The ancient, ruined city of Jiaohe (Jiaohe gucheng) stands isolated on a 30-meter-high plateau in the Ya’ernaizi Valley, 10 kilometers east of Turpan. The city is situated on an island between two rivers and the name for the area means “the confluence of two rivers”.
The whole city stretches about 1650 meters from south to north, and 300 meters from east to west. It was initially built about 2000 years ago and for a long period of time, was controlled by the residents of Gaochang.
Today, this is a well preserved site and a more atmospheric spot to wander and imagine times gone by than the city at Gaochang. Well preserved temples, pagodas and streets are dotted around. A Buddhist monastery marks the center of the city and there are some ancient filled wells here too. The crumbling sand colored walls of the buildings reflect the color of the desert and the surrounding sand dunes. Allow at least one hour to explore this intriguing city.
How to get there: You can cycle here from Turpan if temperatures are not too hot. Bikes can be hired from John’s Information Cafe in Turpan or the Oasis Hotel. Alternately, hire a minibus for the day and take in a few of the sights around the area. Drivers cruise Turpan looking for customers. Most buses hold six people and for the day (10 hours) it should cost between RMB300-RMB500 in total.
Cost: RMB30 to enter the city.
