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South of the Flame Mountain, Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
The largest ancient city in West Region.
At the foot of the Flaming Mountain in Turpan, Xinjiang, Gaochang Ancient City stands quietly. It used to be the only pass and important gateway of the Silk Road., with a total area of 2 million square meters, and it is the largest ancient city site preserved in the ancient western regions. Gaochang Ancient City has witnessed the development and changes of the ancient city, the stories of the exchanges between various ethnic groups and the harmonious coexistence of multiple religions.
Gaochang Ancient City, which was the central town of Turpan Basin from the Western Han Dynasty to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties(1st century BC-14th century AD), from Western Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty(about 1,400 years). The ruins of Gaochang Ancient City ruins are divided into three parts: outer city, inner city and palace. Triple city's design, shape and layout of internal and external buildings are very similar to Chang' an in Tang Dynasty, and it is known as Chang 'an in the Western Region.
Overlooking the Gaochang Ancient City from the air, we can see that its internal and external buildings are modeled after the shape and layout of Chang 'an City in Tang Dynasty, and the whole city is rectangular, with three parts: outer city, inner city and palace, which is known as Chang 'an in the western regions.
More than 1,300 years ago, Master Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty passed by Gaochang Ancient City on his way to the west to seek dharma, and he deeply felt the close connection between Gaochang and the Central Plains area. When King of Gaochang knew that Xuanzang had arrived in Hami, he immediately sent a mission to welcome Xuanzang. And Xuanzang, who had no plan to pass through Gaochang, changed his route and came here by his kind invitation.
When he stepped into Gaochang, Xuanzang was surprised to find that there was not much difference between here and Chang 'an. The streets were crowded with people, and ethnic groups from different regions wore different costumes and lived together in harmony, showing a prosperous scene. This scene fully shows the exchange and integration of all ethnic groups in Gaochang Ancient City at that time, and also shows the high similarity in culture and lifestyle between Gaochang and the Central Plains.
A large number of precious cultural relics have been unearthed from the Gaochang Ancient City and its radiation area. At present, 18 kinds of words and 25 different languages have been discovered. With Chinese characters as the main body, the contents of the documents cover all aspects of politics, economy, culture and life, which witnessed the effective jurisdiction of the central government over the western regions and the far-reaching influence of Chinese culture on the western regions. These unearthed cultural relics fully show that Xinjiang has been a place with multi-ethnic communities and multi-cultures since ancient times.
As an important gateway in the ancient Silk Road, many cultures of the East and the West meet and different religions coexist in the Gaochang Ancient City. In its heyday, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism and other religions lived in harmony here. Buddhism has a long history of spreading in Gaochang area. When Tang Xuanzang went west, King of Gaochang gave a warm welcome to Xuanzang’s team with the whole city. He not only invited Xuanzang to stay in his country forever, but also provided him with rich materials and personnel escort when Xuanzang resolutely went west, and wrote to Qiuci and other 24 countries for escort. And there was a record in Gaochang that the population of the whole city was 30,000, and there were 3,000 monks. We can find the popularity of Buddhism in Gaochang in the past.
In the burial area in the north of Gaochang Ancient City, archaeologists excavated more than 500 tombs, and unearthed tens of thousands of cultural relics such as books, silk, cotton and linen fabrics, epitaphs, coins, clay figurines, pottery utensils, paintings, crops, melons and fruits. These remaining cultural relics, especially the contents of documents, give us a glimpse of the bustling scene of the old city in those days, which makes the documentary records such as "its criminal law, customs, marriage and funeral are similar to those of China" more concrete, which strongly proves that Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times, and it is also a place where many ethnic groups coexist, many religions coexist and many cultures blend together.
The best time to visit the Gachang Ancient City is spring and autumn with comfortable weather and less crowds. During this time, you can fully experience the history and appearances of the Gaochang Ancient City. June to August is the peak season of Xinjiang traveling, and Xinjiang will be full of domestic travelers during this time. Summer in Gaochang Ancient City and Turpan is hot, please protect yourselves from the sunshine in summer if you visit Gaochang Ancient City in summer.
Gaochang Ancient City ruins is located about 40 kilometers from Turpan, and you can take a taxi from Turpan to Gaochang Ancient City.
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