Skip to main content
WindhorseTour
Shortlist (0) China travel guide Blog FAQ About us Contact us
info@windhorsetour.com +86-28-85593923
  • Home
  • Tailor-made tour Tailor-made
  • Tibet tours Tibet tours
    All Tibet group tours
    All Tibet private tours

    Destination

    • Lhasa
    • Central Tibet
    • Mount Everest Base Camp
    • Mount Kailash & Far Western Tibet
    • Eastern Tibet Nyingchi
    • Sichuan/Yunnan to Tibet overland
    • Sichuan Tibetan Kham
    • Train Journey to Tibet
    • Nepal & Bhutan
    • Kathmandu Valley
    • Kathmandu, Pokhara & Chitwan
    • Everest Region (Nepal Side)
    • Annapurna Region

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
  • China tours China tours
    All China private tours

    Destination

    • China Multi-city tours
    • Beijing
    • Xi’an
    • Shanghai
    • Hong Kong
    • Guilin & Yangshuo
    • Chengdu
    • Datong & Pingyao
    • Yunnan
    • Guizhou
    • Tibet
    • Yangtze River Cruises
    • Zhangjiajie National Park
    • Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong
    • Mount Huangshan
    • Mount Emei & Leshan
    • Daocheng Yading
    • Qinghai
    • Xiamen

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
    • 1st Time travel to China
    • Panda
    • Yangtze cruise
  • Silk Road tours Silk Road
    All Silk Road private tours

    Destination

    • Zhangye Rainbow Mountain
    • Dunhuang
    • Turpan
    • Kashgar
    • Badain Jaran Desert
    • Kanas Lake
    • Silk Road Tibet
    • Silk Road China
    • Kuqa
    • Hotan
    • Yining Grassland
    • Jiayuguan
    • Tianshui

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Panda
  • Travel guide Travel guide
    All travel advice

    Tibet travel advice

    • The Ultimate Guide on How to Visit Tibet
    • Best time to visit Tibet
    • 50 Things To Do in Tibet, Top Tibet Tourist Attractions
    • A Complete Travel Guide to Mount Kailash and Kora Trekking
    • How to avoid high-altitude sickness in Tibet

    China travel advice

    • Guide on How to Travel China, Tips, Popular Destinations [Updated 2023]
    • The Best Times to visit China: By season and by month
    • Planning a Trip to China with 10-Step Guide
    • Top 20 photography destinations in China
    • Top 30 Attractions in China
More
Home > China travel guide > China attractions > Xinjiang > Jiaohe Ruins

Jiaohe Ruins

Jiaohe Ruins is a historic site standing on a 30 m. (98 ft.) high plateau, 10 km. (6 mi.) away from Turpan, Xinjiang province. This ancient city is currently the largest and oldest immature soil city in the world.

With a long history of 2,000 years, it is also the best preserved urban ruins in China. The city is located on an island, 13 km. (8 mi.) east of Turpan where two rivers converge, just as its name "Jiaohe" implies.

Overview of Jiaohe Ruins

The whole ancient ruins resembles a huge castle setting up successive lines of defense. What makes people feel unbelievable is that there is not a single wall to guard this ancient city and it's all made by digging the lofty platform, an island-shaped highland.

Most part of the complex was built in Tang Dynasty with characteristic layout. The total area of this ancient city is 47 sq.m. (506 sq. ft.) and the remaining ruins occupies an area of 36 sq.m. (388 sq. ft.).

The layout of the ruins are composed of three parts: the street, the temple and the pagodas. The street is 350 meters long and 10 meters wide splitting the residential area in two. North of the street stands a grand temple which constitute the northern section of the ruins.

Interested in This Attraction? Contact Us Now!

The magnificent groups of pagodas are situated there. In the west of the city, there are many manual workshops inside of which people in the ancient times manufacture shoes, brew wines and spin. There are also some ancient wells there. Therefore, this ancient city really makes a mysterious trip for you to wander around.

History of Jiaohe Ruins

According to the history records, Jiaohe once was the capital city of the former Cheshi Kingdom from the year 108 B.C. to 450 A.D..

The city was an important site along the Silk Road trade route, as well as the home to 700 households, 6,500 residents plus 865 soldiers for centuries.

During an invasion by the Mongols led by Genghis Khan in the 13th century, Jiaohe was finally abandoned after its destruction. 

Time flies. Over 700 years had passed by before the ruins of Jiaohe was excavated in the 1950s. In 1961, Jiaohe Ruins was listed as cultural site under national protection and is honored as "the most perfect ruins in the world".

Related tours

Lhasa Ganden Tour Route
Potala Palace winter
Jokhang

5 days Splendid Lhasa tour with Ganden Monastery

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Ganden ⇀ Lhasa
5 days
∙ Private ∙
Culture and Heritage
Travel to the Tibetan capital Lhasa and beyond with a variety of activates to experience natural beauty and rich culture. See Brahmaputra the trans Tibet river along with stops at top attractions and a hike in Kichu Valley near Ganden Monastery.
Add to shortlist
From CN¥ 2,600
View tour >
Tashilunpo monastery exterior
Tibet Classical Tour Route
Kumbum at Gyantse

6 days Tibet classic tour

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Gyantse ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Lhasa
6 days
∙ Private ∙
Culture and Heritage
On this classic Tibet tour, travel back in time and witness the unforgettable ancient culture of Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse. The amazing natural landscapes all the way presets you with the wonders of Tibet.
Add to shortlist
From CN¥ 4,070
CN¥ 3,700
View tour >
Lhasa to Tsedang Tour Route
Samye Monastery Great Photo

5 days Lhasa and Samye cultural exploration

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Tsedang ⇀ Lhasa
5 days
∙ Private ∙
Culture and Heritage
A popular and short sightseeing trip in Lhasa and around with drive to Tsedang the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Discover the mystery of Tibet's Buddhist culture as you visit the most revered sites of Samye Monastery and Yumbulakang Palace.
Add to shortlist
From CN¥ 3,100
View tour >
distance views of namche barwa from lulang forest in nyingchih
Lhasa Nyingchi Tour Route
Peach Blossom in Nyingchi
potala Palace - the landmark of Tibet
Sera monastery monks debating tibet tour

6 days Picturesque Tibet tour with Nyingchi visit

Lhasa
6 days
∙ Private ∙
Natural scenery
See "the Tibetan Switzerland" on a pleasant journey to Nyingchi located in central Tibet. Nyingchi is known for its natural beauty mixed among the high plateau unique scenery of gorgeous alpine lakes and green mountains.
Add to shortlist
From CN¥ 4,100
View tour >
Admin data
 

Related attractions

Gaochang ruins
Dali ancient city
Xi'an City wall - travel tips on must try activities
Ming-qing street
YingXi'an wooden pagoda

Contact us

  • +86-28-85593923
  • info@windhorsetour.com

Discover

    • Tibet group tours
    • Tibet tours
    • China tours
    • Silk Road tours
    • Create your tailor-made tour

Company

  • About us
  • Blog
  • China travel guide
  • FAQ
  • Terms of use and Privacy statement

Customer Reviews

© 2006 - 2023 WindhorseTour.com - All rights reserved