Barkol Ancient City 巴里坤古城

About Barkol Ancient City

The Hami municipal government's introduction to the site describes Barkol as the largest and most completely preserved ancient garrison town of the Western Regions (西域), one of the four great garrison cities of northern Xinjiang in the Qing dynasty and one of the four circuits of Qing Xinjiang, and records its old name, Zhenxi prefecture (镇西府). The scenic area takes the surviving city wall as its main line and brings together sites that include city gates, granaries, the Xiangu Temple (仙姑庙), an academy, a wedding-culture garden, an exhibition hall and an old-city culture street.

Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County has three national 4A-grade tourist scenic areas, and Barkol Ancient City is one of them.

What to look for

• The surviving city wall and its gates, which the scenic area takes as its main line
• The Xiangu Temple (仙姑庙) and the granaries, both named among the sites the scenic area brings together
• The old-city culture street, also named among those sites

Location & getting there

Getting to Barkol Ancient City

Identify the main visitor approach and any separately managed houses, museums or performances. Ask before entering residential spaces or photographing residents.

• Search for 巴里坤古城 with 哈密市 and 巴里坤哈萨克自治县.