Atlas of China
Gaochang Ruins 高昌故城Gāochāng Gùchéng
4A scenic area · National heritage site · Turpan, Xinjiang
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Days to budget
- Half a day
- City
- Turpan
- Region
- Xinjiang
- Type
- Heritage
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area, National heritage site
About Gaochang Ruins
Gaochang, also known as Qocho, was the leading city of the Turpan basin for some 1,400 years: capital of the Gaochang kingdom, a Tang county seat and then capital of the Uyghur Qocho kingdom, until war destroyed it in the 14th century. Within its eroded mud walls you can still trace the outer city, inner city and palace citadel, and the best-preserved buildings are the Great Buddhist Temple and the south-western temple. Boardwalks and shuttle carts link the ruins to a visitor centre opened in 2016, and the site is part of the Silk Road World Heritage listing.
How to get to Gaochang Ruins
About 35 km east of central Turpan by road; go by taxi or hired car, often combined with the Bezeklik caves.
Nearby
- Turpan & Jiaohe Ruins 吐鲁番交河故城 40 km
A 2,000-year-old city carved out of a river island, in China's hottest basin
Also within 20 km: Taizang Pagoda Ruins 台藏塔遗址 (under 10 km), Astana Cemetery 阿斯塔那古墓群 (under 10 km), Flaming Mountains 火焰山 (under 10 km), Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves 柏孜克里克千佛洞 (10 km), Tuyoq Valley 吐峪沟 (10 km), Boxiha Caves 伯西哈石窟 (10 km).
On the map
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