Jiaohe Ancient City

Jiaohe Ancient City

Jiaohe Ancient City is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Jiaohe Ancient City is the world’s only city built entirely from earthen materials and also the most well-preserved urban ruins in China spanning over two thousand years. The highest military and political institution of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, the Anxi Protectorate, was first established here. It was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1961.

In Uyghur, it is called Yarghol Khoja, located on a 30-meter-high cliff platform in the Yarnaz Gully, 10 kilometers west of Turpan City. The ancient city is shaped like a willow-leaf-shaped peninsula, long and narrow, extending from northwest to southeast, measuring 1,760 meters in length and up to 300 meters in width, with a total area of 430,000 square meters. Of this, the built-up area is 360,000 square meters, concentrated in the southeastern part of the ancient city, accounting for two-thirds of the total area. Due to erosion by the river, steep cliffs dozens of meters high have formed around the platform. The terrain is rugged and highly defensible, making it a strategic military stronghold since ancient times. The city got its name "Jiaohe" (meaning “river junction”) because two rivers flowed around the city and converged to the south.

The ancient city was initially built by the Cheshi people, with construction predating the Qin and Han dynasties, about 2,000–2,300 years ago. Jiaohe Ancient City was established and constructed by the Cheshi people between the 2nd century BC and the 5th century AD. It flourished during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty but gradually declined between the 9th and 14th centuries due to its strategic location and continuous warfare. By the late Yuan Dynasty during the Chagatai period, the Turpan region suffered years of conflict. Jiaohe City was severely damaged and was eventually abandoned. In the 14th century, rebel forces such as Mongol noble Kaidu waged years of brutal warfare, successively capturing Gaochang and Jiaohe. At the same time, Mongol rulers forced local residents to abandon their traditional Buddhist beliefs and convert to Islam. Under the dual blows of spiritual and material upheaval, Jiaohe finally met the end of its existence.The ancient city consists of structures such as temples, government offices, pagoda complexes, residences, and workshops, covering a total area of 250,000 square meters.

Jiaohe Ancient City was almost entirely carved out of natural earthen materials, with its tallest buildings reaching up to three stories high. Having withstood 2,300 years of weathering, it still stands firmly today, making it the oldest, largest, and best-preserved earthen architecture city in the world. In 1961, Jiaohe Ancient City was among the first group of sites to be listed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.