Attraction of Turpan Yarkhoto

Turpan Ancient City of Yarkhoto ( Chinese name is Jiaohe Gucheng ) is located in the Yarnaz Valley thirteen kilometers west of Turpan. It was first the capital of the State of South Cheshi, which was one of the thirty-six states in the Western Region. As described in the dynastic history book The Notes on the Western Region, A History of the Han Dynasty “The State of South Cheshi made the city of Yarkhoto ( Jiaohe Gucheng ) its capital, which was circled by rivers flowing by the city, hence the name of ‘Yarkhoto ( Jiaohe Gucheng )’ (the city of joining rivers).” Built on a loess plateau thirty meters high, the ancient city is 1,650 meters long and 300 meters wide. The city has no walls and is protected by the natural fortification of the precipitous cliffs.

The size of the existing ruins indicates its great prosperity during the Tang Dynasty. There are two city gates. The main southern gate is in ruins. The eastern gate is relatively well-preserved, with visible gateways and mortice openings for mounting the gate lintels. There are hideouts built in the gate for soldiers to defend the city.

In the north-central part of the inner city, there is a high terrace on which stands a square pagoda built of adobe called “Khan’s castle” which means “Imperial Palace.” Somewhat to its west there is a half-underground, two-story structure which was probably the ruins of a palace.

The ruins of the buildings, divided basically into temples, civilian dwellings and government offices, have an area of 220,000 square meters. Entering the southern gate, one can see a 10 meter-wide and 350 meter-long main street leading to the biggest Buddhist temple located in the north-central part of the city. The tower in front of the temple gate is still intact, and standing on top of the tower one can enjoy the panorama of the whole city. There are still some more temples in the city. In the southeastern area of the city are located administrative office buildings and official residences which are the only big buildings built of bricks and tiles. According to researchers, the magnificent, half-underground, two-story building is probably the seat of Anxi’s Military Viceroy’s Office during the Tang Dynasty.

The architectural style of the ancient city of Yarkhoto ( Jiaohe Gucheng ) differs from that of the city of Gaochang. Here in Yarkhoto ( Jiaohe Gucheng ), courtyards are pits dug in the ground, dwellings are caves opened into the earth and walls are built of tamped earth. Houses are two-storied without windows and doors on the side facing streets and courtyard gates are hidden in deep lanes. The architectural style also features some typical elements of the Tang Dynasty. Visitors to the city can still walk along the streets and go through the halls into the charming inner rooms.

The ancient city of Yarkhoto ( Jiaohe Gucheng ) was classified as an important cultural unit protected by the state in 1961.