Former capital of the kingdom of Jushi
Just ten kilometers west of Turpan (Turfan) you will find the interesting ruins of the former royal city of Jiaohe. It has an interesting position where it is protected on both sides by river valleys. Since it was basically built of clay, there is not much left of it, but it is still worth a visit
Map of Jiaohe
Right at the beginning of the area of the ancient city is a huge map that captures the tactical location of this residence. It is actually a large promontory surrounded by two rivers that meet below it.
Sightseeing walkway
The path climbs to the top of the promontory. There is no place to get lost, the main circuit is along a wide paved sidewalk
Ruins of buildings
Along the way you pass dozens of ruins of former houses in the desert landscape. What it must have looked like here at the time of the greatest glory two thousand years ago
The landscape around Jiaohe
The city lies in the Turfan Depression, which falls south of Turfan to –154 meters below sea level (the lowest place in China) and yet we are more than 2500 kilometers away from the sea. Here you will find desolate plains and brown ridges without vegetation. It is only around rivers
The most famous building in Jiaohe
The most famous building in Jiaohe is the ruin of a Buddhist pagoda
Canyon view
Probably the most beautiful of the whole tour is the view of the canyon, which was a natural defense of the city
Fertile surroundings of the river
To this day, the area around the river is cultivated. Not surprisingly, there is really little fertile land in this region
View of the city
From the largest, quite well-preserved building, there is a very nice view of almost the entire city, which was an important point on the Silk Road
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