Kucha, oasis town, northwestern Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China. It lies at the foot of the southern slope of the Tien Shan (“Celestial Mountains”) on the northern rim of the Tarim Basin. The oasis is watered by the Kucha (Kuqa) and Muzart rivers, which during rainy spells flow into the Tarim River but which for most of the year lose their waters in the salt marshes on the northern edge of the Takla Makan Desert.
Kucha was known to the Chinese from an early date as a small independent kingdom under the name Guici (spelled in a variety of ways). Its ancient population consisted of Aryan people speaking Tocharian B, or Kuchean, one of two extinct Tocharian languages, of the Indo-European language family. The oasis, which is between Aksu and Korla, was an important centre on the northern branch of the Silk Road. Under the rule of the Bai (Minjia) peoples, Kucha became an important Buddhist centre; remains of this period are in the renowned Kizil caves. Many of the monks who introduced Buddhist teachings into China from the 3rd to the 7th century ce were from Kucha. The town was also famous in China for its musicians.
The Tang government (618–907) established a Chinese protectorate over Kucha in 658, but its power was challenged by the Tibetans in the south and the Turks in the north. After the mid-8th century, Chinese authority was nominal, and it had ended by 790. In the 9th century, following the collapse of the Uighur empire, the Uighurs set up a regime in the Turfan region, which eventually came to control Kucha. In medieval times it was part of Uighuristan, and Chinese control was not reestablished there until the 18th century.
During the period of Uighur rule, most of the inhabitants were Muslims of Turkic origin. In contemporary times Kucha has been divided into Muslim and Chinese sectors. The intensively irrigated oasis produces various grains and cotton and is known for its fruit, notably pears, grapes, figs, and melons. The town is also renowned for its handicraft cutlery industry. The Southern Xinjiang Railway from Urumqi to Kashgar (Kashi) passes Kucha, and there are regular airline flights connecting the town with Urumqi. Pop. (2000) 73,750.