CCTV January 11, 2014

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Speaking of political and cultural significance, the Silk Road has been in the spotlight since its application to UNESCO last year to become a world cultural heritage. Some of the ancient sites involved in the application include the Jiaohe Ancient City Ruin, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is one of the best preserved city ruins along the old Silk Road.

Jiaohe Ancient City Ruin, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is one of the
best preserved city ruins along the old Silk Road.

13 kilometers west of the city of Turpan, Jiaohe got its name from the convergence of two rivers. It used to be the capital of an ancient kingdom, as well a military headquarters for the Tang dynasty.

Dating back more than 2,000 years, the city’s former layout can still be seen, including its central avenue, residential areas and commercial and administrative zones.

Dry weather and scarce rainfall have contributed to the preservation of the ruins. Its residents dug out underground houses, and used the excavated earth to build structures above ground. The layout here is unique, and testifies to the wisdom of the ancient people.

“By building houses in this way they saved water and mud. And these underground houses are also warm in winter, cool in summer.” Tang Shihua, deputy researcher of Research Institute of Turpan Culture, said.

More than 300 wells here provide clues about how our ancestors used water.

“Water was very precious to people living in such a dry area. They built a well first and then carved out their houses around it. The wells can regulate temperature and humidity inside houses, and the proximity made it easy to fetch water. Also, by digging holes in the wells, it helped keep food in the storage room fresh.” Tang said.

Turpan Museum houses documents and scripts dating back a thousand years. Documents in more than ten languages testify to the merging of cultures in the region. Some written materials have survived because they were re-used in interesting ways, evidence that the people here were also good at recycling.