Jiaohe Ruins

Jiaohe stands on a leaf-shaped plateau between two river channels, thirty metres above them with natural cliffs on every side, and its builders worked downward: rather than laying walls, they cut streets, courtyards, rooms and even a monastery out of the loess itself, so much of the city is subtractive architecture. It was occupied from around the second century BC, served as a regional capital under Tang administration, and was abandoned after the fourteenth century. The dry climate preserved it, and it is now among the best-preserved earthen cities anywhere, part of the UNESCO Silk Roads listing, walked on marked paths.

What you actually see

• The carved streets - avenues cut down into the loess plateau.
• The monastery - the Buddhist complex at the centre of the city.
• The stupa field - rows of earthen stupas in the northern quarter.
• The cliff setting - the island plateau between two river channels.

When to go

April to May and September to October; Turpan summers exceed forty degrees with no shade on the site. Early morning and late afternoon give both bearable heat and better light.

Honest expectations

There is no shade at all and heat is the main hazard. Structures are eroded earth and need interpretation to read. Paths are fixed and much of the site is roped off for preservation.

Nearby

Gaochang lies east; the Flaming Mountains are northeast.