Gaochang Ancient City

» Turpan, Xin Jiang

Gaochang Ancient City Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

In the boundless desolate Gobi desert stand the ruins of the Gaochang Ancient City, shining like a resplendent precious stone inlaid in the barren desert and shining on the Silk Road. Gaochang is located at the foot of the Flaming Mountain, about 46 kilometers (about 29 miles) southeast of Turpan. Withstanding the test of time and weather, the Gaochang Ancient City and the Jiaohe Ruins are the best-preserved ruins of the ancient cities in China. Today, the remains standing here remind us of the grandeur and prosperity of the ancient city. It was classified as an important cultural unit protected by the state in 1961.

The history of the ancient city

The ancient city of Gaochang was built as a garrison town in the first century B.C., initially called Gaochang Wall, and later renamed Kharakhoja, Kocho or King City. It was a key point along the Silk Road. During the successive dynasties, it was ruled as Gaochang Prefecture, Gaochang Kingdom and West Prefecture.

Scattered over an area of two million square meters at the foot of Flaming Mountain, Gaochang Ancient City was the political and cultural center in China's northwest for 1,500 years from the Han Dynasty, when the government began to station garrisons there, until the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), when the city began to deteriorate. The town was a major staging post on the Silk Road.

The once appearance of the old city

According to the historical records, the Gaochang Ancient City, at that time, possessed 12 huge iron doors and the buildings of the city were placed closely side by side, in which were workshops, markets, temples and residential quarters. The layout of the city was very similar to those of the then Chang An City (everlasting peace) of the capital of China in Han and Tang Dynasties. The total population was 30,000, among which monks and priests constituted 3000. Today, the interior buildings of the site of the ancient city can be seen scattered all over, particularly concentrated in the southwest of the city. The temples and the Buddhist halls for worshipping and the streets leap up before the eyes.

What to explore

The Gaochang Ancient City is a sublimely impressive sight, likely to spur thoughts of the grand sweep of history and the insignificance of tourists standing in the middle of the vast desert, snapping digital photos of crumbling ruins that date back to the 1st century B.C.. After 2,000 years, the weather-beaten ancient city still displays its past greatness and glory even though the walls are incomplete the magnificent outline remains.

Three parts

The ruins are an irregular square, covering an area of about 2,200,000 square meters (2,631,178 square yards). The layout is similar to that of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907).

The ruins of Gaochang Ancient City are divided into three parts: an outer city, an inner city, and the imperial palace. Most of the city walls are still well preserved, the highest section being twelve meters high. Within the city walls are the remains of broken houses, earth pagodas, and a network of streets. Most of the houses were built with rammed earth or mud bricks, with arched doorways and windows.

• The outer city
  The outer city with a perimeter of 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles), is enclosed by a city wall of 12 meters (39 feet) thick and 11.5 meters (37.7 feet) high, and built with tamped earth. Nine city gates are located in the four cardinal points: three in the South, and two in each of the other directions. The gates in the west are the best preserved. In the southwestern and southeastern parts of the outer city stand two temples ruins. The temple in the southwestern corner consists of a gate, a courtyard, a sermon hall, a sutra depository and monks' abodes. The southeastern temple consists of a polygonal tower and a worship grotto, where splendid murals remain well preserved.
• The inner city
  The inner city, situated right in the middle of the outer city, has a perimeter of 3 kilometers (2 miles). The western and southern parts of the city walls are well preserved. The eastern and southern parts were badly damaged, only with the northeastern highlands and the southeastern earthen platforms are still visible. No trace of the inner city's gates remain.
• The palace city
  The palace city is located in the north of the inner city, sharing its southern wall with the inner city and northern wall with the outer city. It is a rectangle with a perimeter of 700 meters (2,296 feet). Within the city, many large cornerstones remains are still visible, with an average height of 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) to 4 meters (13 feet). These cornerstones are relics of a 4-storied palace. An irregular adobe square standing in a high earthen platform is called "Khan's Castle", which was the imperial residence.

The temple

The best preserved structures in the ruins is the large monastery in the southwestern part of the outer city, with some of it's the front gate, courtyard, lecture hall, main hall, and monastic dormitories still preserved. It is 130 meters long from east to west, 85 meters wide from south to north and covers an area of 10,000 square meters. Murals remaining in the main hall are still visible.

The renowned Buddhist monk Xuan Zang of the Tang Dynasty is said to have lectured in the temple for more than one month in the year 628 on his way to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. In the vicinity of the temple there are also ruins of workshops and market sites.

As one of the key points along the Silk Road, the ancient city of Gaochang was also a sanctuary of world religious culture. Xuanzhuang, a well-known Buddhist monk in the Tang Dynasty stopped here and delivered lectures on his way to India.

How to get there

• Take the tourist bus from Turpan to Doushan, it stops at Shengjinkou, then transfer to motorcycles from Shengjinkou to Gaochang.
• Take a bus from Turpan to Sanbao Township Government, and then transfer to motorcycles to Gaochang.
• Take a taxi.

When to visit

The best time to visit Turpan is from June to August when various melons and fruits are ripe, so you may taste the delicious fruits. The Grape Festival held in August every year is also quite exciting and very enjoyable. During the Grape Festival, a variety of cultural activities such as evening parties, and the grape wine festival are enjoyable events to attend.

• opening Hours: 08:00a.m. - 17:00p.m.

