Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries (Vol. 30)

Li Ling A famous Han Dynasty general who surrendered to the Xiongnu in 99 BCE after being outnumbered served as the Right Worthy King, while Wei Lu Another Han defector served as the King of the Dingling. Later, the Zhizhi Chanyu A Xiongnu leader defeated the Gekun The ancient name for the Kirghiz/Kyrgyz people. At that time, their land lay 7,000 li east of the Chanyu’s court and 5,000 li north of Cheshi An ancient kingdom in the Turpan Basin. After the Zhizhi Chanyu established his capital there, the name of the land was corrupted in later generations to Jiegu, and gradually it was called Hegu, also known as Hegusi.

It is situated 3,000 li directly northwest of the Huige The Uighurs. To the south, it rests against the Tanman Mountains. The land is marshy in the summer and covered in deep snow during the winter. The people are all tall and large, with red hair, pale faces, and green eyes. They consider black hair to be an ill omen; those with black hair and eyes are certainly said to be the descendants of Li Ling. Both men and women are mostly fair-skinned. They are a vigorous and brave people, accustomed to the frequent cold. Even in the freezing weather, they cultivate crops: there are varieties of millet, grain, pulse, wheat, and barley. Their horses are exceptionally strong and large.

Their ruler is called the A-re A-re: A title of the Kyrgyz rulers, later adopted as a surname, and thus his family took A-re as their surname. He resides at the Qingshan literally "Green Mountain". From there to the Uighur capital, it is a forty-day journey by camel. Six hundred li north of the Uighur capital, one finds the Xian’e River Likely the Selenga River. The water to the east of the river comes from the Snow Mountains; the land there is rich with springs. To the east of the Qingshan lies the water called Jianchi literally "Sword Pool". People cross it using small boats. All these waters flow northeast through their kingdom, eventually merging and flowing north into the sea.

The Gekun is a powerful nation. Its territory is equal in size to that of the Turks. To the east, it reaches the Guligan; to the south, it borders Tibet; and to the southwest, it reaches the Karluks. In the 22nd year of the Zhenguan era 648 CE, they came to the imperial court to offer tribute. The Emperor Tang Taizong placed their land under the jurisdiction of the Jiankun Prefecture, which was subordinate to the Yanran Protectorate. During the Qianyuan era 758–760 CE, they were defeated by the Uighurs. Later, the name was corrupted to Xiajiasi The Tang-era name for the Kyrgyz; it is said the Uighurs called them this, meaning "yellow and red faces."

It is also said that the Guligan An ancient Siberian people, likely the ancestors of the Yakuts or Buryats reside north of the Hanhai Here referring to the vast northern desert or Lake Baikal region. Their land abounds in lilies and produces excellent horses. This territory reaches the sea to the north and is the farthest from the Chinese capital. If one crosses the sea further north, the days are long and the nights are short. When the sun sets, by the time a sheep's spleen has finished cooking, the east is already bright again. This is because it is close to where the sun sets An early Chinese description of the "Midnight Sun" or the Arctic Circle.

During the reign of Emperor Taizong, they came to court, and their land was designated as the Yuanque Prefecture. Their great chieftain offered horses as tribute; the Emperor named the ten most extraordinary ones the "Ten Steeds." During the Longshuo era 661–663 CE, the name of Yuanque Prefecture was changed to Yuwu Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the Hanhai Protectorate.