An excerpt from Ban Zhao’s Histories of the Western Hinterlands:
We must write of the palace of Kucina, for surely it represents the Oasis Kingdoms in all their glory. The golden tops of its white marble spires tower above the whole city. Its walls are covered in artfully painted tiles and framed by exquisite stone lace. The garden’s surrounding the palace are always green and filled with waterworks and a thousand fragrant flowers. At night, the gardens are illuminated by colorful lanterns and swarms of fireflies. Inside the palace, the walls are adorned with crystal inlays and hung with sumptuous woven carpets. The floors are precious mosaics and the furniture is made of velvet and dark wood from the Spirit Mountains.