Attractions around » Turpan, Xin Jiang

Natural Scene

• Flaming Mountain
• Grape Valley
• Tuyugou Valley

Historical Site

• Jiaohe Ruins
• Sugong Pagoda
• Gaochang Ancient City
• Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
• Astana Tombs

Cultural Site

• Karez System
• Grape Valley

Gaochang Ancient City Highlights

Ancient City & Town in Great China

• Lijiang Old Town
• Ancient Town of Zhouzhuang
• Shuhe Naxi Village
• Jiaohe Ruins
• Ancient Town of Wuzhen
• Pingyao Ancient City
• Tunxi Ancient Street
• Xidi Village
• Hongcun Village
• Yangliuqing Town
• Old Town of Xitang
• Cuandixia Village
• Zhujiajiao Old Town
• Phoenix Town
• Loulan Ancient City
• Qiuci Capital Ruins
• Baidicheng
• Fengdu
• Shibaozhai Temple
• Mallikurwatur Ruins
• Tangyue Archway
• Dali Ancient City
• Qingyan Ancient Town
• Zhenyuan Ancient Town
• Stone Drum Town
• Gaochang Ancient City
• Furong Town
• Qibaozhen Ancient Town
• Tongli Town
• Daxu Ancient Town
• Jingzhou Ancient City
• Nanping Village
• Xingping Town
• Longli Ancient Town
• Ancient Sanlu Temple Street
• Shiban Street
• Ciqikou Old Town
• Tunbao Cultural Village
• Kashgar Old Town
• Subashi Ancient City
• Gyangtze Old Town
• Lhatse
• Jinli Street
• Langzhong Ancient City

Gaochang Ancient City FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. When is the best time to go?

  Customs

1. What are some interesting festivals?
2. Mind these customs and taboos

  Other Hints

1. A couple of notes for packing
2. A note on the time difference
3. Emergency Numbers
4. Useful Numbers

• When is the best time to go?

  The best time for visiting is between July and August when the fruit crops are ripe.

  Turpan is well-known for its high temperatures and is also called 'Huo Zhou' (a place as hot as fire). The city is located in Turpan Basin, the hottest as well as the lowest elevation in China; just 98 ft above sea level. The climate is dry, hot and windy with an average rainfall of only 0.9 inches per year. Because of its unique geographical position, the city enjoys very high temperature and very little precipitation. The summers here are long and usually begin in April and end in August. June, July and August are the hottest months with an average temperature above 38C (100.4F) and the recorded highest temperature is 49.6C (121.28F).

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• What are some interesting festivals?

  Grape Festival
  Turpan is renowned for the quality of the fruit grown here and the sweetness of the grapes. Just as the name implies, the grape is the subject of the festival which is held in August each year and lasts for a month. During the festival, you can feel the happiness of harvest in every corner of the city. The grapes of hundreds of varieties are ripe and hang on the vines, waiting for you to enjoy. Amongst them, the white grape without seeds is the favourite one and it is praised as the 'green pearl of China'. In addition to enjoying the sweet grapes you can take in traditional Uygur performances in the festival, such as the wedding ceremony of Uygur and the dancing performances in Tang Dynasty (618-907). Grape Valley is the best option for you to celebrate the festival.

  Eid al Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking)
  This fast is one of the five pillars of Islam and Eid al Fitr is the first day after 30 days' fast. The festival is celebrated on the 1st of October according to the Moslem calendar, and lasts for three days. It is an important festival among the Moslems. On the first morning of the festival, people gather together in the mosque to pray. And then, they wear national costumes to call on their relatives and friends. During the festival, people will butcher fat stocks and cook some traditional snacks to satisfy their stomach.

  Eid al Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice)
  The festival is on 10th December according to the Moslem calendar and it is the last day for pilgrimage. In the early morning, all men go to mosque to pray. It is the most important divine service with a largest scale all year round. During the festival, each family should slaughter a sheep, a cow or a camel. And families and friends would gather together to sing and dance happily. Of course, they will also enjoy a sumptuous meal together. After the meal, they often visit the grave to honor the memory of ancestors

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• Mind these customs and taboos

  When traveling in Turpan, you should pay attention to Muslim customs and taboos in particular.
  
  
  • Do not poke the food in dishes or get close to the kitchen.
    
  • Never eat pork or talk about pigs when a Muslim is present.
    
  • Do not wear clothing that is short and too revealing.
    
  
  When receiving something, you should use both of your hands to show your thanks and respect to the host.
  
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• A couple of notes for packing

  1. Although the temperature is high in the day time, you should take a long sleeved shirt as temperatures here vary greatly between day and night.

  2. As the temperature is very high in the summer, it is necessary for you to take a hat, sunglasses and sun-bloc to avoid being burnt.

  3. If you are used to wearing contact lenses, please bring a pair of glasses with you due to the hot dry weather.

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• A note on the time difference

  Although the clock time in Xinjiang is the same as Beijing time, there is two hours difference because of the longitude. You should modify your rest and dinning times two hours later as compared with staying in the central part of China.

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• Emergency Numbers

  • Fire: 119
    
  • Police: 110
    
  • Ambulance: 120
    
  • Traffic: 122
    

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• Useful Numbers

  • Consumers Complaint Line of the Turpan Consumers' Association: 123154
    
  • Tour Complaints: 8523216
    
  • Time Inquiry: 117
    
  • Telephone Number Inquiry: 114
    
  • Weather Forecast: 121
    
  • Railway Inquiry: 8642233
    
  • Tourist Bureau of Turpan Region: 8523653 / 8523663
    
  • Tourist Bureau of Turpan City: 8520171.

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