqa County, Aksu Prefecture, ploughing, raking, seeding, fertilizing, and even mulching all by themselves.

2018, “Driverless tractors ease burden of Chinese cotton farmers”, in huaxia, editor, Xinhua News Agency‎

In the north-west of Kuqa County, in a ravine, is the site of the 47 Kizilgaha Caves. This is one of the large groups of Buddhist caves in China.

2018, Benoy K Behl, “China and Mongolia”, in Buddhism: The Path of Compassion‎, Publications Division, page 194