Gaochang

Situated 45 km east of Turpan, Gaochang Ruins was the capital city of ancient Uygur kingdom. First built in the first century BC of Han Dynasty, the old city lasted for about 1400-1500 years until the year of 1283 the Uygur Kingdom was defeated by the nearby states, and had to give up their capital and moved away. Since then the city has been abandoned.

During its prime time, Gaochang became the major staging post on the Silk Road. Similar to the layout of Chang'an (present Xian)– capital of Tang Dynasty, it was divided into an outer city and inner city within the walls, and a palace and government compound. The walls of the city are clearly visible. They stood as much as 12 m thick, formed a rough square with a perimeter of 6km, and were surrounded by a moat. A large monastery in the south-western part of the city is in reasonable condition, with some of its rooms, corridors and doorways still preserved.

Jiaohe

13 km west of Turpan, Jiahe ancient city was built atop a 30meter cliff carved out by two rivers. In Chinese Jiaohe means "two rivers meet", hence the city name. The once-flourishing city has a history of more than 2000 years. According to the Han records, in 109 BC the city was home to 700 families, 6050 citizens and 1856 soldiers. It served as the capital of Jushi Kingdom until the end of 13th century when the Mongolian troops conquered the area.  

The buildings are rather more obvious than the ruins of Gaochang though, and you can walk through the old streets and along the roads. A main street cuts through the city, and at the end is a large monastery with figures of Buddha still well preserved. In 1994, archaeologists found the graves of more than 200 infants northwest of the site. The reason for their burial is still a mystery.

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