Gaochang Ancient City

The ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang located 40 kilometers from the Turpan City, to the south of the Flaming Mountain. It was a key point along the Silk Road, with many merchants and traders as well as a plethora of religions gathered here. Originally built in the first century B.C. and became the capital of the Gaochang Kingdom in the 9th century. But in the 13th century, it was abandoned because of wars.

The ruins cover around 2.2 million square meters, containing three parts: the outer city, the inner city and the palace. The outer wall is the only visible structure left today. Some parts are well-preserved. The wall is about 5.4 kilometers long and up to 11.5 meters high. The foundation of the wall is as thick as 12 meters which make the structure very solid and strong. In the southwest section, a temple consisting of an entrance gate, a courtyard, a chanting hall, a main hall and a residence is still clear in layout. The inner city is badly decayed; only the western and eastern parts are preserved. Khan's Castle in the middle of the western part is considered to be the ruins of a palace. The layout of the city is similar to that of Chang'an, capital of Tang Dynasty at that time.