# Hami Ghost City (Yardang Park) (哈密魔鬼城)

Hami, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/hami-ghost-city-yardang-park
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Peak season ¥40, off-season ¥20
- **Opening hours:** 8：30—22：30
- **Time needed:** 3–4 hours
- **Getting there:** Take a bus from Hami city to Wubao Township (五堡乡), then hire a car to continue.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Nature

## About Hami Ghost City (Yardang Park)

Hami lies in a yardang landscape, where long wind erosion has naturally sculpted what is known as the 'Ghost City'. Because it is so mysterious, anyone unfamiliar with the terrain who is caught in a storm risks losing their way. Within the Ghost City you can see rock formations resembling castles, palaces, pagodas, stone tablets, human figures and beasts, dizzying sheer cliffs, colourful agates mixed among the gravel, silicified wood everywhere, and fossilised plants with fresh-looking leaves. Occasionally you may find small round stones resembling dinosaur eggs, as well as marine fish fossils and bird fossils. When night falls, you may hear eerie howling that sends a shiver down your spine.
In fact, there is a genuine ancient fortress here, the Aisikexia'er Ancient Castle (艾斯克霞尔古城堡), which was either a post station on the ancient Silk Road or the southwestern outpost of the Hami kingdom.

---
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 839. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.