Ruins of Jiaohe and Gaochang Ancient Village
Jiaohe Ancient City (交河故城; Jiāohé Gùchéng)
The Jiaohe Ruins are what's left of the world's 'largest, oldest, and best-preserved city of raw-earth buildings'. This big ancient city was dug out from Turpan's yellow desert siltstone and located just about 30 minutes drive from Turpan.
The city is slowly disappearing so visit whilst it’s possible! remaining of city sacked by Genghis Khan in the XIII th century.
Location: 20km-s from Turpan, Xinjiang Province, China
Jiaohe Ancient city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities
Buildings Jiaohe Ancient city were dug from earth, and wood was rarely used
Turpan Gaochang Ancient City (吐鲁番高昌故城; Tǔlǔfān Gāochāng Gùchéng),
The vast area of mud ruin can still make out the boundary of the city and imagine once upon a time here stood a kingdom called Gaochang.
Ruins of an ancient Silk Road town standing isolated in the Gobi Desert and originally called Gaochangbi. Not much of the ruins are left especially compared to Jiaohe, but this place played an important role in spread Buddhism in China in the 1st century B.C.
History: Had it not been for the patronage of the King of Gaochang, Monk Xuan Zhuang wouldn't have got so much support when he embarked on his journey to the west. On his way back to China, he kept his promise to pay a return visit to Gaochang. However, by this time the old king had passed away and the new king didn't regard Xuan Zhuang as highly as his late father did, and so he headed straight home and started translating the large amount of Buddhist scriptures he had collected into Chinese.
How to get to Turpan, Xinjiang Province
By train
The Turpan Railway Station is actually 50 km to the Turpan. From the railway station to Turpan you can take a taxi, the taxi set out with four people, generally 15 Yuan a person.
There are hourly high speed trains from Urumqi - 1 hour ride, costs from 50 yuan
By car
Alternatively you can rent a car either in Urumqi or in Kashgar.
In order to get to Jiaohe Ancient Village you need to rent a car with a driver. The whole day trip usually includes Tuyoq Village, the ruins and drive around Turpan.
Sichuan Province
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Xinjiang Province
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