Gaochang ruins 高昌故城

About Gaochang ruins

Its surviving earthen walls, inner enclosures and religious ruins reveal a much broader urban footprint than a single monument. The city’s history includes several kingdoms and a long role in Silk Road exchange. Combine the outdoor remains with museum context or nearby Astana Cemetery to connect monumental space with the objects and daily lives associated with the city.

The settlement originated in the first century BC and was rebuilt as a royal capital in the fifth century. During the Tang dynasty it served as a county seat, and workshops included papermaking and wine production alongside metalworking, painting, carpentry and leatherworking. It later regained the status of a capital under the Gaochang Uyghur kingdom. The city was destroyed in the fourteenth century, and subsequent cultivation damaged many of its remaining buildings.

The surviving complex comprises an outer city, inner city and palace enclosure, including Khan's Fort (可汗堡). Construction combined rammed earth, mud bricks and chambers cut into the ground. Murals, documents and sculpture preserve evidence of Buddhism, Manichaeism and the Church of the East between the seventh and thirteenth centuries. The ruins became a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 1961 and joined the World Heritage List in 2014 as part of the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor.

What to look for

• Earthen walls and nested enclosures reveal the city’s scale.
• Religious and civic remains reflect Gaochang’s successive historical roles.

Location & getting there

Getting to Gaochang ruins

Navigate to Gaochang Ancient City in the Sanbao/Sanbu area east of Turpan. Confirm the visitor route and internal transport at the entrance, especially when combining it with Astana Cemetery.