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Relics of the Ancient Town of Jiaohe

The Ancient Town of Jiaohe is located about 10 kilo miles west of the Turphan City.

Towards the south, one can get a birds-eye view of the Yanshan Mountain, to the north it can control the whole Jiaohe County. This ancient city looks like a peninsular in a shape of a willow leaf. It is surrounded by water and is a place of strategic importance.

The Ancient Town of Jiaohe looks just like a small island in the middle of the Jiaohe River. It is 1650 meter long from the south to the north. The widest distance from east to west is about 300 meters.

It used to be the capital of Cheshi Kingdom, which was then the neighbor of Qin and Han Dynasty. It served as the political, economic, military and cultural center of the kingdom. The whole city was built by the Cheshi people and has a history of 2000-2300 years.

Judging from the constructive structure, The Ancient Town of Jiaohe is the largest, oldest and well preserved earth-structured city in the world.

Exports divided The Ancient Town of Jiaohe into three parts. A pathway that is about 10 meters wide stretches from south to north and divides the residential area into eastern and western part. The eastern part was the office quarter, standing more than 10 meters tall and upright above the yellow earth cliff.

The city gate was well preserved; also, some lotus pattern from Tang tiles has once unearthed. It might have been the government office during the Tang Dynasty. Recent years, discovery of the workshops and residential quarters where remains of pottery kilns are towards the west.

To the north end of the pathway there is a temple in large scale, thus forms the northern temple quarter with the pathway as the center. To the north of the ruins constructed a spectacular group of pagodas. Probably it is where people buried the dignitaries of the successive dynasties. To the northwestern part is where the underground Buddhist temple located.

All the surface constructions have been destroyed only some remains of frescos survived inside. Since ash remains of dignitaries were once unearthed here, hence Jiaohe Ancient Ruins became very popular.

There are only two city gates for The Ancient Town of Jiaohe, east and south. Since the whole city situated on 30 meters above the cliff, and the Jiaohe River is right beneath, so no need to build any city walls. The city gate is different from other common city gate.

Southgate is the important gate during warfare. "One-man lookout, tens thousand can not come through" Here is the main passageway to transport military supplies and for the army troops to get in and out. People get in and out the east gate to draw water from river.

In recent years, during the excavation to protect historical relics on the ruins, an underground Buddhist Temple and a burying yard for nobles of Cheshi Kingdom. Together with some earthen peals, ashes of Buddhists, and many other valuable relics has been unearthed.

Ancient Town of Jiaohe is a very special and famous site in Turphan Basin. While enjoying sweet grapes, local melon and the hospitality of the minorities, you can never miss the chance to enjoy such geographic featured landscape as The Ancient Town of Jiaohe.