Jiaohe Ancient City

　　     In the Uyghur language, it is called Yarghol Khoja, located on a 30-meter-high cliff platform in the Yaernaz 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, with a length of 1,760 meters, a maximum width of 300 meters, and a total area of 430,000 square meters, of which 360,000 square meters are built-up areas, concentrated in the southeastern part of the city, accounting for two-thirds of the total area. Due to erosion by river water, cliffs dozens of meters high have formed around the terrace, creating a precipitous terrain that is easy to defend but hard to attack—making it a strategic military location since ancient times. It got its name “Jiaohe” (meaning “where two rivers meet”) because two rivers flowed around the city and converged to the south.

　　     The ancient city was originally built by the Cheshi people, predating the Qin and Han dynasties, about 2,000 to 2,300 years ago. It consists of temples, government offices, pagodas, residences, workshops, and other structures, covering a total area of 250,000 square meters.

　　     Jiaohe Ancient City is almost entirely carved out of natural raw earth, with the tallest buildings reaching about three stories high. Having endured 2,300 years of weathering, it still stands firmly today, making it the oldest, largest, and best-preserved earthen architectural city in the world. In 1961, Jiaohe Ancient City was among the first group of sites to be designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Jiaohe Ancient City