# Jiaohe Ancient City (交河故城)

Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jiaohe-ancient-city
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥70
- **Opening hours:** 9：30—19：00
- **Time needed:** 3 hours
- **Getting there:** From April to October, a tourist shuttle costs ¥20. In the off-season, take a bus to Yar Township (亚尔乡), then a taxi (¥15) or horse cart (¥20) to Jiaohe Ancient City.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Architecture

## About Jiaohe Ancient City

This city without walls is the largest, oldest and best-preserved rammed-earth city in the world. The ruins lie in the Yar Nazigou valley, 13 km west of Turpan city, on a willow-leaf-shaped island-like plateau more than 20 metres high. Because a dried-up river channel splits around the city below, it is named 'Jiaohe' (Crossing River). It was the site of the Former Court of the Chezhi Kingdom in the Han dynasty, and the Anxi Protectorate General of the Tang dynasty was first established here. It was destroyed around the 13th century in a war lasting nearly half a century. Today the government offices, residences, pagodas and temples remain clearly visible. The city has only east and south gates, and you reach the ruins by climbing a dirt path up from the riverbed.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 832. 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.
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