Gaochang Ruins

The Gaochang Ruins (the site also known as Karakhoja, Khocho or Qocho) are the remains of an ancient city built in the 1st century BC. C. They are located about 45 kilometers southeast of the city of Turpan in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. The city was abandoned at the end of the 14th century. Gaochang means city of the king.

Gaochang became one of the most important enclaves of the ancient Silk Road. Originally used as a military garrison, it was also the capital of the ancient kingdom of Gaochang in the 2nd century BC. C. The city was captured by the Tang dynasty in the year 640 and remained under their control until the IX century. From then until the 14th century, it was the capital of an ancient Uighur kingdom: the kingdom of Kharakhoja.

The city was protected by a wall, built on earth, with walls 11.5 meters high and nine entrance gates. It was divided into two areas: the part that was inside the walls and the part that was in the outer area.

Gaochang also served as a center of Buddhism. The city had various temples and monasteries, capable of housing up to 3,000 monks. The kingdom of Kharakhoja signified the flourishing of Manichaeism and East Syriac Christianity in the area. Islam took over later, shortly before Gaochang was finally abandoned.

Today you can visit three different areas in the ruins: those corresponding to the inner and outer city and the palace area. The total area occupied by the ruins is more than 2,000,000 m². You can also see the remains of two temples; one of them contains well-preserved murals.

The other temple is larger and it is believed that Xuanzang, one of the main Buddhist monks of the Tang period, resided there. It occupies an area of about 10,000 m² and consists of a main hall, the monks' dormitory, a reading room and a library.