This is the ruins of a historic city that is over 2000 years old which was once a major and important town on the ancient Silk Road, 10 kilometres west of Turpan.

I made this panorama by merging it from seven individual photos taken separately. I was not sure if the photos would merge properly together as they were taken hand-held, but the result is better than I anticipated.

The Jiaohe Ruined Town is claimed to be the largest and oldest earthen ancient town in the world today, dating back to more than 2000 years ago. It was once the capital of one of the 36 kingdoms of the Western Region of China during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 8 AD). It was first established by a general appointed to administer the entire Turpan area, and became an effective fortress against raiding bands of Xiongnu horsemen. Modern archaeologists believe that the town was destroyed in a great fire towards the end of the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty (1279-1368) and subsequently abandoned. But the remains of many of the buildings had been preserved in comparatively good shape due to the dry climate of the area. The main street of the city is still visible, running in a south-north direction through the middle of the town and dividing it into two parts. Smaller lanes branch off from the main road, dividing the town into blocks, which is a typical arrangement of ancient towns in China. High adobe walls, once enclosing private homes, line the street and side-lanes.