Between Charklik and Dunhuang the road crosses the salt plain south of Lop Nur by wells and bitter springs, a crossing of a month by Marco Polo's later reckoning (c.
1273), with long dry stages where caravans carry water. The guides are the Lop people. The Tangut empire holds the far end at Shazhou. The exact wells of 1200 are not recorded; the point stands for the road. Position approximate.
Who holds it
- Title
- Not known
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No source names a holder.
Lord in 1200
None; the Lop guides.
What the town holds
Not recorded.
How things stand that morning
Not recorded; no event for 1199-1200.
Military
No figures.
Council
Not recorded for 1200.
Communities
Not recorded.
Fairs and markets
Not recorded; the weekly bazaar is the oasis custom but no date is known for 1200.
Militia
Not recorded.
Walls and castle
Not recorded for 1200.
Trade and crafts
Not recorded.
Places of note
- Lop road: The wells and stages.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Polo, later.
On the map: Position approximate; the road's exact line is not known.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, 'Charklik (ancient settlement)'
- Marco Polo, Travels (c. 1298), chapters on Kashgar, Yarkand, Khotan, Pein, Charchan and Lop; recalled, not rechecked here
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.